Just Charts at 2:00 PM - Gloria In Excelsis Deo

"I have hitherto been assuming that such teachers as Gains and Titius do not fully realize what they are doing and do not intend the far-reaching consequences it will actually have. There is, of course, another possibility. What I have called (presuming on their concurrence in a certain traditional system of values) the trousered ape and the urban blockhead may be precisely the kind of man they really wish to produce.

The differences between us may go all the way down. They may really hold that the ordinary human feelings about the past or animals or large waterfalls are contrary to reason and contemptible and ought to be eradicated. They may be intending to make a clean sweep of traditional values and start with a new set."

C.S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man

Or do not so much believe it, as they simply do not care, in sincerity, pathology, or as a matter of convenience.

And that is why there is a need for law and regulation.  Not because people are no better than trousered apes, but because there are those who, while they may not necessarily think it about themselves, certainly consider you and yours to be trousered apes existing for abuse and exploitation.

Martin Shkreli's recent Bloomberg interview comes to mind.

Granted, if people were as rational and self-effacing as angels then there would indeed be no need for rules, and the markets would sort everything out naturally with perfect justice and efficiency.  But alas, they are not, as is well known to anyone of age who is not being paid to say otherwise, and base high sounding theories on such risible nonsense.

Speaking of which, this market is sleepwalking in a very narrow range now.

And judging from the number of cars on the interstate, and especially the large number with out of state license plates, it appears that the holiday weekend has begun.

Have a Happy Hanukkah, and a very Merry Christmas.

And of course, a very pleasant weekend.

Just Charts at 3:30 - O Holy Night

"Man’s maker became man that He, Ruler of the stars, might nurse at His mother’s breast; that the Bread itself might hunger, the Fountain thirst, the Light sleep, the Way be tired on its journey; that Truth might be accused of false witness, that the Teacher be beaten with whips, the Foundation of creation be suspended on the cross; that Strength itself might grow weak; that the Healer might be wounded; and that Life itself might die to live again."

Augustine of Hippo


"Only the humble believe in him and rejoice that God is so free and so marvelous that he does wonders where people despair, that he takes what is little and lowly and makes it marvelous. And that is the wonder of all wonders, that God loves the lowly. God is not ashamed of the lowliness of human beings. God marches right in. He chooses people as his instruments and performs his wonders where one would least expect them. God is near to lowliness; he loves the lost, the neglected, the unseemly, the excluded, the weak and broken."

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Stocks are off in quiet trade.

Unemployment, income and spending data was worse than expected this morning.

There was a story on the Bloomberg terminal this morning about silver imports in China booming in response to lower prices. I think we will see a rather strong three months for the metals in the new year.

In my forecasts, I suggested that at some point Americans would reach for a very bad choice in leaders in their anger and desperation.

I think that was a pretty good bet going into this 'lesser of two evils' election.

Now the rest of the forecast appears to be unfolding, slowly but surely. I find it almost astonishing at times.

Remember each other in your prayers.


Have a pleasant evening.

Just Charts - Escape From the Mall

It's brutal out there. lol

Glad to be home.

Have a pleasant evening.

Just Charts at 3:30 PM - Duty Calls

Need little—  Want less—  Love more

I sincerely hope you are not wasting much time watching this 'market action.'

Since I made a pledge to take the queen wherever she desires, not being able to drive herself, I am making the ultimate sacrifice and taking her to the local shopping mall.

I don't believe I have been inside that thing for ten years at least, when I took the kids to a movie there. And I refuse to go to that place later tonight when it is in full madness and cars lined up to get in.

This market is 'well in hand,' and all set up now to make the funds and financiers look good, or at least make their results the most profitable for themselves.

January I think might be another story. But let's see.

Have a pleasant evening.

Just Charts On a Cold Winter's Night

“And when we give each other Christmas gifts in His name, let us remember that He has given us the sun and the moon and the stars, and the earth with its forests and mountains and oceans— and all that lives and moves upon them.  He has given us all green things and everything that blossoms and bears fruit, and all that we quarrel about and all that we have misused— and to save us from our foolishness, from all our sins, He came down to earth, and gave us Himself.”

Sigrid Undset,  Kristin Lavransdatter

Charts at 4:00 PM - Last Refuge of Scoundrels

President Obama's press conference today was quite interesting.   If I were teaching a course at the Columbia School of Journalism, I might be tempted to use it as a tutorial on how to spot a first rate job of the old twist and deflect in the face of a monumental failure and scandal.

His framing of the Clinton email leaks was a nice mix of 'WMD' and Watergate as nothing but 'a third rate burglary.'   And of course, just trust us, because would you believe the bad guys instead of us, you traitors?

The leaks were a story because they were legitimately damaging, and badly covered up, and they played into well known and also some highly suspected flaws in the candidate and her inner circle.  

And as for the rest, I'm sorry, but have we already forgotten the widespread deception that Snowden exposed in the bald-faced lies told to us by intelligence experts?  And how the US was shown to be spying on just about everyone, even its own allies, and interfering just about anywhere in its pursuit of a Pax Americana through endless war?

The plain truth is that Hillary was just an awful candidate, but especially given the time and circumstances.  And she could not beat a guy who ordinarily could not have been elected dog catcher.
So live with it, and try to learn from your mistakes, which are obvious and greatly hurting your organization, judging by the overall results.   Your party and its policies are a disaster, and a disgrace to its proud traditions of fighting for the working people and middle class against Big Money interests.

And no, we do not trust the political establishment anymore, and for very good reasons.

Show us the evidence, and don't try and blame us, and shame us into silence about it, again.

Have a pleasant evening and a great weekend.