How Far Are the Exceptional Fallen

"Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. He therefore is the truest friend to the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue, and who, so far as his power and influence extend, will not suffer a man to be chosen into any office of power and trust who is not a wise and virtuous man.

We must not conclude merely upon a man's haranguing upon liberty, and using the charming sound, that he is fit to be trusted with the liberties of his country. It is not unfrequent to hear men declaim loudly upon liberty, who, if we may judge by the whole tenor of their actions, mean nothing else by it but their own liberty, — to oppress without control or the restraint of laws all who are poorer or weaker than themselves.

It is not, I say, unfrequent to see such instances, though at the same time I esteem it a justice due to my country to say that it is not without shining examples of the contrary kind; — examples of men of a distinguished attachment to this same liberty I have been describing; whom no hopes could draw, no terrors could drive, from steadily pursuing, in their sphere, the true interests of their country; whose fidelity has been tried in the nicest and tenderest manner, and has been ever firm and unshaken."

Samuel Adams

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - First Trading Week of the New Year - Non-Farm Payrolls Report

Stocks, led higher by big cap tech, were on an absolute tear higher today.

Volatility as measured by the VIX was crushed lower.

The dollar continued to show weakness.

Gold rallied up through the overhead resistance, and made a stab at some levels we have not seen in some time. Silver showed its penchant for beta and was up a bit higher on a percentage level, firmly nailing down the 17 handle.

It will be interesting to see if we can crack 1330 in gold/dollars. What a powerful move we have had off the last FOMC meeting. But as noted, this has been the usual thing so many times last year.

There will be a Non-Farm Payrolls Report on Friday.

Have a pleasant evening.

Acceptance and Forgiveness

What is a proper disposition towards life?  It is to accept God as a loving father, who is full of tenderness and forgiveness for us, despite our willful blunders and hardened hearts. He yearns for us, as a father and mother yearn for the return of their most beloved child.

It is to accept that we are not lost, we are not abandoned.  We are wandering like a wayward child, full of our own headstrong delusions.  And our father waits expectantly, calling out for us through the darkness.   He sends the spirit out to find us, a light to find our way home to him out of the gloom of the night.

It is to accept that his door is always open, and that he will not abandon us, until he has at last welcomed us into his house.

How do we know what he is doing? Talk to him. He is always listening. He delights in our presence, and notes everything about us, as a loving parent does to a sleeping child. His love is boundless, but will not overwhelm us. Because that is how deep his love is for us.

God is our loving father.  If only we will accept it, and accept our life as it truly is meant to be, beyond the images and the shadows of the world.  For he has already humbled himself, and in his loving forgiveness laid down his life for us.

What more can we ask, what additional proof of his love can we require of him? ?

What's for New Year's Dinner

I am having roast duck for New Year's dinner.   A roast pork seemed to be too large, and I found a nice young seven pound duck on sale.  It has been some years since I have made one.

It is just Dolly and me.   And Dolly seems to have a case of the dolly flu, and is spending most of the time hiding from the cold snuggled up by my side.

I am using this Roast Duck recipe as a general guideline for the cooking mechanics.

I stuffed the duck with cubed root vegetables, garlic and herbs including ginger. I did add some honey and balsamic vinegar to that mix but lightly.

I had cut off the rather substantial piece of skin from the neck area, and fried it in a skillet slowly to extract the duck fat.  And then I sauteed the giblets and some finely diced vegetables in it. I deglazed the skillet with sherry, and added bullion (Rachel Ray's which is Dolly's choice for her food) and poured that over toasted sourdough bread and white bread to make a stuffing on the side.

I did baste the duck with a glaze of my own creation for the last forty-five minutes of cooking in order to give it that crispy look and texture without raising the heat or broiling.

I poured off the duck fat from the roasting pan and saving it for the rest of the week, to use in making breakfast eggs etc.

I ate (does one serve a dinner for one?) the duck with the roast vegetables from the duck, Brussels sprouts,  the stuffing, and a gravy made with the non-fat drippings from the roasting pan added to a packet of Knorr's turkey gravy.  And I was keen to use my new OXO fat separator which worked wonderfully.  It came out quite well. 

I just finished and thought it turned out rather well.

Have a happy New Year's day.

An Artist's Conception of My New Year's Dinner