Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - Repentance, Forgiveness, Thankfulness

"No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.

And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union."

Abraham Lincoln, Proclamation of Thanksgiving, 3 October 1863


"Democratic leaders must learn to talk about class issues again. But they won’t on their own. So pressure must come from traditional liberal constituencies and the grass roots, like the much-vilified bloggers...

The more comfortable option for Democrats is to maintain their present course, gaming out each election with political science and a little triangulation magic, their relevance slowly ebbing as memories of the middle-class republic fade."

Thomas Frank, Rendezvous With Oblivion, NYT 2006

Sous vide water cooker

Gold and silver got the expected slamdown to gut-check the holders of new futures positions from yesterday's Comex options expiration.

Stocks were unchanged most of the day, but managed to drift higher into a very quiet trading close.

We are nearing what may prove to be a rather notable if not notorious intermediate high point for equities.

The Fed is bailing out the banks, again and aggressively so.  They care little for the general public.

P.S. We had the spare ribs for dinner.  They had cooked for about 20 hours at 152°. We took them out of their airtight cooking bags and finished them under the broiler with a lite garlic teriyaki sauce.

They were deeply flavored from cooking in their own juices and spices. They were extremely tender, but not falling apart, which I liked quite a bit. Not dry or tough in any regard. I could have easily finished them on the outdoor grill.  On to the next experiment. lol 

Have a pleasant evening.

Thanksgiving Day Menus

"We pray for the big things, and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small, and yet really not so small, blessings.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Thank you, Lord, from the bottom of my heart, for another year with my family and friends and acquaintances with whome I share fellowship, and especially for the many years and happiness I shared with she-who-must-still-be-obeyed.

Let us treasure all of your most precious gifts, so easily taken for granted, and for your many loving kindnesses and tender mercies.

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - Chasing Beta On Light Volumes - Metal Prices Slump on an Option Expiration

"Honest, industrious, peaceful citizens were classed as bloodsuckers, if they asked to be paid a living wage.  And they saw that praise was reserved henceforth for those who devised means of getting paid enormously for committing crimes against which no laws had been [or could be] passed.  Thus the American dream turned belly up, turned green, bobbed to the scummy surface of cupidity unlimited, filled with gas, went bang in the noonday sun."

Kurt Vonnegut, God Bless You Mr. Rosewater


"Isn't it a riddle and awe-inspiring that things can be so beautiful, despite the horrors?  I've seen something wondrous peering through my joy in the beautiful, a sense of its creator.

Only people can be truly ugly, because they have free will to separate themselves from this song of praise.  It often seems they may drown out this hymn with cannon thunder, curses, and blasphemy.  But I have realized they will not succeed.  And so I want to throw myself on the side of the victor.”

Sophie Scholl

The saddest words in any language are those of irreparable regret, that come to haunt us in our last hours, 'If only...'

It was a risk on day in a big way today, as all the major stock indices ran up and out on new highs.

Optimism about China, and trade, and impeachment, and the economy all drove 'money on the sidelines' to try and 'catch up by investing' in risk assets at these bloated price levels.

If you were buying today it was not so much investing as banking on the greater fool theory and the quiet low volume markets in a trade-shortened week.

Gold and silver were lower, as befitting a major Comex option expiration.

We may get another gut check in the metals, given the quiet trading this week and the size of the December metals contracts.

On the brighter side, I have begun sous vide part deux today. The target this time are baby back ribs. Cooking time is about 24 hours at 155°. The ribs were vacuum sealed with a dry rub, a little brown sugar, a dash of liquid smoke, and a dash of bourbon early this morning and left in the fridge.  After they are done they will be quickly seared under the broiler or on the grill.  I'll let you know how it comes out.

The time grows short, shorter for some of us. And the powers of this world are never at rest, but prowl like ravening wolves, seeking to devour us.

Do not spend so much time looking at the other fellow and judging them harshly. First look to yourselves, and practice putting your own hardened hearts and foolish desires aside, for His sake.

The night approaches, and it is almost time to come home.  Do not be left out in the dark.

Have a pleasant evening.

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - The Power and the Glory

“Four sorrows are certain to be visited on the United States.

• First, there will be a state of perpetual war.
• Second is a loss of democracy and Constitutional rights as the presidency eclipses Congress and is itself transformed from a co-equal ‘executive branch’ of government into a military junta.
• Third is the replacement of truth by propaganda, disinformation, and the glorification of war, power, and the military legions.
• Lastly, there is bankruptcy, as the United States pours its economic resources into ever more grandiose military projects and shortchanges the education, health, and safety of its citizens.”

Chalmers Johnson, The Sorrows of Empire, 2005


"Do not be fooled into thinking that you will never suffer because you say that I dwell among you.  It is your delusion and lying words.  Do you really believe you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and worship the gods of the world and those other new gods of yours, and then come here and stand before me in my own house and say, 'We are safe', only to go right back to all your lawlessness again?  Do you not see that this house of yours, which you mark with my name, has become a den of thieves?"

Jeremiah 7:5-7

The Dollar was higher, VIX was lower, and stocks largely unchanged, hanging on to their near support.

Gold and silver were off a bit in sympathy with a lessening of fear and the stronger Dollar.

As you know Monday will be an important option expiration for the precious metals on the Comex. Perhaps then, or after a day or two of continued shenanigans, we can begin to progress things. Or not.

I was pressed into service late in the afternoon. Apparently this is the time to distribute food to the poor from our local church. A thoroughly worthwhile endeavour. I do not do enough of this sort of thing.

The sous vide top round roast came out much better than expected. It was medium rare throughout, moist and flavorful, and as tender as a filet, after 24 hours of slow cooking.   The juice in the cooking bag was used as a base to make a mushroom-onion gravy, over rice, with sauteed Chinese eggplant and okra in a sherry garlic butter.

Need little, want less, love more. For those who abide in love abide in God, and God in them.

Have a pleasant weekend.