"Satan’s monomaniac concern with himself and his supposed rights and wrongs is a necessity of the Satanic predicament. Certainly, he has no choice. He has chosen to have no choice. He has wished to ‘be himself,’ and to be in himself and for himself, and his wish has been granted. To admire Satan, then, is to give one’s vote not only for a world of misery, but also for a world of lies and propaganda, of wishful thinking, of incessant autobiography."
C. S. Lewis
"These are suitable feelings towards this attractive but deceitful world. What have we to do with its gifts and honours, who, having been already baptized into the world to come, are no longer citizens of this? Why should we be anxious for a long life, or wealth, or credit, or comfort, who know that the next world will be every thing which our hearts can wish, and that not in appearance only, but truly and everlastingly? Why should we rest in this world, when it is the token and promise of another? Why should we be content with its surface, instead of appropriating what is stored beneath it?
To those who live by faith, every thing they see speaks of that future world; the very glories of nature, the sun, moon, and stars, and the richness and the beauty of the earth, are as types and figures witnessing and teaching the invisible things of God. All that we see is destined one day to burst forth into a heavenly bloom, and to be transfigured into immortal glory. Heaven at present is out of sight, but in due time, as snow melts and discovers what it lay upon, so will this visible creation fade away before those greater splendours which are behind it, and on which at present it depends. In that day shadows will retire, and the substance show itself."
John Henry Newman
"The Lord is my light and my salvation –
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the refuge of my life –
of whom shall I be afraid?
I believe still that I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait upon the Lord."
Psalm 27
Stocks came in with another overnight attempt at rallying higher.
And once again it faded away during the daylight trading, and stocks were lower.
The Dollar rallied back to 99 and the VIX was higher.
So it was clearly 'risk off' most likely about concerns with the Ukraine, although there is some influence from the Fed meeting and likely 25 bp rate increase this week.
What was curious is that gold and silver both diverged significantly from their risk off partner assets.
Maybe it was in sympathy with commodities in general, and maybe it was something else.
I did see the miners taking it on the chin especially, although there was a significant easing up on the downward pressure in the late afternoon.
Let's remember what all is occurring this week, including the FOMC meeting Wednesday and a stock option expiration on Friday.
I have pretty much stopped watching the news, and even bubblevision.
I think that all is not as it seems, in a number of areas, where that which cannot be sustained has been extended again and again by lies and various deceptions.
“Crime, once exposed, has no refuge but in audacity.”
Tacitus
Have a pleasant evening.
