"While Elizabeth Warren attempted to deliver her keynote speech at the Democratic Convention in July, which included an unabashed endorsement of Hillary Clinton after Warren had failed to endorse Senator Bernie Sanders during the critical primary campaign, chants of 'we trusted you' could be heard reverberating through the cavernous hall in Philadelphia...

It’s long past the time for the U.S. Senate to stop conducting isolated, piecemeal investigations and undertake the type of in-depth hearings that the Senate held from 1929 to 1932 that led to the public’s understanding of the serial criminal activities on Wall Street that had produced the Great Depression and which led to the passage of the Glass-Steagall Act — legislation which protected this nation for 66 years until its repeal in 1999 during the Bill Clinton administration." 

Pam and Russ Martens, Elizabeth Warren Opens Up Pandora's Box


“You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England. 

I did not then see what is now the most shining and obvious thing; the Divine humility which will accept a convert even on such terms. The Prodigal Son at least walked home on his own feet. But who can duly adore that Love which will open the high gates to a prodigal who is brought in kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance of escape? The words compelle intrare, compel them to come in, have been so abused by wicked men that we shudder at them; but, properly understood, they plumb the depth of the Divine mercy. 

The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and His compulsion is our liberation.”

C. S. Lewis, Surprised By Joy

For those of you who have asked, the queen's MRI was good, as good as it gets for someone with an incurable but 'manageable' illness, and I thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

We were discussing vacation with one of the doctors earlier this week, and we shared some stories about our own trips to the same places in Canada years ago. And they said that 'it is nice that you have such memories to remember in times like these.' And I thought but did not say it, 'what do you mean, these times are among the best!' We have never loved each other more and so enjoyed doing every little thing together. A trip to the local farm stand together is as enjoyable as a trip to Paris.

The words 'sacrament of the moment' take on a new meaning when written, not in a book, but in the heart stripped bare of its illusions.

At times it does feel a bit like having open heart surgery without anesthetic. That is the only way to describe something like this. I would not ask for this willingly for my own sake, ever. Watching a loved one suffer is a torment truly known only to those who have known it. This is pain more 'intimate.' 

And so now I think, or I at least hope, that I see and perhaps even understand the depth of life a bit better, and know more of my own failings and shortcomings more clearly, and regret them in a way that is hard to describe. And for this I am grateful.

On the darker side, I have pretty much given up hope that there will be any meaningful reform initiated or even willingly accepted by the privileged class in the US. The money is just too good, and their pride and greed suppress all caution and fears.  Although it is clear that a few are waking up to the possibilities, and are attempting to paint a better picture of themselves for history. 

So we will likely see the sorts of things that we saw during the protests, and even riots, of the 60's and 70's before some meaningful change occurs. No one who really remembers what it was like will wish this, but I am afraid that it now seems too likely. 

And what concerns me the most is that I get the impression that the rich and powerful feel that they are ready for it, and that it even presents an opportunity, as do all conflicts for the soulless moneyed interests. And so therefore their response will be hard-line and stupidly self-destructive.

Tomorrow is the stock option expiration, and the next week we will have the Fed's FOMC meeting for September on Wednesday the 21st.

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