Oil Stocks Jump

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Anthony Jerdine

Oil Stocks Jump on Promised Production Freeze
By Anthony Jerdine April 13, 2016

Shares of offshore driller SeaDrill Limited (SDRL) skyrocketed Tuesday, climbing almost 30% to a high of $3.99, fueled by a 4.5% rise in oil prices. This continues the tug-of-war between the bulls and bears the market has witnessed over the past couple of weeks.
Another Case of “Too Fast, Too Soon?”
On Tuesday the bulls sent oil prices higher on reports that Saudi Arabia and Russia have agreed to a production freeze ahead of the producers meeting in Doha, Qatar on Sunday. This was further driven by a Reuters report suggesting the government expects the U.S. crude output to decline by 560,000 barrels per day in 2017 to 8.04 million barrels per day.

“People are now realizing that this OPEC meeting could be a historic turning point for the market,” Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group, told Reuters. “Now, with U.S. production cuts, our sense is that we’re entering a new cycle upwards.”

SDRL shares closed Tuesday at $3.83, rising 24.35%. The company makes money from drilling contracts, supplying drilling services for oil and gas wells. And as oil prices rise, it raises optimism about the company’s potential revenue in the quarters ahead. Not to mention, rising oil improves the prospects for more favorable drilling contracts. But is this another case of “too fast, too soon?”

As it now stands, U.S. oil prices are now at their 2016 highs and well above $40 per barrel – an important near-term psychological benchmark. On Tuesday, Crude oil (West Texas Intermediate) closed at $42.17 per barrel, while Brent crude closed up $1.86, or 4.3% at $44.69, according to CNBC.com. But as we’ve seen in recent weeks, oil can take a sudden negative turn.

Investors should remain vigilant, if not a bit skeptical, that a meeting between members of OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) Sunday will result in a production freeze.

“The market appears to be taking a lot of support from positive statements. But, this isn’t the first time the Russians have come out and made remarks related to a production freeze being imminent,” said Gene McGillian, a senior analyst at Tradition Energy, according to CNBC.
Despite Tuesday’s massive rise in the share price, SDRL stock has suffered 64% declines over the past twelve months, compared to a 2% decline in the S&P 500 (SPX) index during that same span. Is now the best time to take some profits from SDRL shares? The stock has a consensus sell rating and an average analyst 12-month price target of $1.73, implying a decline of 55% from Tuesday’s close.

Law of Attraction

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Anthony Jerdine

The Law Of Attraction is a modern spin on ancient philosophies. Through conceptualization and effort we can draw more positive elements and opportunities to us. If we imagine an opportunity or aspect of reality and focus on it, working towards that goal, we can manifest our desires and wishes.

It’s a simple concept that a lot of people complicate. Below is a checklist of common occurrences that happen as we start to strengthen and broaden our communication with the universe or higher power.

You Always Feel Ready For Change

You aren’t afraid to face your fears and challenges head on, giving everything you’ve got to life. You accept the things you can’t change and are grateful for what you can change. Change is a necessary and unstoppable part of life. By welcoming constantly in flux aspects of life, we ensure that we are in a position to best take advantage of our shifting horizons.

Your Attention Is Kept On The Present Moment

The present moment is the only time frame that we have power over. The past is irreversible and subject to interpretation depending on why we are looking backwards. The future is completely uncertain and full of assumptions and expectations. The best way to manifest a better tomorrow is to keep our present moment in line with our intentions.

You Naturally Turn The Negative Into Positive

You understand that you won’t be successful at everything you do all the time. Besides our own shortcomings sometimes negative aspects pile up at our feet, seeming to limit our options. You use the negative in your life to serve your best interests. Treat negativity like you would fertilizer or manure, use it to strengthen and grow other formations within you. Learn from your mistakes and don’t let them haunt you.

You Feel Happy And Content

Your abilities give you a sense of Zen, regardless of what’s going on in your life. You are confident in your ability to roll with the punches and maximize your harvest of good things in your life. Even when everything seems counter intuitive and wrong you understand these feelings will pass.

Good Things Keep Happening To You

Despite any hiccups or shortcomings, you always seem to come out on top. This is due to the fact that you’re flexible mentality and forward moving momentum help you adapt and maximize any possible benefits. Also, you have learned to be appreciative for what you have, so this celebration attracts more benefits to you.

CBC Message To America: Flint Is Not The Only City “Struggling With Lead Poisoning”

CBC Message To America: Flint Is Not The Only City “Struggling With Lead Poisoning”: Rep. Lawrence, one of the Congressional leaders looking to get to the bottom of the Flint Water Crisis, explained that Flint is not the only city in the United States that is “struggling with…

Wheatgrass

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Anthony Jerdine

Posted by Anthony Jerdine| April 5, 2016 Wheatgrass Turn Gray Hair
Back to Its Natural Color?

Gray hair: The ultimate telltale sign of aging. Approximately half of all 50-year-olds are at least 50% gray. Try as you may to postpone the inevitable with expensive, foul-smelling and messy dyes, the battle against gray is predictable… gray is pretty much the undefeated champion. Or is it?

Regular consumption of the young grass of a common wheat plant can recolor those grays so that you can enjoy your lush, natural color well into your senior years. And it doesn’t just stop at the gray. This young cereal grass slows down the entire aging process by rejuvenating your cells, detoxifying your body, fighting tumors and tightening loose and sagging skin.

Gray Isn’t Just a Sign of Age

The age-old healing system of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) links hair pigmentation to the quality of your blood and the strength of your kidneys. According to TCM, gray doesn’t mean old as much as it points to weak kidneys and blood.

Made up of 70% chlorophyll, wheatgrass, from the wheat plant triticum aestivum, restores the health of your kidneys and blood.

Chlorophyll helps to strengthen, build and oxygenate the blood. It is remarkably similar to hemoglobin, a compound that carries oxygen to the blood. Once consumed, chlorophyll is transformed into blood. It then transports nutrients, such as oxygen, to your cells, tissues and organs, rejuvenating, protecting and strengthening.

Renowned nutritionist, Dr. Bernard Jenson, discovered that wheatgrass and other green juices high in chlorophyll are nature’s best blood builders. In his book Health Magic Through Chlorophyll From Living Plant Life, he cites several cases in which he was able to boost red blood cell count in a matter of days simply by having patients soak in a chlorophyll-water bath. Consuming wheatgrass and other green juices regularly has been proven to boost red blood cell count even more rapidly.

Beyond Beautification and into Total Body Health

Wheatgrass is made up of an impressive array of nutrients that reinforce and rejuvenate everything from our cells and tissues to our organs and bodily systems. In addition to its 70% chlorophyll makeup, wheatgrass contains 17 essential amino acids, 90 minerals, 13 vitamins and 80 enzymes. Prominent research scientist Dr. Earp-Thomas says that,”15 pounds of wheatgrass is the equivalent of 350 pounds of carrots, lettuce, celery and so forth.”

Wheatgrass delivers an impenetrable line of defense against disease. An all-natural and powerful detoxifier, wheatgrass protects the liver and purifies the blood by neutralizing toxic substances such as cadmium, nicotine, strontium, mercury and polyvinyl chloride.

Detoxifying is the first step. From there, wheatgrass takes the offensive as a proven anti-cancer agent that stops tumors in their tracks.

Fact: Cancer cells cannot develop in oxygen rich environments!
Wheatgrass is an abundant source of liquid oxygen. Boosting the production of red blood cells and increasing oxygen in the blood helps fight cancer cells because cancer cannot survive in such alkaline rich environments.

A recent study published in the journal Mutation Research pitted chlorophyll against beta-carotene and vitamins A, C and E. Chlorophyll had a greater anti-cancer effect than all the other nutrients. Wheatgrass truly is total body nutrition in one gulp!

Why Has This Proven Anti-Aging Cure Been Hushed Up?

Practically every week, new alternative health breakthroughs are discovered. Most of these anti-aging and longevity cures are already scientifically proven to heal a wide variety of diseases… eliminate pain… slow down or reverse the aging process… and enhance total body wellness. Yet, these powerful health alternatives—most of which are inexpensive or free—are unknown to most people because mainstream media rarely reports them. To the contrary, these powerful health solutions are systematically suppressed and even banned.

The reason for this is simple: these inexpensive natural treatments threaten the profits of mainstream medicine and the pharmaceutical industry. Imagine what would happen to the earnings of Big Pharma and the medical industry if people had the information they needed to heal themselves of virtually any disease or health problem? Everyone would be able to optimize his or her own health and well-being… and no one would ever need medical treatment again—except for emergencies and natural disasters.

THE ART OF CELIBACY: FROM SEXUALLY TRANSMITTING TO SEXUALLY TRANSMUTING

0 Comments April 1, 2016 | admin

You might ask, what does sex transmutation have to do with transmitting? To break that down we must start by talking about celibacy.  I have to cover the art of using celibacy as a tool for the overall improvement of mankind because there are more than enough articles, magazines and videos promoting sex that are currently circulating the air and ocular waves.  Above all things there has to be balance and so this article is an attempt to share information that could potentially provide balance as it relates to the health and wellness of your spirit and physical body.  We already know how to get it in!!

During my professional basketball career I had a coach who was like a father to me named Marc Fulcher aka “Black Man” and “Folks” (RIP Folks).   Marc was from the streets of Oakland.   He passed a few years ago but he left me many life principles of which I still apply today.  One of the things that he always stressed to me was that if I decided to go around sleeping with multiple women that I would lose my energy each time I ejaculated.  He knew which players were doing what based on their energy levels during the games.  It was actually quite comical to see guys get break away layups for a dunk and watch their legs buckle while trying to jump!  More importantly as men we would “lose our seed and apart of ourselves each time.”  Males, you ever noticed how you feel weaker after ejaculating?

I can re-call a time while playing in the Dominican Republic and the woman that I was seeing (at the time) came from La Vega (another part of the Dominican Republic) to visit me while I was in the finals of the playoffs.  My team’s first response was to inform me not to have sex with my girl the day before or of any games.  Needless to say I didn’t listen.  Consequently, during the following game, ALL of my shots were SHORT and NONE of them went in.  I was scored on several times which was unusual because I am generally the best defensive player on the court!  By the results team officials and fans knew what the case of the pedestrian performance was!  In the DR everybody knows your business damn near before you do!!!

Here is the major issue with most of us.  Many have taken the act of sex and made it into a recreation when it was actually intended for pro-creation, exercise and enjoyment, the downloading of information, bonding and much more.   Bliss and enjoyment for two people who are married, in an intimate relationship or have a deep understanding of each other and want the experience.  I don’t re-call the biblical scripture where it speaks of man spilling his seed but there is much ancient wisdom on this topic.  For men when you engage in many sex acts you are putting a great deal of pressure on the prostate.  The prostate has to open and close during the ejaculation process as well as be a chief vehicle in the semen formulation process.  I don’t have any studies but what I often wonder is, how many men have contracted prostate problems or prostate cancer because they have either masturbated too much or had too much sex?  I believe the numbers are high.

When you are trying to achieve a certain level in life you must learn to become celibate and use this energy on your goal.  The great Napoleon Hill made a statement that makes a great deal of sense.  Hill stated (and I’m paraphrasing) that “Generally speaking, people (especially men) don’t begin to advance in their career until their mid-forties.  It’s only because they have left that sexual energy behind or it has reached calmer levels that allow them to concentrate and get other things done in life. That energy has been put into their job or business now.  This is called sexual transmutation.”

As it stands there are many people who engage in low vibrational sex.  There is no judgement here because most nearly all of us have done it at some point in life.  Low vibrational sex is just casual sex with people you may not really know or someone that you have no intentions on being with or around.  We basically serve our mundane desires of what we feel is “meeting our needs.”  This is about pure satisfaction.  I’m not saying that it can’t be done if two people are on the same wave length and are both agreeing to such a thing.  The problem is that one of the two people will eventually want more or could be carrying some bad vibes with them along with sexually transmitted dis-eases.  When you engage in low vibrational sex you have no way of knowing how many people this person has been with.   They might tell you but there is no real way to be sure.  If we are looking at this metaphysically and spiritually then we will understand that you will take on the energy and personality of the individual that you decided to lay with.

The most interesting part about this is that not only will you be taking on your sex partner’s energy but you will also take on the energy of the people that they have been with.  You ever been physically involved with someone and you begin to act different and you don’t even realize why you are behaving differently? It’s because you have taken on other personalities. What if that man or woman was with a killer or child molester?  Now you’ve taken on all of their energy. Energy never dissipates it just changes from one form to the other. There are so many things that can happen to you just because you are not willing to use discretion and focus on what you need to focus on.

Am I saying stop having sex?  Hell no!  We all love it.  What I’m proposing is that if you are plagued with problems (health or personal) or want some clarity on life, you may want to consider taking a break and abstaining from sexual activity.  The time will be based on you as an individual.  Of course that would depend on if you are married or single.  Let’s be real, whose spouse is going to want to not get some skins for 6 months?  So above all things we have to be logical.  But if you are single the galaxy is the limit. What’s going to happen is your mind will become clear because the sexual energy is going into you and your projects. Meditation and quiet time will prove favorable for your personal development during this period. I remember reading an article about rap group Wutang member Rza.  He shared some information that opened my eyes some years ago.  He revealed that he went celibate for one to two years (don’t quote me on the time frame but it was an extended period of time). The result of his discipline was more energy and a boost in his goal oriented endeavors. The funny thing about being celibate is that you attract more of the opposite sex because they can notice the energy or your aura.

This celibate time is so important so that you can focus all of you energies on personal development and attract everything that you want to yourself.

On the contrary, being too celibate can be detrimental.  Remember the universe likes balance.  If you are at an age where a person would be fairly sexually active and you are celibate for many years then you could potentially face back lash. I know women that have had little to no sex in their lives and the result of this negligence has been the creation of dis-eases and pathologies for themselves. This is due to the extremely high amount of suppressed energy. We have to be realistic about one thing.  It is natural for everyone to want to engage in physical activity from the opposite sex.  Some form of physical touch is needed.  When you suppress this act for so long, eventually things start to find a way to express themselves and manifest into other outbursts within the body. It’s like pressure bursting a pipe.  The pipe can only withstand but so much pressure before it explodes.

Years of suppression can result in swollen prostates in men and several other urinary tract or sexual reproductive hindrances.  In women ailments such as endometriosis, infertility and ovarian cancer are commonplace as a result of “with-holding too long.” This is all because they waited for so long to release the built up stress.  Many times it’s due to religious beliefs, career focus or holding out for the perfect individual that doesn’t exist.  I am not advocating you break your beliefs.  But I am suggesting that you find a way to express your sexuality “within the confines of your belief or faith system.”  So we see here that doing too much can get you in trouble and doing too little can do the same!

Celibacy and sex transmutation is a powerful tool that when practiced correctly can change your life for the better.  Use it for what it’s worth but don’t abuse it!

Oil Producers Not Alone in Downturn

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Anthony Jerdine

Oil Producers Not Alone in Downturn
By Anthony Jerdine | March 30, 2016

Much is written about the plight of shale oil producers stemming from the downturn in oil prices. Forty-two oil companies declared bankruptcy in the U.S. in 2015, according to Haynes and Boone, and management consulting companies like Deloitte predict much more will experience the same fate in 2016. (For more, see: 5 Energy Companies Crushed by Low Oil in 2016.) Oil producers are not the only ones suffering in the oil downturn. Many other sectors related to oil production are also facing challenges as the number of Exploration and Production (E&P) companies declaring bankruptcy grows.

Midstream Companies
Oil transportation companies, also known as midstream companies, are feeling the pressure of low oil prices. E&P companies, or upstream companies, are hoping to exit deals made with these midstream transportation companies as oil producers seek bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 restructuring, reports Oil & Gas 360. It is an unusual move because these transport contracts are usually unbreakable and remain in place even after production is sold to a new owner post-bankruptcy. In this lower oil price environment; however, upstream companies that are burdened with high debt loads are seeking alternative ways to free themselves from other financial obligations to provide more flexibility during bankruptcy proceedings.

This is a real headache for midstream companies that negotiated transportation contracts when oil prices were significantly higher than they are today. Bankrupt E&P companies are no longer able to pay previously negotiated prices and are trying to cancel pipeline contracts to clear the way for possible acquisition deals. For example, Quicksilver Resources Inc. is seeking to cancel its pipeline transportation contract with Crestwood Midstream Partners LP(CEQP) by March 31 to close the sale of its U.S. assets to BlueStone Natural Resources for $245 million, Reuters reports.

In another deal, Sabine Oil & Gas filed a motion in court to cancel its midstream contracts. Sabine argued that it “could not deliver the required minimum amounts of gas and condensate and that rejection would save Sabine as much as $115 million,” according to the law firm Jones Day. Fitch Ratings, a credit rating agency, said in a press release related to Sabine Oil & Gas’s motion to cancel its contracts with the midstream service providers that “counterparty risks continue to be a concern for the midstream service space given expectations for continued E&P bankruptcy activity.”

Offshore Drillers
Another sector that is under a lot of pressure is the offshore drilling sector. Moody’s, another credit rating agency, says the offshore drilling industry is going through a severe cyclical downturn, and the agency expects day-rates to remain depressed over the next several years because of low producer spending and rig oversupply.

Paragon Offshore plc filed for bankruptcy on February 15, affecting $2.4 billion worth of debt, according to Moody’s. Paragon joins several other energy companies that have sought creditor protection amid the oil rout. Hercules Offshore Inc., the owner of the largest fleet of shallow-water drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, said Feb. 11 that it’s exploring strategic alternatives — just three months after emerging from bankruptcy, Bloomberg reports.

At the end of February, Moody’s concluded rating reviews on six U.S. offshore drilling companies. Moody’s downgraded two companies’ ratings three notches, three companies’ ratings four notches and one company’s rating (Ensco plc) five notches to B1 from Baa2. The sharp downgrade reflects Moody’s view that Ensco’s leverage will increase to very high levels as more of its rigs roll off contracts in an extremely challenging offshore contract drilling market.

Multiple notch rating moves are rare for the rating agencies and are usually reserved for industries or companies under considerable financial strain.

Rig Contractors
Rig contractors have suffered the double blow of declining customer demand due to tumbling oil prices and a glut of vessels that continue to be built to meet orders made before the rout, Rigzone reports. Transocean Ltd. (RIG) leads the industry in reducing its fleet, with 24 rigs scrapped since the downturn began and it could retire another eight to ten over the next year to 18 months. In the meantime, Schlumberger (another oil industry service provider) said it’s not expecting a meaningful recovery in its own activity until next year.

Bank Loan Exposure
Debt has fuelled the shale boom, but as prices fell, companies that borrowed too much have started to find themselves under strain. This is also putting pressure on the banks that lent to these companies to fund the expansion. IMF economists warned in February that commodity price shocks could weaken banks in developing economies. It is not just regional banks in the US that are feeling the pain—big international banks have exposure to the oil sector too.

As an example, bankrupt Paragon Offshore mentioned earlier, has debt that includes $708 million due under a revolving credit agreement and $642 million due under a secured term loan, both organized by JPMorgan Chase Bank, Bloomberg reports. As a result, several major banks are reducing their exposure to the energy sector by attempting to sell off souring loans, declining to renew them or clamping down on the ability of oil and gas companies to tap credit lines for cash, the Wall Street Journal reports.
It is not just production companies that are hurting from the drop in oil prices. Everyone from businesses that sell ancillary services such as transportation to the banks that finance the industry is feeling the effects of low prices. If oil prices stay at depressed levels for an extended period, then the number of companies filing for bankruptcy is likely to rise and will extend beyond just the upstream producers.

Apple Encryption Case

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Anthony Jerdine

Apple Encryption Case: FBI Cracks Shooter’s iPhone (AAPL)
By Anthony Jerdine| March 29, 2016

The Department of Justice has brought an abrupt end to the encryption fight it had been waging with Apple Inc. (AAPL) over an iPhone used by Syed Rizwan Farook. In a two-page filing Monday, the government said it had gained access to the phone’s data and no longer required Apple’s assistance:

“Applicant United States of America, by and through its counsel of record, the United States Attorney for the Central District of California, hereby files this status report called for by the Court’s order issued on March 21, 2016. (CR 199.)

“The government has now successfully accessed the data stored on Farook’s iPhone and therefore no longer requires the assistance from Apple Inc. mandated by Court’s Order Compelling Apple Inc. to Assist Agents in Search dated February 16, 2016.

“Accordingly, the government hereby requests that the Order Compelling Apple Inc. to Assist Agents in Search dated February 16, 2016 be vacated.”

The government had wanted to force Apple to provide assistance to the FBI in unlocking the phone, which was used but not owned by one of the shooters who killed 14 people in San Bernardino in December (the owner consented to have the phone searched). Due to security features Apple had developed – largely in response to Edward Snowden’s 2013 revelations about government snooping – the phone could potentially have erased all of its data if officials had entered the passcode incorrectly ten times.

Apple refused to help the FBI, arguing that doing so would in effect create a “back door” to its products that could be exploited by any number of government or criminal actors. In an interview, CEO Tim Cook called the software the FBI was requesting “the equivalent of cancer.”

On March 21, the DOJ said in a filing that the FBI may have found another way to bypass the phone’s security measures, as an unnamed third party had come forward offering assistance. If Monday’s filing is to be believed, that party, which remains unidentified, was successful.

In response to the news that the DOJ would drop its dispute with Apple, the company released the following statement to the media:

“From the beginning, we objected to the FBI’s demand that Apple build a backdoor into the iPhone because we believed it was wrong and would set a dangerous precedent. As a result of the government’s dismissal, neither of these occurred. This case should never have been brought.

“We will continue to help law enforcement with their investigations, as we have done all along, and we will continue to increase the security of our products as the threats and attacks on our data become more frequent and more sophisticated.

“Apple believes deeply that people in the United States and around the world deserve data protection, security and privacy. Sacrificing one for the other only puts people and countries at greater risk.

“This case raised issues which deserve a national conversation about our civil liberties, and our collective security and privacy. Apple remains committed to participating in that discussion.”

Unresolved Questions
The outcome leaves a number of difficult questions brought up by the case unanswered. The appropriate role of the 18th-century All Writs Act, which the government had used to try to compel Apple to help it unlock the phone, is still unsettled. The larger debate over the balance that government and business should strike between security and privacy concerns is also unresolved.

That debate had widened to the point that, by late February, a host of public luminaries had come out on either Apple’s side or the FBI’s, with President Obama decrying the urge to create “black boxes” that no warrant could gain access to, and Silicon Valley CEOs such as Mark Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai supporting the stand taken by their Apple counterpart. The public also became involved, with 89% of respondents to a February 18-21 Pew Research Center poll expressing an opinion on the case:

From Cook’s perspective, it is likely a relief not to be involved in an ongoing dispute with the U.S. government. He is no longer in danger of being declared in contempt of court and jailed over the original court order, issued on February 16, which might eventually have compelled Apple to provide the software the FBI wanted.

On the other hand, Apple’s encryption has been shown to be vulnerable. The government, in short, may have created its own back door, which may worry iPhone owners and which begs the question: will Apple now create even stronger encryption, perpetuating the arms race between security forces and privacy advocates? The answer is almost certainly yes, so the issue is likely to resurface.

The Verdict
The FBI, according to a court filing, has found another way into the iPhone used by Syed Rizwan Farook, presumably through the assistance of the unnamed third party it mentioned last week. It is not certain that the government has in fact been able to access the phone, but in any case it’s abandoned its pursuit of Apple’s assistance, which CEO Tim Cook had bitterly resisted giving. That leaves the broader debate over the balance between privacy and security in the post-Snowden, post-9/11 era unresolved. In addition, iPhone owners are likely wondering whether the government can now bypass their encryption.