Crude oil prices are on a path to highs not seen since 2014, according to one chart analyst.
As the energy sector tracks for its best quarter on record with a year-to-date gain of nearly 40%, there’s “clearly some upside” for oil prices as well, Piper Sandler’s Craig Johnson told CNBC’s “Trading Nation” on Friday.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude prices slid half of 1% to around $65.60 a barrel on Friday.
“I could actually see a number that could be north of 100 in the next, say, six to ... 12 months from here,” said Johnson, his firm’s senior technical research analyst.
The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) is also showing signs of life after a difficult 2020, he said.
“There is clearly a double bottom that has been made and even a higher low that has been made,” he said, citing a chart of the 23-stock exchange-traded fund.
“We’re getting a multi-year reversal in terms of the performance of the XLE compared to the S&P 500. Clearly, there are some very positive trends happening here,” he said. “These are longer-term themes and trends that are starting to unfold.”
One smaller name could see outsized benefits from those trends, Johnson said.
“Don’t forget about the mid- and small-cap stocks, too, because they’re also participating in the action,” he said, pointing to a chart of exploration and production company Cimarex Energy. READ MORE
Thursday, March 25
Wednesday, March 24
Transformation of America
BUT... back to the main point... the LIBERALS are turning America upside down... and, in the process they will destroy all the good that was the United States of America and believe me... I for one am glad that they are doing this.
I may be white, but I am ashamed that I am white and I am ashamed that I was raised in a lower middle class family and I am ashamed that I enlisted in the military and I am ashamed that I have an MBA... because all I can think about is that my life should have been given to a BLACK PERSON and I should have been raised in the ghettos of NYC or Chicago or Baltimore or Cleveland...
I am ashamed that I had an average life and through my own merits was able to live better than a black person.
I am ashamed that my white ancestors were slave owners and that they created a Constitution that favors white people... and, I hope that the blacks will one day become our leaders and pay back the white people with the same abuse that they suffered...
THANK GOD FOR THE LIBERALS because they are allowing thousands of immigrants to enter the United States without kind of vetting... and, it is my hope that these immigrants will stay in the United States for the rest of their lives and that our United States Government will financially take care of them and their families forever.
It is my hope that our Federal Government will give them free food, free shelter, free clothing, free education, free healthcare, and a guaranteed annual income that equals the average monthly wage of our American Workers so that they will never have to work another day in their lives...
THANK GOD FOR THE LIBERALS...
Isolationism
The United States has no business inserting itself in the politics of countries of which we do not approve believing instead that AMERICAN DEMOCRACY is the only and best governmental system in the world... that is to say that COMMUNISM, a DICTATORSHIP, and SOCIALISM is simply wrong and not productive for a thriving economy.
THAT BELIEF IS WRONG...
The government of CHINA is COMMUNISTIC and the economy of China is thriving and will, in a few short years, be greater than the economy of the United States. Not only is the economy thriving but the military of China, its Army, Navy, and Air Force is much bigger than the United States.
Russia is a semi Socialistic/Communistic country and while its economy is not as large as either the United States or China, it is still a bustling economy that is getting stronger by the year. It also has a fierce military that would not be easy to defeat.
So, Communism as well as Socialism as well as a Democracy are all three viable forms of government and one form of government is no better than any other form of government, except for individual freedom and there seems to be more individual freedom in a Democracy than in the other 2 forms of government.
The United States has been involved in the politics of global countries for over 100 years and the rest of the world has had enough of United States involvement. We need to stay the hell out of the business of other countries.
We need to reduce the money given to the military and use that extra money to do more and more positive stuff for our residents... like:
- free healthcare for all
- free education for all
- special privileges for minorities
- free housing for all
- guaranteed basic income for all
- basic clothing allowance for all
- guaranteed daily meals for everyone
The United States should take care of its own people before it tells other countries around the world how to manage their affairs and govern their people.
The United States should open its borders and allow whoever that want to immigrate come to the US regardless of ethnicity, social status, or criminal record.
The United States should decriminalize the use and sell of ALL ILLEGAL DRUGS as these drugs are necessary so that citizens can pursue happiness.
America is NO LONGER THE GREAT COUNTRY IT ONCE WAS...
America is full of systemic racism...
America is divided...
America is based upon white privilege...
American education is bad and inappropriate...
American religion is false and hypocritical...
American law enforcement is a joke...
American politicians care only about themselves...
American citizens are one joint away from being fools...
Illegal Immigrants
The United States is coming out from under the COVID Pandemic that completely disabled the entire nation... and, all the illegal immigrants that are coming across the border are not being tested for COVID nor are they practicing SOCIAL DISTANCING which is REQUIRED of all Americans.
The United States is using TAX DOLLARS to feed, house, clothes, educated, and provide health care to Illegal Immigrants.
Most of these illegal immigrants DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH so how are they going to live in a country without the ability to understand. I have visited other countries, especially those that speak SPANISH and since I did not speak Spanish, I found it very difficult to get directions or to order food at a restaurant or to find out where the department of Tourism was located.
If illegal immigrants do not work and cannot speak English... how are they going to live unless someone takes care of them. And, if no one takes care of them, will they steal and commit other crimes in order to survive?
WAKE UP AMERICA...
Begging Illegal Immigrants
TODAY...
illegal immigrants are coming across the border in Texas and when they get to the US, they hold out their hands begging for food and money because when they left their country, they left without money and a little food which was quickly eaten. So, they have no choice BUT TO BEG FOR FOOD... and, how long will their begging last because they have no job and no source of income in order to buy food or acquire shelter.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WILL CONTINUE TO BEG AMERICANS...
A Native American Society
Shell cups carved with mythical beings. Large effigy pipes. Beaded baskets. These are among the archaeologically significant objects excavated from the Spiro Mounds. Often overlooked, this Native American site in the midwestern U.S. is among the greatest sources of Mississippian Native American artifacts ever discovered.
Located on the Oklahoma and Arkansas border, the Spiro Mounds were part of a city complex populated from 800 to 1450 A.D. At its peak, it supported a population of some 10,000 people. The Mississippian political, trade, and religious confederation incorporated more than 60 different tribes and stretched from the Gulf Coast of Florida to the Great Lakes and from the Rockies to the Virginia coast.
The Spiro population, along with other Mississippian groups across eastern North America, was once equal to the Aztecs and Incas, yet despite its size and sophisticated trade society, its legacy is not well understood.
A groundbreaking exhibition aims to change this. Unveiled in February and running through May 9, “Spiro and the Art of the Mississippian World,” at Oklahoma City’s National Cowboy & Western...
The exhibition helps document “the single most powerful group ever to exist” in the U.S., according to Dennis Peterson, executive director of the Spiro Mounds Archeological Center.
“The people who lived [in Spiro] came to control what we call the Mississippian culture. So pretty much all the United States except for the far northeast and the far northwest, Spiro either had trade with, communication with or direct control over for over 350 years with almost no use of violent warfare,” he says.
The Spiro archeological discoveries give important insight into the culture of the ancient Mississippian people. READ MORE
Located on the Oklahoma and Arkansas border, the Spiro Mounds were part of a city complex populated from 800 to 1450 A.D. At its peak, it supported a population of some 10,000 people. The Mississippian political, trade, and religious confederation incorporated more than 60 different tribes and stretched from the Gulf Coast of Florida to the Great Lakes and from the Rockies to the Virginia coast.
The Spiro population, along with other Mississippian groups across eastern North America, was once equal to the Aztecs and Incas, yet despite its size and sophisticated trade society, its legacy is not well understood.
A groundbreaking exhibition aims to change this. Unveiled in February and running through May 9, “Spiro and the Art of the Mississippian World,” at Oklahoma City’s National Cowboy & Western...
The exhibition helps document “the single most powerful group ever to exist” in the U.S., according to Dennis Peterson, executive director of the Spiro Mounds Archeological Center.
“The people who lived [in Spiro] came to control what we call the Mississippian culture. So pretty much all the United States except for the far northeast and the far northwest, Spiro either had trade with, communication with or direct control over for over 350 years with almost no use of violent warfare,” he says.
The Spiro archeological discoveries give important insight into the culture of the ancient Mississippian people. READ MORE
Tuesday, March 23
Retired in East TN
However, I enjoy eating and do frequent restaurants about once or twice a week, making sure that I bring home half my food to eat the next day.
I eat a lot of vegetables, beans, rice, onions, mushrooms, , garlic, bell peppers (especially green ones), fish (Salmon, Cod, Tuna), and light meat like chicken and turkey. I also eat non-fat yogurt, oatmeal and eggs.
Because of my two cancers, I stay out of the sunlight whenever possible but when I do find myself out in the sunlight I wear UV clothing that blocks out the harmful rays of the sun, and put on the highest strength sun lotion I can find. My wife and I spend all of our 6 vacations either at Myrtle Beach, SC or in Florida along the Gulf Coast.
At 73, I still work out in the yard several times a week, especially when the weather is nice... for instance, today I spent about 2 hours digging up bushes that we wanted to throw away, so we could turn a flower bed into a grassy area so that we would not have to spend so much time weeding. Yesterday, after moving the lawn (takes about an hour), I spent another hour weed eating our acre lot.
UNCROWDED... This is why I prefer to live down south and in the East TN area... yes, we live in a community and yes we have neighbors but our neighbors are not so close that we can reach out our windows and touch the house next to us.
East TN is not an URBAN area... it is country... lots of land and trees everywhere you look. And, TVA back in the 1930's built all sorts of lakes in this area to keep people working during the Depression.
I hear birds singing instead of police sirens...
I sleep until 8:00 or 9:00 in the morning. Get dressed whenever I want or simply wear sweats all day long. I surf on the computer and write articles for my blogs... and go for a walk around the community, anytime I want. I eat when I want and leave the house when I want. And, when I have a doctor's appointment, I leave 15 minutes early so I don't have to break the speed limit in order to get there on time.
I worked for 45 years and now I don't work at all other than teach a college night class now and again. My income is sufficient to keep the same lifestyle I had when I was working... am I lucky? No, not really... I just planned for my retirement, and executed than plan.
I can live like this for a long time.
AMERICA: Drug Capital of the World
Americans' Spending on Illicit Drugs Nears $150 Billion Annually;
Appears to Rival What Is Spent on Alcohol
Spending on cannabis, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine by Americans reached nearly $150 billion in 2016, with a large proportion of spending coming from the small share of people who use drugs on a daily or near-daily basis, according to a new RAND Corporation report.
Researchers estimate that from 2006 to 2016, the total amount of money spent by Americans on these four drugs fluctuated between $120 billion and $145 billion each year. By contrast, a different analysis finds that spending on alcohol in the U.S. was estimated to be $158 billion in 2017. SOURCE: Rand.org
Americans should be very proud of themselves... and, it is not just the younger generation that is to blame for this but our wealthy population as well as our Political Leaders.
The 1960's drug culture has finally returned..... and, America is going to be better off for it... now, if we can DEFUND THE POLICE, then there will not be as many cops that can catch us...
WHAT A GREAT DAY FOR AMERICA...
Changing America
You would have to have your head up your butt not to realize that America has changed and is continuing to change...
⤋
Defund the police movement
Critical Race Theory
Cancel Culture movement
Immigration crisis
BLM/ANTIFA
White Supremacists
Prevent Republicans From Ever Winning Elections
Confiscate all firearms
Medicare for all
Free education
Reducing our military
Increase number of Supreme Court Justices
Make Washington, DC and Puerto Rico States
Government spending spree
Increasing national debt
Reparations for blacks
White privilege
I like the idea of confiscating all firearms but the fact remains that CRIMINALS will find a way to acquire firearms so the negative aspect of owning firearms will be offset...
The Mexican Drug Cartel LIKES AMERICANS because AMERICANS buy more illegal drugs than any other country in the world.
If our businesses are not allowed to be competitive there will be other global companies who will take advantage of America and gain market share.
ARE YOU AWARE... that China, Russia, and North Korea are forming a coalition against AMERICA... these three countries will come after us both economically and militarily.
The Middle East will continue to be the enemy of America and will escalate their terrorist activities all over the world.
COVID Relief Stimulus
Neither my wife nor I live HIGH ON THE HOG as they saying goes but we have enough money each month to pay our bills, save a little money, go on 6 weekly vacations each year, and go out to a restaurant once or twice a week... we also have sufficient funds to pay for any unexpected expenses that we have already encountered or will encounter in the near future.
While COVID relief packages by both the Trump and Biden administrations have been received, all of these monies are in our savings account and there are no plans to spend these monies anytime soon. Of course, one could easily say that we are spending these monies and saving our other monthly income, but the fact remains that we did not need these monies to survive and will not be spending these monies to somehow improve our lifestyle
OFF THE RECORD: I am really concerned about our Government Spending and how our National Debt is increasing to the point that it will be financially dangerous for America. This concern targets both parties and is seen as being financially irresponsible. However, regardless of what happens to our Federal Government and our National Debt and potential consequences, it will not impact my wife or I to any great extent... which is exactly why we continue to save money.
Divided America
👉5.6% of the US population is ASIAN AMERICANS...
👉12.2% of US population is BLACK AMERICANS...
👉18.5% of US population is HISPANIC AMERICANS...
👉60.1% of US population is WHITE AMERICANS...
Playing the ODDS - it is highly unlikely that White Americans will visit more than once if ever these black cultural arts centers as a general rule to get familiar with black culture when black culture is completely foreign to American Culture...
This same philosophy applies to Native American Cultural Arts Centers as well... it is interesting, fun, and cool to visit Native American activities to see how they used to live historically but once seen, these visitors go back to living their lives as WHITE AMERICANS...
New Evidence to be Released
A top intelligence official under former President Donald Trump said on Friday that the government plans to release a report declassifying numerous UFO sightings.
"There are a lot more sightings than have been made public," former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo.
"Some of those have been declassified. And when we talk about sightings, we are talking about objects that have seen by Navy or Air Force pilots, or have been picked up by satellite imagery that frankly engage in actions that are difficult to explain," he continued. "Movements that are hard to replicate that we don't have the technology for. Or traveling at speeds that exceed the sound barrier without a sonic boom."
A top intelligence official under former President Donald Trump said on Friday that the government plans to release a report declassifying numerous UFO sightings.
"There are a lot more sightings than have been made public," former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo.
"Some of those have been declassified. And when we talk about sightings, we are talking about objects that have seen by Navy or Air Force pilots, or have been picked up by satellite imagery that frankly engage in actions that are difficult to explain," he continued. "Movements that are hard to replicate that we don't have the technology for. Or traveling at speeds that exceed the sound barrier without a sonic boom." READ MORE
Complementing the Cloud
Edge computing refers to a model in which processing power is placed closer to where data is being created in the physical world: While cloud computing platforms like Amazon Web Services are hosted from the retailer's own massive data centers scattered across the world, edge computing focuses on smartening up the car, robot, or other systems right on the device or placing a processor in closer proximity.
It's a concept that's only become more popular as a surge in connected devices — like Tesla's semi-autonomous cars or camera-laden robots in Amazon's factories — collides with the rise of cloud computing, presenting an opportunity for both.
"Edge computing is actually a counterbalance to the cloud," Gartner analyst Bob Gill told Insider. "It's a perfect complement to the cloud that solves for the weakness of the cloud."
As the flexibility, efficiency, and pricing of cloud computing have led firms to abandon their in-house data centers, it's created a new set of technical challenges. While the cloud offers immense raw computing power, relying on it comes with trade-offs, too.
"People realized that not all the things that they want to do in the cloud worked well in the cloud," IDC analyst Dave McCarthy told Insider.
Specifically, edge computing can help solve issues of latency (where systems need to be able to process data incredibly fast), bandwidth (where machines are generating vast amounts of data that would be inefficient to send to a distant data center), autonomy (where systems need to be able to function without network connection), or compliance (like when information needs to remain within a specific country to adhere with local regulations).
Gartner expects that by 2022 more than 50% of enterprise-generated data will be created and processed outside the traditional data center or cloud. READ MORE
Monday, March 22
Personal Financial Planning: Life Insurance
A better solution since 80% of those who own life insurance policies never have to use them, is to take the money that you would have given to the life insurance company every month and invest that money in a mutual fund.
For example...
if you save $2.50 each day and at the end of the month invest that money into a mutual fund and do this every day and every month for 40 years... then, at the end of that 40 year period, you would have roughly $500.000. $2.50/day equals about $75/month based upon 30 day months... so it could be a little higher...
Insurance companies do not tell you that... and what they actually do is take your monthly premiums and invest those premiums into a mutual fund....
YOU ARE ONLY AS SMART AS YOU WANT TO BE...
Our National Debt
- Individual Taxes
- Corporate Taxes
- Gasoline Taxes
- Sales Taxes
- Capital Gains Taxes
- Estate Taxes
- Import/export Tariffs
- Fines and Fees
- Selling Treasury Securities (bills, notes, bonds)
Treasuries have different maturities and are seemingly stable. Banks are required to hold a certain quantity of Treasuries as a provision against market collapse. Treasuries are popular in the global marketplace because the US dollar is the world's reserve currency... and, got that status because of all the spending that the US did during WWII.
Foreign investors own half the US debt and the majority foreign investor is CHINA which owns about $1.1 Trillion.
HOWEVER...
if the US debt gets too big or the rest of the world loses faith in the US and the dollar is no longer considered as the world's reserve currency, the the US will have a problem paying the interest it owes or much worse lose its ability to borrow more money.
Another scenario might be numerous countries selling off their Treasuries all at once... if that happens then it would be more difficult for the US to borrow money and the money that it did borrow would be most costly.
The biggest concern with growing debt is the potential for inflation that might become inflation out of control and that would cause the global to reassess its view of the US and the strength of that economy. Since China has the second largest global economy, the world could turn to China for stability, turning their backs on the US.
UNFORTUNATELY, no one seems to be concerned that an outcome like this will ever take place in the US in the near future.
Spring Breakers in Miami
It is about time that the people realize how powerful they are... UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL... if the people join together, the people can do anything that they want to.
- They can drive their vehicles as fast as they want to
- They can break into stores anytime they want to
- They can steal anything that they want to
- They can take illegal drugs anytime they want to
In order to stop the people, governments will have to call out the National Guard to maintain control and even then, there are not enough National Guard to control the people in ALL LOCATIONS...
It is time for the people to take control...
WAKE UP AMERICA...
New World Order
This is a dangerous move because without the debating of two parties, the USA will digress into a country that is controlled by one group of people that can do anything that they want to...
Our government will forever change giving the Democrats POWER for DECADES... the unintended consequences of this movement will hurt the USA and will violate and end the intentions of our FOUNDING FATHERS...
WAKE UP AMERICA...
Personal Financial Planning Considerations
First... one might want to consider trading up your house every 3 to 5 years, and if this sounds reasonable to you, then here are some ideas about which to think:
- Buy a house in a new development that anticipates growth
- Make improvements to kitchen and bathrooms only
- Maintain outside landscape
- Watch out for basements
- Watch out for homes on sloping ground or at bottom (water issues)
- Keep house 3-5 years before selling
- Always buy a more expensive house to shelter capital gains
- When retiring sell house and buy much cheaper home - claim one time exception in capital gain
- Could create additional savings of $300,000 or more
Second... buy the car you want and pay it off as quick as you can and when paid off, continue saving your monthly payments until you have saved enough money to buy a new car. Don't buy NEW, but look into a year old car that has been leased (business lease preferred) and has low gas mileage... you save thousands and car is like BRAND NEW...
Remember: those who plan and actually implement their plan and make periodic corrections and/or adjustments are likely to be more successful than those who do not plan.
Most Wanderlusted Vacation
According to WVLT TV, Knoxville, TN
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -Have you taken a trip to Sevierville recently? According to Airbnb, Sevierville has been named as one of the most ‘wanderlusted’ destinations.
Airbnb says more than half of the people who had Sevierville at the top of their wanderlust list were most likely to seek out its signature unique landscapes when visiting.
Airbnb’s other top “wanderlusted” destinations include:
COMMENT: I have been to 6 of the 10 destinations and while I am glad that Sevierville got this honor, I would not rank the city SECOND in this list... in fact, I would not have included this city in this list at all... in fact, I would probably have ranked Gatlinburg in this list before Sevierville... simply because there is just not much to do in Sevierville.
Note:
Airbnb is an online marketplace that connects people who want to rent out their homes with people who are looking for accommodations in that locale. It currently covers more than 100,000 cities and 220 countries worldwide.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -Have you taken a trip to Sevierville recently? According to Airbnb, Sevierville has been named as one of the most ‘wanderlusted’ destinations.
Airbnb says more than half of the people who had Sevierville at the top of their wanderlust list were most likely to seek out its signature unique landscapes when visiting.
Airbnb’s other top “wanderlusted” destinations include:
- Los Angeles, California, United States
- Sevierville, Tennessee, United States
- Seoul, South Korea
- Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Paris, France
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Bali, Indonesia
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Cape Town, South Africa
- London, United Kingdom
COMMENT: I have been to 6 of the 10 destinations and while I am glad that Sevierville got this honor, I would not rank the city SECOND in this list... in fact, I would not have included this city in this list at all... in fact, I would probably have ranked Gatlinburg in this list before Sevierville... simply because there is just not much to do in Sevierville.
There are 3 cities that are only a couple of miles apart in that area: Sevierville, then Pidgeon Forge, then Gatlinburg and Sevierville by far is the one city where tourists spend the least amount of time... but it is necessary to pass through when heading towards Pidgeon Forge and Gatlinburg...
Note:
Airbnb is an online marketplace that connects people who want to rent out their homes with people who are looking for accommodations in that locale. It currently covers more than 100,000 cities and 220 countries worldwide.
The company's name comes from “air mattress B&B.”Airbnb is an online marketplace that connects people who want to rent out their homes with people who are looking for accommodations in that locale. It currently covers more than 100,000 cities and 220 countries worldwide. The company's name comes from “air mattress B&B.”
Sunday, March 21
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