Monthly Archives: February 2012
The Feds May Cause an Internet Blackout For Many Fortune 500 Companies and Private Internet Users
Police State Tactics on the Rise
Oliver Stone’s Son Converts to Islam as a Shiite and Will Now Be Called Ali
Female Passengers Complain About Sexual Harassment by TSA
No BS: Gasoline Above $3.50 This Early in the Years Signals More Pain for Motorists
Market Update
Comments »Stocks have been unable to build on their recent rebound effort, leaving the major equity averages to remain in the red. Although energy stocks had been displaying leadership, the sector’s momentum has stalled. As a result, energy stocks are now up just 0.2% for the day. That said, names like Devon Energy (DVN 67.61, +1.97), Cabot Oil (COG 35.04, +1.00), and Newfield Exploration (NFX 39.40, +1.24) are still sporting gains roughly on the order of 3%.
SURPRISE SEX: ENER INTERRUPTS BULL RUN WITH BANKRUPTCY FILING
GOVERNMENT GONE WILD: Feds Shut Down Amish Farm for Selling Fresh Milk
The FDA won its two-year fight to shut down an Amish farmer who was selling fresh raw milk to eager consumers in the Washington, D.C., region after a judge this month banned Daniel Allgyer from selling his milk across state lines and he told his customers he would shut down his farm altogether.
The decision has enraged Mr. Allgyer’s supporters, some of whom have been buying from him for six years and say the government is interfering with their parental rights to feed their children.
But the Food and Drug Administration, which launched a full investigation complete with a 5 a.m. surprise inspection and a straw-purchase sting operation against Mr. Allgyer’s Rainbow Acres Farm, said unpasteurized milk is unsafe and it was exercising its due authority to stop sales of the milk from one state to another.
Adding to Mr. Allgyer’s troubles, Judge Lawrence F. Stengel said that if the farmer is found to violate the law again, he will have to pay the FDA’s costs for investigating and prosecuting him.
His customers are wary of talking publicly, fearing the FDA will come after them.
“I can’t believe in 2012 the federal government is raiding Amish farmers at gunpoint all over a basic human right to eat natural food,” said one of them, who asked not to be named but received weekly shipments of eggs, milk, honey and butter from Rainbow Acres, a farm near Lancaster, Pa. “In Maryland, they force taxpayers to pay for abortions, but God forbid we want the same milk our grandparents drank.”
The FDA, though, said the judge made the right call in halting Mr. Allgyer’s cross-border sales.
“Intrastate sale of raw milk is allowed in Pennsylvania, and Mr. Allgyer had previously received a warning letter advising him that interstate sale of raw milk for human consumption is illegal,” agency spokeswomanSiobhan DeLancey said.
Neither the FDA nor the Justice Department, which pursued the legal case, provided numbers to The Washington Times on the cost of the investigation and court fight.
Fans of fresh milk, which they also call raw milk, attribute all kinds of health benefits to it, including better teeth and stronger immune systems. Raw milk is particularly popular among parents who want it for their children.
In a unique twist, the movement unites people on the left and the right who argue that the federal government has no business controlling what people choose to consume.
In a rally last year, they drank fresh milk in a park across Constitution Avenue from the Senate.
But the FDA says it concluded, after extensive study along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that raw milk is never safer than pasteurized milk. It disputes those who say pasteurization — the process of heating food to kill harmful organisms — makes it less healthy.
Many food-safety researchers say pasteurization, which became widespread in the 1920s and 1930s, dramatically reduced instances of milk-transmitted diseases such as typhoid fever and diphtheria.
The FDA began looking into Mr. Allgyer’s operations in late 2009, when an investigator in the agency’s Baltimore office used aliases to sign up for a Yahoo user group made up of Rainbow Acres customers.
The investigator placed orders for fresh milk and had it delivered to private residences in Maryland, where it was picked up and documented as evidence in the case. By crossing state lines, the milk became part of interstate commerce and thus subject to the FDA’s ban.
At one point, FDA employees made a 5 a.m. visit to Mr. Allgyer’s farm. He turned them away, but not before they observed milk containers labeled for shipment to Maryland.
After the FDA first took action, Mr. Allgyerchanged his business model. He arranged to sell shares in the cows to his customers, arguing that they owned the milk and he was only transferring it to them.
Judge Stengel called that deal “merely a subterfuge.”
“The practical result of the arrangement is that consumers pay money toMr. Allgyer and receive raw milk,” the judge wrote in a 13-page opinion.
Grassfed On the Hill Buying Club has about 500 active members.
Liz Reitzig, a mother who has become a raw-milk activist and is an organizer of the group, said the lawyers who pursued the case againstMr. Allgyer ought to “be ashamed.”
“Many families are dependent on the milk for health reasons or nutritional needs, so a lot of people will be desperately trying to find another source now,” she said.
Comments »ALLEN IVERSON IS BROKE
FLASH: @NotStevieCohen Can Party in Peace
- Submitted from
www.bbc.co.uk by editor
- via BreakingNews.com
Market Update
Comments »A recent rebound attempt has been countered with renewed selling, forcing both the Nasdaq and S&P 500 to new morning lows. Meanwhile, the Dow is testing the depths that it set about 40 minutes ago. While stocks are sliding, the greenback is garnering additional buying interest. The currency has climbed to a new morning high for a 0.6% gain against a basket of major foreign currencies. Most of its move has come against Japan’s yen, which has fallen 1.1% so that it trades at 78.4 yen per dollar. The move follows news that Japan’s central bank has expanded the size of its asset purchase program. Meanwhile, the euro is down just 0.2% against the greenback at $1.31.
{VIDEO/PHOTO} KATE UPTON IS 2012 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT ISSUE COVER MODEL
Kate Upton was revealed as cover model of the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue during a taping of CBS’ The Late Show with David Letterman in New York Monday night.
SI unveiled a billboard of Upton’s cover image across from Letterman’s Ed Sullivan Theater in Manhattan. The 19-year old Florida native nabbed the coveted cover shot in only her second appearance. She was “Rookie of the Year” last year.
Among other SI models who appeared on the show: Julie Henderson, Jessica Gomes, Ariel Meredith, Alyssa Miller, Chrissy Teigen, Genevieve Morton, Izabel Goulart, Jessica Perez and last-year’s cover model Irina Shayk.
This year’s 2012 SI Swimsuit Issue hitting newsstands, the Web, tablets and iPhones today will feature 18 models and 6 athletes and will be read by an estimated 70 million adults.
Upton joins the list of other SI cover models, including: Kathy Ireland, Christie Brinkley, Cheryl Tiegs, Elle MacPherson, Tyra Banks and Brooklyn Decker.
Upton has beenromantically linked in the tabloids to New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez, according to TheBig Lead.com.
She’s done TV work for MSG Network and caused a YouTube sensation by dancing the “Dougie” at a Los Angeles Clippers game.
Upton’s personal Web site describes her as the “next great Supermodel.” She was a competitive equestrian before turning to modeling.
She’s joined in this year’s issued by three male athletes: Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps; NBA star Chris Paul and tennis star Rafael Nadal.
And three female athletes wearing nothing but bodypaint: Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin; LPGA pro Natalie Gulbis; and U.S. women’s soccer star Alex Morgan.
Comments »Doug Kass Gets Shorty on the Qs
Today’s Heat Map and the S&P A/D Line
52 Week Highs and Lows
NYSE
New Highs 42 COMPANY SYMBOL HIGH VOLUME ------- ------ ---- ------ Aetna AET 46.61 276,397 Amer Vanguard AVD 16.17 29,960 Asbury Automotive ABG 27.20 156,246 BlRk Muyld NJ Qlty MJI 16.74 8,589 BlkRk MuniYld PA Quality MPA 16.74 8,293 BlkRk NY Muni BQH 17.05 277 Cedar Fair LP FUN 27.98 37,855 Cementos Pacasmayo ADS CPAC 11.65 2,700 Citigroup Dep Shs T CpI 49.77 200 Coach COH 75.61 479,305 CompanhiaSBEDP SBS 72.67 88,173 Copa Hldgs Cl A CPA 73.85 13,081 CoreSite Realty COR 21.94 9,253 Curtiss-Wright CW 41.91 74,480 Fed Premier Intemediate FPT 15.81 2,561 First Tr Strat High Fd II FHY 17.20 21,865 WW Grainger GWW 209.90 37,393 John Hancock Income Secs JHS 15.83 4,160 Huaneng Power HNP 25.97 36,208 InvenSense INVN 19.34 71,387 Invesco VnKmNY VTN 16.47 4,729 LSI Corp LSI 8.43 758,489 LeapFrog Cl A LF 7.33 228,624 Lennar Corp B LEN/B 19.46 33,839 Lockheed Martin LMT 88.55 193,646 Magellan Midstream MMP 69.89 38,517 Michael Kors Holdings KORS 41.32 3,785,309 Motorola Mobility Hldgs MMI 39.70 4,710,805 Motorola Solutions MSI 48.22 256,276 Navigant Consulting NCI 13.83 11,827 Nuveen NC Premium Income NNC 15.74 400 Nuveen Pa Investment Qual NQP 15.68 15,269 Ocwen Fincl OCN 15.71 85,886 PionrMuniAdv Tr MAV 15.36 8,725 Pionr Muni HI Tr MHI 15.44 9,455 Plains All Amer Pipeline PAA 81.17 101,903 Rackspce Host RAX 54.09 2,351,605 Rose Rock Midstream RRMS 23.04 6,857 SYNNEX SNX 39.24 13,321 Targa Resources Partners NGLS 40.47 31,945 Terra Nitrogen TNH 222.50 25,612 Valspar Corp VAL 45.97 565,146 New Lows 0 COMPANY SYMBOL LOW VOLUME ------- ------ ---- ------
NASDAQ
New Highs 44 COMPANY SYMBOL HIGH VOLUME ------- ------ ---- ------ AEP Industries AEPI 36.49 1,305 Ansys ANSS 64.67 5,660 Acorn Energy ACFN 8.41 42,091 Affymax AFFY 11.36 344,010 Alexion Pharm ALXN 85.15 153,485 Amer Cap Mortgage Invt MTGE 21.94 130,649 Apple AAPL 505.23 3,361,426 BCSB Bankcorp BCSB 14.36 1,532 BSB Bancorp BLMT 11.30 500 Body Central BODY 27.99 172,818 Carrols Restaurant Group TAST 12.22 8,110 Cincinnati Fincl CINF 34.80 53,993 Cynosure (Cl A) CYNO 15.35 82,552 Dollar Tree DLTR 87.83 57,974 Equinix EQIX 131.14 230,824 Expedia EXPE 34.75 294,175 FARO Techs FARO 59.22 9,503 Fastenal Co FAST 51.49 412,832 First Fincl Northwest FFNW 7.23 300 German American Bancorp GABC 21.76 279 Golar LNG Partners LP GMLP 35.65 4,425 Guidance Software GUID 11.48 14,939 HMS Hldgs HMSY 34.98 59,238 Halozyme Therapeutics HALO 11.69 281,256 Insight Enterprises NSIT 22.49 183,485 Intuitive Surgical ISRG 507.48 52,211 Jive Software JIVE 19.00 89,379 Liberty Global Cl A LBTYA 49.48 100,284 Lincoln Electric Hldgs LECO 45.86 17,185 Liquidity Services LQDT 43.51 129,015 LivePerson Inc LPSN 15.35 770,322 North Central Bancshares FFFD 21.81 600 OmniAmerican Bancorp Inc OABC 17.11 8,521 On Assignment ASGN 12.81 157,016 PETsMART PETM 55.80 142,404 pricelinecom PCLN 588.56 403,573 Procera Networks PKT 18.94 28,601 Rand Logistics RLOG 8.35 200 Simulations Plus SLP 3.68 14,100 Susser Hldgs SUSS 25.97 12,530 Taylor Capital Group TAYC 13.67 13,478 US Home Systems USHS 11.10 50,523 Westport Innovations WPRT 44.88 606,969 Zygo ZIGO 19.97 8,502 New Lows 2 COMPANY SYMBOL LOW VOLUME ------- ------ ---- ------ Marshall Edwards MSHL 0.90 48,300 Silicon Graphics Intl SGI 9.27 229,339Comments »
This Morning’s Money Flows
ISSUE GAINERS SYMBOL EXCH LAST PRICE MONEY FLOW RATIO
(in millions)
Apple AAPL NASD 503.53 +65.5 1.13
iShrs Russell 2000 IWM ARCA 81.86 +28.1 1.32
iPath SP 500 VIX Sht Tm VXX ARCA 26.42 +22.7 2.55
Motorola Mobility Hldgs MMI NYSE 39.66 +20.5 3.65
Microsoft MSFT NASD 30.28 +13.5 1.46
General Mills GIS NYSE 39.66 +13.4 4.76
ExxonMobil XOM NYSE 84.31 +13.2 1.90
Johnson & Johnson JNJ NYSE 64.70 +11.3 2.56
IBM IBM NYSE 192.23 +11.0 1.99
BMC Software BMC NASD 39.24 +10.9 11.37
Bank Of America BAC NYSE 8.02 +10.4 1.15
Emerson Elec EMR NYSE 51.85 +10.1 2.22
Chevron CVX NYSE 106.03 +9.7 1.70
NewsCorp A NWSA NASD 19.30 +8.6 4.24
Disney DIS NYSE 41.53 +8.6 2.40
Philip Morris Intl PM NYSE 81.26 +8.2 2.25
Pfizer PFE NYSE 21.36 +7.4 2.30
China Mobile CHL NYSE 51.27 +7.3 16.52
JPMorgan Chase JPM NYSE 37.87 +7.2 1.43
Caterpillar CAT NYSE 114.12 +7.1 1.36
ISSUE DECLINERS SYMBOL EXCH LAST PRICE MONEY FLOW RATIO
(in millions)
iShrs MSCI Emerg Mkts EEM ARCA 43.32 -58.5 0.14
LinkedIn Cl A LNKD NYSE 85.97 -30.1 0.46
PepsiCo PEP NYSE 63.47 -19.8 0.41
Baidu BIDU NASD 141.01 -15.9 0.79
Qualcomm QCOM NASD 61.51 -15.6 0.30
Western Digital WDC NYSE 38.89 -14.7 0.12
McDonald's MCD NYSE 99.19 -10.2 0.45
AT&T T NYSE 30.11 -9.9 0.47
Pall Corp PLL NYSE 63.80 -9.8 0.20
Vanguard MSCI Emerg Mkts VWO ARCA 43.67 -9.0 0.33
Wells Fargo WFC NYSE 30.32 -9.0 0.49
Procter & Gamble PG NYSE 64.37 -8.9 0.40
Hospira HSP NYSE 36.84 -8.5 0.64
Marriott Intl MAR NYSE 35.23 -7.8 0.44
ConocoPhillips COP NYSE 73.23 -7.7 0.59
Intel INTC NASD 26.60 -7.6 0.56
Morgan Stanley MS NYSE 18.88 -7.6 0.68
Oracle ORCL NASD 28.44 -7.3 0.40
iShrs PHLX SOX Semicndtr SOXX NASD 57.26 -7.0 0.05
SPDR S&P 500 SPY ARCA 134.94 -6.4 0.95
Comments »
