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The defective Chinese drywall situation in the United States first came to light in November of 2008, when the Herald Tribune reported that homeowners in the Sarasota-Bradenton area of Florida were discovering that their homes' sheetrock walls were eating away the wiring.
In fact, the problem may predate 2008, as witness the symptoms in a Manatee County home suffering the same mysterious meltdown in wiring, yet built in 2002.
Homeowners are suffering not only the loss of their electrical connectivity (and appliances), but also from a range of upper respiratory symptoms, nosebleeds and headaches, yet so far the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC – the chief agency dedicated to identifying the problem and formulating a solution – is no closer to helping than it was in February, when it launched its investigation.
But the current health problems, serious as they are, are nothing to what will happen when affected homes are ruled uninhabitable – as they may well be – and gutted, or the structures torn down and the drywall hauled to local landfills, as has already happened with Miami-based Lennar, a home builder which recently replaced the drywall in 80 homes in Southwest Florida and hauled the toxic remains to a local landfill.
"When this gets into water tables in flat areas of the country that get a lot of rain, like Florida, the health problems will multiply as people begin to drink the toxic water," Notes M. Thomas Martin, president of America's Watchdog, a Washington, D.C.-based consumer protection advocacy group.
"There haven't been any health studies yet, of course, so we don't know the ultimate effects of exposure. But I don't think it's a stretch to say that the future health ramifications, for both humans and wildlife, are going to be far reaching and very serious."
It is, Martin notes, a situation which parallels Hurricane Katrina (and the now-legendary formaldehyde trailers) but promises to be even more costly and unfortunate, since Katrina involved only 76,000 homes and the Chinese drywall situation impacts at least an estimated 150,000 homes in Florida alone, or about 1,000 in the D.R. Horton and Engle subdivisions in Ft. Myers, by Martin's estimates.
This does not take into account other homes across the south and southeast, from southeast Texas through Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Louisiana, and into Virginia, a total impact which could comprise more than 300,000 homes.
"This isn't even counting the West Coast," Martin adds. "Since we know that the major ports of entry for the toxic drywall were Oakland, Long Beach and the Seattle/Tacoma area, not Miami or New Orleans. So, for the West Coast, it's not so much as question of 'if', but 'when'."
The problem has been more noticeable in the south and southeast only because ordinarily high temperatures, combined with normally high humidity, seem to trigger a chemical reaction that makes the toxicity more noticeable, and more lethal.
What surprises Martin and other consumer advocates is the fact that the CPSC, even with a budget of over $20 million, has so far managed to study and report on no more than six homes – four with toxic drywall and two without. Even then, the agency has – while admitting the drywall has the potential to short out copper wiring and appliances (including essential air-conditioning units) and generally make a home unlivable – fallen far short of admitting that there is a widespread threat to the health of inhabitants.
"The government has been worthless on this deal," Martin asserts. "And the fact that the CPSC is reporting a mere thousand or so homes nationwide looks to many affected homeowners who contact us like a concerted attempt by federal agencies to cover up the problem. I use the word conspiracy cautiously, but the CPSC saying the Chinese government is assisting in the problem sounds like baloney."
Martin also questions CPSC expenditures, noting that his agency has spent only about $20,000 to identify affected homes. Another area of concern is the CPSC study of 50 homes, a secondary study that was to have resolved the problem. That study, due in September and postponed, deferred again in October and now due in November, has yet to appear.
The hardest part for homeowners is that insurors have begun cancelling policies, or refusing to renew them. This means that homeowners will be forced to walk away, adding to the housing bubble meltdown, reducing the funding for cities and municipalities whose budgets rely on property taxes, and engorging landfills with a toxic brew certain to cause environmental degradation and health problems all down the road.
Martin's concern is that, if such insuror cancellations become the subject of litigation between attorneys and insurance companies, the latter will rely on a little-known environmental/defective construction exclusionary clause that will drag disputes on for years:
"Most of these homeowners don't have six months," Martin adds. "The air inside the houses is that bad."
So far, the chemicals identified are sulfur and strontium, with Dr. Patricia Johnson – a toxicologist at the University of New Orleans – isolating sulfuric acid, sulfur dioxide and sulfur trioxide. Rumors, of the drywall containing bacterial toxins, have not been verified and are unlikely in any case, says Martin, since the levels of sulfur components would likely kill any bacteria present. National Public Radio, or NPR, reported on radioactive ingredients, but strontium in its elemental state is not radioactive.
Florida Governor Charlie Crist has said almost nothing about the issue; the Obama administration, in spite of its incoming promise to be more transparent than the former administration, and to respond to the next national disaster in a more robust fashion than Bush et al, has said almost as little. The media has been equally circumspect, likely fearing the loss of advertising dollars from bankers and builders.
"I'd bet, if you walked down Wiltshire Boulevard (in Los Angeles) and asked people about Chinese drywall, they wouldn't know what you were talking about," Martin says. "Yet Bill Nelson (D-FL) says he can't find a venue big enough for town hall meetings about the subject in his home state."
On a more encouraging note, one Chinese drywall manufacturer, Knauf Plasterboard, announced on Nov. 3 that it would participate in a class action complaint. This means that claimants will be allowed to consolidate their claims into one lawsuit; Knauf hasn't stated terms of settlement, and Knauf is only one of 20 Chinese manufacturers reportedly identified by New Orleans Judge Eldon E. Fallon. No others have so far come forward to admit culpability.
"One has to wonder, if this story came out as it should, if the U.S. business community's love affair with China might end abruptly as a result of consumers refusing to buy Chinese products." Martin speculates.
One thing is certain; the toxic drywall that finds its way to landfills across the South, as far west as Texas and as far north as Virginia, is sure to leave a legacy much more enduring, and more environmentally lethal, than anything Nature has thrown our way. And you thought coal-mining ash ponds were bad?
Read more interesting stories on Celsias:
If It's Black, Can It Still be Green?
Water Tops Climate Change as Global Priority


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The 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro maybe over two years away, but Canadian tennis fans are rejoicing on Monday after Eugenie Bouchard of Westmount, Quebec made history by becoming the first Canadian since 1984 to advance to the semi-finals of a grand slam tennis tournament.
On Monday, Bouchard, seeded 30th, defeated 2008 French Open champion and 14th ranked Ana Ivanovic 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 of Serbia to advance to the semi-finals of the Australian Open where she will now face 2011 French Open champion Li Na of China on Wednesday.
Ivanovic rocked the tennis world on Saturday when she beat world number one Serena Williams of the United States 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Na, seeded fourth, defeated the 28th seed Flavia Pennetta of Italy 6-2, 6-2 in an hour and seven minutes.
The other women's quarterfinals on Tuesday will see defending champion and world ranked number two Victoria Azarenka of Belarus face world ranked number five Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland and the eleventh seed Simona Halep of Romania face 20th ranked Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia.
The last time a Canadian advanced to the semi-finals was in the 1984 U.S. Open when Carling Bassett-Seguso of Toronto lost 6-2, 6-2 to Chris Evert of the United States. Bassett beat third ranked Hana Mandlikova 6-4, 6-3 in the women's quarterfinals of the 1984 U.S. Open.

subset: commoncrawl


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The 1990 movie, Ghost, starring Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze, and Whoopi Goldberg, garnered much success and accolades, with an almost cult film following, and a most powerful effect even decades later. Now the stage version, currently at the majestic, grand Oriental Theatre, in downtown Chicago, is a most exquisite musical revival of the original movie, haunting and emotional for audience members who remember fondly Patrick Swayze (who ironically died way too soon, much like his character, Sam Wheat). The show is an emotional rendition of a seemingly immortal soul and undying love ever after, revealed by the hauntingly beautiful signature song, Unchained Melody. This musical song and dance extravaganza is one of fantasy, intrigue and deception. At show's start, we are introduced to the show's three main characters, in a love tryst, as it were, gone bad: Molly (Katie Postotnik); Sam (Steven Grant Douglas); and Carl (Robby Haltiwanger). Carl is the jealous, conniving friend and co-worker , who has plotted an evil scheme, going so far as to hire a hitman to 'off' the husband, in order to get the woman of his dreams, as well as embezzling to the tune of ten million dollars. The plotline rings of the malicious Iago in Shakespeare's Othello. Yet due justice prevails, as Oda Mae Brown (a true show-stopper, played by Carla Stewart) enters the scene, and saves the day and Sam's peace of mind. The show is mostly 'other-worldly,' surreal and fantastical, with talk of ghosts, psychics, and the supernatural/paranormal. It is indeed, well worth seeing, especially for those who remember the extremely emotional movie, which became a huge monetary franchise in Hollywood.
The power of psychic intervention, once considered only the work of charlatans, is now quite respected, particularly in criminal investigations. Sam's ghost, like in the original film version, is the main fantastical image, almost surreal, when he whispers sweet nothings in the ear of his beleaguered wife, and reminds her of events and secrets only the two of them share ( through the medium's assistance). Of special note is the hip hop street dance scene, kudos to choreographer par excellence, Ashley Wallen, and her multi-talented ensemble. All's well that ends well, as the evil Carl's plot to corral the money is foiled, and with incredible special effects, Sam's ghosts fades into the ethereal. "Ghost- The Musical" is a show, so topical, timely, emotional, entertaining, and visceral. This is the one to see!
Through Jan. 19th
Oriental Theatre 24 W. Randolph
Tues-Fri. 7:30PM Saturdays 2 & 8 PM; Sundays 2 & 7:30 PM
Reservations (800) 775-2000 www.broadwayinchicago.com


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Magazine of the painting blogosphere.
Noor Brara interviews painter Rochelle Feinstein about her recently completed series of paintings, on view at On Stellar Rays, New York through May 11, 2014.
Feinstein comments: "The 'Love your work' phrase is something that I'd heard for years, and I think it's still in play. It's one of the most awkward phrases to use because if you're the one saying it—often you're called upon to say something—it's not that it's necessarily insincere, but it's sufficient only for the moment, when you can't think of anything better to say... I was thinking of it coming from a comic book. In a comic book, the bubble is attached to the character speaking—they can't go back on what they said. I think if I used quotes or any other kind of punctuation for the work, it would be suggesting a linguistic structure outside of that particular phrase. It wouldn't be as 'spoken,' and would perhaps signify a kind of assigned meaning, which is exactly what I'm questioning the existence of."
Sharon Butler blogs about painter Claude Viallat and the Supports/Surfaces group in relation to contemporary painting.
Butler remarks that Viallat's work "strikes me as a precursor to the Casualist aesthetic... I find Viallat's relationship to the Casualist abstraction of artists such as Chris Martin, Rochelle Feinstein, Tatiana Berg, and Lauren Luloff fascinating."
Sharon Butler visits Rochelle Feinstein's exhibition, The Estate of Rochelle F. on view at On Stellar Rays through May 1, 2011. In addition to images from of Feinstein's work, Butler excerpts two recent interviews with artist. Feinstein says: "The Estate relies on the depletion of those things already available, including older paintings. Two rules emerged rather quickly. First, to not spend any additional money on this work and to use any and all supplies as 'assets.' Second, to use maximal material and minimal gesture. I hope we get to anarchy and what an oeuvre is later."
Justin Lieberman visits painter Rochelle Feinstein's studio to discuss her recent painting project The Estate of Rochelle F. Lieberman describes Feinstein's work: "hard to decipher. It is full of jokes, yet oddly lacking in punch lines. Unlike that of many of her postmodernist contemporaries, its elusive meaning has consistently deferred any sort of commodification. Alongside a continuous and insistent engagement with the problems of painting, she has produced video as well as sculpture and installation, yet her works are not intertextual pastiche or a pedagogical deconstructive tool. Ironically, they seem to continue the modernist project in spite of itself."
Edited by artist Brett Baker, Painters' Table highlights writing from the painting blogosphere as it is published and serves as a platform for exploring blogs that focus primarily on the subject of painting.
Painters' Table website © 2010-2015 Brett Baker
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The S&P 500 increased in three sessions and finished the week with a small gain of 0.34%. The week's lowest close on Thursday finished the session 3.94% below the July 24 highest close. Friday's 1.15% gain was the largest move higher in a session since a 1.53% increase on March 4.
The strong rebound on Friday makes it seem possible the index may have begun to rebound from the significant drop it had taken from the likely resistance between 1980 and 1995 within the lower half of the 100 L. If this rebound continues it seems possible the resistance in the upper half of the 100 L, likely to be seen between 2010 and 2020, was softened considerably by this pullback.
Average daily volume levels fell 6.95% compared to the average daily volumes of the previous week. The week's highest volume was during Wednesday's $0.03 gain and the lowest volume was seen in Friday's strong rebound. The difference between five day volume variances more than halved as the variance dropped 27.63% below the previous week to 21.94%.
Major Stock Market Indexes
The index charts of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, NASDAQ, New York Stock Exchange and Russell 2000 saw mixed results during the past week.
Four of the five indexes finished the past week with gains and pushed higher in three sessions. The exception was the New York Stock Exchange, which finished 0.01% lower for the week and moved higher in only two sessions.
All but the Russell 2000 saw the lowest close in current pullback on Thursday. The Russell had the most bullish week and saw every session in the past week finish higher than the previous Friday's finish. Although the other indexes continued lower into Thursday, they remained near support levels found during the previous Friday's fall.
All the indexes rebounded quite strongly on Friday, with all but the NASDAQ finishing that session with gains greater than 1%, led by the S&P 500's gain of 1.15%. Although it fell short of the 1% gains seen on the other indexes, the NASDAQ pushed 0.83% higher on Friday.
The S&P 500 saw the 13 EMA dip slightly below the 50 EMA on Thursday, leaving the NASDAQ as the only index not to see this bearish cross. The NASDAQ was also the only index to finish the week above its 50 EMA and Friday's finish fell just short of the 13 EMA. The Russell finished the week just below its 13 EMA.
All of the indexes are in or near fully oversold conditions as are many stocks. The recent pullback has brought many stocks to valuations that could be appealing, so it doesn't seem too unlikely the indexes could begin to rebound from the recent retreat.
US Treasury Charts
The 20 year US Treasury Bond slipped and finished below the 13 EMA in Monday's session but finished higher in the next three. It opened Tuesday with a gap lower, but after slipping further it reversed direction with the rebound carrying it to a finish above the 13 EMA. It opened with a gap higher in the next three sessions, but fell to cover these gaps before continuing higher with Wednesday and Thursday finishing with gains. Friday's session pushed above the previous cycle's high, but retreated into the late rally in stocks finishing at a loss and near session lows. Friday's high reconfirmed its uptrend that it appeared to break in the previous week. This chart continues to show bullishness. The 20 year is nearing overbought conditions.
The long term Treasury charts appeared to reconfirm uptrends and continue to appear somewhat bearish for stocks.
The interest rate on the 10 year US Treasury Note slipped in every session finishing lower in six straight. Although it finished with small losses in each session, Wednesday gapped considerably lower at the open, and fell steeply before rebounding to regain nearly all the earlier losses by the close. Wednesday's dip rebounded at the lower trend line, making a rebound seem fairly likely in the week ahead. The ten year rate remains deeply oversold. This chart continues to hold within a downtrend.
Gold trended slowly lower Sunday night, to finish the night a bit below 1292.
Monday gold trended back to about 1295 by the London open, but reversed and after popping briefly back up to 1294 shortly after the New York open, fell to about 1286 just after noon in the New York session. From there It traded flatly between 1286 and 1289, finishing the day a little lower than 1289.
Tuesday gold trended higher to about 1293 shortly after the London open but again reversed trend falling to about 1283 in early morning trading in New York. It trended higher off that low before spiking back to 1293 after the NYMEX close, but fell fairly steeply lower to 1288. It then traded very flatly until trending slightly higher in Hong Kong, finishing the night at about 1290.
Wednesday continued in a flattish pattern within a couple points of 1290 until it began a steep spike higher just before the New York open that carried gold to 1310 early in the NY session. That run turned into a flattish down trend bouncing between 1305 and 1309 with the highs gradually reducing until finishing the night just under 1306.
Thursday gold continued in the flattish downtrend, breaking below 1305 in small bounces just before the London open until reaching about 1303. It pushed back to about 1307 in London and started to trend lower until it reversed midmorning in New York, breaking to about 1313 by noon. It leveled off trading within a point higher and two lower from that top until it slipped lower after the Sydney open, falling to about 1308 early in the Hong Kong session before rebounding strongly to finish the day a little short of 1317.
Friday gold continued higher in Hong Kong to reach 1323, but slipped and began trading flatly between 1316 and 1318 until it began to trend lower in London before the New York open. The trend continued lower early in New York falling to about 1306 before rebounding to about 1313 and then flattening between 1312 and 1309. Gold finished the week with a New York Spot close of 1309.10, which was a fair amount higher than the previous week's close of 1294.20.
Gold broke a three week string of losses with this week's gain.
S&P 500 Constituent Charts
The charts and conditions make it seem possible the index has begun to rebound from the recent significant drop.
Many of the constituents began to rebound quite strongly in the past week. Several have turned higher in V patterns that regained ground faster than it was lost. Several of these rebounds began into the overall market downturn.
Others appear to have begun to move higher off likely support levels. Quite a few of the stocks in downtrends look to be rebounding off the lower trend line.
Many that haven't yet rebounded appeared to have found support during the week.
Several indicator stocks rebounded strongly during the week.
Some of the constituents broke above upper resistance in topping patterns. Although few of the constituents have been able to move much higher after making this break, as has been seen in the past, if the index continues higher the overall move higher in stocks could help carry these breaks higher briefly.
Not all stocks look ready to move higher, some appear to have downside potential left, but it looks like the majority of the constituents have begun or could begin to move higher. The majority usually sets the direction of the index.
Most of the constituents are in or near oversold conditions with many of the constituents deeply oversold.
The aftermath of the recent pullback shows that there are a fairly large number of constituent stocks showing possible failures in topping patterns in their short and or long term charts. Although it seems likely many of these stocks are ready to rebound, these failures are reason for concern and could lead to a larger drop later.
Retests of many of the support levels that held in this drop look prone to further failures in a future retreat as it appears many of these support levels have been softened and could break in this retest. Several fractured the support that held before rebounding. Although these breaks rebounded back above support and the support level held, breaks below a support level tend to weaken it, making in more likely to fail in a future retest.
Several constituents fell through several potential support levels before appearing to find a support level that held in this retreat. If these stocks fail to make new highs in the following rebound, the numbers of potential supports they have already surpassed makes it appear likely they could fall deeper in a future retreat.
It is beginning to look fairly likely the S&P 500 could fall to either the lower trend line or lower support line in a retreat at some point. Although it seems unlikely, the drop could occur in this retreat within the 100 L. The next higher resistance found in the 2035 to 2055 MRL holds the highest probability for this fall, but there is no guaranty it will occur at that resistance.
Chart formations appear to suggest there is reason to remain cautious. An increase in failures in topping formations into the recent drop is of concern. Although it seems possible the index could be beginning a rebound from the significant drop and adding some risk seems reasonable, continued caution with investments also seems merited.
Although the indicators featured in these articles are not always correct, they have been many times and being so they are worth reading about and taking note of.
The +2% L, -2% L, 100 L and +10 day indicators are currently active. See a more detailed description of most of the indicators developed through research and featured in these articles here.
The +2% L did not provide a correct indication in the past week.
The –2% L did not provide a correct indication in the past week.
A significant pullback was seen within the 100 L. The index fell from likely resistance between 1980 and 1995 in the lower half of this resistance level. If the index continues to rebound to recover from this drop, it seems likely the resistance in the upper half of the 100 L has been softened considerably by this drop. Although the index could slow as it reaches this resistance, it seems possible it could move past it without further incidence.
It continues to look fairly likely the index could rebound within the projected 3% to 5% range at the 100 L. Even if this rebound occurs, the potential for a larger drop looms due to an increase in possible topping pattern failures of the constituent charts. The current topping pattern failures could soften support in future retests of these support levels.
The S&P 500 finished at 1938.99 on Monday after rebounding from a low of 1921.20 and a higher low within upper resistance of the 100 L at 1900 than the proceeding Friday. Tuesday opened lower at the day's high of 1936.34, falling to a low of 1913.77 before rebounding to finish at 1920.21. The index again opened lower on Wednesday falling to a low of 1911.45, but rebounded to reach a high of 1927.91, before settling lower for a small gain and a close at 1920.24. Thursday opened higher, but slipped to a low of 1904.78, the deepest fall within the upper resistance of the 100 L at 1900 of the week, but topped Wednesday's high at 1928.89. It also posted the lowest close in the fall of 1909.57. Friday started out slightly higher, but retreated to 1909.01 before beginning to move higher with momentum building as the day went on. It finished with a 22.02 point gain at 1931.59, just slightly lower than the high of 1932.38.
Although the S&P 500 slipped lower midweek before rebounding Friday, it continued to find support at the previous resistance in upper level of the 100 L at 1900, being a bullish indication.
Although some constituents continue to have upward tensions, it appears the significant drop could also provide a brief regeneration of exhausted tensions. It seems possible this regeneration could provide enough fuel to push the index above the 100 L.
The +10 day indicator toggled cleanly off in Monday's rebound, but back on in Tuesday's retreat. It held in a high state until Friday's rebound toggled it off again. The double toggle makes it seem possible it had given a false indication initially and toggled on too early.
The + 10 day indicator has performed as follows to this point in the format: highest close / lowest close / last close.
+0.72% / -0.81% / 0.33%
The index has been running above the upper trend line off crash lows for a duration that makes a drop to at least the lower trend line seem somewhat likely.
Current Cautions
Although the index finished higher for the week, a midweek slump brought the fall from the July 24 highest close to the Aug 7 lowest close to 3.94%. The significant drop began from an intraday high of 1991.39 from likely resistance between 1980 and 1995 found within the lower half of the 100 L at 2000. The index had also seen a bearish 2% drop during this retreat.
Index and constituent chart formations appear to be giving reason for added cautions. The index had broken above the upper trend line. The break above the upper trend line often produces larger retreats on the index at some point, although it is not uncommon for the index to see one or more significant drops before this larger retreat. Many of the constituent's charts are in topping patterns and the recent retreat saw an increase in failures in these patterns. Some of those stocks that held support in these falls saw brief failures of these supports that could weaken them in a future retest.
As the index works its way into the 100 L at 2000 (from 1975 to 2025) it will begin to enter the level identified as a potential topping area during data evaluation beginning in 2008. These data evaluations make it appear resistances met between 2000 and about 2140 could have the potential to cause a large drop, possibly reaching crash proportions.
Although the 100 L at 2000 does not appear to hold crash potential, it has provided a significant drop. It seems possible this pullback could reach near 5% and probably remain within or near the 3% to 5% range. It also seems likely the significant pullback within the lower half of the 100 L could considerably soften resistance in the upper half of the 100 L likely to be seen from 2010 to 2020. It therefore seems possible the index could move past the upper half of this resistance level without further incidence.
The next higher resistance once the index moves past the 100 L is likely to be seen in the midrange resistance (MRL) from 2035 to 2055. This level appears to have the potential to cause a very large drop possibly reaching crash potential. The 2035 to 2055 MRL also holds the level of concern at 2040. Recent data evaluation pointed to resistance at 2040 as the most likely area that a crash would be seen between 2000 and 2140. The research also suggested if this crash were to occur, it probably finds bullish support somewhere near the two previous tops in 2000 and 2007. Although the crash potential is within the 25 to 35% range, this evaluation makes a fall from near 2040 seem more likely to produce a drop of less than 30%.
Current chart formations tend to make a fall in excess of 10% seem possible within the 2035 to 2055 MRL, depending partly on the outcome within the 100 L resistance level. If the significant drop within the 100 L stays within projected levels, it seems possible the MRL could produce a drop that reaches the lower trend line or lower support line and probably stays within the 10% to 18% range, but could possibly fall to crash potentials if the drop is steep or falls to a rebound point near the tops seen in 2000 and 2007. If a drop to crash potentials is seen, it does not seem likely it would exceed 22% by much. Although chart formations are making it seem somewhat more possible a drop that reaches crash proportions could be seen, it still seems somewhat remote at this time.
A possible signal that an area of resistance could hold potentially larger drop potentials would be the presence of several volatile daily moves (those of 2% or greater) within a relatively short time period, for instance three or four within a few weeks more or less. The larger the number of volatile moves, the more potentially dangerous a resistance becomes. These volatile moves won't necessarily all be seen within the resistance level, but they could be.
Some concerns as the index moves above the 2000 level include:
The aftermath of the recent pullback shows that there are a fairly large number of constituent stocks showing possible failures in topping patterns in their short and or long term charts. Although it seems likely many of these stocks are ready to rebound, these failures are reason for concern and could lead to a larger drop later.
Retests of many of the support levels that held in this drop look prone to further failures in a future retreat as it appears many of these support levels have been softened and could break in this retest. Several fractured the support that held before rebounding. Although these breaks rebounded back above support and the support level held, breaks below a support level tend to weaken it, making in more likely to fail in a future retest.
Several constituents fell through several potential support levels before appearing to find a support level that held in this retreat. If these stocks fail to make new highs in the following rebound, the numbers of potential supports they have already surpassed makes it appear likely they could fall deeper in a future retreat.
Until recently the index was running above the upper trend line in the trend off crash lows. Runs above the upper trend line have extended for several months in the past and often contained one or more significant pullbacks before finally breaking lower.
The numbers of the constituents showing possible long term topping patterns continues to grow. The numbers in downtrends off these tops is also growing, as are the numbers that have failed support in these patterns and broken lower. Although breaks from highs are often very steep, tops very seldom happen with all stocks failing at once, the numbers tend to grow until the weight of those that failed overwhelms those in bullish runs, dragging all lower in the larger retreat.
Few have broken higher and maintained these trends afterwards. Most that have broken higher in these patterns recently only went a short distance higher, then flattened again or fell off these highs. Although a rebound from a significant drop could make it appear some stocks are again moving higher above these resistances, it is not unlikely these runs could fizzle shortly after the index returns to new highs.
Recent increases in these failures are reason for concern, but are probably not yet at levels that would cause a large drop. Current chart formations make additional failures in these patterns seem somewhat more likely. It seems possible deeper falls could be seen on many of the constituents in retests of support levels in a subsequent drop.
Although the numbers of constituents in this category is not large, chances seem remote that some of the constituents that have continued in runs or held high prices could produce earnings to justify their current stock prices in timeframes investors are normally willing to wait. These runs higher could continue, but any sign that longer term earnings projections are too high, failures or continued failures to meet expectations, or an overall change in market direction could cause stocks trading well forward of current earnings to see large fold backs. Some of these stocks have broken considerably lower after recent earnings reports and further into the overall market downturn.
Some constituents appeared to over extend moves higher caused by earlier upward tensions. This could increase downward pressure on these stocks when they finally turn lower. These numbers are also small at this time.
Several of the indicator stocks taken across sectors fell significantly lower in the large pullback in the 100 L. Many of these stocks fell through short term support and all the way to long term support. Many of these stocks rebounded strongly in the past week, making a larger drop at the current resistance seem somewhat unlikely.
It also appears upward tensions in the constituents are beginning to wane, although most have seen pullbacks, some of these upward tensions appear to have remained intact into the significant pullback. Some of these tensions appear to have recharged and could help to push the index higher, but this recharge is not likely to remain intact as long as earlier tensions developed at the 1883 resistance.
At the current time there does not appear to be an outside catalyst for a crash. Many crashes occur due to stocks becoming overpriced to earnings. Without a substantial reduction in earnings, it would be difficult to consider stocks overpriced based on the actual unadjusted average P/E's during the time the S&P 500 was an index. Although some are overpriced, most are not and the average P/E is still fairly historically low.
Chart analysis makes it seem possible this catalyst might not be from an outside influence as earlier thought, but instead from a pullback caused by a large number of failures in current topping patterns. Chances still seem somewhat remote that a fall would reach crash proportions in this drawback, although several have dropped in excess of 20% in earlier pullbacks from highs.
Earnings reports for the second quarter have been mostly better than expected; although not all beating projections are seeing their stock prices increase. It seems possible that overall earnings could come in 2% to 4% above the early projections.
The absence of an apparent outside catalyst for this crash does not mean one would not materialize as the index reaches this level. There is also the possibility investors could overreact to news events that probably should not take the market to these depths. Pullbacks seen during the summer of 2010 and 2011 were much deeper than rational evaluation of the data indicated they probably should have been. These falls also came during a time when huge increases in earnings were being seen, with near or over 70% of the constituents beating their earnings projections. This makes it seem somewhat possible this fall could come even if earnings are reported higher than expected.
The overall number of active indicators was decreasing generally indicating a decreasing chance of volatility and a possible bullish period. This decrease has occasionally acted contrarian to the norm in the past. Due to the volatile drop and a drop to significant levels on the index, it appears to have acted contrarian in this instance.
Ultimately the direction that the stock market takes from here could be influenced by news events.
Average daily volume levels decreased 6.95% week over week and the difference in the five day volume variance decreased 27.63% to 21.94%. Volume levels remained somewhat higher than bullish levels until the push higher on Friday, which saw the week's lowest volume. Variance levels dropped off substantially consistent with the absence of volatile conditions.
There continues to be many reasons to be bullish at the current time; however the index is nearing an area of potential concern and some caution should be exercised. Any pullbacks in stock prices seen along the way are probably a good opportunity to add although some flexibility in these investments could become necessary later. If a large pullback is seen on the index, it could be prudent to increase equities holdings into this drop. It could also provide the best remaining opportunity to take profits in gold holdings.
If the index continues within the trend established off the crash lows, it seems possible it could reach the 2000 to 2100 level in five to 14 months if it reaches this level near the upper trend line and within 32 to 38 months if it reaches this level near the lower trend line. The data suggests the Midrange Resistance Level (MRL) at 2035 to 2055 could hold the resistance level of concern within this range at 2040. More details of this potential resistance can be seen in past articles.
It appears the index was running somewhat ahead of the projection to reach 2000, indicating it was running above the upper trend line. The recent significant drop pushed the index slightly below this trend line, although it is currently running at about this trend, it seems fairly likely it could again rebound above this trend line.
These data evaluations do not mean a crash is certain within the 2000 to 2140 range. The data evaluations only identified this level as one with a high potential to cause a large drop, possible reaching the 25% to 35% range; although a fall seen low in this range might not reach these levels. This range also holds most of the specifications identified in the first crashes of a market entering into a secular bull.
Please note there is no established resistance in the MRL levels before the index has reached these levels. Several instances have proven to hold resistance once reached; however MRL levels that the index has not yet reached are only the most likely levels that resistance will be seen based on research. Back tests of the data used to project these resistance levels work well, but they are not always exact, and these resistances could react sooner or later than expected, it is also possible the resistance will not be seen at all.
If the market should fall to crash levels, the blue chips, stocks with very low or no debt, and stocks with histories of stable dividends tend to fair best in pullbacks on a percentage basis. Caution should be used in stocks that have seen dividend increases well beyond those normal seen. Moderately priced stocks tend to lose less on a dollar per share basis. From a psychological standpoint this could be an important consideration, it is easier for an investor to hold a stock that falls from $50 to $25 without selling than it is to hold a stock that falls from $100 to $50. Even though the percentage lost was the same, the larger dollar value erosion of share price gives many the perception of a greater loss and a much larger distance for the stock to rebound to regain these losses, and this perception could lead to further sales of higher priced stocks in a downturn.
A crash in stock prices could be the last hurray for gold investors for many years to come.
Data provided for the S&P 500 was derived from the historical daily data tables, similar data can be found at Google Finance.
Stock and Treasury charts used for analysis and commentary were provided by ScottradeELITE.
Gold charts used for analysis and commentary were provided by Kitco.
Subscribe to receive Email alerts for new articles as they are published near the top or bottom of this page.
Have a great day trading,
Disclosure: Ron is currently about 76% invested long in stocks in his trading accounts, reflecting an increase in his investment level from the past week. This increase was due to the purchase of one issue partially offset by dividend payments. Ron feels comfortable with his investment level at the current time. However he has and will continue to sell stocks that reach long or short term targets and also continue to add stocks he feels are at a great value through a variety of buy orders. Ron will receive dividend payments from ten issues in the coming week and five in the following week. If no further investment changes are made during this timeframe, his investment level would not change due to these dividend payments. Ron postponed dividend reinvestments scheduled for the first of the month.
Some of the trades made during the past week may have been due to repositioning investments as discussed in previous articles.
Disclaimer: The information provided in the Stock Market Preview is Ron's perception of the current conditions and what he thinks is the most probable outcome based on the current conditions, the data collected and extensive research he has done into this data along with other variables. It is intended to provoke thought of the possible market direction in his readers, not foretell the future. Ron does not claim to know what the stock market will do. If the stock market performs as expected, it only means he is applying the stock market history to the current conditions correctly. His perception of the data is not always correct.
This article is intended to provoke thought about investment possibilities. Acting on the information provided is at your own risk. You are urged to do your own research, and where appropriate, seek professional investment advice before acting on any information contained in these articles.


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Pastor Brian Shimer
1. I was his child. This was an important fact to accept
2. That perhaps I needed to redefine failure, for I had prepared, I had prayed diligently, I had stood my ground and not ran, I had spoken of Him and His word, and I had listened when he told me to stop speaking and invite you to speak. Indeed, the Lord said, "Child, you fulfilled my desire. And what I desire, child, counts. Trust Me."


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0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are the ten numbers that make up every other number! Nine is the ninth number in the numeral system and it is also the highest single-digit number.
Cats are said to be lucky and have "nine lives." The expression "to the nines" means to the highest degree, such as "She had a talent to the nines." Likewise, the phrase "on cloud nine" means that someone is very happy and content.
A polygon is a shape that has nine angles. A shape with nine sides is called a nonagon. A "palindromic" word has the same sequence of letters backwards and forwards. In the English language the word "redivider" is the longest palindromic word. It has nine letters.
To find out if a number is exactly divisible by nine add up its digits. If the answer is more than one digit long, add up the digits again, and go on doing this, until only a single digit is left. If this single digit is 9 then the original number was divisible by 9.
Below is a list of five facts about the number nine:
Nine and Sports
Nine can be an important number in a lot of sports. For example, baseball is played with teams of nine players and golf courses have nine holes. Also, because many athletes can choose the number on their jerseys nine is sometimes chosen as a lucky number.
Sets of Nine
There are lots of important "sets" of nine. For instance, there are nine major planets in the solar system (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) and the famous composure Beethoven also wrote nine symphonies.
Nine and Icebergs
In general, only about one ninth of an iceberg's mass is visible above the water. Nearly all the bulk of an iceberg remains submerged and hidden beneath the water's surface (which is why "The Titanic" failed to avoid the iceberg it hit).
Nine and Health
The number nine also has certain connotations with health and the body. For example, a human pregnancy lasts nine months and nine is the atomic number of fluorine, a chemical which is good for teeth.
Nine and Culture
In Chinese culture nine is considered to be a lucky number because it sounds similar to a word that means "long lasting." Nine is also strongly associated with the Chinese Dragon which is a symbol of magic and power.


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Christopher Anthony Penn
Position: WR
Height: 6-0 Weight: 198 lbs.
Born: April 20, 1971 in Nowata, OK
High School: Oklahoma Union
College: Tulsa (school history) (Penn college stats)
Drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 3rd round (96th overall) of the 1994 NFL Draft.
Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 15 (5858th overall since 1950)
Other SR Links: College Football at Sports-Reference.com
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Output includes all games from 1920 to 2015.


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Los Angeles – Six years after making his historic twentieth middleweight title defense against Howard Eastman at Staples Center, future Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Bernard Hopkins will returns to defend his light heavyweight title against Chad Dawson.
[Follow all of my Los Angeles and Latino boxing related articles and thoughts by "liking" my Facebook page.]
ESPN is reporting that Hopkins will fight Dawson on October 15, with the contest being carried by HBO Pay Per View. Boxing insiders question the fiscal viability of a pay per view featuring a 46-year-old Hopkins against an East Coast fighter with a limited fan base.
As for selling tickets at Staples Center, Hopkins' 2005 appearance brought in approximately 13,000 spectators – about average for boxing events held at Staples. The most people to attend a boxing event were the 20,820 Shane Mosley and Antonio Margarito put in the seats; the least were the roughly 6,000 which witnessed Victor Ortiz quit against Marcos Maidana.
An official announcement has not been made for Hopkins-Dawson, but it is also reported that the card will feature a lightweight fight between Jorge Linares and Antonio DeMarco.


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M&Ms has some special holiday flavors in stores this year. The first one is the Mint M&M and it's easy to spot it's green package on store shelves. The package sport Green in a snow globe with snowflakes and then pictures of the M&M candies besides her. It's fitting that Green represents the Mint M&Ms, especially since she was on the original wrappers back when Mint M&Ms made an appearance as a limited edition Mint Crisp flavor for the new Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls movie.
The mint M&Ms are beautifully festive in red, green and white colors. The size of the M&Ms vary a lot here. There's some smaller ones and a few that are very large. That makes reaching your hand in the bag pretty fun ad you can feel the different sizes, all smooth and delightful feeling like candy pebbles.
So how do they taste? So very, very good. These have a wonderful crunch when you bite down on them from the candy shell, and you immediately taste the wonderful minty flavor that's extremely refreshing. The chocolate adds just the right amount of sweetness too. Just as you finish the first one you find your hand reaching in the bag for another. And another. And another.
These are not only festive looking but festive tasting as well. I can't get enough of this flavor and I highly recommend these to anyone who's a mint/peppermint fan or an M&M fan.
Rating: Will Buy Again
Links M&Ms Website
Websites are consistently attainable in one way or the other, that's air-conditioned stuff, anyways, a adequate way to get started to apple-pie your dreams into the angel of reality.
escortes montrealPosted by Wedding Invitations on 12/13 at 07:11 PM


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Submitted by jhoover on Thu, 2013-12-12 12:05
Saks THE FIFTH MAN Beverage Trucks
When: (Ended) December 14, 2013 - December 21, 2013 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue Chicago will be celebrating around the Mag Mile in anticipation of their new Men's Store THE FIFTH MAN, location at 700 N. Michigan Ave., opening this winter in January 2014. Warm and festive beverages will be served on wheels from 10am-6pm during the first three Saturdays in December to bustling shoppers looking for a toasty break from their holiday gift lists!
The trucks will be spreading holiday cheer along the Magnificent Mile, including at Saks Fifth Avenue, and neighboring streets. Individuals can "track the truck" on Saks Men's Instagram and Twitter accounts and by following hashtag #TrackTheTruck.
December 7: Hot Chocolate
December 14: Hot Apple Cider
December 21: Eggnog


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Pitt won against the U of Cincinnatti 33-15. But, they had to hang on after taking a 23-0 lead, and letting that slip away.
Said Dave afterward: "You can't win three games unless you get two. This sure beats a year ago. Our defense was outstanding. We came up with a couple turnovers, the big stop at the end. We got tired out there but we found a way. That was a heck of a win for us. Our guys just never quit. The heart of this team is what you are looking for, but I told the team [that if] you turn it over three times next week against Michigan State, we'll get run out of the stadium."
Home » Unlabelled » Wanny update
Monday, September 11, 2006
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Clemson University Research Foundation (CURF)
The mission of CURF is to commercialize the intellectual property of Clemson University through technology transfer, licensing agreements, and new venture formations, and to assist in developing a strong research infrastructure through development and management of research properties, development of technology maturation and early stage research grants, and participation in sponsored research activities.
Technology Transfer
Clemson University has consistently earned an average of $4.0 million a year in licensing income. Currently, Clemson has over 125 technologies available for licensing. For more information on many of these technologies, please visit the Office of Technology Transfer.
Incubation at Clemson
For over ten years, CURF has supported business incubation at Clemson University through its Center for Applied Technology (CAT). CAT has graduated ten high-tech companies, several of whom have located in the Upstate.


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Pick an Agency, Any Agency: GIPSA
July 30th, 2010 11:42 pm | by Matt Malkus | Published in Big Government, Constitution, government spending, Liberty, Market Regulation | Comments Off
As fiscal conservatives continue to seek avenues through which to derail the federal gravy train, it helps from time to time to take a look at the mind-numbingly long list of federal departments and agencies that are on board. Of course, this list is hardly exhaustive – just one that is publicly available – but it can certainly give us some concrete ideas on how and where to cut the spending.
Today: Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration
About: "The Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) facilitates the marketing of livestock, poultry, meat, cereals, oilseeds, and related agricultural products, and promotes fair and competitive trading practices for the overall benefit of consumers and American agriculture. GIPSA is part of USDA's Marketing and Regulatory Programs, which are working to ensure a productive and competitive global marketplace for U.S. agricultural products."
FY 2010 Budget: $84 million (Source)
You read that correctly. The USDA essentially has a marketing department called GIPSA, established in 1994. While they speak of a "competitive global marketplace," however, they don't deal with foreign marketing or exports; no, for that, you'd have to go down a couple floors to the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). But that's another article for another day. If GIPSA is in the business of marketing, but there's a separate agency to improve American agriculture in foreign markets, then what does that leave GIPSA tasked with?


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Friends In Wild
Places Sweepstakes!
Register At The Following Locations For Your Chance To Win!
All Finalists Will Be Invited To The Business
Expo, Saturday, March 15th, At The Red Fern
For A Chance To Win Our Grand Prize!
Get In On Our "Friends In Wild Places" Sweepstakes & Win The
Ultimate Outdoor Experience In The PA Wilds!
The River 98.9 is teaming up with TOMBOB Outdoors to giveaway the ultimate outdoor experience in the PA Wilds! Our grand prize winner will win a plane ride through the PA Wilds, courtesy of the St. Marys Airport. Also, a Canoe trip down the beautiful Clarion River, courtesy of Lazy River Canoe; a wagon ride through Elk Country, sponsored by the Elk Country Visitors Center. That's not all, our grand prize winner will also experience a 2-night stay at the luxurious Elk Terrace Lodge, located in the heart of Elk Country in Benezette. Plus, dinner for two at Gunners Restaurant and Lounge in St. Marys.
Now the best part! Your Ultimate Outdoor Experience will be captured on film and produced for an episode of "Friends In Wild Places", a weekly outdoor program produced by TOMBOB Productions and airs Saturday mornings at 7:30 a.m. on ABC 23, WATM-TV!
Listeners will be able to register at 6 area locations. We will choose a finalist from each location. Each final list will receive an Outdoor Prize package and be invited to the grand prize drawing, which will be held on Saturday, March 15th at the 2014 Business Expo at the Red Fern. Plus, all those attending the Business Expo can register to be a finalist.
So get ready to win the Ultimate Outdoor Experience in the PA Wilds! IT's the Friends In Wild Places Sweepstakes, presented by TOMBOB Productions and The River 98.9
Friends In Wild Places "Prize Sponsors"
Finalists in our "Friends In Wild Places" Sweepstakes will win prizes provided by...