Category Archives: Technology

Harvey: Marines use Amphibious Combat Tanks to save lives!

Image September 14, 2017 Hutchins AAron

U.S. Marine Corps Reserve photo, 31AUG2017.

Ever want to ride in one of those AmTracks (aka Assault Amphibious Vehicle or AAV)? Some unlucky victims of Harvey, near Beaumont, Texas, got lucky and were rescued by Charlie Company, 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, 4th Marine Division, USMC Reserve.

U.S. Marine Corps Reserve photo, 31AUG2017.

At least 60 USMC personnel used ten ‘AmTracks’ to rescue more than 3-hundred people.

U.S. Marine Corps Reserve photo, 29AUG2017.

The large amphibious troop carriers were originally developed by the same company that brought you the smaller U.S. Army M113 Armored Personnel Carrier (Food Machine Corporation aka FMC).

U.S. Marine Corps Reserve photo, 31AUG2017.

The AAV-P7 (originally called the LVTP-7) was developed in the late 1960s, with the USMC first using it in 1972, but I don’t think the designers ever thought the AAV would be used to rescue silly-vilians. In 1997 a program was approved to upgrade AAVs with the power-train and suspension from M2 Bradleys.

Upgraded AAV with supported track, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. USMC photo by Lance Corporal Taylor W. Cooper, 27JUN2017.

The upgraded AAVs can be identified by the support rollers on the track system, the earlier AAVs had what’s called unsupported track.

Galveston, Texas, 31AUG2017. USMC photo by Sergeant Ian Ferro.

USMC photo by Corporal Devan Barnett, 02SEP2017.

U.S. Marine Corps Reserve photo, 03SEP2017.

Harvey: TEXAS MILITIA RUNNING ON FUMES?

USMC photo by Corporal Devan Barnett, 02SEP2017.

Harvey: WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR PETS?

Technology

“we have too many people”: U.S. Hi-Tech/Communications breakdown, August 2017

September 12, 2017 Hutchins AAron

More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high-tech competition for your demise. Incomplete list of U.S. internet/high-tech/communications job destruction announcements in August 2017:

Moody’s Investor Service revealed what I’ve been saying for years; internet retail is highly overrated. In fact, so called retail giant Amazon is not a giant at all, accounting for only 10% of all U.S. retail sales! Walmart and Costco are still the retail kings.

Alaska: The trustee of chapter 11 bankrupt busted Alaska Dispatch News wants to kill it off by declaring chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Arizona: California based Paypal eliminating an undisclosed number of jobs at its office in Chandler.

California: Los Angeles Times reporting that Disney-ABC Television Group is prepping for mass layoffs, targeting mainly its west coast operations due to continued declining profits. Miramax laid off another 20 people, after laying off 20 back in May as part of a plan to make the movie studio more efficient. Broad Green Pictures laid off 15 people and cancelled most of its current movie projects. Video game maker Glu Mobile suddenly laid off 46 people, shutdown its Long Beach operations and canceled its game Car Town Racing. Mountain View based Intel warned of yet more mass layoffs saying “we have too many people”. In 2016, Intel laid off 15-thousand people! Chemring Energetic Devices issued a shutdown WARN for its operations in Torrance, 52 jobs gone by November. San Francisco based Uber eliminating as many as 5-hundred vehicle leasing jobs, due to losing an average of $9-thousand USD on every car leased! BOO!!! In San Jose, data storage company Brocade Communications Systems eliminating 96 jobs by Halloween. In Van Nuys, print tech company MSE Technologies eliminating 155 jobs by Halloween! In Roseville, Tesla and SolarCity issued layoff WARNs, 204 jobs gone by Halloween! Computer company Oracle America issued a layoff WARN, 1-thousand-18 jobs in San Diego and Santa Clara gone by Halloween!

Connecticut: California based ebay issued a shutdown WARN for its operations in East Granby, 197 jobs gone by Xmas! In Norwalk, after only two years of operations video game ‘summer camp’ center Game Haven begging locals for financial support, the owner says he’ll have to shutdown if he can’t raise at least $100-thousand USD.

Illinois: Comcast eliminating 211 jobs at its call center in Oak Brook, in time for Halloween! Chicago based Groupon made more job cuts, this time 130 people got the axe! Back in April Groupon killed at least 1-hundred jobs! Too Big to Jail Capital One eliminating 4-hundred call center jobs, blaming it on customers who don’t call-in!

Kansas: Siemens Wind Energy (aka Gamesa Renewable Energy) eliminating 140 jobs due to lack of sales!

Kentucky: Lexington based Lexmark eliminating 7-hundred jobs globally, by the end of 2018!

Maryland: In Baltimore, OrderUp! laid off 70 HQ employees due to being taken over by GrubHub/Groupon.

Michigan: Lithium Ion battery maker XALT Energy eliminating 37 jobs due to crashing orders from a Chinese electric bus maker.

Missouri: Frontier Communications shutting a call center, 141 jobs in Welden Spring gone by Halloween!

New Jersey: Internet based meal service company Blue Apron issued a shutdown WARN for its Jersey City ops, 1-thousand-270 people jobless by October!

New Mexico: California based Info-Tech company PCM suddenly laid off 50 people in Rio Rancho. Local news media pointed out that PCM is still advertising that it’s hiring.

New York: NYC based ‘millennial-news site’ Mic.com laid off 25 people in an attempt “to make Mic the leader in visual journalism”.

North Carolina: State taxpayers screwed as industrial hi-tech battery maker Alevo now chapter 11 bankrupt busted and dead, saying “This decision was driven by the formidable challenges of bringing a new technology into commercial production and lacking the financial wherewithal to continue on through repeated manufacturing delays.” It must be noted the company got $163-thousand taxpayer dollars for the express purpose of training up new employees.

Ohio: In Dayton, Krush Technologies suddenly laid off 40 people, apparently because the new Krush Digital doesn’t need as many employees.

Oregon: In Hillsboro, SureID made an additional 79 job cuts. According to local news media SureID has killed 376 jobs since May! Portland based online bank Simple suddenly laid off 33 people as part of a plan to “refocus” the company.

Tennessee: Newspaper company Gannett shutting down its Nashville design studio, 88 jobs lost to outsourcing.

Texas: Southlake based hotel/airline reservation tech company Sabre eliminating more than 9-hundred jobs due to a 2nd quarter loss of $6.5-million USD loss!

Vermont: Cox Automotive-Dealer.com suddenly laid off 45 people in order to “position the company for greater long-term growth, stability and profitability”, which will see a total of 950 jobs across the U.S. eliminated!

Virginia: Telvista issued a layoff WARN for its Danville call center, 222 jobs gone due to “an unexpected reduction in one of our customer’s business needs”!

U.S. Tech/Communications breakdown, July 2017: “EVERYONE IS SHELL-SHOCKED!” 61% CRASH IN PROFITS!

FALSE FLAG: U.S.-NATO PUPPET UKRAINE SUPPLIED NORTH KOREA WITH ICBM ENGINES!

HARVEY: WHAT’S A DROPSONDE?

HARVEY: PENNSYLVANIA MILITIA SAVING YOUR CELL PHONES?

USAF SPEEDS UP WEATHER COURSE, BLAME CLIMATE CHANGE?

Technology

History of military computers since WW2, birth of the internet!

Video September 6, 2017 Hutchins AAron

Not many users of today’s hi-tech internet/social media know that it originated with the U.S. military during the Cold War.

The first ‘internet’ was called arpanet. The U.S. Air Force explains in this video:

Technology, U.S.

Irma: Puerto Rico targeted, Florida & Texas preps!

Video September 6, 2017 Hutchins AAron

USAF radio announcement of National Guard deployments:

The U.S. Navy began evacuating 5-thousand people from Naval Air Station (NAS) Key West in Florida.

Video Coast Guard boat preps in Puerto Rico:

U.S. Coast Guard prepping a boat in San Juan, Puerto Rico, 05 SEP 2017

Irma is now a record category 5 hurricane and another storm called Jose is forming right behind Irma.

Illinois National Guard C-130 crew prepping for deployment to Puerto Rico, 02 SEP 2017

The U.S. Army’s 63rd Expeditionary Signal Battalion, based out of Fort Stewart, Georgia, are in Texas right now as part of Army North’s hurricane command center. They are currently prepping Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems in anticipation of Hurricane Irma.

HARVEY: U.S. ARMY NORTH IN COMMAND

HARVEY: PENNSYLVANIA MILITIA SAVING YOUR CELL PHONES?

Technology, U.S.

USAF speeds up Weather Course, blame Climate Change?

Video August 29, 2017 Hutchins AAron

Weather training for the U.S. Air Force is being sped up with new segmented (“blended”) courses using internet, computers and in-house classes.

Technology, U.S.

Harvey: Pennsylvania Militia saving your cell phones?

Image August 29, 2017 Hutchins AAron

Pennsylvania National Guard’s 193rd Special Operations Wing flew to Texas on 28 AUG 2017: “These airmen are part of a unique mobile communications team that will assist Texas with securing and reestablishing any downed satellite or cell phone communications systems needed for recovery efforts.”-Tom Wolf, gov-na of Pennsylvania

Loading a C-130J with equipment that could restore cell phone & GPS service

HARVEY: ALASKA & CALIFORNIA MILITIAS DEPLOY TO TEXAS!

Technology, U.S.

Harvey: What’s a DropSonde?

Video August 28, 2017 Hutchins AAron

U.S. Air Force photo Staff Sergeant Heather Heiney, 24AUG2017.

Video explainer of what a storm tracking dropsonde is:

Loading a dropsonde cannon. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Heather Heiney, 24AUG2017.

In May, the USAF 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron ‘Hurricane Hunters’ took part in the 2017 Hurricane Awareness Tour, which was meant to increase the public’s awareness of hurricane threats.

USAF photo by Technical Sergeant Ryan Labadens, 08MAY2017.

More video & pics: WC-130J SUPER HERCULES TRACKS HURRICANE HARVEY

International, Technology, U.S.

False Flag: U.S.-NATO puppet Ukraine supplied North Korea with ICBM engines!

August 17, 2017 Hutchins AAron

17 AUG 2017 (01:46 UTC-07 Tango 06) 26 Mordad 1396/24 Dhu l-Qa’da 1438/26 Wu-Shen 4715

“It’s likely that these engines came from Ukraine, probably illicitly. The big question is how many they have and whether the Ukrainians are helping them now. I’m very worried.”-Michael Elleman, International Institute for Strategic Studies

It’s been revealed that the U.S.-NATO puppet government of Ukraine might have supplied the engines for the latest Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, aka North Korea) ballistic missile design.

Two days after a New York Times story officials with the Ukrainian government run missile company Yuzhmash admitted the engines looked a lot like their own RD-250 design. Some news reports say Ukrainian space agency director Yurii Radchenko admitted the North Korean Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) was powered by the RD-250.

Yuzhmash used to make money selling engines to Russia, but that stopped after the Obama regime led coup in 2014. It’s suspected the financially struggling state run company is making money on the ‘black market’.

This is not the first time a DPRK ICBM was discovered to have parts made by NATO allies or even the United States. In 2014, unnamed South Korean government sources revealed that a recovered North Korean missile had electronics that were made in Europe and the United States! The missile was recovered in 2012.

COLORADO AIR MILITIA DEPLOYS TO JAPAN AGAINST KOREA!

U.S. ARMY CONDUCTS LANDMINE TRAINING FOR CHILDREN IN UKRAINE?

OPERATION JUPITER: BIO-CHEMICAL ATTACK IN WASHINGTON STATE? KOREAN CONNECTION?

Technology

“Everyone is shell-shocked!” 61% crash in profits! : U.S. hi-tech/communications breakdown, July 2017

August 15, 2017 Hutchins AAron

United Kingdom news media revealed that Google “…paid millions of dollars to academics at British and American universities for research that it hoped would sway public opinion and influence policy in favour of the tech giant.”

After five years Kaplan owned software coding school Dev Bootcamp shutting down all six U.S. campuses: “Despite tremendous efforts from a lot of talented people, we’ve determined that we simply cannot reach a sustainable business model without compromising our mission of delivering a high-quality coding education that remains accessible to a diverse population of students.”

California: AutoTrader.com shutting down its Manhattan Beach office, 19 jobs lost in September. Freenet Digital Entertainment shutting down its Sherman Oaks operations in October. In Glendale, YP-Yellowpages.com eliminating 35 jobs by the end of August. Electronics retailer Best Buy issued a shutdown WARN for a San Francisco store, 106 jobs gone by the end of September! Japan based video game maker GREE International Entertainment suddenly shutdown its San Francisco operations, 63 jobs suddenly gone. Venice based mobile application Whisper suddenly laid off 14 people as part of a plan to use automation. In Mountain View, Symantec suddenly laid off 20 people. Symantec also WARNed that it will layoff another 14 people in September. Cisco Systems laid off nine people in San Jose, without warning.

Cupertino based data storage company Seagate eliminating 6-hundred jobs, apparently in addition to the planned 6-thousand-5-hundred job cuts announced last year! The 6-hundred additional job cuts are an attempt to cut operating costs to counter Seagate’s declining revenues. Irvine based software maker Kofax was sold and the new owner dumped an undisclosed number of employees into the street. San Francisco based Juicero finally realized nobody wants to pay 4-hundred-bucks for a juicer (even if it is ‘hi-tech’) so Juicero is cutting the price and 25% of its staff. Germany based SoundCloud suddenly laid off 173 people and shutdown its office in San Francisco in an attempt to avoid bankruptcy! After 18 years wearable tech pioneer Jawbone is dead and being liquidated (due to the fact its products didn’t ever work right), but some hopeful executives hope to resurrect it as Jawbone Health Hub. Sports marketing company Competitor Group issued a shutdown WARN, 145 jobs gone by mid-November! California-Texas-Netherlands based space plane developer XCORP Aerospace suddenly laid off its remaining employees: “Due to adverse financial conditions XCOR had to terminate all employees as of 30 June 2017.”

Florida: Tallahassee based automated gate opener GTO Access Systems warning of layoffs across the board as it shifts to ‘smart home’ engineering, and integration with California based parent company Nortek’s wireless security ops. In Jacksonville, YP-Yellowpages.com eliminating 105 jobs by the end of September!

Iowa: Convergys issued a WARN for its call center in Sergeant Bluff, 152 people jobless by the end of September!

Kansas: Lexana based Perceptive Software has been sold and the new owner dumped an undisclosed number of employees into the street.

Maryland: Maker of electrical insulators Locke issued a WARN, 108 jobs gone by September! Baltimore Sun Media Group shutting down 40 years old City Paper due to crashing advertising revenues.

Michigan: Local news media reported that storage battery maker EaglePicher Technologies laid off 250 people since May 2016 and administrators say the layoffs will continue due to “…strategically focusing our efforts in the areas where our customers need us to be focused in.”

Minnesota: Richfield based computer seller Best Buy eliminating 399 Geek Squad jobs! At the same time administrators claim the tech retailer has 1-thousand job vacancies!

New York: Brooklyn-NYC based Vice Media laid off 60 people as part of its plan to focus more on international markets. Media giant Gannett laying off 31 people in Binghamton, for “economic” reasons. Latina Media Ventures laid off six people as news spread that the company is struggling to issue paychecks, supposedly some employees haven’t been paid for a month, an unnamed source reportedly said “Everyone is shell-shocked and outraged!” LMEG Wireless issued a shutdown WARN for its Brooklyn-NYC ops, 151 jobs gone by mid-October! Cloud-based Human Capital Management and Business Process Outsourcing company ADP issued a shutdown WARN for its Williamsville ops, 25 jobs gone by the beginning of October. Germany based SoundCloud issued a layoff WARN, 53 jobs in NYC gone in October.

Ohio: Columbus based taxpayer funded online Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow eliminating 250 jobs due to crashing enrollments and being caught overcharging customers by a total of $60-million USD! Cox Media Group shutting down printing ops in Franklin, 135 jobs lost!

Oregon: Washington based Microsoft shutting down its operations in Wilsonville, at least 124 jobs lost between September 2017 and January 2018! Travel Tags-Western Graphics and Data issued a shutdown WARN for its Portland ops, 82 jobs gone starting in October. Smartphone insurance company Asurion issued a shutdown WARN for its call center in Klamath Falls, 53 people jobless by mid-September.

Texas: Colorado based TeleTech eliminating 350 jobs due to halting its Heath Services and due to consolidation operations! Direct Energy Solar-Astrum Solar eliminating 108 jobs in September, as part of its plan to halt residential solar ops and shift to community solar power ops! Dallas based online mortgage company Ditech eliminating nearly 5-hundred jobs after getting caught ripping off customers!

Washington: Smartphone maker LeEco issued a shutdown WARN for its Bellevue location, 25 jobs gone by mid-September. Insurance software maker Vertifore shutting down ops in Bothell, 121 jobs lost as the company moves to Colorado! Seattle based super computer maker Cray eliminating 190 jobs across the U.S.! Cray is attempting to save money after a 61% crash in profits in 2016. Redmond based Microsoft eliminating 3-thousand sales jobs as it shifts focus to cloud service products!

U.S. Tech/Communications breakdown, June 2017: “…A LOT OF EXPERIMENTATION.”

Idaho, Technology, U.S.

Smoke ’em if you got ’em!: Pocatello Airport Fire Bombers are Back!

Image August 6, 2017 Hutchins AAron

06 AUG 2017 (03:39 UTC-07 Tango 06) 15 Mordad 1396/13 Dhu l-Qa’da 1438/15 Wu-Shen 4715

The sky around eastern Idaho is socked in with smoke as the 2017-18 wildfire season roars up (I don’t think I’ve ever seen it so smokey around here, and I’ve been here 20 years). The water bombing aircraft based at Pocatello Airport were busy during daylight; non-stop landings, reloading, take-offs, for hours on-end until dark.

Photos by AAron B. Hutchins. Click pics to make bigger: