All posts by Hutchins AAron

Born in Deutschland 1965, hometown was Bütthart, parents were not U.S. government employees. However, when father was tricked into joining the U.S. Air Force Civil Service, in 1969, with the promise that we could remain in Germany, we were promptly shipped off to Iran. Due to one of my Iranian educators being disappeared, along with her husband, by the U.S. ally Shah of Iran's Israeli & U.S. created Savak (for the then official terrorist act of promoting the idea that women can vote), and due to my U.S. citizen mother being placed on Savak's Terrorist Arrest List (for supporting the idea that women should vote, at that time the U.S. ally Shah of Iran did not allow women to vote, now they can) we left Iran for the United States in 1973, literally in the middle of the night. At the U.S. Embassy airbase the CIA operated Gooney Bird (C-47) was so packed with other U.S. citizens fleeing our ally Iran (because the Shah gave the OK to arrest any U.S. citizen for such terrorist acts as promoting the concept of voting) that we were turned away by the Loadmaster and had to take a chance on a civilian flight out of Tehran's airport. My father told me he and my mother had three culture shocks; first when they arrived in Germany as civilians, then after being shipped off to Iran as U.S. government employees, then again returning to the United States as unemployed civilians (because so much had changed in the U.S. while they were gone, their only news source was the U.S. Armed Forces Radio & Television Service which heavily censored information about the home front). Since I graduated high school in 1982 I've worked for U.S. government contractors and state & local government agencies (in California), convenience store manager in California, retail/property management in Georgia, California and Idaho. Spent the 1990s in the TV news business producing number one rated local news programs in California, Arizona and Idaho. 14+ years with California and Idaho Army National Guard and the U.S. Air Force. Obtained a BA degree in International Studies from Idaho State University at the age of 42. Unemployed since 2015, so don't tell me the economy has recovered.
International, U.S.

World War 3, Asian Front-Afghanistan, 01-04 November 2013: U.S. taxes deliver more Russian helicopters! Government cops extorting money from civilians! Afghanistan buying fuel, from Russia!

Baghlan Province: A wedding was bombed.  At least eleven people wounded.  No explanation for the bombing, but local officials are conveniently blaming “anti-government forces”.

Ghazni Province: Major battles between Afghan government forces and Mujahideen reported in Andar and Geru districts.  At least 21 people killed, dozens wounded.

Ghor Province:  In Du Layna District, a truck carrying election officials was blown up.  Six election officials wounded.

Kandahar Province: In Kandahar City, a cop was shot and killed in a drive by shooting, police have little info to go on.

Logar Province: Confirmation that Mujahideen captured a pilot working for Russia early in the Gregorian year.  Associated Press reported that Russian official are now trying to work a deal for his release.  Mujahideen also captured a pilot from Kyrgyzstan.  They’ve already released all the Turkish passengers on the helicopter they captured.  In Pul-E-Alam, a U.S. Army Sergeant 1st Class (E7) from Kansas was killed when attacked by Mujahideen.  He was also a former Military Science Instructor with the Department of Military Science at Pittsburg State University.

Maidan Wardak Province:  In Syedabad District, four children killed, one wounded, after a mortar round exploded.  They were collecting scrap metal and found it and took it home, were it exploded.

Paktia Province:  In Gardez City, Afghanistan’s version of Homeland Security, National Directorate of Security (NDS), reported they captured a truck loaded with 50 metric tons of TNT explosives.  NDS claim the TNT was meant for terrorists, but who knows, there are so many mining ops going on now maybe some mining company was trying to smuggle in dirt cheap TNT?

Paktika Province:  In Khair Kot District, a bomb exploded in a Mosque.  There were cops in the Mosque at the time, three were killed one wounded.  Local police officials did not mention any civilian casualties, or why the cops were in the Mosque.

Uruzgan Province:  In Dehrawood District, a cop was killed when Mujahideen attacked a checkpoint.  Police say four Mujahideen were killed.

U.S. led NATO and Afghan government forces claim to have killed 17 Mujahideen in battles in the provinces of Kandahar, Paktika, Farah and Nimroz.

Integrity Watch Afghanistan says their latest investigation reveals that 60% of Afghan government highway cops are extorting money from civilians!  They say it’s happening at police checkpoints, and involve an average of six out of every ten checkpoints.  The claims by Integrity Watch Afghanistan are based on admissions by at least 370 cops!

The Afghan Ministry of Commerce and Trade announced the purchase of 22-thousand metric tons of fuel from Russia. Mmmm, I wonder where they’re getting the money to do that?

Russia announced they will deliver 30 helicopters to Afghanistan in 2014.  The Mil Mi-12V-5 ‘copters were paid for by the U.S. Department of Defense.  This is on top of the 12 Mi-12V-5 ‘copters paid for by U.S. taxpayers in 2012, and the 12 Mi-17V-5 ‘copters as well!

Business/Economics, U.S.

Exceptional Failed State: U.S. job losses & store closings 07-09 September 2013. More Obama Care layoffs! Taxpayers ripped off! Natonal Guard shutting down? More greedy property owners shuttting down businesses!

Incomplete list of announced closings and layoffs.

California:  In the largest layoff ever for Contra Costa County, John Muir Health selling all its outpatient laboratories.  More than 700 people could be unemployed by Xmas! Company officials say that in the changing health care environment (brought on in part by Obama Care) they can no longer compete.  Computer software company Intuit laid off 132 people across the Golden State!

Colorado: A Office Depot near the Chapel Hills Mall shut down.

Connecticut: In Branford, Blakeslee Prestress laid off 50 employees.  City officials were told it was because of the bad economy: “They make their product on an as-needed basis and they simply didn’t have enough demand at this point.”-Anthony DaRos

Georgia:  In Woodstock, Ingles Market grocery store shutdown after 20 years in business.  Company officials would not comment to local news media.

Indiana:  State Army National Guard training base Camp Atterbury facing shut down?  A tax sucking private contractor, Strategic Resources, announced they were laying off 200 employees working at Camp Atterbury!  It’s blamed on “mission shift”.  In Bloomington, General Electric (GE) laid off 160 employees!  GE blames it on crashing kitchen appliance sales.

Maryland: In Largo, Comcast cable TV provider laid off 145 people!

Minnesota: In Stillwater, This Love Mine antique shop closed for good.  The owners had tried many things to stay in business, but when the economy sucks what can you do except blame your Christian God: “…economic conditions and personal physical challenges are compelling us to throw in the towel. We believe God’s will for us is to move onto the next journey.”-Steve Reeser, co-owner

Mississippi: In Ocean Springs, hot pink Jocelyns Restaurant closed down after 31 years in business.  The surviving 82 years old owner needs to retire and write a book about “…what it’s like to raise a family of six, educate them and try to run a restaurant.”-Jocelyn Mayfield

Missouri: Furniture Brands International now bankrupt.  All assets being sold off.

New York: In Derby, supplier of MLB baseball hats, New Era Company, laying off 75 workers.  In Hauppage, after 42 years in business Jade Garden restaurant shut down.  The restaurant manager blamed the greedy property owner.  And after only nine years Niagara Ceramics shut down.  110 jobs lost!  Company official told state Labor Department officials that there was no way the economy has recovered, because their sales crashed and never came back!  Niagara Ceramics started business in 2004 with at least 240 employees, but began bleeding jobs in 2007.  In Albion, Too Big to Jail JP Morgan Chase shut down their massive office, 412 evil banking minions laid off!  In Lake Grove, the Lake Grove School was closed, 99 jobs lost.

North Carolina:  WakeMed shut down two nursing homes.  197 people unemployed!  WakeMed is expected to loss $15-million USD for its fiscal year 2013.

Ohio:  In Marion, Jack’s Pawn Shop shut down.  The shop owners were known to help out people in need, the shop closure is blamed on a death in the family.  In Dayton, CompuNet closed down their InterMed Patient Service Center.

Texas:  What housing market recovery?  In San Antonio, major cabinet maker Cardell shut down without warning.  900 jobs lost!  Attorneys for the company blame the still crashing housing market.  The company is also mired in $45-million worth of debt and was just hit with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of OSHA fines.  In Fort Worth, Barnes & Nobel closed down two book stores.  Company official David Deason blamed the bad economy and greedy property owners: “….the sales generated at the store are not at a level that will support keeping the store open…….the owners of the property have communicated that they are committed to breaking the store up into smaller spaces for other retailers that will pay rents in excess of what we can afford. We had hoped that we could find a way to keep the store open, but there just was not interest from the property owner in this case.”

South Dakota: In Deadwood, landmark Miss Kitty’s shutting down.  Miss Kitty’s includes two restaurants and a casino.  The establishment has been up for sale for the past four years, since the owner died. However, it looks like the hiers are tired of waiting for a buyer to come along. City mayor Chuck Turbiville said the closure was “…news to me.”

Washington:  Pierce County laid off six people in their expensive new prison, and warned of many more layoffs to come.  Taxpayers recently approved an increase to the local sales tax, for the express purpose of preventing layoffs.  Now many are wondering what’s happened to the funding.

Wisconsin:  In Oshkosh, tax sucking Axle-Tech laid off 65 people. The company makes axles for military vehicles.  In West Salem, 85 years old Maple Grove Country Club shut down.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shut down.

“Our ideals and principles, as well as our national security……..That’s what makes America different. That’s what makes us exceptional.”-Barack Obama, 10 September 2013

International, U.S.

World War 3, Asian Front-Afghanistan, 28-31 October 2013: Australia says war is worth it! India rethinks economic investments! Mujahideen kill 3-thousand people! People forced to vote, with help of U.S.! More rip offs for U.S. taxpayers!

Ghazni Province: In Andar District, villagers beat a man to death.  They accused him of being the one who planted a land mine that exploded when a bus drove over it.  The explosion killed at least 18 women and children.  However, earlier reports by provincial officials said the perpetrator of the land mine was killed during the explosion.

Kandahar Province:  Government cops say they arrested a man armed with an exploding computer.  They say that Pakistani Mujahideen are now packing desk top computers with explosives and sending them into Afghanistan.  On FOB Walton, the Missouri Army National Guard has been training Afghan cops.  One of the courses being taught to Afghan police is how to use computers and the internet.  Another course being taught is enforcing political elections.  That’s strange because I was in the National Guard and I don’t recall ever being activated to enforce elections in the United States.

Paktika Province: In Khair Kot District, a suspected suicide bomber was shot and killed by police.  The cops shot the driver of the car saying he rammed a National Directorate of Security (NDS) building.  But the car exploded anyway and wounded two NDS cops.

Parwan Province: In Charikar City, a fuel supply convoy was set on fire.  City officials say many buildings were damaged when some of the the fueler trucks blew up.

Sar-e-Pul Province: In Kohistanat District, a battle between Mujahideen and Afghan National Army (ANA) troops. At least one Mujahid killed and two ANA troops killed, dozens wounded.  Independent reports say as many as 20 people were killed.  The ANA troops were taking part in a government program to force people to register to vote.

Uruzgan Province: On British empire Aussie controlled Tarin Kowt base, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott declared the war over, but said it was worth it: “Our mission in Afghanistan has been critical to our national security. We have worked to ensure Afghanistan does not again become a safe haven for terrorists and have worked with our allies to make the world a safer place.”

According to the Afghan Interior Ministry, the Mujahideen have killed almost 3-thousand government personnel and civilians in the past seven months.  The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) backs up the claim, saying civilian deaths have increased by 16%.  So much for Obama constantly saying the Mujahideen are decimated.

The government of Afghanistan is going to crack down on the use of boys for homosexual sex.  The Independent Human Rights Commission of Afghanistan (AIHRC) demanded an investigation into the age old practice of Bacha Bazi, or using boys to substitute for sex with women.  Many ignorant elders (who can’t read) have reasoned that it is the only way to remain true to Islamic morals, however it is actually a violation of written Islamic rules.  It’s also interesting that most of the Afghans calling for a stop to Bacha Bazi are women.

According to Reuters, a consortium of Indian companies, which were awarded a contract for the extraction of iron ore in Afghanistan, are now demanding better contract terms from the government of Afghanistan.  Afghanistan’s iron ore reserves, covered under the contract, are estimated to be worth $10.8 billion USD.

According to the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), another $100-billion in U.S. taxes are at risk for being stolen.  SIGAR discovered there is no oversight regarding the U.S. taxes that’re to be given to Afghan government forces, supposedly to buy fuel and spare parts.

The British empire’s United Kingdom just pledged another $200-million in U.K. taxes to Afghanistan!  That’s not all, it’s $200-million per year until 2017!  I thought the taxpayers of the U.K. were broke.

Business/Economics, U.S.

Exceptional Failed State: U.S. job losses & store closings 05-06 September 2013. Yep, more Obama Care layoffs & hospital shut downs! More grocery stores shutting down!

Incomplete list of announced closings and layoffs.

The provider of internet service to hotels, iBAHN, now bankrupt.  This follows two years of revenue losses and numerous patent infringement cases brought against it.

Xerox began furloughing U.S. employees.  Employees will be randomly furloughed for a week at a time, unpaid.  Xerox officials say it’s the only way they can avoid permanent layoffs.

Alabama: Madison County laid off at least three county inspectors.  It’s blamed on crashing tax revenues, which of course is the result of the bad economy.  In Cullman, Food World closed down.  The greedy landlord did not want to renew the lease.

California: In Tipton, Mozzarella Fresca shut down their factory, 144 people now unemployed!  In Universal City, Live Nation Entertainment shut down, 506 people now unemployed!  In San Francisco, legal drugs pusher Rigel laid off 30 people.  The company ended its asthma drug efforts after its drug failed Phase 2 testing.  Also, Rigel’s new arthritis drug did not meet Phase 2B expectations.

Connecticut: Lawrence + Memorial Hospital laid off 33 employees.  This is the third layoff announcement since November 2012.  It’s blamed on Obama Care’s reduced Medicare and Medicaid payments. Union officials don’t buy that excuse: “My people are very upset. They are the least paid workers, and we’ve been taking the brunt of the layoffs.  Senior management has not offered to take a pay cut or furlough days to fix the budget, and they have not responded to our offer to sit down and figure something out.”-Harry Rodriguez, health care workers union

Florida: The golden arches aren’t worth enough to keep a 20 years old Fort Myers Beach McDonald’s from shutting down.  Reports say the lease was not renewed, although the restaurant does have some really bad reviews from customers.

Illinois: Petroleum and coal products manufacturer, Oxbow Midwest Calcining, laid off 66 employees, permanently.  No reason was given in the WARN filing.

Massachusetts: Mitt Romney’s poster child continues to layoff employees, this time at their own HQ.  Staples laid off an undisclosed number of mangers in “leadership” positions.  Another video game maker laying off employees. Irrational Games laid off eight people.

Maryland: Peninsula Regional Medical Center shut down its transitional care unit.  43 jobs lost.  Hospital officials had a warning; their current layoffs are not directly the result of Obama Care, but more layoffs are expected as soon as they figure out how much money they are going to lose because of Obama Care: “It would be premature at this point to give you an idea of how many positions may or may not be lost organizationally.  Will that occur?  It probably will but it is such a fluid situation right now that it would be premature to have that discussion and try and speculate on what may be involved.”-Roger Follebout, PRMC

Michigan: In Muskegon Heights, the Plumb’s grocery store closed down.  Despite the fact that it was the city’s only grocery store, after more than ten years of trying to keep it alive it finally died.  Company officials say the economy has been bad for way longer than 2008/09: “The experience has been that we have been consistently losing more and more money.  We cannot continue to afford to subsidize the Muskegon Heights store as we have been for the past 15 years.”-Jim Nader, president

Mississippi: In Gulfport, tax sucking Huntington Ingalls shutting down their shipyard.  427 people out-o-work! The company lost a major contract with the USN.

Missouri:  Patriot Coal bankrupt, and now a federal judge is allowing major restructuring, which will affect pay and benefits for employees.  In Saint Joseph, WireCo World Group laid off at least 21 people.  Company officials are cutting production due to crashing sales.  Sales are so bad their warehouse is still full of products waiting to be sold.

New Jersey: In Atlantic city, three casinos layoff 315 people!  The casinos are the Revel Casino Hotel, Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort and Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino on the Boardwalk.  It’s blamed on everything from the bad economy to unionized employees.  In South Brunswick, a Super Stop & Shop grocery store on Route 1 in Monmouth Junction, closed down.  Company officials said they had too many grocery stores in the area.   In Edgewater Park, three Pathmark grocery stores closed down.  Some of the stores are more than 30 years old.  Pathmark’s parent company, A&P, refused to give local news media a reason for the closings.  355 jobs lost!

New York: In NYC, mental health care provider MHN Services shut down.  27 people laid off.

North Carolina: The Kinston Charter Academy closed without warning, leaving parents scrambling to find a new school for their kids. The school’s principal said the school was out-o-money.  59 jobs lost.  Pungo Vidant Hospital shutdown!  Executives with parent company Vidant Health System say it’s because North Carolina is not expanding Medicaid under Obama Care.  About 100 jobs lost!  “We have to consider the financial challenges to keeping small hospitals open. North Carolina decided not to go for Medicaid expansion. Some of the money that was coming to North Carolina hospitals to provide care for indigent patients will no longer be coming. We have to make difficult decisions every day about how we can make care more affordable, efficient and effective, not just for people who can afford to pay for their care, but also for those who cannot afford to pay for their care.”-David Herman, CEO

Ohio: In Harpersfield Township, tax sucker HDT Global laid off 12 employees.  HDT makes stuff for the U.S. military.  Company officials said the layoffs were the result of declining sales.

Oklahoma: In Sapulpa, Verallia North America laid off an undisclosed number of workers at its 100 years old glass factory.  It’s blamed on the bad economy.

Pennsylvania: In Fayette County, Evil British empire U.S. tax sucking BAE Systems shutting down their armored vehicle recondition factory. 78 employees and 35 contractors affected.

South Carolina: In Myrtle Beach, Tommy Bahama Restaurant shut down.  Company officials kept the attached retail clothing store open, saying the restaurant was losing money but their Tommy Bahama clothing brand was selling well.

Vermont: In Williston, tax sucker General Dynamics laid off 35 people, as part of management/administrative consolidation plans.

Virginia: In Radford, 250 people lost their jobs with metals manufacturer Grede!  Company officials blamed the bad economy for crashing sales.  In Annandale, Healthway Natural Foods shut down, after more than 30 years in business.  In Richmond, Perly’s Restaurant closed after 50 years in business!  The owner, who is known for helping out homeless people, blames the economy: “Perly’s has hit a rough patch. I am hoping to sort it out but must close for now.”-Gray Wyatt’s hand written note taped to restaurant door

West Virginia: In Valley Grove, West Point Products Acquisition laid off 79 employees.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shut down.

“Our ideals and principles, as well as our national security……..That’s what makes America different. That’s what makes us exceptional.”-Barack Obama, 10 September 2013

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Exceptional Failed State: Sears Canada to be gutted? Sears to close more U.S. stores in 2014! Crashing sales caused by closing stores!!!

25 November 2013 (11:13 UTC-07 Tango)/21 Muharram 1435/04 Azar 1392/23 Gui-Hai (10th month) 4711

“Eddie Lampert has milked Sears Canada for years — and now he’s looking to gut the company for good.”-New York Post, 24 November 2013

“When legitimate companies sell assets, they reinvest by paying down debt or using the funds to invest in the business. What’s Eddie Lampert doing? Putting the money in his pocket. If anybody harbors the illusion that this guy has any capability or intent of running this company anyplace but into the ground, he’ll lose that illusion real fast.”-Mark Cohen, Columbia Business School and former CEO of Sears Canada

The New York Post claims they have insider info that says Eddie Lampert is going to shut down the 61 years old Sears Canada.  Most of Sears Canada will be sold off (some stores will be bought by Walmart and Target) , then bankruptcy will be declared.

Just days prior, Reuters reported that Eddie Lampert said sales in the U.S. were still so bad that he was going to close more Sears and Kmart stores in 2014: “I would have seen the tide turning by now.  It hasn’t turned yet.”

This news comes as Sears Holdings reported a $534-million USD loss for its 3rd quarter 2013.  Ironically the Sears Holdings report actually blames store closings for its crashing revenues: “The revenue decrease was primarily due to the effect of having fewer Kmart and Sears Full-line stores in operation…..”-Sears Holdings, Third Quarter Revenues and Comparable Store Sales

So the “primary cause” of revenue loss is because they’ve closed more than 300 stores since 2010, and Eddie Lampert’s plan of action for 2014 is to close more stores?  Maybe the New York Post is right.

In Georgia, the 22 years old Kmart in Hiram will close in mid-January 2014.

Here’s the updated list of U.S. Sears/Kmart store closings since the end of 2011:

Arizona: Scottsdale Sears/Great Indoors, Chandler Sears/Great Indoors.

Alabama: Gadsden Kmart (50 jobs lost), Mobile Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Auburn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Anniston Kmart (no word yet on how many jobs lost), Birmingham Eastwood Kmart (70 jobs lost).

California:   El Monte Sears (at least 40 jobs lost. Damien Arrula, El Monte’s economic development director, said the store manager had lied about what was going on: “The general manager of the store had just indicated to me that they were remodeling.”), two San Diego Sears (at least 80 jobs lost), Pleasant Hill Kmart (more than 50 jobs lost), Torrance Kmart,  Fairfield Kmart (63 jobs lost),  Lampert owned OSH taken over by Lowe’s home improvement in bankruptcy court, at least 17 of 99 stores to be closed down (935 jobs lost!), Rancho Cordova Kmart (97 jobs lost), San Clemente Kmart/Sears/Kmart on Camino de Estrella (58 jobs lost), placed on an official hit list in 2011 the Oceanside Kmart on College Boulevard finally being shut down.

Colorado:  Broomfield Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Glenwood Springs Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lone Tree Sears/Great Indoors, Longmont Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Pueblos’ South Side Kmart (52 jobs lost),  Denver Kmart (number of jobs lost have not been made public at this time, but could be at least 40).

Connecticut:  Waterbury Big Kmart.

Georgia: Macon Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Buford Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Douglasville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Atlanta Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Columbus Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Jonesboro Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Cartersville Kmart (74 jobs lost), recently revealed Hiram Kmart (53 jobs lost).

Guam:  Sears Hometown Store.

Florida: Fernandina Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Callaway Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Orange City Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost),  Deland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Stuart Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), West Palm Beach Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Port St. Lucie Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Crystal River Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), New Smyrna Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint Augustine Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Pompano Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost),  Jacksonville Kmart on 5751 Beach Boulevard (71 jobs lost), second Kmart in Jacksonville on 4645 Blanding Boulevard (83 jobs lost), Ocoee Sears (102 jobs lost), Pensacola Kmart on Airport Boulevard closed in 2011, Pensacola Kmart on Mobile Highway closed in February 2013 (69 jobs lost),  Pensacola Kmart on East 9 Mile Road will close in May (73 jobs lost), Hialeah Kmart (67 jobs lost), Bonita Springs Kmart (67 jobs lost), Mount Dora Kmart (100 jobs lost), Lake Mary Kmart, Panama City Beach Kmart (54 jobs lost).

Hawaii: Honolulu Sears (owned by GGP, 372 jobs lost!!!),  Kauai Sears (41 jobs lost),  Iwilei-Honolulu Kmart for lease (no confirmation of store closing).

Vacant bedroom/bathroom section.

One corner of the half vacant Chubbuck, Idaho, Sears. No official closing announcement was made.

Idaho: Lewiston Sears (at least 60 jobs lost).  No official announcement, but it’s painfully obvious the Chubbuck Pine Ridge Mall Sears going’ down. Or, maybe it’s preps for Shop within a Shop, or one of those domestic spy data storage centers?  On 07 November 2013, GGP sold off the Pine Ridge Mall for a paltry $9 million USD.

Ever since the Kmart bankruptcy, this pad site for sale sign has been seen in the Pocatello, Idaho, Big Kmart parking lot. The Kmart is the only building on the lot.

Ever since the Kmart bankruptcy, this pad site for sale sign has been seen in the Pocatello, Idaho, Big Kmart parking lot. The Kmart is the only building on the lot.

Indiana:  Anderson Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint John Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Indianapolis Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Richmond Sears (49 jobs lost), South Anthony Kmart (70 jobs lost).

Illinois:  Alton Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Melrose Park Sears parts and repair center (50 jobs lost), Zion Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Lawn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), McHenry Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Peru Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lombard Sears/Great Indoors (at least 40 jobs lost), Fairview Heights Kmart (81 jobs lost), Freeport Kmart (45 jobs lost), Pontiac Kmart (more than 47 jobs lost), Homer Glen Kmart (82 jobs lost), Streator Kmart (45 jobs lost), Lombard Kmart (70 jobs lost), Naperville Kmart (98 jobs lost), Calumet Sears (164 jobs lost), two Sears stores in Grand Crossing area of Chicago (247 jobs lost!), Mount Vernon Sears (68 jobs lost), Moline Sears (at least 60 jobs lost),  Homewood Kmart (185 jobs lost),  Belvidere Kmart (91 jobs lost),  Champaign’s Market Place Mall Sears (56 jobs lost), Sterling Kmart (60 jobs lost).  58 Chicago area stores up for lease or sale.  By the way, Illinois elected officials gave Sears Holdings/Hoffman Estates a $150 million USD tax break to keep their headquarters in the state.  The tax break was not tied to any promise not to close stores.

Iowa:  Cedar Rapids Kmart on 16th Ave (at least 40 jobs lost), Davenport Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Burlington Kmart (50 jobs lost), Coralville Sears (94 jobs lost, this is a store sold to GGP earlier in the year), Cedar Rapids Kmart on Collins Road NE (56 jobs lost).

Kansas: Lawrence Sears (at least 40 jobs lost).

Kentucky: Middlesboro Sears (in September 2012 the Sears store re-opened under independent ownership, official grand re-opening scheduled for November), Winchester Kmart (back in May, Rankin Paynter bought out what was left of the inventory and gave it to charity), Hazard Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lexington Fayette Mall Sears (114 jobs lost!).

Maine: Lewiston Sears (60 to 70 jobs lost), Presque Isle Sears (80 jobs lost).

Maryland: Ellicott Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Gaithersburg Sears/Great Indoors.

Massachusetts: North Reading Sears Hardware store closed, lease not renewed.

Michigan: Novi Sears/Great Indoors, Brighton Sears Grand/Essentials,  Harper Woods Sears Full line, Monroe Sears Full line, Adrian Sears Full line, Washington Township Kmart, Chesterfield Kmart, Woodhaven Kmart, Flint Kmart (46 jobs lost), Gaylord Kmart (48 jobs lost), Sterling Kmart (58 jobs lost).

Minnesota: Willmar Kmart, Duluth Kmart, New Hope Kmart, White Bear Lake Kmart, Bemidji Kmart, Monticello Kmart, GGP owned Sears Auto Center in the Apache Mall closed (10 jobs lost), the entire Sears store in the Apache Mall being sold off.

Mississippi: Jackson Sears Full line, McComb Sears Full line, Columbus Sears Full line, Gautier Sears (71 jobs lost), Waveland Gulfport Kmart (32 jobs lost), Pass Road Gulfport Kmart (52 jobs lost),  Pascagoula Sears at the Singing River Mall.

Missouri: Lee’s Summit Sears Grand/Essentials, Saint Louis Sears Full line, High Ridge Kmart (59 jobs lost).

Montana: Missoula Kmart (50 jobs lost).

New Hampshire: Nashau Sears Grand/Essentials, Keene Sears Grand/Essentials,  Portsmouth Kmart (30 jobs lost).

North Carolina: Cary Kmart (71 jobs lost), High Point Sears, Moorehead Sears, Rocky Mount Sears, Statesville Sears, Durham Kmart (79 jobs lost), Asheville Kmart (53 jobs lost),  West Smithfield Kmart (59 jobs lost), Winston-Salem Kmart (69 jobs lost), Hendersonville Kmart (58 jobs lost), South Ashville Kmart on Hendersonville Road, Raleigh Kmart (88 jobs lost), Garner Kmart.

North Dakota: Jamestown Kmart (45 jobs lost).

New Jersey:  Lawnside Kmart (about 80 jobs lost), Howell Kmart (57 jobs lost).

New Mexico: Las Cruces Kmart (58 jobs lost).

New York: Depew (Lancaster?) Kmart (68 jobs lost), Colonie Kmart (72 jobs lost),  Fulton Kmart (51 jobs lost).

Ohio: Chagrin Falls Kmart, Springfield Kmart, two Toledo Kmarts, Medina Kmart, Columbus Kmart, Columbus Sears/Great Indoors, Zanesville Sears (67 jobs lost), Trotwood Kmart (71 jobs lost), Austintown Sears auto parts and service on Interstate Boulevard,  London Kmart (no word on number of jobs lost),  Trotwood Sears (67 jobs lost).   Also, Van Wert Sears franchise bought out by Kirk Berryman, owner of Computer & Networking Technologies (CNT), who plans on moving the store to a new location.

Oklahoma: Oklahoma City Sears (98 jobs lost, GGP owned, GGP wants a $2 million sales tax rebate, claiming it’s needed to offset capital investments needed to bring the space up to the standards for potential new tenants).

Oregon: Roseburg Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Tualatin Kmart Center (new property owner from California is tearing everything down for new shopping center, so far no indication the Kmart will be part of the new shopping center), Milwaukie Kmart (61 jobs lost), Coos Bay Kmart (25 jobs lost), Bend Sears (48 jobs lost).

Pennsylvania: Upper Darby Sears Full line, Pottstown Sears Full line, Pittsburgh Kmart, Wilkins Sears, Warminster Kmart (85 jobs lost), Shippensburg Kmart (46 jobs lost), Moon Kmart (143 jobs lost), Bethlehem Township Kmart (62 jobs lost).

South Carolina: Sumter Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Orangeburg Sears (57 jobs lost), Columbia Kmart on Fort Jackson Boulevard in 2012, Columbia Kmart on Bush River Road in 2009, Columbia Kmart on St Andrews Road (66 jobs lost), Irmo Kmart (no info on how many jobs lost),  both Greenville Kmarts (140 jobs lost between the two),  Mount Pleasant Kmart (43 jobs lost).

Tennessee: Antioch Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Cleveland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Ridge Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Hendersonville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Morristown Sears (about 70 jobs lost), Clinton South Kmart, Franklin CoolSprings Galleria Sears (92 jobs lost), Memphis Hickory Ridge mall Sears (job loss data not revealed), 48 years old Nashville Kmart on Nolensville Pike to close by January 2014 (57 jobs lost).

Texas: Two Sears parts and repair centers closing in The Woodlands (117 jobs lost), rebuild center in Garland (58 jobs lost), Farmers Branch Sears/Great Indoors, Houston Sears Great/Indoors.

Utah:  Orem Kmart (no details reported).

Virginia: Norfolk Sears (at least 40 jobs lost),  Midlothian Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Richmond Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lynchburg Sears (84 jobs lost), Fairfax Kmart (no word on how many jobs lost), Christiansburg Sears (59 jobs lost), Norfolk Kmart on East Little Creek Road (77 jobs lost), Manassas Kmart (71 jobs lost).

Washington: Walla Walla Sears Full line (in August 2012, it was reported that an independent owner of Sears Hometown stores will open a store in Walla Walla), Lacey Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Kelso Sears (47 jobs lost), Lakewood Kmart (59 jobs lost), Bellingham Sears (92 jobs lost),  Seattle Kmart (85 jobs lost), East Wenatchee Sears (59 jobs lost), Puyallup Kmart (51 jobs lost).

West Virginia: Oak Hill Kmart (59 jobs lost), Morgantown Kmart (100 jobs lost).

Wisconsin: West Baraboo Sears (at least 40 jobs lost, local village officials say the store generated 3% of local tax collections), Rice Lake Kmart (about 71 jobs lost),  Brookfield Kmart (56 jobs lost), Racine’s Regency Mall Sears (52 jobs lost), Fort Atkinson Kmart (51 jobs lost).

On top of that, Sears Holdings sold stores to General Growth Properties (GGP), of which it has been reported that most of those stores will be closed.

Here’s the list of 11 Sears stores now owned by GGP:

Iowa: Coral Ridge Mall (it’s official the Sears is closing, see above), and Mall of the Bluffs

Texas: The Woodlands Mall (this does not involve the two repair centers being closed by Sears)

Florida: West Oaks Mall

Utah: Fashion Place, and Provo Towne Centre (note the evil British empire way of spelling town & center. Due to a favorable lease agreement the GGP owned Provo Sears will continue to stay open under Sears Holdings management)

Oklahoma: Quail Springs Mall (it’s official, the Sears closed, see above)

Hawaii: Ala Moana Center (closed, see above)

Washington: Bellis Fair Mall (Bellingham store, see above)

Minnesota: Apache Mall  (see update above, GGP will close Sears store by 2014)

Illinois: Market Place Shopping Center (see update above, GGP closing store)

Technology

World War 3, Asian Front: China builds copy of U.S. RQ-170 Sentinel, that was shot down by Iran!

23 November 2013 (03:26 UTC-07 Tango)/19 Muharram 1435/02 Azar 1392/21 Gui-Hai (10th month) 4711

In December 2011 Iran captured a very expensive U.S. RQ-170 Sentinel stealth UAV (drone), which was illegally flying in Iranian air space.  Today, China has released pics of their new stealth drone and it looks a lot like the RQ-170.

China calls their version the Sharp Sword.  The Sharp Sword stealth UAV is said to be a combat drone.

After Iran captured the RQ-170 they reversed engineered it and shared the info with Russia and China.

Iran decodes all data from stealth drone

Iran copies Stealth Drone shares info with Russia & China 

Iran…sends Obama a smaller hot pink version

Iranians are expert reverse engineers

Iran shoots down U.S. unmanned aerial vehicle

Business/Economics, Idaho, Technology, U.S.

More pleas for help from Idaho company that wants to save Pocatello’s Hoku polysilicon factory! 1-thousand new jobs to be created?

23 November 2013 (18:09 UTC-07 Tango 22 November 2013)/19 Muharram 1435/02 Azar 1392/21 Gui-Hai (10th month) 4711

The following was sent by Francis W Kreais III of JCF Funding:

Gordon Jenkins has been working closely with Francis Kreais who is the founder and CEO of JCF Funding-who has been the front man for Arco Hills Silica Company making this deal work.

Gordon Jenkins is the president of Arco Hills Silica Company. This company owns some very large and very pure silica located in Butte County, Idaho. (About 20 Billion tons) When we heard of the bankruptcy auction of Hoku, we became extremely interested in acquiring that polysilicon plant because it fits in so well with what we are trying to do with our silica mine located near Arco Idaho.

We plan to purchase the entire plant at this upcoming auction because it would make it possible for us to go into operation without having to build our own processing plant. We also would benefit the local community because we would not only bring back the some 160 jobs related to the shutting down of the Hoku plant, but at least another 500 to 1000 jobs related to the development of our silica mine and related to the companies that are willing to move their plants out here to Idaho just so they can decrease the transportation costs of hauling the silica back to where they are already located.

Contact Francis W Kreais III at [email protected] to express your support!

Read More about the Hoku Materials saga:

JH Kelley blocked by federal court

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

More Economic Decline: Who is the new owner of Chubbuck’s Pine Ridge Mall? It’s not the “family” company you think it is! GGP connection?

21 November 2013 (01:34 UTC-07 Tango)/17 Muharram 1435/30 Aban 1392/19 Gui-Hai (10th month) 4711

A couple of days ago the Idaho State Journal reported that the Pine Ridge Mall, in Chubbuck, was bought by a company called Farmer Holding Company.  The local newspaper quoted Rob Kingsbury as saying the company is a “family business”.

Farmer Holding started as Farmer Concrete back in 1948.  There are members of the board with the family name of Farmer (and employees related but not with the name Farmer), but today’s Farmer Holding Company Incorporated is a full fledged corporation created in Missouri in December 2000.  The incorporation has a “Permanent” (no expiration date) registration according to the Missouri Secretary of State.

According to the Missouri Ethics Commission, Farmer Holding employs at least three political lobbyists at the state level.

Farmer Holding Company branched out to mall properties in December 2012 when they paid a measly $11-million USD for the Capital Mall in Jefferson City, Missouri.  Farmer holding just paid a paltry $9-million for the Pine Ridge Mall in Chubbuck, Idaho.  And there is a connection; both malls were owned by GGP (General Growth Properties)!

Here’s another twist, according to Missouri’s News Tribune, ‘family owned’ Farmer Holding is a subsidiary of F&F Development.

At last report Farmer Holding was proposing a plan to improve the Capital Mall by combining it with an events center.  Farmer Holding told the Jefferson City council they would expand the property, and the city promised to give Farmer Holding $9-million collected from hotel taxes to help pay for $36-million expansion!

Interestingly Farmer Holding admitted that event/conference centers are money losing propositions.  Their own independently conducted economic survey said they would lose $250-thousand per year on the deal!  Yet, on 12 November 2013, the Jefferson City conference center facilitator told the city council to go with Farmer Holding’s plan.

On 18 November 2013, this is what city council member Carrie Carroll had to say about two competing convention center proposals: “At this point, neither one is right. Neither one is outstanding. Until they’re outstanding, they’re not going to be capable of getting our $9-million until we are enthused that this is right.”

On top of this Farmer Holding told city officials they had only $12-million of their own “investment” money to pay for the project, so even with the city’s $9-million they have to come up with $15-million from somewhere!  (thin air?)

A Jefferson City resident, Charles Gaskin, conducted his own research and warned city officials that Farmer Holding’s plan was a bad deal for the city.  He said city officials have become so desperate for developers that they now have the audacious hope that ‘if we build it customers will come’.  Gaskin says his research shows the economy is so bad that nobody will show up.  Remember, even Farmer Holding said they would lose money on the plan. (the Idaho cities of Chubbuck and Pocatello have adopted that same ‘built it they will come’ attitude)

In November 2013, Jefferson City council member Ken Hussey even warned “There’s a potential for super TIFs.”  TIF means Tax Increment Financing.

Farmer Holding was created out of a successful, truly family owned construction business.  The heirs decided to take their construction business to the next level and become fully incorporated.  In other words what they are doing is really all about making profits for their original construction ops.

And who is F&F Development?  At this point I don’t know!  Internet searches come up with many different companies that specialize in things like property development to things like direct selling.  Every listing for an F&F Development, whether it was a company in Florida or Connecticut, showed it to be a privately held company, which makes it hard to find info on them (they are not a publicly traded company).  There are several of these ‘development’ companies who list their forte as hotel and event/conference center developers.   If the News Tribune is correct about F&F being the parent company of Farmer Holding, it could explain why Farmer Holding is pushing Jefferson City to help pay for a new hotel and event/conference center in the Capital Mall.

Here’s another connection: GGP is an Illinois based corporation, Farmer Holding supposedly bought the Capital Mall but isn’t involved in operating it, another Illinois based company called Covington Realty Partners is actually running the mall (gee, it’s like an onion, so many layers).   Coldwell Banker Commercial Intermountain is managing the leasing of spaces at the Pine Ridge Mall in Chubbuck, Idaho.

I’m beginning to suspect that Farmer Holding always approaches city officials with the claim that they want to “rejuvenate” the local economy.  It could be that their true plan of action is to buy up distressed commercial properties for dirt cheap, build them up with the help of local taxes, then sell them off to the first sucker that comes along.  It’s like house flipping, but with commercial properties.

2017 Update:  In 2015 Caldwell Banker revealed that Farmer Holding-F&F Development took-over the once independently owned Carmike 7 theater in Chubbuck, Idaho.  The property was demolished and replaced with spaces for restaurants, currently occupied by Panera and Red Robin. The demolition of the Carmike 7 actually began in December 2014, as documented by Blind Bat News.

Also in 2015 Farmer Holding Company-F&F Development began buying vacant healthcare facilities when it took over Jefferson City, Missouri, Saint Mary’s Hospital.  Officially the plan is to redevelop the property (as part of the nationwide REIT conspiracy),  and at the beginning of 2017 Farmer Holding-F&F Development asked for taxpayer ‘incentives’ to finance the hospital redevelopment, which would allow Farmer Holding-F&F Development to cash-in on 50% of local sales tax revenues, and the imposition of an additional 1% sales tax on locals!  The city also granted easements for two parcels associated with the hospital property, blocking ‘right-of-way’ so that Farmer Holding-F&F Development could start redevelopment.

At the end of 2016, Farmer Holding asked Jefferson City to not only continue the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) for the Capital Mall project, but to increase it, as well as create a new TIF for their convention center project!

2018 Capital Mall Update: New signs and paint is all taxpayers got? 

Investment companies dump GGP & J.C. Penney!

Grand Teton Mall, in Idaho Falls, for sale! GGP dumping malls en masse! 

East Idaho’s Pine Ridge Mall, in Chubbuck, sells for paltry $9 million!

East Idaho shopping malls….quietly put up to be auctioned off….Merry Xmas!

A History Lesson in Economic Decline

All part of REIT plan to change the way you shop, and they blame you the shopper!

Mitt Romney….Destroyed jobs in Chubbuck 

International, Technology

Don’t take your Crapper for granted, it’s time to celebrate World Toilet Day!

20 November 2013 (14:53 UTC-07 Tango)/16 Muharram 1435/29 Aban 1392/18 Gui-Hai (10th month) 4711

The words crapper and crap, for that matter, are ligit.  They come from the name of a real person.  Thomas Crapper was a successful British plumber who was incorrectly associated with inventing the modern flush toilet.

The idea of a flushing toilet is ancient.  Archeologists say the first example was created for the King Minos more than 2800 years ago.  The first patent for a modern flushing toilet went to Alexander Cummings in 1775.  The first use of indoor plumbing and flush toilets was in 1825 by a hotel in Boston, Massachusetts.  But toilets back then were for the elites.  It wasn’t until after 1910 that flushing toilets took on a design similar to current toilets, and became affordable for us commoners.

And it wasn’t until after the Second World War that most commoner families of the Western World got indoor flush toilets.  I was in Scotland in 1991 and visited a museum dedicated to the history of sewage.  It even had a full size replica of a 1800s sewer system complete with stinking crap and piss (of course it was replicated, but who’d of thought somebody could be paid to make models of craps, other than those joke crap toys)!  But what awakened me to the fact that we take our crappers for granted was a small display that pointed out that most Scottish homes didn’t have indoor plumbing, or toilets, until after the 1950s!

Then you have to wonder at the Japanese, for taking toilets to the extreme.  Apparently the Japanese are so afraid of their rear ends they created toilets that blast their asses with water jets so they don’t have to wipe.  The latest Japanese toilets provide imaging systems and soothing female computer voices to tell them if they still have a nasty ass, and then it blasts them again.  (there are some people in the U.S. that are the same way and will pay top dollar for a robot toilet from Japan)

By the way the first production toilet paper wasn’t invented until 1857.   And the technology to make modern toilet brushes was used to create the first artificial Xmas tree, in the 1930s, thus linking Xmas and toilet cleaning.

Now to get serious,  the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) marked 19 November as World Toilet Day.  They want people to be aware of the major impact toilets have on reducing disease.  Even so, UNICEF says one reason for the rise of new diseases is the fact that (in their estimation) as many as 2-thousand children die every day because they live in areas that have no toilets, or way of handling sewage: “Access to toilets remains the unmentionable, shameful secret for even some very prosperous countries.  But its invisibility doesn’t make it harmless; in fact it is quite the reverse. Lack of access to toilets is quite literally killing children, making adults sick…”–Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

So those of us commoners who have toilets should be proud, and thankful, for they truly are our porcelain thrones!

Oh commodus selarium deus, forgive me for taking you for granted. I am truly thankful to have you.

Oh commodus selarium deus, forgive me for taking you for granted! I am truly thankful to have you!

U.S.

Exceptional Failed State: Anti-gun laws can’t stop Knockout Game! Teens killing “for the fun of it”! Time to watch the classic movie Death Wish for the answer!

20 November 2013 (03:06 UTC-07 Tango)/16 Muharram 1435/29 Aban 1392/18 Gui-Hai (10th month) 4711

“She had her purse, she had bags from department stores. There was not even an attempt to take anything from her. It was just a wanton act to hurt another human being.”-Daughter of latest Knockout victim.  The victim died.

Most eastern U.S. states have strict anti-gun laws, but that isn’t stopping increasing random(?) attacks on people, called by police the Knockout Game (aka Knock Out King, Polar Bear Hunting).  And people are being killed, the latest death is a 78 years old woman.

Security camera video shows how groups of people are suddenly knocking out passersby.  The victims are knocked out, and as an example of the caring people of the eastern half of the U.S., rarely does anybody come to help them.

Some reports say the attacks are happening in Jewish neighborhoods, many of the videos show what looks like black teenagers attacking white people: “…the assaults are part of a disturbing game by some African-American teens.”-attributed to Rabbi Yaacov Behrman, by CBS New York affiliate news

However, a black female teen was attacked by black males, while she rode her bike home from school in Washington DC.  One man, with a Spanish last name, in New Jersey was killed, his neck broken with his head shoved between fence posts.

A 13 years old boy, arrested for helping to kill a man with his fists, said he and his buddies do it “for the fun of it”.

The attacks are taking place in Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington DC.  (you know, the places with strict anti-gun laws)

The main streamer news media are calling it a new phenomenon, which is another lie on their part: “It’s only new if you have been aggressively ignoring the epidemic of black mob violence around the country.  But it happened to my son and I had no idea it was happening around the country until I researched it and found the book White Girl Bleed a Lot.“-Sherry Godfrey, Springfield, Missouri

By the way, the British news media began reporting about Knockout Game back in 2011.  So why is only now the U.S. news media paying attention?

This reminds me of a pro-gun movie staring Charles Bronson. It’s about a guy who’s wife and daughter are raped, and his wife killed by teens/thugs just for the fun of it.  He begins to notice how the law abiding adults are being threatened daily by teens/thugs, who are actually encouraged by anti-gun politicians and ineffectual and corrupt police.  The only true justice the guy gets is when he gets a gun and kills those ass holes!   Watch Death Wish!

Guess what, in Michigan a group of teens tried to Knockout a victim with a taser.  The victim had a .40 S&W handgun and blasted them several times.  Don’t bring your fists or a taser to a gun fight!

“Our ideals and principles, as well as our national security……..That’s what makes America different. That’s what makes us exceptional.”-Barack Obama, 10 September 2013