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.
Business/Economics, U.S.

Corporate Evil & Investor Evil: U.S. drug maker hit with record fine for fraudulent claims on Paxil, Avandia and Wellbutrin! Stock price shoots up!

02 July 2012, GlaxoSmithKline reportedly pled guilty to fraudulent activities involving the drugs Paxil, Avandia and Wellbutrin.  The company is being fined a record $3 billion USD!

The U.S. Department of Justice says the pharmaceutical giant claimed the drugs could be used to treat conditions and/or people for which they were not approved!

Paxil is meant for adults only, but was sold for use in children! The antidepressant Wellbutrin was sold as a weight loss drug!  GlaxoSmithKline was also accused of failing to report safety data, concerning the diabetes drug Avandia, to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration from 2001 to 2007.

Also, under a type of probation, for the next five years company executives could lose their bonuses to the government, if any employee is caught conducting fraudulent activity.  As well, sales reps will no longer be paid based on total sales, but on the quality of their job performance.

Interestingly, when news of GlaxoSmithKline’s guilty plea was heard investors jumped on the company’s stock driving the price up!  Why would an ‘honest’ investor want to buy stock in a company who admits to fraud?

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

LIBOR: U.K. orders new investigation! Top three Japanese banks involved in international rate fixing! Bank governor admits banks are “deceitful”! More proof of Trilateral policies, & that the Too Big to Fails caused the economic mess!

“Your working hypothesis should be that every bank in the industry did some version of this same thing. There will be more to come.”-unnamed banking official in letter to British news media

02 July 2012, Marcus Agius, a chairman of evil British Empire’s Barclays has resigned.  Barclays recently settled with U.S. and U.K. regulators over the LIBOR scandal. The settlement was a pittance compared to the damage Barclays, and other banks caused.

The general public in Britain has been calling for Barclays boss, Bob Diamond, to resign as well.  Public officials are calling for criminal charges: “…when we’re setting up the National Crime Agency we should look at the record of the Serious Fraud Office. I suspect financial crime is easier to get away with in this country than practically any other sort of crime.”-Ken Clarke, Justice Secretary of United Kingdom

Barclays “systematically” falsified data to set the London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR.  Regulators from Switzerland and U.K., are investigating at least 20 banks, including the top three banks in Japan (for fraudulent Tokyo Interbank Offered Rate or TIBOR), banks in Canada, U.S. and European Union!  Elites from Japan, North America and Europe are members of the private organization Trilateral Commission.

Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England, said LIBOR “is now dead”, and even called the very banking system he represents “deceitful”!  Now the British government is calling for a new independent investigation into the British banking system and LIBOR.

The amount of money manipulated by the LIBOR (and now TIBOR) scandal is estimated at more than $361 trillion USD!!!

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? European unemployment rate holds on to record highs! Austerity policies to blame! Trilateral policies in motion!

02 July 2012, the European Union (EU) statistical office released unemployment data from its member countries.  Record high rates persist.

For the month of May, Spain set a new record of 24.6%! Unemployment for Spanish people under 25 years of age hit 52.1%!  For perspective, that’s more than 5.6 million people out of work in a country with a population of 46 million people!

Portugal at 15.2%, Italy at 10.1%.  In total, the number of people unemployed in the EU reached 17.6 million, an increase of 88,000 from April to May 2012!

Greek numbers are months behind, but their report for March shows an increase in unemployment, to 21.9%!  Unemployed Greek youths are also at 52.1%!

EU officials noted that the greatest increase in unemployment are in member countries that have harsh austerity policies (cut spending, increase taxes, which are publicly stated policies of the Trilateral Commission).

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: Europe enforces oil sanctions against Iran. Iran prepares to close Hormuz Strait. Iran creates $14 billion fund to expand oil industry! More examples of Chock Full o’Crap western media!

“There is a bill prepared in the National Security and Foreign Policy committee of Parliament that stresses the blocking of oil tanker traffic carrying oil to countries that have sanctioned Iran.”-Ibrahim Agha-Mohammadi,  Member of Iranian Parliament

02 July 2012, in a move that seems counter to the European Union (EU) oil sanctions that went into effect on 01 July 2012, Iranian lawmakers say they will block oil shipments to Europe by closing the Strait of Hormuz.

It’s also meant to show that Iran does not need European countries for its oil business.  As of Sunday, 100 of the 290 members of Iran’s parliament have signed the bill.

Also today, Iran created a $14 billion USD fund to expand its oil industry: “The $14 billion fund can create a remarkable momentum in the oil industry and indicates that despite sanctions there is no problem in the trend of the country’s development and production in the oil sector.”-Mohammad Reza Farzin, Managing-Director of Iran’s National Development Fund

Also today, South Korean news media reported that South Korean oil refiners and Iranian oil companies have reached an agreement that would allow South Korea (a U.S. ally/puppet) to resume Iranian oil shipments without violating the European sanctions: “Korean oil refiners and the Iranian side have been in consultations over the matter of using Iranian flagged oil tankers to resume oil shipments.”-unnamed South Korean official

For insurance reasons South Korea will use Iranian tanker ships, which turns out to also be a loop hole in the European oil sanctions!

Also today, Iran’s Oil Ministry announced that despite the 01 July 2012 European oil sanctions, Iranian exports of refined gasoline for European customers will actually increase: “The daily production of euro4 gasoline will reach 24 million liters [6.3 million U.S. gallons] by the end of the current [Iranian] year.”-Alireza Zeiqami, Iran’s Deputy Oil Minister

But who’s the biggest buyer of refined Iranian fuels?  Why the U.S. occupied country of Afghanistan!  In 2011, Afghanistan bought $51.6 million USD worth of Iranian fuels.

On 01 July 2012, corrupt British bank Barclays revealed that a certain type of Iranian oil will escape any attempt at sanctions. It’s called “bunkers” (aka vital blending components).  Bunkers are blended fuels for ships, and the international shipping fleets will need at least $145 billion USD this year, according to Bloomberg.  But here’s the rub for U.S. and EU sanctions: “This is a problem we didn’t foresee. We don’t know how much Iranian oil is already blended in.”-Peter Sand, Baltic and International Maritime Council, which represents 65% of ship owners

Reports also show that Iran really does not need the U.S. or EU as customers, demands from Asia and Africa are growing rapidly. Currently Iran is supplying 100% of Sri Lanka’s petroleum needs, 51% of Turkey’s, 25% of South Africa’s, 11% of India’s and China’s, and 10% of Japan’s and South Korea’s demands.

Oh, by the way, did you know that at the end of June the U.S. government exempted China from the latest sanctions, for the next 180 days?

Full o’Crap western news media continue to claim U.S. led sanctions have hurt Iran’s economy.  The U.S. has imposed sanctions for decades, yet Iran has become one of the richest countries in the region, and not just because of oil!

Iran’s mining industry, excluding petroleum, is now the seventh largest in the world: “We have now achieved self-sufficiency in mining and heavy industries by over 70% in the last four years, while we were once totally dependent (on foreign countries) in these sectors.”-Hassan Polark, Iran’s Industry, Mines and Trade

“The richest gold mines in Venezuela, for instance, have been discovered by the young Iranian engineers.”-Hamid Safdel, Iran’s Industry, Mines and Trade

Iran and Iraq have increased trade to close to $10 million USD so far this year, and they plan to do more: “The volume of the trade exchanges between Iran and Iraq amounts to $9.7 billion which shows an 8% growth compared with the last year.”-Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, Iran’s Interior Minister

Also: “We are also ready to build new power plants in order to increase the capacity of power exports to Iraq. The [Karkheh-al-Emara] power line has increased the capacity of Iran’s electricity exports to Iraq to 1,200 megawatts [daily].”-Majid Namjou, Iran’s Minister of Energy

I could go on and on, like Iranian construction contractors building apartments in the South American country of Venezuela.  Belorussian tractor companies making joint production deals with Iranian tractor companies. Iranian automobile manufacturers reporting increased production, for yet another year in a row.

And to prove Iran is making money despite U.S. and EU sanctions, on 02 July 2012, Iranian officials announced they were able to buy two million metric tons of wheat: “The government has so far been able to import two million tons of wheat into the country despite financial restrictions and sanctions. Such a (large) volume of imported wheat is for supplying the country’s strategic reserves.”-unnamed Iranian official

Iran buys wheat from several sources.  Pakistan is a top source, but India is reportedly offering to beat Pakistan’s prices to win orders from Iran.  India is now the second largest producer of wheat in the world.

Iran also buys wheat from Kazakhstan.  Iranian reports say imports of Kazak wheat could increase by 5 million metric tons next year!

 

Idaho, U.S.

Boise, Idaho, fire fighters call Pocatello a War Zone! Charlotte and 10 Mile Pass fires still listed as active. New Marsing Fire. Fire agencies not reporting all fires!

“It’s always sad to come into an area that looks like a war zone, with so many homes that have been devastated.”-J.D. Ellis, Battalion Chief for Boise Fire Department

01 July 2012,  fire fighters from Boise, Idaho, commented on the Charlotte Fire in Pocatello (in southeastern Idaho), saying the geography and vegetation are quite different from what they’re used to in their area of the Gem State.

“It’s been kind of…a learning experience to evaluate the structures and see which ones survived and which ones didn’t survive and try to identify factors between the two.”-J.D. Ellis, Battalion Chief for Boise Fire Department

As of 01 July 2012, the Eastern Idaho Interagency fire map still shows three active fires in southeastern Idaho: Charlotte, Stockton and 10 Mile Fire.

Faint smoke from the 10 Mile Pass Fire, east of McCammon, Idaho, 29 June 2012, about 17:00 hours.

Charlotte Fire reported as burned 1,038 acres (420 hectares) contrary to what national agency reports say.  Stockton Fire is at 1,210 acres (489.6 hectares) and the 10 Mile Fire (aka Ten Mile Pass Fire) is at 1,188 acres (480.7 hectares).

28 June 2012, early stages of Stockton Fire, which actually started north of Banida, Idaho, despite what the media reports say. Farm equipment is blamed.

The 10 Mile Fire reportedly was caused by a agricultural controlled burn that got out-a-control.

28 June 2012, Charlotte Fire as viewed from south of McCammon, Idaho.

Near Boise, in western Idaho, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is fighting a fire that’s burned 1,500 acres (607 hectares) so far.  It started 30 June 2012, it’s southwest of Marsing, near Jump Creek Road.  Like the majority of fires in Idaho, officials believe it’s human caused.

I could not find the Marsing Fire listed on any interagency maps. The USDA Forest Service Active Fire Mapping Program lists only the Charlotte and Ten Mile Pass fires.

The National Interagency Fire Center is also days behind updating their fire reports.

On 01 July 2012, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warned of “critical” fire conditions throughout the Pacific Northwest, due to extremely dry air and windy conditions. Humidity levels expected to be as low as 8%!

Idaho’s history includes some intense fire fighting years, starting with the 1910 Great Fire (aka Big Blowup or Big Burn), and then most recently the fires of 2007.  Some fire fighting ‘experts’ are already calling 2012 a record year for the numbers of fires in Idaho.

BLM officials are blaming the decades long drought. Lynn Ballard, southeastern Idaho USDA Forest Service official, says a lot of autumn vegetation (they like to call them “fuels”, which also applies to anything that burns) dried out during the dry winter.  With the snow melt and few rain storms during spring came more vegetation growth, but that dried out quickly.  The result is lots of tinder dry brush, and now we’ve got hot and extremely dry weather.

While the mainstream U.S. news media has been reporting lightning as the main causes of wildfires around the country, not so in Idaho.  The overwhelming majority of Idaho wildfires have been human caused, by accident or on purpose.

Federal officials say prior to 2003 most Idaho wildfires were caused by lightning, the increase of human causes they blame on ignorance: “There’s a multitude of things that can lead to a human caused fire, so people just need to be cognizant of the things that they’re doing, of things that have heat that…could start a fire.”– Lynn Ballard, USDA Forest Service

Charlotte Fire 80% contained. Vulture/desperate contractors already descending. 

 

Business/Economics, International

What Economic Recovery? Japanese government collasping over tax increases! DPJ turning against their own Prime Minister!

02 July 2012, 52 members of Japan’s Diet (parliament) have resigned over the sales tax increases called for by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda.

The prime minister and the lawmakers who quit are part of the same political party, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).  One of the lawmakers to resign is Ichiro Ozawa, who helped found the DPJ. He’s forming a new political party to challenge the government.

The members who left occupied positions in both houses of the Diet.  If the DPJ were to lose 55 members in the more powerful Lower House, then the DPJ would not be able to stop any recall of the prime minister.  The Lower House of the Diet appoints the Japanese prime minister, he is not elected by the general public.

Yoshihiko Noda is the sixth prime minister in the past six years.

Idaho, U.S.

Some examples of how hot & dry it is in southeastern Idaho

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Some people might think local officials are being a little too cautious with their control over who has access to the Charlotte Fire burn area, at the south end of  Pocatello.  But, it really is so dry out their that I wouldn’t be surprised if the cause of the fire was spontaneous combustion of tinder dry field grasses (I’ve seen it happen in hay stacks).

I recently got my city of Chubbuck, Idaho, water bill for 08 May 2012 to 05 June 2012.  It shows you what you used the previous year.  For the same time in 2011 I used 4,000 gallons (15,141.6 liters). Yet, for 2012 I used 13,000 gallons (49,210.35 liters), a 9,000 gallon increase!  And I was really trying to conserve, but I have a large yard with a victory garden and the amount of water I used in May was just barely enough to keep most plants from dying.

I have a pear tree and several plum trees, and for the first time in more than a decade they have no fruit!  My Golden Delicious apple tree has not even half the amount of fruit it normally does.

Two of my three grape vines returned to dormancy two months ago, and have only now started to come back, after tons of water was flooded onto them.  One of my two blackberry vines died.  My normally over productive raspberry vines are now struggling, with only two raspberries visible.

My huge decades old pine tree stopped dropping pine cones a month ago.  This is normal when you get into dry summer months, but since my pine tree is located in the middle of my back lawn it usually drops cones throughout summer because it gets enough water when I water the lawn.  This year I’ve been flooding sections of the lawn, including around the pine tree, due to how dry the grass is getting, and yet no pine cones.

By the way, lawn grass is the most inefficient plant on the planet, and yet our incompetent municipality leaders create laws forcing us to maintain a grass lawn, for the sake of property values!  And then they jack up our water/sewer/trash rates!!!

For example: In 1998 I swear I was paying a basic water/sewer/trash rate of $38.00 USD per month (not counting the per thousand gallon water charge). In 2010 it was more than $77.00.  Now, in 2012 the basic water/sewer/trash rate is more than $92.00!!!

Between 1998 and 2002 water conservation actually helped keep my water bill down, but at this point none of my water saving efforts are paying off, because the city has jacked up the basic services rate so high!  And you can’t conserve too much because then the city hits you with violation of beautification codes!

The city of Chubbuck actually has employees driving around neighborhoods in “code enforcement” vehicles, giving out warnings.  If warnings are not heeded the city brings in landscapers and sends you the bill.

Another sign of how hot and dry it is: Laundry.  I hang my laundry to dry outside in summer, it so hot/dry that a full load is dry within 20 minutes or less.  That’s much less time than if I used the dryer in the house.

How about southeast Idaho reservoir levels?

Devil Creek reservoir, north of Malad City, Idaho, off Interstate Highway 15, 29 June 2012. Two months ago it was full.

Deep Creek reservoir, east of Malad City, on Idaho State Highway 36, 29 June 2012. Two months ago it was full.

Idaho, U.S.

Pocatello Charlotte Fire update: 80% contained. Vulture/desperate contractors already descending. 19 fireworks cases despite ban! Respect for dead pets found in fire.

“Today is the day we are really going to attack this fire.”-Lorin Nielsen, Bannock County Sheriff

01 July 2012, Sunday morning press conference reporting 80% containment of Charlotte Fire, in Pocatello, Idaho.

Today is a critical weather day, a red flag warning is in place until 21:00 hours.  About 40 fire fighting trucks and 150 personnel are hoping to fully contain the fire by Monday morning.

The city of Pocatello, and Bannock County, banned fireworks, yet there were 19 fireworks case calls over night.  Police stated no tolerance was applied to those caught.

The cause of the fire is still unknown.

Pocatello residents with gas BBQs with lids can continue to use them.

Hot spots and flares up still occurring within the center of the burn area. There were problems in the Mink Creek area, but law enforcement has resumed escorting residents into that area.

State and local officials expressed concern over the number of looky loos trying to get into the burn area.  Also, construction contractors, who’re either vultures or just desperate for work, have already been pestering those people who’ve suffered lost or damaged property.  County officials are warning people of fraudulent contractors.

Fire fighters are reporting finding dead pets in the burn area, they are leaving them in place and covering them with towels.

Bannock County Humane society is giving away food for dogs and cats to victims of the fire.

Charlotte Fire 50% contained. No return home

 

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

Global Class War: Hungary taxes potato chips last year, now adds cell phone calls! Nebraska already suffering with highest cell phone tax rate in United States!

In September 2011, Hungary joined several countries placing extra taxes on snacks like potato chips.  Full of crap western news media said it was an effort to fight obesity, but a recent Japanese report straight up said it was a way for the Hungarian government to raise more money to pay its out of control debts!

In May 2012, Hungary also passed an extra tax on cell phones calls!  It’s called the voice-traffic levy.  The Hungarian government hopes the new phone tax will create at least $133.6 million USD this year.

NHK (nippon housou kyoukai/Japan Broadcasting Corporation) reporting that Hungary was forced to create the extra tax under demands from the European Union.  But some people have switched to using smartphones which can make calls through the internet.  Hungarian officials did not tax internet based calls.

Here in the U.S. state of Idaho, groceries are already taxed.  It’s fun to watch people from out of state go into shock when they find out they have to pay tax on groceries.

Idahoans are not happy about the decades old grocery tax.  Political leaders have tried to throw us a bone by allowing a grocery credit on the end of year tax filings.  But woe to them that try to add extra taxes on snacky foods in the name of forcing us to be healthy, when in reality they just want to steal more of our increasingly limited money.

But wait, there’s more!  According to a 2011 Money article, Nebraska leads the U.S. with the highest cell phone tax rates!  Combined federal, state and local cell phone tax rates amounted to 23.69% in 2011!!!

Idaho’s state and local tax rate was 2.2% (not counting federal taxes).

“Cellphone users are overtaxed relative to consumers of other goods, and at risk of double taxation. Additionally, the wide number of taxing authorities and the wide variety in rates makes tracking problematic and burdensome.” -Joseph Henchman, Tax Foundation Director of State Projects

The reason this is class warfare is that these kinds of taxes do not affect the elitist wealthy, they target the overwhelming majority of citizens who are not rich!

Idaho, U.S.

Pocatello Charlotte Fire update: 50% contained. BBQ outlawed! No return home until Monday! Sunday critical weather day

“I’m still in shock from what happened. My home just seemed to vaporize.”-Suzanne Bielinski

Saturday morning, 30 June 2012, officials reported the Charlotte Fire 50% contained, with hopes for full containment by Sunday.  At least one building re-ignited overnight.

Officials think homes in the Johnny Creek area escaped damage.

Pocatello Police and Bannock County Sheriff’s deputies are escorting some residents back to their homes, however there’s been an increase of looky loos trying to sneak in by car, or even trying to hike in: “Please don’t make us start arresting people.”-Lorin Nielsen, Bannock County Sheriff

Not only are fireworks banned, in Pocatello, but so are outdoor BBQs.

People are reporting lost pets, but officials said it will be at least Monday before pet owners can check with Pocatello Animal Shelter.

 “I’m sorry that people lost their houses but we did the best we could. Every agency worked their guts out trying to save those houses, but we couldn’t save them all.”-Steve Hadley, Bannock County Commissioner

Friday, 29 June 2012, evacuees from the Charlotte Fire at the south end of Pocatello, Idaho, were told Monday would be the soonest they could enter the burn area.

Buildings the Charlotte Fire missed. Near Mink Creek, Johnny Creek and Gibson Jack areas Pocatello, Idaho, 29 June 2012.

Many people are wondering why such a delay in allowing residents back in, especially when it looks like the fire is out? Local officials insist there are still hot spots, and many downed power lines.  They are also concerned about weather conditions, as air temperatures are expected to be even hotter on Saturday and Sunday. Weather forecasts are calling for near record high temps.

Smoke still rising from Mink Creek, Johnny Creek and Gibson Jack areas, 29 June 2012.

The wind is also an unpredictable factor, as anyone who lives here can tell you.  Forecasts are calling for single digit wind speeds, but as temps rise so does the wind speed.  The winds are also finicky as to which way they like to blow, wait five minutes and wind’ll change direction.

Another reason is that more than a dozen investigators are trying to find out why the fire started.  They say they’ve determined the ignition point, but are still trying to figure out how it started.

At this point 66 homes were lost, along with 29 outbuildings (sheds, detached garages, barns, etc).  A rough estimate on the cost of damage to homes is $7.6 million USD.  There is still conflicting acreage reports.  Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center claims an estimated 1,038 acres burned, however, state and federal fire agencies say only 450 acres burned.

More than 1,000 people were evacuated from the Mink Creek, Johnny Creek and Gibson Jack areas.  Some roads around the burn area are open to residents only, who must prove they live there using identification such as Idaho drivers license.

Little Bird (Air Tractor 802F) water dropper ready for another run, Pocatello (Pokey) airport, 29 June 2012.

So far the cost to fight the Charlotte Fire has exceeded $1 million USD.  Despite some evacuees being a little upset about not being allowed back home ’till Monday, they applauded efforts to fight the fire.

Ex USN PV2 Neptune, now a water bomber operated by Neptune Aviation Service of Montana.

Charlotte Fire, 66 homes now destroyed