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.

What Economic Recovery? Christmas Capital of Texas family killed on Xmas day, blame the economy

A Texas family that had lost their home to foreclosure, were shot and killed by Santa Claus on Christmas morning.

The distraught father dressed as Santa and decided to end it all after the family  opened their presents. The Wall Street Journal called it the single largest mass shooting in the history of Grapevine, Texas (Grapevine is known as the Christmas Capital of Texas)!

Seven people, ranging in ages 18 to 60, were found dead. Police say it looks like the family was just starting to clean up after opening their presents. Police responded to a 911 call, in which the caller said nothing.

Police will not comment on a motive, at this point: “We have a pretty good idea who these folks were, and we’re trying to work through contacting other family members so we can better piece together what took place and why it took place.”-Robert Eberling, Grapevine Police

Local media interviewed neighbors, in Colleyville, Texas, and learned that the family had lost their home to foreclosure, and that the father might have been a work-a-holic who was having financial problems.  Neighbors said even after he lost his home, back in 2010, he continued to take care of the yard: “I actually saw him out doing yard work just last weekend!”-Thomas Ehrlich

The mother failed to show up for work on Monday: “For somebody who’s always early to work and who never misses a day of work, we expected the worst.”-Leah Langford, employer

Apparently, according to Colleyville neighbors, the family actually stayed in the home for a while after it was foreclosed.  The family recently moved into the Grapevine apartment.

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

Global Food Crisis & What Economic Recovery? Beef production crashing in Idaho

No thanks to the closing of a beef processing plant in Nampa, Idaho’s beef production is down 80% from the year prior!  That’s according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

According to the State stats, and contrary to the stereotype, potatoes are not the number one agriculture product of Idaho!  Dairy products are number one, followed by cattle/beef production, so you can see why it’s so important to Idaho’s economy.

Not only is Idaho’s beef production down from last year, it’s been dropping like a rock, 52%, from January 2011 to November 2011.

The USDA pointed out that overall beef production in the entire United States was down 2% from last year.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Full time employment down In Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Maine and Vermont

A report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that while part time employment is going up, it’s being offset by a drop in full time employment!

The top five states for increased part time work are Montana, Oregon, Maine, Vermont and Idaho.  Montana leads the country with a 39% increase in part time work.

In Idaho there was an average of about 515,000 people with full time jobs in 2007. In 2010 that number dropped to 445,000.  At the same time, in 2010 the number of part time jobs increased 35%. 

As far as full time wages go, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says the average full time pay in Idaho, in 2010, was $666 per week.  That’s a piddly 4.6% increase from 2007, and it’s one of the smallest increases in the entire United States!

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

Global Economic War & Corporate Incompetence: Idaho polysilcon producer, Hoku, quietly starts operations, loses CFO, loses millions of dollars again

Pocatello, Idaho’s, polysilcon factory, run by Hoku Materials (which is a subsidary of Chinese owned Hoku Corporation), officially and quietly started operations on December 1st.  That’s according to Chinese media citing Tianwei New Energy Holdings Company Limited, the Chinese company that controls 60% of Hoku Corporation.

Interestingly no mention of the start of operations has come directly from Hoku.  Hoku Corporation did announce the resignation of their CFO, treasurer, and secretary, Darryl Nakamoto.  His resignation will be effective March, 2012.

Another loss, this one missed by local Idaho media, is the fact that Hoku Corporation continues to bleed out money.  Its latest report, ending September 30, 2011, showed Hoku with a net loss of $7.9 million (computed in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles)!

I’ve posted before about the conundrum Hoku is now in, since it is 60% owned by the Chinese: “…Hoku is set up in a bad position; action by the U.S. government could hurt their new plans to sell Chinese PV products, and retaliation by the Chinese government could hurt their pending polysilicon orders.”

I wonder why Hoku is keeping so quiet about their operations start up in Idaho, while it’s making front page news in China?

GLOBAL ECONOMIC WAR: IDAHO’S HOKU SILICON FACTORY MAY BE ENDED BEFORE IT STARTS. CITY OF POCATELLO GUILTY

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Western Xmas holiday, the new scourge of China. Chinese know the true meaning of Christmas, what happened to the United States?

“I was supposed to relax on holidays, but this feels more stressful than working at the office.”-Zhao Xiaojuan, works for investment company

Since U.S. companies have been moving into China, they’ve brought U.S. style holidays with them, and the Chinese are regretting it.

Many company managers spend their holidays, and their money, entertaining foreign (U.S.?) business guests, out of fear of insulting them if they didn’t do so, and competition!

“I have to give gifts to show respect and gratitude to my clients, because all my colleagues do so.”-Gao Ping, newly graduated from college

For many young adults the Western gift giving tradition is hitting them where it hurts; in their wallets!

“I’ll have to eat instant noodles for the whole month to save money….I could have saved 10,000 yuan (U.S.$1,580) if we didn’t have to celebrate foreign holidays!”-Zhou, employee of foreign owned company

More than 40,000 Chinese bloggers have voiced their opposition to the U.S. imposed holidays, and one of the most numerous complaints is that the U.S. holidays confuse affection for family and friends with money: “I know they want to show their affection for me, but words speak louder than money.”-Gao Ping, newly graduated from college

How dare he say “words speak louder than money”! Thurston Howell III, the Wolf of Wall Street, is rolling in his grave!

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Chinese families told to prepare to tighten their belts, blame hyper inflation & Global Food Crisis

“Inflation may be a long term problem in the country because food prices may surge again and the price of manufacturing resources is likely to grow fast in the coming year.”-Zhang Shuguang, Unirule Institute of Economics

In one of the few countries where the economy is good, people are being told to prepare for the worst.

What should a family do? Those making enough money to save should start investing in physical assets, including precious metals, real estate and antiques.  (That advise is probably too late for those of us 99%ers in the United States.)

To give you an idea of how good the Chinese economy has been doing, read this: “Among urban families with average annual personal income between 50,000 yuan and 100,000 yuan, 63.7% have family wealth management plans this year, compared with 27.5% last year.“-Zhang Jinbao, Tsinghua University and Citi Foundation

Current savings trends for Chinese workers include health care, education for their children and retirement (so much for China being a communist/socialist country).  But now even bank officials are prompting families to put as much as 70% of their earnings into property, to try an avoid the coming hyper inflation!

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

Corporate Incompetence: Dairy company continues to produce products with toxins, despite repeated fines

“A stained history means the company has problems in its professional ethics, so we shouldn’t trust it anymore.”-Fang Zhouzi, blogger

Milk products containing aflatoxin continue to be found on store shelves, despite the company’s claim that they destroyed all their tainted dairy products.

Aflatoxin builds up in your body and causes liver cancer, it can not be eliminated by pasteurizing!  It can be the result of cattle feed that’s been stored for too long.

The company involved is Mengniu Group, in China. It has a history of producing contaminated dairy products. In 2009 the company was involved with the melamine contamination incident (melamine is used mainly in construction, but it turns out that dairy companies have been using it to artificially increase their products’ protein levels. It was discovered that in the U.S. the FDA had no standards for melamine used in food).

“If the company carried out checks and didn’t find a problem, then their case is suspect.”-Wang Dingmian, Guangzhou Dairy Association

Over the past weekend, several Chinese customers were suspicious of the milk they bought and had it tested. It all turned out to be contaminated with aflatoxin.  This happened after the Mengniu Group said they destroyed all tainted dairy products.

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

World War 3: Finland seizes U.S. made Patriot missiles, Germany says legitimate cargo bound for South Korea

“We have impounded the explosives and missiles and asked the Defense Ministry to transport and store them.”-Petri Lounatmaa, Finnish Customs

Finland has cleared an Isle of Man (a British Crown Dependency) registered ship, but only after taking the 69 Patriot missiles and 160 pounds of explosives.

German officials are upset. They claim the missiles came from German inventory, and were properly declared for shipment to South Korea.  Finnish officials basically say Gemany is lying: “Of course, there are legal transports of weapons or defense material (through Finland), but in this case the cargo was marked as containing fireworks. That is quite unusual.”-Paivi Rasanen, Interior Minister of Finland

Finnish port authorities say the 160 pounds of explosives, mainly picric acid (a nitrate based explosive which is also used in fireworks),  were stacked on pallets fully exposed to the elements.  Knowing what it was they began to open crates and that’s when they found the Patriot missiles.  The missiles were in crates marked “fireworks”!

The Finnish government has properly stored the explosives along with the missiles.  Finland is keeping the missiles and explosives, pending further investigation.

The ship, M/S Thor Liberty, is free to sail, but the 11 crew, including the captain, are in custody: “She can sail, but customs is still holding the cargo and the (detained) crew isn’t allowed to leave Finland.”-Markku Koskinen, Port of Kotka

 

International, U.S.

Government & Military Incompetence: 3 U.S. soldiers killed on Xmas Eve, in Afghanistan. Part of growing trend

2011 has seen a growing trend in Afghanistan; Afghan government troops turning on U.S./NATO troops.  On December 24, three U.S. soldiers were shot and killed by an Afghan soldier, after an argument at a training base in Pusht-Rod district of the western province of Farah.

Five other U.S./NATO troops were wounded, one Afghan soldier was killed another wounded.

In November an Afghan soldier wounded at least three Australian soldiers in southern Uruzgan province.  In April an Afghan air force pilot killed eight U.S./NATO soldiers at Kabul airport.

Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? 200 people lose their jobs on Xmas Eve, hundreds more to follow. Hawaii Hospitals broke! Layoffs could have been avoided!

On December 23, 200 employees at the Hawaii Medical Center hospitals on Oahu, were told their last day on the job was Christmas Eve!  But that’s just the beginning, another 800 are scheduled to be laid off soon.

Here’s the real scandal; the hospital was up for sale and had a willing buyer, but the hospital’s owner said no!  The hospital is owned by Saint Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii.