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, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery: WalMart profits down, again, don’t blame the U.S. consumer, blame inflation

WalMart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer, saw its 3rd quarter profits fall below what they expected.  They blame price cutting in an effort to boost overall sales.

WalMart says that compared to the same time last year (3rd quarter, ending October 31), their net income was down 2.9%.  The lower prices did increase overall sales, by 8.2%, but WalMart had cut their prices below what it was actually costing them, which explains the drop in net income.

WalMart officials claim they will continue to keep prices low, despite their suppliers raising their prices (inflation).  They also admit they expect their 4th quarter net revenues to be down as a result, Merry X-mas!

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

End of Lawsuit may re-invigorate Idaho’s Micron, gets big boost from George Soros, rumors of insider trading

Finally, after more than a year (the last 8 weeks in deliberations), a California jury has decided in Micron’s favor, ending the possibility of Micron having to pay $11.9 billion in restitution.

A California company was suing Idaho’s Micron, along with a South Korean company, claiming they worked together (colluded) to fix computer chip prices, and to interfere with the California company’s ties with Intel.

Since 2009 Micron has fallen from being Idaho’s top employer, after laying off thousands of employees. If they had lost the lawsuit it would have been their death blow.

Even before the verdict the value of Micron stock started going up (possibly due to George Soros).  Bloomberg News reported that Micron stocks are making “unusual moves” upward.

A big reason Micron stock is going up is that billionaire investor, George Soros, recently bought up 484.5 million senior convertible Micron Technology securities, valued at $$477.6 million!  Maybe a positive turnaround for Idaho’s Micron is finally in the works?

Here’s the problem: George Soros started buying up Micron stock days before the California jury made their decision.  This is now starting rumors of insider trading.  But it’ll be tough to prove, after all, how could anyone know what a jury is going to decide, right?  Oh well, it’s happened before.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Government Incompetence: Idaho County violates Federal Law, Federal Judge orders the County to violate Idaho Law in order to pay off fine

In 2010, Boise County was found guilty of violating the Federal Fair Housing law.  They must now pay $5.4 million in fines, with 5.5% yearly interest.

Boise County tried to file for bankruptcy, but a Federal bankruptcy judge found the county can afford the bill.

Now, the Federal district court has ordered Boise County to violate the Idaho law on property tax limits, in order to raise the money to pay the Federal fine.

The Federal court wants Boise County officials to charge at least 3% over the state property tax cap.  Under state law a 2/3rds majority vote must OK such a move.

Idaho State Tax Commission officials are handling this like a hot potato, saying they don’t have the time to review the case, but they are working on a public press release to explain their position.

Boise County is required to make two payments per year, and have already made the first payment of $1.2 million.

 

International, Technology

Double Edged Sword: Cancer Gene actually fights Cancer

A team at the Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine has been conducting research on a gene called TTF-1.  It’s associated with lung cancer, adenocarcinoma, which is the hardest to treat among all lung cancers.

Now researchers say it also fights cancer.  In healthy adults, where the TTF-1 gene has not gone renegade, researchers found that it produced a protein that prevents cancer metastasis (the spread of cancer from one part of the body to the rest of the body).

More research needs to be done to see how this double edged sword TTF-1 cancer gene can be used to stop cancer.

Fukushima

Government & Corporate Incompetence: Radiation levels increasing in Japanese Rivers!

Japan’s Environment Ministry reports that radiation levels in rivers, downstream of the radiation spewing Fukushima Daiichi, are only increasing.

The latest official readings come from samples taken back in September.

In northern Fukushima Prefecture, the cesium levels were 3,200 becquerels per kilogram in the upstream Niida River.  The cesium levels in the downstream side of the same river were 13,000 becquerels!  That’s triple the levels reported in May!

Cesium levels in the Mano River have doubled!

Kinki University Professor Yamazaki Hideo says the government should step up radiation monitoring in all rivers.

Business/Economics, Fukushima

Global Economic War: Japanese industry moving to China

Since the 11 March 2011 disasters, Japanese industries moving to China has increased 65%.  That’s according to the Chinese Commerce Ministry.

There are two big factors why Japanese industries are moving to a mortal enemy’s territory: Money and Electrical Power.

Since the March disasters, including the ongoing Fukushima Daiichi meltdown, about half of Japan’s nuclear power plants are shut down.  The problem is that Japan built it’s current industries around nuclear power.  There just isn’t enough alternative electricity sources to power Japan’s factories.

Also since March, the Japanese yen has been going up in value.  This makes it more expensive to build things in Japan; Japan has no significant resources so it must import everything.

Japanese media are finally getting concerned about the growing unemployment there, mainly because so many factories have shut down and moved out of the country.

I wounder how this will affect the plans to create a TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership), especially since one of its goals is to block out China.

International, U.S.

World War 3: Peaceprize winner, Obama, sending thousands of U.S. Marines to Australia. Prep for war with China, or trying to save money?

“With my visit to the region I am making it clear that the United States is stepping up its commitment to the entire Asia-Pacific region.  But the second message I’m trying to send is that we are here to stay. This is a region of huge strategic importance to us.  Even as we make a whole host of important fiscal decisions back home, this is right up there at the top of my priority list.  And we’re going to make sure that we are able to fulfill our leadership role in the Asia-Pacific region.”-Barack Obama, Noble peace prize winner & President of the United States

After nearly four years as President of the United States, Barack Obama finally makes an official visit to Australia, where he announced the deployment of 2,500 Marines!

U.S. officials claim it’s partly at the request of the Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard.  Foreign policy analysts say it’s really about surrounding China with U.S. forces, in preparation for war.

Currently the U.S. and dozens of Asian/Pacific countries have been discussing the creation of a TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership, or free trade zone).  China has been deliberately left out of those TPP negotiations.  In fact, many of the governments of the smaller Asian countries are pushing for the TPP as a way of protecting themselves, economically, from China.

Another possibility is that the U.S. Department of Defense is trying to cut costs, shutting down state side bases.  Part of this move, to send the USMC to Australia, includes training of U.S. military pilots in Australia, rather than the U.S.  Obama said U.S. forces will jointly train with their Australian counterparts.

The important thing is that this is definitely an overt move of expansion on the part of the struggling U.S. Empire: “…the first long-term expansion of the American military presence in the Pacific since the end of the Vietnam War.”– New York Times

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Global Economic Class War: Proof the banks are taking over Europe; the new Prime Ministers were not elected! New governments will not be elected either!

Who elected the new Italian Prime Minister, Mario Monti?  Not the people of Italy, but one man, the Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.

Here’s the thing, in Italy the position of President is not one of much power.  The Prime Minister is the top dog.  It’s like John Boehner appointing Barack Obama’s successor (some people would like that).

Italy’s new national government will not be elected either, it will be hand picked by the new hand picked Mario Monti.   Italian officials are using the excuse that Italy can’t wait for elections.

The same can be said about the new Greek Prime Minister, Lucas Papademos.  He was hand picked, not elected.

Some opponents of Papademos said he’s planning on delaying the scheduled Greek national elections, that are supposed to be held on February 19, 2012.  When Papademos was asked about such a rumor, he simply said that as far as he was concerned, no specific time frame had been set for national elections!

According to the opposition Greek Socialist Party, Lucas Papademos asked for a promise of no political interference in his plans for Greece, and he got it.

This sure looks like the big banks have taken control of Italy and Greece: Both Monti and Papademos have a long history working in the banking/finance industry. Both have gone to university in the U.S., or taught in U.S. universities.  Both men are members of the European chapter of the Rockefeller founded Trilateral Commission!

 

 

Fukushima

Corporate Incompetence meets Investor Vengeance: TEPCo stockholders sue Nuclear Disaster Reactor company for $71 billion!

42 major Tokyo Electric Power Company stockholders are demanding that auditors for the company sue the 61 current, and former, corporate executive members of the nuclear disaster reactor company.

They claim the executives failed to keep their promise to make the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant earthquake and tsunami proof.  Japan has been suffering from the ongoing radioactive emissions for more than eight months.

The shareholders want more than 5.5 trillion yen (U.S.$71 billion), the highest ever demanded in a lawsuit in Japan.

The investors said if the TEPCo auditors did not file a lawsuit against the executives, within 60 days, they would do so themselves.

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

Corporate Incompetence: Singapore sells off Olympus stocks, dumb U.S. investors holding on

The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation announced that it has disposed of almost all of its investments in Olympus.

Singapore held 2% of Olympus stocks.  They are the first major stock holder to announce they were dumping their shares in Olympus.  U.S. Olympus stockholders seem to be waiting for Olympus officials to provide an explanation as to where all their money went.