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

WalMart business down in U.S., but booming down south of the border

“Our expansion plan will continue to support the socioeconomic development of the Brazilian population. The focus in formats aimed at the emerging middle class will be even stronger in 2011.”-Marcos Samaha, president of WalMart Brazil

Recently WalMart officials expressed their concerns for the poor U.S. retail market.  They blame inflation and lack of jobs.  But, WalMart is spending big money in Brazil, ’cause the economy is boomin’ there.

Brazil is one of the money making members of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China & South Africa).

WalMart is going to open 80 new stores in Brazil, and spend R$ 1.2 billion in the next year (R$ = Real, the Brazilian money).   In the past five years, WalMart has already invested R$ 6 billion, constructing 177 stores and creating 25,000 jobs in Brazil.

International, Technology

Like Bananas? They might become extinct no thanks to Black Sigatoka, more food crisis woes

Ecuadorian scientists want to create a genetically modified Banana.  They say it’s the only way to keep Bananas in their country from going extinct.

“…something that we can be sure of is that the Sigatoka will not lose its battle.  As soon as we can get a new fungicide, the disease becomes more resistance. Replacing the Cavendish banana (dominant variety today) for another type, by genetic engineering, is the only answer.”-Emile Frison, International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain

Apparently the use of fungicides has resulted in a super fungus that is resistant to chemicals.  Ecuadorian officials are warning against using too much fungicide.

Another motivator for a GMO Banana, is competition.  Farmers say they just can’t make enough money on each box of Bananas,  mainly because of the cost of fighting the fungus Black Sigatoka.

International, Opinion, U.S.

Obama administration flip flops on bin Laden raid info, bin Laden’s daughter says he was killed AFTER capture

Ever since the announcement that Osama bin Laden was dead, the Obama administration has been flip flopping on the details.

First they said bin Laden was killed in a fire fight.  Then they said he was resisting, but not armed (how does a sick 54 year old man resist without weapons?).  They said he used a wife as a human shield, they flopped and said she willingly rushed at the U.S. forces.  First they said she was dead, now she was just wounded in the leg.

What’s up Obama?  I thought you guys watched the whole thing live?  You issued a pic of your cabinet supposedly watching the event live?

Now Pakistani officials say Osama bin Laden’s young teen daughter witnessed the whole thing and says her father did not resist, and that U.S. forces killed him AFTER they got him on the helicopter.  Is this the real reason they dumped his body in the ocean, to cover up how he was killed?

“Not a single bullet was fired from the compound at the U.S. forces and their choppers.”-Pakistani security official

Pakistani officials, and locals living in the area, say only the U.S. forces were doing the shooting, no shots came from anyone in the bin Laden compound.

Here are the latest statements from Obama’s officials: “…rushed the U.S. assaulter and was shot in the leg but not killed.” “Bin Laden was then shot and killed. He was not armed.” –White House Press Secretary Jay Carney


 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

At least 90% of Americans did NOT watch royal wedding on TV

Many media outlets are claiming that Americans loved the royal wedding because millions watched it.  This is a clear case of the main stream media manipulating data to mislead.  Yes millions did watch, but not anywhere near the majority of the people in the U.S., in fact it was a small minority.

Television ratings company, Nielsen, said only 23 million people (Nielsen used the term “viewers”, not to be confused with “households”) in the United States watched the royal wedding on TV.   That’s only 7.4% of the population, the official U.S. population is about 310 million. To put it another way; at least 90% did NOT watch.

In fact when you look at “viewer” ratings for television in the U.S., you’ll realize that, when compared to the total population of the country, not that many people actually watch TV.

 

Business/Economics, U.S.

Exxon Mobil lies about paying taxes, includes taxes YOU pay

“We are one of the largest taxpayers in the United States.”- Alan Jeffers, Exxon Mobil spokesman

Exxon announced they paid $3.1 billion in taxes in the United States, but that’s more than the $2.6 billion in profit they made.  How can they pay more in taxes than what they make?  They lie.  Exxon includes the taxes paid at the pump by YOU, and the taxes paid by their own employees.

The Exxon announcement came after criticism about how little taxes they actually pay.  So to pump up their claim of paying taxes they included the taxes that consumers pay when they fill up their vehicles at Exxon/Mobil gas stations.  Does the oil industry think people are that dumb?

On top of that Exxon Mobil used their own employee’s payroll taxes!

So Exxon claims to be one of the largest taxpayers in the country, but Bob McIntyre, at Citizens for Tax Justice, points out “They are counting taxes they don’t pay. Payroll taxes are on the workers, sales taxes are on the consumers.”

International, Technology

Proof the Japanese need to be more social; Japanese scientists build cyber ‘french’ kissing machine

Japanese scientists are working on a cyber ‘french’ kissing machine.  The machine works by sensing the actions of your tongue, then transmitting that to another machine across the internet.

It’s hoped that the machine will help Japanese people to interact more intimately over the internet  (maybe they should get out more?).  Scientists hope to recreate “…the sense of taste, the manner of breathing, and the moistness of the tongue.” At first it sounds pathetic, but wait, there is a profit motive; marketing ideas include getting a kiss from your favorite celebrity.

Why a french kissing machine?  Scientist say it’s still too hard to mimic the movements of lips.

Technology, U.S.

Facebook denies acting as government spy, but, at the same time confirms it

“We don’t respond to pressure, we respond to compulsory legal process. There has never been a time we have been pressured to turn over data — we fight every time we believe the legal process is insufficient. The legal standards for compelling a company to turn over data are determined by the laws of the country, and we respect that standard.”-Facebook spokesman

That’s the response from Facebook, who says they do not ‘automatically’ process info for governments.  Julian Assange, of WikiLeaks, says he has evidence that social media sites have had to deal with so many requests by governments, for user’s account info, that they simply hand it over automatically.

However, Facebook does not deny that they hand the government info on users, in fact Facebook has a specific department for that, called “CIPP-certified professionals”.  The CIPP is supervised by two former federal cyber crime prosecutors.

Facebook also admitted that they would like to deal with less of these cases, and, are looking for a legal way not to comply with government demands for info.

Business/Economics, Opinion, U.S.

Occupy America: Why are Diesel fuel prices so high? Diesel commodity futures trading less than Gas, even with low sulfur refining

Read my November 20, and November 5, 2011, postings about current diesel prices.  It’s bad news, it explains why prices are only going up, and how fracking of natural gas is really for fuel production.

May 3, Diesel fuel prices are higher than gas, at the pump.

In Idaho, as of May 3, most gas stations are selling Diesel for about $4.15 per gallon.  The highest is $4.50 near Mountain Home.  That’s way higher than gas.  Most gas stations are selling gasoline around $3.65 per gallon, with the highest at $4.00 near Hailey, Idaho.

Yet Diesel futures are selling for less than gas futures on the commodities market.   As of May 2, gas futures, for June delivery, were at $3.34 per gallon.  Compare that to Diesel NY at $3.29, and Diesel Gulf at $3.31 per gallon.

So why is Diesel so much higher at the pump?

Many websites say it’s because Diesel must be refined to low sulfur standards.  That doesn’t explain the higher price at the pump!  The commodity prices paid are for already refined Diesel, so the claim that low sulfur refining is the cause doesn’t work.

Some people say it’s because Diesel is actually in higher demand than gasoline, due to industry (like trucking & airlines, “jet” fuel is actually a form of Diesel/Kerosene) and the military (possibly the biggest user of Diesel, thank the War on Terror).  That might be, but normally the commodity price reflects anticipated demand.

Some journalists have asked oil executives about fuel costs, but oil executives can only talk about the price of refined fuels sold on the commodities market, not at the pump.

What about taxes?  It turns out that taxes for Diesel are more than taxes for gasoline.  In Idaho the average (January 2011) pump tax (combined state/federal) for Diesel is 49.4 cents per gallon.  For gas, in Idaho, it’s 43.4 cents.  That’s only a 6 cents per gallon difference, so that doesn’t explain the 50 cent per gallon difference in the pump price of Diesel vs gasoline ($4.15 for Diesel minus $3.65 for gas).

By the way, California has the highest tax rates in the country for Diesel at 76 cents per gallon, and gas at 66.1 cents.  That’s because California has higher local and state taxes on top of the federal taxes.

So, the only conclusion I can come up with is that Diesel fuel prices, at the pump, are higher than gasoline due to higher taxes for Diesel, and maybe  higher demand for Diesel (again that’s usually what drives commodity prices, before it gets to the pump).  Maybe gas stations are trying to make up for their extremely slim profit margins on gas prices by jacking up the more stable Diesel prices?



Business/Economics, U.S.

U.S. Gas prices will be about $4.50 average by end of May

The price of May reformulated unleaded blendstock gasoline futures prices hit $3.37 per gallon, on April 29.  That means the average price of gas at the pump could be $4.50 by the end of May.

For some parts of the country, like California, prices could hit $5.50 or more, per gallon.  For a little explainer on gasoline futures see my post “Think gas is high now…”