Category Archives: Business/Economics

Business/Economics

Exceptional Failed State: U.S. job losses & store closings 16-20 December 2013. Fuel refinery layoffs! Airline layoffs! Health insurance layoffs!

Incomplete list of announced closings and layoffs:

Alabama: In Fairfield, Steelscape shutdown, 62 jobs lost.

California:  Fuel refiner, Phillips 66 laid off 58 people at two of their refineries. Computer chip maker Broadcom restructuring, laying off 260 people statewide (1150 globally)!  DirectTV laid off 90 people across the Golden State. In Northridge, videogame maker 2K Games laid off 48 employees.  In Los Angeles, NBCUniversal laid off more employees, this time 14.  In El Centro, International Paper laid off more employees, this time four.  In Ontario, JC Penney shutdown a large JC’s 5 Star Outlet store, 136 jobs lost!  In Burbank, Kaiser Foundation Health insurance laid off 58 employees. In El Segundo, Xerox laid off 47 employees.

Georgia: In Peachtree City, World Airways laid off 118 people! North American Airlines laid off 16 employees.  Global Shared Services/Global Aviation Holdings laid off 54 employees.

Illinois: In Chicago, Bennigans shutdown, 88 jobs lost.

New York: In Pearl River legal drugs pusher, Pfizer, laid off 70 employees.  In Williamsville, Allstate Insurance shutdown, 48 jobs lost.  In Bronx NYC, The New York Botanical Garden shutdown, 66 jobs lost.  Loehmann’s shutdown, 63 jobs lost.  In Syracuse, Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services shutdown, 80 jobs lost.  In Frewsburg, special metal recycler Keywell shutdown, 49 jobs lost.  In Rochester, Eastman Kodak laid off four employees.

Tennessee: In Clarksville, Contech Casting shutdown, 64 jobs lost.

Texas: In El Paso, State Farm Insurance shutdown. 162 jobs lost!  In Kilgore, Caterpillar shutdown, 41 jobs lost.

Virginia: In Martinsville, JC Penney shutdown their JC’s 5 Star Outlet.  31 jobs lost.

Challenger, Gray, and Christmas reports 30,623 “planned” job cuts were announced in December 2013.

11-15 December 2013. More health care cuts! More bank jobs slashed! 

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

More Sears & Kmart closings: Lampert stops lending Sears money!

04 April 2014 (22:10 UTC-07 Tango 03 April 2014)/03 Jumada t-Tania 1435/15 Farvardin 1393/05 Wu-Chen 4712

A 32 years old Ohio Kmart is being closed in June, it’s blamed on a landlord who supposedly won’t fix property problems.  Nearly 100 jobs lost as Delaware joins the Kmart shutdown club in July.  In Illinois a Sears Appliance and Hardware store shutting down, just as soon as they sell out of merchandise.

In another sign that the end is nigh for Sears Holdings, reports say CEO Eddie Lampert stopped lending his company his own money!  Since 2010 Lampert has been making short term daily operations loans to the company, through his hedge fund known as ESL Partners.  At last count, Sears Holdings owed Lampert’s ESL Partners $285-million USD.  Supposedly Lampert himself is owed $169-million.  Interesting that the demise of Sears & Kmart begins when Lampert starts loaning them money.

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),  Decatur Mall Sears (91 jobs lost), Fort Payne Kmart.

Delaware: Recently revealed Dover Kmart (almost 100 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, Banning Kmart (91 jobs lost).

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), Colorado Springs Kmart at Powers and Palmer Park boulevards (57 jobs lost).

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),  Hiram Kmart (53 jobs lost), Marietta-East Cobb Kmart.

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), Winter Park Kmart (100 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), Fort Wayne Kmart on South Anthony Boulevard (70 jobs lost), FairOaks Mall Kmart, Logansport Sears (43 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), Montgomery Kmart (81 jobs lost), Mattoon Sears (more than 40 jobs lost), Chicago Sears on North State Street (160 jobs lost), Chicago Sears Craftsman Experience store, Galesburg Sears (46 jobs lost), White Lake Township Kmart (42 jobs lost), recently revealed Orland Park Sears Appliance.   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),  Mason City Kmart (50 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!),  Newport Kmart (81 jobs lost), Cannonsburg Sears and Sears Auto Center (no employee info given).

Louisiana: Slidell Sears (77 job 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, Landover Sears (115 jobs lost).

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), Bloomfield Township Kmart and Sears, Bad Axe Kmart (61 jobs lost),  Ypsilanti Township Kmart (83 jobs lost), Petoskey Kmart (45 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, Fergus Falls Kmart (40 jobs lost), Fergus Falls Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Alexandria Kmart (46 jobs lost), Grand Rapids Kmart (61 jobs lost),  Seritage is selling off three Sears Auto Centers in Minnetonka, Brooklyn Center and Saint Paul.

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), Ellisville Kmart (55 jobs lost), Springfield Kmart on South Campbell Avenue (60 jobs lost).

Montana: Missoula Kmart (50 jobs lost).

Nebraska: Grand Island Kmart (55 jobs lost).

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

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

New Mexico: Las Cruces Kmart (58 jobs lost), Albuquerque Kmart on Central SW (80 jobs lost).

New York: Depew (Lancaster?) Kmart (68 jobs lost), Colonie Kmart (72 jobs lost),  Fulton Kmart (51 jobs lost), Clifton Park Kmart (74 jobs lost), Latham Kmart (61 jobs lost), East Greenbush-Rensselaer Kmart (70 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, Cleveland County mall Sears (56 jobs lost), Charlotte Kmart (89 jobs lost), Conover Kmart (74 jobs lost), Raleigh Kmart on Capital Boulevard (53 jobs lost).

North Dakota: Jamestown Kmart (45 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),  Westlake Kmart/Sears (at least 57 jobs lost),  Xenia Kmart (at least 57 jobs lost), Norwalk Kmart (52 jobs lost), Blue Ash Kmart (77 jobs lost), Northwood Sears, recently revealed Conneaut Kmart (43 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), Shawnee Sears (31 jobs lost).

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), Klamath Falls Kmart (64 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), Philadelphia Gallery Mall Kmart (120 jobs lost), Philadelphia Kmart on Orthodox Street and Castor Avenue (169 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), Harbison Sears & Sears Auto Center in the Columbiana Centre mall (97 jobs lost), Aiken Sears & Sears Auto Center (at least 54 jobs lost), Inlet Square Mall Kmart (50 jobs lost), West Ashely Kmart (69 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), Franklin Kmart (33 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:  Murray Sears (for some reason Mormon control news media in Utah never reported the closure, but they’re reporting that the building has just been demolished), 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), Stafford Sears Hometown, Newport News Kmart (at least 50 jobs lost), Wise Kmart (58 jobs lost), Harrisonburg Kmart (79 jobs lost), Wincester Kmart (91 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), Oak Harbor Kmart (68 jobs lost), Sodo Sears and Sears Auto Center (79 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), Greenfield Kmart (107 jobs lost), Portage Kmart (78 jobs lost) and Hales Corner (129 jobs lost),  Chippewa Falls Kmart (79 jobs lost), Menomonie Kmart (at least 50 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)

Business/Economics

Exceptional Failed State: U.S. job losses & store closings 11-15 December 2013. More health care cuts! More bank jobs slashed!

Incomplete list of announced closings and layoffs:

California:  Too Big to Jail, Wells Fargo bank, laid off 47 people. American Medical Response laid off 107 people! Taxsucker Boeing laid off 31 employees.  In Irvine, Discover Card laid off 74 employees.  The Hyatt Regency hotel shutdown, 327 jobs lost!  In Modesto, Post Foods laid off 49 employees.  In Lancaster, Corelogic Tax Service laid off 74 employees.  In Santa Anna, PSS World Medical laid off 10 workers.  In Riverbank, Silgan Containers laid off another four people.

Florida:  In Jacksonville, for unknown reasons Swisher International laid off 172 people!

New York:  In Medina, Worthington Cylinders (formerly BernzOmatic) shutdown one of their hand tool factories.  155 jobs lost!  In NYC, LIR Management Corp/Food Court shutdown, 124 jobs lost!

Pennsylvania: In Allentown, Westfield Hospital and Westfield Surgery Center laid off 70 employees.  In Wilkes-Barre, Travelocity laid off 77 employees.

Texas: In San Antonio, Travelocity laid off 62 employees.  In El Paso, vacuum maker Eureka shutdown, 72 jobs lost to production in Mexico.  Visiting Nurses Association laid off 845 nurses!  (so much for ObamaCare) In Irving, Too Big to Jail Wells Fargo bank laid off 125 people!

Wisconsin: In Appleton, Too Big to Jail Wells Fargo bank shutdown, 51 jobs lost.

Challenger, Gray, and Christmas reports 30,623 “planned” job cuts were announced in December 2013.

09-10 December 2013: God allows more Christian businesses to shutdown! 

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

Exceptional Failed State: U.S. job losses & store closings 09-10 December 2013. More housing market cuts! More health care cuts! God allows more Christian businesses to shutdown!

Incomplete list of announced closings and layoffs:

Food crisis: Corporate food provider, U.S. based Kellogg’s, shutting down a 90 years old Canadian food factory in 2014, killing 500 jobs.

California: More proof the internet is not stealing brick-n-mortar business; in San Francisco, digital music store Beatport shutdown.  It was taken over by SFX Entertainment.   Also, mobile payment processor Clinkle laid off 16 employees.

Colorado:  More proof the internet is not stealing brick-n-mortar business; in Denver, digital music store Beatport laid off 20 employees.  In Colorado Springs, Little Market & Deli shutdown.  In Fort Collins, the Christian god refused to save the Bible Superstore from shutting down: “….because of financial reasons, I am no longer able to keep the store open.”-Ron Carroll, owner

Georgia: In Marietta, utility engineering company STS shutdown, 153 jobs lost!  In Monroe, after 79 years Sanders Furniture shutdown.  In Macon, TailSpin pet supply store shutdown: “We found it very hard to make ends meet.  We love the location, but we just can’t make it work.”-Jusak Yang Bernhard, co-owner

Kentucky:  First MED ambulance service shutdown, hundreds of jobs lost! The company went bust.

Massachusetts:  Another jewelery store bites the diamond dust.  After 46 years Chalet Jewelers shutdown.  Video game maker Harmonix warned of layoffs, blamed on “future projects”.

New Jersey: What housing market recovery?  In Newark, E-Showings real estate shutdown their call center.  The CEO was convicted of stealing money from the company’s payroll.  Employees had no notice of the shutdown, finding out only after their long commutes to the call center.  Some employees say they’re owed several months of pay! (I’ve experienced that , and the Idaho Department of Labor was no help)

New York:  Time warned its employees it will kill more jobs in 2014, on top of the 500 jobs they’ve already killed!

North Carolina: First MED ambulance service shutdown, hundreds of jobs lost! The company went bust.

Ohio: What housing market recovery?  In Toledo, after 51 years Bedland furniture store shutdown.  The owner blamed the drastic slowdown in the housing market.  First MED ambulance service shutdown, at least 1500 jobs lost!

Oregon:  In Reedsport, American Bridge Company shutdown one of their fabrication shops. 51 jobs lost.

Pennsylvania: In York, British empire company BAE, laid off 135 Yankee jobs! It’s blamed on the end of upgrades to the Bradley IFV (that’s right, the British empire makes U.S. weapons systems, how despicable and traitorous of our ‘elected’ officials).   American Bridge Company shutdown one of their fabrication shops. 77 jobs lost.  In Honesdale, the 60 years old Weniger Variety Store shutdown: “….the last few years have been tough. The economy hasn’t been great.”-Don Weniger, owner

South Carolina: First MED ambulance service shutdown, hundreds of jobs lost! The company went bust.

Texas: In Fort Worth, legal drug pusher Galderma warned of layoffs.  In San Antonio, Trinity Mining & Construction Equipment shutdown, 86 jobs lost.

Virginia: Crony capitalist Virginia based, NII Holdings (aka Nextel), laid off 1400 people from the U.S. to Argentina!  For some reason the company expects to lose a lot of customers, 400-thousand in Mexico alone! Bertie County declares state of emergency because First MED ambulance service shutdown, at least 200 jobs lost!   “The company is no longer in business. At this time they are not giving any explanation for their sudden closure. No further comment.“-company statement to WVEC news

West Virginia: First MED ambulance service shutdown, hundreds of jobs lost! The company went bust.

07-08 December 2013: Hallmark shuts down without notice! 

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

World War 3: Brazil, China, India and South Africa join Russia against G7! Russians laughing their asses off because Obama sanctions against Russia will backfire!

24 March 2014 (17:39 UTC-07 Tango)/22 Jumada l-Ula 1435/04 Farvardin 1393/24 Ding-Mao 4712

“G8 is an informal organization that does not give out any membership cards and, by its definition, cannot remove anyone. If our Western partners believe that this organizational format has been outlived, so be it!”-Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Russia

The members of the anti-G7 group, BRICS, have stated their economic support for Russia.  Specifically, they blasted threats by the U.S./U.K. led G7, which threatened to kick Russia out of the G20: “The Ministers noted with concern, the recent media statement on the forthcoming G20 Summit to be held in Brisbane in November 2014. The custodianship of the G20 belongs to all Member States equally and no one Member State can unilaterally determine its nature and character.”-BRICS statement

It’s becoming clear that U.S. and British empire led sanctions against Russia are going to backfire: “The position of officialdom and business is that these sanctions aren’t hitting Russia very hard, while harsher economic sanctions are problematic for Western countries themselves.”-Dmitry Danilov, Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences

There are already reports that people are actually increasing deposits into the Obama sanctioned Bank Rossiya, hundreds of new accounts have been opened.  This is despite Visa and Mastercard suspending their services with the bank.

Russia is striking back, imposing sanctions against 13 British empire Canadian officials.  They are banned from entering Russia.

Nine U.S. falsely elected member of Congress are also banned from entering Russia.

“We have repeatedly warned that sanctions are a double-edged instrument and would hit the United States like a boomerang!”-Russian Foreign Ministry

Business/Economics

Exceptional Failed State: U.S. job losses & store closings 07-08 December 2013. More British empire cuts in the U.S.! More housing market cuts! Idaho Hallmark shuts down without notice!

Incomplete list of announced closings and layoffs:

The Too Big to Jail British empire Royal Bank of Canada laid off 165 people in the United States!  It’s part of their killing of 1129 full time jobs!

Thermoforming, materials handling, green technologies and engineered components maker, PendaForm, shutdown factories in Indiana and Ohio.  At least 79 jobs lost. Both factories had been in operation for more than 60 years. The shutdowns are connected to PendaForm’s take over of Fabri-Form.

California: In Santa Maria, a Safeway owned Vons grocery store shutdown.  In Irvine, Labcorp laid off 70 people.

Florida:  In Crestview, after 21 years Lewis & Co. Jewelers was liquidated.  Saks Fifth Avenue shutdown it’s Florida Mall store, it’s part of the take over by British empire Canadian company Hudson Bay. In Orlando, the Taste Restaurant shutdown without notice: “They just kind of went away suddenly. I notice they didn’t tell a lot of people, even though they had some events going on there.”-Andrea Kudlacz, customer

The former location of Pocatello, Idaho's Hallmark, next door to the Fred Meyer. Employees had 4 days notice, and the place was vacated quickly.

The former location of Pocatello, Idaho’s Hallmark, next door to the Fred Meyer. Employees had 4 days notice, and the place was vacated quickly.

Idaho: In Pocatello, Hallmark Coach House Gifts shutdown with little notice, and no explanation.   Employees were told just four days before the shutdown.  At least 11 jobs lost.  Coach House Gifts is a Iowa based franchise, the shutdown could be part of Hallmark’s ongoing restructuring because of the bad economy.

Illinois: In La Grange, Too Big to Jail PNC Bank shutdown an office.

Kentucky: Big River Electric laid off 165 employees!  It’s blamed on the shutdown of two major customers.

Massachusetts:  Repair work to the Rosaire J. Rajotte Memorial Bridge has killed the successful Laurieann’s Restaurant and Bar: “As soon as they put the barriers up, nobody could get in or out. I had lines out the door when [the restaurant] first opened. As soon as they [construction operations] came in, nobody wanted to deal with the traffic. I lost the older crowd first. Then it was just the bar crowd…..”-Laurieann Kayhart Caterino, owner

Michigan: South Redford School district looking to cut maintenance staff.  In Royal Oak, after 33 years Naked Furniture shutdown.

Oregon: In Portland, Too Big to Jail CapitalOne laid off 66 people.

Texas: What housing market recovery?  In Austin, roofing contractor Ad Willis Company now bankrupt.

Virginia: In Jarratt, paper company Georgia-Pacific laid off 65 employees.

Washington: In Bellingham, Jelita Arts shutdown after ten years.  The owner blames health problems.

06 December 2013: No more deodorant, no more Ben & Jerry’s, no more Lipton? 

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

World War 3: China ignores U.S. dollar and accepts New Zealand dollar!

18 March 2014 (12:31 UTC-07 Tango)/16 Jumada l-Ula 1435/27 Esfand 1392/18 Ding-Mao 4712

The People’s Bank of China will now accept the New Zealand Dollar (NZD).

The China Foreign Exchange Trading System says direct trading between the yuan and NZD will start on 19 March 2014.

Vietnam bans the U.S. dollar

Australia, New Zealand give up U.S. Dollar!

Argentina dumps U.S. dollars

Japan & China drop the U.S. dollar

IMF accepts Chinese Yuan against U.S. dollar

BRICS will dump the U.S. dollar

Iran makes first oil sale not based on U.S. dollar

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: The United States is the World’s Gas Station, U.S. government says so! The World needs to sanction U.S. petroleum!

18 March 2014 (22:48 UTC-07 Tango 17 March 2014)/16 Jumada l-Ula 1435/27 Esfand 1392/18 Ding-Mao 4712

Look, United States is a gas station masquerading as a country. It’s kleptocracy! It’s corruption! It’s a nation that’s really only dependent upon oil and gas for their economy, and so economic sanctions are important.

In October 2013 the U.S. Energy Information Administration (USEIA) announced “…the United States will be the world’s top producer of petroleum and natural gas hydrocarbons in 2013, surpassing Russia and Saudi Arabia.”  This means the United States, with a crashing consumer economy and still off shoring jobs to other countries, is totally dependent on oil and gas exports to save it’s sorry economic ass!

The USEIA showed just how much leaders like John McCain are relying on the oil and gas industry to save their sorry political asses: “Since 2008, U.S. petroleum production has increased 7 quadrillion Btu, with dramatic growth in Texas and North Dakota. Natural gas production has increased by 3 quadrillion Btu over the same period, with much of this growth coming from the eastern United States. Russia and Saudi Arabia each increased their combined hydrocarbon output by about 1 quadrillion Btu over the past five years.”

John McCain is either a bold face liar, or woefully stupid when it comes to just who is the World’s Gas Station: “Look, Russia is a gas station masquerading as a country. It’s kleptocracy. It’s corruption. It’s a nation that’s really only dependent upon oil and gas for their economy, and so economic sanctions are important.”-Statement made during appearance on CNN’s State of the Union

So what’s this coming war with Russia really about?  Not “freedom”!  It’s about returning and maintaining the United States in the position of the World’s number one Gas Station.

Business/Economics

More Sears & Kmart closings: Sears Canada bankrupt? Lands End kicked out? Beware Seritage?

18 March 2014 (21:43 UTC-07 Tango 17 March 2014)/16 Jumada l-Ula 1435/27 Esfand 1392/18 Ding-Mao 4712

Another Ohio Sears to close down, in July.  Louisiana joins the Sears shutdown in June.  After 32 years a Springfield, Missouri, Kmart closing in June.

One of three ‘Green-Future’ Kmarts in Illinois shutting down in April.  Sean O’Neil, White Lake Township’s planning director, says the store was allowed to go to pot after the ‘Green’ makeover 11 years ago: “The property was not kept up. It’s deteriorated and tired.”

In New Mexico, a gang of four burglars tried to take $38 to 40-thousand USD in merchandise, after they broke into a Deming Kmart. Local news report said all four burglars were arrested with the merchandise, because police had set up a trap due to past burglaries.  Police were in the process of serving search warrants in an attempt to find merchandise from prior burglaries.

In Pennsylvania, three men have been charged with stealing $2700 worth of jewelry from a Moorestown Kmart.

In Australia, the boss of operations Down Under admitted he was surprised at how bad Kmarts have gotten: “I went around to everyone at the Kmart family and I asked them what they thought was wrong. This was a business with a $4 billion [AUD] turnover and making zero profit!”-Guy Russo, CEO

Australian Kmarts are owned by Wesfarmers, not Sears Holdings.

In Canada, Sears Home Services (SHS) now bankrupt.  In February 2013 Sears Canada sold off their home repair service to a SHS company director by the name of Micheal Clements.   He kept the Sears name (aka SHS Services Management/SHS Services Limited Partnership).  But he soon went bankrupt, and screwed over hundreds of customers.

In British Columbia, Doreen and Frank Porta paid Sears Home Services $11-thousand CAD to put a new roof on their house.  SHS hired a contractor to do the job, but never paid them.  Now the contractor has placed a lean against the Porta home, even though they already paid SHS.  Sear Home Services went bankrupt in December 2013, saying they owe $17 million to nearly 600 companies/contractors!  The new owners of SHS somehow lost $14-million in nine months!  Get this, Michael Clements bought SHS because it was project to make $208 million per year!  What happened?

Sears Canada is not off the hook, they are ordered to back up warranty claims for work done by SHS, and to help customers facing liens against their properties.  Turns out the claim that SHS was going to make $208-million per year came from Sears Canada, so is this a case of Sears Canada ripping off one of their own directors?

The bankruptcy not only affects employees of SHS, but employees of Sears warehouses and Sears stores.  More than 600 Canadians now out-o-work as a result.

Back in the U.S.A., Sears Holdings has decided to spin off Lands End, in April.

A report has revealed that Seritage Real Estate (Seritage Realty Trust) is just another smoke & mirrors operation by Sears Holdings.  In Minnesota, it was revealed that Seritage was selling off three Sears Auto Centers; one in Minnetonka, one in Brooklyn Center, and one near the State Capitol in Saint Paul.

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),  Decatur Mall Sears (91 jobs lost), Fort Payne Kmart.

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, Banning Kmart (91 jobs lost).

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), Colorado Springs Kmart at Powers and Palmer Park boulevards (57 jobs lost).

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),  Hiram Kmart (53 jobs lost), Marietta-East Cobb Kmart.

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), Winter Park Kmart (100 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), Fort Wayne Kmart on South Anthony Boulevard (70 jobs lost), FairOaks Mall Kmart, Logansport Sears (43 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), Montgomery Kmart (81 jobs lost), Mattoon Sears (more than 40 jobs lost), Chicago Sears on North State Street (160 jobs lost), Chicago Sears Craftsman Experience store, Galesburg Sears (46 jobs lost), recently revealed White Lake Township Kmart (42 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),  Mason City Kmart (50 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!),  Newport Kmart (81 jobs lost), Cannonsburg Sears and Sears Auto Center (no employee info given).

Louisiana: Recently revealed Slidell Sears (77 job 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, Landover Sears (115 jobs lost).

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), Bloomfield Township Kmart and Sears, Bad Axe Kmart (61 jobs lost),  Ypsilanti Township Kmart (83 jobs lost), Petoskey Kmart (45 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, Fergus Falls Kmart (40 jobs lost), Fergus Falls Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Alexandria Kmart (46 jobs lost), Grand Rapids Kmart (61 jobs lost), recently revealed that Seritage is selling off three Sears Auto Centers in Minnetonka, Brooklyn Center and Saint Paul.

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), Ellisville Kmart (55 jobs lost), recently revealed Springfield Kmart on South Campbell Avenue (60 jobs lost).

Montana: Missoula Kmart (50 jobs lost).

Nebraska: Grand Island Kmart (55 jobs lost).

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

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

New Mexico: Las Cruces Kmart (58 jobs lost), Albuquerque Kmart on Central SW (80 jobs lost).

New York: Depew (Lancaster?) Kmart (68 jobs lost), Colonie Kmart (72 jobs lost),  Fulton Kmart (51 jobs lost), Clifton Park Kmart (74 jobs lost), Latham Kmart (61 jobs lost), East Greenbush-Rensselaer Kmart (70 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, Cleveland County mall Sears (56 jobs lost), Charlotte Kmart (89 jobs lost), Conover Kmart (74 jobs lost), Raleigh Kmart on Capital Boulevard (53 jobs lost).

North Dakota: Jamestown Kmart (45 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),  Westlake Kmart/Sears (at least 57 jobs lost),  Xenia Kmart (at least 57 jobs lost), Norwalk Kmart (52 jobs lost), Blue Ash Kmart (77 jobs lost), recently revealed Northwood Sears.    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), Shawnee Sears (31 jobs lost).

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), Klamath Falls Kmart (64 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), Philadelphia Gallery Mall Kmart (120 jobs lost), Philadelphia Kmart on Orthodox Street and Castor Avenue (169 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), Harbison Sears & Sears Auto Center in the Columbiana Centre mall (97 jobs lost), Aiken Sears & Sears Auto Center (at least 54 jobs lost), Inlet Square Mall Kmart (50 jobs lost), West Ashely Kmart (69 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), Franklin Kmart (33 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:  Murray Sears (for some reason Mormon control news media in Utah never reported the closure, but they’re reporting that the building has just been demolished), 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), Stafford Sears Hometown, Newport News Kmart (at least 50 jobs lost), Wise Kmart (58 jobs lost), Harrisonburg Kmart (79 jobs lost), Wincester Kmart (91 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), Oak Harbor Kmart (68 jobs lost), Sodo Sears and Sears Auto Center (79 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), Greenfield Kmart (107 jobs lost), Portage Kmart (78 jobs lost) and Hales Corner (129 jobs lost),  Chippewa Falls Kmart (79 jobs lost), Menomonie Kmart (at least 50 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)

Business/Economics, Technology, U.S.

Exceptional Failed State: 50% increase in old fashioned wood for heating in Northeastern United States, as Obama regime moves to join Mormon dominated Utah and ban wood burning stoves! PM2.5 is bullshit!

17 March 2014 (09:58 UTC-07 Tango)/15 Jumada l-Ula 1435/26 Esfand 1392/17 Ding-Mao 4712

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports “All nine states in the New England and the Middle Atlantic Census divisions saw at least a 50% jump from 2005 to 2012 in the number of households that rely on wood as the main heating source.”

“In total, about 2.5 million households (2.1%) across the country use wood as the main fuel for home heating, up from 1.9 million households (1.7%) in 2005. An additional 9 million households (7.7%) use wood as a secondary heating fuel. This combination of main and secondary heating accounts for about 500 trillion British thermal units (Btu) of wood consumption per year in the residential sector, or about the same as propane consumption and slightly less than fuel oil consumption.”

The USEIA also stated that while low income families use the most wood (to avoid expensive propane, oil or natural gas) it’s actually higher income families who “are more likely to use wood”.

This data comes as the Obama regime, through the EPA, is trying to eventually ban the use of wood for heating altogether.

In December 2013, the state of Utah banned the use of wood burning stoves in five counties.  It’s blamed on a trendy new pollutant called PM2.5.  This trendy new term is the same term that’s been used to describe China’s growing pollution problem, but there PM2.5 is blamed on factories and cars.

PM2.5 is also being blamed for growing levels of pollution all over the world.

Now realize that the United States has imposed strict pollution control measures and devices on cars and factories for several decades (since 1974 for cars in California), yet pollution is still a problem?  From the 1960s through the 1990s we never heard of PM2.5!

In January 2014, the U.S. Environment Protection Agency proposed an eventual ban on wood burning stoves and even charcoal burning BBQs.  Without going into details, starting in 2015 such “devices” must burn 80% cleaner than they do now, and it gets ridiculously stricter over the next five to years, with the net effect of rendering wood burning stoves, heaters and charcoal BBQs illegal!

What the hell is PM2.5?   PM stands for Particulate Matter.  2.5 is a measurement in micrometers, it is not a tangible substance.   It could be 2.5 micrometers of household dust, or 2.5 micrometers of bullshit coming from the mouths of the Trilateral Commission, Bilderberger, left wing environmental NAZI nut jobs who’ve taken over your governments! (and “officially” you voted for most of them)

Studies done in the U.S. and U.K. (and published in the past couple of years) blame 13% of heart attacks on PM2.5!  That’s right, for 13% of heart attack victims air pollution, not fatty foods, caused plaque build up in their arteries!

The UN World Health Organization says PM2.5 “….causes about 3% of mortality from cardiopulmonary disease, about 5% of mortality from cancer of the trachea, bronchus, and lung, and about 1% of mortality from acute respiratory infections in children…”

Pay attention, most of these studies do not identify a specific Particulate Matter, it’s any PM that’s 2.5 micrometers in size!

The idea you can put an end to PM that’s 2.5 micrometers in size is insane.  Go back one thousand years, what did people use to heat their homes and cook food and boil water?  Wood and coal and even dried bones and bovine crap!  The whole of humanity around the world burning wood, coal, bones and crap, and you think air pollution is bad now?!

Here’s an conspiracy: This is all part of the U.S. gas station, I mean  petroleum (oil, gas) industry’s evil plot to force you to buy their expensive products.

“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