08 November 2012, Iraq has expelled the Turkish oil company, TPAO (aka Turkish Petroleum Corporation).
Iraqi government officials refuse to explain why at the moment, but could it have something to do with continued Turkish bombing of Iraq?
On 06 November, Turkish F-16 Vipers bombed northern Iraq, killing two people and wounding three. Back on 02 October Iraq demanded U.S.-led NATO member Turkey stop its attacks.
Turkey claims it is targeting Kurdish insurgents.
On 06 November 2012, Japan’s Nissan Motors reduced its expected profits for the Japanese fiscal year (ending in March 2013), by 20%!
Nissan, like Mazda, is blaming most of it on crashing sales in China. Nissan also blames the bad economy in Europe, and the increasing value of the Japanese yen (which makes Japanese cars more expensive).
Nissan reported sales numbers in China similar to what Mazda reported days ago. Nissan experienced a 35% drop in September, then a 41% drop in October!
Chinese consumers are boycotting Japanese products (even those actually made in China) over Japan’s take over of an island that China says belongs to them.
08 November 2012, Japan’s Science Ministry discovered that 675 radiation detectors, placed around Fukushima Daiichi, are reading at least 10% below actual radiation levels!
Since April 2011 the monitors have been uploading radiation readings to the internet, in real time.
The Science Ministry investigated their devices because independent radiation detection by local governments, and individuals, were consistently higher than the national Science Ministry’s data. Something I’ve pointed out in past postings, but of course the main stream media goes with official national government data.
In March 2012, residents of Fukushima Prefecture reported that the national government data was too low. They were ignored. In April 2012, Green Peace reported that radiation levels were much higher than what the national government was reporting. Green Peace was blown off. Even independent Japanese reporters risked their lives going into the radiation contamination zone, then posted their video on YouTube, in some cases showing their radiation detectors pegging at higher than officially reported levels. They were ignored.
The Science Ministry now says the data from individuals and local governments are correct. The 675 defective official radiation monitors were constructed with the battery housing blocking the radiation detectors’ sensors!
It will now cost Japanese taxpayers $1.8 million USD to fix the problem!
08 November 2012, just hours after I posted and updated closing list, yet another Kmart was revealed to be closing!
It’s a Kmart in Homer Glen, Illinois. The store originally was a Sears, but was remodeled and turned into a Kmart just last year!
The 82 employees were told on 07 November that they were losing their jobs in late January 2013.
Here’s the updated list, with the Illinois addition. Also, a Sears scheduled to close in Kentucky is now under independent ownership and is having a grand re-opening this month!
Alabama: Gadsden Kmart (50 jobs lost), Mobile Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Auburn Kmart (at least 40 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).
Colorado: Broomfield Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Glenwood Springs Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lone Tree Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Longmont Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Pueblos’ South Side Kmart (52 jobs lost).
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).
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 to be closed by 03 February 2013 (69 jobs lost), Hialeah Kmart (67 jobs lost).
Idaho: Lewiston Sears (at least 60 jobs lost).
Indiana: Anderson Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint John Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Indianapolis Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost).
Illinois: Melrose Park Sears parts and repair center (50 jobs lost), Fairview Heights Kmart (81 jobs lost), Freeport Kmart (45 jobs lost), Pontiac Kmart (more than 47 jobs lost), and the newly revealed Homer Glen Kmart (82 jobs lost).
Iowa: Cedar Rapids Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Davenport Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Burlington 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).
Maine: Lewiston Sears (60 to 70 jobs lost).
Maryland: Ellicott Sears (at least 40 jobs lost).
Michigan: Brighton Sears Grand/Essentials, Harper Woods Sears Full line, Monroe Sears Full line, Adrian Sears Full line, Washington Township Kmart, Chesterfield Kmart, Woodhaven Kmart.
Minnesota: Willmar Kmart, Duluth Kmart, New Hope Kmart, White Bear Lake Kmart.
Mississippi: Jackson Sears Full line, McComb Sears Full line, Columbus Sears Full line.
Missouri: Lee’s Summit Sears Grand/Essentials, Saint Louis Sears Full line.
Montana: Missoula Kmart (50 jobs lost).
New Hampshire: Nashau Sears Grand/Essentials, Keene Sears Grand/Essentials.
North Carolina: High Point Sears, Moorehead Sears, Rocky Mount Sears, Statesville Sears, Durham Kmart (79 jobs lost).
New Jersey: Lawnside Kmart (about 80 jobs lost).
Ohio: Chagrin Falls Kmart, Springfield Kmart, two Toledo Kmarts, Medina Kmart, Columbus Kmart, Zanesville Sears (67 jobs lost), Trotwood Kmart (71 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.
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) .
Pennsylvania: Upper Darby Sears Full line, Pottstown Sears Full line, Pittsburgh Kmart, Wilkins Sears.
South Carolina: Sumter Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Orangeburg Sears (approximately 50 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).
Texas: Two Sears parts and repair centers closing in The Woodlands (117 jobs lost), rebuild center in Garland (58 jobs lost).
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).
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).
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).
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, 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
Hawaii: Ala Moana Center
Washington: Bellis Fair Mall (Bellingham store, see above)
Minnesota: Apache Mall
Illinois: Market Place Shopping Center
07 November 2012, the day after the main stream U.S. media prematurely declared Barack Obama the new President (the Shadow Voters, aka Electoral College, vote to elect the President on 17 December 2012), investors are driving up stock prices for gun makers and those chain stores that sell guns.
Investment analysts say it because investors expect a run on guns, because many supporters of the Second Amendment think a re-elected Obama will result in more gun control laws.
That might be, but there could be another reason: Civil War.
Back in August a Texas judge warned that if Obama was re-elected there would be civil war: “…he’s going to try to give the sovereignty of the United States away to the United Nations. What do you think the public is going to do when that happens? We are talking civil unrest, civil disobedience, possibly, possibly civil war, OK? Now what happens? What happens? Now I’m not talking just talking riots here and there. I’m talking Lexington, Concord, take up arms, get rid of the dictator. OK, what do you think he is going to do when that happens? He is going to call in the UN troops, personnel carriers, tanks and weapons.”-Tom Head, Lubbock County judge and Emergency Management Coordinator
Seemingly in response, on 06 November several so called Liberals stated on Twitter things like “Vote for Mitt Romney… It’ll better our chances to start a civil war”, “If Romney win second civil war”, “Lady in the polling line say if romney win its gone b a civil war”, “Goin buy a gun tommorow Cus if Romney win I ain’t goin out without a fight”, “If Mitt Romney win get ya gun game up” etc.
Note the pro-gun statements by so called liberals. Here in Idaho, Democrats are just as supportive of the Second Amendment as their Republican neighbors, and the same can be said of most Idahoans who don’t claim a political party preference. Maybe that’s why the main stream anti-gun rights north-eastern based & focused U.S. media assume all Idahoans are Republicans?
08 November 2012, the closing of Kmarts and Sears continues. This time it includes a store in Australia!
The Kmart store in Katoomba, Australia, is being replaced with a Woolworths. This comes after the Australian owned Kmart reported increased sales (Kmarts in Australia and New Zealand are not owned by the U.S. based Sears Holdings).
In Canada, Sears is spending money trying to rebuild its image through an advertising campaign. Officials admitted that Sears doesn’t satisfy ‘needs’, and they will focus on ‘wants’ in their adds: “We sell more wants than needs. What ‘wants’ deliver is inspiration and emotion, happiness, and that was really the emotion we focused on for our brand and tag line.”-Calvin McDonald, Sears Canada CEO
The problem is that in bad economies your average working class consumer must ignore ‘wants’ and are forced to focus on ‘needs’.
U.S. based Sears Holdings announced they will release third quarter earnings on 15 November 2012.
Here’s the updated list, with the North Carolina addition.
Alabama: Gadsden Kmart (50 jobs lost), Mobile Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Auburn Kmart (at least 40 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).
Colorado: Broomfield Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Glenwood Springs Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lone Tree Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Longmont Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Pueblos’ South Side Kmart (52 jobs lost).
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).
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 to be closed by 03 February 2013 (69 jobs lost), Hialeah Kmart (67 jobs lost).
Idaho: Lewiston Sears (at least 60 jobs lost).
Indiana: Anderson Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint John Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Indianapolis Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost).
Illinois: Melrose Park Sears parts and repair center (50 jobs lost), Fairview Heights Kmart (81 jobs lost), Freeport Kmart (45 jobs lost), Pontiac Kmart (more than 47 jobs lost).
Iowa: Cedar Rapids Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Davenport Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Burlington Kmart (50 jobs lost).
Kansas: Lawrence Sears (at least 40 jobs lost).
Kentucky: Middlesboro Sears Hard lines, Winchester Kmart, Hazard Kmart.
Maine: Lewiston Sears.
Maryland: Ellicott Sears Grand/Essentials.
Michigan: Brighton Sears Grand/Essentials, Harper Woods Sears Full line, Monroe Sears Full line, Adrian Sears Full line, Washington Township Kmart, Chesterfield Kmart, Woodhaven Kmart.
Minnesota: Willmar Kmart, Duluth Kmart, New Hope Kmart, White Bear Lake Kmart.
Mississippi: Jackson Sears Full line, McComb Sears Full line, Columbus Sears Full line.
Missouri: Lee’s Summit Sears Grand/Essentials, Saint Louis Sears Full line.
Montana: Missoula Kmart.
New Hampshire: Nashau Sears Grand/Essentials, Keene Sears Grand/Essentials.
North Carolina: High Point Sears, Moorehead Sears, Rocky Mount Sears, Statesville Sears, and the newly revealed Durham Kmart (79 jobs lost).
New Jersey: Lawnside Kmart.
Ohio: Chagrin Falls Kmart, Springfield Kmart, two Toledo Kmarts, Medina Kmart, Columbus Kmart, Zanesville Sears (67 jobs lost), Trotwood Kmart (71 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.
Oregon: Roseburg Sears, Tualatin Kmart.
Pennsylvania: Upper Darby Sears Full line, Pottstown Sears Full line, Pittsburgh Kmart, Wilkins Sears.
South Carolina: Sumter Sears, Orangeburg Sears (approximately 50 jobs lost).
Tennessee: Antioch Sears Full line, Cleveland Sears Full line, Oak Ridge Sears Full line, Hendersonville Kmart, Morristown Sears Full line.
Texas: Two Sears parts and repair centers closing in The Woodlands (117 jobs lost), rebuild center in Garland (58 jobs lost).
Virginia: Norfolk Sears Full line, Midlothian Kmart, Richmond Kmart, Lynchburg Sears (84 jobs lost).
Washington: Walla Walla Sears Full line, Lacey Kmart, Kelso Sears, Lakewood Kmart (59 jobs lost), Bellingham Sears (92 jobs lost).
Wisconsin: West Baraboo Sears Grand/Essentials, Rice Lake Kmart.
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, 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
Hawaii: Ala Moana Center
Washington: Bellis Fair Mall (Bellingham store, see above)
Minnesota: Apache Mall
Illinois: Market Place Shopping Center
“Assuming a fully functioning marijuana market and the assumptions following in this summary, estimated total revenue generated to the state could be as high as $1,943,936,000 over five fiscal years.”-Washington OFM Fiscal Impact Statement (I-502)
On 06 November 2012, voters in the U.S. states of Washington and Colorado legalized the recreational use of marijuana for adults.
Many people will claim this as a victory for civil liberties, but it could result in a huge boost to the economies of those states, as well.
According to Culture Magazine, in 2011 the state of Colorado collected $5 million USD in taxes from medical marijuana use, about $1.5 million more than the state’s electronics and appliance retail industry!
Now Colorado will be able to collect taxes on the recreational use of marijuana as well. According to supporters of the new law, it will also save law enforcement $12 million in the first year, and create $24 million every year for school construction projects. They estimate that after five years legalized marijuana will result in $100 million per year in revenues and savings for state/local governments!
According to Washington’s own State Office of Financial Management, legalized marijuana will create almost $2 billion in tax revenue for the state, over the next five years!
State officials also expect increased revenue from fees for traffic violations, as a result of driving while under the influence of marijuana.
And by the way, this revenue comes even as the price of marijuana is expected to drop due to the fact that it’s now legal. In Washington the marijuana tax system is a European style Value Added Tax, meaning it is taxed at production, distribution and at the final sale. Essentially it’s taxed three times.
The problem now are the threats coming from Washington DC: “One of the nightmare scenarios for Washington is Congress gets really nasty and says, ‘Ha! No more federal highway dollars for you.’ If they do something like that then the financial loss vastly swamps any of the financial gains.”-Jonathan Caulkins, Carnegie Melon University
“…a catastrophe and very bad news….We have a huge problem in the rest of the euro area that now seems to be reaching Germany and its labor market. For the coming quarters, the economic outlook is quite gloomy.”-Thomas Harjes, economist at Barclays
On 06 November 2012, Deutsche Bundesbank revealed that there is no let up in the dropping factory orders for German companies. September had a 4.7% drop, October saw a 4.6% drop, from the year before.
From October to September (month to month) there was a 3.3% drop, which was much more than analysts had expected.
Factory orders from European Union (EU) customers (Euro-area orders) make up the biggest part of the drop, followed by orders outside the EU (export orders): “The weak economic environment in the euro area and in the broader global economy is having a bigger impact on demand for German industrial goods. Therefore industrial production may weaken further in the months to come.”-Statement from Germany’s Economy Ministry
Germany is considered the economic powerhouse of the European Union. Almost a month ago the President of the Deutsche Bundesbank, Jens Weidmann, said: “The German economy continues to be in robust shape….”
Now one analyst says Germany “…is unlikely to be spared from a technical recession.”-Annalisa Piazza, New Edge
Christian Ott, an investment bank economist said: “…the [German] resilience has come to an end…”
06 November 2012, the Japanese Health Ministry decided to ease restrictions on U.S. beef imports. Seven years ago Japan banned U.S. beef from cows older than 20 months, because of the Mad Cow disease.
They will now take beef from cows as old as 30 months. There is one condition, the brain and spinal column must be removed.
Japan is a major buyer of beef from the U.S. state of Idaho, and even with the 20 month age restriction, sales to Japan has helped Idaho's meat industry make about $1 billion USD per year ($2.5 million of that is from exports of beef)!
Japanese health officials say they’re raising the age restriction because there has been no Mad Cow reported in the U.S. for ten years. Unfortunately that is not true, back in April it was confirmed that a cow in the U.S. state of California had the disease.
The real reason is probably economic: Japanese officials claim that more than 90% of U.S. beef exports to the rest of the world are from cows 30 months of age or younger, and their decision to increase their age restriction will help drop the outrageously high beef prices in Japan: “They say U.S. beef prices will come down about 20%, once the ban is eased and imports increase. I think our customers will be happy.”-Grocery store manager in Japan
Another reason could be that U.S. officials, backed by the U.S. beef industry, has been threatening to retaliate by restricting the sale of Japanese beef in the U.S.
05 November 2012, two nuclear power reactors in Korea, south, have been shut down due to the discovery of thousands of potentially faulty parts.
Government officials (Knowledge Economy Ministry) say they discovered that at least eight parts suppliers have been lying about the reliability of those parts. Officials suspect that at least 5,233 bad parts are being used in five nuclear reactors.
The parts include things like fuses and switches. Officials say they are not parts directly related to the nuclear reactors and their radioactive fuel. However, the reactor shut downs will greatly impact electric power supply in the Republic of Korea, officials say it will take several months to replace all the parts.
I did not find any reports indicating if the faulty parts might have been the cause of two emergency shut downs back in August. Korea (south) currently has 23 nuclear reactors in operation. They hope to have 39 by the Gregorian/Western/Christian calender year 2030.