Category Archives: Business/Economics

Business/Economics, International

Yakuza beats out Japanese government on disaster response

Hours after the first shock waves hit, several of the largest crime groups in the Japanese mafia, opened their offices to those stranded in Tokyo, and shipped food, water, and blankets to the devastated areas.

The Inagawa-kai (the third largest organized crime group) sent twenty-five trucks filled with diapers, ramen, batteries, flashlights and drinks to the Tohoku region.

The Sumiyoshi-kai (the second-largest crime group) offered refuge to members of the foreign community, which is unheard of amongst the right-wing yakuza.

The Yamaguchi-gumi (largest crime group) opened its offices across the country to the public, and is very quietly sending truckloads of supplies.

Business/Economics, Fukushima

Honda stops sales to the United States

Honda is suspending May orders from U.S. Honda dealers.

Typically, dealers order cars six weeks in advance.  Honda hopes to resume partial production in Japan by Wednesday, but doesn’t know when production will return to full capacity due to the developing nuclear disaster.

This will affect the availability of the Fit, CR-Z, Civic Hybrid, Insight, Acura TSX, Acura RL and a small number of CR-Vs.

Business/Economics, Fukushima

Japanese Banks limiting access to cash

NHK has been reporting that banks around Japan are limiting ATM withdrawals.

Many Japanese are angry because they are having a hard time getting access to their money, in order to buy necessities.

Banks say their clients can still walk in, during limited hours, to make larger withdrawals.  The banks are blaming the disaster situation, including power outages, for the reason for limiting access to ATMs.

Just one more reason to keep your money under the mattress.

Business/Economics, Opinion, U.S.

Maybe the Crazy Rich are Right? Then we’re Screwed!

A Fidelity Investments survey shows that 4 out of 10 rich people, with an average wealth of $3.5 million, say it’s not enough.  Maybe they’re right.  Most of those surveyed are thinking about being able to retire.   They say $7.5 million in assets is required to retire comfortably.

Is this proof of how bad our economy is?

If the rich are saying you need at least $7.5 million to retire, then the rest of us are truly in trouble. In fact why bother continuing to play the rat race game?  Why bother with the keeping up with the Joneses game?  Why bother throwing a good portion of your income at a 401k retirement plan?  It’s clear that the overwhelming majority of U.S. citizens, even those pumping money into retirement schemes, are never going to hit the magic $7.5 million mark that 42% of rich people say is needed just to retire.

I’m not even Middle Class. My income has steadily been going down since January 2000.  Now, my before tax deductions income is less than $20,000 per year.  I know people worse off than that.

Is this proof of how bad our economy is?  If it is, the rest of us are f**ked!

 

 

 

Business/Economics, Opinion, U.S.

Proof that the Rich are Insane, they think they’re poor

Fidelity Investments surveys a thousand of some of its richest clients, to find out how they feel about their wealth.  The survey involves clients with an average of  $3.5 million in investment assets.

For 2010, 42% said they do not feel rich.  In 2009 it was 46% that did not feel rich.  That’s about 4 out of 10 rich people who think they are still poor.

How much would they need to feel rich?  According to the survey, $7.5 million.

Fidelity Investments also said 55% of the wealth in the United States is held by only 5% of the people.  This backs up what the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) said in one of their recently released surveys.

Sounds like some of the rich are suffering from some kind of personality, or obsessive compulsive, disorder.  Perhaps some kind of factitious disorder.  But what about the rest of us? After all we’re letting them run our economy, and in effect our lives.

 

 

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

Donations to Japan piddly compared to Haiti quake and Hurricane Katrina

A philanthropy newspaper reports that international non-profit donations to help Japan, one week after the 9.0 quake, total $87 million.

Compared to the number of donations, within the same time period, to Haiti and survivors of Hurricane Katrina, it is piddly.

Haiti received $275 million in donations to non-profits one week after their big quake.  Areas hit by Hurricane Katrina saw $522 million one week after that disaster.

This could be due to the bad economic situation, but I have seen plenty of comments on the web, many made by people in the United States, that show that a lot of people think Japan “deserves” this situation.  Xenophobia continues to build.

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Gaddafi right, Rebelion came from outside

A Wall Street Journal article suggests that Libyan rebels getting help from Egypt, Qatar and other Arab countries, all with U.S. approval.

Libyan rebels have praised Qatar from day one for their help.

Egypt is supposedly sending the rebels weapons (I wondered where the rebels got all those new looking heavy guns and missiles).  Hani Souflakis, a Libyan businessman in Cairo said “We know the Egyptian military council is helping us, but they can’t be so visible.”  Souflakis is a Libyan rebel liaison with the Egyptian government since the uprising began.

Libyan rebels admit they have been armed from the outside, but will not say who is arming them.  Also, the Wall Street journal reports that, all of a sudden, the rebels are using aircraft to launch air strikes against Libyan government troops (when the hell did they get aircraft?).  Some sources say the rebels are using captured Libyan aircraft, but that the rebels had to get spare parts, and trained air & ground crews from out side the country.

The Arab League actually drafted the UN Security Council’s declaration of  a no fly zone.

All this is proving that crazy sounding Gaddafi (Gadhafi, Kaddafi, Qaddafi, they all work) might be right when he claims that this whole “revolution” is a foreign act of war to get total control of Libya’s oil.

Business/Economics, Fukushima, U.S.

GM joins Toyota in reducing U.S. production

General Motors (GM) has announced that due to auto parts shortages, caused by the disasters in Japan, they will have to shut down some production in the United States.

A GM plant in Louisiana is the first to be closed, for a week, as a result.

Toyota had announced that it would slow production in its U.S. factories. Officials say production will not be affected at their engine plants. Instead of closing plants altogether, Toyota has eliminated overtime work.

Ford says so far their U.S. operations are not affected, Honda said the same thing.

Business/Economics, International

Japanese Stock Markets Down Again, more volatility to come

Stock markets in Japan closed down again. Blame being put on the increase in the Yen’s value.  Bank of Japan injected more cash, for the 4th day.  Japanese investors are becoming disheartened with what seems like futile efforts to stop a nuclear disaster.   It is predicted that trading in Japanese stock markets will become more volatile in the days to come.  There are signs that Japanese authorities will intervene in the currency market.