Tag Archives: crime

Business/Economics, Opinion, U.S.

People of the United States finally realizing that working hard does not improve your life, it only improves the life of the Man!

“The U.S. ranks outside of the top ten for the first time (down to 12th), pulled down primarily by a decline in the Entrepreneurship & Opportunity sub-index. This fall is driven by a decline in the number of U.S. citizens who
believe that hard work will get them ahead……”-2012 Legatum Prosperity Index

According to a recent study by the Legatum Institute, fewer and fewer U.S. citizens believe that hard work pays off.

I can attest to that, after three decades of busting my ass, doing my best, and I have almost nothing to show for it (I am still better off than those who’ve ended up on the streets).

I’ve been praised by employers for my attention to detail, organizing and people management skills. Yet when it came to getting a significant raise or promotion, forget it! I got zip, nada!

I’ve worked positions that required four year college degrees, only to be replaced with a college graduate, then ordered to train them!!!  I finally got a four year college degree, but now (that plus my 30 years work experience) I’m “overqualified” (and I still have to somehow pay for the student loans).

What I’ve learned working for unAmerican Corporate America, is that when it comes down to the bottom line (meaning the execs and shareholders are facing a loss of dividends or bonuses) it doesn’t matter how hard you worked for the company (or even if you can prove you’re making money for the company as happened to me in several cases), if they decide it’s time for you to go, you’re gone!

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Government & Corporate Incompetence, World War 3 & What Economic Recovery? United States not even part the top ten most prosperous countries! War on Terror makes the U.S. insecure!

According to the Legatum Institute, the United States not only is not the most prosperous country anymore, it’s not even in the top ten!

The United States was considered the 10th most prosperous last year, but in 2012 the U.S. is now ranked 12th overall!

The Legatum Institute ranks 142 nations in eight sub-indexes: economy, entrepreneurship and opportunity, governance, education, health, safety and security, personal freedom and social capital.

According to their 2012 Prosperity Index, the U.S. now ranks 2nd in health, 5th in education, 10th in governance, 10th in social capital, 12th in entrepreneurship and opportunity, 14th in personal freedom, 20th in economy, and despite more than a decade of War on Terror 27th in safety and security (seems the war has actually made the U.S. more unsafe)!

The top 10 most prosperous countries are: Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Finland, Netherlands, Switzerland and Ireland.  (notice that most of these are in Europe where the economy is supposed to be worse than the U.S., many of these countries have strong labor unions and more worker rights than the U.S.)

Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Updated list of more Kmart and Sears closings! More Kmart stores in Ohio & Florida going down!

02 November 2012, in the past 24 hours it has been revealed that two more Kmarts are being closed, check my updated list.

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), and recently revealed 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 Full line, Moorehead Sears Full line, Rocky Mount Sears Full line, Statesville Sears Full line.

New Jersey:  Lawnside Kmart.

Ohio: Chagrin Falls Kmart, Springfield Kmart, two Toledo Kmarts, Medina Kmart, Columbus Kmart, Zanesville Sears (67 jobs lost), and recently revealed 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 Full line.

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, of which it has been reported that those stores will be closed.

It was recently announced that the Provo, Utah, store will continue operating as a Sears.  Sears Holdings announced that GGP made a lease deal they couldn’t refuse, so they will continue running the GGP owned store.

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

Florida: West Oaks Mall

Utah: Fashion Place, and Provo Towne Centre (note the evil British empire way of spelling town & center)

Oklahoma: Quail Springs Mall

Hawaii: Ala Moana Center

Washington: Bellis Fair Mall

Minnesota: Apache Mall

Illinois: Market Place Shopping Center

International, U.S.

U.K. High Court considers U.S. rendition and detaining of “enemy combatants” a War Crime!

“The, presumably forcible, transfer of Mr Rahmatullah from Iraq to Afghanistan is, at least prima facie, a breach of article 49. On that account alone, his continued detention post-transfer is unlawful…….Instead he has been imprisoned by the U.S.A., which takes a different view of the requirements of international law, and accepts no limitations on its right to detain in these circumstances….”-written statement from Supreme Court judges, Lord Carnwath and Lady Hale.

“The U.K. government has nowhere left to turn. The highest court in the country has expressed serious concerns that grave war crimes may have been committed as a result of which a police investigation must be initiated without delay.”-Kat Craig, a legal director of activist organization Reprieve

“The government’s attempts to row back on centuries of constitutional development and restrict the reach of habeas corpus has been rejected by the highest court in the land!”-Jamie Beagent, attorney representing a man who was renditioned out of Iraq in 2004, and is still under U.S. control at Bagram Prison, Afghanistan

On 31 October 2012, the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court ruled that the ongoing rendition of so called enemy combatants by the United States, is a war crime!

The court opinion came after a group trying to get a man freed from eight years of secret imprisonment failed.  The group called Reprieve, petitioned the British high court to force the United States to make the man available so they can challenge the legality of his imprisonment in court.

The man, from Pakistan, was detained by British troops in Iraq in 2004.  The Red Coats handed him over to U.S. forces, who then secretly sent him to Bagram Prison in Afghanistan.

Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states that no enemy combatant can be taken to another country while detained.  The group Reprieve wants the U.S. to explain why they violated the Geneva Convention, if the man was considered an enemy combatant.

If the man was not considered an enemy then they want to know on what grounds the U.S. continues to detain him (if he’s even still alive).

The U.K. court refused Reprieve’s request to force the British government to demand the United States explain itself, but did agree that the policy of rendition, carried out under a Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and U.K., is illegal under international law: “This powerful [U.K.] Supreme Court decision has huge ramifications. Clearly there will now have to be a full criminal investigation. But if the U.S. has ‘dishonored’ its commitment to the U.K. in this case for the first time in 150 years, and continues to violate law as basic as the Geneva Conventions, this also throws other extradition agreements with the U.K. into doubt.”-Clive Stafford Smith, director & founder of Reprieve

U.S.

What Democracy? Presidential candidate arrested!

Yes Virginia, there are other candidates, besides Obama and Romney, running for U.S. President, but they’re being arrested!

Jill Stein, candidate for the Green Party, was arrested in he merry old red neck states of Texas, again.

She was arrested for trespassing after she brought food to protestors, who are demonstrating against the construction of a Canadian oil pipeline.

Prior to that, she, and her vice presidential running mate, Cheri honkala, were arrested after they demanded to be part of the second ‘presidential’ debate between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama.

Third party candidates held their own debate on 22 October 2012.  Of course the main stream U.S. media didn’t cover it.

 

International, Opinion, U.S.

What Democracy? United States banning international election observers!

“The threat of criminal sanctions against observers is unacceptable. The United States, like all countries in the OSCE, has an obligation to invite ODIHR observers to observe its elections.”–Janez Lenarcic,  Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

Officials and organizations in the U.S. have always pushed for international election observers (which include election observers such as former President Jimmy Carter, and First Lady Rosalynn Carter) in countries they deem as undemocratic.  Now, several U.S. states are banning observers from witnessing their election process!

The United States is a member of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). As such, each member must allow international observers to witness each national election.  In fact, the U.S. has allowed such observations since 2002 (beginning under the Bush Jr administration).  OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) officials say this is the first time they have encountered opposition from state level officials!

On 31 October 2012, the state of Iowa announced they will arrest any OSCE ODIHR observer found in polling places. Iowa Secretary of State, Matt Schultz, a Republican, claims Iowa law prevents observation of the election process from closer than 300 feet of the polling place (how convenient, it makes election monitoring ineffective).

Recently Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, a Republican, made the same threat of arrest against observers.

This comes after Officials with the OSCE received letters from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the NAACP and the ACLU, claiming they had evidence of massive election fraud.

As an example: Some reports say an estimated 700,000 U.S. voters will not be allowed to vote because of new voter identification laws.

In the past, U.S. officials have always claimed that any country that has a problem with their elections being monitored must be undemocratic.  Well, now the shoe is on the other foot and it’s U.S. officials that are fighting the monitoring of U.S. elections. So what does that tell you?

Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Businesses closed because of hurricane Sandy, will not get insurance coverage!

31 October 2012, just because a business has interruption insurance doesn’t mean they’ll get paid: “There has to be direct physical damage to the building in order for business interruption insurance to come into play.”-Loretta Worters, Insurance Information Institute

Thousands of small businesses were forced to close shop because of hurricane Sandy, but they did not suffer physical damage. This means not only are they losing money from lack of sales, but the money they paid for interruption insurance was wasted.

Also, businesses closed due to power outages or mandatory evacuation orders are not covered under interruption insurance: “I figured there’s probably an out for the insurance company, but I was hoping we’d be paid since the city had ordered everything to shut down, including the subways.”-Robert Wyatt, Lightspeed Express, found out his insurance won’t payout

And don’t forget, for most businesses there’s no such thing as flood insurance, unless it’s through the federal National Flood Insurance Program.

What this means is that many northeastern businesses will not be able to recovery financially!

International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. occupation of Afghanistan; 26 – 29 October 2012. Mujahideen continue steady attacks across the country! ISAF says they will not protect Afghan borders! Bin Laden & Taliban supporters to mediate peace talks! U.S. agents detain Pakistani official in Canada!

29 October 2012

In Wardak Province, Mujahideen ambushed U.S. and Afghan National Army troops.  The U.S. and ANA personnel were conducting assessments of local police checkpoints.  They were attacked with assault rifles and RPGs.  U.S. officials claim they killed three Mujahideen.

In Helmand Province, at least two ANA soldiers were killed (some reports say four) when the vehicle they were in ran over a landmine.

Despite the fact that U.S. officials continue to claim we are there to provide security to Afghanistan, ISAF officials said they are not there to protect Afghanistan’s borders: “In the first Bonn conference in December 2001 there was a proposal of the Afghan delegation to include the protection of the border of Afghanistan in one of the annexes. Actually this annex was part of the Bonn proposal however, this annex never made it into our mandate that we received from the United Nations.”-Brigadier General Günter Katz, International Security Assistance Force

The Afghan High Peace Council revealed that Saudi Arabia will mediate peace talks between Mujahideen and the Afghan government.  It must be remembered that it was Saudi Arabia that supported Osama bin Laden and, along with Pakistan, eventually supported the creation of the Taliban (“Students”) political party.  Saudi Arabia also officially recognized the Taliban government.  Analysts say this time the Saudi’s are concerned about blowback: “Saudi Arabia is in a situation to support the Afghan peace talks not only because of the moral stance of Saudi in this regard but also they should consider the post 2014 situation in Afghanistan which will threaten the national security of Saudi Arabia if necessary steps have not been taken to eliminate insurgency in South Asia.”-Nasrullah Stanekzai

Saudi Arabia is also spending $100 million USD to build a huge Mosque/madrasa in Afghanistan.  They claim it will house 5,000 university aged students.

In Ghazni Province, five people were killed and four detained by U.S./ANA forces.  Officials claim they were all Mujahideen, but locals say at least one civilian man and one civilian woman were killed.  Officials say the U.S./ANA operation started Sunday night and continued until Monday morning.

Afghan elected official, Ramazan Bashar Doost, said that while the U.S. is offering a $25 million reward for the arrest of Mullah Omar, the U.S. has been in contact with Mulla Omar the whole time!   Doost also says the U.S. is actually funding not only Pakistan’s ISI, but Afghan Mujahideen groups as well.

28 October 2012

In Canada, Pakistani elected official, Imran Khan, was detained by U.S. agents: “I was taken off from plane and interrogated by U.S. Immigration in Canada on my views on drones. My stance is known. Drone attacks must stop!”-Imran Khan

Imran Khan is also the Pakistani official who said war in Afghanistan was justified Jihad.  Khan was on his way to New York anyway, so why couldn’t the U.S. wait until he arrived there?

Afghan intelligence, aka National Directorate of Security (NDS), told Pakistani officials that the man they claim is behind the shooting of a teenaged Pakistani girl is not in Afghanistan.

27 October 2012

In Ghor Province, local government officials say 13 people were kidnapped.  However, police say they do not know who did the kidnapping, and they don’t know the identities of those kidnapped!

The British Red Coat Ministry of Defence said the deaths of one Royal Marine and one Royal Army medic was not the result of fratricide (Blue on Blue).  However, the two Red Coats died (as well as a Afghan National Policeman performing Muslim prayers) after two British patrols fired on each other.  The MoD stated: “…the deaths of Corporal O’Connor and Corporal Day were caused by a third party or parties whose identities have yet to be established but who are not U.K. personnel.”

An investigative reporter says Green on Blue attacks are not caused by insurgents, but by the way U.S./NATO personnel treat Afghans: “These attacks are motivated by grudges, by people who are unhappy with the people they are coming in contact with in the U.S. and NATO military forces, but also by the broader context of what they hear and see these forces are doing in Afghanistan specifically for example breaking into people’s homes and taking away the males in these homes and detaining them.”-Gareth Porter

26 October 2012

In Ghazni Province, the bodies of six people were found on the Kabul-Kandahar highway. They had been shot. Police believe the victims were traveling to see relatives for the Eid holiday.

The Wall Street Journal said Afghan sources claim Iran has infiltrated Afghanistan through charity organizations.  Sources claim Iran can now muster up to 20,000 Afghans at one time for militant activities, making Iran a greater threat than Pakistan.

In Farah Province, an NDS agent was attacked by Mujahideen. Several people were wounded and the a gunman was arrested. No info on what happened to the  NDS agent.

ISAF said:  “An International Security Assistance Force service member died following an insurgent attack in western Afghanistan today.”

In Faryab Province, a suicide bombing killed at least 40 people, and wounded 50.  It appears the Provincial governor and local police chief were the targets. It happened at a Mosque.  President Hamid Karzai said the attacks made against Muslims while they are praying in Mosques are not being made by Muslims, suggesting the attacks are really being instigated by non-Muslims (like non-Muslims from the United States or Europe).

Recently the grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia declared that suicide attacks by Muslims against Muslims was unforgivable.

 

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: Suddenly, Israeli leaders say Iran NOT trying to build nuclear weapon!

“There could be at least three explanations. One is the public discourse about a possible Israeli or American operation deterred them from trying to come closer. It could probably be a diplomatic gambit that they have launched in order to avoid this issue culminating before the American election, just to gain some time. It could be a way of telling the IAEA ‘oh we comply with our commitments’.”-Ehud Barak, Defense Minister of Israel

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, a top Israeli official said they believe Iran has at least delayed any attempts to build a nuclear weapon.

Israeli officials still say Iran will eventually build a nuclear weapon, so maybe this is actually a delaying tactic on the part of Israel, until after the U.S. Presidential elections (if they happen at all)?

 

Idaho, U.S.

Presidential emergency declarations made BEFORE hurricane Sandy hit the U.S.? Just because you live outside the hurricane zone doesn’t mean your state isn’t under a federal disaster declaration.

A Los Angeles Times article points out that the emergency declarations made by President Barack Obama, regarding New York and New Jersey (due to hurricane Sandy), were made without truly assessing the situation.

You can go to the FEMA website, and check out the disaster declarations.

Also, FEMA has a map which shows that at least 27 states are currently under some kind of Active Disaster declaration. Some of those involve flooding, some wildfires, some tornadoes.

States currently on the Active Disaster list: Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia,  Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia (aka Washington DC).