Tag Archives: debt

Business/Economics, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 29-30 June 2013. The Energizer bunny continues to lose power! More declining enrollments equals more university layoffs! California hit really really hard!

In Tennessee, the Christian God couldn’t stop the closing of Soddy Bible & Church Supplies store.  The owners of the 38 years old business blamed the internet!

The Maine Medical Center is trying to trick 400 employees into quitting, by offering them buyouts.  The hospital is in the red by $15 million USD!  Hospital officials blame reduced government Medicare/Medicaid payments.

New Jersey based BD Diagnostics closing their factory in Monona, Wisconsin.  At least 100 employees affected!  The medical technologies company is moving production to its Maryland factory.

In California, Berkeley HeartLab closed down in Alameda and South San Fransisco.  48 people out-o-work.  Bayer Healthcare finally closed its Emeryville factory as it contracted out production. A total of 540 employees screwed!   In the same city, the Ernest Gallo addiction clinic laid off 17 people.  Paramedics Plus laid off 50 people in San Leandro.  Ports America-TTI Operations & Marine Terminals laid off 31 people in Oakland.  Burrtec Waste Industries laid off 130 people!  The trash collector lost its contract with San Bernardino County.  In Riverbank, Silgan Containers laid off 176 employees!  In Anaheim, Aramark Sports & Entertainment-Honda Center indoor sports arena laid off 586 people!!!  It’s blamed on state budget problems.  In San Diego, Blackbaud laid off 101 employees!  The software company is downsizing.  Evil military contractor Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC, my first civilian employer) laid off 145 people!  Another military contractor, Lockheed Martin, laid off 100 employees in Sunnyvale! MV Transportation, a Texas based bus company, laid off 129 employees in Vallejo!  Veolia Transportation laid off 480 people in Irvine!!!  The Los Angeles Times laid off at least 11 people.  Reports say the newspaper is slimming down to make itself more attractive to potential buyers.  In Westwood and West Hollywood, Jerry’s Famous Deli shut down with only three days notice to employees.  It’s blamed on the property owner.

Too Big to Jail Bank of America continues its job cuts.  This time “dozens” of employees in North Carolina were laid off.  A bank official said BoA is trying to become “more stable”.  And in Ashboro, Energizer announced 30 more layoffs.  This is in addition to the 75 layoffs announced in March.  Officials with the battery maker blame it on the bad economy and the loss of major customers.

In Ohio, Dayton Power & Light warned of layoffs due to “restructuring” of the company.   The Quaker Square Inn shutting down.  The iconic hotel built with grain silos was sold to the University of Akron.

Sports Authority on Airport Boulevard in Pensacola, Florida, shut down.   25 jobs lost.

The Hawaii Pacific University laid off as many as 25 people.  Layoffs are blamed on declining student enrollment.

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.

International, U.S.

World War 3, Asian Front-Afghanistan, 16-17 August 2013: U.S. General says U.S. is a big fail! More corruption on the occupier’s side!

A retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General criticized how the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan has been handled: “By my count right now, we’ve had 11 overall U.S. commanders in Afghanistan during 12 years of war.  No university and no business could survive that kind of turnover and remain successful.  We’re doing this in the middle of a war where the enemy is actively trying to make you fail.”-David Barno

 In Kandahar Province, Kandahar airbase, a suicide bomber attacked a U.S./NATO military convoy.  22 NATO and Afghan military personnel wounded, three civilians wounded.  The suicide bomber was wearing a bomb vest.

In Herat Province, Karkh District, local police say nine construction workers, who were working on a nearby bridge project, were killed while staying at a police checkpoint.  One cop was killed, another wounded during the Mujahideen attack.  Mujahideen say everyone at the checkpoint was armed and shooting, including those the police say were construction workers.  One Mujahid was killed.  Mujahideen say they also captured weapons.

Mujahideen reported many attacks on police checkpoints across Afghanistan.

In Kabul Province, Kabul city, a magnetic ‘sticky’ bomb was placed on a parked vehicle.  The explosion did not kill or wound anybody, according to local police.

In Helmand Province, Marjah District, a family of eight drove over a landmine.  Five killed, three wounded.  The Stars and Stripes reports another waste of taxpayer money in the contractor operated Helmand Regional Distribution Center.  It is literally a privately run FOB (Forward Operating Base).  It was built and is operated by controversial Swiss based Supreme Group.  That contractor has come under fire before, accused of ripping off taxpayers.  The U.S. Congress supposedly is investigating the $4.2 billion USD mega-FOB over billing disputes.

According to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) military contractors now outnumber actual military personnel by two to one.

In Balkh Province, Mazar-e-Sharif city, a fire destroyed at least 200 businesses.  No official reason for the fire, but some witnesses say there was an explosion before the fire.

In Farah Province, Farah Rod District, a NATO supply convoy was ambushed on the Herat HWY.  Ten fueler trucks were torched, eight security guards killed, five wounded.  Three Mujahideen wounded, two killed.    Also, in the same district, a religious leader in Takht Manzar area was kidnapped by U.S./Afghan National Army personnel during a helicopter raid.  And a local government military commander was assassinated, along with his bodyguards.  It was done by a suicide bomber wearing a bomb vest.  Locals say it was about time the A-hole commander died: “Auz Khan was notorious in the area for his brutally and utter loyalty to foreign invaders and was the one that also martyred a 60 year old…”

NATO member Poland announced they are pulling out, or are they?  Polish officials said in October about 600 troops will return home, but that still leaves 1-thousand Polish troops incountry.

Documentary filmmakers in New Zealand have revealed the truth about Kiwi military operations in Afghanistan.  Officially New Zealand Defence Forces were supposed to be involved in reconstruction projects, but the journalists found they spent most of their time on military patrols.  Also, the New Zealand Special Air Service was supposed to be conducting training of Afghan troops, instead there is evidence they were actually conducting Israeli style home invasions.

A U.S. Marine from Florida admitted to local news media that he loved killing people in Afghanistan: “I like the way people look up to us as Marines. That enforces the way we carry ourselves. I like being a warrior. Very few people can do it and I’m proud to be one who can.”-Charles Legido

Legido bragged about the 70 firefights he was in.  To give a clue where the U.S. might be attacking next, Legido’s next deployment is to Yemen.

International, U.S.

World War 3, West Asian Front: Korea ships ballistic missiles to Syria! Japan to join fight! It is about regime change!

29 August 2013 (22:27 UTC-07 Tango 28 August 2013)/22 Shawwal 1434/07 Shahrivar 1391/23 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

Japanese news media reporting that government sources from Japan and Republic of Korea (aka South Korea) say Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (aka North Korea) shipped 40 new short range ballistic missiles to Syria earlier this year.

U.S. sources say Syria is planning on using the missiles on Israel if it is attacked.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, said his country is working with United States on future attacks against Syria.

And Japan’s neo-imperialist Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, is in Qatar for security meetings with Arabian peninsula countries.  He told local news media that military action against Syria should be about regime change.   The emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, agreed.

 

Business/Economics, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 28 June 2013. “New changes” to impact jobs at colleges! California & New York hit hard, again!

Ozarks Medical Center in Missouri eliminates 44 positions, reduces pay and work hours.  Hospital officials blame it on the bad economy, federal sequestration, and the Affordable Health Care Act which will cut $3.3 million USD from the hospital’s revenues on January 2014.   The Obama administration continues to adamantly deny that the Affordable Health Care Act is impacting jobs!   And after 31 years, Papa Lew’s Soul Delicious restaurant shut down in Kansas City.  The owner/operators said they needed to retire from the 15 hour a day job.

In Indiana, Massachusetts based medical products for women maker, Hologic, shut down.  141 people laid off!  This is the second Hologic factory to shut down since August last year.

In Pennsylvania, Ellwood City Hospital closing their obstetrics unit.  It’s blamed on decreasing births.  What automotive industry recovery?  BMW of North America laid off 95 employees in Easton.

The Sierra View District Hospital laid off 49 employees in California.   Hospital officials blame the bad economy and the Affordable Health Care Act. Weiland Brewery shut down in Los Angeles.  The owners have to move to make way for a new public rail system.  YP Western Holdings laid off six people in Anaheim.  Renaissance Stanford Court Hotel closed in San Fransisco, 90 people unemployed.  Hillsides Education Center shut down in Pasadena.  82 people out-o-work.  The Barstow Community College laid off five people. The college also serves U.S. Army personnel at Fort Irwin, and that office has apparently been reduced to a one person operation.  Administrators said there just wasn’t the work load to justify the positions, but employees claimed “We’re at a skeleton crew right now!”  However, one administrator gave an ominous warning no thanks to state and federal funding changes: “There are many new changes to community colleges coming down the pipeline.”-Bill Studt, Interim President

In Nashville, Tennessee, Virginia based MAXIMUS Human Services shut down.  57 employees unemployed.  The company specializes in privatizing government Medicaid/Medicare health services.   Wilson’s Sporting Goods laid off 20 employees in Sparta.

Florida based Sykes Enterprises laid off 65 call center employees in New York.  Company officials decided to end their “client account operations”.  Petri Baking Products shut down in Silver Creek.  143 people out-o-work!  SuperMedia closed in Albany, 37 people unemployed.

Florida based Avantair executive air service now bankrupt.  They don’t even have enough money to give their employees their final paychecks (that happened to me with my last real job, thank you Metro Couriers, and Idaho Department of Labor who seized all the company’s bank accounts!)!  The company is also dealing with legal problems connected to it’s lease of highly expensive Piaggio executive aircraft.

For the third time in three months, insurance company Allstate laid off employees at its massive Roanoke County, Virginia, operations.  Local news reports say once again company officials did not disclose how many people lost their jobs.  An undisclosed amount of employees were also laid off in May and April.  On 21 June it was reported that Allstate shut down a call center in Illinois.

Another video game maker lays off a “small” amount of employees.  Kabam VP, Steve Swasey, said they are focusing on mobile gaming “…so we had to say goodbye to some folks.”

In Washington, Kate’s Jersey Subs closed.  The owner retired to help her husband’s construction business.

El Charro restaurant in Tyler, Texas, shut down.  No reason given, but for several months another El Charro in Tyler has been closed, with a sign that said it was for remodeling.  But, when local news media contacted the owners, the owners said no remodeling was taking place, the shut down was permanent.  Maker of a variety of metal packaging, Bway Corporation, ended operations in Dallas.  69 people laid off.

C&D Technologies laid off 90 people in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

In Marquette Township, Michigan, American furniture and appliance store closed after 30 years of business.  40 people out-o-work.  Company officials decided to sell the property.

After 25 years, the Book Nook in Dalton, Georgia, shut down: “It’s too hard to compete with the Internet. People can get most of their books on their Nooks and Kindles. Business has just been slow for used book stores. The economy in this area has been tough.”-Ethan Adams, unofficial manager

In Hampden, Maryland, Village Flower Mart closed after 45 years in business.  The owner sold the property.

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.

International

Martial Law Lebanon: You must now publicly ID your car if you want to park on the street!

28 August 2013 (17:24 UTC-07 Tango)/21 Shawwal 1434/06 Shahrivar 1391/22 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

“We urge citizens who leave their cars in infrequent parking locations to put cards that identify the owners of these vehicles.  The card should include the full name of the driver, as well as the place of residence and the phone number that he or she can be reached on…….We call on citizens not to make a scene in the case of a suspicious car and to avoid damaging the vehicle.”-Lebanese Internal Security Forces

Lebanon’s ISF is using recent car bombings as an excuse to require people to ID their cars when parking on the street.  Apparently with the escalating U.S./Israeli  instigated war in Syria, Lebanese officials expect things to get really bad in Lebanon.

International, U.S.

World War 3, West Asian Front: Jordanian official says troops are ready to invade Syria! Insurgents will also be targeted! It’s about the oil!

28 August 2013 (17:12 UTC-07 Tango)/21 Shawwal 1434/06 Shahrivar 1391/22 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

Arab news sources say an unnamed, but high level, Jordanian government source says U.S., Jordanian and even Saudi Arabian military personnel are  ready to invade Syria.  The invasion will be rationalized with the claim that U.S. led forces are creating a safe buffer zone in southern Syria for refugees: “A buffer zone will be created in southern Syria to accommodate the new numbers of Syrian refugees, and Western and Arab fighter jets have been put on alert at the Jordanian-Syrian border as a precaution against any retaliation by the Syrian regime against Jordanian territory.”

The so called buffer zones could actually be Syrian oil fields as the Jordanian official called them “sensitive sites”.

The Official also said that warplanes from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia arrived.  Their crews have been trained for attacks against specific targets in Syria: “These forces have been trained in terrains that are similar to Syria’s geography to guarantee that they would reach their targets with the minimum losses possible.”

The official said some U.S./Western backed insurgent groups viewed as too radical will also be targeted: “Military strikes will also target several positions of the terrorist groups that are operating in Syria.”

 

International, U.S.

World War 3, West Asian Front: Russians evacuate Syria, U.S. & Jordanian forces invade Syria, Israel mobilizes stormtroopers!

28 August 2013 (12:40 UTC-07 Tango)/21 Shawwal 1434/06 Shahrivar 1391/22 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

Reports out of Jordan that U.S. forces are mobilizing on the Jordan-Syrian border.   Reports that Russia has evacuated about 100 citizens out of Syria.  Those citizens supposedly asked to leave, Russia has not issued an evacuation order.  There are still thousands of Russians in Syria.

Two commercial airliner pilots reported that the United Kingdom has dispatched military aircraft to the island country of Cyprus.  Residents told British news media “activity there has been much higher than normal over the past 48 hours.”

Israeli news media reports that U.S. backed insurgents are massing for a major attack on Damascus.  Israel has canceled all leave for military personnel and has activated reserve units.  Gas masks are being handed out to the public.

French news source, Le Figaro, says U.S., Israeli and Jordanian special ops forces are already inside Syria.  They invaded on 17 August, and are part of a 300 man insurgent force.  Then more U.S./Israeli/Jordanian special ops forces invaded on 19 August.

A few days ago the Stars and Stripes reported that an emergency three day meeting was called by U.S. Army General Martin Dempsey.   The meeting is in Jordan and ends today.  It involves generals from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Canada.   Recently Dempsey told the U.S. Congress that any military action against Syria would result in another long war for the U.S.

International, U.S.

World War 3, East Asian Front: TriLateral Imperialism as the U.S. mulls allowing Japan to invade Korea!!!

28 August 2013 (12:06 UTC-07 Tango)/21 Shawwal 1434/06 Shahrivar 1391/22 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

The TriLateral imperialist member leaders of Europe, North America and East Asian will allow Japan to draw up invasion plans of Korea!

In the country of Brunei a meeting of defense (war pigs) officials is taking place, and it’s led by trilateral leader United States (the 2013 Association of Southeast Asian Nations defense ministers meeting).  According to Japanese news media the Japanese Defense Minister, Itsunori Onodera, asked U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel for permission to draw up attack plans against Korea, specifically the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (aka North Korea).

Officially both the U.S. and Japanese leaders claim it’s necessary to counter any missile strike threat from Korea.  This would mark the first time since the Second World War that Japan would openly plan to invade another country!

The current right wing neo-imperialist government of Japan says they do not want to play second fiddle to the United States when it comes to Korea, they want the option of unilateral military action.

Koreans should be upset, whether they live in the north or in the U.S. puppet south, because Japan has a history of invading and occupying Korea: 1st invasion Gregorian year 1592, 2nd invasion 1597.  It was those first invasions that created in the minds of Japanese that Korea belonged to Japan.

The Japan-Korea Treaty of 1876 was an imperialist move by Japan, using the rule of law at that time (proof that the ‘rule of law’ can be pure evil) to subjugate Korea to their rule.   That process involved destabilizing Korea, much like what the U.S.-British empire is doing in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Egypt and Syria.  (destabilizing an area prior to imperial take over is an age old British empire tactic.  in military terms it’s the same concept as softening up the target area before invasion.)

Japan occupied Korea from 1905 to 1945, and has yet to pay for all the atrocities it committed against the Koreans.

 

 

International, U.S.

World War 3, Asian Front-Afghanistan, 14-15 August 2013: More proof the U.S. ain’t leavin’! Afghanistan is a test for the new British-U.S. Empire!

In Kunar Province, Asadabad city, local government officials say a NATO/ISAF rocket artillery attack killed two civilians.  U.S./NATO officials denied the attack, but local officials say the rockets were launched from a NATO/ISAF base.

In Takhar Province, Khwajah Bahauddin District, a remote controlled bomb went off as a Afghan National Police convoy passed by.  Reports say at least 16 people killed or wounded.

In Herat Province, Injeel District, a translator for NATO/ISAF troops was assassinated.  His computer was taken.

In Baghlan Province, Kabul-Baghlan highway, a remote controlled bomb exploded killing two bodyguards and wounding two people.  It was an assassination attempt on a politician from Balkh Province.  The politician survived.

Despite a female politician’s family swearing she and her children were not kidnapped, Mujahideen released the very same children today.   Mujahideen also say they have the female member of parliament and will exchange her for prisoners.  Of course now the family admits she was kidnapped.

At least 75 Afghan National Army and National Police personnel have switched sides and bacame Mujahideen, in the provinces of Nangarhar, Helmand, Zabul and Badghis.

Reports that President Hamid Karzai nominated a ‘jihadi’ to run for president in 2014.

An election fraud watchdog has already cried foul!  The Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan is reporting at least 1-thousand cases of voter registration fraud.  The frauds include children being registered to vote, voter IDs being given out to the wrong person and more than one voter IDs issued per person.

Japan gives Afghanistan $8.2 million USD for a new computer sciences building at Kabul University.  Japan also gave Kabul University ten buses.

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace stated that Iran is well positioned to be a major influence in Central Asia, and that the United States should improve relations with Iran, in order to facilitate long term U.S. policies in the area.

USMC General Joseph Dunford insisted that a significant number of U.S. troops should remain after the supposed 2014 U.S./NATO pullout: “The post-2014 presence is a lot more complicated than the numbers and the numbers have become a distraction, to be honest with you.”

Recently retired U.S. Navy Admiral, James Stavridis, gave this clue to what the U.S. has planned after 2014: “Why 15,000 troops? The post-2014 mission needs to be spread across Afghanistan, with centers in each of the regional commands; north (Mazar-e-Sharif), west (Herat), south (Kandahar), and east (Bagram). There will have to be smaller centers in some of those regions as well, and a reliable ability to protect our own people and potentially provide some in-extremis support to the Afghan National Security Forces. All told, that will require 15,000 troops, still quite low compared with the 130,000 we had on the ground as recently as two years ago. This level would also provide critical mentoring and training in the areas in which the ANSF are still developing, logistics, intelligence, medical support, close air support, and so forth.”

In a report out of the British empire country of Canada, it was revealed that the War on Terror is nothing more than an exercise of the new British-U.S. empire: “…the institutions of the Canadian state were remade in a decade after 9/11 to reflect new imperial realities……Canadians were urged to see their armed forces not as their armed forces, but as part of a North American and North Atlantic security system.….the creation of a network of soldier-journalists, specialized and secretive groups of civil servants supposedly devoted to ‘democratic governance’ and an unending attempt to control the images and messages broadcast….”-Afghanistan and the politics of memory, Ottawa Citizen

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 27 June 2013. Idaho steals jobs from California! Florida steals jobs from South Carolina! “End of an era!”

Waterbury Hospital laid off 83 employees in Connecticut.  It’s blamed on Affordable Health Care Act.   Sikorsky Aircraft laid off 200 people, mostly in Connecticut.  Company officials blame the government and the bad economy: “…we face difficult challenges. U.S. and international government budgets are shrinking, our costs to compete are increasing, and many customers are delaying purchase decisions amid the economic uncertainty.”-Paul Jackson

Kansas based Butler National Corporation warned of jobs and wage cuts.  The aerospace and service sector business reported its first economic loss since 2001.

Pepperidge Farm closed its bakery in Aiken, South Carolina.  115 people out-o-work!  Production shifted to Florida.

In Florida, California based Pinkberry frozen yogurt closed its Citrus Park store.  No official explanation why.

Cobb Electric Membership eliminating off as many as 110 jobs in Georgia!  Officials basically said they believe the utility co-op is overstaffed.

Too Big to Jail, Bank of America, laying off even more employees.  This time 20 people will lose their jobs in Belfast, Maine.

In New York, the Mecca of capitalist unAmerican corporate America, employees of Dow Jones Newswires (DJN), and the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), were warned of massive layoffs.   Evil British empire in U.S. clothing News Corporation is splitting up WSJ and DJN.  España Spanish restaurant closed in Larchmont.  The owner said “someone made an offer too good to pass up.”

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society laid off 22 employees.  It’s blamed on a surprise drop in the 2013 Flower Show attendance, the lowest in more than a decade.

In Wisconsin, Thelma’s and the Guy’s Shop shut down after 40 years of operations.  The owners said it’s time to retire.  And the Jade Cafe closed.  The owner blames the bad economy.  He says he’s lost $100-thousand USD since last year!  He couldn’t get the debt financing to continue: “In my heart, I knew probably three months ago, unless something changed dramatically, we were going to have to be closing, the finances weren’t what they needed to be for us to stay open.”-Ryan Niemeier

PNC Bank closed two offices in Ohio.  It’s part of a country wide scheme by most Too Big to Jail banks to close down as many offices as possible.

What housing market recovery?  In Illinois, after 118 years the Winfield Fuel & Material building supply store shut down.  The owner said there’s no housing market recovery for him: “It just hurts. I can’t tell you how many days I’ve been in there and I’ve been in tears.  It’s very traumatic to go through this.…It’s like the end of an era!”-Tom Saylor, had planned on leaving the business to his adult children

In Folsom, California, evil Verizon laid off 132 people!  It’s part of Verizon’s country wide job cutting plan.  The operator of the defunct San Onofre nuke plant, Southern California Edison, began laying off employees.  600 people were let go.  Many hundreds more will eventually be laid off.  After 85 years of business Glass & Gifts in Santa Cruz closed down.  The latest owner said the bad economy is a sign for her to move on.   In San Fransisco 20 years old Lakeside Cafe shut down.  Reports say there was a dispute with the property owner.  And France based Mozzarella Fresca in Tipton shut down.  144 people out-o-work!  Production was shifted to a new $40 million factory in Nampa, Idaho.

No more Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) in Hawaii?  Two KFCs closed in connection to the GGP owned Ala Moana Center.  The franchise owner says he has to become more efficient by consolidating restaurants.

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.