Tag Archives: food

Business/Economics

The Real Thing: Coca Cola invests additional $4-billion, in China!

22 August 2015 (10:50 UTC-07 Tango 01)/31 Mordad 1394/07 Dhu al-Qa’dah 1436/09 Jia-Shen (7th month) 4713

“China is our third largest market by volume and is critically important to the future growth of our business.”-Muhtar Kent, ceo

Even with the brakes being applied to the Chinese economy United States based drink maker Coca Cola announced it is spending an additional $4-billion USD in the east Asian country.

According to Chinese news reports, the iconic ‘American’ soft drink maker has already invested $9-billion into China from 1979 to 2014.

Part of the new $4-billion investment will be in the form of a $56-million bottling plant in Hebei Province, which is hoped to have up to nine production lines pushing out 250-million ‘units’ per year!

With all the whining in the U.S. about its decaying infrastructure it should be noted that Coca Cola is happily spending its money on developing new local infrastructure within China.

DECEMBER 2014: COCA-COLA ELIMINATES 2-THOUSAND JOBS!

ICONIC COCA-COLA SAYS AMERICA IS GOIN’ DOWN!

International

False Flag or Incompetence? Fire in the Tomb of Cars! Massive economic damage affecting U.S. & European companies!

22 August 2015 (03:39 UTC-07 Tango 01)/31 Mordad 1394/07 Dhu al-Qa’dah 1436/09 Jia-Shen (7th month) 4713

U.S. farm vehicle maker Deere & Company (aka John Deere) reduced its profit expectations for 2015, saying they think sales will fall 21%.  There was not mention of the fact that their production in Tianjin has been directly impacted by the Rui Hai warehouse explosions.

New York City business analysts say they were surprised by the sudden downgrade of Deere’s outlook, but it makes sense considering Deere’s factory in their biggest market was hit by the explosions.

The surprise safety inspections, launched yesterday, have resulted in more than 2-hundred chemical companies across China shutdown for safety violations.  This will also negatively affect the economy.

There are reports that four new fires erupted in the blast zone, including in the massive new car park now called the Tomb of Cars. The other three fires are in the epicenter.  Fires seem to be starting spontaneously due to the volatile chemical contamination.

“…there are about 40 kinds of chemicals stored in the warehouse. The situation is very complicated.”-Wang Hongjiang, deputy mayor of Tianjin

Rabbits are now being used as ‘canaries in the coal mine’.  Caged rabbits are being placed throughout the blast area.  One news report said it was to reassure residents that the air is safe, but it’s more likely an early warning system for NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) personnel who are still not sure about what chemicals were stored in the warehouse, and the fact that spontaneous chemical fires continue to erupt.

More than 3-thousand tonnes of contaminated water has been removed from blast zone.  Water from one test site had sodium cyanide at 54.6 times what is considered safe.

Massive 100 meter crater!

The latest stats:

4,460 PLA and police personnel deployed

121 people dead (mainly firefighters, police and warehouse employees)

692 wounded (more than 50 Toyota employees wounded, it could have been more as the majority of Toyota employees had the day off, U.S. farm vehicle maker Deere also reported wounded employees, but refused to give specific numbers)

640 people still hospitalized

number of missing reduced to 54

322 rescued

Blast radius 3km

779 buildings damaged or destroyed

More than 11-thousand new cars destroyed, area now called Tomb of Cars

Jaguar-Land Rover reports nearly 6-thousand new vehicles destroyed

1-thousand+ new Toyotas destroyed

1-thousand 5-hundred new Renaults destroyed

2-thousand 7-hundred new VWs destroyed

Evacuation radius 5km

Vanke Harbor City residential area hardest hit affecting 260-thousand square meters (853-thousand square feet)

10 hectares (24.7 acres) confirmed contaminated with sodium cyanide

17-thousand families evacuated

30-thousand people directly affected

12 schools and 3 apartment buildings now evacuation shelters

Business/Economics, Idaho

Federal Reserve confirms no recovery! Red Coats walk away from $1-billion USD! More massive grocery job cuts! : U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 21 August 2015

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

The British empire University College London compiled data from 25 studies (and published in The Lancet) and concluded that working more than 40 hours per week increases your chances of having a  heart attack by 13%, and increases chance of stroke by 27%.

California: The state Employment Development Department reports an increase in new unemployment claims. 16-thousand state employees lost their jobs between June and July!  3-thousand 6-hundred farm workers lost their jobs between June and July!  At least 1-thousand 6-hundred people in the service industry lost their jobs between June and July!

Colorado:  British empire owned Too Big to Jail Curian Capital laying off 224 employees, and then has plans to shutdown in 2016! To show how little faith the British empire owned company has in the U.S. economy, by shutting down Curian is abandoning $1-billion USD in asset management accounts!

Idaho: The state Department of Labor reported that July was the third straight month of increased new unemployment claims.

Iowa: In Ainsworth, after 56 years the Four Corners Restaurant shutdown.  It’s been sold-off, the family owners blamed lack of customers.

Kentucky:  The city of Hillview is now chapter 9 bankrupt busted!  It’s partly blamed on a land war with Truck America.  Truck America says the city has defaulted on $15-million of payments for 40 acres of land!  The city of Wickliffe warned of city layoffs due to the shutdown of the Verso Corporation paper mill.

Louisiana:  After 40 years newsstand Lakeside News shutting down in September: “…20 years ago, there’d be 10 people waiting for me to open at 4:30 am. Now, we’re lucky if we get 10 people coming through all morning! It’s not enough to sustain a business.”-Michael Marcello, owner

Maryland: ObamaCare forcing Laurel Regional Hospital to shutdown their Maternal & Child Health department in October.  Administrators said “…obstetrical services has been a persistent problem.”, meaning they can’t make enough money off it.   In Elkton, the Historic Little Wedding Chapel reportedly shutting down because Too Big to Jail Cecil Bank refused to renew the owner’s debt financing, and then demanded payment in full immediately (this is called deleveraging, it happened to me).   Deleveraging related: IMF pushes for U.S. consolidation, code for even more drastic deleveraging!

model railroad company deleveraged to death by Too Big to Jail banks!

All part of the IMF’s orders to deleverage!

4,000 people stranded when Australian airline is suddenly deleveraged by too big to fail creditors 

De-leveraging will continue until the economy improves, and that means you! 

Michigan: After 15 years maze amusement park Fort Custer shutting down, the owner said “…it’s time to move on.”

Minnesota: The state Department of Employment and Economic Development reported an increase in new unemployment claims.  3-thousand 9-hundred jobs were lost in July! 

New Jersey: Bankrupt grocery chain Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (aka A&P) notified 8,662 New Jerseyians that they will become unemployed by Thanksgiving!  That’s on top of the 871 New Jersey A&P jobs being eliminated by September!  A&P is shutting down or selling off their New Jersey stores, including its Super Fresh, Pathmark and Food Basics stores.  In Kinnelon, after 14 years Lynne’s Hallmark card shop shutdown after the property was sold-out from under the gift card shop owner’s feet.

New York: In NYC, after 40 years Himalayan Crafts shutdown, the owner said “We have been here too many years.” 

Ohio: What construction industry recovery? In Akron, after 32 years building supply store Building 9 shutting down and moving elsewhere.  Administrators blame yet another massive road construction project.

Texas: ObamaCare forced San Antonio based United Allergy Services to fire ten people from their HQ and an undisclosed number of employees elsewhere.  The allergy treatment company is also pulling out of some of the U.S. states where it operates, blaming problems with insurance reimbursements.

Washington DC: The Federal Reserve System has confirmed there is no recovery, at least for U.S. factories.  The Washington Post writes “It took less than a year for America’s factory output to rebound from the 1991 recession. It took 3½ years to bounce back from the 2001 recession. Now, six years clear of the Great Recession, manufacturing output still hasn’t returned to the pre-crisis levels it reached in 2007, according to revised economic data from the Federal Reserve.”

20 August 2015: “They’re getting rid of family men and I’m scared!”

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

International

False Flag or Incompetence? Massive 100 meter crater! Surprise inspections reveal massive violations!

21 August 2015 (00:46 UTC-07 Tango 01)/30 Mordad 1394/06 Dhu al-Qa’dah 1436/08 Jia-Shen (7th month) 4713

Tianjin Lite Rail 9 (aka Subway 9, Line 9, Binhai Mass Transit) was shutdown due to the explosions.  It is the main east-west rail line into and out of Binhai, running along the Haihi River.  It is not expected to become operational until October.

At the latest news conference a warning of “secondary disasters” was given, due to the massive amounts of volatile chemicals spread over the disaster area.  Of note, “explosive metallic sodium” is being found.

It was revealed that Rui Hai International Logistics was stacking chemicals in containers three high, and they were not taking into account what the chemicals were, in other words they were mixing the stacking of containers with chemicals that react violently with each other!

People’s Liberation Army personnel are getting closer to the epicenter of the devastating thermobaric explosions in Binhai district, Tianjin, China.  A news crew was allowed to follow one NBC unit as they attempted to find a safe way in.

They avoided puddles of water and smoke as they could contain toxic or corrosive agents.  A steel conex box was smoking but it turned out to be hay.  At this point Nuclear, Biological, Chemical  personnel are limited time-wise by the hot protective suits they wear, one soldier showed signs of heat exhaustion and they had to turn back.

This brings us to a fine example of how big the blast area is.  Satellite pics show a crater that is 1-hundred meters (328 feet) in diameter.   It’s filled with 50-thousand metric tons of water from the fire fighting efforts and the recent rain.  Testing of the water shows it’s contaminated with sodium cyanide, 40 times what is considered “normal”.

“The concentration of all pollutants that we monitor has been the within national standards since August 16th. All the water that has been found containing cyanide has been collected and will not be discharged until it passes the test, cyanide pollution within the danger area is still serious but outside it is basically safe except for some rainwater pipelines. Offshore, there is no significant change in the concentration of cyanide in the sea water compared to the past year. It’s all within the national standard.”-Tian Weiyong, Ministry Of Environmental Protection

Despite the claims that ocean water is safe, there are reports (and pics) of thousands of dead fish washing up on beaches near the blast area.  However, those fish are not coming from the ocean but from the Haihi River.  Government administrators explained that such die-offs are normal during summer, as hot temps allow algae blooms which suffocate fish.

To find out if incompetent handling of volatile chemicals has become the norm, the Chinese government began surprise inspections of ports and chemical companies across the mainland.  So far 2-hundred violations of safety standards has been documented, several operations have been shutdown.  Apparently allowing ‘communist’ companies to adopt ‘western’ corporate ways of doing business results in massive safety problems.

U.S. farm vehicle maker Deere has resumed production at its Tianjin factory.  This is another fine example of how massive the explosions were, the Deere factory is 9.6 kilometers (6 miles) from the blast zone!  Deere administrators say they are still repairing damaged windows and doors.  A Deere employee and his wife are still hospitalized.

Proof it was the World’s biggest Thermobaric bomb!

The latest stats:

More than 4-thousand PLA personnel deployed

114 people dead (mainly firefighters, police and warehouse employees)

692 wounded (more than 50 Toyota employees wounded, it could have been more as the majority of Toyota employees had the day off, U.S. farm vehicle maker Deere also reported wounded employees, but refused to give specific numbers)

646 people still hospitalized

number of missing increased to 69

322 rescued

Blast radius 3km

779 buildings damaged or destroyed

1-thousand+ new Toyotas destroyed

1-thousand 5-hundred new Renaults destroyed

2-thousand 7-hundred new VWs destroyed

Evacuation radius 5km

10 hectares (24.7 acres) confirmed contaminated with sodium cyanide

17-thousand families evacuated

30-thousand people directly affected

12 schools and 3 apartment buildings now evacuation shelters

 

 

Business/Economics, Idaho

“They’re getting rid of family men and I’m scared!” Booo! HP to kill far more than 55,000 jobs by Halloween! : U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 20 August 2015

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

California: More proof tech isn’t recession resistant, NetApp announced it will kill-off 5-hundred jobs, blaming crashing revenues!  Now add to that the announcement by Palo Alto based Hewlett Packard (HP) that they must eliminate far more than their amended plan of 55-thousand jobs, by October!!!  They’ve already eliminated 51-thousand 9-hundred jobs since 2012!  Administrators say even more jobs will be eliminated after October, when HP will be split into two companies!  News reports say the surprise shutdown of Ohio based government paper supplier Sekuworks (see Ohio below) has resulted in no issuing of official documents, like birth certificates, in The Golden State!    It’s estimated that the drought will kill-off $2.75-billion USD in 2015 revenues for the huge California ag industry! Thousands of agriculture jobs lost!  In Petaluma, after eight years the Come Home to Cooking School forced to shutdown by A-hole city administrators who refuse to renew the license to operate!

Colorado: Evil oil industry service company Haliburton eliminating “dozens” of jobs in Grand Junction.  One employee is pissed saying “…nine years and they can’t even tell me face-to-face what’s going on!”  His wife lamented “They’re getting rid of family men and I’m scared! I am about ready to have a baby and I don’t know what we are going to do about insurance!”

Connecticut: Too Big to Jail British empire owned RBS Securities announced it will layoff 50 people in Stamford. Local news reports say RBS Securities has eliminated 550 Stamford jobs since 2013!  University of Connecticut is laying off employees, reports say about 50.

Delaware: Chemours, a chemical company founded in July 2015, is already killing off 330 jobs in Edge Moor (also spelled Edgemoor)!  They’re shutting down the old DuPont titanium dioxide factory.  One employee told local news media that his coworkers are scrambling to figure out what they’re going to do.

Idaho: The city council of Chubbuck has put the kibosh on the dynastic mayor’s desire to give himself a 45% pay raise!  However, the council did agree to give the mayor, and themselves, a pay raise in 2017.  I hope it’s because they know the local economic situation is going to be much improved by then.

Kentucky: Tennessee based paper company Verso Corporation announced they will eliminate 310 jobs as they shutdown their Wickliffe paper mill!  It’s blamed on crashing paper sales and a strong USD.

Louisiana: California based oil company Chevron has begun laying off an undisclosed number of employees at its Covington office.  It could be in the hundreds.

Maine: Tennessee based paper company Verso Corporation announced they will eliminate 3-hundred jobs at their Androscoggin paper mill!  The layoffs will leave 5-hundred employees at the mill, compare that to 1987 when the Androscoggin Mill employed 1-thousand 4-hundred people!

Massachusetts: In Lowell, after 125 years (surviving the Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) wholesaler A.H. Notini & Sons shutdown. It was sold-off to a competitor in Maine.

Michigan: Flint School District eliminated an additional 26 jobs, blaming a 10% drop in enrollment. Bagger Dave’s restaurants shutdown in Grandville and Holland, no warning or explanation given.  In Kimball, M&R Surplus shutting down in time for Thanksgiving, after 44 years of selling military gear.  After surviving the Great (deflationary) Depression Sunnybrook Golf & Bowling shutting down.  The land is rumored to have been sold-off.

Mississippi: The city of Jackson has warned that in order to meet their new budget without raising taxes they must layoff employees, impose a hiring freeze and cut pay for all city employees including the mayor and city council.

Nevada: ObamaCare is the final nail in the coffin for Nye Regional Medical Center in Tonopah.  The hospital went bankrupt in 2013 and never recovered, even with taxpayer assistance. News reports say there is only one doctor in town and the nearest hospital is more than an hours drive away.

New York: Barcomb’s Furniture shutting down their Champlain store.  The owner admitted that sales have been declining since the 1990s.  Major news media outlet Thomson Reuters joining the mass exodus by issuing a shutdown WARN for their Valhalla Tax & Accounting Customer Service and Financial Operations, 37 jobs lost between now and March 2016.  Unnamed sources say major news outlet Bloomberg is about to eliminate 1-hundred NYC jobs! It’s blamed on the return of elitist Michael Rubens Bloomberg.  The U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement has canceled their contract with The New York Foundling-Casa de Paz migrant children housing program.  33 jobs lost by September.

Ohio: Harrison based commercial paper-printer Sekuworks has gone bust, shutting down without warning.  Not only are hundreds of jobs lost, but several U.S. states are now struggling to find a new supplier for official state documents, as Sekuworks was apparently the only one who could perform Intaglio printing!

Pennsylvania:  British empire U.S. tax-sucker BAE Systems shutting down their Jessup military factory by Xmas, the remaining 111 jobs lost!  Administrators say they’ve completed the contract they had with the U.S. Department of Defense.

Rhode Island: The city of Providence suddenly shutdown all five public swimming pools, with no explanation. Rumors say the incompetent city administrators tried to save money by painting the pools with cheap paint that could pose a health hazard when chlorinated water comes into contact with it.

Texas: Houston based department store owner Stage Stores announced they will shutdown 90 stores across 40 U.S. states.  Those stores include Bealls, Goody’s, Palais Royal, Peebles and Stage.  Administrators blame “economic softness”.  To show you that administrators don’t see any future recovery, the shutdowns will take place over the next few years.

Utah:  State Charter School Board ordering the shutdown of Alianza Academy K-8 charter schools in West Valley City and South Salt Lake City. It’s blamed on what I call DSS (Disappearing Students Syndrome), as enrollment has crashed below the state required minimum of 290.

19 August 2015: “…numbers they gave Wall Street were inflated….management don’t want to say no to the big guys…”

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

International

False Flag or Incompetence? Proof it was the World’s biggest Thermobaric bomb! Nerve Gas?

20 August 2015 (22:34 UTC-07 Tango 01, 19 August 2015)/29 Mordad 1394/05 Dhu al-Qa’dah 1436/07 Jia-Shen (7th month) 4713

“We were shocked to find out that these three companies were able to store extremely dangerous chemicals so close to public areas including kindergartens, primary schools and middle schools….this information was not known by people living close to the dangerous storage warehouse. This is a clear violation of the regulations.”– Wu Yixiu, Greenpeace East Asia

Is this a big insurance pay-off scam?  One estimate said insurance companies will payout at least $1.5-billion USD to companies affected by the Tianjin explosions.

There are reports of nerve gas being detected at the epicenter of the thermobaric explosions that hit now non-existent Rui Hai International Logistics warehouse in Binhai district, Tianjin, China.  The estimated strength of those blasts has been increased to 24 metric tons (24-thousand kilograms).

City administrators downplayed the reports of nerve gas saying air monitoring sites outside the blast area do not detect nerve gas, but it was local firefighters conducting decontamination work that made the report about nerve gas.  The big problem is that the company operating the warehouse is now believed to have lied about what was being stored.  This comes as the international environmentalist radical group Greenpeace claims they’ve discovered there were two other companies that were illegally storing toxic chemicals within the blast area, before the fire and explosions rocked Tianjin.

“There are around 40 types of hazardous chemicals stocked in the warehouse, mainly in three categories. This includes 1,300 tonnes [metric tons] of ammonium nitrate and potassium nitrate; 500 tonnes of metal sodium and magnesium and 700 tonnes of sodium cyanide.”-He Shushan, Vice Mayor of Tianjin.

Besides the benzene, hydrogen and sodium cyanide previously reported, the latest reports say potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, sodium nitrate, magnesium and calcium carbide were among many chemicals being warehoused.

Magnesium can be used for welding, and in armor defeating thermite grenades and incendiary bombs.

Calcium carbide is used in fertilizers and in the metals industry.  It can be mixed with water to create flammable acetylene gas.   It’s been raining in Tianjin, so besides the concern over the sodium cyanide contamination, there was concern about rainwater mixing with the calcium carbide.  The good news is that city administrators say the rain has apparently cleared Tianjin streets of the residual contamination.

Nitrates can be used as food preservatives, fertilizers or explosives.  Bomb detectors used by the U.S. TSA at U.S. airports detect chemicals including nitrates.  I had a relative who was flying back to California and he had bought an Idaho made smoked sausage.  I knew it would set off the bomb alarm at the Pocatello Airport, and it sure did.  It was hilarious to watch the TSA employees’ befuddled facial expression as they ran their hand held scanner over a less than foot long sausage that apparently was a bomb!  I pointed out that sausages are made with nitrates, they looked at the ingredient label and seemed amazed to see nitrates as one of the ingredients.  They let my relative board the plane with his treasured Idaho sausage.

In April 1995, the U.S. federal Murrah Building in Oklahoma City was destroyed by a truck bomb made with thousands of pounds of ammonium nitrate and acetylene (made with calcium carbide), as well as other ingredients.  Another 324 buildings in a 16 block radius were damaged.  168 people killed.

Back in Tianjin, the People’s Liberation Army NBC (Nuclear Biological Chemical) teams have been rotating 40 minute excursions into the epicenter, it’s that contaminated.

21,000 kg thermobaric ‘bombs’ hit Toyota & John Deere! 

The latest stats:

114 people dead (mainly firefighters, police and warehouse employees)

692 wounded (more than 50 Toyota employees wounded, it could have been more as the majority of Toyota employees had the day off, U.S. farm vehicle maker Deere also reported wounded employees, but refused to give specific numbers)

number of missing increased to 64

322 rescued

Blast radius 3km

779 buildings damaged or destroyed

1-thousand+ new Toyotas destroyed

1-thousand 5-hundred new Renaults destroyed

2-thousand 7-hundred new VWs destroyed

Evacuation radius 5km

10 hectares (24.7 acres) confirmed contaminated with sodium cyanide

17-thousand families evacuated

30-thousand people directly affected

12 schools and 3 apartment buildings now evacuation shelters

 

Business/Economics

“…situation is pretty dire…numbers they gave Wall Street were inflated….management don’t want to say no to the big guys…” : U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 19 August 2015

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

Netherlands based Royal Dutch Shell began eliminating hundreds of oil industry jobs in Louisiana and Texas, as part of their plan to eliminate 6-thousand 5-hundred jobs globally!

Alabama: Alabama Media Group announced it is eliminating jobs across the state.  The Video Warehouse announced it’s shutting down their 17 years old Ozark store.

California: The Orange County Sheriff laid off five staffers and now they’re suing.  Grocery store Raley’s announced it will eliminate 29 jobs from their West Sacramento HQ and their Natomas warehouse.  Company administrators are excited about killing off so many jobs because it makes them feel “…optimistic about the future and we continue to hire in areas to support future growth.”  Raley’s also revealed they’ve leased out their Winnemucca store to Idaho based Ridley’s Family Markets, affecting 50 Raley’s employees.  The Winnemucca store is the fourth Raley’s to shutdown this year.  Administrators of Los Angeles based clothing chain American Apparel admit it is on its death bed: “…decline in comparable sales…We believe that we may not have sufficient liquidity necessary to sustain operations for the next twelve months. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt that we may be able to continue as a going concern.”

Colorado: More proof tech jobs are not recession resistant, Denver based video game maker IllFonic laid off six software developers.

Illinois: It’s been revealed that Eastern Illinois University eliminated 118 civil service jobs!  50 of those former employees were forced to quit or retire early.  In Chicago, God refuses to stop ‘his’ Catholic Church from using the excuse of lead contamination to suddenly shutdown the Saint Elizabeth School.  After six years restaurant Browntrout shutting down because sales suck: “We just can’t seem to hold it together….It’s drying up on us…It’s so erratic. What’s really stopping us now is we can’t make payroll…..I can’t keep a Band-Aid on it.”-Sean Sanders, owner

Indiana: In South Bend, New Jersey based Bed, Bath & Beyond shutting down their Erskine Village store in time for Thanksgiving.  Local news reports many businesses leaving the Erskine Village shopping center, and that the property owners missed their loan payments for February and March!

Michigan: ObamaCare forcing HealthPlus to shutdown their Saginaw and Troy offices, about 250 jobs lost!  HealthPlus abandoned the Medicaid and MIChild business.

New Jersey: In Paramus, Denmark based drugs maker Lundbeck Research issued a WARN saying 68 employees will become unemployed in October.  It’s part of their plan to eliminate thousands of jobs around the World (1-thousand jobs to be cut just from their Denmark HQ)!

New York: ObamaCare forcing addict rehab operation Phoenix House to issue a shutdown WARN for their NYC and South Kortright residential programs, at least 50 jobs lost in time for Thanksgiving. In Jamaica, God refuses to stop ‘his’  Catholic Charities Neighborhood Services from shutting down their Monica House homeless shelter in time for Thanksgiving, 26 jobs lost.  Administrators say it now costs too much to maintain the building.  More proof the internet is not recession resistant, NYC based HarperCollins shutting down their seven years old internet community for wanna-b writers, Authonomy, in September.

North Carolina: Divine Wine and Beer shutdown, the owner blames it on his wife who became the new pastor of the Church of Asheville.  Winston-Salem based Too Big to Jail BB&T shutting down 25 branch offices as part of its merger with Pennsylvania based National Penn Bancshares.

Ohio: The Quaker Square General Store and NewsStand Comics being forced to shutdown by the property owner, which is the  University of Akron.  New Albany based clothing chain Abercrombie & Fitch is reportedly going to shutdown an additional 60 stores, on top of the 52 already shutdown.  In Springdale, Dillard’s announced they’re shutting down their clearance center at the Tri-County Mall.  It’s blamed on their new $350-million USD store at the Liberty Center Mall in Liberty Township.

Oregon: After more than 12 months the anti-GMO Moreland Farmers Pantry shutting down, according to local news reports it has something to do with the owner also being anti-homosexual marriage.

Pennsylvania: Jameson Hospital moving up their date to end childbirth services, no thanks to ObamaCare mergers.  Now, instead of the September shutdown the maternity ward will shutdown on 20 August! The earlier shutdown date seems to be blamed on a lack of medical staff.  God refuses to stop ‘his’ Catholic Church from shutting down the Saint Patrick Grade School. Local news reports say Catholic leaders tried to secretly stop parents from protesting. In West Point, union members revealed that their employer, drugs maker Merck, will eliminate “thousands” of jobs and then force those still employed to work 16 hours shifts!  An unnamed employee warned you should avoid medication made by Merck: “The situation is pretty dire. We’re making medicine, not coat hangers. The numbers they gave Wall Street were inflated and not realistic. Lower and middle management don’t want to say no to the big guys because they don’t want to lose their jobs.”

Tennessee: In Gallatin, Nationwide Studios (akaTeddy Bear Portraits) laying off 69 employees between now and the end of September, as a result of the shutdown of their portrait printing ops.

Texas: California based Demand Media shutting down their Austin office, 30 jobs lost.  At one point Demand Media employed at least 1-hundred Texans!

Utah: What housing market recovery?  Too Big to Jail financial/mortgage industry company MCS Valuations shutting down their Sandy office.  Basically they said that after a year of review it wasn’t worth it to them to keep their Utah ops going.

18 August 2015: Federal Reserve says college does not pay-off!

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

Business/Economics, International

False Flag or Incompetence? 21,000 kg thermobaric ‘bombs’ hit Toyota & John Deere!

18 August 2015 (14:56 UTC-07 Tango 01)/27 Mordad 1394/03 Dhu al-Qa’dah 1436/05 Jia-Shen (7th month) 4713

“…it’s some kind of dysfunctional process of planning!”-Jean-Paul Rodrigue, Hofstra University, interviewed by CCTV-America about why residential units were allowed to be built so close to Tianjin warehouses containing massive volumes of volatile chemicals

The latest casualties as a result of last weeks earthquake causing thermobaric explosions in China are economic; Japan’s Toyota and the U.S. based Deere (formerly John Deere) have halted their operations in Tianjin.  (all three production lines at Tianjin FAW Toyota Motor Company shutdown, Deere reports windows and doors at their Tianjin factory blown out)

Just over five days ago the Rui Hai International Logistics operated warehouse caught fire, then two massive explosions equivalent to 21-thousand kilograms (21 metric tons) of TNT knocked people who were 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) away on their asses!  (There’s plenty of cell phone video of the Tianjin explosions on the internet.)

The explosions nearly leveled the entire Binhai new district.  An investigation is underway to find out the cause, and why so many highly volatile chemicals were being stored together in one massive warehouse, and why more than 7-hundred metric tons of toxic sodium cyanide were also in the warehouse (that’s 30 times the allowed limit for warehouse storage).

The cyanide has contaminated the ground for at least 5km (3.1 miles) radius.  The city’s sewage treatment plant has been dumping activated charcoal into the water due to high levels of cyanide.  The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been spraying hydrogen peroxide in an attempt to neutralize the cyanide.

Despite the past week’s decontamination and search & rescue efforts, yesterday the PLA and city administrators revealed they still have not entered the epicenter of the explosion site due to massive chemical contamination.

The sodium cyanide was being stored for a Chinese mining supply company whose many customers are mining ops in North and South America.  If anybodies been paying attention to mining industry news then they’d know that the mining industry is undergoing massive shutdowns due to collapsing commodity market prices.  This could explain why more than 7-hundred metric tons of cyanide had built up in the Rui Hai warehouse.  Sodium cyanide is used to separate precious metals from rock.

It wasn’t just cyanide in that warehouse; massive amounts of benzene, hydrogen and various oxidizing agents, among other chemicals, as Rui Hai specializes in transporting volatiles. But these chemicals can also be used to make thermobaric bombs (fuel-air bombs), which are the next best thing to nukes.

Today it is raining in Tianjin, residents have been warned not to touch the rainwater runoff.  Pics show foaming effect as rainwater mixes with contamination on the ground.

Tianjin is China’s third largest port city, the biggest commodities handled there are oil, natural gas and iron ore. However, the explosions at the warehouse did not affect port operations.

The latest stats:

114 people dead (mainly firefighters, police and warehouse employees)

692 wounded (more than 50 Toyota employees wounded, it could have been more as the majority of Toyota employees had the day off, U.S. farm vehicle maker Deere also reported wounded employees, but refused to give specific numbers)

57 missing

322 rescued

Blast radius 3km

779 buildings damaged or destroyed

1-thousand+ new Toyotas destroyed

1-thousand 5-hundred new Renaults destroyed

2-thousand 7-hundred new VWs destroyed

Evacuation radius 5km

10 hectares (24.7 acres) confirmed contaminated with sodium cyanide

6-thousand people evacuated

12 schools and 3 apartment buildings now evacuation shelters

 

Business/Economics

Economic War on ‘Fat’ People! Federal Reserve says college does not pay-off! Zulily has been sold! : U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 18 August 2015

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

California: News media in The Golden State are finally starting to question the unAmerican corporate America excuse that there aren’t enough qualified techies in the U.S. for offshoring such jobs to places like India.  This after massive layoffs announced over the past few months by California tech companies such as Qualcomm (who refuses to give exact layoff numbers).

Illinois: Deerfield based but Switzerland owned Walgreens Boots Alliance eliminating 370 jobs, 270 just within Illinois the other 1-hundred will take place across 20 U.S. states! It’s a direct result of the merger between Walgreens and Boots Alliance.  In Elizabeth, clothing store Something Special announced it will shutdown after Xmas.  What automotive industry recovery? Moline based farm vehicle maker Deere (formerly John Deere) shutdown their Tianjin, China, ops as a result of last week’s 21-thousand metric tons explosions that rocked the port city. It’s still not know what sparked the earthquake causing blasts.

Massachusetts: In Cambridge, after 35 years Berk’s Shoes shutdown, the general manager blamed the suck-ass economy and never ending local road construction: “…the climate in the country makes it really difficult for small business, local business, independent business to survive. It’s a sad day for us…”-Mickey Holland

Michigan: Grand Rapids Board of Education voted unanimously to layoff seven teachers. For every student the district loses it also loses $7,391 USD in funding.

Minnesota: Restaurant Zen Box shutdown their skyway location last week.  

Missouri: A new study by the Federal Reserve Bank‘s Saint Louis regional office has concluded that getting a college degree does not do anything to improve your financial position, at least not if you’re ‘black’ or ‘hispanic’!    

Montana: Stillwater Mining laid off 119 employees! Back in July they laid off 11, it’s blamed on crashing prices of platinum and palladium.

New Hampshire: Macy’s shutting down another store, this time in Bedford, just in time for Thanksgiving.  It’s part of the retailer’s plan to eliminate 2-thousand 5-hundred jobs by the end of the year!

New York: NYC based Harper’s Magazine revealed that college edumacation is a economic ripoff (How College Sold its Soul).

Ohio: God’s ‘christian’ president of Ashland University eliminated 23 faculty positions despite strong student enrollment numbers and a $3-million USD surplus at the end of the 2014 school year!  The Cleveland Clinic announced it is kicking McDonald’s out of its food court, as part its new War on Fat People.  To show you how a-feared people are of the Anti-Fast Food Police State a technician at the clinic was caught by news media eating a Mickey D’s meal and he wimp assedly confessed “Every now and again I stray just a little. I don’t eat too much of it. I just wanted it right now.”   I don’t like McDonald’s but you better not come here to Idaho and try and take away my Carl’s Junior!!!

Pennsylvania: In State College, gas station-convenience store Sheetz shutdown on East College Avenue. Administrators indicated that food and beverage sales were too low.  Finland based mining equipment company Metso announced that it will shutdown its York factory, 80 people will become jobless by March 2016. And as more proof that your average ‘Merican employee doesn’t pay attention to economic news, one Metso employee said “I feel like I was on a 10-foot ladder and got knocked down. It’s a shock.” 

Washington: More proof the internet is not recession proof; the 3-thousand employees of shopping network Zulily are demanding to know what’s going on as their boss announced the surprise sale of Seattle based Zulily to Pennsylvania based QVC.   The CEO of five years old Zulily bold faced lied and said “This acquisition is not about cost savings”, my decades of experience with unAmerican corporate America is that such sales or mergers are precisely about “cost savings” (job cuts), and that managers are not above bold face lying about job security to the faces of their employees!

17 August 2015:“everything is on the table”

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

Business/Economics

“everything is on the table” “It takes a lot of money to pay the bills.”: U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 17 August 2015

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

“…Biopharmas are already in consolidation mode, and they will cut jobs and curtail operations more and more as they struggle to recoup the costs of associated with a wave of mergers and acquisitions.

Between January and July of this year, pharmaceutical employers announced the elimination of 6,334 jobs—up 1% from the same period in 2014….”–JobWatch: More Layoffs Loom as M&A Zooms

Alabama: US Steel announced it will shutdown their Fairfield blast furnace, 1-thousand 1-hundred jobs lost!  Administrators say the U.S. economy is so bad that “everything is on the table”!

Arkansas: In Redfield, Entergy Arkansas said it’s not worth it to upgrade their White Bluff coal fired power plant because it cannot afford to meet new EPA emission standards.  The upgrade is estimated to cost $1.1-billion USD, the shutdown will affect at least 110 employees!

California: Los Gatos based Netflix announced it will shutdown its last brick-n-mortar data center.  Netflix will now put customers’ data on the publicly accessed ‘cloud’.  As is typical with tech news, no mention of the location of the data center or how many humans (jobs) will be affected.  In La Quinta, psychedelic Rock ’N’ Roll MiniGolf shutting down by the end of the month, the owner said sales are not enough to pay the rent.

Florida: After 51 years the Paradise Palms Inn shutdown, and is being torn down.  News reports say a new hotel will take its place by 2017.

Illinois: After more than 20 years the Royal Appointments gift shop shutting down due to the property owner selling-off the building. Eastern Illinois University began eliminating an undisclosed number of jobs. It’s partly blamed on the Failed State ‘lawmakers’ who’ve failed to come up with a budget for the new fiscal year.   In Forest Park, after 12 years the Flavour (note incorrect British empire way of spelling Flavor) Cooking School shutting down by the end of the month.  The owner admits “…the business has been struggling for some time now.”

Maryland: What home construction industry recovery? After 27 years American Home Interiors shutdown: “Not very many new homes are being built and there’s more competition than there was in 1988 when Harry Hammond and I opened American Home Interiors.”-Harry Brown, owner

Minnesota: After more than 40 years the Golden Valley VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) shutdown.  The management admitted that due to crashing membership they sold-out to a property developer.

Mississippi: The Pisgah Headstart Center shutdown.  Parents are being told to send their kids to other Headstart education centers even though other Headstart ops are shutting down as well.  Many single parents relied on Headstart to watch their kids while they went to work, now they say they’ll have to quit their jobs because their jobs don’t pay them enough to afford child daycare.  In Jackson, a Piggly Wiggly grocery store on McDowell Road is shutting down.  Local news says it’s the second grocery store in the area to shutdown this year.

Missouri: It’s been discovered that Springfield based Bass Pro Shops actually eliminated 5-hundred jobs across the U.S., in July!  And if you remember my Job Loss report for 24 July, Bass Pro administrators told local news media it was less than 60!

Nebraska: In Hastings, after 31 years Moore Music shutting down by the end of the month.

Nevada: 86 years old casino Las Vegas Club was shutdown, the property was sold to a competitor.

North Carolina: After 25 years Tony’s Furniture Outlet now chapter 7 bankrupt busted and being liquidated.  A Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Wilson is shutting down, 30 jobs lost. Officially it’s blamed on low sales.

Ohio: After 98 years (surviving the Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) Tom’s Cigar Shop shutdown.  The owner blames increased competition and the city of Cincinnati for trying to force him to put a new $60-thousand USD roof on his shop: “It takes a lot of money to pay the bills.”-Joe Wright

South Dakota: In Sioux Falls, after 20 years the Prairie Star Gallery shutdown.

Texas: In Austin, music venue Red 7 shutting down a month earlier than originally planned because the multiple owners “…unfortunately, none of them really get along…” 

14 – 16 August 2015: “You’re creating parameters under which I can’t possibly succeed.” 

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”