Tag Archives: wall street

Business/Economics, Technology, U.S.

Martial Law U.S.A.: Think your secure email is secure? Lavabit shut down for refusing to comply with NSA!

10 August 2013 (15:34 UTC-07 Tango)/03 Shawwal 1434/19 Mordad 1391/04 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

The following was posted by the operator of a secure email service that was bullied by the U.S. government:

My Fellow Users,

I have been forced to make a difficult decision: to become complicit in crimes against the American people or walk away from nearly ten years of hard work by shutting down Lavabit. After significant soul searching, I have decided to suspend operations. I wish that I could legally share with you the events that led to my decision. I cannot. I feel you deserve to know what’s going on–the first amendment is supposed to guarantee me the freedom to speak out in situations like this. Unfortunately, Congress has passed laws that say otherwise. As things currently stand, I cannot share my experiences over the last six weeks, even though I have twice made the appropriate requests.

What’s going to happen now? We’ve already started preparing the paperwork needed to continue to fight for the Constitution in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. A favorable decision would allow me resurrect Lavabit as an American company.

This experience has taught me one very important lesson: without congressional action or a strong judicial precedent, I would _strongly_ recommend against anyone trusting their private data to a company with physical ties to the United States.

Sincerely,
Ladar Levison
Owner and Operator, Lavabit LLC

Defending the constitution is expensive! Help us by donating to the Lavabit Legal Defense Fund here.

Business/Economics, Idaho

Employee owned WinCo is the new business model of the 21st Century!

10 August 2013 (19:51 UTC-07 Tango 09 August 2013)/03 Shawwal 1434/19 Mordad 1391/04 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

“WinCo arguably may be the best retailer in the Western U.S……WinCo is really unstoppable….They’re Walmart’s worst nightmare!”-Burt Flickinger III, New York based retail analyst

The Idaho Statesman published an article showing that employee owned WinCo is being used as a prime example of what large U.S. businesses need to be like to survive and excel in the 21st century (Gregorian calendar system).

The article gives a good explanation why Idaho based employee owned WinCo is exploding in growth.

By the way, why does the main stream media always add a dash between Wal and mart? There’s no dash between Wal and mart, and mart is not capitalized. It’s Walmart.  I hates Walmart, but at least I spells it correctly.  Actually here’s the history: From 1962-64 there was no dash.  From 1964-92 there was a dash.  From 1992-2008 there was a star.  Since 2008 Walmart has gone back to no dash or star upon thars (but there’s like an astric following Walmart*).

WinCo expansion delays caused by Arizona aesthetics cops! 

International, U.S.

World War 3, Asian Front-Afghanistan, 27-28 July 2013: New Zealand uses NSA to spy on Americans, through Five Eyes alliance! Reporting corruption gets a reporter almost beat to death in public!

In Helmand, Kunar and Paktia provinces, reports that 60 people killed by U.S./NATO air strikes.

In Helmand, provincial government officials say a NATO air strike killed Mujahideen returning from a battle in Nimroz Province, however, NATO/ISAF officials deny any airstrikes were launched in Helmand.  Also in Helmand, the U.K. Red Coats have been conducting secret operations in Sangin District.  According to Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials, the secret missions are targeting Mujahideen.  MoD says the Red Coats were sent back to Sangin at the request of Afghan National Army (ANA) officials.  Afghan government forces have been unable to take control of Sangin District.

In Ghazni Province, Qara Bagh District, Mujahideen assassinated the local Afghan National Police (ANP) boss, along with his three body guards.  A suicide bomber used a motorcycle bomb.  Three civilians were also killed, and seven people wounded.  Two U.S. soldiers were killed by explosion, after their vehicle was ambushed by Mujahideen.  They were with the 10th Transportation Battalion, 7th Sustainment Brigade.

In Uruzgan Province, Khas Uruzgan District, two tribal elders were assassinated, shot while working in the farm fields.

In Baghlan Province, Tapa-i-Shahidan District, the provincial security boss survived an assassination attempt.  His convoy was crossing a bridge when a bomb went off.  A civilian was killed, one cop wounded.  In Doshi District, Mujahideen ambushed a convoy of food supply trucks, destroying two reefers.

In Samangan Province, the governor, and his bodyguards, survived an assassination attempt.  A roadside bomb exploded as his vehicle passed.  A child was wounded.

In Kabul Province, the governor of Parwan Province publicly beat a journalist after tricking the reporter to a meeting at a restaurant in Kabul city.  The reporter was also threatened with death, because he had publicized the massive corruption of the Parwan government.  Also, in Sarobi District a U.S. Special Forces Group sergeant (from the Mississippi National Guard) was shot and killed by Mujahideen.

In Farah Province, an explosion killed as many as seven children.  Local government officials said the children were collecting scrap metal, and found what turned out to be a bomb from the civil war of the 1990s.

In Badakhshan Province, Warduj District, reports that government forces are burning the wheat crops of farmers who refuse to fight the Mujahideen. Several farm tractors destroyed and some families were driven from their homes.

In the United States, an ABC News/Washington Post survey said 67% of ‘mericans think the War on Terror in Afghanistan is a wasted effort.

In New Zealand, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is denying reports that it used the U.S. NSA data mining operations (domestic spying) to spy on a reporter working for a U.S. news company in Afghanistan.  The reporter says the NZDF was collecting his phone contacts.  The reporter could have been targeted by the NZDF because he revealed the criminal treatment that Qiwi forces are dealing to prisoners in Afghanistan.  New Zealand is part of the secretive Five Eyes alliance.    The Five Eyes alliance is made up of United States, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and United Kingdom.  (obviously it’s a British empire thing)

International

Government Evil: Official reveals the lies about Japan Atomic Energy Commission! Is Japan building nuclear weapons?

09 August 2013 (15:40 UTC-07 Tango)/02 Shawwal 1434/18 Mordad 1391/03 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

Japan’s NHK (Nippon Housou Kyoukai/Japan Broadcasting Corporation) reporting that the head of Japan’s Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), Shunsuke Kondo, has admitted the commission is just a “formality”!

Japan’s AEC is supposed to ensure that the dozens of nuclear power plants around Japan are being used for “peaceful” purposes only.  The commission is also supposed to make sure no terrorist get their hands on radioactive materials.

Shunsuke said as far as making sure nuclear power is used for peaceful purposes, that’s just a formality.  He also stated that as far as he knows there are no standards in place to make sure terrorists can’t get their hands on radioactive material.

Japan’s Atomic Energy Commission is currently under independent review.

Fukushima

Government & Corporate evil incompetence: Confirmed; Fukushima radiation increasing in “death” rivers, pouring into Pacific Ocean!

08 August 2013 (22:12 UTC-07 Tango 07 August 2013)/01 Shawwal 1434/17 Mordad 1392/02 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

A new study backs claims made in January, about a Death River created by the GE designed disaster reactors at Fukushima Daiichi.

In January citizens groups reported that canal water in Fukushima City tested for as much as 515,000 becquerels per kilogram of cesium! (as I’ve said before: Holy crap retiring Popeman, the official safe limit is only 100 becquerels per kilogram!!!)

That water comes from the Abukuma River.  The mouth of the river, on the Pacific Ocean, is 70km (43 miles) north of Fukushima Daiichi!  Citizens took maters into their own hands to do radioactive testing, because the government ordered a halt to all such ‘official’ testing shortly after the March 2011 meltdowns.  (this is why the main streamer news media didn’t report any ‘official’ radiation contamination figures)

Not only is radiation from the river getting into local canals used for farming, it then pours into the Pacific.

A new study by the University of Tokyo’s Institute of Industrial Science has confirmed massive amounts of cesium build up on the bottom of the ocean floor near the nuke plant, and at the mouth of the river.

The researchers took samples as far away as 400km (249 miles) out to sea, from the nuke plant.   Of course the closer they got to the reactors the higher the levels, and they found that the cesium build up is highest in the valleys on the ocean floor.   They found that within 20km (12 miles) of Fukushima Daiichi, the cesium 137 levels in the ocean floor valleys was five times the levels on the peaks.

At the mouth of the Abukuma “death” River they found cesium levels two times higher than the surrounding ocean floor.  This is clear proof the river is being contaminated with radiation.  Remember the mouth of the river is 43 miles from Fukushima Daiichi.

Abukuma River generally flows from south to north.  It begins at Mount Asashi, flows east then turns northward until it turns eastward again, through the coastal city of Iwanuma.  Its Pacific mouth is south of the Sendai Airport, and just north of Lake Torinoumi.  If this river is contaminated then likely so is Lake Torinoumi, and the hundreds of smaller rivers that run through the area.

An older report, when compared to the newer studies, shows radiation levels are only skyrocketing.  In 2012 the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology reported extremely low levels of cesium in the Abukuma and other rivers.  However, they warned “…..it is important to monitor its level in Fukushima Prefecture over time.”

In May 2013, the Japan Geoscience Union reported the results of their 2012 study, confirming that radiation levels in rivers are increasing, with help from rain water runoff: “Total radioactivity of Cs-134 and Cs-137 in river waters was 0.016-0.27 Bq/l at normal flow conditions on April 18 and June 19 in 2012, but it increased to 3.83 Bq/l in high flow conditions by heavy rains…..These results indicate that the pulse input of radiocesium associated with suspended particles from land to coastal ocean occurred by the heavy rain event.”

Business/Economics, U.S.

Government Evil: Obama gives bogus reasons for privatizing Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac! Obama forgets his Senate voting record!

07 August 2013 (12:20 UTC-07 Tango)/30 Ramadan 1434/16 Mordad 1391/01 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

“For too long, these companies were allowed to make big profits buying mortgages, knowing that if their bets went bad, taxpayers would be left holding the bag.”-Barack Obama, misleading a group of 2000 people in Arizona

What’s wrong with the above statement?  It suggests that Fannie Mae (Federal National Mortgage Association) and Freddie Mac (Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation) were bailed out by taxpayers because they’re pseudo-governmental agencies, and if Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were fully privatize, taxpayers would be spared.  But wait, what about all those fully privatized banks that got bailed out by taxpayers?

Did you forget Bears Stearn?  That fully privatized company got bailed out by the government when it got into trouble with its mortgage securities, then sold to JP Morgan.

Did you forget Goldman Sachs?  That fully privatized company got ‘bailed out’ by the government’s TARP in 2008, even though the company reported big profits from mortgages in 2007!

Did you forget Citigroup?  This fully privatized company got into trouble with the subprime mortgage crisis (by the way, the crisis was created by the banks themselves) and ended up getting bailed out by the government!

Did you forget the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, meant to bail out fully privatized banks due to the mortgage crisis?  Obama voted for it as a Senator!

Did you forget AIG?  Barack Obama, himself, voted for a taxpayer bailout of the fully privatized company as a Senator, even though he knew the company was ripping people off: “How do they justify this outrage to the taxpayers who are keeping the company afloat?” 

Did you forget Bank of America (BoA)?  This fully privatized company got $25 billion in TARP bail out money in 2008, and another $20 billion in TARP money in January 2009, then another $5.2 billion in March 2009!   The last government bail out was snuck through AIG to BoA.  In 2010, BoA agreed to pay a $137 million fine for defrauding schools, hospitals, and dozens of state and local government organizations.  In 2012, BoA was accused of running a scam called Hustle or High Speed Swim Lane.  The scam cost U.S. taxpayers more than $1 billion because BoA sold fraudulent mortgages to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac!  Arizona‘s attorney general says BoA “repeatedly has deceived” mortgagors!   August 2013, U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accuse BoA of investor fraud in the sale of $850 million of residential mortgage backed securities!

And Obama wants to sell off Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, because he thinks they’re a threat to taxpayers?!

By the way, Freddie Mac just posted a $5 billion profit for its second quarter this year!

Oh, the other bogus reason Obama gave is that the housing market has recovered.  Wrong!  He stated that home prices are going up. Correct.  Several surveys show that home prices are up because of house flippers.  That’s a cutesie phrase for home speculators.  They buy up a house with the expectation that they can sell six months to a couple of years later at a profit.  That is not a sign of a true housing recovery.  When you get a big increase in families buying homes to live in for 20+ years, that’s a sign of recovery, and that is not happening.  (in fact many families trying to buy homes are reporting being out bid by house flippers)

Fukushima

Food shortage, as Japanese fishermen cancel operations!

07 August 2013 (11:16 UTC-07 Tango)/30 Ramadan 1434/16 Mordad 1392/01 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

Because of the reality of the massive radiological disaster known as Fukushima Daiichi, the fishing industry of Iwate City has canceled next month’s test fishing.

Up ’till now, TEPCo has been lying to the fishing industry, and many fishing co-operatives were planning on resuming fishing in the next couple of months.  But last month’s admission by TEPCo, that radiation is pouring into the Pacific Ocean, and the confirmation by the government, has canceled those test fishing plans.

The latest news of how bad the situation is at Fukushima Daiichi is only now hitting the fishing industry.   Nozaki Tetsu, the chairman of the Fukushima fisheries federation, was questioned by local news media and said it was news to him.

It seems obvious now that almost all fishing could be halted on the Pacific side of Japan.

Fukushima

Government & Corporate evil incompetence: 300 tons of radiation pouring into the Pacific Ocean, everyday!!! Japan government takes over?

07 August 2013 (10:41 UTC-07 Tango)/30 Ramadan 1434/16 Mordad 1392/01 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

“Stabilizing the Fukushima plant is our challenge….the contaminated water is an urgent issue which has generated a great deal of public attention.”-Abe Shinzo, practitioner of the understatement, and a closet Imperialist

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has ordered the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to take control of Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (TEPCo) failed efforts to control the meltdowns of at least three GE designed nuclear reactors at Fukushima Daiichi.

The order came after the Ministry conducted its own investigation, which revealed that highly radioactive water has been pouring into the Pacific Ocean at a rate of 300 tons per day!!!

The Ministry said about 1000 tons of groundwater from the hills above Fukushima Daiichi flows through the area everyday.  300 tons become irradiated as it passes through the Fukushima Daiichi ground, on its way to the ocean.  Another 400 tons flood into the basements of four reactor buildings, damaged during the the 11 March 2011 quake and tsunami.  TEPCo has been struggling to pump out and store that water, but, has had nothing but problems with massive leaks from the storage tanks, and the filtration systems.  The Ministry said it is likely the contaminated groundwater began pouring into the Pacific just days after the meltdowns began!

For the past two and a half years TEPCo has said they didn’t know where the water was coming from!

The Ministry also estimates it will take at least 40 years to tackle the nuke disaster, at a cost of at least $11 billion (far more than what TEPCo said it would cost).  Here’s the rub; there is nothing that can be immediately done to stop 300+ tons of radiation from pouring into the Pacific Ocean!   This is more than incompetence, it seems almost intentional, evil!

Oh but wait, there’s more!  Guess what they’re going to attempt now?  They want to freeze the ground.  They think that’ll stop the contaminated water from getting to the ocean.  Experts have pointed out that it will be ridiculously expensive to do that, and there’s no guarantee it’ll work.  A groundwater expert asked the obvious; why don’t they divert or pump out the ground water before it reaches the reactors: “It is incredibly difficult to completely block the groundwater like this. It would be better if they could pump clean water before it reaches the plant.”-Ohga Kotaro, Hokkaido University

Because the ground around Fukushima Daiichi is contaminated, the only sure thing is to divert as much groundwater as possible before it passes through the area.

International, U.S.

World War 3, False Flag Op?: Military coup in Yemen? President orders increased security! It’s about the oil!

07 August 2013 (02:40 UTC-07 Tango)/30 Ramadan 1434/16 Mordad 1391/01 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

The U.S. puppet President of Yemen, Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi, held an emergency Supreme Security Committee meeting.  He ordered his minions to increase security across the country.

It’s been revealed that on Friday, 02 August 2013, soldiers from the Reserve Forces attacked guards at the Presidential Compound.  Seven guards were wounded.  About 200 former soldiers of the now dissolved Republican Guard were also protesting outside the compound.  That’s according to official government sources, however, one of the protestors said they were regular soldiers, not former Republican Guards: “We are regular soldiers. We demand a raise in our salaries and the annual Ramadan bonuses we used to receive during the time of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.”-Mohammed Yahia Nasser

The protesting soldiers said if their demands were not met they would return fully armed.

The BBC reports that the Yemeni government has placed armored vehicles around foreign missions, government offices and the airport.  An unnamed Yemeni security official said there is a plot to destroy Yemen’s oil industry by blowing up pipelines and ports.  As part of the plan, al Qaeda soldiers are going to dress like government soldiers.

The BBC also reports they have info that U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) are preparing for action in Yemen.

 

International, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 07-08 June 2013. Holy crap, one school district fires thousands! God hates Indiana!

In Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia School District firing 3783 employees!!!  The district’s “doomsday budget” is short $304 million USD: “The layoff notices that will be issued today are nothing less than catastrophic….”-William Hite, Superintendant

Also, near Penn State the Don Memo Mexican Restaurant closed in Upper Darby.  The owners said they had a problem with the new rent: “We tried to work on a new lease but we couldn’t get a good deal on the rent.”-Leo Saavedra

In Michigan, about 45 teachers at the Benton Harbor High School were laid off.   School district officials admitted they were replacing the experienced teachers with cheaper new hires.  The Krazie Kritterz pet store closed in Cheboygan.  The owner had been arrested for not having health certificates for the animals she sold. Charges were dropped but city animal control officials, and private animal rights groups, said the animals were not being cared for and many were sick.  And Fantasy Costume (and dry cleaning) in Battle Creek closed down.  The owner blamed it on declining customers.  And what automotive industry recovery?  General Motors to close its Romulus engine factory.  560 people out-o-work!  The factory is being re-tooled to make a new V-6 engine.

The Christian God can’t stop the closing of 12 churches in Indiana!  The Batesville Catholic Deanery has ordered that churches will be consolidated to save money.  What was that Jesus said about the want of money?

In Decatur, Illinois, Long Creek Vineyards went out-o-business.

In Ohio, Ingels Radio Shack closed in Middleport.   And the Rocking U Restaurant closed in Findlay.  The property owner said the restaurant owner lost his rights to use the building.

The Barking Dog restaurant bankrupt in New York.  The restaurant that allows dogs, is owed money by a hotel client.  The restaurant provided room service for the hotel, but about nine months ago filed a federal court action against the hotel for misappropriation of funds.  The New York Post laid off 13 photogs.  And KeyBank laid off 24 employees as part of their ongoing consolidation of offices.

The Emporium Gallery shut down in Mystic, Connecticut.  The People’s United Bank closed its 118 years old office building in Norwich. The bank is doing like so many others; consolidating offices.

In Georgia, textile maker Propex Operating Company closing its Nashville factory.  Its being blamed on declining orders by the military.

Wisconsin based lawn care equipment maker, Ariens Company, closing a small factory in Alabama.  17 people unemployed.

After 100 years, New York based Climax Packaging company closing its Saint Joseph, Missouri factory.  60 people unemployed.  Company officials had been trying to sell the box factory, but could find no buyers.

The Taverna Opa restaurant bankrupt in Florida.  Specifically the one in the Dolphin Mall.  They are swimming in debt.  And home insurance company HomeServe USA laid off 160 people in Miami!

In Kentucky 110 people lost their jobs with Arch Coal!  Company officials blame the crashing coal market.

Texas based National Envelope warned of bankruptcy and the closing of factories.  National Envelope was founded in 1952, and is one of the World’s largest producer of envelopes.

In California, the operator of the San Onofre nuke plant admitted it is a disaster, and is shutting it down.  The decision by Southern California Edison will affect 1500 employees!  And Ralph’s shut down more grocery stores. This time two in Long Beach.  Ralph’s is owned by Kroger, the same company that owns Fred Meyers and Smiths here in Idaho.  In Mountain View, the city’s last video rental store, Videoscope, closed down.  The owners don’t blame competition, they blame the property owner for jacking up the rent.

In Washington, Boeing laid off 939 employees in Puget Sound!  Apparently these are in addition to the thousands that will be laid off over the next three years?

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.