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Tuesday, July 11. 2017

33 depressing photos that show Sears is a disaster

Men and Republicans Are the Best Tippers

U.S. seniors are employed at the highest rates in 55 years.

Seems like a good thing to me

NY Times: Campus Protests ‘A Disaster’ For Mizzou

Kafkatrapped at Evergreen State College - Prof. Bret Weinstein’s attempt to clear himself of false charges of racism used as proof of his racism

Award-Winning Journalist Who Broke Story of Jewish Women Barred From Chicago ‘Dyke March’ Removed From Reporting Duties

Why ordinary Americans hold politicians and media in contempt, all in one Hamptons party

Trump’s Right: The West Must First Have the Will to Survive

Maxine Waters Acts The Fool Lambasting Ivanka At G20, Chelsea Clinton Doubles Down On Stupid

At Least On Immigration, Democrats Are Still Losing The “War Of Ideas”

Z-man:

As the West de-industrialized, the enforcement of labor laws have fallen away. Masses of helot labor brought over from Asia into Silicon Valley, for example, worked under agreements they struck with the business owners. Tech companies love open borders as it gives them a loophole to avoid some of the constraints of the Servile State. The same is true at the unskilled end, where companies rely upon masses of labor from Latin America.

This is an untenable situation in its own right, but the coming automation of the American economy will result in an evolution of the Servile State. ..

White House points collusion-seeking reporters toward the Democratic National Committee

House Passes Medical Malpractice Reform Bill

Kling: A conservative American President in Poland

France: "Jihad by Court"

The Impact of Jihadi Attacks on the British Elections

Posted by Bird Dog in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 06:22 | Comments (18) | Trackbacks (0)

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Apparently Belloc, and Z-man, didn't understand capitalism.

#1 Bulldog on 2017-07-11 08:43 (Reply)

Sears Canada has filed for bankruptcy.

#2 JJM on 2017-07-11 09:21 (Reply)

Actually, I rather think it's more like filing for bankruptcy protection. They are closing a fair few stores, but apparently any signage can't say "bankruptcy", "liquidation", or "going out of business" sale.

That being said, I am wondering how long our local Sears will last. Time was, that store was really, really, profitable; so much so that the powers-that-be felt didn't need to do any upgrades. So now the whole store just looks grotty and has a grimy feel about it. Will be sad to lose it - have bought a lot there over the years - but the decisions of Sears' executives have totally ignored me as a consumer for a long time now.

#2.1 Frances on 2017-07-13 00:38 (Reply)

"The Impact of Jihadi Attacks on the British Elections"

I must confess that I am more interested in the impact on the next Canadian election of the recent outrageous pay-out of $10.5 million and accompanying craven apology to Omar Khadr by my own Federal Government.

#3 JJM on 2017-07-11 09:28 (Reply)

What's been happening at Sears is sad. The company that invented the mail order business model should have killed it online. Instead, they went from "Sears has everything!" to Sears hasn't got squat.

#4 mudbug on 2017-07-11 09:59 (Reply)

I was stationed near several smallish cities 40-60 years ago, i.e. McAllen, TX, Selma, AL, Montgomery, AL, Charleston SC. Sears was by far the best department/applicance/hardware/automotive store in any of those places. Times sure do change.

#4.1 BillH on 2017-07-11 12:37 (Reply)

Sears' reputation was poisoned when it started selling rebranded KMart merchandise as Sears merchandise. But it is not the only store in this process. Most American stores in my area are in the process of declining or going down the tubes. Macy's (cheap goods with silly Italian names; discontinuing quality brands); Nordstrom's (no merchandise, what little there is is hugely overpriced); CVS Pharmacies, which swallowed our local drug store chain which was very good and then immediately drove it into the ground (empty and broken shelves, cheap goods, sale items being advertised and then not actually being on the shelves--which ought to be a legal consumer violation but apparently isn't; no shopping carts; whole areas of goods discontinued); Walgreens (no merchandise); Walmart (well it didn't start very high to begin with, but it's the only place I have actually seen bugs crawling in the produce bags), and so on. We really are becoming like the old Soviet Union.

The last months of Sears were particularly depressing in my area. It essentially became a dollar store, selling cheap junk people had given it on consignment. One day it was just gone, its doors closed.

#4.2 Jim on 2017-07-11 13:51 (Reply)

Ever since trying to get through school with a unreliable Sear electric typewriter, my policy has been, "If it says Sears on the label, run, run as fast as you are able."

Now granted in the 1970s with all that union labor, many name brand US products were crap, but Sears never fixed their crappy products when the refreshing winds of competition swept over the nation.

Good riddance to bad retailer.

#4.3 JK Brown on 2017-07-11 15:46 (Reply)

Sears had always been the first place I'd buy tools (Craftsman). I still like Craftsman tools but even if we still had a Sears nearby, I'm much more willing to buy tools elsewhere - e.g. Lowes Kobalt tools.

#4.3.1 mudbug on 2017-07-11 16:24 (Reply)

" U.S. seniors are employed at the highest rates in 55 years.

Seems like a good thing to me "

Depends on why. Do they want to keep working or can't they afford to retire because their retirement plans evaporated due to stock market collapse, mortgage crisis, and taxation?

I'd not be surprised if the latter is true for a large percentage of those who continue to work past the nominal age of retirement.

#5 JTW on 2017-07-11 11:29 (Reply)

"retirement" is a terrible modern invention. Not good for males.

#5.1 BD on 2017-07-11 11:56 (Reply)

Retired when I was 56 (18 years ago). Much busier and happier now. Camping, traveling, working on a couple of rentals and my own home (I was actually looking forward to painting one of the houses but the paint job is still in great shape so I'll go to California instead). It is what you make of it and perhaps it's not for everyone. I loved my job right up until the day I no longer loved it. Now I love retirement.

#5.1.1 GoneWithTheWind on 2017-07-11 14:57 (Reply)

At 68, I'm still working full-time in computer administration.

Several reasons

I think I'd go nuts not having a focus, being involved in ongoing projects.

I have retirement resources, but real income is better.

I really don't want to slow my lifestyle at this time.

#5.2 jay on 2017-07-11 12:23 (Reply)

Better develop some interesting, low energy, affordable hobbies that you can pursue as projects. Sooner or later, you'll be eased out of full time work by something or other, and you'd best have something to keep you occupied. Sign me, Been There.

#5.2.1 BillH on 2017-07-11 12:41 (Reply)

The only place I know of in the U.S. that has a 'basic universal income' is Alaska. And that is all based on the oil being recovered from that state. Imagine if ALL states with oil, gas or coal could benefit from leases on their lands? Instead, the Obama administration grabbed more land for the feds out West and restricted drilling & mining on federal lands.

Used to be western states would fund themselves with timber sales...until the gov't took over the lands and told the states they would compensate them for the loss of income.

Easy enough to create 'universal income' by allowing states control over their own lands and resources. Such an easy solution, why won't the left support this? (rhetorical question, really)

#6 MissT on 2017-07-11 12:55 (Reply)

>> Imagine if ALL states with oil, gas or coal could benefit from leases on their lands?

we currently receive royalties from the Marcellus Shale fields. Not only is it taxed at the well-head (Part of our royalty is withheld to pay the state extraction tax, yet we declare the entire thing as income for tax purposes), we're personally taxed which is why we have the money to farm- on a small scale (which helps with federal income tax, but not state income tax). When the price isn't so depressed that we get nothing, that is, but it's still money for doing nothing.

Yet our state still is billions in the hole, infrastructure falling apart, and yep, pension shortfalls. Constant screams that 'we have to do something for the children's education!' because state, local, property and personal employment tax (anyone who makes over $2400/yr) just isn't enough.

#6.1 fjord on 2017-07-11 16:23 (Reply)

"Chicago ‘Dyke March’"

For a group of people who claimed to be discriminated against and harassed, I would think they would accept alliance with any substantial group willing to align themselves.
Who are the bigots now?

#7 I.......... on 2017-07-11 16:23 (Reply)

Sears could have been Amazon, if they had jumped on the Internet bandwagon.

The world evolves, evolve with it.

#8 Bill on 2017-07-12 19:39 (Reply)

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Tuesday, July 11. 2017

Tuesday morning links