March 28, 2014

Oh my Goodness! Sales down because of cut in SNAP.

Across the board, not just at Walmart.

Walmart is hardly the only retailer to be effected by a reduction in SNAP benefits, or to say so in financial documents. The dollar store segment is also vulnerable. Roughly $4 billion in SNAP benefits were vaporized, money that was once spent at U.S. stores, not just at Walmart. This was bad news for shoppers and retailers, across multiple channels.

As one grocery executive said in an online retail forum regarding the issue, “This cut hurts all of our sales, not just Walmart, let me make that clear. The struggle is universal for retailers, and sales are down around 8-10% since the first of the year.”


http://www.forbes.com/sites/lauraheller/2014/03/28/walmart-just-revealed-how-poor-u-s-shoppers-are/?partner=yahootix

March 28, 2014

Scott Brown, the carpet bagger, can't find his place.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/sorry-scott-brown-new-hampshire-seems-happy-with-its-senator/

Could be the pick-up truck driving, good old boy image that worked once in Massachusetts isn't doing anything for him where they actually drive the things.

March 24, 2014

Your opinion of the condition of the economy is probably influenced by your employment status.

So I do a little construction work and requests for my services have been way off during the last 5 years...though generally there seems to be a certain amount of work around. There always is, small jobs, nothing like before the 2008 crash however.

I ran into another carpenter, under the gun to finish a remodeling job and he was all smiles reporting his good job and saying there was plenty to do. I asked if had a job lined up after that and all I got was hedging.

How's your news?

March 22, 2014

Crimea: Is this question too obvious?

How do the Russians expect to get to and from the Crimea? Will the Ukrainians be checking passports, or does the taking of the Crimea include a free pass over the Ukraine to their navy yard etc. in the Crimea?

Just wondering how that all plays out.

March 22, 2014

What are the gun nuts waiting for?

Here's a quote from the gun lobby:

In the name of safety, President Obama has issued over two dozen executive orders preventing Americans from accessing the right that protects all others: the right of citizens to keep and bear arms.

When will the gun owners start protecting our rights? The NSA and CIA are ignoring the fourth amendment. We know where they are. What's the hold up?

Just asking.