Sears stores past the point of no return?

In a recent Wall Street Journal article by reporter Miguel Bastille, the former Sears-Roebuck catalog store is slowly becoming the equivalent of a retailing ghost-town, as more and more customers decide to spend their money elsewhere. There have been very few improvements and modernization in its aging fleet of 2,200 full-line stores, and it has already closed 171 since merging with K-Mart under the new name of the flagship Sears Holdings Company in 2005. Interestingly enough though, K-Mart stores entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings before joining Sears but the same management team runs the operational activities of both companies. Unlike some of their competitors, Sears has been quite skimpy on spending money for renovation and capital expenditures whereas most of the larger retail chains spend $6-$8 per square footage but Sears spends less than $2 per square footage.

It is believed that hedge-fund billionaire Edward S. Lambert, who is majority stockholder, will eventually sell all the Sears stores for the real estate value. Sears has been steadily losing ground to competitors like Macy’s, Target, JC Penny’s and Wal-Mart and the Hoffman Estates IL company incurred losses exceeding 300 million dollars for the first half of 2011. The latest strategy for the struggling retail giant is to sell some of its most recognizable brands at the locations of its rivals. The thing is though; this is just speeding up the eventual demise of Sears because if consumers can buy these products at another store then why should they continue shopping at Sears? Ironically, K-Mart is known for offering the “Blue Light Special” on merchandise for Sale but as it pertains to Sears, “Will the last employee to leave please turn out the light?”


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
November 22, 2011
robertrandle51@yahoo.com

Letter of Apology to Hillary R. Clinton

Dear Hillary:
We are sorry for choosing Barack over you but don't make us eat crow for this grievous political blunder as 17 million women, mostly White have been proven to have not been wrong after-all; and they weren't. The way things are going, your country need you, despite the fact that you mentioned about not seeking political office. Perhaps you want to be head of the World Bank but right now you can still become the first female President of the United States, which you deserve. Barack, along with our own duplicity, stole it from you so let us make it up to you by electing you as President of the United States. During the 2008 Democratic presidential debates you pointed out that Barack Obama was good at making speeches and we turned a deaf ear to your warnings because we were so caught up in the moment; being on the threshold of history in electing a person of color to the presidency that we could not be dissuaded from our course. Barack's exceptional oratory left us mesmerized and blinded by the light which gradually dispelled the darkness of the Bush era with the "hope" for CHANGE; but alas, it was only an illusion. One thing that has been so obvious that even Stevie Wonder can see it, is that "EXPERIENCE MATTERS."

I have read several online comments about a potential presidential run and quite a few Republicans mentioned that even they would vote for you. This is a critical time in America's history and a real leader needs to step up to the plate because sometimes in the course of human affairs you don't seem to have a choice because circumstances choose you, not the other way around. If after reading this impassioned plea from one of the many contrite and repentant voters, then let it be upon your conscience when this great country called America spirals down into an economic, social, political, moral, cultural and even spiritual abyss with no rescue, when you could have helped save this nation. So, if this is your final answer, then thank you very much for being such a hater and a coward!


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
November 22, 2011
robertrandle51@yahoo.com

Occupy Wall St. demonstrators ignore the real villains

Those protestors who exercise their First Amendment Right of Free Speech to seek a redress of grievances need to rent a copy of the movie, “Distinguished Gentleman” starring Eddie Murphy. While it is true that there are abuses of wealth and power at the financial center of the world and leader of a Free Market Economy and Capitalism, still, the blame should not rest solely on the shoulders of the titans of industry. According to the latest figures from “The Center for Responsive Politics” by Staff Reporter Rob Hotakainen of the Tacoma News Tribune, November 16, 2011, of the 535 members of Congress [100 Senators/435 House of Representatives], 249 of them are millionaires; roughly 47% while only about 1% of American citizens are millionaires. Can someone who is a wealthy Congressman really understand the needs and concerns of struggling, low-income wage earners who have to juggle family responsibilities, work two or more jobs, pay for childcare and have very little or no medical/dental insurance, and on top of that, to decide on whether to pay for medicine or groceries with the little money left over from paying bills? Sure, we can vent our rage against the CEO’s of Fortune 100 and 500 Companies, AIG, Chase Bank, The Big 3 Automakers, and so on, but ignore the fact that it is the members of Congress that need to be chastised, who enact laws that allow for favorable corporate tax loopholes in exchange for generous contributions to their PAC’s and other perks.

Even some members of Congress are board members of large companies or become a Lobbyist for some industry after retiring from the Senate or House of Representatives. Reform on Wall St. won’t take place as long as the status-quo runs things the same old way as they always have in the nation’s capital. I mean, even to run for elected office today requires big money and if you don’t have access to it your message will never get heard. So, all these disillusioned demonstrators are just making news headlines for the moment and getting arrested, but as a social protest juggernaut and grassroots movement that will sweep across the country and bring down the citadels of greed, corruption, capitalism and excessive executive compensation; I think not! Instead of using all that unfocused or misdirected energy without a central or core message beyond the obvious, why don’t the organizers, whoever they are, go to their Legislators in Washington D.C., to the very place where they should have in the first place, and ask Congress to repeal the tax code which benefit the rich and make it “OCCUPY CAPITOL HILL” instead?


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
November 16, 2011
robertrandle51@yahoo.com

Political fodder for the week ending November 12, 2011

President Barack Obama is hosting a dinner party for world leaders at the Asian Pacific Economic Summit [“APES”]; there is a joke in this somewhere.

Three reasons why Sarah Palin didn’t run for president-#1 is Katie Couric; #2 is Tina Fey; and heck, I forget the third reason just like Texas Governor Rick Perry. Representative Ron Paul has five reasons.

Herman Cain plagiarizes again. The first time it was using Clarence Thomas’ “electronic lynching in the media” and now it is George ‘Dubya’ Bush’s, “I talk to My Heavenly Father and He told me to run for President.”

Texas Governor Rick Perry appears on “Late Night with David Letterman” to make fun of his ‘brain fart’ at the recent GOP presidential debate in Iowa.

Herman Cain appears on the “Jimmie Kimmel Show” to let the public know that he is just a regular guy like them and that all his White female accusers are lying; just trying to keep the Black Man down [Oops, will he decide to use this statement next, too?].

Mitt Romney appears in front of a bathroom mirror, taking his hand and slicking back his perfectly cropped hair, listening to ‘I’m too sexy for my shirt’ while asking, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the most handsome, richest and ‘flyest’ top GOP presidential frontrunner of them all?”

Michelle Bachmann appears in front of any camera, even one mounted in a cell phone and says, “I still love and obey my husband-or would you rather have Gloria Allred running for president?”

Newt Gingrich appears in front of the camera and says, “Hurry up and ‘nuke’ Iran before my campaign goes nuclear again in another meltdown.”

John Huntsman appears in front of a camera and says, “I’m really a fun-loving, rugged and daredevil type of individual at heart, like a young Steve McQueen, Marlon Brando or James Dean; although I may look as macho as Michael Dukakis.

The ‘Birthers’ and Donald Trump are half-right about President Barack Obama. It seems although he was born in Hawaii he is really a citizen of an American colony on Mars; according to Dr. Andrew D. Basiago of ‘DARPA’ and Project Pegasus [The U.S. time-space study]. Barry or “Klatuu” as he is affectionately known back home on Mars, forgot to file his alien registration papers before running for President.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
November 12, 2011
robertrandle51@yahoo.com

Christmas just doesn’t seem so special anymore

Houses will be decorated with Christmas lights, wreaths, mistletoe, yuletide characters and winter motifs that places a strain on some local utility companies from the over consumption of electrical power, but it seems the “real’ meaning of the holiday just seems to get lost in all the commercialization, advertising and marketing strategies from America’s largest retailers. There may not be the scene from a Charles Dickens’s classic in most cities with, “chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose, tiny tots with their hearts all aglow will find it hard to sleep tonight. . .” as embodied in the lyrics sung by the legendary and incomparable Nat King Cole. No, the anticipation which used to accompany this most celebrated of holidays is just an empty shadow of itself despite all the ornaments and Hallmark cards.

In fact, thanks to the internet you can go to a number of websites and browse through a preselected category of holiday scenes or create your own and email the card of your choice to a family member or friend for free, anytime. Funny, stores almost stat pulling out Christmas goods right after Halloween and one of the biggest shopping days of the year is the day after Thanksgiving Day, called interestingly, “Black Friday.” Perhaps this is ironically what the Retail Merchants Association hope that the ‘day’ will represent, the beginning of a reversal in the direction that their members have been going in where they will show a growth in their margins and return to a level of profitability by being in the ‘black’. It is estimated that the commercialization of Christmas accounts for over 40% of the biggest retailers annual revenue by generating around $40 billion into the national economy; more than the GNP of many countries on the entire planet.

This is seeing the Nativity of a young Jewish couple superimposed with Anglo-European features with a young holy babe, the Christ-child and Son of God whose birth into this world was heralded in song by a choir of angels from the very Heaven of God and the Annunciation was “Peace on Earth and good will toward man.” The stargazers who traveled eastward following a ‘special’ light in the sky that seemed to be guiding them to a small, insignificant village in Galilee named Bethlehem where they, beheld Him who is King of the Jews [and Savior of the world] was wrapped in raggedy cloths and laying in a feeding trough for animals, came bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Today’s celebration is traveling to the early 5AM sales and camping out all night and waiting in long lines to honor the Prince of Peace by offering to the merchant cashier in the checkout line- cash, check or credit card [mostly the latter]. People will even trample over each other and fight among themselves just to get that bargain item to wrap as a present, only for the recipient to forget all about it a week after the holiday ends. Yes, this is how we celebrate Christmas, and it is about as empty as store shelves a few days before December 25th.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
November 12, 2011
robertrandle51@yahoo.com

Joe Paterno: scapegoat or scoundrel?

In the biggest and most recent scandal in collegiate sports, Penn State legendary football coach was fired over allegations that he failed to alert the police after assistant coach Mike McQueary said that he saw former Defensive Coordinator Jerry Sandusky having sex with a ten year old boy in the shower at Penn State’s football facility. This incident regarding Sandusky happened in 2002, the Attorney General indicted two university officials and Penn State Board fired school president Graham Spanier as well as Paterno. Jerry Sandusky has already been arrested on sexual abuse charges which he perpetrated against at least 8 boys over a 15 year period, according to McClatchy News Services. Be that as it may, an anonymous reporter has mentioned that he thinks this is just part of a larger, more sordid practice where young boys were pimped out to rich Penn State benefactors. If true, this is more unsettling than anyone could possibly imagine for a college that has a billion dollar endowment and those who are involved in this conspiracy of silence will very likely face criminal prosecution.

While not wanting to completely exonerate coach Paterno, he did at least notify the Athletic Director and doubtless expected appropriate action to be taken. Paterno once epitomized the idea of a man with moral integrity, family values, and was a father-figure to his players and elder statesman of the campus, who, when you hear the name Penn State, you automatically think, “Joe Paterno.” Now, that image is forever tarnished and one could question whether Joe Paterno is involved in a broader cover-up and for the sake of the college and to protect the identities of its pedophile and sodomizing, deep-pocket contributors. Although coach Paterno has hired an attorney but is this an attempt to protect him from possible criminal charges and prosecution, or instead, is he willing to fall on his sword to save Penn State further embarrassment and further legal action by the State Attorney General as well as additional indictments by the Grand Jury.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
November 11, 2011
robertrandle51@yahoo.com

Message from a Black Democrat

As an American who typically votes for Democratic candidates, although I have voted for Republicans on occasion because I thought their message was better than their political opponents, it is way past the time to seriously challenge and question the unfailing loyalty of Blacks toward the Democratic Party. How can any person with a brain not be offended by the comment of radio host Tom Joyner a few weeks ago who encourages his listening audience to reelect President Barack Obama, keeping a Democrat in the White House and worry about the issues later? Now, he is not the first person to ever encourage a particular constituency, demographic and ethnic group to vote strictly along party lines but the problem lies in the fact that political loyalty, not substantive, critical examination and rigorous debate on pertinent issues, is the most important thing. I mean, to coin a phrase from Janet Jackson, “Democrats, what have you done for us lately?” Are African-Americans really “Uncle Tom’s” or “Aunt Jemima’s” if they march to another drumbeat and choose to think for themselves; or must we only listen to the voices of Black America’s self-appointed political, religious and social Messiahs where some receive unreported financial donations or contributions from White men with fat wallets?

Maybe such devotion is based upon the collective memories from the past, like the exploits of heroes JFK (John Kennedy) and RFK (Bobby Kennedy) who stood so firmly against racial injustice in the 1960’s, but that was more about political expediency [Black votes] and if they could have avoided involvement in this social time-bomb at the time, they would have. Originally, the majority of White Southern Democrats vehemently opposed the Civil Rights Movement. What about LBJ (Lyndon Johnson) who signed into Law the Civil Rights Bill, while at the same time repudiated MLK by calling him a “Nigger preacher” when he criticized America’s involvement in the Vietnam War? On another note, maybe our love should extend all the way back to Abraham Lincoln, who after all, signed the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves [who were considered 3/5 of a person, by the way]; although his driving motive was more about “preserving the union” than any other reason. Oh, by the way, Lincoln was a Republican and as the old saying goes, “Lincoln freed the slaves but he didn’t give us jobs.”

Herman Cain, the GOP presidential contender who is African-American, and despite the troublesome controversy surrounding allegations of improper sexual conduct, has received surprising support from a political party that hasn’t been known to be as welcoming to minorities in the past, especially one who has such a high profile candidacy. Talk Radio hosts Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity as well as other prominent figures within the GOP, including FOX News Bill O’Reilly or Ann Coulter circling the wagons around their ‘Man of the Hour’ must mean that Armageddon is near.
Michael Steele, former head of the RNC, was the last African-American who held any significant position of power within the party a few years ago, yet there were numerous complaints about him not being competent and effective in his position. The thing is, though, now is the time for the Republican Party and the Tea Party to nurture relationships outside the so-called enemy’s camp and honestly reach out to those whom in the past they would ignore because the Democrats had a ‘lock’ on our hearts and votes; but that is simply not true.

The real problem is that the Republicans have not made their case convincingly enough. It must go beyond just opposing President and the Democrats [because some of us don’t agree with his policies and have noticed a failure to fulfill campaign promises] or use labels but lay out concrete steps in clear and concise language how your plan is better for All Americans; hopefully what you propose can be verified by non-partisan Fact Checker and the CBO (Congressional Budget Office). Blacks also need to realize that historically, we are a ‘conservative’ people in our moral values, social experience, family relationships, religion, work ethic, pursuit of higher education, upward mobility [social class] when it pertains to the attainment of wealth and power, etc. Even some of our oldest and most revered social institutions would be deemed conservative, such as the Black Church, Black Colleges, NAACP, Urban League, Johnson Publishing [Ebony, Jet, Essence, and Black Enterprise magazines], etc. Let’s not ignore the voice of Francis Rice, president of NBR [National Black Republicans], Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice and other Black Republicans; famous and not so famous.

The Republican Party should not be stereotyped and characterized by those segregationists and racists from the ‘Old Days’ like KKK Grand Wizard David Duke, Jessie Helms or Strom Thurmond and we should look upon the “Neo-Republicans” like the ‘Arab Spring’ that is happening in the Middle East where a younger, more tech-savvy and open generation is rising up and breaking the shackles of ignorance, intolerance, bigotry, suppression and control of their thoughts and right to choose their own path. Perhaps this is more like “political Darwinism” where either you change and adapt to the new environment or you cease to exist or become irrelevant, redundant and ineffective. We, as African-Americans have to be willing to listen, to meet the other side half way and we just might find out that that we have a whole lot more in common than at first thought. We can’t do this through political proxies and “talking heads” but we have to meet each other face-to-face, sit down together and have dialogue where we respect each other and accept the fact that we can still disagree without being disagreeable. This is America at her best that allows for the free flowing of ideas guaranteed by our First Amendment Rights under the Constitution and where each person is valued and has the opportunity to enjoy Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
November 9, 2011
robertrandle51@yahoo.com

Herman Cain needs to throw in the towel

Well, the handwriting is on the wall and the handlers in Hermann Cain's corner need to throw in the towel because he has just been blindsided with a TKO in the form of Sharon Bialek, a White woman from Chicago, who became the fourth woman to allege sexual harassment by the GOP presidential contender. She provides details that are disturbing and it goes a lot further than just inappropriate language, a leering or lustful glance, or even patting someone on the butt. What Sharon describes is a man who has an insatiable sexual appetite who used his position of power to force himself upon women when his advances were not solicited or welcomed. This is even more shocking than the previous complaints against a man who is married with two children and serves as an associate minister at Antioch Baptist Church North in Atlanta, GA.

It is interesting that wife Gloria has not come to his defense as some other spouses have done when their husbands have been involved in lewd behavior or extra-marital affairs. The Democrats should not laugh too loudly because Mr. Cain's moral turpitude and attempted ascendancy to the Oval Office could bring back memories of former President Bill Clinton who had some baggage that he brought along to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.; namely Jennifer Flowers and Paula Jones. And as president, "Slick Willie" had a tryst with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. So, For Hermann Cain, his "999" Plan probably looks more like "666" and for most of us, that's not something that we want to be associated with; religious or not.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St.
Tacoma, WA 98402
November 7, 2011
robertrandle51@yahoo.com

America is just as "race-sensitive" as ever

Herman Cain played the “race” card recently to deflect some of the ever-increasing scrutiny about allegations of sexual harassment from at least three different women; which happened over twelve years ago. He was quoted earlier as saying, “I don’t believe racism in this country holds anybody back in a big way.” Now Herman Cain has used the line made famous by Supreme Court Clarence Justice at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judicial Committee, “This is nothing more than high-tech ‘lynching’. . .” And there you have it, using “White Guilt” for political points and using the liberal media as slave master to put in check another ‘uppity’ Negro who has forgotten or doesn’t know his place in the society. President Obama used the ‘race’ card continually throughout his campaign through playing up the part about his white mother from Kansas as well as her parents [his grandparents]. He even made the comparison to not looking like one of the faces [White] on the dollar bill. Heck, it wasn’t until he was practically elected President that he introduced his Indonesian step-sister. There have been other elected offices throughout the country where one of the candidates, namely a white person, had injected the issue of “race” time and time again to gain victory. Even the redistricting and gentrification of certain neighborhoods and regions in various cities or urban areas across America have more to do with race than social class or creating economic empowerment zones. To be sure, Herman Cain’s problems are those of his own making but it will be interesting to gauge the fallout when one of the victims to whom he has alleged to have engaged in “conduct unbecoming” happens to be a White female? If such turns out to be true, his supporters will disappear faster than rats fleeing out of a burning barn.

Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
November 5, 2011
robertrandle51@yahoo.com

Herman Cain’s sexual harassment dilemma

Just when the public opinion polls were indicating Hermann Cain might just be the next leading candidate and frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination, he runs into a media firestorm regarding investigations into complaints filed by two former female employees concerning allegations of sexual misconduct over twelve years ago. The pizza mogul’s explanation recently at the National Press Club is not entirely plausible because his answer to this question is inconsistent at best and vacillating in the least. Of course, TALK Radio has circled the wagons around their “Man of the Hour” by the support of on-air commentators Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. The thing is, though, why would the General Counsel of the National Restaurant Association, while Hermann Cain was CEO of Godfathers Pizza have the one Plaintiff, who was also a Lobbyist, through advice from her attorney sign a ‘Confidentiality Agreement’ to make all of this go away, in exchange for some unspecified financial settlement or agreement if the allegation was totally without merit?

Also, Hermann Cain maintains that he did not sexually harass the two women, or at least, that’s the way he sees it; so accordingly, ‘Sexual Harassment’ is like the description of beauty: “It’s all in the eye of the beholder.” The thing is, though, since the Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill spectacle, the laws regarding inappropriate workplace behavior have been very clear, enforceable and not subject to ambiguity; as he would like to make people think. The legal definition of sexual harassment is [any] “Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that tends to create a hostile or offensive work environment.” Sexual harassment may be physical, such as kissing, hugging, pinching, patting, grabbing, blocking the victim's path, leering or staring, or standing very close to the victim. It may also be verbal, which may be oral or written.

A ‘hostile’ workplace is when a female employee is sexually “objectified” in the workplace, especially from a superior, by an unwelcome or unsolicited statement about her appearance, clothing, perfume, shape (even if it is a compliment), etc, that suggests some kind of favoritism, special treatment, bias or attention that is distinctly made known or expressed separate and apart from others, and which tends to undermine the work environment. It could also be extended to a wanton or lustful look or non-verbal gesture that is degrading, disrespectful, devalues a person or their sexual orientation and gender. So, it may very well be that the only way Hermann Cain can get out the “stain” of this political embarrassment is if he buys a very large box of TIDE [the stain remover].


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
November 1, 2011
robertrandle51@yahoo.com