June 4, 2015

Japan's Future Farms

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/earthrise/2015/05/japan-future-farms-150525091323874.html

By 2050, the world will need to feed an additional 2.5 billion people living in cities. Yet as the demand for food rises, the amount of land available for agriculture in developed countries is expected to decline.

In Japan, at the Fujitsu factory of Aizu-Wakamatsu which still manufactures semiconductor chips for computers, a different project is underway which may offer a solution to this problem.

The company has converted an unused part of the factory into a farm to grow food - and more specifically, to grow lettuce. Fujitsu has focused on growing a low-potassium variety, which is sold to people with kidney problems who cannot process the mineral properly.

Join Rachel Mealey in Japan's Fukushima Prefecture to visit the sun-free and soil-free urban farms of the future.

June 4, 2015

Daily Holidays - June 4

National Cheese Day As if you needed another reason to eat it, some experts claim having cheese at the end of a meal is good for preventing tooth decay! Baked Macaroni & Cheese, Parsnips With Gorgonzola, Caramelized Onion & Camembert Quiche, Cauliflower-Cheddar Soup, Mozzarella & Tomato Stacks With Rosemary, White Cheddar Pimiento Cheese & Chevre-Stuffed Mushrooms. http://www.food.com/food-holidays/cheese-day-0604


Tailors Day is a day where people are encouraged to dress their best and to reach out and thank the person that helps them achieve their high level of sartorial elegance. While off-the-peg clothes may have become commonplace, even among some of the best dressed, the tailor still plays an integral part in ensuring some people look their best, and Tailors Day is the day to thank them.

There is no doubting the skill of a good tailor. They can create the perfect outfit, for any event, and can make even the most casual dresser appear elegant and attractive. It stands to reason, therefore, that they should be properly celebrated.

Arguably the best way to celebrate the day, and to show thanks, is to wear a suit or outfit that was professionally tailored to fit. However, some people that are especially grateful choose to buy cards and even gift baskets for their tailors. Arranging for a new suit could be considered an appreciable means of showing love for a tailor, because it means that they will be enjoying new custom and the sale of their skilled service. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/tailors-day/

Hug Your Cat Day is one of those pleasingly straightforward holidays. Quite simply, it is a day in which cat owners everywhere are encouraged to hug their cats. The more dedicated amongst them will not need this encouragement, of course, but it is always good to be reminded of our feline friends.

The obvious downside to the day as that people without cats may be left out. This need not be the case, however – it should be straightforward enough to simply adapt it into “Hug Someone Else’s Cat Day”.

So, whether or not you are the proud housemate of a purring kitty, Hug Your Cat Day is the perfect excuse to put a bit of warmth and companionship into your life. No matter what’s going on around you, no matter how bad or troubling things get, you can always count on your furry friend to be there for you. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/hug-your-cat-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/june4.html

June 3, 2015

Wellston disbands police department, contracts with Vinita Park

The streets of the city of Wellston are now being patrolled by a new police department.

The Wellston City Council voted 5-2 Monday night to disband its police department and contract for services with Vinita Park, a tiny municipality a few miles to the west.

"The decision to disband our police department was a very difficult one for me," said Wellston Mayor Nathaniel Griffin. "There were several factors that were considered and they all led to the same conclusion. This is also difficult because there are some good people who have worked in our department, several I consider friends."

The contract should result in significant savings for Wellston, though Griffin did not know the exact amount. A copy of the contract was not made immediately available for review; it was negotiated in part by Ferguson city council member Wesley Bell, who is also a municipal judge in Velda City and the municipal prosecutor in Riverview.

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/wellston-disbands-police-department-contracts-vinita-park

June 3, 2015

The Bare Minimum – a Small Business Perspective on $15 Per Hour

I don’t pay my employees enough. That’s hard to admit.

I mean, I don’t cross picket lines, I’m a patient driver, I garden vegetables and work in my wood shop, I love animals and people, and I can get along with just about anyone. I’m a good guy. And my staff are not just employees to me. I see their talents, their struggles, their hopes and dreams – their lives mean something to me. They are my friends.

They’re no slouches, either. Among us we have published writers, artists, aspiring lawyers, career booksellers, political activists, bartenders, actors and photographers. My store is not a place one goes to wash out – it’s a place one goes to click in.

Still, I know they (we) struggle. I’ve only managed to bring the starting salary about .75 above minimum plus free health insurance, book credit, bonuses at the end of the year and an atonal cacophony of booksellers singing happy birthday for each person once a year. It’s enough to make most happy, but not enough to make anyone comfortable. It’s not even enough to make most people solvent, and it bothers me.

https://jareksteele.wordpress.com/2015/06/03/the-bare-minimum/

An interesting piece well worth reading in it's entirety by the Co-Owner of Left Bank Books, an Independent Bookstore in St. Louis, Mo on the call by The Mayor of St. Louis to raise the minimum wage in St. Louis to $15.00 per hour by 2020.

June 3, 2015

Kroger announces facilities expansion in Cincinnati

Kroger Co. said Monday it plans to invest $46 million over the next five years to open new facilities in Blue Ash, a suburb of its headquarters city of Cincinnati.

The money will come from part of a 10-year jobs creation tax credit from the Ohio Tax Credit Authority, the company said.

The investments will include a new distribution center and a facility to house the company’s human resources recruiting center, its pharmacy customer call center and part of its digital team, a spokesman told SN.

Kroger purchased the Blue Ash distribution center in April from SpartanNash — a facility the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based wholesaler closed last year after consolidating distribution in facilities in Lima and Bellefontaine, Ohio.

http://supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/kroger-announces-facilities-expansion-cincinnati

June 3, 2015

Aldi planning more stores in Florida

Aldi plans to add up to five new stores in Palm Beach County, Fla., by the end of next year, more than doubling the number of locations it currently operates there, local authorities said.

The Batavia, Ill.-based retailer recently established a Florida South Division based in Royal Palm Beach, where it operates a 650,000-square-foot regional distribution center.

The company this month was granted a tax exemption of $1.7 million over seven years on the value of improvements made to that facility, according to the Palm Beach County Department of Economic Sustainability. That project represented a $55 million investment and is estimated to result in a local economic impact of $112.5 million over five years, county officials said.

Aldi has committed to creating 95 new full-jobs over a three-year period at the distribution center. Its new stores will provide up to 75 new jobs, officials added.

http://supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/aldi-planning-more-stores-florida

June 3, 2015

The conservative case against picking on unions, from Missouri Republicans

Three weeks ago, as a sexting scandal overtook the Missouri House of Representatives, state legislators voted on one of the more contentious bills that had come before them this year: A right-to-work (RTW) law that would prevent unions from collecting fees from workers they represent but who don’t want to join the union or pay for its services.

Such measures have been sweeping the Midwest, with Wisconsin recently becoming the 25th RTW state.

The vote was chaotic, with Republicans breaking age-old protocols to end a Democratic filibuster as the end of the session approached.

The bill passed, but not by enough to sustain an expected veto by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon, which means the unions averted another setback. The deciding votes: A bloc of 24 Republicans who bucked their party’s leadership to vote against making Missouri right-to-work.

http://labortribune.com/the-conservative-case-against-picking-on-unions-from-missouri-republicans/

June 3, 2015

Bricklayers Strike - St. Louis, MO

As of midnight Sunday, 850 members of Bricklayers Local 1 went on strike when their current four-year contract with the Masons Contractors Association expired. Picket lines went up at 6 a.m. Despite negotiations over the past several weeks, the two sides have not been able to come to an agreement on a new contract, said Local 1 Business Manager Don Brown.

Talks broke off Sunday, May 31. Meetings were held for 8.5 hours on Saturday and Sunday without results.

Both sides did agree to go back to the bargaining table at 8 a.m. Monday and meet daily in the hopes for a quick compromise settlement.​

Bricklayers will only picket job sites where brickwork is underway. However, many contractors that are not members of the Mason Contractors Association have already signed a new contract with Bricklayers Local 1. Work will continue at these projects.

http://labortribune.com/bricklayers-strike/

June 3, 2015

Daily Holidays - June 3

National Egg Day Which came first: the chicken or the egg? We're not going to look for the answer to this hard question. Instead of this we celebrate National Egg Day, that falls on June 3.
Eggs are inexpensive source of protein and vitamin D. They are one of the healthiest breakfast food one can find. And if you're tired of usual fried eggs, use other recipes to cook them. Scrambled, poached, boiled, sunny-side up eggs are to name a few.

Did you know that chicken eggs are the most popular? But if you think that they are very simple, you're mistaking. There are 10 choices to be made in chicken eggs alone. For example, white and brown eggs come from different hens. White eggs come from white hens, and brown come from brown-feathered hens. Brown eggs are more expensive, because brown hens are bigger then white ones and eat more.

A wide range of poultry eggs are not consumed on daily basis. Duck, goose, quail eggs are considered a delicacy in many countries. Cook you favorite eggs to Celebrate National Egg Day! https://anydayguide.com/calendar/1073

Repeat Day Every year on Repeat Day followers of this unusual event seek out activities and experiences they love so much that they want to do them over and over again.

No-one is sure quite how this festival of going back for more started but popular activities include starting off with a viewing of “Groundhog Day”, having the same favourite meal for both lunch and dinner and revisiting important places from your past, such as the spot where you got engaged, graduated or celebrated a personal triumph.

Some take things further by repeating everything they say everything they say until others join in with the fun or ask what they are doing. Then the day can be rounded the day off by settling down again to watch Bill Murray win the heart of Andie Macdowell in Groundhog Day. If it’s worth doing once; it’s worth doing again. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/repeat-day/

Running Day You’ve got places to be, right? So why are you wasting time by just walking – pick those feet up and embrace Running Day by zooming to your destination at double speed!

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/june3.html

June 2, 2015

Daily Holidays - June 2

National Rocky Road Ice Cream Day Rocky Road Day is a day dedicated to the eating of Rocky Road ice cream; a dessert made from marshmallows, nuts, and chocolate. As well as an ice cream flavor, Rocky Road has become a popular dessert that uses these same ingredients.

The Rocky Road dessert was first created in Australia in 1853. Unscrupulous businessmen took confectionery items that had been spoiled by their journey from Europe and mixed them with local nuts as well as low quality chocolate. The name was used as reference to the rocky road that travelers used in order to access the gold fields.

Rocky Road ice cream, however, was invented by William Dreyer in Oakland, in 1929. He created an ice cream that included the same ingredients as the original dessert as a means to lift the spirits of those affected by the Wall Street crash.

In order to celebrate the day, you can eat Rocky Road ice cream, make your own desserts, or make sure that you include Rocky Road as your dessert when you eat out. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/rocky-road-day/

National Leave the Office Early Day The History of Leave the Office Earlier Day
This day was the invention of Laura Stack, a specialist in employee productivity, amongst other things. Stack noted that Americans work about 49 hours a week, and a grand total of about 350 more hours a year than most Europeans. This can prove detrimental for many reasons.

First off, the quicker things get done, at optimal levels, the more productive (and profitable) a business will be.

Secondly, the truth is that the nature of work is that for the most part, employees would rather be somewhere else, doing something else, which can lead to distractions which result in lower productivity. Thirdly, interminable working days can prove disheartening, acting as a demotivational factor, causing employees to work at a sluggish pace and get much less done than they would if they were feeling better about themselves. This is turn is connected to the fact that inflexible working hours and excessive overtime can turn any hare into a tortoise. Although the latter won the proverbial race, the former would have achieved the same in less time had it only applied itself to the task.

Leave the Office Earlier Day is an incentive for employees to complete tasks before schedule, making a conscious effort to increase their efficiency and productivity so they can go home sooner. Basically, the perspective of leaving the workplace earlier acts as a carrot for the hare inside all of us, compelling employees to perform his or her tasks to his or her maximum potential, reducing levels of idleness amongst workers. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/leave-the-office-earlier-day/



http://www.famousbirthdays.com/june2.html