Sherman A1
Sherman A1's JournalGas prices hit a historic high: What's driving them up?
A combination of high crude prices, refinery shutdowns, and early speculation has sent gas prices soaring to seasonal highs earlier than usual this year, with no signs of prices at the pump falling until spring, according to recent estimates.
Gas prices have climbed every day for the past 25 days, reaching a national average of $3.59 per gallon Monday, the most expensive national average ever for Feb. 11, according to AAA.
During just the past two weeks, average prices have climbed almost 25 cents, the biggest jump in gas prices in almost a year.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2013/0211/Gas-prices-hit-a-historic-high-What-s-driving-them-up?nav=87-frontpage-entryNineItem
Shoppers' Concerns Over Prices May Be Coming Back
LAS VEGAS — Price was not one of consumers' top 10 concerns in a 2013 study of shopper trends released by the National Grocers Association, though that statistic could already be changing, Mark Batenic, president and chief operating officer of IGA, Chicago, said here Tuesday during a panel discussion at the 30th annual NGA Show.
"That is a surprising statistic," he said, "but it could be changing as we speak, given the changes since January in tax laws that affect personal income. In fact, there is evidence customers are beginning to trade down again as they see their incomes dropping."
Read More: http://supermarketnews.com/2013-nga-show/shoppers-concerns-over-prices-may-be-coming-back-batenic-says#ixzz2Km8LyjI4
Super Markets May Have to Change Dress-Code Policies:
LAS VEGAS — Supermarkets may have to change with the times when it comes to extreme hair colors, body piercings and cell-phone usage among store-level employees, one speaker said Tuesday at a workshop here during the 30th annual National Grocers Association Show.
"Our dress code is part of the handbook all new employees receive, and it says we will tolerate 'no extremes,'" Frank Ray, vice president, human resources at Harps Food Stores, Springdale, Ark., said. "However, we provide flexibility to our store managers to interpret what that means —
And cell phones are not allowed on the sales floor. "But we all have to start thinking differently about these things because some store managers are OK with texting when it's business-related. And employees in other businesses may use cell phones to look up information for customers, so we have to change with the times on phones, and maybe on hair and piercings as well."
Read More: http://supermarketnews.com/2013-nga-show/markets-may-have-change-dress-code-policies-speaker#ixzz2Km7lpbUl
Sobeys Warehouse Workers Strike
MILTON, Ontario — More than 400 workers at a Sobeys distribution center here went on strike Monday, saying they were unhappy with terms of a contract offer from the retailer.
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 175, which represents 428 workers at the Milton Retail Support Center, broke off negotiations with Sobeys on Sunday, saying the retailer wanted a nine-year contract that “would limit the ability of the union and workers to go back to the table to resolve any matters for that duration,” the union said in a statement.
The union, which said it preferred a three-year deal, also said Sobeys’ offer would allow for “excessive” use of part-time workers, eroding full-time jobs.
Read More: http://supermarketnews.com/retail-amp-financial/sobeys-warehouse-workers-strike#ixzz2Km5x0CED
February 12, 1963 Construction begins on the Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch, or Gateway to the West,[5] is an arch that is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri. It was built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States. At 630 feet (192 m), it is the tallest man-made monument in the United States,[4] Missouri's tallest accessible building, and the largest architectural structure designed as a weighted or flattened catenary arch.[4]
The arch is located at the site of St. Louis' foundation,[6] on the west bank of the Mississippi River where Pierre Laclède, just after noon on February 14, 1764, told his aide, Auguste Chouteau, to build a city.[7][8]
The Gateway Arch was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen and German-American structural engineer Hannskarl Bandel in 1947. Construction began on February 12, 1963, and ended on October 28, 1965,[9][10] costing US$13 million at the time[11] (approximately $95,900,000 in 2013[2]). The monument opened to the public on June 10, 1967.[12]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateway_Arch
http://www.gatewayarch.com/
Hostess cleared by court to auction off Twinkie brand
(Reuters) - Hostess Brands Inc , the bankrupt maker of Twinkies snack cakes, received court permission on Monday to proceed with auctions for several of its brands, including Twinkies and Wonder Bread.
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains, NY, cleared Hostess to sell off assets related to its Hostess and Dolly Madison Brands.
A hearing to approve the successful bidder is scheduled for March 19.
Private equity firms Apollo Global Management LLC and C. Dean Metropoulos & Co have set a baseline offer of $410 million to buy the company's snack cake brands including Hostess Twinkies and Dolly Madison, Hostess said last month.
http://news.yahoo.com/hostess-cleared-court-auction-off-twinkie-brand-001829892--finance.html
Got to see Al Gore speak on Saturday Evening
It was at our local Library and really enjoyed the presentation, Q&A and all. Part of the deal for tickets included a copy of his new book "The Future - Six Drivers for Global Change". Looked through the book a bit while waiting for things to start and noted that it is some 550+ pages with almost 200 pages of that being footnotes & index. A whole lot of research in this one, hope to start reading it this week.
I put a link to his web site below for those interested, there is a 3 or 4 minute video that is kinda cool.
http://www.algore.com/
February 11, 1937 A sit-down strike ends when General Motors recognizes the United Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers (UAW), is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) in the 1930s, the UAW grew rapidly from 1936 to the 1950s. Under the leadership of Walter Reuther it played a major role in the liberal wing of the Democratic party, including the civil rights and anti-Communist movements. The UAW was especially known for gaining high wages and pensions for the auto workers, but it was unable to unionize auto plants built by foreign-based car-makers in the South after the 1970s, and went into a steady decline in membership.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Auto_Workers_Union
It's Read in the Bathtub Day
one suspects that E Readers are not necessarily the safest way to celebrate this great holiday! 
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