February 22, 2017

Lowe's announces second round of layoffs

MOORESVILLE, N.C. • Home improvement retailer Lowe's has announced its second round of layoffs in just over a month, saying more than 500 full-time corporate employees companywide will lose their jobs.

Local news outlets report Lowe's announced Tuesday that 430 workers at its headquarters in Mooresville would be laid off. In addition, 70 support staffers in Wilkesboro and about 25 corporate support positions in other facilities across the U.S. would lose their jobs.

On Jan. 17, Lowe's announced approximately 2,400 full-time workers would be laid off. A majority of the cuts were at the store level.

Meanwhile, the company said Lowe's will post more than 100 new positions at its corporate offices in Mooresville and will add at least 600 full-time customer-support and central production office positions in Wilkes County.

http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/lowe-s-announces-second-round-of-layoffs/article_507ac44d-ef0d-5d54-8ad0-de3c14989e4a.html

February 21, 2017

Daily Holidays - February 21

National Sticky Bun Day Whether you have a sweet tooth or prefer a carbohydrate filled treat, the sticky bun is the ideal gastronomic delight to fill the brief. Fortunately for those who enjoy a good sticky bun, an entire day is dedicated to celebrating and eating them – Sticky Bun Day. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/sticky-bun-day/

International Mother Language Day Announced by UNESCO in 1999, International Mother Language Day celebrates cultural diversity and commemorates the “language martyr” students of 1952 Bangladesh. These students are honored by the encouragement of multiculturalism and the promotion of protective measures for endangered languages. It’s hard to imagine the challenges faced by students who have been ordered to learn in a foreign language, as without linguistic inclusion, there is no equal access to education. Current International Mother Language Day events include multicultural festivals which promote the hearing of all voices, and display social cohesion, cultural awareness, and tolerance. The unique nuances and subtleties of linguistic communication which connect individuals to culture and personal identity are valued and encouraged. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/international-mother-language-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/february21.html

February 20, 2017

Daily Holidays - February 20

National Cherry Pie Day When we think of pie most of us think of an Apple Pie, but the sweet-tart Cherry Pie deserves a place right next to it brother on the dessert tray. So do you like your pie sharp and tart or do you prefer a more sweet and smooth pie? Todays the best day to have one. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/cherry-pie-day/

Love Your Pet Day How’s your relationship with your favourite furry friend? Love Your Pet Day is a chance to show your cat, dog, tortoise or [insert other] how you really feel. Treats, pampering and all the the attention that the little guy or gal can handle are a great way to celebrate! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/love-your-pet-day/

Play More Cards Day was created in 2013 by Bicycle Cards, the biggest producer of playing cards in the United States. The company began producing their cards in 1885, and they have since had sizable roles in various important historical events.For example, during World War II, the deck was designed as a puzzle, which when put together, became a map. This map was supposed to help potential prisoners make their way to safety once they escaped. Wars also prompted Bicycle Cards to create waterproof cards that would not peel, rip or fall apart after coming into contact with water or moisture. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/play-more-cards-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/february20.html

February 19, 2017

Daily Holidays - February 19

National Chocolate Mint Day There’s something special about the combination of smooth, rich, luxurious chocolate and cool, refreshing, sharp mint. Celebrate this incredible combination on Chocolate Mint Day by indulging in your favourite minty, chocolate treat! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/chocolate-mint-day/

International Tug of War Day One of the simplest of sports, dating back to ownership disputes over food and clothing, the history disappears into legend with the Sun and Moon wrestling over light and darkness. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/international-tug-of-war-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/february19.html

February 18, 2017

Irish in the American Civil War

https://irishamericancivilwar.com/2012/09/08/irelands-forgotten-famine-generation/

The Great Famine is an event seared into Irish national memory. Although the victims of the Great Hunger are rightfully remembered and commemorated, as is the physical fact that vast numbers of people were forced to leave, Ireland today largely leaves the memory of these emigrants at the dock, as they boarded ships to a new life far from home. Preserving the memory and experiences of emigrants once they arrived in their new countries has for the most part been left to their own descendants, despite the broader pride that Ireland takes in her global diaspora.

Perhaps the most stark example of this is the way Ireland views the American Civil War. At the commencement of that conflict 1.6 million Irish-born people lived in the United States, the vast majority having arrived as a direct consequence of the Famine. In New York City, which in 1860 had a population of 793,186, a little over one in four people were born in Ireland. In the region of 170,000 Irish-born men fought during the conflict, and tens of thousands most certainly died. Irish communities in cities such as New Orleans and Memphis experienced the war up close, as did those who bore witness to the New York Draft Riots in 1863. The effects of the conflict on the families of those lost or severely injured often lasted well into the twentieth century. The Irish experience of the American Civil War is a popular theme in the United States, where a large number of historians and enthusiasts study, commemorate and remember the huge influence the war had on the Irish community. (1)

February 18, 2017

Daily Holidays - February 18

Drink Wine Day A glass of wine a day keeps the cardiologist away, or so they say. That may be the reason there is such a thing as Drink Wine Day, but who’s to say we needed a reason to gurgle down a glass of our favourite zesty Bordeaux, anyway? https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/drink-wine-day/

Battery Day Where would we be without the humble battery? Take a moment to consider how many of your household items use batteries – from cars to remote controls and hand-held devices, Battery Day is all about celebrating and recognising just how important the simple battery is to our way of life. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/battery-day/

Whale Day Giants of the ocean are celebrated on World Whale Day, which aims to raise awareness of these magnificent creatures. The annual holiday was founded in Maui, Hawaii, in 1980, to honour humpback whales, which swim off its coast. It’s the main showcase of the Maui Whale Festival. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/world-whale-day/

Pluto Day If you’re like us, you grew up with a solar system that had nine planets in it. You also grew up in world that didn’t teach new math, but that’s a rant for a different day. Then one day they suddenly decided that designating Pluto as a planet was just wrong, and our most distant friend in the solar system suddenly was told he wasn’t good enough for the planet club anymore, and would forever be considered a ‘dwarf planet’. Kind of a consolation prize for those not cool enough for the big planets club. Pluto Day celebrates the discovery of Pluto in 1930, when it was designated as a planet, and that’s how it should have stayed! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/pluto-day/


http://www.famousbirthdays.com/february18.html

February 17, 2017

Daily Holidays - February 17

Random Acts of Kindness Day “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
– Leo Buscaglia https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/random-acts-of-kindness-day/

My Way Day has been created in celebration of that wonderful phrase “It’s my way or the high way”. The history of My Way Day is unclear but it believed to have been inspired by key events in the world happening because someone had a bold idea and they weren’t afraid to go through with it. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/my-way-day/

World Human Spirit Day So many of our statements nowadays end with ‘the world as we know it’. World Human Spirit Day is a celebration of the fact that what we know about our own world is limited and superficial. It is a day to wonder at our achievements on this planet as humans, and to contemplate the endless possibilities we have as spirits. A day to search within for contentedness and to embrace the fact that we do not have all the answers and that may be for the best. A day to give a higher power thanks for what we have and what we don’t have, for making us who we are and for giving us the ability to touch others. This day is a celebration of continuity, of hope, of awareness, an occasion for us all to connect spiritually, to gaze at the universe beyond our worldly bodies. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/world-human-spirit-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/february17.html

February 16, 2017

Daily Holidays - February 16

National Almond Day It’s generally believed and agreed by historians (and food historians in particular) that almonds were one of the earliest cultivated foods by mankind. Almond Day celebrates this and all things almond, and rightly so, given their high vitamin E content, their effectiveness at reducing cholesterol levels and helping with weight loss! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/almond-day/

Do A Grouch A Favor Day Have you done a grouch a favor today? If not then it’s likely that no one told you it was Do a Grouch a Favor Day, as doing a grouch a favor is what the day is all about. We all know a grouch at some point in our lives, and it is very likely that we’ve had phases of being grouchy ourselves. Sometimes another person doing us a favor is the last time, but other days a favor from someone, be they a close friend or a random stranger, is exactly what we need to break us out of our slump. Of course, there may not be any redemption for the grouchy neighbor who hates your dog, and your mailbox, and the way your lawn mower sounds, and the color of your house and…. Well, you get the point. Even if you have that person for a neighbor, doing them a well meaning favor would not go amiss on Do a Grouch a Favor Day. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/do-a-grouch-a-favor-day/

Innovation Day Spot a problem, think of a solution, and before you know it you’re innovating! Innovation Day is all about imagining new, better ways of doing things. How will you be innovative? https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/innovation-day/

Introduce A Girl to Engineering Day Engineering is typically a male-dominated arena – but beyond simply tinkering with and repairing equipment, engineering requires a flare for creativity and intelligence which the industry often misses out on due to so few women considering the career path. Introduce A Girl To Engineering Day is all about encouraging girls to consider a route into engineering, and inspiring a generation who might grow up to be the great innovators and problem solvers of the next generation! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/introduce-a-girl-to-engineering-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/february16.html

February 15, 2017

Daily Holidays - February 15

National Gumdrop Day Gummy, chewy, tasty sweets are the theme of Gumdrop Day, which presents you the opportunity (or the excuse) to eat as many gumdrops as possible (within reason, with consideration for your teeth, sugar levels and general health)! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/gumdrop-day/

National Hippo Day Bet you didn’t know that Hippo loosely translates to River Horse in ancient Greek. Hippo Day, then, celebrates the third largest mammal on Earth. Why not take some time to waddle in a mud bath, get angry with some tourists, and yawn a lot whilst opening your mouth really-really widely? https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/hippo-day/

Remember The Maine Day Maine is best known for her loss in Havana Harbor on the evening of 15 February 1898. Sent to protect U.S. interests during the Cuban revolt against Spain, she exploded suddenly, without warning, and sank quickly, killing nearly three quarters of her crew. The cause and responsibility for her sinking remained unclear after a board of inquiry investigated. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Maine_(ACR-1)

Single Awareness Day It’s a humorous holiday to celebrate being single, to share with single friends, to send each other presents or even order yourself some flowers. On this day many people wear green, as it is the complementary opposite of red. Another popular option is an absence of color (black), to symbolize an absence of celebration. One increasingly popular activity is to travel to Brazil and witness the Brazilian Carnival. The trip, coupled with the fact that Brazil doesn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14, but in June, provides a temporary getaway from the neon pink of the Valentine’s holiday in the Western culture, by simply substituting it with another celebration. Some who celebrate Singles Awareness Day just want to remind romantic couples that they don’t need to be in a relationship to celebrate life, and that the key to being happy is being able to be happy with yourself. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/singles-awareness-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/february15.html

February 14, 2017

Daily Holidays - February 14

Valentines Day The day first became associated with romantic love within the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. In 18th-century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines&quot . In Europe, Saint Valentine's Keys are given to lovers "as a romantic symbol and an invitation to unlock the giver’s heart", as well as to children, in order to ward off epilepsy (called Saint Valentine's Malady).[6] Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine's_Day

Ferries Wheel Day Ride high, high in the sky (within the constraints of a Perspex box attached to a giant wheel); what better way to celebrate Ferris Wheel Day? https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/ferris-wheel-day/

International Book Giving Day Devoted to instilling a lifelong love of reading in children and providing access to books for children in need, Book Giving Day calls on volunteers to share their favourite book with a young reader. Although the holiday originated in the UK, book lovers around the world now join in the celebrations every year. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/international-book-giving-day/


http://www.famousbirthdays.com/february14.html