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February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
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David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
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February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Feb. 15, 2010/ 1 Adar 5770
Confusion's day
By
Tom Purcell
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
I thought the purpose of Presidents Day was getting steep discounts on furniture and linen.
Ah, yes, you speak of the confusion surrounding that federal holiday. Snopes.com does a fine job clarifying what the day is really about: celebrating George Washington's birthday.
Who is this George Washington?
He was our first president, our best president. His birthday used to be celebrated with as much fervor as the Fourth of July.
That's a good holiday, too. It's when you can get steep discounts on cars and carpet.
In 1885, a bill established Washington's actual birthday, Feb. 22, as a federal holiday. But in 1968, the Uniform Holidays Bill began the confusion. It created more three-day weekends for federal employees by moving Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day and Veterans Day from fixed calendar dates to designated Mondays though Veterans Day was later moved back to Nov. 11. It also established Columbus Day, a new federal Monday holiday.
What happened to Abraham Lincoln's birthday?
Many think we celebrate both Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays on Presidents Day, but Lincoln's birthday was never designated a federal holiday, though it was recognized by many states. With two more federal holidays added Columbus Day in 1971 and Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday in 1986 some states stopped observing Lincoln's birthday altogether.
That's too bad. That was a great day to get steep discounts on televisions and radios.
As far back as the 1950s, there was talk of establishing a Presidents Day to celebrate both Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays, but it never happened. There was talk in 1968 about renaming Washington's Birthday as Presidents Day, but that never made it into the final Uniform Holidays Bill. Officially, it's still "Washington's Birthday." A spoof involving President Nixon added to the confusion.
President Nixon?
Some claim a 1971 executive order he issued that defined the third Monday of February as a federal holiday created a holiday "to honor all presidents, even myself," but the order identified the holiday as "Washington's Birthday."
So if the third Monday of every February is Washington's Birthday, why can't we get it straight?
Because, as Snopes.com says, "some states still observe Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays as separate holidays, some observe only Washington's Birthday, some commemorate both with a single Presidents' Day (or Lincoln-Washington Day), and some celebrate neither."
Even though the third Monday in February is designated, by the federal government, as Washington's Birthday?
Correct. In Alabama, that day commemorates George Washington and Thomas Jefferson and Jefferson was born in April!
Surely, someone can clear this mess up?
Snopes.com says some in Congress tried, with 2001's Washington-Lincoln Recognition Act. The bill, which wasn't successful, proposed that "the legal public holiday known as Washington's Birthday shall be referred to by that name and no other by all entities and officials of the United States Government" and that "the President issue a proclamation each year recognizing the anniversary of the birth of President Abraham Lincoln and calling upon the people of the United States to observe such anniversary with appropriate ceremonies and activities."
Goodness gracious, our government can't even resolve confusion about George Washington's birthday. How could it possibly improve our health care system?
Nicely put.
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© 2010, Tom Purcell
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