#sparkchamber 022023 — Presidents' Day

Today, #sparkchamber celebrates Presidents’ Day. A long weekend is always welcome, and that’s part of the story today. Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, the holiday was celebrated annually on his birthday. In 1971, the holiday was renamed Presidents’ Day, and moved to the third Monday in February as part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. This bill was an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers — it was believed that ensuring holidays always fell on the same weekday would reduce employee absenteeism. Some argued that shifting holidays from their original dates would cheapen their meaning — and several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and other figures — but the bill had widespread support from both the private sector and labor unions as it was seen as a surefire way to bolster retail sales.

Presidents’ Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents, past and present, and is used by many patriotic and historical groups as a date for staging celebrations, re-enactments, and other events. I’m here for the long weekend, tho, and the extra time to buy things! See you at the mall?

1.] Where do ideas come from?

Honesty is the first chapter in the the book of wisdom.

―Thomas Jefferson

2.] What is the itch you are scratching?

A brave man is a man who dares to look the Devil in the face and tell him he is a Devil.

—James A. Garfield

3.] Early bird or night owl? Tortoise or hare?

Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who make excuses.

―George Washington

4.] How do you know when you are done?

The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible.

―Dwight D Eisenhower