Monday, February 21, 2011

New York Webcam, Presidents Day 2011 Live in Times Square

Washington's Birthday is also commonly known as Presidents Day. As Washington's Birthday or Presidents Day, it is also the official name of a concurrent state holiday celebrated on the same day in a number of states.

This live feed is in New York City on President's Day:

Times Square webcam

The first attempt to create a Presidents Day occurred in 1951 when the "President's Day National Committee" was formed by Harold Stonebridge Fischer of Compton, California, who became its National Executive Director for the next two decades. The purpose was not to honor any particular President, but to honor the office of the Presidency. It was first thought that March 4, the original inauguration day, should be deemed Presidents Day. However, the bill recognizing the March 4th date was stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee (which had authority over national holidays). That committee felt that, because of its proximity to Lincoln's and Washington Birthdays, three holidays so close together would be unduly burdensome. During this time, however, the Governors of a majority of the individual states issued proclamations declaring March 4 to be Presidents' Day in their respective jurisdictions.

An early draft of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act would have renamed the holiday to "Presidents' Day" to honor the birthdays of both Washington and Lincoln, which would explain why the chosen date falls between the two, but this proposal failed in committee and the bill as voted on and signed into law on 28 June 1968, kept the name Washington's Birthday.

Washington DC Webcam, Capitol Hill Live on President's Day

Washington's Birthday is a United States federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday of February in honor of George Washington, the first President of the United States. It is also commonly known as Presidents Day.

This live feed is in Washington DC for Presidents Day:

Capitol Hill webcam feed

Today, the February holiday has become well-known for being a day in which many stores, especially car dealers, hold sales. Until the late 1980s, corporate businesses generally closed on this day, similar to present corporate practices on Memorial Day or Christmas Day. With the late 1980s advertising push to rename the holiday, more and more businesses are staying open on the holiday each year, and, as on Veterans Day and Columbus Day, most delivery services outside of the U.S. Postal Service now offer regular service on the day as well. Some public transit systems have also gone to regular schedules on the day. Many colleges and universities hold regular classes and operations on Presidents Day.

Various theories exist for this, one accepted reason being to make up for the growing trend of corporations to close in observance of the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. However, when reviewing the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill debate of 1968 in the Congressional Record, one notes that supporters of the Bill were intent on moving federal holidays to Mondays to promote business. Over time, as with many federal holidays, few Americans actually celebrate Washington's Birthday, and it is mainly known as a day off from work or school, although many non-governmental workers do not take the day off.

Honolulu Webcam, Great Aloha Run 2011 Live Feed

The Kaiser Permanente Great Aloha Run is a road race that takes place annually in Honolulu, Hawaii on the third Monday in February (Presidents' Day in the United States). It is a charity event that benefits Carole Kai Charities, a philanthropic fund run by Hawaii entertainer Carole Kai.

This live feed in is Honolulu for the 2011 Great Aloha Run:

Honolulu webcam feed

Kai and Honolulu Marathon founder Jack Scaff, M.D. founded the race in 1985, and since its inception it has donated over $6.8 million to over 100 non-profit organizations in Hawaii.

Kaiser Permanente is the title sponsor for the 2010 race. Prior to that, local telephone company Hawaiian Telcom was the title sponsor from 2005 to 2009, while the Honolulu Advertiser has been a sponsor of the race since its inception.

The 8.15 miles (approx. 13 km) course starts in downtown Honolulu on Nimitz Highway across from Aloha Tower, and runs west on Nimitz Highway along Honolulu Harbor, under the Interstate H-1 viaduct near Honolulu International Airport, and along Kamehameha Highway, finishing on the floor of Aloha Stadium. The Aloha Tower to Aloha Stadium route gives the race its name.