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Back when Congress authorized the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, most federal workers got the day off. Just like other federal holidays.

Some, maybe many, private sector firms give their employees some (but usually not all) federal holidays off. We at Federal News Radio, others in the media, people in retail and restaurants, are living proof that not-all-holidays-are-holidays.

But since 9/11, everything has changed. More feds work on holidays – people in VA and PHS hospitals, law enforcement officers, people patrolling the borders and air traffic controllers. IRS types, Agriculture and Interior Department workers. And the gang at the CIA, FBI, DEA and DIA.

Employees of the State Department, AID and Defense are also busy today with Haitian relief. USGS is keeping a keen eye on the aftershocks. Also on duty are Homeland Security, TSA and lots, lots more.

So we say it every time and we mean it. Thanks for being there and for doing what you do. Most of us haven’t a clue as to the effort involved, but we’d almost certainly know it if you weren’t working today.

So if you are off, have fun. Spend money and revive the economy. Or just relax. And if you are working, thanks. And if you can, drop us a note letting us know what you are doing.

Thanks to all of you from all of us here.

To reach me: mcausey@federalnewsradio.com

Nearly Useless Factoid
by Suzanne Kubota

Athletes, doctors and lawyers in a new study with names beginning with A, B, C and D died younger (68.1 years) than those with E to Z names (69.9 years).

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