Juneteenth ?

[AngliaGT]

Was anyone else not aware that it was a National holiday?
I was wondering why they didn't pick up trash yesterday,& some
businesses were closed.
How many more holidays will they add? If this keeps up,some
workers will end up working six months out of the year.
Nothing against the holiday itself,but this is getting crazy.

 

[Grantura_MKI]

It was signed in law by Biden last year.
They will probably move for a two hour lunch break next!

 

[mikephillips]

Just remember, near 60 years ago George Jetson complained about spending 2 hours a day pushing buttons...

 

[SaxMan]

My father-in-law pointed out that Juneteenth was not the end of slavery, only the end of slavery in Texas. Delaware was a slave state that stayed with the Union and was not subject to the Emancipation Proclamation. Delaware's slaves were not freed until the passage of the 13th Amendment. The passage of the 13th Amendment should be the actual holiday.

 

[mikephillips]

Yep, the Emancipation Proclamation was only valid for those states in rebellion and was intended to cause them to spend additional resources controlling the population.

 

[NutmegCT]

All true - and the Texas legislature made Juneteenth a holiday long before Congress did (1979).

On a related tack ... when Congress made several holidays "Monday" holidays, to create three day weekends for federal employees, I think those holidays lost some of their original significance.

Labor Day.
Washington's birthday.
Memorial Day.

As we often say on BCF - remember what Memorial Day really means. It's not just a three day weekend.

 

[JPSmit]

Not wanting to politicize this and being fully aware of Basil's comments in another thread. It boggles my mind that Americans seem to be unique in the world in not wanting time off or being suspicious that a holiday will dilute the meaning of the day or even that time off matters. I recall years ago reading an article that noted that whenever Europeans had to chose they chose time whereas Americans chose money.

We have one statuatory holiday a month - and (trust me) nobody minds and work doesn't suffer and most of the stores close.

A quick google

The U.S. is the Most Overworked Nation in the World

Data on American worker time off, productivity, holiday, paid leave, sick time, hours worked per week & per year. Americans are overworked.

20somethingfinance.com

colour me perplexed.

 

[NutmegCT]

Ever notice that posts beginning "Don't want this to be political, but ..."

usually do.

Just sayin'

 

[DrEntropy]

colour me perplexed.

hmmm... the chart indicates various governments' laws for "vacation" and "holidays". Businesses in the US (so far, anyway) are the entities to determine paid vacations and (now some) paid holidays without being present. And it's incentive vs. mandate. Apples 'n oranges.

Trading one's life (their time) for recompense (money) is a deal to be negotiated between two parties, no intervention by a third-party mandate needed. Seems it's worked fairly well generally for us in the last few hundred years. Certainly since the late 19th century.

It's more philosophy than politics, the way I see it.

 

[mikephillips]

Well, I've had holidays where those up in the management levels have said, you can be off, but I need you to monitor email, or do this special task, or it isn't a holiday in other countries so go to a online meeting or such. All part anymore of companies spanning the world and choosing the options where they lose the least amount of work time.

 

[Basil]

hmmm... the chart indicates various governments' laws for "vacation" and "holidays". Businesses in the US (so far, anyway) are the entities to determine paid vacations and (now some) paid holidays without being present. And it's incentive vs. mandate. Apples 'n oranges.

Trading one's life (their time) for recompense (money) is a deal to be negotiated between two parties, no intervention by a third-party mandate needed. Seems it's worked fairly well generally for us in the last few hundred years. Certainly since the late 19th century.

It's more philosophy than politics, the way I see it.

I have had paid vacations and holidays with every civilian employer I've ever had - from my time as a dishwasher, a stock boy, a bowling alley mechanic in high school, to my time as a senior analyst for three different defense contractors post-military career. Even in my 24 years in the military, I always had the standard holidays off (mission dependent of course) and always had very generous paid vacation time (30 days which I could take all at once or spread it our how I deemed appropriate). I don't think I, as an American, don't want time off, I just am not a huge fan of government mandates - some people are, and that's fine - different strokes and all that.

 

[NutmegCT]

I *think* only the federal government mandates federal employees to observe federal holidays. I don't think state holidays ever require the closing of private businesses - that's the private businesses' choice.

I think.

 

[Basil]

I *think* only the federal government mandates federal employees to observe federal holidays. I don't think state holidays ever require the closing of private businesses - that's the private businesses' choice.

I think.

I think you are correct.

 

[DrEntropy]

Well, I've had holidays where those up in the management levels have said, you can be off, but I need you to monitor email, or do this special task, or it isn't a holiday in other countries so go to a online meeting or such. All part anymore of companies spanning the world and choosing the options where they lose the least amount of work time.

Seems logical, and here we are also a "mobile" society. Changing jobs or positions is not uncommon. Not so much in most of the places on that list.

 

[mikephillips]

Yea a mobile society. I'm what I term semi mobile since most of the time the phone is setting off to the side or in a pocket. And until mu position was sold twice, (meaning I do the same job but for a contractor now), I was where I'd been at near 37 years. For the youngsters who can't imagine one place that long, that's the way those of use from the pre-connected era are, or were... Kinda glad some days it is drawing close to the end...

 

[DrEntropy]

I hear ya. I'd not like being 21 today.

 

[mgdriver74]

I thought this was the British Car Forum. What the heck does any of this have to do with British cars??? Is there nowhere on the internet we can go to escape politics?

 

[DrEntropy]

I thought this was the British Car Forum. What the heck does any of this have to do with British cars??? Is there nowhere on the internet we can go to escape politics?

This is "The Pub" in the British Car Forum, under the General Discussions group:

General DiscussionsThe forums in this section are a collection of general discussion forums that don't necessarily apply to British Cars.​

The British Automobiles group is about British cars. Specifically, though may drift a bit now-and-then.

And this thread is (so far) not political. Sociological, maybe...

 

[Basil]

I thought this was the British Car Forum. What the heck does any of this have to do with British cars??? Is there nowhere on the internet we can go to escape politics?

I understand and appreciate the concern. In general I discourage topics that are political, or that are controversial because, you're right, there is enough of that carp elsewhere on the internet. That said, sometimes people will post a topic that they don't intend as a political topic, or they don't view it as political (because they agree with it, it must be ok), but just the topic itself will raise someone's hackles. So far this thread, while it certainly has the potential, has not gotten really "political" (though a couple replies have gotten close). I'm asking all to keep it that way. In a related thread I did actually delete a couple of replies that were (I felt) political jabs. This is a discussion about holidays mainly, which is fine.

Just for future reference, if a member knows a topic is likely to invoke controversy or political commentary, it's probably best to not post it. Post your Aunt Martha's recipe for rhubarb pie instead We're all pretty good about that 99.9% of the time.

 

[mikephillips]

Well, we're mostly older and easily distra.., Oh look, something shiny on the floor..