Hello World!

If you're like me, or a reasonable facsimile of me, you've often found yourself taking these days off without really wondering what all these holiday fuzzes are about. Hey, it's a day off, right? Shouldn't my brain take a break, too? No. So in today's segment of Knowledge! Is! Power! we'll delve into the underrated holiday that is Presidents' Day. Let's see what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about it:

Presidents' Day, officially known as Washington's Birthday, is a national holiday in the United States of America celebrated on the third Monday of February. It is a combination of two previous holidays, Lincoln's Birthday (February 12) and Washington's Birthday (February 22).

In American schools the days leading up to Presidents' Day are often used to educate students on the history of the Presidents of the United States, especially former Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. In recent years Presidents' Day has become well-known for being a day in which many stores hold sales.

Observance on the third Monday of February dates to the Monday Holidays Act of 1968, which became effective in 1971. A draft of that bill called for a Presidents' Day to honor both Washington and Lincoln, but the final version only moved Washington's Birthday from February 22 to the third Monday without changing its name.

There you have it, folks. Now next time a foreigner asks, "What's the deal with Presidents' Day?" you will be able to retort with a very informative, "Dude, 20% off strapless Gucci's at Barneys!"

Talk CSI Files threads

Below are some of the topics currently being discussed at Talk CSI:

- At the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation forum, fans are wondering why Miami has had two 90-minute episodes while CSI has only had one.

- Our friend Vidren from New Zealand wants to know, how come so many people speak Spanish in Miami? Knowledge is power at the CSI: Miami forum.

- And so our youngest sibling won't feel ignored, if you had the chance to play a role on CSI: New York, what would it be? Discuss it at the CSI: New York forum.

More topics can be found at the Talk CSI!

CSI Files Two Years Ago

Here's what was hot back in late February, 2003:

• ABC: We Should Have Kept 'CSI'
  When executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer pitched CSI to ABC, the network declined, claiming the production of the show was too expensive and they had no guarantee CSI would ever be a success. A couple of years later, ABC was kicking itself for passing on the show that put CBS on the map.

• Kim Delaney Rejoins 'NYPD Blue' After her short-lived role on CSI: Miami as Detective Megan Donner, actress Kim Delaney returned to her alma mater NYPD Blue, where she played the character of Diane Russel. The CSI: Miami producers let go of Delaney after the much needed chemistry between her and front man David Caruso failed to develop.

• Experts: 'CSI' Science Is Inaccurate
  The Society of Nuclear Medicine filed an official complaint with CBS after CSI: Miami allegedly presented inaccurate information in its first season episode, "Dead Woman Walking". In the episode, a drug addict dies after receiving an injection of radioactive iodine, which causes his flesh to melt. But the Society argued radioactive iodine is a fairly common medical treatment of hyperthyroidism, and very rarely causes minor skin burn.

More news can be found in the archives.

Poll Results

Below are the results of the most recent CSI Files poll:

How would you grade CSI: New York's 'Til Death Do We Part?' 9-10 39.5% - (81 Votes) 7-8 18.5% - (38 Votes) Wasn't able to see it 15.1% - (31 Votes) Didn't want to see it 14.1% - (29 Votes) 5-6 6.3% - (13 Votes) 3-4 3.4% - (7 Votes) 1-2 2.9% - (6 Votes) Total Votes: 205

,Thank you to all of those who voted, and please take some time to let us know how you liked Miami's new episode, "Nothing To Lose",

Happy Birthday!

William Petersen, otherwise known as Gil Grissom, turns 52 years young today. Happy birthday, William! We wish you lots of luck and good health for this upcoming year.

Today's Television Listings

• At a special time tonight, 9:30/8:30c, CBS will be showing a new episode of CSI: Miami - "Nothing To Lose". Here's a description of the episode:

  "Evidence leads the CSIs to believe that someone started a massive fire in the Everglades in order to cover up a murder. Local prisoners are brought in as free manpower to help fight the wild fire in the Everglades; however, when a serial killer escapes the scene, Horatio must track him down before he strikes again. Meanwhile, the body of a local college student is found shot to death and the fire has destroyed the crime scene and the evidence. However, when the team uncovers an illegal moonshine operation and homemade ammunitions in the vicinity, the CSIs uncover the real reason why the boy was out there."

• At 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday, CBS will air CSI: New York's new episode, "Hush". Here's a preview:

  "Mac and Stella are called to a crime scene for a truck jacking and instead discover the crushed lower half of a body. The team must stop operations on the busy dock to find the other half among the containers. In a rare occurrence, the reclusive Dr. Hawkes leaves the medical examiner’s office to help with the retrieval."

• There will also be a new episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, "Big Middle", set to air on Thursday at 9 p.m. Here's a brief description of the episode:

  "Grissom and his team search for a murderer at a convention for plus-sized people. When the evidence suggests the victim died from asphyxia due to a large object on his chest, Grissom and his team track the killer to an APAPSP convention, "Association to Promote Acceptance of Plus-Sized People." Meanwhile, a large sum of cash and betting slips are found near a dead body on the outskirts of Vegas, leading Catherine's team into the world of high-stakes gambling."

Discuss this news item at Talk CSI!
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