Episode 31 - Memorial Day

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Episode Highlights:

• [6:19] The Birthday Game - It was Brent's birthday when this episode was recorded but we don't guess his age. Happy Birthday, Brent!
  
  
  • Mike Myers
    
    
  • Governor Larry Hogan
    
    
  • Senator Lisa Murkowski
    
    
• [9:26] Federal Budget - President Trump released his fiscal year 2018 budget proposal this week. 
  
  
  • The cuts within the administration's budget are proposals. Congress has final say for most programs.
    
    
  • Budget proposal includes significant cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Agriculture. 
    
    
  • [7:18] For those interested, we dive into some talk about the budget and appropriations process.
    
    
• [21:10] Memorial Day - ​Memorial Day started off in 1868 as Decoration Day. Flowers have played a large role in honoring those lost in war. 
  
  
  • Here is part of General John Logan's order declaring Decoration Day: The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land.
    
    
  • Brent shares about celebrating Decoration Day when he was growing up in Colorado.
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  • Memorial Day is a day to honor the fallen by remembering them and decorating their graves. Arlington Cemetery has hundreds of volunteers help manage the flowers that come in on for Memorial Day (see above video).
    
    
  • Caring for cemetery grounds is extremely important. Brent has done some water-use work in Arlington National Cemetery and also worked on an old cemetery in Colorado that still used wooden pipes to convey water.
    
    
  • The Buddy Poppy is the official flower of Memorial Day.
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• [31:40] Brent's Tip of the Week - "This weekend is a great time to check your sprinkler system to make sure it is working right ... make sure it does not have leaks."

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