Today marks the one blemish in April’s usually blooming record: Tax Return Day. Eh, well, April is also the beginning of tornado season, but I digress. A post office’s nightmare and a CPA’s dream, tax season gives a whole new light to mathematics and itemization. People find themselves scrambling through old shoeboxes for missing receipts and trying to mentally calculate volunteer work and “charitable” donations they can claim in hopes of squeezing every penny out of their return.

But why April 15th? Who chose this day to make people sweat an audit and pile themselves in papers? So I decided to dig around a little bit, and by a little bit, I went straight to Wikipedia. C’mon, everyone uses it, but no one wants to admit to.

According to the highly distinguished website, Congress was the one to put “tax day” on the calendar. When we, “America”, ratified the 16th Amendment in 1913, which allowed Congress to institute an income tax, they chose March 1st of the following year as the deadline for filing returns. However, with the Revenue Act of 1918, which I probably need to pick up a text book to see what that was about, they up and moved the date to March 15th. It wasn’t until 1955 though, that Congress finally settled on the April 15th deadline. I think it was because April is prettier, but apparently it was to spread out the workload for the IRS. It’s also rumored that the growing middle class was filing more and more returns and the government wanted a little more time to hold on to the money. Sneaky.

Although fulfilled with this great public encyclopedia knowledge about something that I still get my dad to do for me every year (yes, I’m 25), I also don’t want to spread lies. Therefore, I decided I needed to verify this information. After some intense Google searching, I stumbled across an article on CNN from April 15, 2002, which basically laid out the same information verbatim. And everyone trusts CNN.

So there you have it. That’s why April 15th is, well the day it is. So put the remote down, turn your laptop on and get to filling.

Contributed by: Keri Lynch

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For 250 years, Guinness has been refreshing thirsty beer-lovers across the world. And, on St. Patrick’s Day, no celebration is complete without this Irish legend.

To many, Guinness is so much more than a beer, it’s an experience of pure joy. Envision the Guinness experience: the request, “Guinness please;” the 119.53 second pour; the cascade; the first sip.

What was developed from humble beginnings has become one of the world’s most successful brands. Its advertising from the 1930s is considered art. Fanatics make pilgrimages to Guinness Storehouse for a pint. Its logo can be found on anything from shirts to hats to toy trucks to cufflinks. In Africa, its ads transitioned into a movie called “Critical Assignment” starring a character of its own creation called Michael Power. And, in 2007 it was estimated that 10 million glasses of Guinness were enjoyed around the world each day.

So, this St. Patty’s Day, as you enjoy a Guinness or two (if you’re of legal age of course), take some time to savor a little bit of the history in your glass. Sláinte!

“May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live.” – Irish toast 

If you know the difference between good and well, and that and which, then today is your (not you’re) day to unabashedly correct and edit bad grammar. *Finally!*

National Grammar Day was established in 2008 by Martha Brockenbrough, founder of the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG) and author of Things That Make Us [Sic].

As a holiday, National Grammar Day is probably too (not to or two) new to have traditional celebrations, but at the minimum, I think it affords you the freedom to use proper English, and to help others do the same, without feeling like a hoity-toity grammar snob. Red pens ready!

brand salsa wishes you a happy Third Person Day.