Today is Memorial Day, the federal holiday where U.S. men and women who have died in military service are remembered. Federal and state offices are closed, as well as post offices, schools, financial markets, and banks. The subways and buses are running on a Sunday schedule; Metro-North is on a Sunday schedule while the LIRR is on a holiday schedule; and the PATH is on weekend schedule.

Mayor Bloomberg marched in two parades in Queens, honoring soldiers from the borough who died in Iraq. The Post reported him as saying, "There's nothing we can do to bring them back. But we can make sure that our children have a better future by standing up for the things they fought so hard for and gave their lives for." And today, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is having a Memorial Day Ceremony at Central Park's SummerStage between 11AM and 2PM, the U.S.'s Middle East commander Admiral William J. Fallon as well as the laying of a wreath at the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument at Riverside Park.

1010WINS has links to a number of Memorial Day parades in the area. Did you know that Memorial Day started in New York state? And here's the White House's prayer for peace.

Photograph of extremely patriotic pastries by jukeboxgraduate on Flickr