Doesn't Spring start today?

[The Queen]

Why were all the news stations reporting the first day of Spring yesterday, the 20th? Doesn't Spring ALWAYS begin on March 21st? Or did someone change everything while I wasn't looking?

[Drunk Monk]

NO. Spring starts on the vernal equinox and that shifts a little from year to year on our calendar. Our calendar is a little off. First of all, it's solar and built on months (derived from 'moon'). That's a bit absurd because we can have 'blue moons' (a second full moon in a single month). It's really an artifact of previous calanders. Second of all, our calendar is off by about a 1/4 of a day, which is why we have to make a leap year adjustment. But if it's any consulation to you, the Chinese lunar calander has a leap month.

See http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/astronom...uinox.html

[The Queen]

...the Jewish calendar has them too.

Seems to me when I was in school, they just stuck with the 21st for each season, regardless of whether it tied in to the equinox or not. March 21st was first day of Spring, June 21st is first day of summer, September 21st was the first day of Fall and December 21st was the first day of Winter, period. Hmph. Then again, we also got two days off in February, once for Lincoln's birthday which was always on February 12th and once for Washington's birthday which was always on February 22nd. None of this "President's Day" or only-on-a-designated-Monday holiday nonsense.

I think I should just stick with the Jewish calendar from now on. Lots more holidays that way. Have a happy 21st of Adar, 5766, y'all.

[Drunk Monk]

As long as there are latkes and knishes involved, I'm totally down.

[The Queen]

...but I make pretty damned good latkes. And with Passover only a month away, it's about time for me to make some and enjoy.

[Drunk Monk]

...but on was off the street in New York City and it was rapture, one of those ecstactic eating experiences. I've searched long and hard for another tasty knish but have come to the conclusion that you just can't find a decent one outside of NYC. I'm sure a lot of New Yorkers would agree.

As for latkes, I'm not as picky. I like the Trader Joe's frozen kind, which I'm sure don't even hold a menorah candle to some homemade latkes of yours. But on the whole, I have a lot of respect for Kosher food. Any religion that advises what and what not to put in your body is on the right track in my good book. Maybe that's just me justifying my behavior. BTW, someone was telling me that the Pope said it was okay to eat corned beef for Lent? That's crazy, no? It's like when a former Pope declared the Capabyra as a fish.

We should get the solstices and equinoxes off. Well, maybe not the winter solstice, but the other three, definitely.

[The Queen]

Best crepe I've ever had in my life was from a Paris, street vendor just across the street from the Louvre. And the only time I every actually enjoyed eating roasted chestnuts was from a street vendor in NYC. And of course the very best hot dogs on earth come from the vendors at Wrigley Field. (not exactly a street vendor, but close enough. It comes out of a little metal box, it counts, right?)

[Drunk Monk]

...ok, that's not really true, but I totally hear ya about street food. In China, they have these street markets that are insane - city blocks full of people cooking all sorts of dead animals and weeds they gathered. frogs are common, but I've seen skates, snakes, eels, scorpions, crickets, all sorts of stuff to shish-kabob. The dogs and cats are only in proper sit-down restaurants. In all seriousness, there's also great eats if you can get past the exoticness. Around Shaolin temple you can get these wonderful roasted yams, like sweet potatoes.

Here in Fremont, we have a loverley roach coach that honks at us every morning. I ate there for a short spell, but stopped because it was just awful. It still feeds a lot of our office and warehouse. Other than that, Fremont is not a place for street vendor food at all.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

I guess I know where I'm taking you the next time you visit the mouse kingdom. You want good Kosher, we got good kosher. At least I think so. Dammit, I'm just a gentile.

Yes the Pope gave dispensation to Irish Americans to eat Corned Beef on Friday in honor of the Holiday. I resist. I hate corned beef. It's American, anyway. It has nothing to do with Ireland. The only time you will get corned beef in Ireland is if you are in some tourist trap. Now, Salmon, that would be Irish.

[Drunk Monk]

I thought that was some kind of a joke (my source is a writer for Weekly World News - seriously!) Why ever did he permit corned beef?

MMMmmm Salmon. Speaking of food epiphanies, I had one about salmon during after my first (and only) sweat lodge experience. It was at this yoga retreat in Montana. I did this 21 stone sweat with a gaggle of yoga women and an indian shaman. During the break, we had some water, fresh mountain berries and salmon. I realised then what a sacred food salmon can be, especially for native Californians. It keeps me from being fully vegetarian.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

...that kangaroos are tasty?

[Drunk Monk]

But did you have an epiphany gnawing on that kangaroo? Did you buy it from street vendor? And how is Koala, btw? And Emu? Did you eat any Emu?

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

...ate that. Did emu when I was gong through my "flightless bird" phase. If I could only get some penguin...

[Drunk Monk]

Groundhog. Feb 2nd. Spring. Get it? We're back OT. Man, I've been waiting months to ttt this one.

[Drunk Monk]

Been waiting a friggin' year to ttt this one.