Dec 30th 2009 09:09 am Snow business
As if you haven’t heard by now, there will be a “blue moon” tomorrow night, New Year’s Eve. I think a full moon on New Year’s Eve is pretty cool anyway, but what makes this full moon a “blue moon,” of course, is that it is the second full moon of the calendar month, December in this case.
Every full moon has a name based on the month it appears, “blue moon” being the name if a second full moon occurs. Traditional names for a December moon are “cold moon” and “long nights moon,” according to the Farmer’s Almanac. There have been many names for the moons of the year, given by different cultures. The Choctaw, for example, called the December moon the “peach moon.” You’d have to ask them why. Most are more obvious, such as “brass monkey moon.”
Posted by jimmyjohnson / Vintage A&J
42 Responses to “Snow business”
Wayne from NoDak on 30 Dec 2009 at 9:25 am #
Obvious? When I googled it I got: http://arloandjanis.com
K in ND on 30 Dec 2009 at 9:42 am #
Wayne -
We North Dakotans must think alike. I fail to see the obviousness as well. Or possibly I fail to see the sarcasm in Mr. Johnson’s post…
Anyway, I just happened to read a CNN news article about the blue moon. It appears as though the actual, astronomical meaning of “Blue moon” (as given by an almanac somewhere) is so complicated that very few people can understand it. The common meaning of “blue moon” is apparently not exactly correct, but it’s been around long enough that it really doesn’t matter.
Here’s a link to the article: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/12/30/blue.moon/
K
Bob, near Mark on 30 Dec 2009 at 10:12 am #
If it’s got brass monkeys, it must be “The Announcer’s Test!”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Announcer’s_test
Dave in MA on 30 Dec 2009 at 10:13 am #
While it is only possible to have a blue moon if there are 2 full moons in at least one month, the term technically means the 3rd full moon in a season which has 4 full moons. Since there are 4 seasons, each should have 3 full moons to give the 12 full moons of the year, but sometimes a given season has 4 full moons and the 3rd one of those 4 is a “blue moon”.
December 31st isn’t a blue moon by that definition.
However, because of a mistake in the 1940s in one of the Maine Farmers’ Almanacs, the current popular meaning of a second full moon in a single month is the one that most people think is the true meaning of the term and that is what we will be experiencing on December 31st, 2009, the second full moon in a single month.
Bob, near Mark on 30 Dec 2009 at 10:15 am #
For some reason, the above link is defective when clicked.
Try this one
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Announcer%27s_test
or do a Google search for announcer’s test.
Sylvia in MS on 30 Dec 2009 at 10:17 am #
Well, once in a blue moon….
My wish for everyone is to have a happy 2010.
Bob, near Mark on 30 Dec 2009 at 10:18 am #
OK, the second link works. I have no idea why an apostrophe, when copied from a URL, pastes as %27 when it shows up as ‘ in the URL.
HC on 30 Dec 2009 at 10:20 am #
Check out Luddie’s ears … that’s different!
TruckerRon on 30 Dec 2009 at 10:31 am #
HC, you’re right! In each of the four panels Luddie’s got one and a half ears. Normally the critter has two whole ears or two lines each time we see him. What was JJ sipping on that day to get such a result?
billinbossier on 30 Dec 2009 at 10:38 am #
OK…it will be New Year’s Eve, with a full moon, and on top of that, it will be the second full moon in the month. There has got to be a great party somwhere.
sandcastler on 30 Dec 2009 at 10:57 am #
Debbie, think we should hold a full moon event at the A&J party?
K in ND on 30 Dec 2009 at 11:15 am #
Dave in MA -
Indeed. That’s the definition I found on Wikipedia. Apparently, that was the ‘convoluted’ definition many couldn’t understand (the 3rd in a season of 4). Actually, that definition was given by the Maine Farmer’s Almanac and given incorrectly in a different journal by way of interpretation. However, I don’t really feel like counting the full moons in a season in order to determine which is, in fact, blue. I think I’ll stick with the incorrect version.
With respect to harvest moons, we call any moon that rises orange a ‘harvest moon’. They can be very pretty.
Bob, near Mark -
Thanks for the link. “Brass monkey” makes a bit more sense now, although I still feel as though I’m missing something. Given the nature of the saying, though, I’m not sure I want anyone to explain it to me.
K
Jean from Dahlonega GA aka Trapper Jean on 30 Dec 2009 at 11:37 am #
I just know that when I take my dogs out at night lately it’s certainly cold enough to warrant a Brass Monkey Moon!
HC and TruckerRon-I just thought that the “half ear” effect was Loodie turning his head so we only saw the edge of an ear.
sandcastler-the Blue Moon party can be right after the Janis’ Lingerie Look-A-Like contest to celebrate the winner.
and, there is this- Ella Fitzgerald singing “Blue Moon” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4218R-gBmts
or, for the less serious among us, Dean Martin- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrIstkuso98
Jean from Dahlonega GA aka Trapper Jean on 30 Dec 2009 at 11:38 am #
oh dear, caught in the Moderation Trap!! I wonder if it’s because of the two YouTube links?
Tom from Glendora, CA on 30 Dec 2009 at 11:54 am #
When we lived in Illinois, we had a malamut/shepherd mix. He lived outside all winter in his
dog run. He loved it. We could always tell when it was below zero because that’s the
only time he went into his dog house. Otherwise, he slept on the snow where he could
see the back of the house.
Big surprises when the snow melted!
YooperBill on 30 Dec 2009 at 12:07 pm #
Up here in the U.P. I think the name “Wolf’s Sun” is appropriate.
Bob, near Mark on 30 Dec 2009 at 12:12 pm #
K in ND,
Jerry Lewis did the Announcer’s Test with Hugh Downs one night in 1962 when he was guest hosting The Tonight Show. He said he was going to repeat the bit with Hugh (I think it was the following night, perhaps), so I hooked up a reel-to-reel tape recorder to the speaker on my TV. Over the years, I’ve re-copied it to cassette tapes, and have converted it to .mp3 format. My kids always got a kick out of it while they were growing up. My oldest amazed her friends in school by being able to repeat it when someone else mentioned it.
I just listened to the .mp3 again a few minutes ago. It’s still enjoyable.
Bill in Paducah on 30 Dec 2009 at 12:38 pm #
My Christmas present to me arrived!:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30544612&l=816d095ea2&id=1163203851
My next objective is to acquire one that’s not bent from shipping
- maybe next time there’s a brass monkey moon.
Steve from Royal Oak, MI on 30 Dec 2009 at 1:32 pm #
Well if I were “mooning” someone tomorrow night, with the cold weather I bet that it would be a blue moon.
Today a squirrel invaded an electrical sub-station and knocked the power out at my Doctor’s office, causing me to delay some tests. Power was restored and I got the tests in.
No report on the religion or ethnicity of the squirrel…he was pretty much fried. Squirrels interviewed on the scene said that suicide squirrel had been depressed as he had not gathered enough nuts for the winter.
Happy New Year.
Alan in Nashville on 30 Dec 2009 at 1:42 pm #
It’s going to be so cold here tomorrow night that we have to keep the brass monkey inside. He’ll appreciate it.
John in LA late of PNS on 30 Dec 2009 at 2:25 pm #
And please don’t forget one of my top five favorite authors. William Least HEAT-MOON.
_Blue Highways_ et al. Journalism professor at the University of MO. Pretty good jouralism school–so I have heard.
Mary in Ohio on 30 Dec 2009 at 3:39 pm #
Whoa, Bill! Beautiful!
If you are unsure about the brass monkeys, think of the well-digger’s ankles. That’s the G-rated version.
sandcastler on 30 Dec 2009 at 3:49 pm #
John in LA etc.
Read Heat-Moon’s ‘Road to Quoz?’ Is the ‘Blue Highways’ but shorter road trips taken with his wife. There is a murder story they investigate that has the making of a great movie script.
John in LA late of PNS on 30 Dec 2009 at 4:42 pm #
Sandcastler:
You bet I read _Road to Quoz_. Excellent. Liked it very much.
Have you read Heat-Moon’s _Prairy Erth_ a ‘deep map’ of the middle of KS?
What about his _Columbus in the Americas_? Liked it as much as I did _1491: new revelations of the Americas before Columbus” Not by Heat-Moon but closely related.
BTW, another of my favorite authors, Edward Abbey made some very nice comments about Mr. Least Heat-Moon
Whew, I know I yack too much I know but gee, I do love to read.
spot on 30 Dec 2009 at 6:08 pm #
Happy New Year to everyone (I’ll get in early), hope 2010 is a good one for you all
sandcastler on 30 Dec 2009 at 7:50 pm #
John in LA etc.
Yes I know Prairy Erth, actually grew-up one county over; that was before I ran off to the Army
Guessing you probably have read most of Annie Dillard’s work. She too captures the human spirit well. How about Gretel Ehrlich? Loved her description in The Solace of Open Spaces of life in Wyoming.
John in LA late of PNS on 30 Dec 2009 at 9:09 pm #
Sandcastler:
Never read either of their works. But I will. This is great how we help one another discover things isn’t it? I will give them a look-see but first I have to start my new book;
_Pathfinder_ , about John C. Fremont. This may take a bit but I have stored your authors!
THANKS IN ADVANCE
j
Jim in SE Mississippi on 30 Dec 2009 at 11:06 pm #
“Cold moon”, “brass monkey moon”…where’s the mystery?
Please don’t tell me Bill Bickel is going to have to branch out into “CBIDU” (Comic Blogs I Don’t Understand).
debbie on 30 Dec 2009 at 11:32 pm #
I think, just maybe, sandcastler, we should put the idea of a full moon event up for a vote…we will not throw you out of the mall today. I think we might also consider holding the event at the same time as a boat show to bring out the Arlo in every man. what say you?
debbie on 30 Dec 2009 at 11:36 pm #
I am eating leftover fruitcake and drinking coffee and in about 30 minutes, I will go to sleep.
curmudgeonly ex-professor on 31 Dec 2009 at 1:35 am #
Debbie- Did anyone else besides us get fruitcake as a gift? I’m still munching mine, too! When I posted my delighted reaction on Christmas Day, I thought it would elicit some responses, but not so until yours (unless I missed some).
Jim in SE Mississippi on 31 Dec 2009 at 2:00 am #
debbie and curmudgeonly ex-professor:
Good fruit cake is indeed good, but good banana nut bread is even better.
Are we still on DST?
sideburns on 31 Dec 2009 at 2:29 am #
This is the first I’ve heard of Road To Quoz. Do the heroes play PattyCake? Do they run across Dorothy Lamour? Enquiring minds Want To Know!
debbie on 31 Dec 2009 at 7:04 am #
I must have missed your post. I love some fruitcakes…..I am not crazy about lots of candied peel. I did not get fruitcake as a gift unless you count the one I purchased for myself. Eons ago, my grandmother or my mother would always give me one for the holiday. I have considered buying another before they are all gone. None of my friends care for it.
Leary on 31 Dec 2009 at 7:51 am #
Still hungry for fruit cake… Gotta find a good one.
Read an excert from Blue Highway. I think I’ll spend a gift card in that direction.
Happy New Year! Be safe, be sober..
Rich in Belchertown on 31 Dec 2009 at 8:18 am #
Tom, we have three dogs. I used to call early spring “mud season.” Now I have a different name for it.
sandcastler on 31 Dec 2009 at 11:48 am #
debbie…..
Unsure what kinda full moon contest you have in mind. My idea was like. give a full moon name and see who is first to say the correct month of that moon. If you have another version of the game we could play it too.
sandcastler on 31 Dec 2009 at 11:57 am #
sideburns….
Roads to Quoz has gun toting real estate developers, a road leading to no where, one good murder mystery, a trip down a little known Arkansas river, unconfirmed UFO sightings and several characters to hard to explain. Dorthy Lamour does not appear and no patty cake games, however there is a large dose of small town politics and corruption.
Jim in southwest Illannoy on 31 Dec 2009 at 12:58 pm #
According to our temperature forecast tonight will not only be a blue moon, but also a “brass monkey moon” as you so aptly put it Jimmy.
sideburns on 31 Dec 2009 at 1:20 pm #
Sandcastler:
And, of course, neither Hope nor Crosby…
sandcastler on 31 Dec 2009 at 1:51 pm #
sideburns…
I have great hope Sidney Crosby will lead Team Canada to the gold.
Jim in southwest Illannoy on 31 Dec 2009 at 4:32 pm #
Mom used to bake fruitcakes for everyone until the past few years. She’s not able to stand that long anymore. Guess it’s time for either my generation or the next to take over. I’ve got her recipe.
My daughter lives in northwest Iowa where they recently got socked with 30 inches of snow. When their chocolate lab goes out to “do his business” he has to pack the snow first. Unlike Ludwig though, he doesn’t try burying it in snow. Watch your step Arlo, and remember to never eat yellow snow.
From the forecast, it looks like every night for the next week is going to be a brass monkey night.