Blue Moon?

My brother is the astronomer in the family, not me. I do, however, appreciate the consistent and appropriate use of words. An astronomical phenomenon today illustrates popular misuse or misunderstanding of terms. Despite what many in the media would have us believe, today is not a "Blue Moon". Yes, it is the second full moon in a month of the Gregorian calendar. No, that does not make it a Blue Moon. Rather than being based on the Gregorian calendar, the proper use of the term Blue Moon relies on the tropical year - measured from one winter solstice to the next. Most tropical years contain twelve full moons; three each in winter, spring, summer, and fall. Each of the twelve full moons has a name, e.g., Harvest Moon in fall. Sometimes there are thirteen full moons in a tropical year, resulting in a season having four. When there are four full moons in a season, the third is called a Blue Moon. The fourth full moon of the season retains the name assigned to the last moon. Since the Winter solstice occurred 21 December 2009 A.D., today's full moon is the first of the tropical year and is called Old Moon, Moon After Yule, or Ice Moon, among other names.

The misconception of what constitutes a Blue Moon likely originated in a 1946 Sky and Telescope article by amateur astronomer James Hugh Pruett, "Once in a Blue Moon". The question about what is a Blue Moon had previously been addressed in the "Question and Answer" section of the July 1943 Sky and Telescope and referenced the 1937 issue of Maine Farmers' Almanac as its source. The answer given, however, failed to distinguish between Gregorian and tropical years. Mr. Pruett apparently relied on the 1943 Q&A, missed the distinction and reached an incorrect conclusion the Blue Moon was the second full moon in a Gregorian calendar month. Sky and Telescope and other otherwise reputable sources then used Pruett's article as a reference and perpetuated the misconception. Sky and Telescope subsequently recognized the error and acknowledge today is technically not a Blue Moon. Despite the correction from the source, most media references to today's full moon will call it a Blue Moon. If the so-called healthcare reform debate were not adequate to prove you should not trust everything you read or hear in the media, the use of the term Blue Moon provides further evidence.

Sources:

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/moon/3304131.html?page=1&c=y

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/moon/3305141.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_moon#Full_moon_names

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_solstice

http://www.earthsky.org/

Last Day of Work This Year

I may not think so during the long stretch from New Year’s Day to Memorial Day when there are no paid holidays at work, but I am blessed to annually have time off between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. Since almost everyone in the company has this time off, it is the one time of the year when I can be away from work and not have additional work pile up at least equal to the number of days I have been on vacation. In this regard, the Christmas holiday break is the one time a year when I can feel as though I am on vacation.

Being the last regularly scheduled work day for me this year, I have reflected back on what this day was like over the years. Tradition is passing away. When I first started with the company and worked in large program settings there was an executive vice president who had the reputation of Scrooge. Every year it was known that late in the day he would come by each of the programs reporting to him, ostensibly to wish the program leaders Merry Christmas. Everyone knew what he was really doing was seeing who was working the afternoon of the last work day of the year. Seemingly only those who were independently wealthy or possessed incriminating photographs dared to leave early. I did not know anyone who was independently wealthy and no one ever questioned Scrooge’s moral character, so I doubt there was anything of which a picture could be taken. One year there was even a rumor Scrooge had come by a program and then returned later in the day to find out who had left before the end of their assigned shift. The pattern of waiting for Scrooge to leave continued until our soon-to-retire Chief Engineer excused himself from the program’s potluck and made a telephone call. He came back saying instead of waiting, he had called Scrooge and told him the team had done a fantastic job during the year and he was sending us all home early. Scrooge’s response was to wish the Chief Engineer a Merry Christmas and to thank him for standing up for his people and what he believed was right. The next year a transformed Scrooge made his trek to all of the programs in the morning. Thereafter potlucks were generally cancelled for the last work day. Potlucks without people rarely succeed.

After leaving the program environment I began to feel separated from the product. Developing staffing forecasts, for example, is necessary work but not one that readily gives a sense of being part of something bigger. I therefore made it a point annually on the last work day of the year to physically go touch the product we build. Hey, my company really does build something and I have touched it. Throughout the year the little excursion reminded me the company does not exist to satisfy my administrative or regulatory requirements, but to build and sell something at a profit. In 2001 though the company’s leaders intentionally made a cultural shift so the headquarters were moved so it was not located near any of the production operations - ending my holiday tradition.

I like what I do and where I do it, but sometimes, like now, I miss being with the people who design and make the end products. I am afraid my new tradition is simply to be among the few who actually bothered to come in to work and be the last to leave. I need to start a new tradition.

TMI or share the experience?

I do not know what to share in my blog. It is neither a private journal nor a public exposé. In others’ blogs I have seen both meaningless drivel and too much information that I consider of a personal nature. This post may cross into the latter and I apologize if I offend anyone, but I want to share with my friends that something particularly agreeable happened this weekend.

My children have dreaded the eventuality that someday they would have an event where their divorced parents should simultaneously be in attendance; e.g., wedding, birth, or graduation. Their high school graduations were awkward, at best. Chelsea decided to test the status quo and announced she was going to walk at her college graduation and invite the whole family.

The commencement ceremony was Sunday, followed by a family meal. I am pleased to report all went well and was properly focused on Chelsea’s accomplishments. Yes, I was anxious, as were others. As to be expected anytime a group of people get together for awhile, there were a couple of gaffes, but I think my ex-wife and I handled them graciously. My ex-wife had taken the initiative to talk with me the night before for what was a healthy conversation that helped set the stage for a successful time together Sunday. Thank you, Kim. It was a joy to concentrate on Chelsea completing her undergraduate degree and have it be a positive experience for everyone. It is rare when the graduate gives her guests presents but her insistence on our being civil and together as a family proved to be such a gift. Thank you, Chelsea.

Lacking mastery of words and timing

In the television series The Big Bang Theory, Dr. Sheldon Cooper is a brilliant physicist who is less than adept in social skills. This is particularly evident when he is the butt of jokes. In such situations he knows he is being made fun of, but he is unable to come up with an appropriate retort and he so acknowledges stating he will give thought to and deliver an appropriate zinger. The rejoinder is invariably structurally accurate and completely inadequate even if it had been timely delivered.

I do not claim the intelligence attributed to the charter of Dr. Cooper, but I do empathize with him. I do wish I knew what to say and to say it at the right time. I envy those who somehow know what to say and deliver it well. Yesterday evening I dropped my daughter off for her return to Washington. It was the culmination of years of work and study leading to her graduation from college and independence. I have known and looked forward to this day for years (albeit I wish the pursuit of her dreams would be geographically closer), yet the last words I said to her were “be safe and smart”. The commencement of a new phase of her life and I give her the same admonishment as though she was sixteen and going on a date! My college graduate daughter, an English major, must think she has a dullard for a father. (Undoubtedly this was not the first time she had such thoughts.) Okay, I am giving myself too much credit, I think the last thing I really may have said was something about my forgetting to give her a tire pressure gauge for her friend, Katherine. Years ago I promised myself to try to close every conversation with my children with words as though they could be the last words I spoke to them. To this end Sunday I told my son I love him, but yesterday to my daughter I leave with a tire pressure gauge. Safe, but not smart! Doh!

Last evening is not the most clear in my memory, but I remember at dinner there were long, awkward silences between my daughter and me. Usually we are a pair of chatterboxes. Much was said in the silence. Sometimes words are simply inadequate. As we were leaving my daughter reminded me of that when I asked her to stop crying as I was about to cry, too – not a good thing when driving. Her response was it was my fault for saying mushy things. I guess the “safe”, “smart”, and “tire pressure gauge” took care of that. What I hope she remembers is what our hearts said to each other and that she knows I am proud of her and will always love her.

Hoopla

With the football teams I root for having done so poorly this year, it is easy for me to say my favorite spectator sport is college basketball.

This weekend, the four greatest programs were paired up. Kentucky (UK) and North Carolina (UNC), the two programs that have won the most games (1,988 and 1,984 games respectively through last season) played against each other and played a game worthy of their tradition. Kansas (KU), the program launched by James Naismith who invented the game (and is the only KU coach to have a losing record) and is only the third Division 1 program with more than 1900 wins (1,970 through last season), went up against UCLA, the program with the most national championships (11). KU is currently ranked number one in the Coaches and AP polls and was never seriously challenged in the game. My Jayhawks are awesomely talented, but they do not appear to have the tenacity of the 2008 squad who won the national championship.

Cinderella is part of the appeal of college basketball. Little schools can be just as competitive as the big schools. I doubt Marshall or Gonzaga will ever challenge for football’s national championship, but they have a shot in basketball. One player can turn around a program. Even though I am a fan of Jayhawk basketball, I do not know the names of any of “The Miracles” who accompanied Danny Manning to win the 1988 championship. Likewise I do not remember Carmelo Anthony’s Syracuse teammates who robbed the 2003 Jayhawks of the championship.

With the college game the kids play the whole game. The game and the season are short enough the players exert themselves throughout every game; unlike the professional game where it seems as though they play hard only the last five minutes. In college it does not matter what part of the season it is – the early games that are tune ups, the regular season, and March Madness. Getting older, time seems to go faster, which has advantages - March Madness is just around the corner.

Addams

The Addams Family will be a hit on Broadway. With Nathan Lane (Gomez) and Bebe Neuwirth (Morticia) as stars how can it not be? I saw the pre-Broadway show Saturday night. It was wonderful. It still has a few rough edges and it needs to be tightened up in spots, but it is just about ready for Broadway. Personally I would cut the story line of Uncle Fester’s love affair with the moon and just have him be the narrator. I am not sure how long its legs will be, but I suspect it will have a good run and will also tour the nation after collecting a disproportionate share of Tony’s. It is good enough I will see it again once it is finalized.

Young Frankenstein

You must be in the appropriate mood to enjoy a movie by Mel Brooks. Depending on your mood, the campfire scene in Blazing Saddles is either uproarious or disgusting. I found the same to be true with a Brooks' musical theater production. Fortunately, I was in the right mood last night for Young Frankenstein. It took a few of scenes to accept that Roger Bart is not Gene Wilder, Cory English is not Marty Feldman, and Anne Horak is not Teri Garr. That was not unexpected given how the movie has become such a comedy standard. Once adapted to watching a musical comedy instead of a movie, I thoroughly enjoyed Young Frankenstein.

The published reviews for the touring company had generally been unremarkable. I will give it a A-. The production was not outstanding, but it was greatly entertaining. The only scene I found disappointing was "Puttin on the Ritz", probably because it was the one most often cited as being the best. I did not find it so, although I do generally like the flamboyant Broadway song and dance numbers. There is something special about live theater and music.

My friends in Kansas may have seen Anne Horak perform at Music Theatre of Wichita in All Shook Up, Thoroughly Modern Millie, A Chorus Line, or Once Upon a Mattress. She was superb in the role of Inga, Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory assistant, and frankly a "Roll in The Hay" with her is appealing.

It

I suspect it is every parent's wish for their child to find "it". I am not completely sure what "it" is. The "it" I refer to is not one's purpose in life, but more like that something in one's life for which one has a passion or is drawn to - that something one can fall back on even when all else seems to be against you. I used to know an expression, Latin perhaps, that captured the essence. I do not recall. That is unfortunate as "it" is something special that should have a name - a name known by everyone, a name one seeks to have in their life.

My son has possibly found his "it" - flight. He has returned to school and he seems to be thriving in his aviation curriculum. Unlike earlier times, this time he is taking school seriously; yet having fun doing so and building a network of school chums. That in and of itself is pleasing but of most joy to me is to hear that he has passion for something that is beyond and within him. If "it" is flight, I am especially happy because it can be something that draws us together and eventually will allow him to surpass me. I think my son can understand the following quote generally attributed to Leonardo da Vinci.
When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.

At one time I thought my daughter had found her "it" - acting. That faded. Her move to Washington, I suspect, is part of looking for her "it". My step-daughter, I am saddened to think, does not yet know her "it". I am afraid her state is too often that of many, perhaps most, people. I do hope all my children and friends find their "it".

Bittersweet

My daughter graduates from college in less than one month. I am excited and satisfied. It has been a challenge for her and her fortitude greatly pleases me. A major part of being a parent is encouraging and nurturing your child, increasingly giving more freedom, so that one day she can successfully be on her own. A moment of great accomplishment will be celebrated next month. It is, however, bittersweet. Upon graduation she will leave Illinois to continue her life in Washington. She has always been Daddy's little girl and in some way she always will be. Now is the time for her to be even more her own big girl. I am excited for, and proud of, her, yet sad that a constant in my life will geographically be so far away.

Today's Our Daily Bread talks of when the people of Judah returned to Jerusalem from captivity and began the rebuilding of Solomon's temple. The people sang songs of praise, yet those who had seen the temple before its destruction also wept. On my personal scale I can now understand how such contradictory emotions could emanate simultaneously. If someone were to look at my heart how it would be as in Ezra 3:13(b), since they would not be able to distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping.