DesDownunder's Blog

I don't get it. I really don't. I always thought that the seasons were balanced. You know, winter starts in the north at the same time as summer starts in the south. Spring in the south is the same start date as autumn in the north. However, it seems that this is not true, from what Des has just told us. This brings an interesting question to mind. Are all your southern seasons offset by a month, sort of like a gigantic Daylight Saving Time, only this is Season Saving Days? Or do some of those seasons start at the same time as our northern opposites, but some of your seasons are shorter or longer than ours? I'm particularly puzzled that the Aussie spring starts on September 1. This sounds entirely too coincidental to me, and I suspect political intrigue. How do they do it in South Africa? How about Argentina and Chile? Maybe it's just Aussies though. After all, weren't they the unruly from England in the first place. Never ones to just kowtow to the powers that be: noooo, radical to a fall(t).

Trab If I remember my high school geography etc., correctly, distance from the equator affects the length of Autumn and spring at various latitudes. Unless someone has forgotten to let me know which would be quite evil of them, December 1st is the official start of Aussie Summer, March 1st is Autumn's beginning, Winter is 1st June and September 1st is Spring.These are rather well timed for us geographically speaking as these dates do indeed seem to coincide with changes in the weather. Adelaide in March is just glorious Autumn weather.Like you, I would not be the least surprised if the evil politicians did indeed decree these dates. What dates do you have for your seasons, where you are? We Aussies are indeed radical and if there is a way for us to ignore reality we will find it and Fall all over it.

I love Mel Brooks! Okay, I don't actually love Mel Brooks, but you know what I mean.I'm sorry it's all so evil for you. Then it's evil everywhere where politics are concerned.Speaking of Herr Hitler: he got it right with uniforms. So much so that Darth Vader copied him. Mind you, Darth never had a moustache or lederhosen.Right, 'nuff said.

My understanding is that the dates of the seasons is based on when certain lines of latitude pass directly under the sun. When the sun is southernmost, at the Tropic of Capricorn, it is the shortest day in the north, and officially the start of winter, namely December 22. When it is the northernmost over the Tropic of Cancer, it is the longest day in the north, and shortest in the south, and the start of the northern summer, namely June 21. The dates when the sun crosses over the Equator is the start of either spring or autumn, depending on where you are. Those dates are March 21 (or 22?) and Sept 22, if I'm not horribly mistaken. There is simply no way to have this coincide with the first of any month, unless it has been politically assigned that way.

Apropos of nothing but the title of this thread, and in admiration of Trab's pedantry (that's with an AN, not an ES, people!), and because I love the wit in this lyric, I submit the following.La la! It's May!The lusty month of May!That darling month when ev'ryone throwsSelf-control away. It's time to doA wretched thing or two.And try to make each precious dayOne you'll always rue. It's May! It's May!The month of "yes, you may,"The time for ev'ry frivolous whim,Proper or "im". It's wild! It's gay!A blot in ev'ry way.The birds and the bees with all of their vastAmorous pastGaze at the human race aghastThe lusty month of May! Tra la! It's May!The lusty month of May! That lovely month when ev'ryone goesBlissfully astray. Tra la! It's here!That shocking time of year!When tons of wicked little thoughtsMerrily appear. It's May! It's May!The month of great dismay;When all the world is brimming with fun,Wholesome or "un". It's mad! It's gay!A libelous display.Those dreary vows that ev'ryone takes,Ev'ryone breaks.Ev'ryone makes divine mistakesThe lusty month of May! Learner and Lowe have a lot to be proud of.Cole

Camy, You are so right about Darth Vader and Herr Hitler.Mel Brooks has sent both of them up beautifully in "Space Balls" but Mel excels in his version of "To Be Or Not To Be."Trab, Yes that is absolutely correct, the dates you give refer to the equinoxes and the solstice of the Sun over the Tropics and Equator. However, the dates on the 22 of the month concerned are not the ones we use here, making me suspect the political interference we spoke of, above. Indeed I have no doubt of it.What I do not know is whether our dates are even Australia wide or just local to my state. We like to be different. As I said above these dates on the first of the month do coincide with a distinct change in our temperature and weather patterns making them very practical. My godfather used those dates back in the 50s to change his wardrobe from one season to the next. Then again he had certain problems one wouldn't mention in polite company.Trab, to understand how this has come about please see my reply to Cole below and you may see that,We were not the first, in fact, To change the seasons' dates here, In Adelaide.Cole, what can I say. You almost read my mind. The following is the song that was actually going through my mind as I typed the original blog entry.It's true! It's true! The crown has made it clear.The climate must be perfect all the year.A law was made a distant moon ago here:July and August cannot be too hot.And there's a legal limit to the snow hereIn Camelot.The winter is forbidden till DecemberAnd exits March the second on the dot.By order, summer lingers through SeptemberIn Camelot.Camelot! Camelot!I know it sounds a bit bizarre,But in Camelot, CamelotThat's how conditions are.The rain may never fall till after sundown.By eight, the morning fog must disappear.In short, there's simply notA more congenial spotFor happily-ever-aftering than hereIn Camelot.Camelot! Camelot!I know it gives a person pause,But in Camelot, CamelotThose are the legal laws.The snow may never slush upon the hillside.By nine p.m. the moonlight must appear.In short, there's simply notA more congenial spotFor happily-ever-aftering than hereIn Camelot.(Lerner and Lowe lyrics for Camelot.) In the 1960s, Adelaide liked to think of itself as "the Camelot of the southern hemisphere" as amongst other social advances we were the first state in Australia to decriminalize homosexual acts between consenting adults. In those days our politicians were anything but evil.