Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Event Season

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  • Islander, in reply to Farmer Green,

    Fishers *always* take account of the moon....because the fish do-

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • Paul Williams, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    Ahhh, a little Neil Young to shift the tone of discussion... what a glorious song full of silly pop wrapped in country charms...

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

  • Islander, in reply to Farmer Green,

    That’s right , and yet most everyone in Godzone depends on them for food . It

    Not if you are a hunter/fishing/gardening family as I was brought up in, and continue to practise our ways...yeaah, I like butter & milk, oil & some exotic fruit but it's amazing what trading 'bait & birds can bring you.

    Or Words...

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • BenWilson, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    Ben, somehow I think an awful lot of sailors, fisher people, surfers, divers, and other coastal workers/dwellers/players would disagree quite strongly with your insistence of the irrelevance of the moon and tides.

    That isn't really my point. It's that because it doesn't synchronize with any actual number of days at all, and definitely doesn't synch with the solar year, and 28 days is only the sidereal month (which isn't of importance to anyone but star gazers), basing the weekdays around it makes little sense, because no kind of calculation is made easier by doing that.

    Months aren't based around it either, because there's 12.4 moon orbits per year. They're falling out of synch immediately. I really don't buy that our basic unit of short term life organization, the week, should have anything to do with the moon, and even if it did, why pick the particular division we did? The synodic period is closer to 30 than 28 anyway, and that's the one that actually matters to us - where the moon is against the backdrop of stars isn't even something non-astronomers/astrologers are generally aware of. You can divide 30 much more conveniently. It has {2,3,4,5,6,10,15} as its factors, whereas 28 only has {2,4,7,14}. A 6 day week could be divided into 2 or 3 pieces. A 7 day week can't be divided evenly at all.

    Anyways, it ain't changing. But I enjoy questioning it.

    I rather like that the solar year doesn’t break down into an even number of solar days, etc. Nature’s not simple. :-)

    Indeed, it wasn't made for our convenience, and it's gradually changing. I'd expect Earth to eventually become tidally locked to the moon, just as it is to us. Then there will be no tides, and only one side of the Earth will ever see the Moon. I don't recall whether that's going to happen before the Sun swallows both, though.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • BenWilson, in reply to BenWilson,

    Hah, well apparently it's likely that the water will be evaporated off the planet sooner, so tidal locking might never happen, since water is the main cause of it on this planet.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Lilith __, in reply to BenWilson,

    28 days is only the sidereal month

    Actually, it’s 27.3 days. Another difficult number.

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report

  • BenWilson, in reply to Lilith __,

    Actually, it’s 27.3 days. Another difficult number.

    :-) 27's a pretty cool number - 3 cubed. A Rubik's Cube worth of days. It's got nice properties. I like the idea of a 9 day week. 6 work days, 3 rest days. The work days can be neatly divided into 2 or 3 pieces. Or you could stagger it out more, perhaps 2-on 1-off, in perpetuity. The month has a middle day, in the middle section of the middle week. Every week has a middle day, and every piece of it does too. Super hard workers could do 7 or 8 days every week and still get a rest.

    There would be 14 months, though, and one would 14-15 days long in the remainder. Not really ideal for slicing the year. The current month system does do that quite well.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Farmer Green, in reply to BenWilson,

    I like the idea of a 9 day week.

    We use a 9 on/ 5 off roster for our assistants. A 5 day "weekend" every second week. It is well-received. The extended break allows a total change of perspective for those who don't live in.

    Lower North Island • Since Nov 2012 • 778 posts Report

  • Martin Lindberg, in reply to BenWilson,

    I really don’t buy that our basic unit of short term life organization, the week, should have anything to do with the moon, and even if it did, why pick the particular division we did?

    Because Genesis 2:2

    And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

    Stockholm • Since Jul 2009 • 802 posts Report

  • Farmer Green, in reply to Paul Williams,

    A bit of a hayseed, that Neil :

    Lower North Island • Since Nov 2012 • 778 posts Report

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Martin Lindberg,

    ...and he rested on the seventh day

    Obviously the result of an excellent Union negotiator...
    :- )

    and the start of a simple creed...
    The Earth:
    sit on it...
    and rotate!
    :- 0

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

  • Lilith __, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    …and he rested on the seventh day

    Obviously the result of an excellent Union negotiator…

    Zing!

    The Earth:
    sit on it…
    and rotate!

    :-)

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report

  • Lilith __,

    If we're gonna change the months, it'd be great to put September ("seventh month"), October ("eighth month"), November ("ninth month") and December ("tenth month") in their proper places!

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report

  • Kyle Matthews,

    If we’re gonna change the months, it’d be great to put September (“seventh month”), October (“eighth month”), November (“ninth month”) and December (“tenth month”) in their proper places!

    Romans go home!

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • Lilith __, in reply to Kyle Matthews,

    Romans go home!

    All roads lead to Rome.

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report

  • nzlemming, in reply to Kyle Matthews,

    Romans go home!

    Or, at least, to the house!

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report

  • Islander, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    The Earth:
    sit on it…
    and rotate

    Why o why did The Woodpecker Song suddenly check into my mind?
    Go *away* you beast!

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • Deborah, in reply to nzlemming,

    What's this, then? "Romanes eunt domus"? People called Romanes, they go, the house?....

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report

  • nzlemming, in reply to Deborah,

    Zigackly!

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report

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