There's a letter R in Spring, so the September 1st Chat Thread is Safe to Read

COWS4YOU · 08-31-2009, 11:36 PM

New Zealand's seasons are the reverse of those in the Northern Hemisphere. "Spring", a time of melting and new growth, occurs about September-November in places south of the equator, e.g., Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Brazil...).

The official date of spring south of the equator (corresponding to the first official day of fall in places north of the equator) would be around September 20/21, depending on when the sun crosses the equator.

Countries such as Australia and New Zealand, however, designate the first day of September as the official first day of spring. Happy Spring to all our Southern Hemisphere members!

Start of the season when oysters are fit to eat. I found this one interesting because supposedly when month names contain an "R", they are safe to eat. According to slashfood.com:

"There are too many legends as to where this aphorism came from to identify its true source (my favorite holds that it was introduced by Native Americans, which does not account for the fact that coastal tribes who ate shellfish would have been doing so long before being introduced to the Julian calendar via invasion). The more basic truth is that, wherever it came from, the "month with an r" proverb developed because those months coincide with northern hemisphere summer. During those warmest months, a variety of changes occur in marine environments, everything from red tide to spawning. These phenomena would make food oysters less desirable both aesthetically and hygienically during this time. As you're now committed to eating only commercially grown and harvested oysters provided you're not allergic to them to begin with, the maxim doesn't really apply, as the dangerous or unappealing conditions of the months-without-an-r are premanaged for you by harvesters, processors, shippers, fishmongers, chefs and, presumably, the oysters. That said, though this is a point of debate, oysters are at their best during autumn, winter and early spring. "

Lastly, something totally not related to the other two – Luxembourg became the first country to complete the move to all digital television broadcasting in 2006. Are you ready for the switch?

For everyone who has school, I wish you a great school day. For those of you who are sick, I send well wishes for a quick recovery. For those of you enjoying your last week of summer vacation before you head back to school next week, sleep in and make the most of it. For all of us, Happy Tuesday!