Month: March 2024

While Neil deGrasse Tyson might usually break down the more complex mysteries of our universe, he also has a knack for discussing the mundane in a way that makes it every bit as interesting.

On a recent episode of the StarTalk Podcast, where the popular astrophysicist chats about “everything under the sun; Or rather under the universe!” Tyson sat down with comedian Chuck Nice to break down how and why Leap Day came to be.

“People seem to be mystified by it. A day just shows up on the calendar,” Tyson told Nice.

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But really, there’s nothing all that mystical about it. We know a year consists of 365 revolutions around the sun, aka a “year.” However, “there’s no law in the heavens that requires” a year to consist of exactly 365 revolutions.

In reality, a year is 365 revolutions…plus one-fourth. Or six hours.

Tyson then pondered, “so what are you gonna do with the six hours?” Which brought on a pretty intriguing concept: a rotating New Year’s celebration. Celebrating at the standard midnight one year, followed by a 6am celebration the following year, then midnight again, and so on.

“That’d be kinda dope,” Nice and Tyson agreed.

But regardless, we don’t do that. Instead, in ancient Rome, which used the Julian calendar, they “pocketed” the extra six hours and technically celebrated New Year’s early. When 24 hours accrued every 4 years, they’d give an extra day to the”month that needed it most,” i.e. February.

But here’s the thing: Ancient Romans didn’t know that it actually takes “a little less” than 365 for the Earth to go around the sun, Tyson explained. Therefore days that should have been “reckoned” were not, causing key moments of the calendar to keep shifting. The spring equinox, for instance, which was originally on March 21st, continuously moved up a day.

Neil deGrasse Explains Why We Have Leap Days

This became more of a glaring problem in the Late 16th century, when the religious holiday of Easter, which closely followed the spring equinox, had gotten dangerously close to Passover on the calendar.

So, Pope Gregory XIII had his team of scientists (aka the Jesuits) rectify the situation and account for the skipped days.

The result? October got 10 of its days swiped that year, and we got the Gregorian calendar commonly used today. Which, like the Julian calendar, adds a day to the calendar every 4 years, except when the year is divisible by 100 and not divisible by 400.

This is what makes the year 2000 so remarkable, Tyson told Nice. It was an incredibly rare “century year” that met the parameters needed to be a leap year. 1900, 1800, 1700 couldn’t claim that.

And perhaps this is the most amazing part of all: the Jesuits were able to figure all of this out “without a telescope,” Tyson said.

Leap Years might feel a bit wonky, arbitrary even. But really, it’s a nod to human ingenuity. The concept of time is such a complex, almost incomprehensible aspect of existence. It’s extraordinary that we have been able to even come up with a measuring system, albeit an imperfect one, in the first place.

There seems to be a constant war between children’s clothing retailers who want to push the boundaries of modesty and parents who push back, saying they are sexualizing children. On top of that, when young girls believe they are supposed to wear clothes that are tight-fitting and revealing, it’s very damaging to their self-esteem and body image.

“I think it’s one thing that the girls’ clothes are very fitted and small, and it’s another that they’re in such direct contrast to what you find on the boys’ side, and those two things send a pretty strong message about what they’re supposed to look like, dressed to be slim and to be fit,” Sharon Choksi, a mom of two and founder of the clothing line, Girls Will Be, told CNN.

The topic came up again recently when Meghan Mayer, a mother of 2 and a 7th-grade school teacher, posted a video on TikTok about a dress she saw at Target that received over 1.6 million views.

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Meghan was reacting to a smock-style patterned dress with balloon sleeves that appeared modest at first glance. But after closer examination, it has holes on the waist on both sides, revealing the girl’s midriff and possibly more.

@thecrazycreativeteacher

Thoughts?

“My oldest daughter and I are at Target and there’s some cute spring stuff,” Mayer started the video. “I am a little bit more conservative when it comes to my kids’ clothing, so maybe I’m overreacting, but let me know what you think of these dresses.”

She added that the dress may be okay for a 12-year-old but was inappropriate in her opinion for a 6-or 7-year-old.

Mayor asked her followers what they thought of the dress. “Like I said, I know I’m a little bit more conservative. I don’t usually even let my girls wear bikinis, but maybe I’m overreacting, I don’t know. Thoughts?”

For reference, she then showed the sizes of the dresses to show they were for kids and then revealed the holes in the sides. “Look at these little slits on the sides of these dresses, right at the hips on all these dresses,” she said.

Most people commenting on the video thought the dress was a bit much for such a young girl to wear.

“You’re not overreacting. You’re parenting properly,” Paper Bound Greetings wrote. “No, no. There is no reason for those holes to be there. They should have pockets! Not holes!” Anna wrote. “I think retailers are trying to mature our kids too fast. I agree with mom!” HollyMoore730 commented.

But some people thought that that dress was acceptable and Mayer was overreacting.

“Unpopular opinion, I think they’re cute,” Dr. Robinson wrote. “When I was a kid in the ‘70s I wore halter tops and tube tops; they were not seen as big deals. I don’t think this is scandalous,” Kimberly Falkowsi added. “Overreacting. Both my girls have the blue and white, you can’t even tell much. It’s not that big of a hole. The dresses are so cute,” LolitaKHalessi commented.

Some commenters told Mayer that she should buy the dress and have her daughter wear a shirt beneath it so it doesn’t show skin. But Mayer believes that would be supporting Target for making questionable kids’ clothing.

“No, I’m not going to buy it and have them wear a tank top with it, because then that’s showing Target that it’s OK,” she told Today.com. “And over time, the cutout will get bigger and bigger.”

J Balvin is celebrating the ladies. Today (February 29), J Balvin has shared his new single, “Triple S,” which stands for “Suelta, Soltera, Sin Nadie Que La Joda” — which when loosely translated to English means “Single, Strong and Not to Be Messed With.”

On “Triple S,” Balvin teams up with De La Ghetto and Jowell & Randy, tapping into his reggaeton roots. Over a rhythmic, percussive beat, Balvin and crew champion strong women, celebrating their determination and strength.

In the song’s accompanying video, Balvin, De La Ghetto, and Jowell & Randy carry out a master plan for a brilliant woman mafia leader. The video, which takes place at Charles Sieger’s luxurious estate Chateau Artisan, contains a twist, ultimately leading this woman to the top.

For this new era of his illustrious music career, Balvin is pulling out all the stops. This April, Balvin will perform at Coachella on the main stage. And then soon after, he will embark on the Que Bueno Volver A Verte International Tour, during which, he will visit 20 European cities.

Balvin is also expected to drop two new albums this year — one of his own, and a collaborative album with Ed Sheeran.

In the meantime, you can see the video for “Triple S” above.

While every month of the year has plenty of positives regarding the beer you can get, there are few as unique as March. First, because it’s the month that bridges the gap between winter and spring (in terms of seasons and beer styles). Second, because it’s when the biggest drinking day of the year occurs. St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of Irish culture that features corned beef, bangers and mash, and a ton of Irish whiskey.

It’s also a day loaded to the gills with beer (green and otherwise).

Not surprisingly. there are a ton of choices when it comes to March beers. If you prefer, you can still imbibe dark, bolder beers (like the St. Patrick’s Day staple Irish dry stout or dark lagers) or you can sip on something with a little spring zing. We’re talking about pale ales, sour ales, bocks, and lighter lagers.

We won’t make you find these March gems yourself, though. To help you get the most out of the month, we picked eight great beers for you. Keep scrolling to see all the flavorful, memorable beers to drink in March.

Pure Project I Choose Yuzu

ABV: 5%

Average Price: $15 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

Sipping a Pure Project I Choose Yuzu is a unique, refreshing way to dive right into March beers. In the simplest terms, it’s a sessionable, 5% ABV rice lager that’s flavored with yuzu. The result is a crisp, sweet, refreshing, citrus-filled beer that’s guaranteed to get you feeling like spring is right around the corner.

Tasting Notes:

A nose of candied orange peel, lemon zest, yuzu, sweet rice, and floral, earth hops greets you before your first sip. There’s more of the same in the best way possible with ripe grapefruit, tangerine, lime, yuzu, rice, cereal grains, and floral hops taking center stage. It’s extremely refreshing and balanced.

Bottom Line:

It’s an easy-drinking, sweet, citrus-filled beer that’s so refreshing and flavorful you’ll immediately want to crack open another one.

Phase Three The Claddagh

ABV: 4.2%

Average Price: $9 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

We suspect you’ll find time this month to enjoy a nice pint of Guinness. But after you enjoy the pride of Dublin, why not sip on an American take? Phase three The Claddagh is as authentic as American Irish dry stouts come. This creamy, chocolate, dry stout is brewed with pale malt, flaked oats, and roasted barley.

Tasting Notes:

This classic take on the Irish dry stout begins with a nose of dark chocolate, coffee beans, dried fruits, licorice, roasted barley, and a hint of floral, earthy hops. It’s creamy and sweet and filled with flavors of espresso beans, cocoa powder, raisins, treacle, bitter chocolate, roasted barley, and floral hops.

Bottom Line:

If you want an American take on the Irish dry stout that won’t leave you shaking your head, Phase Three The Claddagh is the beer for you.

Bell’s Oberon

ABV: 5.8%

Average Price: Limited Availability

The Beer:

It’s not spring until Bell’s releases its iconic Oberon wheat beer. It won’t even be available until March 25th. Simply brewed with house ale yeast, hops, water, and wheat malts, it’s known for its orange hue and citrus-filled, sweet wheat, thirst-quenching flavor profile.

Tasting Notes:

A lot is going on with this beer’s nose. There are scents of sweet wheat, yeasty bread, orange peels, grass, hay, and floral hops. The palate follows suit with a ton of sweet wheat flavor followed by yeasty, freshly baked bread, candied orange peels, like wintry spices, and a finish of gently bitter floral hops. Wheat, sweet, citrus. What’s not to love?

Bottom Line:

Bell’s Oberon is an annual favorite for a reason. It’s a perfectly balanced banger of a beer that you’ll want to drink from now until the end of summer (or until your go-to store runs out).

Firestone Walker XPA

ABV: 5%

Average Price: $13 for a six-pack

The Beer:

You might be wondering what an XPA is. Well, so were we. But Firestone Walker XPA is a crushable, sessionable, hoppy pale ale brewed with Rahr Craft 2-row malt, Great Western white wheat, and Briess Carapils malt. It gets its snappy, floral, hoppy presence from Hallertau Tradition, Mosaic, Citra, and Nelson Sauvin hops.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a ton of citrus on this beer’s nose. There’s also a heap of grass, hay, and dank, floral hops. It’s evened out with cracker-like and sweet, caramel malts. On the palate, you’ll find stone fruit, berries, mango, ripe pineapple, tangerine, grapefruit, caramel malts, and dank, resinous hops. The finish is spicy, bitter, and memorable.

Bottom Line:

This will be your new go-to pale ale with its mix of citrus, caramel malts, and dank, bitter hops.

Hopworks POG Tropical Sour

ABV: 5.6%

Average Price: Limited Availability

The Beer:

You might not think that a tropical sour ale belongs in your rotation for the end of winter. But, if you’re anything like us, you need a break from the cold air outside. Luckily, the folks at Hopworks recently released its popular POG Tropical Sour. It’s tart, sour, sweet, and filled with tangerine, mango, guava, and passionfruit flavors.

Tasting Notes:

Before your sip, you’re greeted by s symphony of tropical fruit aromas like passionfruit, caramelized pineapple, mango, guava, and light floral, herbal, earthy hops. Drinking it only adds to the vacation in your mouth with more passionfruit, honeydew melon, berries, guava, mango, ripe peach, and light, floral hops. It’s tart, sweet, and pleasantly sour.

Bottom Line:

It’s as fresh and full of tropical fruit flavors as tart and sour. It’s a very memorable beer you’ll want to seek out every time it’s re-released.

Jack’s Abby Nordic Frost

ABV: 7%

Average Price: $18 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

We all know the late winter and early spring is a time for bock beers. But did you know that it’s also time for Icelandic-style bocks? Well, specifically Jack’s Abby Nordic Frost. This unique bock beer is decoction mashed and brewed with Caramunich and North American malts. The result is a complex, malty, sweet, rich, warming beer perfect for the end of winter.

Tasting Notes:

A lot is going on with this beer’s nose. There are aromas of freshly baked bread, caramel, honey, and floral, earthy, spicy hops. The palate is a mix of bready malts, caramel, sweet honey, candied orange peel, tree nuts, dried fruits, and earthy, herbal, floral, grassy hops. The finish is a mixture of sweet malts and bitter, floral hops.

Bottom Line:

This is a unique, well-rounded wintry bock beer. It’s malt-forward and finishes with floral, bitter hops that leave you craving more.

Southern Tier Irish Cream Stout

ABV: 5.8%

Average Price: $12 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Created to taste like an Irish cream cocktail, this unique stout is brewed with a 2-row pale base, caramel 60, and debittered black malts, as well as barley flakes. It’s hopped with Chinook and Cascade hops and gets its memorable flavor from the addition of milk sugar and Irish cream flavor.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a ton of sweetness on this beer’s nose. This includes aromas of vanilla, toffee, Irish cream, coffee beans, chocolate, and roasted barley. Drinking it reveals a very complex beer with notes of molasses cookies, caramel candy, vanilla beans, freshly brewed coffee, roasted malts, and more memorable Irish cream. The finish is a nice mix of sweetness and bitterness.

Bottom Line:

If you’re a fan of adding a little Irish cream to your coffee from time to time, you’re going to love this exceptional seasonal beer.

Montauk Cold Day IPA

ABV: 6.7%

Average Price: $12 for a six-pack

The Beer:

You can probably guess that based on its name, this is an IPA for the last waning winter days. First released in 2020 and brewed with Amarilla and Strata hops, this beer is available from the fall through March. It’s known for its hazy appearance and hoppy, citrusy, piney, refreshing aroma and flavor.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find notes of grapefruit, ripe pineapple, tangerine, light malts, and resinous, piney hops. The palate continues this trend with lemon, tangerine, grapefruit, honeydew melon, caramelized pineapple, sweet malts, and dank, pine all making an appearance.

Bottom Line:

If you’re an IPA drinker and you’re looking for a beer that’s flavorful enough to stand up to the last chilly days of winter, this is your brew.