10:18pm

I’m starting this entry at 10:18pm EDT.  Of course, if you don’t live in the U.S., EDT might be a mystery for you.  I am vaguely aware of an international system of identifying time zones having something to do with the distance from Greenwich, but I don’t know what mine would be.  Nevertheless, I live in the time zone of New York City, which makes it the best time zone to live in if you’re in the U.S.  All the television schedules are created to favor the East Coast, so even though I live a fair distance from the Apple, I still get the best time for this grand ol’ nation of ours.

10:21pm EDT.  The pm stands for post meridian, or after the midpoint of the day – 12:00 noon.  I wish I remembered more Latin.  Latin was the coolest class in my high school, if you can believe that.  I’m not sure what that says about my high school, but it was definitely the most popular class when I was in high school.  Our teacher was probably a closet case, but we overlooked it, mostly because he was such an awesome teacher.  After he retired (after my junior year) there was no more Latin.  Which was sad, but at the same time it made me feel like I was part of a special club that the kids who came after me would never be able to join.  Skull and Bones and such.

10:26pm EDT.  If that were a date it would be October 26.  Why is October, which has the root "oct", meaning "eight", the tenth month?  Well I’ll tell you, thanks to my high school Latin teacher and his excellent training on classical mythology and Roman/Hellenist culture.  October used to be the eighth month.  The Roman calendar started with March.  March is named for the god of war, Mars, and the Romans used to begin their campaigns at the start of their year.  Later, when the calendar was all screwed up because they didn’t have enough days, January and February were added.  January was named for Janus, the Roman god of doorways.  He had a face on the front and another on the back of his head.  He looked back into the past and forward into the future, making it appropriate for him to symbolize the end of the old year and the beginning of the new.  February – I don’t remember the story.  Must have stayed home sick that day. 

10:32pm EDT.  Well that’s enough.  I should to bed soon.