Nawroz Mubarak!!!

Of course, I am late and you have already heard this from many, but let me be among the last to wish you a Nawroz Mubarak---Happy New Year 1387.

I will be the first to admit that there is plenty of things that are strange about Afghanistan, but I really think they have got this New Years thing right. The Afghan (and Iranian) New Year is the first day of Spring. I mean, think about the beauty of that. It makes so much sense. Of course the first day of the year should be the first day of Spring!

I think we also need to adjust the calendar. From now on, March 20 will be March 1. This will make the first day of summer June 1, fall will begin September 1, and winter will begin December 1. You have to admit that there is a certain logic to this.

Skeptics may jeer: 'Dude, how will we ever make THAT transition?' Well, I have thought about it, and here is what we do: The transition year will have duplicate March 1s-20s, as when we hit 20 we will roll back to March 1. Repeated dates will be marked by being March 1a, March 2a, March 3a.........Like 'Leap' year, this will be named 'Deja Vu' year.

Taken literally, this would move Christmas. But there is no reason not to leave it December 25, without the adjustment. I mean, moving it to the 'adjusted' date of December 4 (4 days after the start of winter, more or less) will probably appeal to some fringe element, buts it's historical accuracy is, at best, sketchy. This will also maintain the proper number of shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

So there it is. I feel like Newton. What a great idea!!

Nawroz Mubarak!!! And a Happy Spring!!

(Hey, what if we moved Easter to March 1--how cool would that be? Seasonal and religious rebirth. I smell a Nobel headed my way).