> At some point in time which I will not name for fear of feeling the wrath of a pedant, McCoy O'Grady wrote:
"Earliest Sunrise"?
How (on earth) can a sunrise be early? Sunrise is a continuum, thankfully.
And then I typed:
Oh, I do wish Edwin (creator of these forum cgis) would put arrows or <i>italics</i> indicating what is being replied to and what is the reply. New Zealand is the first country to enter any new date, so therefore whenever someone in New Zealand does see a sunrise (other than on TV I guess) they can be sure that they are nearly the first people to see the sunrise on that particular day, however arbitrary the marking of days is. So if I get up really early tomorrow, and it isn't cloudy, I will see the earliest October 4th sunrise! (Logically, that statement would be true even if the sun turns into a giant dzomo tomorrow, because I'm not going to get up that early!) If you still disagree, let's just say that my 'Earliest Sunrise' is quoted from a popular misconception.
he:
When Neil Armstrong on the moon looked down on the earth he noticed the sunrise rolling over the face of the deep, it didn't just turn on!
I:
So the deep has a face now? I thought it was the moon which had a face on it! Maybe it depends which way you're facing.
he:
Earliest sunrise is a human definition of a timeless process and as such is a flawed interpretation.
I:
Whether it's flawed or not, I happen to be a human so I'm allowed to use the definition! You're just cranky because you found out your poetic license was a forgery!
he:
Q. If you can't see it because of cloud, can the sunrise be said to have 'happened'?
I:
That all depends on your definition of sunrise... the 'pocket' dictionary I have with me at the moment doesn't even include the word, so I suggest you look it up in Chambers!
he:
Q. If you can't see the sun set because of cloud, does that mean that the sun will be stuck 'up there' all night?
I:
Wait for a cloudy evening and see for yourself.
he:
Q. If the day after Saturday is cloudy, can it really be called Sunday?
I:
If I were not acting particularly angelic, would I still be called Angela?
he:
Q. "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow" sang Little Orphan Annie.... Out of where? Is it gay? Who put it away?
I:
Given that the sun is a key factor in the creation of rainbows, I wouldn't be surprised if it were gay! (Would we then call our days 'gays'?) From what I recall of Maori legend, it comes out of a big hole in the ground somewhere, but I don't know who put it there.