may the fourth(?) be with you.

“You don’t need to see his identification … These aren’t the droids you’re looking for … He can go about his business … Move along.” ~Obi-Wan Kenobi (Sir Alec Guinness)

 May the 4th. "May the force" [be with you]. Do you see the similarities there? Today is Star Wars Day, apparently this information has been a guarded secret for the past 30 years or so by the nerds and dorks of the world. Today though, I'm finally bringing this nonsense to light. According to the star wars "Wookiepedia", the phrase (and day's homonym like significance) was first used in 1989 (close enough) when the London Evening News ran the story about how Margaret Thatcher first became prime minister of England and they congratulated her by saying "May the 4th be with you, Margaret". Only the British would think that's a worthy headline for a newspaper post. Apparently only the British and myself, though admittedly this isn't a newspaper, my title is remarkably similar to their nonsensical phrase. Not only does this day have dubious historical significance related to Britain's first female prime minister, it's also a reason for star wars nerds around the world to celebrate.

a run for the roses.

"If you're going to be crazy, you have to get paid for it or else you're going to be locked up." ~Hunter S. Thompson

Secretariat was the greatest racing horse that ever lived and may hold that title for the rest of time. He set records at both the Derby and the Belmont Stakes and while he was busy setting records left and right, he managed to win the coveted triple crown of horse racing. The "triple crown" in horse racing begins with the greatest of all horse races: the Kentucky Derby, held on the first Saturday of May at legendary Churchill Downs just outside of Louisville, Kentucky. From there the ponies get a breather for two weeks before heading to the Pimlico track in Baltimore for the Preakness Stakes! The last leg of the arduous journey for these mules is three weeks later way up in Elmont, New York at Belmont Park for the Belmont Stakes. Handily, Secretariat ran through those fool other horses finishing the Derby in less than 2 minutes, averaged out to almost 35 miles per hour and he was still speeding up in the last quarter mile stretch. The Preakness is slightly longer than the Derby and the Belmont is the longest track of the three.

in mad mexico the sunshine fools you.

"Fiction was invented the day Jonas arrived home and told his wife that he was three days late because he had been swallowed by a whale." ~Gabriel Garcia Marquez

France invaded Mexico a long time ago. Mexico kicked them out. At some point in that complicated historical drama, the fifth of May became significant. From what I've been able to gather, it's not so much a Mexican national holiday as it is a drinking celebration in the United States because the Californian Mexicans in the 1860s swelled with pride when they learned the Mexican army held off the French advance at the battle of Puebla. That's fine by most folks, I'd imagine, libertados estados unidos. It gives the average family a reason to go Mexico it up for dinner. Soccer moms can get wasted off margaritas and for one day tequila isn't just something to drink when you're depressed. Well, I guess not everyone drinks tequila when they're sad, but I sure do.