Yeah, I know. Everyone else covered blue moons over a week ago. I was busy. So shoot me.

The term 'blue moon' is almost meaningless. In the grand scheme of things, it's not even a BFD.

Usually, there is only one full moon each month because the monthly calendar was built on the lunar cycle (29.5 days). But once every 2-1/2 years, those extra half days add up to two full moons in a month. As I said, it's no BFD.

But, in 1943, Sky and Telescope Magazine erroneously wrote that the second full moon in any calendar month was called a blue moon. The label stuck and is still used today.

Here's your can't lose bar bet for this week:

The second full moon in any calendar month is NOT a blue moon.

Because last week, every fool in every bar heard every talking head on every TV station repeat S & T's oopsie, every one of those fools will get it wrong. Of course, the hard part is proving that you're right (and that they are wrong).

Here's how to prove it (and collect your winnings):

According to NASA, that phrase is believed to have originated in 1883 after the eruption of Indonesia's Mount Krakatoa. The volcano put so much dust in the atmosphere that the moon actually looked blue in color. The event was deemed so unusual the phrase once in a blue moon was coined.

I could give you a link, but you need to learn to Google, so look it up yourself. Hint: search on "blue moon" + nasa. When you get your 184,000 hits, pick one of the first ones that has nasa.gov in the link.

Of course, the big money is in the bars where those talking heads go to BS each other. Line 'em up and take their money.

Whatever ...

The only truly significant aspect of "Blue Moon" is its inspiration for use in poems and lyrics. Check it out:

Amazon.com

I'll save you the trouble. The best of the best are

• The Marcells: Blue Moon (click to listen)
• John Fogarty:(click to listen)
• Ray Charles: Blue Moon of Kentucky (click to listen)
• Bill Monroe & The Blue Grass Boys: Blue Moon of Kentucky (click to listen)

The very bestest of the bestest is
Nanci Griffith: Once In A Blue Moon: (click to listen)

Many of the recent (last 30 years) performances of Once In A Blue Moon are covers of NG's version. Nanci Griffith is in that elite company known as the songwriters' songwriters. Check out (at the above link to Amazon's several hundred) the covers by Van Morrison and Dolly Parton.