Some of you have asked about the 13 Moon calendar used by the Mayans.

The moon can be measured by various cycles.

The 28-day count is derived from the average lunar cycle. The synodical cycle, from new moon to new moon, is 29.5 days (this is what most lunar calendars are based on). The sidereal cycle, the measure taken from where the moon appears at the same place in the sky, is 27.33 days.

There is also an apsidal cycle, taken from the measure of when the moon's axis is tilted farthest from the Earth, which is 28 days.

As U.S. coalition spokesman Sgt. 1st Class Joel Peavey said, "It's crazy, but apparently the Taliban sent out an e-mail saying they were going to abide by it if we were, and we definitely are," he said. "It's a great day to show Afghans exactly what peace is like and how their everyday life would be if they just booted out the bad guys." While I think this fellow still needs to work a bit on his message—how is booting out the bad guys an act of peace?—it’s a start.

So then, if they’re cooling their heels over there in Afghanistan, what can we do to commemorate the spirit of this day?

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The fact that the humble Fungi have been actively working for eons to rehabilitate our ecosystems is nothing new, but Paul Stamets has found a way to up the ante. Through his visionary and laborious research, he has revealed a gold mine of possibilities for healing the ills of our environment.