Sunday Overnight Open Thread - March 23, 2025 [Doof]

Howdy Hordelings! Hope you are having a very nice Sunday here in the early days of Spring. How are your brackets? Did you make sixteen sweet picks? Or perhaps you really just don't care. Whatever your feelings on that, the ONT is here for you to end your weekend. Step on in!

Spring has Sprung!

The weather may still be cold in your nape of the woods, er uh, neck of the wape. But the calendar says Spring began a few days ago.

As such, let's take a look at some Fun and Strange Customs People Follow in Celebration of the Vernal Equinox

As the vernal equinox heralds the first day of spring, all across the world, unique phenomena can be seen on this day alone.

For thousands of years humans have known that around the day marked on the Gregorian calendar as March 20th (or 21st, but we’ll get into that later) the day and night were of equal measure, and the sun rose perfectly due east, and set perfectly due west.

This led to all manner of mythical belief systems, fascinating astronomical calculations, and grand construction projects. Especially for people living in the temperate zones, where seasonal climates are so impactful on daily life, the equinox has a kind of mystique, that can make people take up gardening, read an almanac, or keep an eye out for migratory birds.

The equinox is a fascinating event that has captured human minds for thousands of years, and so it’s no surprise there’s a lot to learn about it

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If you believe that the equinox is on the 21st of March, you may be showing your age. The last time the equinox was on the 21st of March, Barack Obama was gunning for the presidency.

This is because we use the Gregorian calendar, and the placement of the equinox changes every other century. For those growing up with the equinox on the 21st, you won’t see that again until the 22nd century.

These days the equinox arrives on the 20th of March, and there it will stay for all of our lives, and our children’s lives, and most of their children’s lives.

It highlights the brilliance of ancient astronomers, who were able to note the subtle differences in the placement of the sun in the sky not just year by year, but century by century; and in the case of the Mayan’s ‘long count’ cycle, millennia by millennia.

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The Burning of the Socks
In Maryland, among the boating community, it is a tradition to wear socks only during the winter. Certainly for those who do their business with the sea, there is a tendency to adopt superstitions, but this also seems like a powerful ritual of optimism for warmer weather.

Every year on the vernal equinox Annapolis yacht clubs, the maritime museum, dockyard workers, and even rangers at the Virginia State Parks celebrate the Burning of the Socks festival, welcoming warm waters back the expansive Chesapeake Bay.

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Ancient Architectural Alignments
The movement of the sun, moon, and stars were closely observed and tracked by ancient peoples. Maybe it’s because it had a lot of relevance with their agricultural success, but great civilizations across the ages have enshrined the passage of the equinox in their architectural designs—often aligning their buildings’ foundations with certain moments during the solstice, equinox, or both.

Chichen Itza is one of the most famous monuments of Mesoamerica, and the great step Pyramid of Kulkulcan in Mexico is constructed in such exquisite connection to the equinox that it draws thousands of tourists on this particular day every year.

The shadows of this structure, built in the 8th–12th century AD, formed by the equinoctial sun evoke the image of the “Sun Serpent” slithering down the north side of the pyramid.

Other monuments like Stonehenge, Newgrange, built by the ancient Irish, Machu Picchu, and the Pyramid of Khafre, are also aligned with the equinox in unique ways.

In connection with the rhythms of the land, sea, and heavens, we can find a deeper connection to nature and the world around us, as well as our ancestors who discovered this unique day in the cycle of the earthen year.

Related: These 12 Stunning Photos Were Voted Best in the World For Depicting the Essence of Spring (from March 2020)

Wholesome Content

And the award for Dad of the year goes to… pic.twitter.com/cpdM8Em2uR

— The Figen (@TheFigen_) March 16, 2025

Bro took it as a challenge 😭💀 pic.twitter.com/nMC2swsqH8

— NO CONTEXT HUMANS (@HumansNoContext) March 17, 2025

One the subject of basketball and wholesome content, this referee deserves a high five AND a fistbump.

Ref made it seem like he was cleaning a wet spot so this Liberty player could play in the tourney

Massive Wpic.twitter.com/3k9zrUJbo1

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) March 22, 2025

Feel Good Story

Incredible determination.

One-Armed Player Has Made History in Women’s College Basketball

With so many great plays in March Madness this week, check out the shot that carried multiple meanings as it sailed into the air, and into the history books this season.

It required persistence, resilience, and Faith.

Baileigh Sinaman-Daniel, who was born with a right arm too small to adequately use, let her left-handed shot fly from around the three-point line—right into the basket.

The Lesley University junior guard, who has an obvious disadvantage compared with her opponents, was cut from her high school team.

Yet, there she was, playing guard for the Cambridge, Massachusetts college team against Fitchburg State this season when she rose up and took aim at history.

Her shot flew through the air and sailed straight through the net, making her the first female basketball player with only one arm to score in a Division III game.

Her coach quickly called a time out.

“When the shot went in I thought, ‘Hey, we have to preserve this moment for as long as we possibly can,’” said coach Martin Rather in a recent CNN article. “That also allows the team to come out and embrace her, which they did, on the court, and gives us a second to reflect on the tremendous hard work and dedication it takes to get to that point.”

“The entire team was filled with joy,” Baileigh said. “Mainly just because they have seen me overcome so many things throughout this season, and for it to finally pay off in that moment, in that game, it was a very big deal for everybody across the board. They were all screaming. Everybody came to hug me.”

'Ette Couture (Courtesy of Piper)

It's time to turn the ONT over to our good friend Piper for a bit. Here's some moar dress/fashion pr0n.

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Happy Sunday!

Usha Vance is settling into her role as Second Lady. It will be interesting to watch her fashion choices over the next 4 years and how they evolve. As of this moment, she is glamorous, but also pretty darn practical. Let’s look at glamorous first:

And now for practical- Usha Vance has worn a few pieces that are ready to wear, showing you can look pulled together and not need to spend thousands to do it. Will this practicality continue when you have someone like Melania to emulate? I wonder….
Most recently, Usha wore a navy Veronica Beard blazer when entertaining the Irish Taoiseach. She paired this with ankle length teal pants that had been hanging in her closet, and navy pumps she also had already.

In another example, Usha wore a Ted Baker ready to wear Bislee Chatsworth Floral belted dress. Again, she has chosen not to wear jewelry – this is the space I believe we will see growth as this dress calls for a statement necklace.

Melania is wearing a Dior belted blazer in wool tweed along with a matching Dior Christina pencil skirt. The scarf is removable and added by Melania.

Speaking of Dior, let’s look at this amazing vintage dress from 1953. The purple, the rouleaux bows at the shoulder, the neckline. It’s an embodiment of the era.

In the same vein, this Sonnet Dress by Dior is *chefs kiss*. It is in black silk ottoman and from Dior’s 1953 Profilee line. It has silk piping and the rouleaux bows show up again. The model demonstrates how the right jewelry can be the icing to the dress.

Finally, shoes. These are vintage Roger Vivier for Dior (c. 1958-1960). Swoon!

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Thanks for another great 'Ette Couture segment, Piper!

DJ Doof - This Day in History Version
(from thisdayinmusic.com)

Born on this day in 1944: American singer, songwriter, musician, producer Ric Ocasek from The Cars.

1956: Elvis Presley released his self-titled debut album on the RCA Victor label. Its 12 songs were recorded in Nashville, New York, and Memphis between 1954 and 1956 and included one of Elvis’ most iconic numbers, “Blue Suede Shoes.” The album, which spent ten weeks at No.1 on the US album charts and went on to sell a million copies, marked the first time a rock‘n’roll record had topped the charts.

1991: R.E.M. topped the UK chart for the first time with their seventh album, Out Of Time. The Grammy-winning LP, which spent a total of 153 weeks on the UK chart, would hit No.1 in the US several weeks later

Not music, but bonus "this date in history" content.

On this day in 1994, Wayne Gretzky broke Gordie Howe's goal record with his 802nd career goal.

Will we see Ovechkin break his goal record this season? 👀 #Gr8Chase pic.twitter.com/R478mvFVqB

— NHL (@NHL) March 23, 2025

Gretzky ended his career with 894 goals. Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals now has 888 career goals. There's a strong possibility he will break Gretzky's record before the end of the season (12 more games).

Tonight's ONT brought to you by revelations.

posted by Open Blogger at 10:00 PM

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