Set your clocks AHEAD

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Howdy.  This here is your reminder that Daylight Saving Time (note there's no "S" at the end of the middle word) starts overnight tonight.  You might as well set your clocks ahead this evening, before you go to bed -- so you're not as cornfused as you might otherwise be if you wake up tomorrow on the wrong time.  Here's a good time standard to use for getting the correct time:

http://www.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Eastern/d/-5/java

Tune in tomorrow and see who didn't do it right and is an hour behind.

[manta22]

Jon;

In AZ we don't have to remember to set our clocks ahead/back. We tried it once and it was a nightmare.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Yeah, so I've heard quite a few times in the past two days.  About setting clocks back and forth for daylight saving time being a nightmare -- well, no.  It is for those that aren't used to doing it, I'll grant you, but it does get easier to understand and do once it's become common.

An interesting sidelight is that the idea of setting clocks ahead was first put into play in WWI, as a war economy plan.  Then it went away when the war ended, was resurrected for WWII, and in the '50s it became quite common - and now we're nationally (except Arizona and Hawaii) using it.  But - for what?  I've heard more than three times that studies have shown either a very small saving in energy consumption (the idea being that with the daylight extending later in the afternoon and evening - folks will take advantage and do more activities and won't have to turn on the lights so early) -- either a very small saving or none at all - and even an increase in energy consumed (because, according to that study, folks took advantage of the extra light hours by going for rides -- and therefore using more gasoline and offsetting any savings in electricity.

And then there was the time in the latter '60s when individual cities could choose whether to go daylight saving or not.  When I arrived in Houghton, Michigan, for college in 1967 - a drive from campus to the next town (Hancock) would require changing my wathc about 5 times in three miles (campus on DST, Houghton on standard, Post office on DST, lift bridge schedule on standard, Hancock on DST. That was a nightmare!

[manta22]

Jon;

Yes, that was a similar problem here in AZ. Driving from CA across AZ required a time change when you crossed into AZ from CA, then you entered the Navajo Reservation-- no DS-- so you changed again-- then you drove across the Hopi Reservation (they are automatically against anything the Navajos do) changed your clock until you were back on the Navajo Reservation, changed again and finally changed when you crossed into CO or NM.

That assumed that you crossed AZ across the north; the southern route was not so much of a problem.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Tzoom]

I like DST.  It gives me an extra hour of daylight in the evening to finish a round of golf or to get the grill going. 

[Seldom Seen Slim]

We live pretty far north -- and we're right on the western edge of a time zone.  The combination makes for some weird hours.

Being north means we get extreme variation in the amount of daylight.  On the first day of summer, in June, our sunrise is a couple of minutes before 6 -- and sunset is at 9.47.  That comes out to almost sixteen hours of day and eight of night.  Reverse to the middle of December -- and it's only starting to get light at 8.30 in the morning and by 5PM it's dark enough that you need the headlights on your vehicle when driving. 

Then go to the west a few more miles -- back to Houghton, the college town where I went to Michigan Tech.  Because it's so far west -- west of quite a few states that are on Central time, but Hoton's still in the Eastern zone -- because it's so far west the drive in movies couldn't start 'til dark -- and that would be about a quarter 'til eleven!  Those movies made for some tied folks the next morning.  I used to be dating and take a girl to the drive-in -- sure was difficult to get going when I'd have an 8AM class the next day.

Nancy's due home in a little while.  I've already changed all of the clocks in the house and the garage and my pickup -- will do her car when she gets here.  Don't forget to change the timers, too -- on the water softener and the water heater and the decorative lighting timer and whatever else you've got.

Nighty-night, boys and girls.

[dwarner]

Jon,

Throw your watch away and use your cell phone. It is on time.

DW

[Seldom Seen Slim]

INdeed, Dan.  I checked the phone against that website -- and found the phone to be about four seconds off what the site said.  That's close enough for me -- within statistical limits of accuracy (or some such blather).

Anyway, I carried the cellphone around the house and garage and used it to set all of the clocks.  They're all pretty close to showing the same time now.  Before this -- I'd leave the bedroom and get to the kitchen - about six steps -- three minutes earlier, or something.  It's all better now.  I even changed the clock that's way up on a pedestal on top of one of the stereo speakers.  And Nancy's alarm clock for tomorrow morning.

She's on the way home now.  I'm done here for the evening.  See you folks tomorrow morning - which comes one hour earlier than usual.

[floydjer]

Until 1996 I owned two liquor  stores here in G.R. Did the D.S.T. thingy backward one spring.  The first person in the door said "So....What  time do you think it is dumb-a$&"?  Heard about that until fall.  J.B.