StatCounter

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Daylight saving

Saving is generally a good thing. Saving time is usually okay unless it causes stress as increased efficiency adds to everyone's work load. Frankly, arbitrarily resetting everyone's clock ahead or back an hour twice a year seems like a bureaucratic waste of time and something that was thought up just to see if anyone is paying attention.
I was finally getting used to the time the way it was and now they want me to adjust it ahead an hour. Or is it back? No, it's ahead when they do it in spring.


Now that I don't need to turn on lights when I feed the horses in the morning and only need them in the evening they want me to change it so I DO need them in the morning again, but not in the evening. Really? What's the point? Someone must be saving something somewhere, but it sure isn't me. I have to adjust the animals feeding time to match the clock as I still have to be at work at the new version of 8AM. It's different than the old 8AM by an hour, but still has the same name. If I didn't have to work I don't think I would bother.


By the time everyone gets used to the NEW time they change it back sometime in the fall. Why can't they just leave it alone? It screws up travelers, many of whom may use Greenwich Mean Time just to stay in tune with the rest of the planet.

Some folks think we lose an hour of sleep by turning the clock ahead. No way I'M going to lose any! I'll nap my way to sleep equilibrium, so if you see me looking at the back of my eyelids, do not disturb. Or I will turn on you. 

For all you friends of The Bard I wish you a happy Ides of March! With musical accompaniment.
Beware the Ides of March with the O'Jays performing Back Stabbers.

43 comments:

  1. Isn't there at least one state that does not go through the changes in time?

    Good luck with the naps...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sigh we start saving daylight too early and continue it too late. Some states don't play, and I envy them.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think it's Arizona that doesn't change..not sure..I think they should just leave it the fuck alone..sigh*

    ReplyDelete
  4. I don't like the time change either. Doesn't matter if it's ahead or back, I don't like it, I tell you!

    Oh, I see you are napping. Sorry.

    ReplyDelete
  5. we should copy arizona on this one thing (and nothing else); screw the clock change!

    and RECOGNIZE my homeboyz, the o'jays!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sioux, Apparently Hawaii and Arizona, except the Navajo Nation, do not observe it.

    Elephant's Child, I envy those who do not have to play the game. It's just a small way to keep life simpler.

    JACKIESUE, If enough of us petition the government with our grievances we may get them to change. Of course it would take at least a generation for such a big and radical change to take place.

    jenny_o, It's okay, I'm awake now.

    anne marie, Arizona is a beautiful if somewhat backward place. I should have noted the O'Jays turf as it is my turf, too. Do you remember Wee Willy Webber, Sally Starr, Chief Halftown, or Sawdust Sam from back in the 50's and 60's?

    ReplyDelete
  7. I think it's Arizona b/c my sister lives there and I never know what time it is when I call her. Yes, Daylight Savings Time does complicate our lives; but I like it when it stays light out later.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The time change works well for me. Right now, by the time I get home after my evening commute, it's dark outside. The time change will give me extra daylight, allowing me to work in the yard after work.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm not so much against the time change when we get an extra hour in the fall. More time for napping is not a bad thing. But in the spring? Ugh. I suggested at work that instead of setting the clock ahead by an hour on Sunday at 2:00 a.m., we do it on Friday at 4:00 p.m. Funny how they all thought it was a good idea, but nobody wanted to bring it up to the big boss.

    I remember hearing that the chances of having a stroke increases by something like 40% (don't hold me to that number) on the Monday after the time change.

    ReplyDelete
  10. DST never made any sense to me. Still doesn't. But I have to admit I'll enjoy driving home from work an hour earlier this week.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Can't comment on this, too tired. Had to change 12 clocks this morning. And now I'm going to have a nap.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Nothing like the O'Jays to wake me up. Thanks Jono!

    ReplyDelete
  13. The older I get, the harder I find the adjustment to DST is to make. I feel dragged out for weeks because of it.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Tom, The days will get longer for the next 3 months. The only reason it bothers me is because I hate being late.

    Ahab, In a few weeks it will be light enough to do most things while I'm still awake, morning and evening.

    Pixel Peeper, I think that is a terrific idea to help everyone get through it. BTW, I did have a nice nap today.

    Agi T, I really like going far north in the summer. Of course I get sleep deprived, but it is just so much fun to always have daylight.

    Shammickite, Pleasant dreams! :)

    Donna, Nothing like good tunes to charge your battery.

    Debra, How do you do if you travel long distances by air? I have learned a few tricks if you ever need to know.

    ReplyDelete
  15. No DST here in Hindunazistan fortunately - although we do need at least two, if not three, time zones, and we're stuck with only the one.

    Russia, I know, dumped DST. I don't know who else still uses it.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I think Arizona doesn't observe Daylight Savings Time. So, at least one state has common sense. But...they also have John McCain.
    On balance, I'd rather lose an hour's sleep.

    ReplyDelete
  17. DST doesn't make a lot of sense. You don't save time, you just change your schedule.
    the Ol'Buzzard

    ReplyDelete
  18. My husband loves DST, and thinks we should just keep it all year round. I just see it as a sign of spring. Whatever, I know I had to wake up an hour early for work today, and I still was late.
    Are the horses feeling a little spring frisky yet?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Bill, Most of North America and Europe do it. If people would just wait for a few weeks it will be light enough. Good to know not everyone is dancing to the same tune on that bandwagon.

    Al, I would also say that is one of the few things Arizona gets right.

    Ol'Buzzard, That's it exactly! Hundreds of millions of people have to change their schedule. In a few months they have to change it back. What's the point?

    Dixie, Maybe they'll be in one of your battle of the bands.

    chlost, It would be fine if they would just stop changing back and forth. Just pick a time and stick with it. Is that so hard? The horses are shedding buckets of fur and with the arrival of a new Kiger Mustang last night they are all a little up.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'm all in favor of junking this terrible idea. Like you said, nobody saves anything. I used to get up when it was light and eat dinner when it was dark. Now I get up when it's dark and eat dinner while it's still kind of light. Hurray for me?

    ReplyDelete
  21. Time and time again I get annoyed and confused by Daylight Savings Time. It's a waste of time. Some people have too much time on their hands to think of something so stupid involving taking time away and giving it back as if there's any time-savings involved. With all the time it takes to figure the whole damn thing out, think of how much time we've lost. It's gotten darker since I started this comment a long time ago. Sorry, Jono. See you next time, and be well right now, no matter the time.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thanks for the tunes! A couple of years ago I heard there was a movement here in Canada to scrap the whole stupid time change, but it seems to have died a quiet death... kind of like me, on the day that I lose that hour of sleep. Grr.

    ReplyDelete
  23. The trick is to use Nature's natural clocks. Don't wake up until the parrots shit on your head.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I’ve often wondered how real animals (i.e. not pampered pets) cope with switching time around. I gradually change Millie’s two feeds a day around until we get to the new right time, only to have to start the whole circus again as soon as we’ve got int the swing of things. Just like you say, it’s a waste of somebody’s energy. And don’t think you are the only nation to suffer, madmen have decided we must all get messed around.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Yes in Arizona we always have the same time operation and never have to change it. Now the sun comes up around 6AM and goes down around 7PM and the days will get longer.

    ReplyDelete
  26. What I hate the most is getting the fur crowd in the house on a new feed schedule. They keep time better than the atomic clock. And DST is not part of their rhythm.

    ReplyDelete
  27. ABFTS, "They" must assume everyone would rather stay up late than get up early or something and that most of those people will be outside. Quite an assumption.

    Robyn, Time is all relative anyway. As long as we have Greenwich Mean Time on to base everything why not just keep it simple?

    Diane, Canada is always a bit "different." Saskatchewan (gesundheit!) doesn't change, some spots in Nunavut don't, and lord knows about the Newfies in Newfoundland.

    Riot Kitty, Creative napping will eventually solve your issues. Sleep well and don't dream of cat fights.

    Gorilla B, I haven't lived with parrots for a few years, but I do remember their joy of pooping. Thank goodness the bigger birds lived outside.

    Friko, I don't imagine milk cows do change, but the others will do it easier if it is gradual. Seems like a lot of inconvenience for few real benefits.

    Chuck, It seems like a reasonable way to be. Why screw around with it? "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

    MRMacrum, It works eventually, but is a nuisance. We have two diabetic cats that get their insulin at 7am and 7pm. I change it over a few days so they don't suffer ill effects.

    ReplyDelete
  28. It always amuses me that people have trouble adjusting to a whole hour time change. Have they never been far enough outside of Podunk County to get jet lag? Try leaving Beijing at 2:30 pm and arriving home at 2:10 pm the same day.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Blog Fodder, It's not so much adjusting, but the reason, or lack thereof, for changing it twice a year.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Totally not related to your post, but I tried to find a way to contact you via email and but couldn't find any way to let you know about this post by Jenny Woolf:

    http://jennywoolftravel.blogspot.com/2016/03/iceland.html

    Just thought you might be slightly interested. :-)

    Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Loved your Idea of March reference with "Back Stabbers" from the OJs. That was excellent... and, very clever!!

    ReplyDelete
  32. PP, Thanks! I dropped you a note. A movie that shows the dark underbelly of Icelandic weather is "No Such Thing", a modern monster movie from about 2002.

    t.b.a, Thanks for stopping by! You are aware that there is already a song for almost every situation you will run across. Mostly they are hilarious coincidences, but they are out there if you look!

    ReplyDelete
  33. I don't know why the time keeps changing...Spring forward, Fall back. Personally, I hate it. Why don't they just keep it at one time and leave it alone? We all lose an hour's sleep in the Spring, and while it doesn't seem like a lot, it affects everyone in some way.

    ReplyDelete
  34. We have ours here in Germany next week...I already want my hour back!!!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Linda, My point exactly is what's the point. The days get longer, then they get shorter. screwing around with clocks just complicates things.

    Optimistic Existentialist, The Indians here say that only the government would take a blanket, cut a foot off of one end and sew it on the other, then tell you it is a longer blanket.

    ReplyDelete
  36. It never really bothers me too much to change the time, since it's only an hour. I'm always happy when the days get longer, and sad when they get shorter, but the time change hasn't got much to do with it. I just hate the long nights in winter.

    ReplyDelete
  37. There are a number of stories about how DST began, but my favorite tells of the wealthy financier who wanted more daylight for his evening golf outings.

    The rich never ask our opinions about anything.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Jennifer, I have Seasonal Affective Disorder and have to be aware of winter depression. As long as I get out on sunny days, or any day for that matter, it gets a little easier.

    Susan, They are the ones making the rules. Convincing the rest of us that it's for our own good is the only real work many of them have to do.

    ReplyDelete
  39. I just feed the animals later.

    I'm a lucky girl, no day job. :)

    ReplyDelete
  40. Shoshanah, You ARE a lucky girl! Unfortunately I still have to adapt to someone else's time.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Mere words cannot express my loathing for DST...

    ReplyDelete