Quick Q: Spring Ahead This Weekend?

[DavidEB310]

Do Clocks go ahead this Saturday night, April 2, 2005?

[ericg]

Yes !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Spring ahead!

[mmichaelson]

David, yes, they do. . .

[DavidEB310]

Thank you.

well...another hour of sleep lost -- I think I'm 1 of those 4 adults not getting enough sleep.

[OperaTenor]

It goes like this:

Fall back, Spring forward.

I vote for staying on the "Spring forward" bit in perpetuity.

[DavidEB310]

I vote for Summer Lovin' all year long.

Time to watch my GREASE DVD again; it's been awhile.

[FlyingSorcery]

OT -- wait till lttle Altoid is in school.

I remember the country tried staying on DST one year and it was a disaster. Kids going to school in the pre-dawn darkness was NOT safe.

Me -- I'm a morning person and would like to give up DST all together.

[OperaTenor]

Nah, I'd rather put a little coal miner's helmet and reflective vest on her when she heads off for school. (j/k)

[cheetah]

Excuse me, but I did go to school in the pre-dawn hours. Bus came at 6:30am and didn't see the sun until 2 when school let out during the winter when the sun didn't rise until 7 or later. My school system rearranged the schedule because it went high, middle, elementary and they found a study that said it should start with elem at the earliest then middle and high. They switched middle and elem, but left high school the earliest because "teens have to work," I'm sorry but I thought the school board's responsibility was to give us the best education, not to see that the 5 kids in my entire school that worked to have a BMW got to work on time. Sorry to rant, but I'm a night owl and proud of it, anything that requires me to get up before 8am better be a flight to Maui or I'm not getting up.

Cheetah

And seriously, I reamember moon and stars without even a hint of sunrise at the bus stop in winter.

[DavidEB310]

Originally posted by cheetah:
Sorry to rant, but I'm a night owl and proud of it, anything that requires me to get up before 8am better be a flight to Maui or I'm not getting up.

Up to and into my twenties, I could easily stay up into the wee morning hours and then sleep to 11 AM; fortunately, I don't do that anymore.

Even back then, I remember the pleasure of the morning, taking a crisp cool breath and taking in the new day instead of sleeping the best hours of the day away.

In my mid-30's I began rising early, even on the weekends so not to miss the day ahead.

Now in my early 40's, there's nothing better than an early and new summer day. Catching the early summer sun on my face and breathing in the dew, listening to the birds, and taking a hot sip of fresh coffee on my back deck is the most relaxing moment of the day and makes one glad to be able to experience it.

I'm glad I realized early in life, instead of later, how to enjoy the daylight hours of my life. Sure nighttime is fun and all, but the dawn of any day is truly rewarding.

[sadie]

David,
I am definitely an early bird myself. My husband however, is quite the night owl- so I get by with very little sleep, as I am a light sleeper and the slightest chirp wakes me up! Once I'm even a little awake I start to plan the day ahead, think of upcoming projects for the house, wonder about the stock market and so forth. I think I need to adapt the back deck cup of coffee routine.....

[barfle]

Originally posted by FlyingSorcery:
Me -- I'm a morning person and would like to give up DST all together.

I'm not much of a morning person until I've had my lunch.

[DavidEB310]

Best new dawn song:

Morning Has Broken -- Cat Stevens (when he WAS Cat Stevens).

"Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the world

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day"

<small>[ 03-30-2005, 11:55 AM: Message edited by: DavidEB310 ]</small>

[DavidEB310]

This ARTICLE PUBLISHED TODAY by AP -- 07APR05 at cnn.com:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- If Congress passes an energy bill, Americans may see more daylight-saving time.

Lawmakers crafting energy legislation approved an amendment Wednesday to extend daylight-saving time by two months, having it start on the first Sunday in March and end on the last Sunday in November.

"Extending daylight-saving time makes sense, especially with skyrocketing energy costs," said Rep. Fred Upton, R-Michigan, who along with Rep. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, co-sponsored the measure.

The amendment was approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee that is putting together major parts of energy legislation likely to come up for a vote in the full House in the coming weeks.

"The more daylight we have, the less electricity we use," said Markey, who cited Transportation Department estimates that showed the two-month extension would save the equivalent of 10,000 barrels of oil a day.

The country uses about 20 million barrels of oil a day.

[piqaboo]

"The more daylight we have, the less electricity we use," said Markey, ..."

I'm sure he meant "during business hours" or "between the hours of x & y". Or does he (perish the thought) really believe that changing the clocks extends the period of daylight?

The proposed change will make Halloween night interesting. Kids will be "able" to trickortreat in daylight - delighting their parents and annoying the kids!

[DavidEB310]

Originally posted by piqaboo:

[qb]"Or does he (perish the thought) really believe that changing the clocks extends the period of daylight?

You mean that's not the case? I know some Vampires who are going to be happy to learn that they now have an opportunity to do Breakfast!

[FlyingSorcery]

I heard that report on NPR this morning and it's ridiculous. Ask farmers and they will tell you that DST is the worst thing ever invented. They need to have their product "to market" at the same time, regardless of how much light the time on the clock gives them. And whatever light businesses save by the sun being out later in the evening will be offset by the sun NOT being out in the morning.

[piqaboo]

The biggest savings are at home. People tend to burn more lights etc during evening activities than during the am. Personally, I've been late to work ever since the clocks moved. I wake up with the sunrise.

Can you give me a concrete example of how the farmers are hurt by DST? My mind works better with lots of specific examples and I'd like to understand it. Thanks much, FS!

[Angie Parkes]

Here's a link to a Wikipedia article about DST, including its economic justification, and which also includes the statement that agricultural communities do not like DST because the animals don't know that the clocks have changed. However, the Canadian province where DST is never observed, Saskatchewan, is indeed an agricultural province but is largely a grain producer -- American readers should think of Kansas, but replace the corn with wheat -- and I would have thought the wheat, canola, and barley wouldn't be much affected by human clocks.

[piqaboo]

Mebbe Im just ignrnt, but I think the animals could be "reset" in 2 weeks or less, by adjusting their schedule 10 or 15 min every few days.

Chickens lay based on the light rather than by the time. Cows are gonna have a few uncomfy minutes, but not actively painful, just kinda itchy stretchy feeling (if the sensation is similar to that for humans).

All those pet dogs in the city get it figured out.

Great link Angie, thanks. Imagine the difference between 6 am in teh two ends of China!