Daylight Saving Time Ends

Note: it’s Daylight Saving Time, not Daylight Savings Time. You can impress your friends with that bit of trivia.

Although Ben Franklin gets credit for inventing DST, we give a shout-out to G. V. Hudson (left) who proposed modern DST in 1895.

I have six clocks to change. Haven’t figured out how to change my body clock.

-David Drumm (Nal)

14 thoughts on “Daylight Saving Time Ends”

  1. I guess it’s up to the rest of us to enter a few teams into the “World Series” Patrick. Sometimes we only have ourselves to blame 🙂

  2. Maaaark –

    Oh, I quite understand the practical aspects of it. But what I always found interesting while living overseas was the view that Americans were constantly fidgeting with the fabric of life. Of course we aren’t the only nation that “tampers with Time,” but, like many other things, we are usually the most vocal.

    I suspect ours would be a more peaceful planet if the U.S. would put on a far more humble face. It doesn’t help our cause for example, in the eyes of the world, to call our baseball playoff games “The World Series.” Nobody likes being around a braggart very long.

  3. Patrick.

    Its all very well for folks from the parts of the world you mention having those views. One must remember that they live much closer to the equator, where time differences are not so pronounced between the solstices.

    I was in the Southern Philippines last Christmas/New Year (Yes, it’s alright for me!) and on the winter solstice the sun rose at 6am and set just before 6pm. So no need for daylight saving time over there.

  4. Former Federal LEO

    🙂

    I can remember the mnemonic, I just can’t remember when it’s supposed to happen. Thanks to all for reminding me today is the day.

  5. I never can keep that Spring Forward/Fall Back mnemonic remembering thing straight because as a clumsy feller I frequently *fall forward* and must *spring back* to my feet. That is the principal reason I moved to Arizona where time never changes…you might say we are really behind the times here.

  6. I once worked for the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. Many of our staff members were Chinese, Thai & Filipino. I distinctly recall how arrogant they thought the Americans were, “tampering with time.”

    I’m pretty sure they fully expect the U.S. would someday get clobbered by a highly irritated Cosmos.

    Wouldn’t surprise me. either way.

  7. anon nurse,

    “I’m loving the extra hour this morning.”

    ================================================

    Given the hour I went to bed … and the fact that I forgot to set the clocks back … the extra hour was pure serendipity!

  8. We did it in the UK last week. Never had a problem with it.

    But every year we get the same boring burks coming out of the woodwork trying to avoid putting the clocks back. Usually these buffoons have the type of employment that allows them to start work whenever they like. If only the rest of us were so lucky.

    Ten years back they were saying that it would avoid road accidents. HOW? By everyone venturing out before the ice on the roads has had time to melt whilst still half asleep beause it’s still the middle of the night? GENIUS!

    This time they are trying the “it’s for the children” approach.

    Well when I was a kid around 1970, we actually tried it for 2 years to see if there really would be any advantage. And guess what?

    IT DIDN’T WORK!

    End of righteous rant.

  9. The change back from Daylight Saving Time is the easy bit, you get an extra hour of sleep, it is the switch in of Daylight Saving time that is a horror for those that have to work and commute.

    Down here in New South Wales, we switched to our Daylight Saving almost a month ago.

  10. Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time by David S. Prerau

    Spring Forward: The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time by Michael Downing

    Who would have thought. I saw an interview with Michael Downing a couple of years ago now, I think. Though I didn’t rush out and buy his book, I remember thinking that it might be fun to skim.

    Both books get surprisingly good reviews. I say, surprisingly, because it’s hard to imagine an entire book on the subject.

    I’m loving the extra hour this morning.

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