* A morning person (as I am) will continue to wake up at the same time set in our biological clock, we're early risers anyway.
* The changing of clocks, well I must say, who really cares about that? The TV changes itself, as does my laptop, so that leaves the microwave, bedside clock, and what else the stove? OK, that's minor, the toughest part is trying to figure out what the time actually is, no one I know wears a wristwatch any longer. I turn on the television and get the time from it. Good grief what have we been reduced to?
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| OK, whose turn is it to turn the clock back? Climb on up there and get it done! |
* Saving electricity? I don't remember the last time I went to an establishment and the lights were not on, and air conditioning running, no matter the time I entered. Although Labor Day I had an appointment at the Veterans Clinic, no one was there it was a holiday. The security guard let my wife and me in, only 1/2 the lights were on, but the air conditioner was still running. I'm sure the building remained that way until Tuesday morning.
* The embarrassment of arriving late for church, school, or an appointment the next day may be a reason I suppose to oppose it. Slinking in a church for the 7am service to be met with the Pastor exclaiming: "Well here's some more that didn't turn their clocks back." Yes, that's us, walking in late, but that's only one day out of the year, and if that's the worse embarrassment I will endure all year I'm a lucky person.
I enjoyed writing this blog partly because I could blame the Canadians for it, (My granddad was from Ontario). It's actually a concept I never really did understand why it is practiced. However like the Native Americans said: " Only the U.S. Government could believe by cutting the bottom off of a blanket and sewing it to the top, does the blanket get longer." There is an interesting history behind daylight savings time.
If there is blame to be made, I will blame the Canadians, the Canadians of Thunder Bay to be precise. On the other hand, if credit is to be placed, the credit should go to the Canadians of Thunder Bay. (That's how I see Daylight Savings time) In 1908 Thunder Bay, Canada was the first city to initiate Daylight Savings Time. Adopting the time change 8 full years before the first countries, Austria and Germany, the year was 1916, long after the Canadians set their clocks forward on July 1st, 1908, in that year Port Arthur was the name of Thunder Bay. The Germans (and Austrians) reason for choosing that date to begin the time change was to conserve fuel, (by using less electricity), for the war effort.
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| Thunder Bay Canada, home of daylight savings time. July 1, 1908. |
Daylight Savings Time began in those countries 2 years after the commencement of World War 1. Within weeks Great Britain, France, and many other countries joined in changing the time of their respective countries, most reverting back to standard time year around when the war ended. World War 2 saw the return of the now common practice, becoming the norm after the war had ended.
Benjamin Franklin had some friends that had invented a new style of an oil lamp, they thought up a scheme to sell more oil by extending the time people spent in the dark. They tried to involve old Ben and attempted to continue correspondence with him to help make their idea a success. It was not brought to fruition. It took another 125 years (approximately) to be a part of Canadian life in 1908.
Daylight savings was first documented it is today as the idea of a London contractor William Willet (1858-1915). It was documented in a pamphlet he wrote "Waste of Daylight", this idea would be unrecognizable as being the same daylight savings that are employed in current times. His proposal was to advance clocks on four Sundays in April by 20 minutes, then in September retard four Sundays by 20 minutes. He first conceived the idea during a Sunday morning ride through Petts Wood. He remarked that the blinds were shut tight in nearly every home even though the Sun had fully risen in the East. His thinking was the early morning hours of summer and spring were seldom used or seen, people closed their blinds and slept in. Willets idea impressed an MP, Sir Robert Pearce, inspiring him to draft a bill to make it mandatory to advance then retard the time. The bill was introduced in 1909, fiercely debated, met with ridicule and opposition, the bill failed. One segment of society that was strongly opposed to changing the time were the farmers when bills don't have the support of the people, they have an extremely difficult time passing. How many people would have put up with the complicated method that was suggested? I dare to say very few.
Love 'em or Hate 'em, they make the rules, and the politicians really wanted to enact Daylight Savings on us, the needy hordes.
Following Germany's lead, Britain did pass an act May 17, 1916, it employed Willets idea of adding 80 minutes during four consecutive Sundays, it was placed into practice on the first Sunday after the act was adopted. Opposition, confusion, prejudice, and debate followed the passage. In fact, the Royal Meteorological Society demanded the tides remain to be on Greenwich time. Some businesses and Government agencies opted to remain on "Standard Time", it was a confusing mess those first few years. Some people feared the time change would change sometimes of birth, impacting inheritance and other family matters. In 1925, after World War 1, a law was passed proclaiming summer will begin the day following the third Saturday in April, one week earlier if it lands on Easter. During WW2 the clocks in Britain were advanced two hours from April through October, dubbed the end of Summer. The day after the first Saturday in October, was the end of Summer. Whew! It's no wonder I can never figure out when the clocks are supposed to be changed.
(The politicians are at it again this Link will lead you to the San Diego Union-Tribunes story on the reasoning behind it.)
My wife and I woke up on Saturday morning, she asked me about DST and if I had set the clocks before we went to bed. I did not, and by that time we were wide awake and ready for that cup of coffee. We went to the kitchen and looked at the clock, 4:45 am, I turned to my wife and said: "Quarter to five, now what?" We stayed up, dozing off during the day, it was a rainy day so it fits right in with our inadvertent early rising. It's a quarter to five, I made the coffee, I'll set the clocks back tomorrow because today is Saturday we got confused, I can't imagine us with the 20-minute clock change for several Sundays in a row.
Those who support DST claim:
40% of all the country's in the world are on DST, the reasoning is to conserve energy and utilize the daylight longer in the afternoon. Do we save energy after changing the clocks? Some supporters claim that the longer hour of daylight in the evening inspires people to leave their houses, for recreation or other activities. Leaving their homes means they are not using electricity thus saving energy, as well as improving their health due to people being active. The tourism industry claims to profit due to with longer sunlight more shopping is done, restaurants are busier and entertainment venues attract more patrons. Less artificial lighting is needed they claim, however the closer to the equator (light and dark are fairly equal) there is less of a need to "save" daylight. Proponents claim the roads are safer, it does make sense the longer it is light out the fewer hours people will have to drive after dark.
Then there are those in opposition:
DST does not save energy they claim, in 2006 the state of Indiana studied the effects of DST on the subject of energy conservation, the result was consumption was actually increased. The reason is in this modern (?) society with all the TV's, computers, and all of the electrical gear we own is being used whether or not the sun is up. I identify with that, I have a saying I stole from a friend in Oroville, "In my life, there are two times of the day, the time when the sun is out and the time when it's dark."
Studies linked the lack of sleep with workplace, automobile accidents, suicide, and miscarriages increase. It affects depression, and the one hour longer rest results in fewer heart attacks nationwide. There is some cost involved, New York City, for example, spent 1-1/2 million dollars on a dusk and darkness safety campaign.
I remember my first impression of DST, I was about 8 years old, being "grounded", all I wanted to do was go outside. The time was 9:00, I remember because I looked at the clock in misery, everyone was outside playing in the bright sunlight, I felt I was burning the midnight oil. I cannot figure out how it has affected me since then, I don't mind it, but I prefer the winter hours.
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| The more things change the more they stay the same. |
The Native Americans had it right, in my opinion, it can be compared to cutting the top off of a blanket, sewing it to the bottom and claim the blanket is longer. After investigating this just a little bit, the politicians and those with an interest in using DST to increase their income are the main supporters. Why in the world politicians outside of wartime would support it confuses me, I see no advantages or disadvantages, I must ask, "Do You?"
Thanks for reading and sharing, I have the luxury of not having to know what time it is most days, so I'm not too concerned whether we use it or not. I'm not impacted monetarily by it, physically or medically so I can give this a resounding "I don't care if it's Daylight Savings Time or not, I still do what I do."
jacquesandkate emergencykitsplus.com
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