Of course, I get up early enough that I barely ever see the morning light anyway

[listersgirl]

The US is changing daylight savings, extending it a month in either direction in order to keep the light in the evenings longer. So naturally Canada is panicking, and trying to decide whether to do the same. The thing is that it's a provincial decision (currently Saskatchewan doesn't follow daylight savings at all), so we could end up with every province being on a slightly different schedule. Ontario, of course, is looking at changing, because they're all worried about business dealings with the US. Quebec and Manitoba are apparently thinking about it as well.

How weird would that be, if we were an hour off (in some direction - I have a hard enough time working out daylight savings in my head; I can't figure out who would be earlier and who would be later for March and November) from the States? Of course, if we did change, then we'd be another hour ahead or behind the other provinces for that month, unless they all changed as well.

Time is such an artificial construct; I tend to forget that until I'm confronted with things like this. Daylight savings, in particular, is just wonky. At this point I really question why we don't just stay on DST all year round, like Saskatchewan. So few people live in a way that follows the daylight anymore. I think it's interesting, though, that the reason behind this change is supposedly an energy saving one, and that there was even one year when the US didn't follow daylight savings at all (during the 74-75 oil crisis).

Comments

[notmonochrome.livejournal.com]

This is the first time I've heard about that plan. Huh.

[listersgirl]

I had a feeling it hadn't been widely publicized in the States, since no-one I know had mentioned it yet. Weird.

[notmonochrome.livejournal.com]

I just did a quick search on CNN.com, and I got nothing. Bizarre.

[fromaway.livejournal.com]

timeo pointed out that keeping it until November means that the sun won't rise until 8 or 8:30, and since most people who work or go to school have to get up well before that, it'll be depressing...plus there's the issue of kids (more kids, I should say) going to school in the dark.

I don't relish that idea myself.

[listersgirl]

I know, and I think that's why it's a silly idea for Canada. I mean, it's dark enough here in the winter already.

[sh1mm3r.livejournal.com]

In other daylight savings time news, Indiana finally voted to have it. So sometime next year all of the sudden, after hundreds of years not changing the clocks, Hoosiers will have to spring forward.

You would not believe the drama this has been for the state. Not coming from here, I still don't understand why it is such a life/death issue.

What I don't know (and I should find out) is if we'll be on CST or EST.

[listersgirl]

Huh, interesting. Is Indiana the only state that wasn't on DST?

[sh1mm3r.livejournal.com]

Arizona still isn't.

[starfishchick]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! I hate Daylight Savings Time - it's really not that relevant anymore, blah blah it's dark all the time blah blah winter sucks blah blah kissing the ass of the Vast Empire to the South blah blah.

Hi.

[jeejeen.livejournal.com]

Preach it!!!

If we did away with daylight savings time then it would be lighter in the evening LONGER in the winter, right? And who gives a fuck about it being dark when you go to work? YOu have to go anyway.

[listersgirl]

I think I'm confused (as usual) about which is which. Still, just get rid of it entirely, and stop playing with our internal clocks, I say.

[goblinshark.livejournal.com]

Daylight savings can bite me. Hate, burning hateeeeeeee

[tinkerer.livejournal.com]

I wonder whether anyone has stopped to consider an important, inescapable, potentially disasterous ramification of playing with Daylight Savings Time: Microsoft Windows.

Since Windows 95, the operating system has had the ability to change the computer's time automatically. After Windows 98, it started doing it without any fanfare, not even alerting you to this subtle — but important — switch.

I, for one, have grown completely lazy and am perfectly willing to let my computer take care of this. Should we change the switchover dates, I will be faced with two alternatives: disabling this automatic functionality and taking care of the time change myself (quick show of hands: how many people know, off the top of your head, how to disable the automatic time change?), or letting Windows continue its merry way, gently "correcting" it when it changes the time prematurely, and then doing the same myself, several weeks later. From 0 manual time changes, to 4.

It's inhumane, I tell you!

(Okay — I should probably go get some breakfast and hot chocolate right about now...)

[listersgirl]

I was totally wondering about that. Although doesn't it ask you what time zone you're in when you set the time? Or have Saskatchewanites had to change it manually every year?

[tinkerer.livejournal.com]

It does — and, I'll grant, it will probably be easy for Micro$oft to issue a patch to correct the timing... if every time zone stays consistent. (We're currently in "(GMT-5:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)"; if not everyone makes the change, that one zone of eastern U.S., Ontario and most of Quebec won't be consistent...)

[twoweevils.livejournal.com]

I despise Daylight Saving Time. I never seem to make up that hour of sleep until we "fall back" again. Just the thought of extending it for two more months is making me cringe. The thought of being out of synch with Mweevil in Toronto makes me cringe more.

Besides, according to this article (http://www.answers.com/topic/daylight-saving-time), it's debatable whether DST would actually save that much energy, since the decreased use of electric lights are more than offset by an increased use of air conditioning.

I originally went to the site above to check my memory--I had a very vivid picture of myself trudging off to school in the dark in late 1974, and wondering how this was daylight saving time. Sure enough, that's what happened. The US stayed on DST for most of the year in 1974 and eight months in 1975, and it was dark and miserable every morning.

*sigh* I hope this doesn't go through, but I guess it's going to.

K.

[listersgirl]

since the decreased use of electric lights are more than offset by an increased use of air conditioning.

Someone brought that up in the letters to the article I was reading, and I thought it was a really good point. Air conditioners are such huge energy suckers!

And that would be sad for you and M. to be out of synch. It's just such a weird idea.

[twoweevils.livejournal.com]

since the decreased use of electric lights are more than offset

Is more than offset, I mean. Gah.

Anyway, I really don't think most people in government here have thought this through. And when I'm feeling especially paranoid, I think there are quite a few Bush cronies who would actually like to increase our energy consumption so as to justify more invasions of oil-rich countries. Look out, Canada.

*stepping off the soapbox*

K.

[listersgirl]

The sad thing is that stupid Ralph Klein of Alberta, where all the oil is, would probably welcome Bush with open arms. I'm sure he's just waiting to be invaded.

[twoweevils.livejournal.com]

It is indeed very sad. Klein and Bush and all these other neo- (and not-so-neo) cons live in a world that I just don't seem able to comprehend. Which I guess is fitting, since they seem to have no idea whatsoever of mine.

K.

[yagowe.livejournal.com]

That'll mess people right up. Time zones confuse them already- I get regular calls at work from people in BC wanting to know what time it is in California.

[zoje-george.livejournal.com]

I say that Canadia should only switch over if the US FINALLY fulfills its promise to switch over to the metric system.