# Time for my semi-annual clock-changing rant **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 6, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926 "2003-04-06T21:53:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926/21 "2003-04-07T04:40:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lorinada \* > \*\*And has nothing to do with farmers, in fact most of them would like to do away with it, also. > > It’s all about commerce - the more daylight, the more barbecues, the more beer sold, the more steaks sold. The more daylight, the longer visits to amusement parks. You get the picture. That’s why it will NEVER go away. \*\* I agree, **lorinada**. I keep hearing that it’s for the farmers, too, but my home province, Saskatchewan (the world’s bread basket, where every other person is a farmer) doesn’t use DST, so let’s just put that argument to rest right here and now. I have an internal clock, too (I don’t need to use an alarm clock - I wake up whatever time I need to), which takes a good long time to reset twice a year, and it messes up my biorhythms something fierce for my body to know what time it is and have the clocks saying something different. Bleagh. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926/22 "2003-04-07T04:43:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gorsnak \* > \*\*Now **lou** , you know there’s a very simple solution to your problem. Just move one province east, and there’ll be no more clock-changing for you. 🙂 \*\* Sorry, **Gorsnak** , I didn’t see your post. Yeah, when I left Saskatoon, I didn’t even know how to do this whole time-changing thing. If they put it to a vote in Alberta, we could probably get rid of it here, since most of Alberta is us transplanted Saskatchewanians anyway. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926/23 "2003-04-07T04:52:12Z")
I’ve been switching clocks back and forth for so damn long that I don’t know if I’m on Mother Nature’s time or goddamned government time. I think I’m gonna buy a sundial and just go by that. I’m retired, I don’t give a damn what time it is. ---
**Author:** ![Essured](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Essured](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Essured)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926/24 "2003-04-07T05:28:27Z")
I love daylight savings time 😃 Please don’t throw things at me. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926/25 "2003-04-07T05:43:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lorinada \* > \*\*It’s all about commerce - the more daylight, the more barbecues, the more beer sold, the more steaks sold. The more daylight, the longer visits to amusement parks. You get the picture. That’s why it will NEVER go away. \*\* I find this sort of reasoning weird. Yes, it’s all cos those big bad commerce bogeymen are forcing beer, barbecues, steaks and amusement park visits upon us, the fiends! Has it occurred to you that the real message in your post is that changing the clocks results in more people being able to enjoy themselves drinking beer, eating steak, having BBQs and going to amusement parks, and that those people like doing that, and that changing the clocks is therefore a Good Thing? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926/26 "2003-04-07T06:07:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Princhester \* > \*\*\ changing the clocks is therefore a Good Thing? \*\* AAAAGGGHHHHH!!! Bite your tongue! Changing the clocks is a Bad Thing! Bad! Bad, I tell you! ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926/27 "2003-04-07T06:16:03Z")
No. Good. Good Thing. Tell me why it’s Bad. And if you say “because I can’t be arsed to change my clocks, and my wishes in that respect count for more than the wishes of people who want BBQ’s” I will personally come to your place and slap you in the face with a juicy steak while pouring beer over your head. So there. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926/28 "2003-04-07T07:36:04Z")
Because when you deal with large computer systems, like mainframes, DST is a fucking ordeal. Special jobs have to be run to sync up the systems with the new times (especially difficult with sysplex, an IBM system that links mainfram LPARS). Weeken production batches have to be held, and restarted in a complicated fashion, because it’s the internal clock that triggers them off. Then all CPU’s must be powered off, then powered back and brought up cold. Something ALWAYS goes wrong. _ALWAYS!_ ---
**Author:** ![ryoushi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@ryoushi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryoushi)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926/29 "2003-04-07T07:37:39Z")
Here, it’s a Bad Thing only because it’s not consistent. Doesn’t work nearly as well when only four states have it. 🙂 But you live here too, so I guess you’ve already worked that out. ---
**Author:** ![ryoushi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@ryoushi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryoushi)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926/30 "2003-04-07T07:38:57Z")
[spooje got a post in there before me. I was talking to Princhester about the lack of DST in Queensland.] ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926/31 "2003-04-07T07:59:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ryoushi \* > \*\*Here, it’s a Bad Thing only because it’s not consistent. Doesn’t work nearly as well when only four states have it. 🙂 But you live here too, so I guess you’ve already worked that out. \*\* Not much point having it in the north of Australia as there is no great variation in daylight from winter to summer. Really, daylight savings is just the easiest way to get everyone to go to work an hour earlier and finish an hour earlier so that we can have longer afternoons. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it fades the curtains. Oh well… a small price to pay. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926/32 "2003-04-07T08:18:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skogcat \* > \*\*Not much point having it in the north of Australia as there is no great variation in daylight from winter to summer. > > Really, daylight savings is just the easiest way to get everyone to go to work an hour earlier and finish an hour earlier so that we can have longer afternoons. > > The only thing I don’t like about it is that it fades the curtains. Oh well… a small price to pay. \*\* Well, depends what you mean by “north”. There’s enough variation in Brissie that DS would make a real difference (for the good in my opinion obviously). Fades the curtains? Never mind 'bout that. What about the fact it puts the sheep off their feed, causes one’s pumpkin scones not to rise, and makes the cow’s milk taste funny? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926/33 "2003-04-07T09:22:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Princhester \* > \*\*Well, depends what you mean by “north”. There’s enough variation in Brissie that DS would make a real difference (for the good in my opinion obviously). > > Fades the curtains? Never mind 'bout that. What about the fact it puts the sheep off their feed, causes one’s pumpkin scones not to rise, and makes the cow’s milk taste funny? \*\* Yeah, Brisbane would make sense. Darwin there’s no point and I would think that Cairns wouldn’t benefit much either. It was quite bizarre when I was living in the South Island of New Zealand. In the height of summer with daylight savings, the sun would be going down between 10:30 and 11:00pm then back up early early morning (always before me). We used to take the curtains down during DST and you’d never drink the milk either. Though there were some farms that didn’t observe DST so their milk was ok. ---
**Author:** ![Feynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@Feynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feynn)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926/34 "2003-04-07T12:35:58Z")
Here’s an interesting bit of info: If you think that Mondays were already bad enough, the Monday after the time change also has a higher number of vehicular accidents due to people not being awake as they should as they make their morning commute. Big fucking yay. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926/35 "2003-04-07T12:50:05Z")
Can we somehow combine my two pet hates (Daylight Savings Time and the designated hitter rule) into a single grand conspiracy? ---
**Author:** ![Black\_Train\_Song](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Black\_Train\_Song](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Black_Train_Song)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926/36 "2003-04-07T12:53:04Z")
I thought I read somewhere that the reason DLS was for energy conservation back around the depression and they just kept it that way since. Anyway, they have clocks and watches now that change by themselves. I bought one ($20.00). Theres an atomic clock in Colorado that sends radio signals several times of day all over the US and the clock has a reciever in it and keeps in time with that. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926/37 "2003-04-07T12:56:05Z")
I’m with you featherlou. I say, pick a time - either one - and keep it all year. I don’t mind chaning the clocks - I just hate trying to adjust my schedule. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926/38 "2003-04-07T13:10:43Z")
Changing the clocks is Good. [Cecil said so](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a910906.html). So there. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926/39 "2003-04-07T13:27:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RexDart \* > The clock on my computer somehow manages to change automatically, though how it knows which day to do it on is a mystery to me. It knows how to do this for exactly the same reason you do. As long as the date (month, day & year) is known, the First Sunday in April becomes the day to move the clocks forward one hour, and the Last Sunday in October, the day to move them back. See, now wasn’t that easy? Takes only a microwhatever for a mere computer. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926/40 "2003-04-07T13:36:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RexDart \* > \*\*The clock on my computer somehow manages to change automatically, though how it knows which day to do it on is a mystery to me. I never know it’s time to change the clocks until usually sometime late Saturday night when I end up hearing somebody mention it by accident. How _they_ find out, I have no idea. It can’t be on the same day every year because it’s always on Sunday morning. Since I don’t actually care to find out how this is determined, I will allow it to remain a mystery. \*\* If that’s the way you feel, then don’t read the following: It ain’t rocket surgery. First Sunday in April, last Sunday in October. Except in AZ, HI, and parts if IN. Really quite simple. As for messing up my schedule, I figure its a small price to pay for increased daylight (and the promise of Summer) in Spring, or an extra hour of sleep in Autumn. I love it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-my-semi-annual-clock-changing-rant/166926.md?page=3)