Early U.S. Daylight Savings a bust in power savings

[Karmashock]

<<I don't know which forum this belongs in, economics seemed as a good a place as any>>

http://today.reuters.com/news/artic...RUKOC_0_US-DAYLIGHT-ENERGY.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

Basically the article says that moving day light savings time forward has had no impact on US energy usage. The change was made apparently precisely to have this effect.


I'm sorry, I don't like to be a stick in the mud but this sort of thing annoys me. In the same way that I don't want to convert to metric I really really don't like people playing around with what time it's supposed to be. LEAVE IT ALONE.


What's more I think this might be an expression of the fact that politicians really don't change the country as much as they think they do. I don't care what president you're talking about they didn't make the economy good or bad. Perhaps the Fed can change that sort of thing or congress if they play with the taxes. But generally speaking they just don't matter. I make the economy go... I have a flipping job that draws it's pay from something other then tax dollars. I hate this self important fiddling legislation that screws up all the simple things we take for granted to no good purpose. I have enough to worry about without having to remember "oh some Washington tool arbitrarily changed day light savings". Did he take an opinion poll? Seriously the only way I can imagine this passing is as a cover for more pork.


I'm sure it was included in some bill that included funding for private planes or something equally ridiculous.


Anyway, it looks like I've accomplished sounding like an angry old man. My primary point I guess is that this shouldn't have happened without more debate (read: an opportunity to kill it) and politicians shouldn't mess with standardization issues unless there is a certain benefit to it. This ultimately probably cost americans more money and energy then it saved. What's more I'm sure some of you will say that we're not seeing a change because this is the first year. Well, perhaps... but so far as I can tell everyone obeyed the new rules so you're unlikely to see a major difference between this year and years to come on this... ultimately you've just forced me to buy new clocks... I have a lot of clocks that are aware of and automatically adjust when day light savings time comes around. All of them are garbage now... thank you congress...


Hmmm... could this be the work of the shadowy clock industry lobby?... just kidding... *shakes fist at sky in old man posture* DAMN YOU!!!

I vote for a mean old woman to be hired that hangs out in congress with a big switch... and when any congressman starts even THINKING about messing with what time it is, the length of a foot, or anything similarly annoying... she telepathically senses it (yes you can find telepathic old ladies... half of my teachers in high school had telepathy) and smacks him/her right on the hand... and says NO!... and then promptly sends him/her to the corner to think about what they did.

Don't laugh... this is seriously what needs to happen.

fyi, I'm not an old man... I just get grumpy when people play with the clock...

 

[WI Crippler]

I think its unecessary, although I do enjoy the extra hour of sleep in the fall....There are some places in the US where they don't do it, and they are still functioning.

 

[Karmashock]

I think its unecessary, although I do enjoy the extra hour of sleep in the fall....There are some places in the US where they don't do it, and they are still functioning.

where in the US do they not do it?

 

[rathi]

Daylight saving times is hardly in the same vein as the metric vs English system. The metric system is superior in almost measurable fashion. The only real choice is whether the effort to convert is worth it or not.

 

[Karmashock]

Daylight saving times is hardly in the same vein as the metric vs English system. The metric system is superior in almost measurable fashion. The only real choice is whether the effort to convert is worth it or not.

that's not true as any engineer will tell you. There are a lot old imperial units that were specifically tailored to WHAT they were measuring. And engineers typically use BOTH types of units together.

The only good thing about the metric system is that it's easier to remember... that's it. The imperial system however was built up almost empirically. For example, my shoes are almost exactly 12 inches long. So I can measure "feet" with my FEET! I also have two knuckles (one on each hand) that are almost exactly 1 inch long. That sort of thing is common throughout the system and it is useful.


What's more, anyone that is familiar with units would be more inconvenienced by switching then they would benefit from the new system. Perhaps later generations would have an easier time... but you could accomplish the same thing by just forcing the little bastards to learn the current units properly.

 

[Chuck]

where in the US do they not do it?

Parts of Indiana, for one

Daylight saving times is hardly in the same vein as the metric vs English system. The metric system is superior in almost measurable fashion. The only real choice is whether the effort to convert is worth it or not.

When I was a young boy, around 1969 or 70, the whole country WAS going metric. They taught it to us kids in school, posted mileage signs in KM, packaging labels used both, with the intent to slide into metric only.

Then it all just petered away. Don't know why, unless someone decided it wasn't worth the effort, like you said.

I use both in my work. Using either one is easy, trying to get industrial contractors to get beyond converting back and forth isn't so easy.

**Funny story**
Down in West Virginia, we were building an auto plant. It was all metric. One of the piping contractors kept trying to use 39 3/8" for pipes that were on one meter centers. Finally we convinced him to just buy metric tapes for his men. So he comes up to us one the next day and says "Let me get this straight. Are we using meters, or millimeters on this job"? My partner says "Well Bob, we're using both". And Bob throws his hands up in the air and says, "Well hell. Now I gotta buy everybody two tape measures!"

 

[Karmashock]

Parts of Indiana, for one

Really, so everyone set their clock ahead and they just didn't bother? How is that possible? How you arrive at an appointment at 3pm if some people think it's 2pm?


What no one minds if people are an hour late or early?


This isn't making any sense.

When I was a young boy, around 1969 or 70, the whole country WAS going metric. They taught it to us kids in school, posted mileage signs in KM, packaging labels used both, with the intent to slide into metric only.

Then it all just petered away. Don't know why, unless someone decided it wasn't worth the effort, like you said.

It pissed off people like me. And thus died a cold and bloody death.


The important this is to remember to twist the blade before taking it out.

I use both in my work. Using either one is easy, trying to get industrial contractors to get beyond converting back and forth isn't so easy.

Anyone in any technical engineering or construction field is going to use both. Even in europe they use both... though it tends to be only on the more technical issues. You'll see it most commonly when calcing stress, force, etc.

**Funny story**
Down in West Virginia, we were building an auto plant. It was all metric. One of the piping contractors kept trying to use 39 3/8" for pipes that were on one meter centers. Finally we convinced him to just buy metric tapes for his men. So he comes up to us one the next day and says "Let me get this straight. Are we using meters, or millimeters on this job"? My partner says "Well Bob, we're using both". And Bob throws his hands up in the air and says, "Well hell. Now I gotta buy everybody two tape measures!"

that does sound kind of goofy.

 

[WI Crippler]

Really, so everyone set their clock ahead and they just didn't bother? How is that possible? How you arrive at an appointment at 3pm if some people think it's 2pm?
What no one minds if people are an hour late or early?
This isn't making any sense.

Well all I know is that my grandparents live in Indiana, and I live in Wisconsin. Right now we are on the same time schedule. When the fall daylights savings time happens, I will be one hour behind them. I don't know if it is statewide, or just that area, but they get along just fine. I imagine they know where they are in the time zones based on what season it is....

 

[ARealConservative]

Really, so everyone set their clock ahead and they just didn't bother? How is that possible? How you arrive at an appointment at 3pm if some people think it's 2pm?

It's no different then the people that live extremely close to a time zone boundary. They just have to be cognizant of time and locale.

 

[ashurbanipal]

1) Extending daylight savings time was an act of desperation that seemed like a good idea on paper. But it didn't have the intended effect, so hopefully they'll change it back.

2) Re: English vs. Metric--There's a really obscure book called 'The Cannon' by William Stirling that has quite a bit to say about what's really behind English units. Quite worth the read.

 

[Karmashock]

1) Extending daylight savings time was an act of desperation that seemed like a good idea on paper. But it didn't have the intended effect, so hopefully they'll change it back.

At this point it's almost too late... they need to change it back before I go out and buy new clocks and reprogram by computer. If they change it AFTER I've gone out and bought new clocks again... I'm probably going to go shopping for ski masks, rain coats, and axes...

2) Re: English vs. Metric--There's a really obscure book called 'The Cannon' by William Stirling that has quite a bit to say about what's really behind English units. Quite worth the read.

[/QUOTE]
do you mean this book?
Amazon.com: Canon: An Exposition of the Pagan Mystery Perpetuated in the Cabala As the Rule of All the Arts: Books: William Stirling

looks like a conspiracy book...