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RSSDST And The Angry Rhino
Maybe you barely even noticed it, but as a tech worker, I can tell you that a lot of effort went into making sure that there was minimal impact from the government’s decision to move up the start of Daylight Savings Time. I can’t even begin to estimate how much time and money were spent to make sure this change happened without a hitch, but in the tech world, moving Daylight Savings Time was a miniature Y2K.
According to the government, the whole reason for spending the effort was that it would result in substantial energy savings. Personally, I just don’t see it.
When I got up this morning, I switched on the light because I found that the fucking moon didn’t provide the same illumination that I normally enjoy from the sun at that time of the morning. Because this is New England in March, I also switched on the heat. Because I was groggy from having to get up an hour earlier, I ended up taking a longer shower. When finally I got out the door, I started the car a little earlier than normal because the sun hadn’t heated up the windows enough to melt off the frost as it normally does.
I then worked all day, where for eight or so hours I used the same amount of electricity that I normally do. After that, I went to the gym and consumed the same amount of electricity while working out. Once I was satisfied that I was jacked up to the size of Hulk Hogan, I gave them the signal to crank up “Eye of the Tiger”, which helped me win several pose downs. This didn’t really consume any extra energy, but I thought I’d mention it because I do it every day. Plus, everyone knows that “Eye of the Tiger” doesn’t consume energy. It produces it.
Afterward, I squeezed all my trophies into my car where I spent the same amount of gas driving home that I normally do. When I got home, I turned on the PC, started dinner, and took a shower. I did all this with the lights on because I’ve found that no matter if it’s 6PM or 7PM, cleaning things without light doesn’t really get things clean, and lighting fires in the dark can get expensive. Plus, if anyone broke in, being able to see the crazy, Hulk Hogan motherfucker charging through a shower curtain wielding a pose down trophy like an angry rhino is known to be more of an effective theft deterrent than not seeing him.
So, let’s see. Despite all the effort we spent to push back DST in the name of saving energy, I used the same amount of energy during my day, with the exception of the morning, when I used more electricity, more water, more heat, and ran my car for longer.
So how is using more considered saving again?
Maybe we could’ve saved a lot of trouble if the government made a simple call to Survivor to ask how they do it.
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March 13th, 2007 at 6:16 am
i just commented on the same issue on another friends blog. not only does this whole thing not make sense to me, but it screws me up for the time difference b/c we HAVEN’T switched forward yet. just another way bush is alienating the us from the rest of the world.
March 13th, 2007 at 7:42 am
I read somewhere that it is estimated that $2 billion has been spent getting ready for the DST change. This is across all industries (including government) – IT, facilities, marketing (all those letters to your clients and vendors), etc.
And the killer is Congress gets to review the “results” of the energy savings in a couple of months to see if this DST change worked. And if not, they reserve the right to put it back to the April timeframe.
There’s a good article on Slashdot about these alleged “savings” as well.
(Editors Note: Here’s a link to the Slashdot DST article.)
March 13th, 2007 at 7:43 am
Addendum: My smiley should be sticking out his tongue, not smiling.
Must be a DST bug.
March 13th, 2007 at 10:43 am
You’re not alone. DST being extended by four weeks has got to be a conspiracy.
The only thing that is accomplished was uniting Illinois in observing DST across the state. Apparently there were some areas that observed, and others that didn’t. Gee, four weeks is a real deal breaker.
I just say we forget DST for the spring and the fall. The adjustment of sleep that everyone has to make just isn’t worth it.
Oh, and anytime you’re ready you can post the pictures of you posing in all your Hulk Hogan glory.
March 13th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
n0ia…isn’t it indiana that has the whole daylight or not daylight debacle? i thought the whole state of IL (having lived on the west coast of IL back in the day and now residing on the east coast of IL) observed it…but, those damn southern IL people are kinda cooky, so maybe it’s them?
The whole thing has fecked me up…and the damn clock on my computer won’t move forward and stay there, no matter what I try to do with it! BASTID!
March 13th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
If you’re using a Microsoft O/S, you should’ve got the update through Windows Update.
If not, You can update your system by following the prompts in the Microsoft DST Update Guide.
If you don’t have any luck drop, me a mail.
March 13th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Michelle, you may be correct. I know it was one of those “I” states, so it may be Indiana.
I know that most of Arizona (or is it Nevada?), one of those southwestern states only observe it in certain parts – but most of the state doesn’t.
My mom called me the other day with the same problem of her clock not staying the same.
I asked if she had applied the patch (XP), and she asked “what’s a patch?” At that point I told her that she’d just have to keep changing it.
She told me she’d call the tech support guy at work.
March 13th, 2007 at 11:11 pm
when has george done anything to save energy?? i never thought about the conspiracy angle…in portland, oregon where it’s gloomy most of the winter, the idea of having more daylight during the “day” is exciting. a $2billion boost to the economy seems like a better reason for georgie boy than saving energy. what “energy saving” trick will he pull next year??? lord knows it won’t be “turn off your tv” because then we won’t be bombarded with advertising and crappy media.
March 14th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
hey; check out my blog…i just posted something about yours.
March 15th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
I’m still wrapping my head around how this is supposed to save energy. I’d just like one person to explain it to me, nice and slow, with single-syllable words.
March 15th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Given that it’s based on half-baked studies from the ’70’s, it doesn’t. It only allows golfers another hour out on the courses.
Sorry. Your wish is my command:
No save. Cost more. Bush play golf.
March 16th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
BWAH!