Time Change

Tonight in California we'll be setting our clocks ahead one hour. Some, like the ones on cell phones and computers, will change themselves automatically, but most of us will need to manually change the clocks on stoves, microwaves, alarm clocks, watches, etc.

This whole daylight savings time thing seems strange to me.

It's supposed to save energy by making people go to bed an hour earlier. That might have made a big difference in the 1940s when most people worked from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and stores and businesses weren't open in the evenings. But today so many people are working, shopping, etc. at all hours I wonder if changing the clocks really makes much difference in energy usage at all.

Many countries don't have Daylight Savings Time. In the US different states and, in some cases parts of states,  have different dates for the time changes. That means it can be difficult to know if it's too late to phone a friend or relative who lives far away.

And a few years ago where I live they changed the dates of Daylight Savings Time to start earlier and end later in the year. Maybe if it really does save energy one of these days we'll be required to be on Daylight Savings Time all year long.

If you live where the time change happens tonight, don't forget to change your clocks before you go to bed.