We have a post like this every year. Last year it was Attention Servile Fools: Reset Your Clocks Tonight!
Most of you undoubtedly know that the annual madness of Daylight saving time begins tonight. As we’ve said many times before, this is an intolerable governmental intrusion into all of our lives which upsets the natural order of things twice a year, and serves no useful purpose. Verily, this clock-changing stuff is an outrage!
Like good, dutiful citizens, we will all obediently comply. In the US, most of you will reset your clocks tonight, so that when you wake up on Sunday they’ll be “correct.” Your Curmudgeon will reset his clocks too, but as we do so we’ll be raising a middle finger to show our discontent.
We’ve been trying to imagine some other legislative intrusion into everyone’s life that would be equally idiotic. How about requiring everyone to wear his belt a notch tighter for half the year? If the government demanded it, would you comply? Can you think of something else that would be just as stupid?
Hey, the Seventh Planet, unfortunately named Uranus, was discovered on 13 March 1781. In two more days we can celebrate Uranus Day. Congress could at least move clock-changing day to 13 March. Then, things might start to make sense.
Anyway, as we always do on these crazy occasions, we’re declaring another Intellectual Free Fire Zone. Please use the comments for the discussion of pretty much anything — science, politics, economics, whatever — as long as it’s tasteful and interesting. Banter, babble, bicker, bluster, blubber, blather, blab, blurt, burble, boast — say what you will. But avoid flame-wars and beware of the profanity filters.
We now throw open the comments to you, dear reader. Have at it!
Copyright © 2023. The Sensuous Curmudgeon. All rights reserved.
The Sensuous Curmudgeon 
There is a serious possibility that the US (mostly) will remain on “daylight saving” time throughout the year. Congress is considering legislation to that effect.
This book is due out in the USA in mid May.
Nicholas Spencer
Magisteria: The entangled histories of science and religion
I have just read a very positive review in the TLS. Has anyone seen a British edition?
SC, I look forward to your biyearly rant about DST. Congress can’t mandate the time change be on March 13, it has to be in the wee hours of Sunday morning. 2033, 2039, 2044, and 2050 will all be Sundays that fall on Uranus day though and 2022 did as well. There is talk every year about staying on DST year round, but that was tried in the 70s and didn’t last because people hated it. Here’s to the status quo! Biyearly SC rants and evening sun!
I live in the future. The only clocks that are not “aware” are the microwave and coffee maker. Not a problem!
The NCSE reported that the WV creationist bill is dead, but it’s disappeared from their website.
A yearly ritual, tied, as all festivals should be tied, to the march of the seasons, the progression of the natural cycle. But why should Florida, of all places, observe DST? Haven’t you got enough of the stuff? Is there some kind of dearth?
Same here in Perth, Western Australia. We live at a latitude of 32 degrees south, on the western margin of a huge desert. Sunlight is a drug on the market, hereabouts. Why hoard it?
I suppose it would be different if this were Melbourne. In Melbourne, children as old as five who accidentally see the sun have to be reassured that this strange ball of fire in the sky is not going to burn up the world. But here, you don’t dare let them go out in it in much less than a hazmat suit.
The last thing we need around here is an increase to the melanoma incidence. So we don’t got DST. In Melbourne they have to save all the daylight they can. In five hundred years, who knows, they might have enough for a weekend at the beach, if they had an actual beach.
But I love Melbourne. It’s such a comfort to know that no matter how bad things get here, there are places where it’s worse. Heavens, is that the time? Where does the hour go?
The NCSE’s article is back up.
https://ncse.ngo/west-virginias-intelligent-design-bill-dies
“West Virginia’s Senate Bill 619…died when the legislature adjourned sine die at midnight, March 10, 2023.”
@Dave Perth is not only subtropical, it is at the eastern extreme of its time zone. It also is fairly isolated (the vast desert you mention). In a lot of ways it is like Arizona, which is also a place that eschews the biannual change.