Time, what’s become of you?

October 30 is ending soon. The dial-up time signal from the Denver Naval Observatory, official NIST U.S. time standard, says it is almost 22:30 right now in the Pacific time zone. This is in accordance with
http://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/b.html
which says new legislation made the Daylight Saving Time change occur on October 28 rather than a week later as it has done for years.

However, this site
http://www.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Pacific/d/-8
says the time is an hour later, which is in accordance with the DST change not yet having occurred. Other web sites give the same time.

Since I have time critical appointments on the 31th (tomorrow), and have to get up early to meet them, I would like to know what the blankty blank is going on. Of course, other people involved may be as confused as me, so there is no telling who will expect what when, but I would like to now what is “officially” correct so I have half a chance. Has anyone heard anything reasonable?

Looks like I read that backwards. The new legislation says the time change now comes on the first Sunday in November. Still, there is an obvious disagreement between what the dial-up service provides, which I’ve used for years with no funny business, and what is posted various places on the internet. Also, turning on the TV to see what is running vs what is listed on the published schedule does not get a match, but I can’t tell why. I’m no less confused now.

Those who are quicker on the uptake, if anyone cared to think about this at all, will realize it is a software problem. The atomic clock signal from the Naval Observatory is what ever it is and it surely doesn’t play around with this stupid Daylight Saving Time nonsense.

The program I use to dial-up knows what the time zone correction is because I told it in the set-up. It knows when Daylight Saving Time changes occurs just like the OS does, it was programed into its code. I haven’t gotten a program update to be in accord with this new stupid legislation.

The program therefore gets the time signal and makes the necessary calculations to tell the system clock on my computer the current local time -- based on that out-of-date programming. Sort of like the millennium change problem in miniature. The internet posted time, unlike the atomic clock signal, does get compensated before display, so it is in accord with the new legislation.

The time change does not occur until next Sunday. Whatever may be the problem with the TV program scheduling is anyone’s guess. Maybe it was just the one channel I looked at.

The time change does not occur until next Sunday. Whatever may be the problem with the TV program scheduling is anyone’s guess. Maybe it was just the one channel I looked at.

That's a part of the problem, which can simply be stated as being that there is no internationally agreed date for daylight-saving to kick in. For instance, it occured last sunday here... as it has always done. And I think that most places use the last sunday in October, but certainly not all.

... it occured last sunday here...

Same here, opposite direction of course...

Same here, opposite direction of course...

That's why I tend to refer to it as daylight saving, rather than saying that the clocks have gone in any particular direction. In the northern hemisphere it's easy to remember which way they go if you don't mind using an Americanism - Spring Forward, Fall Back.

Some jurisdictions , the province of Saskatchewan, Canada as an example, do not change the time. Being an agricultural driven market area it's dusk to dawn for those folks.

The province of Newfoundland, Canada did a double time change (2 hours) in the fall of 1988(?). I believe the US has proposed this scenario for next year.

Some jurisdictions , the province of Saskatchewan, Canada as an example, do not change the time. Being an agricultural driven market area it's dusk to dawn for those folks.

The province of Newfoundland, Canada did a double time change (2 hours) in the fall of 1988(?). I believe the US has proposed this scenario for next year.

I think that Saskatechewan has it right, myself - I can't see the point of altering a number just for the sake of it. You just move what you are doing forward a bit, or just get on with it anyway. As for shifting 2 hours - well, that's just going to cause even more trouble, isn't it?

For heavens' sake, it is just a number. Why do people have to make such a fuss about it?

Agreed.  Same amount of daylight vs. night in a 24 hour period...

I have a good practical reason for not wanting to change the clocks twice a year. Despite my best efforts, I have not persuaded the cat to learn to tell the time, and that means that until he gets used to it, he demands food at times to suit his stomach - which doesn't suit anybody else, especially at present. You might think that this is trivial, but you haven't met Izzy - who is large and powerful enough to make the point quite forcibly. Think of a small Lynx... (and yes, he has the ear-tufts - I think he's either a throwback, or he is a Lynx in a slight disguise!)

The clock in the Landrover stays permanently on GMT. That confuses everybody except me - I don't have any particular problem with using real-time transposition for half of the year.

Last Sunday, the 28th, would have been the changover date here, based on the practice of many years, were it not for the new Federal legislation.

Whatever the abstract arguments, body chemistry is not so easily reset as a mechanical or electric clock. Since most of the business world expects people to conform, an actual change of activity to meet the clock is often a necessity. I would not be surprised if a proper study revealed a corresponding significant increase in accidents and health problems, especially when the shift requires an (actual) earlier waking up time.

There are entire states where the legislature has taken the sensible view of ignoring this Federal nonsense but the people therein have to take the difference into account when dealing with other states. This has to be slightly more confusing than the simple differences of time zones.

Some jurisdictions , the province of Saskatchewan, Canada as an example, do not change the time. Being an agricultural driven market area it's dusk to dawn for those folks.

The province of Newfoundland, Canada did a double time change (2 hours) in the fall of 1988(?). I believe the US has proposed this scenario for next year.

I think that Saskatechewan has it right, myself - I can't see the point of altering a number just for the sake of it. You just move what you are doing forward a bit, or just get on with it anyway. As for shifting 2 hours - well, that's just going to cause even more trouble, isn't it?

For heavens' sake, it is just a number. Why do people have to make such a fuss about it?

I agree in principle, and I see no point in this change in many parts of the world, but I must say I feel the effects of the change here in Norway.  In the run-up to the clocks going back in the Autumn, it is very dark and gloomy in the mornings (I get up at 05.30 to walk my dogs before leaving for work at 06.30   - we work 08.00 - 16.00) and it is pretty much dark when I get home in the evening. Then the clocks go back and we get a few weeks of partial daylight in the morning, which makes everything a lot more pleasant. After that, hopefully the snow has arrived, and you would not believe how much brighter everything is - specially when the moon is out. Of course the other alternative (if you ave the right kind of job) is to start an hour later in the winter .