Sunday, October 2, 2022
FROM THE VAULT: DAYLIGHT SAVINGS
* * * * * * * *
Because Daylight Savings started in New South Wales this morning, it is timely (ha ha) to re-post an article about it from Bytes from 5 October 2014.
* * * * * * * *
The previous post . . .
Today marks the beginning of the annual daylight savings period, the day when we move our clocks forward one hour, from 2.00am to 3.00am. As a result, where it used to get dark at 5.15pm, that will now be 6.15pm. As the days lengthen, the period of daylight will be further increased. Correspondingly, it will become light later in the morning.
Here are some facts and trivia about daylight saving . . .
* * * * * * * *
Although seasons are reversed in the northern hemisphere and we here in Oz don’t refer to autumn as “fall”, the following is a convenient way to remember how to adjust the clocks:
* * * * * * * *
(I have not checked an update on the following facts).
From 2am on Sunday, Australia will officially have five different time zones. Residents from New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory will turn their clock forward one hour. However Qld, the Northern Territory and Western Australia are not followers of daylight saving. Residents of Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart and Canberra will now be half an hour ahead of Adelaide, one hour ahead of Brisbane, one and a half hours ahead of Darwin and three hours ahead of Perth.
The differing time zones are due to the size of our land mass. Australia is usually divided up into three separate time zones, however with daylight saving this becomes five.
* * * * * * * *
Ancient civilizations are known to have engaged in a practice similar to modern DST where they would adjust their daily schedules in accordance to the Sun. For example, the Roman water clocks used different scales for different months of the year.
* * * * * * * *
Benjamin Franklin is often credited with being the inventor of DST. In his 1784 essay “An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light” he proposed to economise the use of candles by rising earlier in the morning to make use of the morning sunlight. His was, however, light hearted comic suggestion.
* * * * * * * *
New Zealand entomologist George Vernon Hudson was the person who actually suggested changing the clocks for daylight saving. In 1895, Hudson presented a paper to the Wellington Philosophical Society that proposed a two-hour shift forward in October and a two-hour shift back in March. He followed up his proposal with an article in 1898, and although there was interest in the idea, it was never followed through.
By the way, does anyone else see a resemblance between George Vernon Hudson and Uncle Vernon from Harry Potter? . . .
* * * * * * * *
Germany was the first country to implement DST. Clocks there were first turned forward at 11:00 p.m. (23:00) on April 30, 1916. The rationale was to minimize the use of artificial lighting in order to save fuel for the war effort during World War I. The idea was quickly followed by Britain and many other countries, including the United States. Many countries reverted back to standard time post-World War I. It wasn’t until the next World War that DST made its return in many countries in order to save vital energy resources for the war.
Cartoon from Punch magazine during WW 1. It is entitled Wake up, England! and shows the sun bursting through a man's bedroom window during WW1. The sun says to householder "Now, why waste your daylight? Save it and give it to the country." Further comment reads: [If only for the sake of economy in artificial light during war-time, the daylight-saving scheme should have the support of all patriots.]
* * * * * * * *
President Franklin D. Roosevelt instituted year-round DST in the United States, called “War Time” during World War II from February 9, 1942 to September 30, 1945. The law was enforced 40 days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and during this time, the U.S. time zones were called “Eastern War Time”, “Central War Time”, and “Pacific War Time”. After the surrender of Japan in mid-August 1945, the time zones were relabelled “Peace Time”.
Britain applied “Double Summer Time” during World War II by moving the clocks two hours ahead of GMT during the summer and one hour ahead of GMT during the winter.
* * * * * * * *
All Australian States and Territories used daylight saving Time during World Wars 1 and 2.
Daylight saving was first introduced thereafter to Tasmania in 1968 and to the Australian mainland in 1971. After a short trial period, the more temperate southern states of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia continued to change their clocks each October and March; however, tropical Queensland and the hot desert states of Western Australia and the Northern Territory chose to keep standard time all year round.
Since that time, Queensland has come under continued pressure to 'join' daylight saving in order to be in sync with the rest of the eastern seaboard. This pressure, which is overwhelmingly driven by the south-east business sector and metropolitan media, still divides and disrupts the state.
* * * * * * * *
The following daylight saving mistake earned the 1999 Darwin Award:
This is the Darwin Award citation:
In most parts of the world, the switch away from Daylight Saving Time proceeds smoothly. But the time change raised havoc with Palestinian terrorists this year.
Israel insisted on a premature switch from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time to accommodate a week of pre-sunrise prayers. Palestinians refused to live on "Zionist Time." Two weeks of scheduling havoc ensued. Nobody knew the "correct" time.
At precisely 5:30pm on Sunday, two coordinated car bombs exploded in different cities, killing three terrorists who were transporting the bombs. It was initially believed that the devices had been detonated prematurely by klutzy amateurs. A closer look revealed the truth behind the explosions.
The bombs had been prepared in a Palestine-controlled area, and set to detonate on Daylight Saving Time. But the confused drivers had already switched to Standard Time. When they picked up the bombs, they neglected to ask whose watch was used to set the timing mechanism. As a result, the cars were still en-route when the explosives detonated, delivering the terrorists to their untimely demises.
* * * * * * * *
Through 2006, Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. ended a few days before Halloween (October 31). Children’s pedestrian deaths are four times higher on Halloween than on any other night of the year. A new law to extend DST to the first Sunday in November took effect in 2007, with the purpose of providing trick-or-treaters more light and therefore more safety from traffic accidents. For decades, candy manufacturers lobbied for a Daylight Saving Time extension to Halloween, as many of the young trick-or-treaters gathering candy are not allowed out after dark, and thus an added hour of light means a big holiday treat for the candy industry. Anecdotally, the 2007 switch may not have had much effect, as it appeared that children simply waited until dark to go trick-or-treating.
* * * * * * * *
Widespread confusion was created during the 1950s and 1960s when each U.S. locality could start and end Daylight Saving Time as it desired. One year, 23 different pairs of DST start and end dates were used in Iowa alone. For exactly five weeks each year, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia were not on the same time as Washington D.C., Cleveland, or Baltimore--but Chicago was. And, on one Ohio to West Virginia bus route, passengers had to change their watches seven times in 35 miles! The situation led to millions of dollars in costs to several industries, especially those involving transportation and communications. Extra railroad timetables alone cost the today's equivalent of over $12 million per year.
* * * * * * * *
Amish communities in the United States and Canada are divided about whether or not to observe Daylight Saving Time. Although the Amish are generally known for leading simple lives without modern conveniences, practices vary from community to community. Likewise, some Amish communities observe DST, while others do not. In one county in Ohio, approximately 10 of the 90 Amish church districts opt out of DST (known as “fast time” or “English time,” preferring to observe what they term “slow time.”
* * * * * * * *
Saturday, October 1, 2022
OCTOBER
Some October facts, trivia and information . . .
--------oOo--------
The ancient Roman calendar was based on the lunar cycles, whereas our current calendar is based on the solar cycles. This meant that there were originally 10 months in the Roman calendar, October being the eighth month and the name “Octo” meaning “eight” in both Latin and Greek. In 451 BC the two months of Ianurarius and Februarius were added to the beginning of the calendar, making October the 10th month. The name, however, stayed.
--------oOo--------
The Anglo-Saxons’ name for October was Winterfylleth, the name containing the words for winter and full moon respectively. It was named this because winter was said to begin from the first full moon of the month.
--------oOo--------
The Saxons called October Wyn Monath, which translated into “wine month” because it was the time of the year for making wine.
By the way, the word “month” comes from “monath”, which in turn comes from “mona”, meaning moon.
--------oOo--------
Spring began on 1 September in the Southern Hemisphere, autumn on that date in the Northern Hemisphere, so days are getting warmer or colder in October depending on where you are.
--------oOo--------
October’s birthstone is the opal, which was valued by the Ancient Romans as the most priceless of all. It is said to be a symbol of faithfulness, purity, and hope.
--------oOo--------
Those born in October can be born under one of two different star signs. Persons born before October 23 have the sign of Libra. Those born on October 23rd or later have the sign of Scorpio. Libras are said to value harmony and diplomacy and are said to be both intelligent and kind. Scorpios are quite different, valuing trust and honesty above other things, as well as being quite intense yet imaginative people.
--------oOo--------
In 1975, a Soviet naval officer led a mutiny onboard a frigate with the aim of toppling the government of Brezhnev. It failed after a standoff with half of the Soviet Baltic fleet, but an article about it inspired an insurance salesman named Tom Clancy to write his book, The Hunt for Red October.
--------oOo--------
On 24th October 1975, 90% of women in Iceland went on strike and took to the streets, refusing to work, cook, and look after children. The strike was called "Women's Day Off", and helped put Iceland at the forefront of the fight for gender equality. Men came to know it as "The Long Friday".
--------oOo--------
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the end times started on October 1, 1914 and that Satan is controlling the world's governments.
--------oOo--------
In October 1994, Pulp Fiction, Forrest Gump, The Shawshank Redemption, The Lion King and Jurassic Park were all in theatres at the same time.
--------oOo--------
In 1977, Aerosmith's flight crew inspected a Convair CV-240 for possible use and rejected it because they felt the plane and crew were not up to their standards. That plane crashed on October 20, 1977 from fuel exhaustion due to poor maintenance, killing three members of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
--------oOo--------
Labour Day (Labor Day in the United States) is an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest.
For most countries, Labour Day is synonymous with, or linked with, International Workers' Day, which occurs on 1 May. Labour Day in Australia is a public holiday on dates which vary between states and territories. It is the first Monday in October in New South Wales so this coming Monday is a public holiday. I called it a BS holiday but my son disagrees with me. In the United States, Labor Day is a federal holiday observed on the first Monday of September.
--------oOo--------
The beer-swilling Bavarian festival Oktoberfest takes place every year in Munich, Germany. The festival usually runs for 16 days from mid-September until the Sunday of the first weekend in October. The event has been held since 1810 when Prince Ludwig of Bavaria held a festival to celebrate his marriage with Therese, the princess of Saxony-Hildburghausen.
--------oOo--------
In October of 1981, a soviet Whiskey class submarine ran aground on the south coast of Sweden. This incident became known as "Whiskey on the rocks".
--------oOo--------
When the First World War began, it was compulsory for all British officers to have a moustache. That edict was revoked in October 1916, because the new recruits were so young that some could not rustle up more than a thin, mousey streak.
--------oOo--------
The Pony Express only lasted from April 3, 1860 to October 1861, before the telegraph made it obsolete.
--------oOo--------
Anna Politkovskaya, author of the anti-Putin book "Putin's Russia", was assassinated on October 7th (Putin's birthday).
--------oOo--------
Halloween is celebrated on October 31st. The celebration’s origins go back to the Gaelic people of modern-day England, Scotland, and Ireland, who celebrated the festival of Samhain. Among other activities, the original celebrants of Samhain would dress in costumes or disguises and go door-to-door receiving gifts of food, much like how today’s children dress up and receive treats.
--------oOo--------
--------oOo--------
Friday, September 30, 2022
FUNNY FRIDAY
-------☹😊☹-------
Yesterday was my wedding anniversary so weddings and anniversaries are the theme for this Funny Friday but, I hasten to add, the jokes are no reflection on my matrimonial state or on The Boss.
Some of the jokes are somewhat risqué, also not a reflection on The Boss.
Enjoy, dear readers.
-------☹😊☹-------
SOME HUMOUR:
--------oOo--------
A loving couple was celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary, privately, at home with a couple of bottles of champagne.
A bit tipsy and feeling very intimate the husband turns to his wife and asks, "Tell me truthfully, have you ever been unfaithful to me?"
"Well," she replied, "since you ask, to tell you the truth I have been unfaithful on three occasions."
"What? How could you?"
"Let me tell you about it," she said. "The first time was back when we were first married. You needed open heart surgery and we didn't have the money, so I went to bed with the surgeon and got him to operate for free."
"Gee! That was noble of you. And, besides, I guess I should be grateful. But, tell me, what about the second time?"
"Do you remember that you wanted the position of the, and they were going to pass you over for someone else? Well, I went to bed with the President and the Vice President and they gave you the job."
"Hell, I think I could have done it on my own. But, then again, I guess I should be grateful. And so, what about the third time?"
"Do you remember two years ago when you wanted to become President of the Baseball Team, and you were missing 53 votes...?"
--------oOo--------
On their 50th wedding anniversary and during the banquet celebrating it, Tom was asked to give his friends a brief account of the benefits of a marriage of such long duration.
"Tell us Tom, just what is it you have learned from all those wonderful years with your wife?"
Tom responds, "Well, I've learned that marriage is the best teacher of all. It teaches you loyalty, meekness, forbearance, self-restraint, forgiveness -- and a great many other qualities you wouldn't have needed if you'd stayed single."
--------oOo--------
It’s our wedding anniversary today. My wife and I have been happily married for two years now.
1995 and 2009.
--------oOo--------
A gynecologist waits on his last patient, who does not arrive...
After an hour, he makes a gin and tonic to relax. After he settles into an armchair to read the newspaper, he hears the doorbell ring.
It’s the patient, who arrives all embarrassed and apologises for the delay.
“It doesn't matter,” answers the doctor.
“Look, I was having a gin and tonic while waiting. Do you want one to help you relax?”
“I accept, thanks!” She answers.
He gives her a drink, sits down in front of her and they start talking.
Suddenly someone is heard opening the entrance office door.
The doctor looks worried, gets up, and says:
“My wife! Quick, take off your clothes and spread your legs, otherwise, she might think there is some nonsense going on!”
-------☹😊☹-------
The Tax Office suspected a fishing boat owner wasn't paying proper wages to his deckhand, so they sent an agent to investigate him.
Tax Office agent: “I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them."
Boat Owner: “Well, there's Clarence, my deckhand, he's been with me for 3 years. I pay him $1,000 a week plus free room and board. Then there's the mentally challenged guy. He works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of the work around here. He makes about $30 per week, pays his own room and board, and I buy him a bottle of Bacardi rum and a dozen bottles of beer every Saturday night so he can cope with life. He also gets to sleep with my wife occasionally."
Tax Office agent: “That's the guy I want to talk to - the mentally challenged one."
Boat Owner: “That would be me. What would you like to know?"
-------☹😊☹-------
Some explanations to gather the true beauty and cleverness of the following limerick . . .
- Styli is the plural form of stylus, a small implement with a pointed end used for engraving and tracing.
- For Freud, the snake is the symbol of the penis. A woman experiencing a snake dream represents her sexuality and relationship with men. The styli are probably similarly symbolic.
- Wemyss is a parish on the south coast of Fife, Scotland, lying on the Firth of Forth, as it is for anyone with that name.
The Honourable Winifred Wemyss
Saw styli and snakes in her demyss
And these she enjeud
Until she heard Freud
Say: “Nothing is quite what it semyss.”
-------☹😊☹-------
GALLERY:
-------☹😊☹-------
RELIGION SPOT:
God the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit are going on vacation...
God the Father says "Let's vacation in Israel".
God the Son, Jesus, says "Too many bad memories there. Let's vacation in Berkeley."
God the Father says "I'm not into the Mother God, hippy vibe."
The Holy Spirit says "I know, let's go to Rome and visit The Vatican"
God the Father and Son ask - "Why?"
The Holy Spirit shrugs and replies "I've just never been there."
-------☹😊☹-------
CORN CORNER:
At first there were only 25 letters in the alphabet.
Nobody knew why.
--------oOo--------
Anyone know where a guy can find someone to hang out with, maybe have a few beers with, talk to, and kinda just enjoy spending time with?
Asking for a friend.
--------oOo--------
I told my mum I won the Leslie Nielsen award at school today
"What's that?" she asked
"A big building full of children and teachers, but that's not important right now" I replied
--------oOo--------
My wife and I talked about it, and we decided we don't want children.
We're telling them tonight. Hope they understand.
-------☹😊☹-------
Thursday, September 29, 2022
EMAILS: READERS WRITE AND MORE COMMENTS
--------oOo--------
I recently posted an item on tips and advice on emails, then added some of my own comments and observations. I asked what others thought and very quickly received some responses, which are set out below. It also reminded me of an email bugbear that really p’s me off, which I hadn’t mentioned previously but also do so below.
Thanks to those who responded.
--------oOo--------
From Steve M:
My biggest bugbear is when you ask a question or two within an email and people don’t answer the question! Sometimes I even put them in dot point to make it easier, but it makes no difference – still no response.
Patient: People are ignoring me, doctor!
Doctor: Next!
Steve m
--------oOo--------
From Philip C:
G’day Otto,
My only addition to your email protocols is more about sensible behaviour than email but here it is …
Never send an email in anger regardless of the provocation. If you need to send a response (1) draft it first
(2) don’t include the recipients email address on the draft, to prevent accidents
(3) delete your draft after 24 hours and call the intended recipient.
My very best regards my friend 😊
Philip
--------oOo--------
From Sandy J:
I agree wholeheartedly with the email etiquette.
I hate using Dear Mr Smith when responding or writing emails, they might be proper bastards, or paedophiles, serial rapists, the list could go on and on, and I am sending them a nice salutation. It will be Mr Smith in future.
Sandy
--------oOo--------
Which brings me to my gripe . . .
- Having been blindsided by it, I hate the use of BCC, which stands for Blind Carbon Copy.
- It means that the sender of an email can include one or more recipients whose identities and presence cannot be seen by the other recipients. In other words, secret invisible recipients who see and read what is happening but only the sender who has included them/him/her is aware.
- Normally when you send an email, recipients can see who else received the email because they can see the To and CC fields. But they cannot see the BCC field which means that if you BCC someone on an email, the other people who received the same email will not know.
- Some people have referred to it as digital eavesdropping.
- If you can’t see a BCC function on your toolbar, click on Options, you will find it.
- Some people BCC to themselves for record purposes and archiving.
- It has also been justified to keep email addresses private in group sends.
- So far as I am aware, if a BCC person hits “Reply All”, the BCC person’s identity gets disclosed and every recipient becomes aware of the BCC person’s presence. Hardly the stuff to engender warm fuzzy feelings in the group.
- Call me a fuddy duddy but I think the use of BCC is sneaky and unethical.
- It also reinforces that if you don’t want other people to see it, don’t post it, whether it be an unkind comment or a sex tape.
- I personally think the day will come when photographs of children under 18 will be banned from social media – how many children have been embarrassed by photos they don’t want others to see being dredged up from past sites?
--------oOo--------
One final word for the younger readers . . .
The term carbon copy comes from the days before computers, before copiers, when people used typewriters and inserted sheets of carbon paper to make instantaneous multiple copies.
Wednesday, September 28, 2022
ANECDOTES
--------oOo--------
Einstein was once travelling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of every passenger.
When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn’t find his ticket, so he reached in his trouser pockets. It wasn’t there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn’t find it. Then he looked in the seat beside him. He still couldn’t find it.
The conductor said, ‘Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I’m sure you bought a ticket. Don’t worry about it.’
Einstein nodded appreciatively.
The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket.
The conductor rushed back and said, ‘Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don’t worry, I know who you are. No problem. You don’t need a ticket. I’m sure you bought one.’
Einstein looked at him and said, “Young man, I too, know who I am. What I don’t know is where I’m going. That’s why I am searching my ticket”
--------oOo--------
In a session of the Academy of Sciences of the (former) USSR, the agronomist Lysenko, founder of “Creative Darwinism,” gave a talk on the inheritance of acquired traits.
When he finished his report, Lev Landau, who was in attendance, asked, “So, you argue that if we will cut off the ear of a cow, and the ear of its offspring, and so on, sooner or later the earless cows will start to be born?”
Lysenko replied, “Yes, that’s right.”
“Then,” started Landau, “how you explain the virgins still being born?”
--------oOo--------
Theodore Maiman was an American engineer and physicist credited with the invention of the first working laser.
The laser was successfully fired on May 16, 1960. On July 7, 1960 in a press conference in Manhattan, Maiman and his employer, Hughes Aircraft Company, announced the laser to the world.
But Maiman found his invention the centre of controversy when he admitted to reporters that the laser, an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, could be used as a weapon.
To Maiman`s dismay, national headlines exaggerated what he had said. A large, red headline in one publication said, “L.A. man discovers scientific death ray.“
The late actress Bette Davis even came up to Maiman at a party once and asked how it felt to be responsible for the possible destruction of humanity.
--------oOo--------
Two English boys, being friends of Charles Darwin, thought one day that they would play a joke on him.
They caught a butterfly, a grasshopper, a beetle and a centipede, and out of the creatures they made a strange, composite insect. They took the centipede’s body, the butterfly’s wings, the grasshopper’s legs and the beetle’s head and they glued them together carefully. Then, with their new bug in a box, they knocked at Darwin’s door.
“We caught this bug in a field,” they said. “Can you tell us what kind of bug it is, sir?”
Darwin looked at the bug and then he looked at the boys. He smiled slightly.
“Did it hum when you caught it?” he asked.
“Yes,” they answered, nudging one another.
“Then,” said Darwin, “It is a humbug.”
--------oOo--------
In 1938, Louis Pasteur was evicted from Paris because he insisted that infection was caused by microbes and that immunity could be gained through vaccines.
--------oOo--------
At a French airport one day, the customs official looked suspiciously at Sir Alfred Hitchcock’s passport, in which his occupation was listed simply as “Producer.”
“What do you produce?” he asked.
“Gooseflesh,” Hitchcock replied.
--------oOo--------
The U.S. Bureau of Internal Revenue astounded Capone by demanding millions of dollars in back taxes.
“They can’t collect legal taxes from illegal money,” he objected.
They could; in 1931 Capone was imprisoned for tax evasion.
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)