Chet’s Chatter

Spring Forward, Fall Back

Posted on 31 October 2004 @ 10:09 in General

I noticed the new comments at my site had a time-stamp that was an hour early, and then remembered this weekend is when the clocks change in countries that do it.

Do it?

Move the time back an hour. This is done in countries with the four seasons.

Why?

Cuz in winter, the sun rises and sets earlier. How early? It could be bright as day at 4:00 a.m. and gloomy dark by 3:30 p.m. When I was studying in England, I used to be wide awake at that hour cuz the sun was streaming into my room, and then hate it when I had to walk back home in the dark at 3:30 in the afternoon!

Anyway, as usual, I digress …

So, the “wrong” time for the new comments alerted me to the fact that this weekend, clocks change in the “cold” countries.

Does it matter?

To me, yes.

For the next six months, Chet & Beth in Turners Falls, MA, USA, and mellowbug in Toronto, Canada, will be 13 hours behind Malaysian Time. Mama Bai Yun and baby Mei Sheng at the San Diego Zoo will be 16 hours behind. 16 hours!! When I sit in front of my computer from around 9:00 p.m. in the evenings to go online, they’d still be asleep as it would only be 5:00 a.m. where they are, and not 6:00 a.m.

For the next six months!!

It also means if I need to talk with Beth, I’d have to wait an hour later than when I normally see her online.

Well, when I was studying in England, and later the States, I had to do the same, too - “change clocks” twice a year, once in spring and once in fall.

It was only recently I learned of a way to remember what to do each time (not that I need to do it now) …

Spring forward, fall back

In the Spring, move the clock forward one hour, and in the Fall, move it back one hour.

This weekend, people in the “cold” countries get an extra hour of sleep. But in the spring, the first Sunday when the clocks are moved forward can be quite confusing for some. I’ve had friends tell of turning up for church at the usual time and wondering why nobody else has turned up. That’s because they forgot to move the time forward an hour so they’re a whole hour early for church service!

Oh, here’s a good article about Daylight Saving Time.

What not to look at when hungry

Posted on 31 October 2004 @ 01:51 in Food

And at 1:45 in the morning!!!

It’s from Congee Queen in North York, Canada. I found the site off mellowbug’s blog. If I remember right, it’s near where she lives.

The fried noodles looks REALLY good. I want …

Message from Bin Laden

Posted on 31 October 2004 @ 00:40 in Opinion

Maybe you don’t agree, but I think he makes a lot of sense. Besides, it’s good to hear his side of the story.

Bin Laden: ‘Your security is in your own hands’

Two particular lines stand out:

“Contrary to what [President George W.] Bush says and claims — that we hate freedom — let him tell us then, “Why did we not attack Sweden?’”

“Any nation that does not attack us will not be attacked.”

TGiF!

Posted on 30 October 2004 @ 21:51 in Ramblings

Okay, so it’s Saturday evening, TGiF was yesterday. I found myself wishing two people “TGiF” yesterday.

It’s such an old term, dating back to the 70s, but such a popular term back then, there was even a movie and a song in its name! Not the acronym, but its full name - “Thank God it’s Friday”.

Oh gosh, I just googled for info on the movie and found that Donna Summer was in it, acting as a singer trying to make it. In the film she tries to get to the D.J. to let her sing her song on stage. The song she said, “Last Dance”, went on to win the Oscar for Best Song for the year 1978. Wow …

Yes, Thank God it’s Friday was a disco movie.

But I digress …

I found myself thinking you can only say TGiF if you work a five-day week. As for me, yeah, I work a five-day week. But it wasn’t always this way.

Where I work now, we used to work five and a half days. A few years back, when the Government implemented the first Saturday off for Goverment workers, my company not only followed (even though we’re NOT a Government department), it added the third Saturday off, too. For many of my colleagues who’d been with the company for many years, it would be the first time they’d be getting time off on Saturdays. I remember seeing some of them take note of the dates for the days off, to make sure they didn’t get it wrong and come in when they shouldn’t, or not come in when they should.

Then, a couple of years ago (or was it three?), the company granted us all Saturdays off, making us a five-day week company. Oo …

So now I can say TGiF, altho I usually don’t.

Meanwhile, back on the work-front, I’ve heard colleagues comment that the five-day work week actually makes for a shorter week, or rather makes the week go by faster. Monday … Wednesday … Friday already!

TGiF? Maybe not …