The Emporer's New Clothes, Daylight Saving Time and other myths

Once upon a time there lived an emperor who hired two swindlers to make him a suit of clothes from the most beautiful cloth. This cloth, they told him, was invisible to anyone who was either stupid or not fit for his position. The Emperor was nervous about being able to see the cloth himself so he sent his ministers to view it. They saw nothing, yet praised the cloth. When the Emporor was notified that his suit was ready, he allowed himself to be dressed for a procession through town. During the course of the procession, a small child cries out, "But he has nothing on!" The crowd realizes the child is telling the truth and begins laughing. The Emperor, however, holds his head high and continues the procession.


Once upon a time Benjamin Franklin pointed out that delaying the nominal time of sunset and sunrise reduces the use of artificial light in the evening and increases it in the morning. Lighting costs are reduced IF the evening reduction outweighs the morning increase, as in high-latitude summer when most people wake up well after sunrise. An early goal of DST was to reduce evening usage of incandescent lighting, formerly a primary use of electricity. NEWSFLASH.... HellOOOOOOO! Actually there is no way to make more or less daylight. It can't be bought and sold. It IS what it IS.


Ask any American today if he enjoys messing with the clocks twice yearly and I beg you to find one person who admits it's a great thing. WHY, then, are we continuing to follow this outdated practice? Why can't we move the clocks thirty minutes tomorrow and forever leave the darned things alone?

Winter and summer, fall and spring, we have sunrises and sunsets at varying hours of the day. In winter, we have as much dark as we do daylight. In summer, there is already way more daylight than in the winter months. Why then, do we need to jack around with the clocks?

Once upon a time on September 11th, gas retailers sold consumers gas at over $3.00 per gallon. They were considered to be taking unfair advantage of fellow Americans. Now the same retailers are considered socially acceptable.

Find me a presidential candidate that will leave my clocks alone and lower gas prices so Average Joe can afford to spend his paycheck somewhere besides the gas pump and I'll show you someone who is smart enough to tell the Emporor he is NAKED!!!!!.