What time is it really ?

By Tom Livsey, OurTown National News Editor,  

Do not forget to spring forward tonight, and set your clocks, because you will look like a fool an hour late for church this morning , or work on Monday !  

Since the beginning of time, man has used the stars and the moon above our planet to record his history, plant crops to migrate our continents to hunt his prey.  

Though the ways of man has perhaps changed, like shopping at Wal Mart, instead of creeping up on buffalo. Timing of the seasons has always been crucial.   So, this weekend, you'll sacrifice an hour of sleep in exchange for a few months of extra daylight.

Make sure to set your clocks ahead one hour tonight because Daylight Saving Time officially starts at 2 a.m. on Sunday. It ends the first Sunday in November.  

Now you might ask yourself, or maybe your child will ask you...Why ?  

Well here is the reason for the time change, and make you look like the smartest dad in your neighborhood.   Benjamin Franklin first thought up the idea of daylight saving in 1784. It wasn't instituted until World War I, when it went into effect to save energy used for lights.  

What?  

Electricity was not a topic until Thomas Edison. The fathers of our nation, signed ,'The Declaration of Independence', by oil lamps. The saying, 'Burning the midnight oil', referred to the lack of light at night, and  testifies this fact.  

The Uniform Time Act of 1966 established Daylight Saving Time throughout the United States and gave states the option to exempt themselves. Hawaii and most of Arizona do not follow Daylight Saving Time. Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and American Samoa also skip out on the clock-changing fun.  

In 1974 and 1975, Congress extended daylight saving to save energy during the energy crisis. In 2007, Daylight Saving got a few weeks longer, running from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.  

About 70 countries around the world observe daylight saving, but many countries near the equator do not. It's not universally popular, though.

Daylight Saving Time have been associated with increased health issues, due to lack of good rest...Huh ?  

Farmers note that their livestock don't live by a clock, and complain that they have to adjust their working hours to deal with the animals. In addition, most fish take little notice about the time worms on hooks start to appear above their heads in the pond.  

Do you thing Daylight Saving Time is needed in 2013 ?  

###