Saving Daylight, Losing Sleep

Something ridiculous can be found here.

Daylight savings drives me nuts.

At this time of year, we get back a little of that precious morning darkness. It allows us to sleep more deeply in the morning, but also makes us more lethargic. That hour, originally stolen in ancient times (alright, only the idea is from ancient times) for the benefit of farmers, will eventually provide us with more light in the evenings for baseball games. But that's where its benefit ends.

It used to be fairly important for energy conservation, but with the advent of different lighting systems and HDTV, we use energy at different rates for different reasons. We're breaking with the natural cycle of the day because that's what suits us. (Also because humans are strange creatures.)

So why are we still following this archaic tradition? Just as with the penny, we're still using it because we're stuck in a rut and wouldn't know what to do without it.

The other thing I can't stand about daylight savings (besides losing that precious hour of sleep) is what it does to my cats. Unlike humans, cats do follow the natural cycle of the day. When the sun comes up, it's time to eat. When the sun goes down, it's time to eat. Right now, I'm getting some much-needed respite from them in the mornings, but by the time I get home at night, they already think they've wasted away to skin and bone. They don't care about the time change - they have nowhere to be during the day.

Fortunately, as with everything people feel strongly about, there's a petition for this. That's both reassuring and kind of pathetic.