2013.03.10 01:00 - Wol's semi-annual rant about DST

Wol Euler was guardian for this session.

Qt Core: Hi Wol
Wol Euler: hello qt
Wol Euler: happy sunday
Wol Euler: don't forget the Americans go onto DST in a few hours :)
Wol Euler: weeks ahead of the rest of the world, of course
Qt Core: oh, right, the dst ballet
Wol Euler: such incredible foolishness
Wol Euler: that it exists at all is bad enough, but not to synchronize the starting dates?

--BELL--

Qt Core: well, different latitudes may have different start6ing/stopping dates, but random states...
Qt Core: and for us will be even Easter
Wol Euler: oh, same weekend?
Wol Euler: Easter is early this year, then
Qt Core: maybe with the monday being festive people will better adapt
Wol Euler: perhaps ;)
Wol Euler: but I repeat my wish to live long enough to see this whole DST nonsense abandoned
Qt Core: i usually find a light change in my appetite patterns later in the first week, when conscious attention falter but the body haven't taken the change yet
Qt Core: that would need us to follow a little more natural clocks
Wol Euler: I don't see why :) even with DST I to to work in the dark and come home in the dark in winter
Wol Euler: and when I look around the crowded buses and trains I know that many others do too
Wol Euler: so the idea that DST lets us see the sun more often in winter is nonsense, except for farmers
Wol Euler: and active farmers are around 2% of the population in the US and Europe
Qt Core: on a related topic i have a standing grudge against tv channels starting evening programs later and later
Wol Euler: heheheh
Qt Core: in some ten years they shifted from 20:00 to 21:00-21:30
Wol Euler: there is a cultural shift away from the sun, from mornings
Wol Euler: the "night owl" has gone from being a strange loner, to being the cultural ideal
Qt Core: "yesterday" a kid movie ended at something like 00:15
Wol Euler: wow
Qt Core: 3 hour movie + ads...
Wol Euler: okay, today is Sunday so the kids aren't at school, but IMHO that is far too late
Qt Core: and nowadays most kids have sport matches and such (if not... god forbid.. to attend mass)
Wol Euler smiles.

--BELL--

Qt Core: try to explain dst to sunflowers or months old babies ;-)
Wol Euler: or cows! my farmer cousins said their milk production was off for a week after the change
Wol Euler: so if this nonsense doesn't even benefit farmers, why the HELL do we do it?
Wol Euler: bah
Wol Euler: rant rant rant :)
Qt Core: the idea is that it lowers energy consumption
Wol Euler: I'm calling bullshit on that idea :)
Wol Euler: as I said, I rise in the dark and come home in the dark
Wol Euler: does an hour of electrical light in the morning cost less than an hour of electrical light at night?
Wol Euler: if we are all staying up until midnight watching TV anyway?
Wol Euler: nonsense.
Qt Core: i'm just annoyed by it being the house clockmaster
Wol Euler smiles.
Wol Euler: by the way, I've been listening to a compatriot of yours, Ottorino Respighi "Fontane di Roma"
Wol Euler: something from my childhood actually, my parents had this as an LP and my father used to play it on the weekends sometimes
Qt Core: i think i remember it, a nice piece
Wol Euler: it is, very peaceful
Wol Euler: or perhaps my memories colour my appreciation of it
Qt Core: that's quite probable
Qt Core: lately we discovered a radio playing classical music from 19:00 to 7:00 nioce to listen to it while dining
Wol Euler smiles.
Qt Core: and as they are not to "high" level it is always nice music
Wol Euler: I very seldom listen to radio these days, except internet stations at work sometimes
Wol Euler: there's too much talking in most radio for me, it interrupts my thoughts
Qt Core: we have at least one radio on in our home
Wol Euler: far more than singing, which is odd when I come to think of it

--BELL--

Qt Core: most weekday mornings we end up having at least three radio running (two of them being alarms) listening to two different stations
Wol Euler grins.
Qt Core: four while i'm shaving ;-)
Qt Core: as we choose to have only one tv and not in the kitchen and not in bedrooms we end up listening a lot of radio for news and background noise
Wol Euler nods.
Wol Euler: I suppose I get my news from the internet, from twitter and FB and friends' posts
Wol Euler: background noise is CDs
Qt Core: those are for driving
Wol Euler: heheheheheh
Wol Euler: radios are for driving :)
Wol Euler: how funny
Qt Core: i started using a little twitter but get nervous as even following only a few ones i can't read them all... call me obsessive ;-)
Wol Euler nods.
Wol Euler: it's true, one has to learn how to skim
Wol Euler: and to be relaxed with that
Qt Core: do people get notice when you unfavorite them in twitter beside when you favorite them ? i use favorite as "read-it-later" and get thanked for it
Wol Euler: I'm not sure whether they get a notice if you un-follow them
Wol Euler: the favourite button as "bookmark" is a good idea
Wol Euler: because things flash past so quickly and are gone
Qt Core: the flooding from news account during the election was almost unbearable
Wol Euler nods.

--BELL--

Qt Core: but the real issue is not to write too silly tweets ;-)
Wol Euler: heheheheeh
Wol Euler: or if silly, then at least let them be amusing
Wol Euler: there is a place for tweeting good humour
Qt Core: oh, yes, but the temptation for the i just /slept/eat/pooped is strong ;-)
Wol Euler: absolutely, yes
Qt Core: i didn't think it was that strong
Wol Euler smiles.
Wol Euler: do you find yourself struggling not to tweet silly stuff?
Qt Core: no, not really... do that means i do or that i don't do it ;-)
Qt Core: well i scarcely tweet, so i'm entitled to be silly those few times
Wol Euler smiles.
Wol Euler: quantity does make a difference, sure
Wol Euler: I have un-followed people because they tweeted too often, and were drowning out other voices that interested me
Wol Euler: which is unfortunate, but as you said at the beginning we have to control the flow somehow, have to defend our attention
Qt Core: yes, it can really be disruptive... thinking about tweet obsessed teens and when they'll have to work (if there will still be a job for them, that is)
Qt Core: naybe having tweets in google glass version 12 will help doing both...
Wol Euler: huh
Wol Euler: that would be really worrying actually, I can imagine people driving with that crap flashing up before their eyes
Wol Euler: texting while driving is bad enough
Wol Euler: but at least the phone isn't actually in front of you (I hope!)
Qt Core: if all done with vocal command how will it be different from chatting with the passenger of having a phone call (with an headset)
Qt Core: :)
Qt Core: time to go cooking... if i'll ever tweet a food pic please kill me
Wol Euler: indeed
Wol Euler: heheheheheehegh
Wol Euler: buon appetito, qt
Wol Euler: enjoy the day
Qt Core: grazie :)
Qt Core: have fun