helen99: A windswept tree against a starlit sky (Default)
helen99 ([personal profile] helen99) wrote2007-01-18 10:00 am
Entry tags:

time

Excerpt from some book Rialian was reading a few days ago:

"People don't look at their watches to see what time it *is*. The look at their watches to see what time it *isn't*."

Maybe that's why I never bother to wear a watch or reset my clocks. There are many clocks in the house, but that's mostly because other appliances have clocks built in (microwave, four computer clocks, three alarm clocks, three car clocks). There is also one wall clock.

However... Many of these clocks contradict each other. For example, my car clock shows 12:00 when it's actually closer to 10:00. The wall clock is approximately an hour fast because I don't bother to reset it from DST to EST. The CD alarm battery died and it reset itself to midnight during a power outage. The cat wakes me up, though, so no problem.

I believe time units are constructs of humanity - the only real clock is the rising and setting sun, the moon, and the position of the sun with respect to the celestial bodies. If we'd stop polluting the damn place so much, we could see and read the clock like our ancestors did.

[identity profile] drchuck1968.livejournal.com 2007-01-18 11:17 pm (UTC)(link)
At least the PC clocks can be set up to synchronize with a time server on the internet. When daylight saving rolls around, I start by making sure the PC clocks are okay first, then do my digital watch (with multiple time zones), then work my way around the house.
ext_5300: tree in the stars (Default)

[identity profile] helen99.livejournal.com 2007-01-19 01:15 am (UTC)(link)
Right - the PC clocks are always correct (if they aren't it's time to change the CMOS battery or else...). The microwave clock and CD alarm are also right. There are plenty of working timepieces around. It's just that I always leave three or four unset, for some reason. I thought it might relate to a sense of trying to break free from the largely artificial constraints imposed by the 24-hours system...

[identity profile] drchuck1968.livejournal.com 2007-01-19 01:26 am (UTC)(link)
How about a 28 hour day?

http://www.dbeat.com/28/

Unfortunately, it doesn't work so well if you're the only one doing it, and everyone else is on the 24 hour schedule.

http://6dayweek.blogspot.com/
ext_5300: tree in the stars (Default)

[identity profile] helen99.livejournal.com 2007-01-19 08:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Sounds like an excuse to eliminate part of the weekend to me... The "work a little longer" part bothers me as well. Hi, let's squeeze even more out of these poor slobs than we already do. Nah.. I'll just settle for letting some of my clocks tell the wrong time....