Sunrise, Sunset...

UPDATE...UPDATE...UPDATE...UPDATE

The Daylight Savings Time section has been struck from the Energy Bill by Senator Craig, pending further study. Call Senator Craig's office to let him know your feelings about his action. His office number is (202) 224-2752.

For more on a Jewish take on the DST controversy, see OrthoMom's post
on how it might affect religious Jews and others. From there, you can get to the OU site and take a stand, should you feel so inclined. Selfishly, I welcome all the light we can get, especially this far north. Children should have reflectors in their pockets and wear reflective strips on their backpacks, as is common in areas where people have gone to school in the dark for years.

This just in from the CBC - my preferred source of news in the US:

Congress to add 2 months to Daylight Savings Time

It looks like Daylight Saving Time is about to be extended, and that has child safety and fire prevention advocates riled.

Congressional leaders of both parties have signed off on a proposal, being considered in Washington this week, to start Daylight Saving Time on the first Sunday in March and end on the last Sunday of November,saying it would save energy, ostensibly by using less electricity to light homes and offices.

If the president signs the bill, which is expected, the new law would take effect immediately, extending Daylight Saving Time by one month this fall. Currently, Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of April and ends at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday of October.

Since I don't have little kids waiting for the bus in the dark or need to be up at the crack of dawn to plough the back 40, this doesn't affect me too directly in any negative way. Frankly, living as far north as we do, I'll be happy for longer days as long as we can get them. This will throw all of our Shabbos calendars off though. Numen lumen all the way...

Daylight Savings Time used to be called "War Time" back in the day. Hope this isn't a throwback to those days. Crafty Benjamin Franklin is the slyboots to blame for bringing the whole idea up, although those trendsetting Belgians were the first to implement it - along with the Austrians - during WWI.