The earth, sun, and moon have been around for awhile. From my way of thinking, they have been around longer than people. People created measurement of time, not the solar system. I particularly want to discuss time zones and hours of the day.
Apparently, when Benjamin Franklin was alive, he proposed something similar to daylight savings time for the convenience of business as well as pleasure. My guess it was for organizational purposes, consistency, etc. Also, railroads needed time zones for the same purposes as they grew into a transcontinental industry. Apparently towns had set their own clocks, but you can imagine the state of confusion that would have created for railroads and others. Even through WWI, nothing was really standardized. Even to this day, Arizona and Hawaii still don't participate in daylight savings time and I believe parts of Indiana also. And I just mentioned in my Random Facts that Samoa just moved itself to the other side of the dateline to be in line with Australia and New Zealand.
I think we need to just go back to the sun and use a sundial. No one can dispute that.
Then the question is "How many miles between sundials would one count as the same time?" Because technically, you could have hundreds of sundials telling time and be accurate, but somewhat impractical for all to be correct at the same moment.
Which brings us back to time zones. Utah will soon be considering whether or not to join the ranks with Arizona and Hawaii. Really?? I say to Utah, stay where you are at. I say to Arizona, Hawaii, and Samoa, get in the game and don't make this harder than it already is. Stick to the plan.
Now, if you want to vote to stay with or repeal Daylight Savings Plan for all of the U.S., that is another story. Benjamin Franklin, I have to disagree with you. Winter was made for a reason and you "do not fool with Mother Nature", so you have to leave Summer alone. All 4 seasons should be treated equally, at least when dealing with clocks and telling time (Truth be told, Spring is my favorite, how about you?).
I wish we did not have Daylight Savings Time. By deleting it, we get back at least in part to the sundial, children don't walk to school in the dark, and our "body clocks" get back to a natural rhythm they once had. All I need now is a mini sundial wristwatch.
Panoramic View
Friday, January 6, 2012
Random Facts Friday: January 6, 2011
Hello all! Welcome to the first Random Facts Friday of the new year.
Did you have a little holiday/jet lag getting back into the routine this week at work?
Now that you made it through today, let yourself relax with these tidbits and see how many you already know!
1. Tea: To brew tea during these cold months, allow the tea leaf to expand 3-5 times it's size. See other tidbits: http://www.supermarketguru.com/index.cfm/go/sg.viewArticle/articleId/2682
2. Allspice is a tree with a spread of about 15 feet and has a height of 20-45 feet. It has female and male trees which need to be near each other to produce fruit. The spice comes from dried unripe fruit. Trees are found in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
3. The black rhino, which can live 35 years in the wild, has suffered the greatest rate of decline of all rhino species. In 1970, there were an estimated 65,000 black rhinos in Africa; by 1993, the number had declined to 2,300. Anti-poaching laws and conservation efforts have helped boost the population back to an estimated 4,300.
4. Samoa decided to loose a day and went directly from December 29th to December 31st, 2011. The nation was tired of lagging nearly a day behind Australia and New Zealand, its chief trading partners. By skipping a day, the nation moved to the other side of the international dateline, where it is now three hours ahead of Australia. Not to worry--Samoa has been through this before. It decided to add a day back in 1982 so it could be more in line with the United States. "Time will tell" which way they like it best.
5. Recipe: For some reason, I am all about lime juice nowadays. I put several teaspoons (could have used more) in my white sauce tonight and just before serving added some chopped walnuts to the sauce also. Warmed up some cooked chicken in the microwave, made some rice, which made the main dish 3 layers-- rice, chicken and the sauce on top. I also like to buy fresh limes, slice them, and put several slices in a tall glass of cold water to surprise my taste buds a bit. Saw this recipe and thought I may try it. See if you like it too.
Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette
Blend the lime juice, vinegar, and cilantro together in a blender until smooth. Add the brown sugar, garlic, and salt; blend again until smooth. Spoon the mustard into the mixture. Turn the blender on and slowly pour the olive oil into the dressing mixture in a thin stream; blend until thoroughly combined.
Did you have a little holiday/jet lag getting back into the routine this week at work?
Now that you made it through today, let yourself relax with these tidbits and see how many you already know!
1. Tea: To brew tea during these cold months, allow the tea leaf to expand 3-5 times it's size. See other tidbits: http://www.supermarketguru.com/index.cfm/go/sg.viewArticle/articleId/2682
2. Allspice is a tree with a spread of about 15 feet and has a height of 20-45 feet. It has female and male trees which need to be near each other to produce fruit. The spice comes from dried unripe fruit. Trees are found in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
3. The black rhino, which can live 35 years in the wild, has suffered the greatest rate of decline of all rhino species. In 1970, there were an estimated 65,000 black rhinos in Africa; by 1993, the number had declined to 2,300. Anti-poaching laws and conservation efforts have helped boost the population back to an estimated 4,300.
4. Samoa decided to loose a day and went directly from December 29th to December 31st, 2011. The nation was tired of lagging nearly a day behind Australia and New Zealand, its chief trading partners. By skipping a day, the nation moved to the other side of the international dateline, where it is now three hours ahead of Australia. Not to worry--Samoa has been through this before. It decided to add a day back in 1982 so it could be more in line with the United States. "Time will tell" which way they like it best.
5. Recipe: For some reason, I am all about lime juice nowadays. I put several teaspoons (could have used more) in my white sauce tonight and just before serving added some chopped walnuts to the sauce also. Warmed up some cooked chicken in the microwave, made some rice, which made the main dish 3 layers-- rice, chicken and the sauce on top. I also like to buy fresh limes, slice them, and put several slices in a tall glass of cold water to surprise my taste buds a bit. Saw this recipe and thought I may try it. See if you like it too.
Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
- 3/4 cup light olive oil
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Working Wednesday: Hourglass consumers
Happy New Year to all! Yes, I took time off to be with family and friends and now back at it, writing a blog to assist business, especially those in small and medium size businesses, who may not have time to conduct their own research.
I recently read an article about Walmart. Please don't stop reading just yet! Walmart may have its controversial points, but because America depends on consumer spending for its economy (ugh!), and they are everywhere, Walmart's data is excellent. They confirm what other economists have been saying: the middle class is disappearing. We now, for practical purposes, have an hourglass America.
Something Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, built his company on and which is still inspiring them today. In part...give people a chance to see what it's like to save money and live a better life. Walmart recognizes the poverty rates in this country, their core customer, and those in another part of the hourglass who have returned quicker to their former way of life before the Great Recession hit. They need to have inventory for both, for both are looking for value prices.
Now, you have gone through a couple of real tough years. You had to take a look at all levels of your business, which was hard. You came out leaner, hopefully more efficient and effective. The year 2010 was the stabilizing year and the results of your hard work started coming in during 2011. Now it is 2012 and maybe you are ready for the next step.
Many companies may not have their fiscal year match the calendar year, but it is still a good time to reflect and evaluate your goals, strategies, and actions. How are they coming along? And most importantly, do they take into account the hourglass economy? Do you offer a tier of services or products?
Many believe that one of the long lasting effects on the economic downturn will be smarter consumers. Just like this past Christmas season proved, consumers were out Black Friday, waited, and then came out the last week before Christmas because that was when stores offered the best prices. They are getting savvy. They are looking for value. They will be the same way with what you offer too.
I recently read an article about Walmart. Please don't stop reading just yet! Walmart may have its controversial points, but because America depends on consumer spending for its economy (ugh!), and they are everywhere, Walmart's data is excellent. They confirm what other economists have been saying: the middle class is disappearing. We now, for practical purposes, have an hourglass America.
Something Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, built his company on and which is still inspiring them today. In part...give people a chance to see what it's like to save money and live a better life. Walmart recognizes the poverty rates in this country, their core customer, and those in another part of the hourglass who have returned quicker to their former way of life before the Great Recession hit. They need to have inventory for both, for both are looking for value prices.
Now, you have gone through a couple of real tough years. You had to take a look at all levels of your business, which was hard. You came out leaner, hopefully more efficient and effective. The year 2010 was the stabilizing year and the results of your hard work started coming in during 2011. Now it is 2012 and maybe you are ready for the next step.
Many companies may not have their fiscal year match the calendar year, but it is still a good time to reflect and evaluate your goals, strategies, and actions. How are they coming along? And most importantly, do they take into account the hourglass economy? Do you offer a tier of services or products?
Many believe that one of the long lasting effects on the economic downturn will be smarter consumers. Just like this past Christmas season proved, consumers were out Black Friday, waited, and then came out the last week before Christmas because that was when stores offered the best prices. They are getting savvy. They are looking for value. They will be the same way with what you offer too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)