This Friday, November 11, 2011 we will celebrate the 93rd anniversary of the end of the First World War. Four years of completely senseless slaughter that toppled centuries old European Empires, nearly wiped out an entire generation of young men and ultimately paved the way for Adolf Hitler and WW II.  The United States was a late entry into the war, President Wilson waited until April 1917 before declaring war on Germany. Even so the USA suffered tens of thousands of casualties and the nature of the country was changed forever.

One holdover from the war that still affects us today is Daylight Savings Time. It was originally enacted by congress to aid factory workers who worked long hours and otherwise would have to make their way home in the dark . It was also meant to save coal for the war effort which Great Britain had been doing since 1916. After the war the law just sort of stuck although from time to time it would be repealed and then re-enacted. With the coming of the Second World War it was changed to "War Time" to give it more of a sense of urgency.

Several years ago during the Bush administration the republican controlled congress extended daylight savings time from its traditional April to October time frame to March to November. Since members of congress only work an average of ten hours per week, obviously their work week won't be affected but for the rest of us working slobs,it stings. I really think enough is enough.

I am old now and as an old fellow I am a creature of habit. I hate that Sunday in March when we "spring forward" but I am almost as discombobulated by the "fall back" Sunday in November. Forget that extra hour of sleep BS, I wake up when my body tells me to wake up. What's more, it takes me a week or more to adjust and it's a tough week because I have to get up and go to work, get my kids up and get them off to school and speaking of kids, they are as affected as I am.  Espicially in the spring and espicially my daughter who as I've said in previous posts is not a morning person. She is more of a wake me on Wednesday person. 

Me and my little family are not alone in this, millions of people walk around bleary eyed for days twice every year as congress gets its jollies messing with our internal clocks. It's their semi-annual holiday from taking from the rich and giving to the rich so I guess even they need a day off now and again.

All the same, enough! The war has been over for almost one hundred years and the evil Kaiser Bill has been dead almost that long. The latest studies show that the energy saving are small to none and the cost to my internal clock and the internal clock of millions is enormous. Stop the madness, write your member of congress and inform them of the demise of the Kaiser and tell them to roll back the fall back and stomp out the spring forward. After all, we won, the the victor goes the spoils.