the buzz log

The first week in November marks the end of a long, twisting road. Oh, right, and the elections are next week, too.

The longest Daylight Saving period in American history ends Sunday, Nov. 2, when all states except for Hawaii, most of Arizona, and parts of Indiana will dial back the clock one hour. In optimistic lingo, that's an "extra hour" to sleep, fill out that absentee ballot, and enjoy other lazy Sunday activities.

That should end impatient searches demanding to know "when is daylight savings" (+654%) and "when does daylight savings time end" (+358%). Oregonians have been particularly insistent about seeking out that the extra hour online—perhaps prompted by older electronic devices which prematurely set clocks back last weekend.

Associated Content rewinds the history of this Benjamin Franklin notion, but the Wall Street Journal reminds us that, in these here modern times, the savings may be a bunch of crock.

Among the conspiratorial, glass-is-half-empty mindset (especially after reading the paranoid-inducing Time article, "7 Things That Could Go Wrong on Election Day"), one wonders—could a time change mess with Nov. 4 logistics? After all, a DST snafu happened in one Pennsylvania county two years ago, and this past spring poll workers in a North Carolina county had to spend a few extra minutes tinkering with the voting machines to shut them down.

So far, though, there's no Buzz peep about that possibility. Plus, according to online museum WebExhibits, one reason for dragging out Daylight Saving is that it actually encourages voter turnout. Whyfore? Because it's still light after work, making moonlight-averse voters more inclined to stop by the polling booth.

One election, however, might be affected by the hour change: Indiana governor Mitch Daniels wants a second term, but some in the Hoosier State still hold a grudge against him for mandating DST in part of the state. That's what happens when you take away an hour of sleep for eight months.

Filed under: Politics, Elections, Daylight Saving Time, Time

Daylight saving time is the age-old Survivor challenge: Remember where all your clocks are, and know how to change the time on each one. Some of us still haven't mastered it.

But with that special time beginning three weeks earlier this year, panicked timepiece owners flocked to the search box to find out how this change affects their computers. Queries on "daylight savings change 2007," "new daylight savings time rules," "daylight savings time patch," and "when is daylight saving time" skyrocketed in the past week, as searchers planned ahead.

The "spring forward, fall back" chant is a little boring. We prefer to think of the time change as a dramatic battle between the forces of light and dark. So put your clock away and journey with us to the land of top "dark" and "light" searches…

Top "dark" searches

Top "light" searches (not including "daylight")

Filed under: Daylight Saving Time

On October 30, the nation will retreat from daylight-saving time by turning back the hands of its clocks by one hour. And we're not the only ones determined to stay alert for it. Already this month, searches on "daylight savings time" have jumped up, "time change" has stirred, and "fall time change" has roused itself from a long slumber.

Concern over Congress's recent move to extend daylight-saving time by one month also sparked searches. News queries such as "daylight savings time change," "daylight savings delay," and even "daylight savings bush" all spiked. But friends, never fear. That change won't happen until 2007. We're impressed, though, that you're thinking that far ahead.

If past seasons are reliable guides (and we always have faith in days gone by), we'll also see a rise in searches such as "what time is it," "current time," "atomic clock," and "official u.s. time" as the big day nears.

So don't be caught by surprise. Remember to reset your clocks on Saturday night and catch that blissful extra hour of snooze on Sunday morning.

Filed under: Daylight Saving Time, Time