Big Time Boycott

Doggone it. If this happens, they will be chasing their tales.(1643 automaton alarm clock.Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum/Dguendel/Commons.wikimedia.org)

In this age of emoji’s and acronyms – what passes for language these days – what would happen?

Just suppose some giant electromagnetic surge – a massive sun spot flare – an ill-wind blowing haboob – caused all the clocks worldwide to stop.

All wind ups, the battery operated, the digital, the IERS suspended, even the Black Forest clocks of Cuckoos.

Let’s take down all time related aps for cell phones/media broadcast/, and internet, too…

Just for fun. Heck, let’s say, the electrical grids also go down when the sun sets.

Would that bring about the end of impolite civilization? 

As Daylight Saving Time switch approaches, oddly this caption seems as timely as when it was written. “The Sunlight-Loser (as his sainted Grandfather’s clock strikes three) ‘The British are just putting their clocks back an hour. I wish I could put ours back about 3 years'” Oh, to set ours back, too. (USPD/1916 Puck Magazine/Commons.wikimedia.org)

Once the realization sunk in (and people were sure it wasn’t some prank or political retaliation – what an era this is) what would people do? 

• Doubtless some would rush out and construct some form of sun dial. 
• Some would scramble to pull that “why would anyone send a paper calendar what a waste” item out of the trash. Simply too insecure or lacking confidence to remember, the blue recycle cans were out the day it rained, and it’s been two sleeps since so today must be garbage day)
• Maybe church bells would start ringing the hours once again…of course, they might have to have or buy bells instead of digital imitations.
• Schools would be in turmoil without the ability to announce it’s now time to learn about this not that. (Anxious kids might afraid to unpack their backpacks in class out of fear they might not know when to pack up early in preparation for the classic race to the class.)
• Don’t even speculate on the airport and airline chaos. We’ve already had a trial run of that.

No one would know what or when anything was going on or for how long, or even if it was too late and over and done.

Extreme FOMO! 

How would your life change?

Being wound up all the time can really age one.(MONNIN Jacques/Musees de la Haunte-Saone, France/Commons.wikimedia.org)

Mine? Probably not much as I am already on DST (Dog Strolling Time).

Dogs, like Hank, seem to run on preset clockwork:

We are up at dawn for an early power walk to see the sun rise, then breakfast. Sometime around noon/when the sun is high, we head towards the waterfront park. (Checking out clouds, wind direction, and what wild flowers are blooming.) As the shadows grow longer, we saunter for another neighborhood tour avoiding school bus traffic.  Hollywood Hank, the Happy Husky, waits by the front door and yodels commanding his half-block walk-around before before his consistent 9:00 bedtime. (After that final look for possums, owls, and cats)

Preschoolers’ presets are comparable – except for the possums and owls.Eating when hungry, not when directed by inanimate object. 

Work until tired.

Sleep until rested and the body says it’s time to get up.

Oh, yeah, the building blocks of society and productivity would come tumbling down….

Recognizable, yes? The world keep spinning. Everyone keeps marching in time in an endless line – hoping for a break. Down time. (mik Krakow/Flickr/Commons.wikimedia.org)

And, as with anything, there are always unexpected side effects for the general public

• Less stress
• Less anger
• Maybe stronger immune systems

Time outed: this astronomical clock – a machine, yet a beautiful one that is spinning around so much more than just daily human lives.  (Andrew Shiva/Wikipedia/ Godot13/ Commons.wikimedia.org)

Of course, some critical things are simply too time sensitive:

• How would a hospital know how long they can keep a patient sedated during procedures or how long between stopping a human heart before jumpstarting it with a shock attempting to restore a regular rhythm.
• Parents would watch their door cams with great anxiety wondering if their kid should have made it home by now. (911 on speed dial…jammed. Every day.)
• Not-the-expert-cooks might fret over how long to boil the spaghetti or bake a meatloaf.
• Traffic lights would be inefficiently bonkers.

Now who’s the cuckoo? (1930 Film Preservation Associates/Ub twerks/Commons.wikimedia.org)

Timelessness might prove to be too difficult for long term, but a short holiday might be a curious change. Call it “Time Out Day”.

Probably a better plan than National Doughnut Day.

What do you think?

Never too late

Phil, the Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge