The Presidents Continue: Part III

Dear Avid Blog followers,

I have let you down. I know this.

Unfortunately I have no good excuse, but if you would like a bad one, please email me or write on my Facebook wall. Like all mistakes in history, I figure the past can be the past and we can all move on. Forgive and forget, right? Resuming with our previous series of American Presidents, I bring you…

Thomas Jefferson: Father of the Declaration of Independence, Father of the University of Virginia, and Father of a few Children from his Slaves

First off, I have to admit something. While TJ undoubtedly contributed a lot to the founding of our country, and he was a clear “Renaissance Man” of his generation, he is not one of my favorite Founding Fathers. ::GASP:: I’m sorry to all UVA alumni and to all you TJ lovers out there, but I feel the man is slightly overrated in terms of his presidency and overall contributions. Yes Alison, I know he was one of America’s first oenologists, and I know he could leap tall buildings in a single bound (not to mention being the Father of the Tomato in a sense, since he was one of the only people of his time to trust red foods not to be poisonous). So instead of focusing on all his accomplishments, since most people know about those, I am going to pick and choose some instances of where I can do some historical constructive criticism. But I’ll end on a good note, don’t worry. Onward ho’s!

My first scruple with Jefferson is with his military leadership. As Governor of Virginia from 1779-1783, Jefferson presided over the state’s first invasion by the British during the Revolutionary War. Not an easy position for anybody when a foreign enemy attacks, just ask the Romans in 410 when Rome was sacked by the Visigoths. My critique is that Jefferson, instead of raising an army and organizing local militias, sat and hoped that Virginians would come together by themselves to defend their homeland. Virginia was invaded by the traitor Benedict Arnold and then Lord Cornwallis later. Cornwallis later got what was coming to him at Yorktown, so I won’t dwell at this. The same libertarian view cost TJ’s successor dearly during the War of 1812. James Madison inherited a Navy consisting of about 20 small boats, and an army of less than 12,000 untrained soldiers, compared to the Royal Navy of over 600 war vessels and the biggest army in the world. Jefferson’s downsizing of the military showed that there is such a thing as limiting government too much.

TJ’s wife Martha died at a young age (32), and Jefferson went into serious depression. As is evident from his letters with her (and the movie/musical 1776) they were very much in love. The primary architect of the Declaration, delegate to the Continental Congress, and Governor of Virginia got himself appointed Minister to France and gallivanted around Paris for a few years. During this time it is speculated that he begun his long-term relationship with his slave Sally Hemmings. While that may have been a long-term physical fling, Jefferson undoubtedly used his time there to cure his depression by falling in and out of love. I will give Jefferson props during this time for writing of my favorite writings, my head and my heart, a love dialogue between his reason and his lust for a married English woman named Maria Cosway. Jefferson, therefore, was not a part of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, but chose to keep in touch with the proceedings through his good friend, James Madison. Jefferson returned stateside in 1789 to be the first Secretary of State to President Washington.

As President, Jefferson made a huge etiquette blunder that almost made the War of 1812 the War of 1803… ok a little extreme but it definitely did not help to ease tensions between Britain and the U.S. Anthony Merry became the new Ambassador to the U.S. from Britain and was invited to the White House for dinner. Jefferson, deciding it was not a big deal and striving to be a man of the people, greeted the new ambassador in his pajamas infuriating Merry and causing him to denounce the Americans as uncivilized. Imagine Mr. Obama greeting the British Prime Minister in his pajamas with a gift of American DVDs (now that’s only half true). The “Merry Affair” created an unnecessary diplomatic nightmare for Secretary of State James Madison and his wife Dolley who was a surrogate first lady and unofficial social secretary who ended up dealing with the ramifications of the incident for years. Several other etiquette no-no’s that Jefferson chose to ignore showed his disdain for simple etiquette and pride.

Lastly, I have some qualms with what Jefferson preached and what he practiced. Namely his inconsistency with slavery. Jefferson wrote in his draft of the Declaration that all men were created equal and specifically mentioned those bound in servitude. This provision was stricken in the final compromise. However, in his will, Jefferson did not free any of his slaves. Because of his reckless spending and enormous debts, Jefferson’s slaves were sold upon his death to settle his debts. This, to me, represents a serious character flaw with Jefferson that is sometimes overlooked.

Jefferson contributed greatly to the founding of our country, architecture, science, political philosophy, and history. Let’s not forget he also made the Louisiana Purchase that more than doubled the size of the country. However, his lack of humility and sense of entitlement often caused unnecessary problems and, for me, demonstrates his serious flaws. I didn’t even mention his Embargo Act of 1807 that was so unpopular and damaging to American business, it was repealed by the end of his second term, and his falling out with John Adams. It’s not that I don’t think TJ was a good president and want to gloss over his accomplishments. I simply want to point out that there were serious mistakes Jefferson made and should not be overlooked.

Next up, one of my personal favs….

Let's Play Political Ball

I know I know, it’s been awhile. Thanks to a select few (you know who you are) I have been persuaded to stop being lazy, and turn on my brain to the world of the obscure knowledge once again. Since baseball (with the coming of Strasburg) and politics (with the coming of… um, independence) have been consuming the Washington scene lately, I figured why not combine the two around a unique area event…

The Congressional Baseball Game

Those involved in the political scene in Washington, D.C. mark this day down months in advance. Those outside the beltway probably don’t even know it exists. But it is just what it sounds like. Each year, Members of the House and the Senate, clad in their political party’s uniform, take the field to duke it out in America’s favorite pastime. Rather than throwing politically charged insults and critiques in the Capitol, they are throwing baseballs AND politically charged insults at Nationals Park today. How did this masterful way for our elected leaders to take their argument to the field instead of the chamber begin?

The first baseball game between Members of Congress took place in 1909 but started as a casual way to vent some frustration and engage in some old fashioned sports competition. The game was organized by Representative John Tener (R-Pa) who had actually played professional baseball in the minor leagues for awhile, and even one game in the major league with the Baltimore Orioles and later for the Pittsburgh Burghers. He was elected to Congress from Pennsylvania for one term before being elected governor of the state in 1911. For the first 6 years the game was played, Democrats dominated the field winning the first game 26-16. Republicans captured their first game in 1916.

Over the years the game has seen many venues, many types of players, and occasionally been interrupted by wars, depressions, or by congressional leadership who became frustrated that the baseball game occupied more time and energy than legislation. A few highlights.In 1917, Representative Jeannette Rankin (R-Mo) became the first woman to participate in the game. Coincidentally she was the first woman elected to Congress and, as a pacifist, was the only Member of Congress to vote against the declarations of war for both WWI and WWII. The first game covered by radio was in 1928. In 1958, Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn cancelled it because he deemed the game a distraction and claimed it had become too contentious. Sadface.

Have no fear! In 1962, with the cooperation and sponsorship of the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call, the game was revived and has been played annually ever since. With the new sponsor, a best-of-five game trophy series was created, awarding a trophy to the team that won three of the five games. To date, 10 trophies have been awarded, 8 to the Republicans and 2 to

the Democrats. From 1969-1975, Wilmer Mizell (R-Nc), who was a former pitcher for the Cardinals, Pirates, and the Mets, led the Republicans to victories in each year he played. The total tally for games won and lost stands at 41 wins for the Republicans, 33 for the Democrats, and 1 tie in 1983. In 2009, the Democrats won their first game since 2000 with the election of numerous younger members with the Democratic sweep in the elections of 2006 and 2008.

This year, 87-year old Rachel Robinson, wife of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, threw out the ceremonial opening pitch. Each year the game raises more than $100,000 for charity, this year the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington, D.C. and the Washington Literacy Council. Tensions are hot again this year after a tumultuous political year in Congress.

What I like most is this shows that Members of Congress are not some elite class of people, they enjoy the same pastimes as the rest of America – talking smack before a sporting match, sweating it out over a classic American game, and kicking back to a beer and recapping their brief escape from the tensions of politics. Despite disagreements over policy, there's nothing like a good ol' sports match to let off some steam.

President II

Having just attended my first Nationals game of the season, I am inspired to write more before this week’s busy-ness starts. Although I may have to write a blog post about the Orioles this season who it seems are shooting for the worst record in baseball history, ay yi yi… Anyway, the Presidents posts continue! This time we resume with the plump, brash, outspoken, and often frustrated Mr. Adams, our 2^nd President.

Sit down John, for God’s Sake John, Sit down! (From the musical 1776, feat. Mr Feeney)

John Adams was born on October 30, 1735 in Quincy, Massachusetts, just a hop, skip, and a jump from Boston. His family had emigrated from Wales and England in 1638, making his family one of the oldest in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. This is something that Adams took very seriously as he sought to uphold his family’s heritage. He attended Harvard College, graduating in 1755, and then decided to become a lawyer and was admitted to the bar in 1758. A few years later, in 1764 he married Abigail Smith, who bore him 5 children, including future POTUS John Quincy Adams.

While Adams was never as popular as his cousin Sam Adams (who obviously was famous enough to have a brewery named for him), John was often outspoken and his approach was unyielding. Both were fervent patriots and gained reputations as such in Massachusetts. However, as a man of principle, Adams served as the defense counsel for the British soldiers who shot and killed several Americans during the Boston Massacre in 1770. I too was surprised when I first read about this, but not only did Adams take a bold stance by defending the wildly unpopular soldiers, he was paid only pennies for his services. LAME!

A few years later, Massachusetts sent John Adams to the 1^st and 2^nd Continental Congresses where he made a name for himself as an outspoken critic of King George III and a diehard patriot for independence (in fact it was Adams who nominated Washington to be commander-in-chief of the Continental Army). Something to remember about these first Congresses was that they did not assemble for the purpose of declaring independence. There were still many loyalists who attended these Congresses fully expecting to reconcile differences with Great Britain but who wished to remain under English rule. This is why Adams’s passionate support for independence was so critical in swaying votes among its skeptics.

So long story short, the Declaration of Independence was written by Jefferson under Adams’s supervision, we won the war, and Adams assumed a new role- diplomat. During the final years of the war and under the Articles of Confederation, Adams was in Europe, in France to solicit support for the American cause, in Britain to negotiate terms of surrender and smooth a transition, and finally to Amsterdam, Netherlands attempting to secure loans for the infant nation. He returned to America under the new Constitution as the country’s first Vice President under Washington.

One of my favorite Adams quotes is his opinion on the position of VP, "My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived." Adams had a weak case of little man’s complex where he envisioned himself to be the wisest of his colleagues, and was very aware that his ego and intellect weren’t being used to their potential. This is why Adams was narrowly elected to succeed Washington (big shoes to fill) as the country’s 2^nd President.

The Adams administration had one big success, preventing an escalating conflict with France, and several huge blemishes. The biggest being the Alien and Sedition Acts, which legalized the incarceration of any citizen who talked smack about the government and required a longer period of residence for an immigrant to become a U.S. citizen. This was done to prevent the registration of immigrants with Jefferson’s growing Democratic-Republican Party. These acts were extremely unpopular and were eventually repealed. Adams was also the first President to reside in the White House. When he arrived, he and Abigail were shocked to find hundreds of black slaves constructing their future home. As a lifelong New Englander, slavery was something that Adams resented and opposed his entire career.

The election of 1800 saw the election of Thomas Jefferson, by this point Adams’s bitter enemy, to succeed him after one term. Adams so resented his former colleague that he skipped town

and left for Massachusetts before Jefferson’s inauguration, but not before appointing several last minute (midnight) appointments to the Supreme Court, which became the thorn in Jefferson’s side during his presidency. John and Abigail lived a long life together on their farm in Massachusetts, and John even lived to see his son elected president in 1824. Adams died on July 4, 1826, 2 hours after Jefferson, at the ripe old age of 90 years and 247 days (beaten only by Reagan and Gerald Ford).

One of the reasons we know the most about John Adams and his contemporaries is through Adams’s extensive letters, especially to his wife Abigail, who, while Adams was despised by many of his colleagues, remained truly in love and supportive of her husband. Their letters represent one of the most passionate and affectionate love stories of the time and tell a lot about Adams’s true feelings and constant frustration. Adams’s letters with Jefferson, particularly after their reconciliation later in life are also fascinating.

Next up, everyone’s favorite, Thomas Jefferson.

The first of the Presidents

It’s been awhile since my last post of modesty, and I have to apologize for the delay. Between birthdays, work trips, and a move to a new apartment life has been kind of hectic recently. But now I am set up with internet in my new apartment, and I’m ready not only to announce a new post, but a new SERIES of posts. Today begins the American Presidents series. Since I just moved to Virginia, George Washington seems even more appropriate to start with. Especially since I already posted about the pre-first President, Mr. Hansen from Maryland. Without further delay…

The Father of Our Country

George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 near Colonial Beach, VA. Educated at home, Washington worked as a surveyor for his first career, not including his help around the family farm. While many may have read that this was the youthful Washington’s early career, most don’t realize what a tremendous impact this had on his effectiveness as future general due to his unique knowledge of the terrain of the land. Another little known fact is that Washington’s one and only trip outside the United States was in 1751 to Barbados in hopes of curing his half-brother of tuberculosis. His half-brother died the following year, leaving Washington the owner of his first estate, Mount Vernon. During this time, Washington also joined the militia as a Major and also expanded his estates around Mount Vernon and in the Ohio territory.

In 1754, Washington suffered his only military surrender at Fort Necessity where he was defeated by the French Canadians and their Indian allies during the Seven Years War. After the French and Indian War, Washington retired as a Brigadier General to his farm as a tobacco farmer and local politician. In 1759, Washington married Mary Custis, from which he inherited additional lands and wealth that made him one of the richest and most successful men in Virginia. Into the marriage, Martha brought her children, and eventually grandchildren, from a previous marriage who were Washington’s only heirs. It is believed that Washington’s earlier fight with smallpox may have made him sterile.

In the 1770s Washington began to become more political, sending letters suggesting a boycott of English goods until certain taxes were repealed. He attended the First Continental Congress as a delegate from Virginia, and was from there elected as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. Washington’s greatest asset as general was his ability to raise the ever-fleeting morale of the army even during the most desperate of times when his soldiers resorted to eating dogs and starving for days during harsh winters.

The most notable of these instances was Washington’s successful Battle of Trenton on Christmas Eve 1776. After a series of degrading losses, Washington rallied his army to cross the Delaware River and take the British by surprise. This was followed by the battle of Saratoga, where Washington successfully enlisted the support of the French, who ultimately helped us win the war. But without going into much more detail, we won. Yay independence!

After the war, Washington resigned his command, and again retired to Mount Vernon. Another not-so-widely-known fact is that Washington became quite the successful businessman and farmer. Mount Vernon was very successful after Washington changed the main cash crop from tobacco to wheat. His entire life, Washington was very self-conscious of his image and ensuring his legacy, a point made well by Joseph Ellis in his book His Excellency: George Washington.

In 1787, Washington was summoned out of retirement to preside over the Constitutional Convention to revamp (get rid of) the Articles of Confederation. Washington was the only figure at the time (short of maybe Ben Franklin) who could bring legitimacy to the proceedings, and he was chosen unanimously by the Electoral College to be the nation’s first President. Washington’s two terms as Commander-in-Chief set many precedents that we respect today, such as the two-term limit, using the term “Mr. President,” and the utilization of an executive cabinet of advisors. During his later years, including his eight years as President, Washington’s health was mired by constant toothaches that caused him immense pain. Contrary to popular belief, Washington did NOT have wooden teeth. Fake teeth at this time were made from ivory mostly, but also using human teeth of slaves who were given special privileges for “donating” their teeth.

After his two terms as President, Washington AGAIN retired to Mount Vernon to manage his estate and live out his life with Martha. In his last year of life, 1798, President John Adams commissioned Washington to be the General of the armies that were being raised for a potential war with France, but his service was largely symbolic and Alexander Hamilton served as the physical general present. Washington died on December 14, 1799 at Mount Vernon where he is buried today.

Washington’s legacy is like none other in American history. Very rarely are Washington’s shortfalls and negative attributes discussed or even known. In fact, on the ceiling of the Capitol rotunda is a painting entitled, The Apotheosis of Washington, which shows Washington being raised up to Heaven and being made a god. Probably won’t find that depiction of any other figure in our history. Washington is on the one-dollar bill, the 25-cent coin, Mount Rushmore, 11 universities carry his name, our nation’s capital is named for him, 1 state, 30 counties, and over 250 towns, townships, and cities are as well. There is even a statue of Washington in Trafalgar Square, London. He’s kind of a big deal.

Next up, John Adams. (I promise after the first few presidents, the posts will get shorter)

Some history you may not know

Today marks the 24^th anniversary of a great day in world history where one of the world’s most passionate, and unknown figures was born. He is a man of obscurity except to a limited number of facebook friends, but his influence ranges from Meadowcroft Lane to Harrisonburg to Scotland to Washington, D.C. Ladies and gentlemen, here is the history of my life…

Who am I?

Lee Brooks was born on March 27, 1986 in Rockville, MD at approximately 7:57pm. He was the first child to Joe and Paula Brooks, but was later joined by Robert Brooks 3 years later. Lee grew up with a small play group, and attended the exhilarating and memorable Camp Tiny Feet in the summers of 1990-1992. Lee and his neighbor Stefan, first formed the Meadowcroft Lane Gang around this time. This group would be expanded on the high school volleyball court later on. A product of the public school system, Lee attended local schools in the area, having never moved during his 24 years of life (except during college).

As he grew up, Lee had many aspirations of what he wanted to be when he grew up (none of which was a congressional staffer, even though he loves where he is now). They ranged from an astronaut, to a movie director, to an archaeologist, and of course every kid’s dream, POTUS. In high school, Lee played JV football, boys and coed volleyball, and served in SGA. He carried this SGA experience on with him to James Madison University, where he joined the centennial class and served in the organization all 4 years. Lee kept himself busy in college joining many organizations and keeping a challenging class schedule, with such classes as GKIN100: Walking and Jogging.

Upon graduation, he ventured across the Atlantic to attend the University of St. Andrews to complete a master’s degree in ancient history. Lee loves the Romans, and old walls. During this time, he traveled extensively throughout Europe and Turkey. After finishing the program, he came back to the New World in America to look for a job, and took an unpaid internship on Capitol Hill. The stars were in alignment, and after a few months of working for free, he was hired full-time. This is where Lee has been ever since. As a lifelong resident of the DC metro area, Lee loves the city more than any other, and in general thinks life is pretty awesome.

In the past, Lee’s birthdays have been held at Chuck E Cheese, Discovery Zone, his backyard, Garber Hall at JMU, Westport Village, and the St. Andrews Deans Court Common Room. His favorite color is blue, navy blue to be specific. He loves watching quality movies, reading about history, drinking beer out of a straw on occasion, spending time with the wandering blonde wine o, a good cigar every now and then, and just like every guy, he loves long walks on the beach at sunset. His life can pretty much be summed up and understood through John Mayer lyrics depending on the day. His favorite foods are sushi, pasta, nachos, and ranch dressing. He has a miniature dachshund named Fritz.

Well that is a glimpse into the life of one of histories most forgotten figures. Enjoy your weekend!

The Lost City

So I missed a lot of events last week: Ides of March, James Madison’s birthday, St. Patrick’s Day… I apologize. Today’s post is a special request from a special fan…

Atlantis: No, not the Resort

Everyone’s heard stories about the mysterious island that existed thousands of years ago, and boasted some of the most advanced technology and greatest leaders of ancient times. Then, all of a sudden, it vanished. The island sunk supposedly? A natural disaster wiped out the entire population? Where did this fairy tale story come from? I feel sort of like the History Channel with this post because I’m writing about a conspiracy theory, and while this story does not include aliens (at least in my version) I’ll try to give you some facts and some myths.

The first mention of Atlantis is by Plato in his Timaeus and Critias. He mentions that it was a great civilization that conquered North Africa and much of the Mediterranean roughly around 9600 B.C. FYI, ancient Egypt flourished around 3000-1000 B.C., ancient Greece had its high point from 500-200 B.C. (Plato was writing in 355 B.C.), and Rome ruled the Mediterranean and most of Europe from 200 B.C. – 400 A.D., so this was theoretically MUCH earlier. The civilization was supposed to have been unrivaled in technology and grandeur until Plato’s time, or even after his time. As the story goes, Atlantis was founded by well-intentioned, smart men who expanded the civilization to dominate the Mediterranean. Over time though, the leaders became greedy and power-hungry. Poseidon thus decided to erase their existence. And just like Emeril, BAM, they’re gone.

It is unclear whether Plato meant this mystical story to be an allegory for what would happen to civilizations who the gods looked down upon, or if he had some factual basis for an island that was destroyed before recorded history even began. As most tradition was carried orally until the Egyptians, and really the Greeks, it is possible that there may have been some factual basis for his tale. However, let’s be honest, it sounds like a Plato parable to teach a lesson combined with a good bed time story. Other evidence that he is speaking from fact is that he repeats several times that this is “history” he is telling, whereas in other parables, like the Cave, he makes it clear that he is telling this to prove a point. Adding on to the “he said she said,” it is recorded much later that Aristotle, Plato’s student, claimed that Plato made up the parable for moralistic reasons. Who knows. Aristotle also went on to disagree with much of what his teacher wrote.

Several locations have been claimed for the island as well, and almost all of these have been “backed up” (in the loosest sense of the word) with archaeological discoveries and underground photographs. Some claim the island was in the Caribbean, some say it was in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean giving the ocean its name, others say in the Mediterranean, and some say it was in the Indian Ocean. For logistical reasons, the most likely location was in the Mediterranean, seeing as this was the only part of the known world at the time. There are also theories that the Atlantians dispersed through Africa, Europe, and even South America and that’s why we find similar stone structures, specifically pyramids, in those locations. Highly doubtful.

As we know from places like Pompeii and Herculaneum, natural disasters can indeed wipe out entire civilizations. Modern scholars who are bent on “discovering Atlantis” often study Crete as an example of a Mediterranean island wrought with natural disasters. In reality, the story of Atlantis has been blown so far out of proportion with crazy theories that it can be tough to figure out where this myth even came from. The only ancient source we have that mentions Atlantis is Plato, thus all later sources are based on him.

Unfortunately, the myth of Atlantis will continue to perplex and frustrate skeptics and believers alike who will never agree. It will remain one of histories mysteries conjuring up images of an ancient utopia and spawning bad movies and TV shows for years to come.

Time after Time

Hopefully your clock is correct, because it’s that time of year, Daylight Savings Time! Unfortunately, this time we spring forward and it feels like we are losing an hour of sleep. Although, it does mean we have extra sunlight, which will be nice when I leave work. I’m sure Robert (see Robert’s Random Science Facts) will have some scientific explanation for Daylight Savings Time (DST), but here is the history behind it…

What time is it again?

As I might have mentioned before, all great things have their roots in ancient Rome, and DST is no different. The Romans were some of the first to have a systematic way of measuring time, although it wasn’t entirely accurate or precise and largely depended on the sun (what would they do if they were getting pounded with 6 days of rain like we are now in D.C.?). The Romans used water clocks to measure time, but the times varied depending on the months of the year. So if the sun rose at 8am, noon would be the 4^th hour of the day. By the way, a.m. and p.m. stand for the Latin words “ante meridiem” (before mid day) and “post medidiem” (after mid day). The 12-hour clock is different now than it was in ancient Rome because we count hours before and after midday and midnight, whereas the Romans measured time before and after sunrise/sunset. Again, so 9AM would be 3 AM to a Roman (3 hours before midday). Does that make sense?

As the Middle Ages roared on, time eventually became more equal as we know it today, whereas before times would be unequal because they depended upon the amount of sunlight, i.e. “hours” would be shorter in winter and longer in summer. In the 1700s, Benjamin Franklin published a letter in a Parisian newspaper that they should take advantage of the daylight by rising earlier and going to bed earlier (following his life mantra that led him to a long life of 84 years), and this would also save them money on candles. Or as National Treasure claims, he invented DST.

The official standardization of time in the U.S. and Canda came in 1883 after the transportation revolution in the 19^th century and the coming of the railroads. Train operators, and the general public, needed to know exactly when trains would arrive and not have it vary depending on which state or which region the train was in. In 1883, North America was divided into time zones, but it was not until 1918 (during WWI) that Congress passed the Standard Time Act, which established daylight savings time. However, Congress being Congress, the law was repealed in 1919 and replaced again with local calculations. In WWII, the U.S. nationalized DST again, but then again ceded the power to local regions. In 1966, DST was again nationalized, but gave states the option to opt out. For instance, the U.S. states Arizona and Hawaii do not observe DST. Starting in 2007, most of the United States and Canada observe DST from the second Sunday in March (hence the blogpost) to the first Sunday in November, almost two-thirds of the year, which was part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

DST’s origin is now credited to George Vernon Hudson from Middle Earth, err I mean New Zealand, who published a paper in 1898 arguing its positive effects. An Englishman, William Willett, was a strong advocate of DST and claimed to have invented the concept independently from Hudson. DST allows people to take advantage of having more sunlight and therefore affects energy costs and can extend the time work or sports can be done by natural light. An obvious drawback to DST is its complexity and non-uniformity. Also recent studies have questioned the effectiveness of DST’s energy savings. DST positively affects some businesses and professions (such as sports related professions and some farmers), but can also negatively affect some businesses and even the stock market (TV companies and farmers whose products depend on the dew evaporating). It has been argued that extra daylight in the summer also increases public safety and health because extra sunlight allows the body to produce vitamin D and generally makes people happier.

So while you’re soaking up those extra sunrays after work, just remember that its all manmade and subject to change.