Daylight Savings, Starlight Shavings?

While it's nice to have a scapegoat, I admit that daylight saving time is a TERRIBLE idea. I mean, what the heck were George Vernon Hudson, William Willett, Robert Pearce, and the various governments of the world thinking? It's moronic. I mean, here's a simple solution that has existed since the dawn of sleep itself: Wake up earlier. Is it such an alien concept that they cannot wrap their minds around it?

Well, okay, in all honesty, there are some benefits to the apparently illogical warping of the time-space continuum as we know it. Sure, we might save a little bit of power on lighting. It'll be easier to be outdoors in the evening, given the daylight. But all in all, the effect is rather illusory. We don't actually get anymore daytime out of it than we normally would have. I believe a better compromise would be for those that it benefits to shift their timetables backwards an hour, rather than shifting the clock for the entire country forward an hour.

Given that the benefits do not outweigh the disadvantages, and in fact, the very opposite is ever so slightly true, it makes no sense to force an entire country to have to deal with something that is potential harmful to the economy. Unfortunately, being just a lowly citizen, I do not feel I am in such a position to make a difference in even something as insignificant as DST. The best I can hope for is to put my opinion out there and hope it gets heard (Or read, as the case might be.).

For posterity, I figured I'd list a few pros and cons of DST.

Pros:	Cons:
• More daylight for retailers and other businesses.	• Less available worktime for farmers and other sun-dependent jobs.
• Better daylight availability reduces traffic collisions and fatalities.	• Causes disruption of sleep patterns and thus health and safety concerns.
• DST is a good time for maintenance of fire alarms, among other things.	• Maintenance of clocks is troublesome and can cause other issues.

At any rate, I'll let you folks decide for yourselves while I mourn the loss of my precious night hours. Daylight might be saved, but moonlight and starlight become lost! (And no, that's not because I made this post in the middle of the night. I'm just a regular night owl.)

Just A Dash Of Liquid Courage: #14

I'm a big fan of country wines, probably due to getting... How to put this... BORED with grape wines... So here's one made with kiwifruit! Oh, and I should probably mention that this wine, unlike Redwood Cellars' other variety, is still, not sparkling.



Redwood Cellars Kiwifruit Wine
750mL bottle at 12.0% ABV
Appearance: 6/10 (C-)
With all the color of an ice wine but the thickness of a sauvignon blanc, I really don't know what to make of this wine's appearance. I guess maybe I expected it to be... Greener.
Aroma/Nose: 6.5/10 (C)
Incredibly sharp and piquant, this wine has an unusually bizarre aroma, not unlike strong white vinegar, though not painful, if you get my meaning.
Mouthfeel: 8.5/10 (B+)
Incredibly smooth and with a tingly sensation on the tongue, this is very unlike any other drink I've ever had. I do not, however, recommend gargling. That hurts. And was completely unintentional.
Flavor: 9/10 (A-)
With a medium sweetness and a ticklish taste of young, green kiwifruit, this wine is very light on the palate, and finishes clean and dry, with yet another flavor I cannot describe.
Overview: 7.5/10 (B-)
A light, crisp wine that would go well with almost any meal, but is more suited to light but flavorsome foods, such as chicken parmigiana. Redwood Cellars delivers once again.

Just A Dash Of Liquid Courage: #13

Figured I'd go for another imported beer, from the same brand that makes my favorite. Not quite what I expected, considering Aventinus, but interesting nonetheless.



Schneider Weisse Original Weissbier
500mL bottle at 5.4% ABV
Appearance: 5/10 (D)
A very cloudy beer with an unusually dark color, especially for a wheat beer. A nice, fine head with even lacing, though it doesn't last.
Aroma/Nose: 7/10 (C+)
A lovely roasted smell, with just a hint of hops and a subtle yeastiness to it. It has overtones of allspice and a vague smokiness to it.
Mouthfeel: 7.5/10 (B-)
A incredibly smooth beer, though perhaps a little on the fizzy side. A very refreshing drink on a hot summer day.
Flavor: 6/10 (C-)
Soft and subtle, this beer is definitely a true weissbier, though with a subtle take on the malt flavor. A developed hoppy flavor with an aftertaste of bitter citrus.
Overview: 6.5/10 (C)
Roundabout a typical beer, this one is lighter and probably a good substitute if you can't get your hands on a summer beer. Otherwise, it doesn't stand out that much.