Why is it dark at 5 p.m. Mom?

Daylight saving time (DST) was originally introduced during World War I as a means of saving energy.

We still use daylight saving time today in most of the United States (Arizona has not observed DST for over 40 years). The reason being is that during DST time the sun would not set until 9 p.m. in Arizona, which experiences a lot of summer heat.

The state asked for and was granted an exemption.

There has been a strong debate over the merits of keeping DST time or keeping standard time year-round.

Many proponents cite that keeping DST will decrease energy costs, but several studies have shown that there is either no change or the cost of energy actually increases.

My views on DST are pretty simple. One time a year I get an hour less sleep and that makes me unhappy.

One night a year I get one hour more sleep, and that makes me happy.

That about sums up me, other than I don’t really like having midnight-esque darkness outside at 5 p.m. during the winter.

After all, I have to attend high school playoff football games and take pictures, and pictures shot in natural light will always look better than when a scene is lit artificially.

I also attend basketball games all winter long, and sometimes it will be pitch black by the time I even get to the gym.

Oh well, such things are beyond the needs and opinions of one sports journalist.

My stepdad has long been an opponent of DST. He would rather that everyone leave the clocks alone and keep standard time throughout the year.

No shorter sleep in the spring, no longer sleep in the fall.

Here’s one easy trick to remember which way the clocks go and when; they spring forward and fall back.

That’s called a mnemonic device kids, just like counting your knuckles to remember which months have 30 or 31 days. I still do.