So they say spring is round the corner, today marks the first day of Spring '10. It couldn't have been better, one couldn't have asked for more - a low 70 deg F temperature the hustle and bustle in town and no cloud in sight ... woohoo !

Its been a while since we've been postponing the visit, since it was winter we didn't want to go out there in the single digit temperatures, although they say some of the best sightings are possible in winter. Star gazing at the Planetarium / Observatory. I didn't know that there are sessions organized by the Museum of Science [weather permitting of course]. So we went to explore; being a Friday we didn't expect much crowd but were surprised to see about 50 ppl waiting to learn more about our neighbors and neighboring galaxies, waiting to see what they might have read on paper.

It was fun, after a few minutes of standing in the queue we were able to see something - The Orion cluster, Mars and Saturn. All three visible by naked eye but a telescope adds a glitter and much more detail - like the gas floating around in Orion and the red Mars. Nice start, I'd say, for any one who wants to explore what you can see using a telescope - visit your nearby observatory; am sure they would have something going on in the summer.

Phew! Nice weekend all around and hopefully we've seen the end of snow/winter. On a separate note, I can't believe its been almost a year since I wrote a post out here. Hopefully the summer will infuse some energy and an enthusiasm to get rid of my writer's block.

I don't have a digital timepiece [thank god], I'd have to wind my analog watch, one hour ahead tonight/tomorrow morning - thanks to the DST which, as you all know, takes place 3 weeks earlier this year.


I've been reading about it and hearing about all the "patch" work going on now-a-days. While some claim that this could turn out to be a mini Y2K problem, I don't believe there should be an issue. Will have to wait 3 more weeks or so and keep an eye on the stats provided by hospitals, the airline industry, business week, IT industry etc... Here are some facts I was able to extract from the net -

Reuters -

• Softball teams, which gather on playing fields after work, will be able to start their seasons earlier, as will backyard barbecue enthusiasts.
• Candy manufacturers see brisker sales at Halloween as children will have an extra hour of daylight to go door-to-door begging for sweets during the late-October holiday.
• Some in law enforcement think evening crime rates could fall.
• Orthodox Jews, who wait until sunrise to say morning prayers, lobbied against the provision.
• Airliners complained it would throw their international schedules further out of sync with Europe, costing the industry millions of dollars.
• The energy savings would translate into a 10.8 million-metric-ton reduction in carbon emissions over the next 13 years. While 10.8 million metric tons of carbon emissions may sound like a lot, it pales in comparison to the 5.9 billion metric tons the United States emitted just in 2004 [DOE].

• A few days before the time shift, start going to bed a little earlier each night – even 15 minutes earlier for three days can make a difference. In addition, set your alarm clock for 15 minutes earlier. [are you kidding me?]
• The Monday morning commute the day after DST starts is especially hard, and is associated with a spike in sleepy-driving crashes.

Well, what can I say. I've never felt anything (I mean anything different) whenever this "annoying" stuff happens twice a year. The, so called, Jet lag when you do an Intl. travel is something, I'd say, makes you go crazy for a week or two. That doesn't mean other people won't have problems right ? If you need any info - follow the tips suggested by American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Hope you have a nice Sat/Sun and be careful while Springing Forward :)

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Name: Rajesh

Location: Boston, MA, United States

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