Despite the reference in the film "National Treasure" to Ben Franklin first proposing the idea of Daylight Savings Time - one of the many historical inaccuracies in that immensely fun but flawed film - the idea goes back to ancient civilizations who were apparently a lot more flexible in how they kept time than we are.This National Geographic piece has some nice background on the history of DST, but the bottom line is that for most Americans, except those living close to time zone boundaries - Daylight Savings Time is unnecessary. There is evidence that there is no discernible savings in energy, little impact on public safety, and a negative impact on economic activity except for a few industries like convenience stores, golf courses and some retailers. At best, it can be said that there are as many negative effects as positive effects.Why then, must we dutifully turn our clocks back today? Politics plays a role, as you might expect. Based on questionable studies, the US...(Read Full Post)