Daylight exacerbates warning
You may have noticed that March of this year was particularly hot. As a matter of fact, I understand that it was the hottest March since the beginning of the last century. All of the trees were fully leafed out and legions of bugs and snakes were crawling around during a time in Arkansas when, on a normal year, we might see a snowflake or two. This should come as no surprise to any reasonable person. As you know, Daylight Saving Time started almost a month early this year. You would think that members of Congress would have considered the warming effect that an extra hour of daylight would have on our climate. Or did they ? Perhaps this is another plot by a liberal Congress to make us believe that global warming is a real threat. Perhaps next time there should be serious studies performed before Congress passes laws with such far-reaching effects.
You may have noticed that March of this year was particularly hot. As a matter of fact, I understand that it was the hottest March since the beginning of the last century. All of the trees were fully leafed out and legions of bugs and snakes were crawling around during a time in Arkansas when, on a normal year, we might see a snowflake or two. This should come as no surprise to any reasonable person. As you know, Daylight Saving Time started almost a month early this year. You would think that members of Congress would have considered the warming effect that an extra hour of daylight would have on our climate. Or did they ? Perhaps this is another plot by a liberal Congress to make us believe that global warming is a real threat. Perhaps next time there should be serious studies performed before Congress passes laws with such far-reaching effects.
CONNIE M. MESKIMEN / Hot Springs
The link to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette in which this letter appears is here.
Connie's attorney profile, map of directions, and all her contact info are listed here.
Props to my friend, Boris (hey, he let me pick the nickname.. so.), for sending me these today!
God help the people of Little Rock.
**************************
UPDATED!
Note to anonymous: I didn't find your proof that the above letter from Ms. Meskimen was tongue-in-cheek at all, but I did find a response from someone else in Little Rock who counters her 'logic.' Um.. my favorite part is highlighted..
Climate change is real
No doubt mine will not be the only response to letter writer Connie Meskimen. First of all, she is correct to acknowledge the changes we’ve all seen in seasonal patterns. Sadly, though, she apparently doesn’t want to believe that this is indeed a result of global climate change, which will continue to have an impact on our environment until notable measures are taken to slow the damage being done to our atmosphere. To deny that the problem exists is just willful ignorance. With regard to the extension of Daylight Saving Time, I would like to point out that this measure was enacted by a Republican-controlled Congress and signed by a Republican president as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. So much for her vast, left-wing, liberal conspiracy. But perhaps her most bizarre thinking is that somehow Congress has created an extra hour of daylight out of thin air. Anyone with even a basic understanding of reality knows that the number of hours of daylight we have on any given day isn’t altered by simply resetting a clock. We also know that this simple shift of time can help reduce the consumption of energy by delaying the increased need and use of electricity after sundown. Perhaps Meskimen can find an elementary school student to explain it to her.
C. A. GILBERT / North Little Rock
Thank you, God. There's hope for at least the northern part of Little Rock. Hallelujah!
13 comments:
it's all a tounge-in-cheek joke.
search for "connie meskimen" here: http://www.nwanews.com/search/
anonymous: Ok, I did your search. Didn't find anything showing that this was tongue-in-cheek actually. It's in the 'Letters' section w/ other 'real' letters. Until they print something otherwise, I'm going w/ what's there. But I am going to print the letter from today from another reader in North Little Rock. It's awesome.
Some years ago the states on the Eastern seaboard of Australia each debated in their respective government offices to enact a uniform Daylight Saving...3 of the 4 states agreed, one state, queensland decided to not enact Daylight Saving...the reason:
It would confuse the cows and they would not know what time they were going to be milked.
...you just have to laugh that someone could say that with a straight face.
indi: Just for you sugar, I found another blog who listed this atty's letter and your note about Australia made me go back and find one of the comments because from what you said, now I get it. He also said something about the cows. Thanks!
"I once heard an airline captain chuckle while announcing ".. we are now entering Queensland .. please put your clocks back an hour .. and your calendars back 100 years."
a good insight into daylight savings, and how it results in higher energy consumption in america.
http://tinyurl.com/2w4keg
anonymous: Well, thank your former Republican congress then.
2nd anonymous whose comment was deleted: Keep that shit up and I'll go back to moderating comments. Go harass someone else. You're not welcome here.
Any coincidence that Ms Meskimin is a sole practitioner? By the way, the original, even had a typo in the headline (that was priceless)
anonymous: Supposedly, Ms is a Mr. and under the link I found, yes, he is a sole practitioner, not that I know what that means. Bankruptcy law apparently. And I saw the typo too! Someone else pointed that out on another comment from the blog that was sent to me by my friend. 'Warning' really should be 'Warming.' Just too funny.
This site links to one of Connie's other letters, i think this proves the letter to be "tongue in cheek". http://richiejay.blogspot.com/2007/04/vast-liberal-conspiracy.html
I also wonder if Connie wrote warning or if it is a newspaper transcription error???
virginia: Thanks for the comment and reading, but again, I don't see that another blogger's research is definitive proof that the letter is bogus or tongue-in-cheek at all. The only thing I can come up with is this - and maybe I just don't get it - but the paper is called the Arkansas DEMOCRATIC Gazette. Why are so many conservatives reading and writing into it?! However, the blogger you listed says the paper's link couldn't be found, which the only reason I found it was because it was linked directly by other bloggers who were talking about this. Same as the contact info. Highly likely this Connie isn't the lawyer Connie.. but it's not 'fake' enough to be satire or poking enough fun subtley or otherwise that anyone can clearly see this is a joke. Just my opinion tho. Middle America believes what they want and she/he is an obvious example of that. If the paper ever posts it a fake or if there is undeniable evidence elsewhere, I'm happy to believe it. Til then, this was listed amongst other 'real' letters. I'm leaning to that. :)
Snopes sez Nopes:
http://www.snopes.com/humor/letters/daylight.asp
"Evidently Mr. Meskimen has been receiving a number of direct inquiries about his bit of satire, as the voicemail at his office phone presents callers with the following message: "If you are calling about the Daylight Savings Time letter and wish to explain global warming or daylight savings time to me, I would urge you to get a sense of humor and/or a life, in that order. Unless, of course, you want to pay me for an interview; if so, please leave your telephone number and I will expediently return your call."
Note to all anonymouses (sp?): I just wanna say thank you for stopping by but geez, this is the most anonymous commentors I've ever had!
last anonymous: Yup.. I see it.. however, he still sent the letter, and I stand by the fact that if your satire isn't coming across, you're not a very good satirist now are you? Honestly, it just made him sound dumb.. or maybe petty at best. I'm not certain what the point is of a joke of that nature. At least drive home a point w/ your satire. Or clearly, whatever point he was making was missed by many.
I have this letter in my office. A woman I work with has a daughter that lives in Arkansas and sent to her (We happen to work in an environmental agency).
There is no indication that this letter was tongue-in-cheek...
Needless to say, we were appalled - APPALLED - to see such utter nonsense thrown about as reasoning to debunk climate change.
You can add this to the list of things I hate :) and at the risk of sounding a bit too "carltonian", but goddamnit, I get PISSED!
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