Slightly OT: Atomic Clocks

Pistof

"Benjamin Weiner" <bjw@mambo.ucolick.org> wrote in message
news:40774bfc$1@darkstar...
> onefred <dataylor123@yahoo.com> wrote: [deletia]
>
> > > > The amazing thing to learn from this experience was that NASA
engineers
> > > > don't need to get to work on time until a few days after we non-NASA
folk
> > > > do! I guess their communications satellites don't need to know the
correct
> > > > time until Monday, too. I thought it was Federal law that required
us to
> > > > observe daylight savings, so why wouldn't the government have it
right?
>
> > > I don't know what NASA engineers prefer (NASA has nothing to do with
> > > NIST or WWV, of course), but anyone who really needs to know what
> > > time it is for serious purposes, especially space-based, is using UTC
> > > anyway.
>
> > Wake-up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, Ben?
>
> I guess you mean it as funny, but it ticks me off when somebody
> makes a mistake like failing to set their clock to the correct time
> because of an over-reliance on cheap consumer electronics, and
> then goes on a rant about NASA engineers and the government.

Hey, wait a second. NASA and other government employees often are the
object of ridicule and plesantry. It's meant in jest. I don't sincerely
feel that because someone works for the government, they are stupid.
Perhaps I just watch too much late night satire.

Also, I've some cheap consumer electronics that work like a charm. Not all
of us can afford to buy professional caliber stuff all of the time.

> Don't blame the government for not getting you up in time.

[Oh God, give me strength...]

> Now if you want to blame anything on NASA _managers_, that would
> be fine with me.

Whoa. This an attempt at humor, Mr. Weiner? 'Cause you got a giggle out'a
me.

> BTW, I had to wake up that morning to start (and score) an MTB race,
> too. I went around the house at 10 pm the night before setting
> the clocks forward. Even the ones in the car (why are there _two_
> clocks in my car? Don't ask).

OK.

Dave