Al Roker's Blog

Hi, all.

When I hear the word “fool” many things (and people) come to mind.

I won’t go there.

However, you can’t help thinking about the word right now … what with the First of April bearing down on us.

That is, of course, the day reserved for fools and foolishness. But why? In reality, people play pranks and hoaxes all the time. Yet, we seem to celebrate April Fool’s Day as the ultimate in absurdity.

Really, who even knows how it all got started? Turns out no one. But this is what The Encyclopedia Britannica has to say about it:

“First day of April, named for the custom of playing practical jokes on that date.

Though it has been observed for centuries in several countries, including France and Britain, its origin is unknown. It resembles the Hilaria festival of ancient Rome (March 25) and the Holi festival of India (ending March 31). The custom of playing April Fools' jokes was brought to America by the British.”

OK, well that doesn’t really clear too much up (except the part about the British). I did however see another explanation that relates quite closely to the weather and makes sense to me, of course.

As you know April 1st comes as the seasons are changing from winter to spring. The flowers are blooming and the weather is getting warmer. Some think it is this change that lends itself to the day’s lighthearted celebrations. In a sense, we become “nature’s fools."

Actually, that doesn’t sound too bad. If you’re going to be a fool, it might as well be for nature!

Posted by Al Roker at 01:10 PM | Permalink

Hey, gang.

Well, we’re here. Spring. Even if it is still cold where you live no one can take away the fact that winter is finally, officially, undeniably over.

I was trying to put my joy into words, but then realized why bother! There are so many people who’ve already said such profound things about the season. So, I did some research and thought I’d share what I found with you. Here are a few of my favorite spring sayings:

April comes in like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.
-Edna St. Vincent Millay

Spring is sooner realized by plants than by men.
- Chinese Proverb

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant.
- Anne Bradstreet

The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.
-Mark Twain

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.
-Proverb

Of course there’s also the classic “April showers bring May flowers”. But maybe you have an even nicer way of heralding spring. Do you have a spring saying or poem you want to share? If so, send me an email at Weather Plus!

Posted by Al Roker at 06:24 PM | Permalink

It's the time of year when most people in cold weather climates start daydreaming in color again, waiting for the first flowers and green leaves to bloom.

The first really nice day of March is when you'll see folks walking around in t-shirts with no jackets (see my earlier entry on this). You'll also see a lot more smiles on people's faces. And in this age of the iPod, you might just hear more people singing out loud (an unfortunate side effect of spring fever.)

So what songs will people be downloading most over the next few weeks? I have absolutely no idea! But I can tell you some of the songs that come to mind when I think spring:

• "Here Comes The Sun" - The Beatles. George Harrison puts it best: 'It feels like years since it's been here.'

• "Suddenly It's Spring" - Frank Sinatra. Even The Chairman approved of spring.

• "Let It Rain" - Eric Clapton. He knows that April showers bring May flowers -- and anyway, he's in love.

• "Morning Has Broken" - Cat Stevens. It's about sunrise and positive thinking and all the good things that spring makes us feel.

• "Sweet Caroline" - Neil Diamond. Their love started in the spring -- and karaoke bars have rejoiced ever since.
  

Spring officially starts March 20, so crank up the happy tunes and celebrate!

Posted by Al Roker at 05:01 PM | Permalink

Hi Friends!

When it comes to Daylight Saving Time, we all know the saying – “Spring Forward, Fall Back”. Well this year, time will spring forward a few weeks earlier than usual.

Instead of the first Sunday in April, this year Daylight Saving Time (DST) will begin on March 11…three weeks earlier. And instead of ending on the last Sunday in October, DST will end on the first Sunday in November. That means an extra hour of evening sunlight for all of us. It also means an extra hour of safe trick-or-treating for all the youngsters.

So why the early start? Well obviously President Bush and those in Congress who voted for the Energy Policy Act of 2005 knew how horrible my golf game was and wanted to give me an extra hour of sunlight so I can work on my putting stroke. And boy do I need work!

Also, more daylight means you’ll save money on your energy bill since you won’t have to turn on the lights to read my “Hassle-Free Holiday Cookbook.” But then again, if you have an electric stove I guess all that extra cooking you’ll be doing after reading my book will even out the savings in the long run!

Okay, now that I’ve gotten all of the jokes out of the way, let me give you a brief history as to how this whole daylight saving thing started.

Benjamin Franklin first suggested Daylight Saving Time as far back as 1784 as a way to give working folks more hours to enjoy daylight.

It was first put into law back in 1918, but it only lasted a few months. You see, back in those days, people woke up and went to sleep much earlier than we do today. So daylight saving time was more of a nuisance to them.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt put the law in effect again from 1942 through 1945 during WWII as a way of conserving energy and fuel for the war effort.

But it wasn’t until 1966 when the Uniform Time Act was passed that DST became a standard. But even then, there were a few holdouts. Namely Indiana, Hawaii and Arizona. Leave it to those Hoosiers!!!

So now DST is a staple in American life. But so are computers and this year’s early change in DST is causing a Y2K-esque panic across the country.

It’s feared that older computers not initially set up to recognize the new DST rules may crash. Traffic lights may go out of synch, some digital watches may be off an hour and appointments set up on your email system could be off an hour. And no one wants to be the person who shows up an hour late for a meeting with the boss!

So make sure you update your computers. Also, your body may have to get used to the new time changes as well. This is especially true for children. These useful tips from the National Sleep Foundation are just what you and your children need to successfully adjust to the time change.

An extra hour of daylight is just that - an extra hour. So make sure you take full advantage of all that extra light. I know I will.

And finally to all my grammar buffs out there, it’s Daylight “Saving” Time NOT “Savings.” So like that old 1-800-Mattress commercial, you can leave off the last “s” for savings! Ha! Get it? “S” ...for savings? Oh never mind.

- Al

Posted by Al Roker at 12:14 PM | Permalink