He of We took clock inventory last weekend.  He found 7 digital clocks for which he was responsible to changing to Standard Time.  Of those, 5 require selecting AM or PM as part of the time.  One of them is the coffee pot and you can select when you would like it to turn on.  The others have no calendar function, no auto starts, no reason to tell the difference between morning and night.

It’s more of the Just Because You Can Syndrome.  You know what that is.  Just because something can be done doesn’t make it a great idea to do.  For example, there is a suitcase out there with a TSA approved lock.  But then it also has a pouch wherein you secure your key for said lock and this one locks with a key that you can carry on your keychain that you will have to surrender to the conveyor belt at the security.  So now you have two locks.  One that protects the contents of your suitcase unless it is one of the randomly selected, and one that protects. . . nobody is sure.

So, what do these locks have to do with clocks.  Nothing, it was just a cute story.  But back to the clocks.  If there is no reason to tell day from night, why do so many clocks want to be set so.  It would seem the extra electronics would make the clock more expensive.  Or perhaps it’s a way of having the expensive without it being very expensive. 

Before we leave this tale there is more to He’s inventory.  Last weekend he found 7 digital clocks under his roof.  It wasn’t until Tuesday that he noticed two others.  Those are on the wall mounted control pads for the two garage door openers.  Yes, if you want to see the current time and temperature (temperature even!) all you have to do is come over and check out his garage door openers.  A most necessary function for a switch the allows the garage doors to raise and lower.

By the way, yes, they also require AM or PM to be selected.  Just because it can isn’t a reason to do.

Now, that’s what we think.  Really.  How ‘bout you?