Brian Rogers Rogers Rabbits www.sunlive.co.nz

It's the eve of election day and I know you've just been soaking up all the drama and debate ahead of this big occasion. Which is why we've dedicated this column to talking about the weather.

Sure, the election has been scintillating, however we've really have had enough, as Winston would suggest, and would just like to get on with life. There's been some enlightening moments, but also some ridiculous ideas. It's hard to fathom why anyone would feel the need to tax water, when it's been pouring out of the heavens faster than we can drain it away.

The sunshine came back for a brief stint this week, just enough to remind us that summer is around the corner.

Another sure sign is the start of Daylight Saving, also known as Night Time Squandering, which kicks in at 2am on Sunday.

This a time when we should turn forward our smoke alarms and put new batteries in our hands.

Or it could be the other way around.

Shifting the digits

Avid readers of this column will know that there's a much more interesting way to adjust for daylight saving, and that is to shift the digits on the clock back a place.

This saves the effort of having to wind a clock forward an hour. So at 2am for instance, you'll pull the numbers off the clock, putting the three where the two used to be. The four where the three used to be. And so on, until you've put all the numbers back on the clock.

If at any stage you find its 19 o'clock, best to check your digits. This could indicate a problem with your number relocation.

Beware, this system is not guaranteed to work on digital clocks and can be a bit physically demanding to achieve on sundials. It also plays havoc with the Rogers Time Travel Machine, which will need recalibrating again.

The Labrador

There is one time measuring device in our household which can never be adjusted. It's the meal time reminder, otherwise known as The Labrador.

Science has not yet found a way to convince a labrador that dinner time is subject to change by an hour at certain times of the year.

Another way to adjust to daylight saving time is to stop the clock, such as by taking out the batteries for 11 hours, then restart it. This will have the same effect as winding the hands forward an hour, assuming you have a 12 hour clock that doesn't know the difference between am and pm. Sure, it takes about 11 hours longer to achieve the same result, but people who read this column are not the sort of folk who like to cut corners. When we undertake a task, we like to know it has been done thoroughly, to the best of our ability and via the longest possible process. People working on hourly rates especially understand this principle.

It is really important to participate in daylight saving.

We've pointed out in the past that it is necessary to save daylight every day in summer, so there's enough amassed to get you through winter.

Time and time again we've seen people who foolishly didn't save, then found in autumn they've a deficit looming. There are scammers out there, who along with phoning to say you have a problem with windows, will try to sell you surplus daylight. And it doesn't come cheap.

It's daylight robbery.

Some people, who haven't mastered the Digit Relocation system of changing their clocks, are still confused about which way to turn the hands.

Spring forward, fall back

There's a little ditty to help get this right. ‘Spring forward, fall back'. That sounds like quite a lot of physical exercise, so here's a better way to remember which way to turn your hands.

Put your hand in the hand of the man
Who stilled the water
Put your hand in the hand of the man
Who calmed the sea
Take a look at yourself
And you can look at others differently
Put your hand in the hand of the man
From Galilee
Oh yeh!

The ‘oh yeh!' is optional, but Anne Murray seemed to think it necessary.

And if you happen to be talking with the Man From Galilee, give him a heads up:

If he's going to be messing with the water again, be aware someone wants to tax it.