Old Town Hall Clock in Prague. Taken by Simpologist (Flickr).
The fall time change has played havoc with the clocks at the University of Arnor.
Our clocks are set and run by a central timekeeping piece at Facilities Services that is supposed to keep all the clocks on campus showing the same time. Or, at least, that’s the theory. In practice, no two clocks ever show the same time and large jumps like the one engendered over the weekend by Daylight Savings Time sends them off into another dimension entirely. Possibly the Fourth Dimension, but we can’t be sure.
Today, we received the following notice on the library listserv:
The Facilities Services guys are experiencing problems with changing the clocks. They said we may experience several scenarios before they get back on actual time.
Prompted by this message, my colleague, Paul, listed some “scenarios” that we might experience. With his permission, I have reprinted his list below:
- The preserved, jarred head of Leonard Nimoy answers your questions at the Media counter.
- A souped-up DeLorean accelerates towards 88 miles per hour, then disappears in a flash of fire just before colliding with the Reference desk.
- You find yourself repeatedly attending a press conference for Punxsutawney Phil.
- A sunglasses-wearing cyborg asks you for directory information on a “Sarah Connor”. (If this is public information, you are required to give it to him).
- The figure of a long-dead librarian appears before you in a space-suit, floating and partially transparent, but you are unable to warn her, before she returns to her own time, that reference services are doomed.
- Daleks assume control of the library administration, exterminating non-exempt staff and stifling innovation.
- You realize that you’re working on the same damned thing you were working on an hour ago.
If you encounter any of these scenarios, please report them immediately to Facilities Services.
It’s gonna be a looong week.
Those scenarios are SUCH a riot! I really needed them on this first snowy day of standard time darkness. Thanks!