Change the Time

Spring forward...Fall back....

It's ingrained in our consciousness almost as much as the A-B-Cs or our spelling reminder of "i before e...." And it's a regular event, though perhaps a bit less regular than the swallows coming back to Capistrano.

Yet in those four words is a whole collection of trivia, facts and common sense about Daylight Saving Time.

Beginning in 2007, Daylight Saving Time is extended one month and begins for most of the United States at:

2 a.m. on the Second Sunday in March

and lasts until

2 a.m. on the First Sunday of November.

The new start and stop dates were set in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Daylight Saving Time - for the U.S. and its territories - is NOT observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and by most of Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona).

Daylight Saving Time Saves Energy

One of the biggest reasons we change our clocks to Daylight Saving Time (DST) is that it reportedly saves electricity. Newer studies, however, are challenging long-held reason.

In general, energy use and the demand for electricity for lighting our homes is directly connected to when we go to bed and when we get up. Bedtime for most of us is late evening through the year. When we go to bed, we turn off the lights and TV.

In the average home, 25 percent of all the electricity we use is for lighting and small appliances, such as TVs, VCRs and stereos. A good percentage of energy consumed by lighting and appliances occurs in the evening when families are home. By moving the clock ahead one hour, we can cut the amount of electricity we consume each day.

Daylight Saving Time "makes" the sun "set" one hour later and therefore reduces the period between sunset and bedtime by one hour. This means that less electricity would be used for lighting and appliances late in the day. We may use a bit more electricity in the morning because it is darker when we rise, but that is usually offset by the energy savings in the evening.

In the winter, the afternoon Daylight Saving Time advantage is offset by the morning's need for more lighting. In spring and fall, the advantage is less than one hour. So, Daylight Saving Time saves energy for lighting in all seasons of the year except for the four darkest months of the year (November, December, January and February) when the afternoon advantage is offset by the need for lighting because of late sunrise.

History of Daylight Saving Time

Daylight Saving Time is a change in the standard time of each time zone. Time zones were first used by the railroads in 1883 to standardize their schedules. According to the The Canadian Encyclopedia Plus by McClelland & Stewart Inc., Canada's "[Sir Sandford] Fleming also played a key role in the development of a worldwide system of keeping time. Trains had made obsolete the old system where major cities and regions set clocks according to local astronomical conditions. Fleming advocated the adoption of a standard or mean time and hourly variations from that according to established time zones. He was instrumental in convening an International Prime Meridian Conference in Washington in 1884 at which the system of international standard time -- still in use today -- was adopted.”

Daylight Saving Time has been around for most of this century and even earlier.

Benjamin Franklin, while a minister to France, first suggested the idea in an essay titled "An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light." The essay was first published in the Journal de Paris in April 1784. But it wasn't for more than a century later that an Englishman, William Willett, suggested it again in 1907.

In 1918, in order to conserve resources for the war effort, the U.S. Congress placed the country on Daylight Saving Time for the remainder of WW I. It was observed for seven months in 1918 and 1919. The law, however, proved so unpopular that it was later repealed.

When America went to war again, Congress reinstated Daylight Saving Time on February 9, 1942. Time in the U.S. was advanced one hour to save energy. It remained advanced one hour forward year-round until September 30, 1945.

From 1945 to 1966, there was no U.S. law about Daylight Saving Time. So, states and localities were free to observe Daylight Saving Time or not.

This, however, caused confusion -- especially for the broadcasting industry, and for trains and buses. Because of the different local customs and laws, radio and TV stations and the transportation companies had to publish new schedules every time a state or town began or ended Daylight Saving Time.

By 1966, some 100 million Americans were observing Daylight Saving Time through their own local laws and customs. Congress decided to step in end the confusion and establish one pattern across the country. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 (15 U.S. Code Section 260a) created Daylight Saving Time to begin on the last Sunday of April and to end on the last Sunday of October. Any area that wanted to be exempt from Daylight Saving Time could do so by passing a local ordinance. We’ve Had DST in one form or another ever since.

JetBlue to go Wireless

Wifi is pretty scarce in the skies right now.

There are only seven airlines that offer wifi in the U.S., and even then, it's not available on every flight.

We found an easy way to check if your flight offers wifi with a website called HasWifi. The site is simple to use. Just select your airline and flight number and HasWifi will let you know if wifi is available.

You can also help improve the site's results by voting yes or no if you had wifi on that particular flight. Eventually, an API will be open to developers, so expect to see smartphone apps soon.

We’ve been hot on the trail of JetBlue’s plans for fleetwide WiFi access in the coming years, and it looks like tray table connectivity has just gotten a step closer to actually happening.

Just don’t get too excited if you have a trip booked for later in 2011, as in-flight WiFi on JetBlue won’t be happening until 2012 at the earliest.

JetBlue has been working with ViaSat on all the satellite technology to get the newfangled connectivity options off the ground.

Now the airline has reached an agreement to use ViaSat-1, which is the world’s highest capacity Ka-band satellite. Hmm—sounds speedy. Seriously though, it should be rapid fast for passengers—although they’re not giving specifics—as well as having increased bandwidth for whenever passengers hit YouTube all at once.

The price tag for the technology is going to cost at least $30 million, as JetBlue is planning to utilize the new technology on both its Airbus A320 and Embraer E190 jets.

One of the next steps is certification through the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure that things work just as well up in the air as they do on paper. After that we’re thinking that it’s going to be a lot of late nights for those JetBlue employees working in the maintenance hangars.

Again, 2012 seems to be roundabout date you can expect to test things out for yourself, but we don’t know exactly which month—obviously we’re hoping for January. Once JetBlue, LiveTV, and ViaSat get all the kinks worked out with the new service, their attention will move over to Continental Airlines, as they’ll also be scoring some satellite technology within the next couple of years.

This post originally appeared in Jaunted

The 10 Most Downloaded Free iPad Apps Of All Time

iPads are the way to travel now.  No longer do you have to pull the device out of your bag as you go through security in the airport and for portable or short-term use you just can’t beat their convenience.  Add all those reasons in with the fact that you can still get more apps from apple than any other provider and why wouldn’t you use one for travel?

Apple recently released a list of the top ten free iPad apps downloaded from the App Store.

Just because you spent serious cash on an iPad doesn't mean you need to spend even more to take advantage of various games and utilities for it.

Have a look and see if anything suits your needs.

1.   Solitaire is the definitive one-player card game. Play it anywhere you go.

2.  The Bible app is exactly what you'd expect it to be. Choose different translations, search words and phrases, or just read from it.

3.  iBooks is Apple's exclusive online bookstore and eBook reader. Start reading differently.

4.  Use Remote to control your iTunes library over wifi. Adjust volume and change songs effortlessly.

5.  With Fandango, you can read reviews and buy movie tickets before you ever get to the theater. Stop waiting in line!

6.  Yelp finds establishments near you and provides you with user reviews. Make an informed decision for your next impromptu dinner date.

7.  Use Google Earth to help you arrive at your destination, or simply browse interesting satellite photos of the entire surface of the world.

8.  Movies by Flixster sets you up with trailers, showtimes, and critic reviews of new movies. Know what you're getting yourself into the next time you head to the theater.

9.  Search Google by voice, check your email, access your calendar, and more with the Google Mobile app from everyone's favorite search engine.

10. Pandora builds a radio station customized to your liking and streams it to you for free.

Pump Iron On The Road!

Whether you're just starting out with your workout program or are a seasoned veteran, one thing is for certain and that is that at some point, motivation is going to become a challenge.

While it would be nice to think that there are some people out there who just have naturally high motivational levels at all times, this simply is just not the case.

Everyone suffers from motivational lags from time to time and it's only those who come up with an action plan to solve this that are able to move forward and carry on seeing the results that they're after.

Let's take a quick look at four steps you should know in order to stay motivated for your workout sessions.

Set Mini-Goals Along With Long-Term Goals

The very first thing that you should do is set mini-goals along with any of the long term goals that you set for yourself. One big problem that often happens is that people are excited when they first start working towards reaching that long term goal, but as they begin working towards this goal, they find that slowly they lose sight of that 'light at the end of the tunnel'.

Since it can be difficult working towards something unattainable in the short term, it makes it especially important to set mini-goals that you can reach along the way.

This way you can set your sights on that mini-goal and feel a great sense of accomplishment as soon as you reach it. As you continue on and reach mini-goal after mini-goal, eventually you'll land yourself at that end goal you were striving hard for from the start.

Change Up Your Workout Regularly

Secondly, make sure that you have a workout program that includes enough variety. While there's nothing wrong with understanding which exercises work best and really placing a high amount of focus on each one, at the same time you must remember that you're very likely to get bored using this approach. Instead, change up your workout. Try a new exercise, join a group fitness class, or take your workout outside. The change of pace every now and then might just be the motivational push that you need to move yourself forward.

Join A Fitness-Minded Group

The third thing that you can do to help yourself stay motivated on your program is to join a fitness minded group. Whether you sign up with a running or walking group or even just get together with some other people who are interested in living healthier and working out regularly, having that interpersonal support can really help keep you focused on the goals you've set for yourself.

If you're really ambitious you may even want to consider signing up for a race or competition. Many people find that this helps keep them focused and motivated to hit their goals.

Use A Journal

Finally, the last thing to help yourself stay motivated is using a journal. While at first it may seem like a pain having to track what you're eating, what you're doing in the gym, as well as how you feel on a day to day basis, this really can prove to be incredibly helpful.

Then when you look back later and see just how far you've come, it'll make all that effort worthwhile and help you realize just how much each day does move you forward closer to your overall goals.

Try these great ideas to keep yourself motivated and working hard. Don't forget that motivation is very individually specific so try these tips and come up with a least a few other things you feel will work for you. If you put forth a continual effort to maintain your motivation, eventually living an active lifestyle will become a natural habit that you'll have no problem sticking with long-term.

Article by Stacie Sherman of Fitness & Vine Retreat. Ranked the #3 Weight Loss Program in the USA by International Business Times.

On the Go Diet Tips

From fast food to room service, business travelers face a lot of unhealthy temptations on the road. That doesn't mean, however, that you have to abandon your diet when you're traveling for work. Learn how to make healthier choices with these easy tips.

1. Pack Your Own In-Flight Snacks

Unless you are in first class, you aren't getting anything to eat or drink without shelling out some moola. Not only that, but the snack boxes aren't exactly healthy (though we love pretzels and peanuts as much as the next person). Instead, stash a few healthy granola or protein bars in your carry-on, or pack some unsalted, heavy-on-the-fruit trail mix (hint: the ones with M&M's aren't the best pick here, sadly).

2. Eat Breakfast

Whether at home or in the hotel, try to make time for breakfast every day. You'll be less inclined to hit the office muffin cart or overeat at that lunch is you've started your day out with a healthy meal. If you are dining at the hotel, try to eat fruit and non-sugared cereal with a boiled egg. Carb-laden breakfast treats, while tasty, aren't your friend.

3. Do Your Own Cooking

If you are in an extended stay hotel, you'll most likely have a small cooktop and microwave. Avoid eating out and hit the local grocery store for some fresh fruit, oatmeal packets and healthy, microwaveable dinners (pay attention to the sodium levels!)

4. Drive-Through with Caution

It's hard to avoid the drive-thru on the road, but you can find healthy options amid the burgers and fried nuggets. Look for words like "grilled" and order all sandwiches without mayo, cheese or spcial sauces. Eliminating a bun can shave off extra calories, as well. Order salads with vinaigrette dressings on the side, and avoid fatty toppings like cheese, croutons and those tasty fried noodles. FitnessMagazine.com has compiled a handy cheat-sheet of the healthiest eats at fast food eateries and popular chain restaurants to make sticking to your diet even easier on the go.

5. Order Wisely

If you can choose where to eat, steer your dinner party toward Japanese over Chinese, Pizza instead of Mexican. Salads might seem like an obvious choice, but fad-laden dressings and toppings can pack on the calories, so be sure to choose light dressings (on the side!), grilled chicken or fish protein and filling ingredients like beans and avocado. Opt for the plainest chicken or fish dish on the menu, avoid buttery sauces, and ask for extra broccoli or veggie medley instead of fries or a potato.

Travel Apps

I try to stay on top of what is trending now in the world of Travel Apps since our guests are constantly looking for something that can make their travels easier.  I found this from CNN and think it could help a lot of travelers get apps that can help or update an old or not very good app.

(CNN) -- There are seemingly millions of smartphone apps out there designed to make traveling easier, but not all of them are very good. Every company seems to think that it needs an app to be cool, but not every app is worth the effort.

Here are some of the apps that I find to be most helpful while on the road:

FlightAware

I'm one of those guys who always thinks that more information is better, and that's why I like FlightAware. You can see exactly where your flight (or any other flight) is at the moment. I've used the FlightAware website for years to see near real-time flight tracking, and now there's an app as well.

Were you told your airplane is coming from Wichita, but it's still not there and you should be boarding? Go to FlightAware to see where the airplane is right now. FlightAware is hardly the only one in this space. Other frequent fliers swear by FlightTrack Pro, for example.

GateGuru

When I was in Atlanta recently, my wife was looking for something before our next flight. Trying to find the right store in an airport the size of Hartsfield-Jackson is a mind-numbing experience. GateGuru, however, gives the rundown on which stores and restaurants are in each terminal and it pulls in reviews as well. If you're in an airport looking for a particular product or service, this will make your task much easier.

Hotel Tonight

Have you ever been somewhere and realized you needed a room for the night? Maybe your flight was canceled or perhaps your meetings ran long. This company negotiates deals with hotels for last-minute rooms in many big cities. Within seconds, you can have the room reserved for a low rate.

Taxi Magic

If you don't know a city well, the taxi scene can be confusing. Where is the best place to hail a cab? How much should you pay? Taxi Magic makes it a lot easier. If there's a participating cab company in your city, Taxi Magic will have a cab sent right to you.

You can pay directly through the app so you don't have to worry about whether credit is accepted or not. The app and booking services are free, and there's a $1.50 documentation fee for using a credit card through the app.

If there isn't a participating cab company in the area, Taxi Magic will give you phone numbers for local companies so you can call and arrange for a cab yourself.

TripIt

If you've ever used TripIt online to manage your travel, you know it's a great tool for keeping all your travel plans in one place. Of course, there's also an app for that. See and manage all your travel plans in the TripIt app so you never lose your details. Beyond the basics of flights, hotels and cars, you can also put in things like appointments and meals.

Your airline app

This isn't one app; it's dependent upon which airline you fly. If you fly a different airline every time, then it's probably not worth downloading every single airline app. But if you're a loyalist, you should absolutely have it.

There are some excellent apps out there that allow you to check flight status, see the standby list, book flights and even check in. Apps will store a mobile boarding pass so you can just flash your phone to get on the airplane (not in all airports, but it's getting there). Some airlines have better apps than others. I've heard rave reviews about the new United Airlines app, but get the apps for the airlines you fly frequently.

What would you add to the list?

Halloween Plans

As you begin to plan your trips into Alexandria or the D.C. area keep in mind we are coming up on the bewitching month!  And so you may want to thrill your inner child or bring your children and let them experience some Halloween fun they may not be able to see at home.

We’ve been known to scare the pants off some of the faint of hearts with these fine family friendly events:

Ghost and Graveyard Tour

You’ll follow an 18th century costumed guide by lantern light through the haunted streets of Old Town hearing ghost stories, legends and folklore!

You will hear about unsolved mysteries, tales of romance and angry ghosts looking for revenge.

Each tour is a one-hour, six-block walking tour. At the tour’s end we’ll abandon you in a graveyard!

For Times and Dates:  Click HERE

15th Annual Halloween Parade

Plans are underway for one of Del Ray’s favorite traditions, the Annual Del Ray Halloween Parade.  This year it will be held on Sunday, October 30^th at 2 pm.  Last year, more than 5,000 participated in this annual event which included over 2,000 children, special dignitaries and elected officials; over 50 pets in Halloween costumes; and 25 decorated strollers.

The parade begins at 2 p.m. at Mt. Vernon Avenue, south of E. Bellefonte and continues down to the Mount Vernon Recreational Center play fields at Mt. Vernon and Commonwealth Avenues. Children, pets, and strollers in costumes are invited to march and show off their finest and scariest Halloween garb. To register your stroller or pet, just look for the signs and registration desks on Mt. Vernon at E. Bellefonte beginning at 1:30 p.m.  There is no registration required for children and families that march in the parade.


Marine Corp Marathon

The same weekend as our Halloween Parade, this is will be a very busy weekend around the Alexandria area.  Cannons will boom and smoke in Arlington signifying the start of the 36th Annual Marine Corps Marathon — “The People’s Marathon” — and 10K. The 26.2-mile course through Arlington and Washington will include more than 22,000 total participants.  Get your rooms now!