IT Insights Blog — goofy national days

Humans have been aware of seasonal fluctuation in the number of sunshiny hours per day for thousands of years. The loved-by-some, hated-by-others timekeeping scheme that we now call daylight saving time (DST), however, is a relatively recent innovation. A New Zealand entomologist named George Hudson first proposed the modern DST regimen in 1895, and it gradually caught on with nations around the world (including the United States, in 1918) over the next few decades.

We occasionally shout out some pretty silly national days here at the IT Insights Blog. (Hey, this is a rough gig. YOU try coming up with something new to write about three days a week for an entire year, Mr. Intelligent Trousers.) For example, in additional to being Feb. 27, today is also Anosmia Awareness Day, National Kahlua Day, National Strawberry Day, National Polar Bear Day, and National Retro Day.

There was a big scare in the pancake community earlier this year when International House of Pancakes announced that it had decided to officially change its name to International House of Burgers, making a one-consonant transition from IHOP to IHOB. Rarely has a single letter generated so thunderous an outbreak of hysteria and consternation. A month later, the IHOP braintrust was all, "J/K, LOL, U ppl R so fragile and unequipped to deal with our hilarious marketing stunt."