Posted on 12/09/2007 9:14:19 AM PST by blam
Hugo Chavez invents new half-hour time zone
By Jeremy McDermott, Latin America Correspondent
Last Updated: 3:35pm GMT 09/12/2007
Venezuela has created its own, unique time zone on the orders of President Hugo Chavez, setting clocks back half an hour and putting the oil-rich nation out of step with its neighbours.
"I don't care if they call me crazy, the new time will go ahead," said Mr Chavez.
Hugo Chavez has already changed the national flag and coat of arms
The president said the change would improve health, as the sun will rise before most Venezuelans get up ensuring all go to work or school in daylight.
"These children have to get up at five in the morning... they arrive at school dead tired," said Mr Chavez. "And why? Because of our time."
Government ministers lined up to support the president's theory.
"The human brain is conditioned by the light of the sun," offered Hector Navarro, the Minister of Science and Technology, assuring that the health and productivity of the nation will improve thanks to the change.
Many Venezuelans were not impressed with the change or bamboozled by the technical jargon coming out of the Science and Technology Ministry.
"The only thing this will do is inject yet more chaos into our lives," said John Marulanda, a young executive. "This president believes in change for change's sake." President Chavez has now changed the flag, the national coat of arms, the salute of the armed forces and the constitution.
He sought to change Venezuela's political system on Dec 2, when he proposed a referendum to enshrine socialism in the constitution and grant the president indefinite re-election and even greater powers.
Fifty-one per cent of Venezuelans said no, delivering Mr Chavez his first electoral defeat in nine years.
However the president has vowed to press ahead with his changes and has enough power through his control of the armed forces, the National Assembly, the judicial system, the Central bank and increasingly of the media, to introduce change without recourse to another referendum.
the sooner the better. He’ll probably exhile to Teheran
I began my post with a statement that I’ve thought for a long time that we should move our time by :30 minutes and forget about DST, decided against posting it since that would put me in line with little Slugg! ;)
Well, at least he will be syncronized with India and Afghanistan.
From this day on, the official language of Venezuela will be Swedish. [Crowd begins to murmur] Silence!
In addition to that, all citizens will be required to change their underwear every half-hour. Underwear will be worn on the outside so we can check.
Furthermore, all children under 16 years old are now… 16 years old
If this is the case, would it take him a half an hour more or less (because of the half hour time zone)?
Good thing I searched for this. I just saw this on TV.
Yeh, happy hour offically becomes happy half-hour.
Next, Hugo plans to implement the 'Decibet.'
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