Chronological Oddity to Hit Digital Clock (in 45 mins your clock will read "01-02-03-04-05-06")

Associated Press ^ | 4/5/6

[presidio9]

Call it a coincidental sign of our digital times or a reason to stay up late and stare at the clock. Either way, early Wednesday morning the time and date will be 01-02-03-04-05-06.

At 1:02 a.m. and three seconds on Wednesday, April 5, 2006, it will be the first hour of the day, the second minute of the hour, the third second of that precious minute in the fourth month of the fifth year of ... uh oh. It's not really the sixth year.

It's actually 2006 — only in our shorthand is it '06.

"It just happens to be a chronological oddity," said Geoff Chester, spokesman for the U.S. Naval Observatory, an official world atomic clock timekeeper. "If you were to use the full year, that would screw things up completely. You do have to bend it a little if you want to make it work. That's what you call 'Finagle's Law of Best Fit'."

Even numerologists, such as Rob Ragozzine, who runs the SimplyNumbers.com web site, dismiss the 1-2-3-4-5-6 moment as merely "a neat coincidence" because of that pesky 2006 thing.

"People are interested in numbers," said Jack Horkheimer, 67-year-old host of the Star Gazer public television show and executive director of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium. "Would I stay up all night waiting for it? Ten years ago, I would have had a party. Now, I will probably be deep in the arms of sleep."

There are less bleary-eyed alternatives. There's 1:02 p.m., but Horkheimer said that's really 13:02 p.m. and doesn't really count.

Chester recommends celebrating universal time, the standard scientific time, which is four hours ahead of eastern daylight time. So 01-02-03-04-05-06 can be celebrated at 9:02 p.m. EDT by calling up the U.S. Naval Observatory's "master clock" then and waiting for the universal time pronouncement, he said. That number is 202-762-1401.

The clock is also on the web at: http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/what1.html.

For much of the world, especially Europe, this odd line-up of numbers doesn't really happen until next month. That's because many countries put the number of the day first, then the number of the month. So for many places, 01-02-03-04-05-06 happens at 1:02 a.m. May 4.

[Looking4Truth]

Not to rub it in, but for committed clock watchers, it truely was the best minute ever.

Oh man, that's just wrong. Kick a man when he's down. :-)

I wonder if Geoff freaking Chester, the best clock watcher, bar none, is cleaning himself off right now.

[Screamname]

AAAUUUGHHHH! OK, whoa damn you win! UUuuugh! I chill just went up my spine looking at that!

[sageb1]

"One interesting thought though is someone told me once the Prophet Mohammed founder of Islam was born June 6th 600 A.D. but many people have told me that is false, but sometimes I wonder if it is."

It certainly would make sense, wouldn't it? Whether the date is right or not, I agree with your take on it.

[ThomasThomas]

12:51 is a favorite of mine.

[JRios1968]

Did you give Helen her good-night kiss?

[Reeses]

You still have a small chance in your future to post a Freeper message at 08/07/06 05:43:21 PM PST.

[bluefish]

I ALWAYS look at the clock (digital...across the room in the kitchen) at 10:08. I've always found it strange that I do that BECAUSE MY BIRTHDAY IS 10/8;

Queue Twilight Zone music! Actually, your newfound explanation makes sense. Must be a huge relief. Or an anti-climatic letdown. Not sure which.

[presidio9]

[Looking4Truth]

You still have a small chance in your future to post a Freeper message at 08/07/06 05:43:21 PM PST.

Oh thank God. All is not lost. I'll put that in my planner. Life is good again.

[Looking4Truth]

Who is that? Is that the great Geoff freaking Chester, greatest clock watcher, bar none?

[presidio9]

The same.

[JayNorth]

Death it seems is be the solution to everything in Islam. Insulting cartoonist or writer? Death. Cheating wife? Death.

You forgot painting your fingernails? Death.

[Heatseeker]

OK my clock now say 1:23 AM, do I get a prize?

[JRios1968]

Only at 1:23:45

[Heatseeker]

Phooey, I missed it. All that prize money gone!

Not to mention 2-3 minutes of my life I'll never get back.

[JRios1968]

You still have a shot...only 10:27PM Pacific!!

[Screamname]

Well I don`t believe that whole stuff, but like I said I sometimes wonder whether there is something more to it. Is Islam Satans answer to Christianity? Think about it, if there is a Satan, would he remain quiet about Christ?

Islam seems to fly in the complete opposite direction of Christianity.."Love thy neighbor, forgiveness..." does not exist in Islam but seems to exist in the exact opposite. "Kill those who get in your way, punish those who screw up."

Plus all Muslims follow this thing called the six articles of faith. Look through Islam you will find many things based on the number 6. Also Mohammed is said by tradition to have been born in the year 570 A.D. so it is quite feasible he could have been born in the year 600.

[Looking4Truth]

This thread has been a hoot for me. Had a bad day but L'dMAO so hard I'm finally tired enough to go to sleep.

FR and FReepers rock.

L8R

[wolficatZ]

"You still have a small chance in your future to post a Freeper message at 08/07/06 05:43:21 PM PST."

***GRIN OF THE DAY AWARD***

[Heatseeker]

Alas, I'll have to pass the torch to you. BTW, I see you were involved with C-5s, were you on the C-5 crash thread yesterday morning? I live near Dover AFB.