“If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I’d like to do
Is to save every day
Till eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you”

Time in a Bottle,

Jim Croce

Seconds can make a huge difference

In so many ways in our every day lives

The chance encounter in a long waiting line

Missing the bus and meeting one’s future wife

The subway train door that slams in your face

The traffic jam that causes one to miss a flight

The near fatal mishap with an eighteen wheeler

Braking one second to avoid that deer in the night

Waiting a few seconds in your car for your mate

And discovering your favorite song on the radio dial

Pausing another second to smell those proverbial roses

Taking a few extra seconds to really slow down and smile

And tonight the universe is giving each of us a rare gift

One second will be added in our observance of celestial time

The New Year of 2006 will be officially delayed by one second

And I truly hope we all use it to make each of our lives more sublime

Today, at exactly 7 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, one second will be added to our official record of time — Coordinated Universal Time, kept by a series of atomic clocks, housed in environmentally sealed vaults, in 80 timekeeping laboratories around the world, and certified by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures.

The reason for this extra second in the Year 2005: the Earth is slowing down.

Since the days of Sir Isaac Newton, scientists have understood that the time it takes our planet to make a full rotation is getting longer. This gradual deceleration is caused by the gravitational pull of the moon. And this same force that brings us the ocean tides is putting the brakes on the earth, albeit very slowly.

Because ‘time’ is a function of planetary movement, our days are getting longer, and depending on how you look at it, our time is virtually slowing down.

Please Don’t Waste

Your Celestial Gift Tonight

It Might Actually Enhance Your Life

I plan on using my extra second gift

In a time enhanced hug with my wife

And Happy New Year to All

May 2006 Be Good to Everyone

And May it be a Tranquil Year

Filled with Peace Joy and Fun

©2005 and One Extra Second Ed