185 thoughts on “I'm sure there's a logical explanation for it. I just don't know what it is.”

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  6. One way to get rid of that – beat it with a hammer.

    I always wake up before the *&%#!^@ alarm goes off anyways. Wth is that about?!?

  9. OMG! It’s part of the TARDIS. The Doctor is gonna be so irked it’s missing.

  10. my microwave asks me for the date every time I have to reset the clock when the power goes off can you explain that to me, also?

  11. One way to get rid of that – beat it with a hammer.

    I always wake up before the *&%#!^@ alarm goes off anyways. Wth is that about?!?

  16. Ugh, I remember the time I set the year wrong and slept right through my math final. And the first two years of college.
    TALK ABOUT EMBARRASSING.

  17. It could be intended for Sleeping Beauty type situations. Or alien abductees. Or people who have a lot of flashbacks. Actually, that might really come in handy at some point.

  19. They’re just effing with you, Jenny. Just ignore that button, it isn’t like pressing it will cause a rift in the space-time fabric or summon a TARDIS or anything like that…

    ~EdT.

  20. So you got one of those never have to set it alarm clocks with the dead battery too?

    Mine self adjusts for Daylight Savings and Standard time. Which is nice if you have it on the wrong date so it adjusts after you adjust and then everybody is up an hour earlier than they need to be. But of course it takes at least 30 minutes to figure out you’re up early because the coffee hasn’t kicked in.

  21. Since every body else is going to go with the Doctor, I’ll say it’s River Song’s. Has to keep track of when she’s last met the Doctor.

  22. Isn’t it obvious? It’s one of those plots from the scientists. They’re gonna give you some extra medication, which will make you sleep until you hear the particular frequency emitted by this alarm clock, which will be set to 50 years in the future. The point of the experiment is to provide future generations with a walking, talking (albeit somewhat confused) person from our generation, whose memory hasn’t deteriorated yet, and who can tell everyone all about everything that was happening and exactly what we thought about it.
    Don’t worry, you’re not the only one, there’s a whole slew of unsuspecting others also soon to undergo the same process.
    Blame Victor, he’s the one who consented to it all.

  26. Obviously it’s a time machine and 400 more people are gonna come up w that joke.

    Yes. I’m from the future

  28. Maybe there’s a Rip Van Winkle-esque epidemic going on and people are waking up from what they thought was a short cat nap & instead are now 85 years old & have to pee really bad.

  29. Some alarm clocks have a button that you can roll over and hit to see the date when you wake up. It’s probably that. Now that I think about it I need that option on my alarm clock because I keep missing days. All the alien abductions get me confused about what day it is when I wake up in the morning.

  30. …..that was far longer than I expected. Anyway. I’m doing you a favour by telling you all this, trust me. *knowing nod* I mean, when have strangers from the internet ever given you bad advice?

  31. That’s so you can take it with you when you visit Hong Kong where it is like 2022 or Oklahoma where it’s 1987

  32. I have that same model clock and I never even noticed the year button. Whoops. I wonder what year my clock thinks it is…

  38. Its so you can time travel, duh. Just don’t go to the dinosaur times. We all know what happened in Jurassic Park.

  39. Don’t tell me you’ve never woken up in the middle of being seriously down with a disease and wondered what century, continent, and state of consciousness this actually is. Apparently certain substances will induce the same confusion, but I wouldn’t know anything about that.

  42. Maybe for the same reason my microwave has a date function. I don’t know what that reason could be, but I bet they are the same one.

  44. It’s to set the date, to help those of us with dementia remember what year it is so we don’t embarrass ourselves writing 1998 on our checks. Except I don’t need it ’cause I totally know it’s 2010.

  45. IDK, I’m “stuck” in dreamland after all the Dr. Who comments. Currently, I have the 10th and 11th Doctors on each side of me. It’s annoying and erotic and thrilling Tardis ride. [sets the alarm clock app on my iPhone so I won’t be disturbed during this time] Allons-y! 😀

  46. I think that I would appreciate that about a clock- I never know what year it is- sort of stuck in 1969- or 1987-and does it really matter? Don’t think so, unless there is a quiz.

  48. It is there because if it wasn’t Marty McFly would have to go around asking everyone what year it was each time he traveled…

  49. I know it’s for leap year, but since the other Whovians have already thrown in some good jokes- all I’ve got left is that it’s either for coma patients or Rip Van Winkle.

  50. I think the bigger question is why does your alarm clock need to know the date. How nosy can an alarm clock be? Geez!!

  51. I’m curious to know why it’s important that the alarm clock tells you the date in the first place? I unplug all devices with extraneous light and date fields. It saves having to wear tinfoil hats all the time;the only object in our house wearing tinfoil is the couch, thank you very much.

  54. Ahhh…I need to get this clock for my husband. I have often wondered if he could sleep for years at a time. Might I also say, I am impressed you still have an alarm clock. My kids function as mine, and my cell phone is my back up. Just in case they sleep in…Yeah right 🙂

  55. Not sure why you even have an alarm clock, Jenny. With your insomnia, if you are asleep, you should have the right to stay that way. Precious, precious sleep….

  57. Fine. I’ll say it. I’m a dumbass and can never remember what the year is. I’m still saying it’s 2009. Maybe if my radio told me the year every morning, I’d stop embarrassing myself by laughing when I see “2013” written on things because I think it’s a joke.

  59. My microwave insists on knowing the time, the date, and the year, in spite of it never displaying the latter. Every time change it thinks it’s November 11, 1111.

  60. It’s there to remind you that anyone who uses an alarm clock vs their smartphone to wake up is stuck in the grunge rock 90s.

    PS: mine is a Panasonic and I’m jealous that you have a year button as my hour button barely works.

  62. I think alarm clocks in general are too complicated. Especially for something that, when it goes off, you despise and want to throw through the window and pray a giant flying squirrel carries off to giant flying squirrel land to disassemble and use for giant flying squirrel arts and crafts projects.

    Or maybe that’s just me?

    That’s probably just me.

  64. Oops, someone sold you that one without the proper authorization. We call that one our “Looper” model. If you should meet yourself at a diner sometime next week – well, let’s just say you have my condolences.

  69. Patent needs to win Comment of the Day.

    tehtimmah has the best name. And my brain keeps yelling Timmah!

    Timmah!

    And now that I know I’m stuck in the grunge 90s, I’m off to put on some grubby flannel.

  70. I checked dictionary.com and there’s no second, obscure, verb-formed definition of “year”, so I was unable to formulate a funny hypothesis. Now I’ll hit “Submit” and wonder why I even posted this.

  73. Those alarm clocks kill me. Inevitably, the electricity flickers while I’m sleeping. I’ll this the next day, when I’m a couple hours late for life.

  74. Why do you still use an alarm clock, when every device you buy has an alarm setting?

  75. Just another instance of someone not knowing the difference between “you’re” “your” “yer” and “year”. I blame video games, TV and Hollywood.

  78. You’re telling me you get up and go outside EVERY YEAR?! I need at least a three month nap, or I’m just useless.

  79. I use the year setting on my alarm clock all the time. Sleeping for years at a time help me maintain my youthful good looks.

  80. Did you somehow end up with Walt Disney’s alarm clock? You know… because he’s cryogenically frozen… supposedly…

    ??

    No really. It’s for daylight savings/calendar/date etc… I’m sure a bunch of fans already said that.

  81. Okay, so the leap year comments make sense, but now I’m wondering why it cares what time zone you’re in.

  82. It’s conspiracy by the Digital Clock Manufacturing Mafia. Their reasons are unclear, but I think it has something to do with bringing back Twinkies. Or perhaps some marketing wonk figured they’d sell more digital clocks if they had a “year” setting on them. Either way, I do wish they’d bring back Twinkies

  83. I think it’s actually a typo. Maybe it is supposed to say, “Yar” – it’s a pirate clock, right? Or maybe it should say, “Yer”, as in get YER butt outta bed!

  85. I have the same alarm clock! It’s so it can automatically adjust the time for daylight savings time.

  90. Just to complicate your life! I second the use-your-smartphone people so,you don’t have to worry about it. 😉

  91. You should write a letter to the manufacturer asking them exactly what the FUCK the year button is for. Make is sound like you have narcolepsy and think they are making fun of your condition by putting that feature on your alarm clock. Ask them for remuneration for emotional damages. Quit job and sleep for a year, just to show those fuckers who’s boss.

  92. This is not related but i want to make sure that you are aware of a new cable show about competitive (!) taxidermy!!

  96. OMG mine has one too! It’s probably the same brand, different model because they look a lot alike.

  97. MAYBE it’s a freaking TARDIS alarm clock? That doesn’t…travel through space. you know.

    Idk. Seems legit.

  103. How *adorable* that you are still using an alarm clock.
    Does it sit next to your ghetto blaster?

    Ohhh…mixed tapes; those were the good ol’ days….

  104. Oh, cool. Well, wake me up in a few months when I’ve caught up on the sleep I’ve missed since having a child & a husband who snores in my face!

  105. It’s for those of us who only wake up every fifth Tuesday of the month. See ya in April!

  108. It is so you can set the time, day, month and year of your destination. Then, with your Mr. Fusion fully charged, one you have 1.21 gigawatts of power and are traveling at 88 miles per hour, you can take that time jump. Oh, but it will only be in a dream

  109. In case you want to wake up and have breakfast in the renascence at one of those cool “BREAKFAST ANYTIME” places. You madam, get a big DUH!!!

  110. I admit I blinked when I read that. I haven’t the faintest idea what a year-button is doing on an alarm clock, unless it is for manually setting the year, which really doesn’t make sense.

    How long does this clock believe it’ll live and be in use? They really shouldn’t make these types of clocks. It isn’t healthy for them. They probably end up as megalomaniacal tyrants. They will be opt to start ringing before the agreed-upon tiime. So friggin’ annoying! They’ll probably get moody and refuse to ring on time as well, nasty buggers. …actually, there is a lot of time involved in this. You know, The Doctor probably IS behind. We should ask him.

  112. Well that might have been funny if the stupid upside-down-type thing had worked.

    Stupid technology.

    Which makes you wonder.

    How the heck does The doctor get the Tardis to work?

  114. To further complicate things, the TimeZone button should really ask what state you’re in because not all states follow Daylight Savings–my lovely home state of Denial for example.

    And some parts of those states actually do follow Daylight Savings because they have reservations. Though I am not sure why they need to book a table in advance.

  115. Our microwave insists we put in the full date (mm/dd/yyyy) whenever the power has gone out before it allows us to use it again. I’ve often wondered why the microwave needs to know the date — it must be related to your alarm clock.

  117. You’re worried about the Year button when its got a feckin TIME ZONE control!

  118. I think that might have been for the people who wanted to sleep through the Mayan apocalypse

  119. It’s the rare Rumplestiltskin Edition Alarm Clock. Highly collectible, don’t you dare take a hammer to that thing.

  121. Be careful with that. If you set the year too far in the future, you could end up surrounded by talking apes.

  122. I’m not going to make this snarky, but practical (I know, I’m no fun)

    The year button it there to set the year so that (in conjunction with the set month and day on the calendar) your clock’s programming can accurately select the day of the week for you (in lieu of you actually having a day of the week button) without you having to remember to adjust it manually for leap years.

  126. Umm…this particular clock displays time and date which gets erased when it gets unplugged or the power goes out, like on a VCR/DVD player. So you have to reset it the same way? Just sayin.

  128. That’s so you can roll the year back to the 70s, and we’ll have a space program again. Or an ozone layer again. Or people who can think, because St. Ronnie of Alzheimers hasn’t been crowned KingPopeZombieForever yet. Eleventy.

  130. I’m glad so many people pointed out it was for daylight savings time. Since I live in Arizona where we don’t do that nonsense I’d hate to have an alarm clock that randomly changes time twice a year. I’ll be sure to not get that model if I ever need a new clock.

  132. so weird!! I have never seen one that says “year” on it. I guess they want to make sure what year you want to wake up in.

  133. I am loving all the comments. You are all very creative and funny people! I think that it is for those of us who constantly feel like we are a couple years behind everyone else! It’s 2013 people!!! What happened?!

  134. Couldn’t read all the comments.. but anyone else notice that the flipping thing looks like a face???

  137. I believe this post (and all its subsequent Who references) is to blame. for last night I had a dream that you and i were shopping in Hawaii (your poor husband never stood a chance) we came across John Barrowman who lovingly agreed to return the next day in full Captain Jack uniform if one of us (you) agreed to faint so he could rescue the damsel in distress. but last minute you (and i as your backup) couldn’t do it so Victor stepped in so John would still come, and John laid a big wet one right on him. then you took a picture and sent it to Will Wheaton and bought a shirt with the My Drunk Kitchen logo. and then i woke p and wrote this because i thought you needed to know.

  139. Ever hear of Leap Year. Yep, that’s why it is there. Even the clock knows it has to add a day once every four years, no more and no less.

    Go back to bed now.

  141. If you fall asleep at 88 MPG, then you’ll wake up at the year you put in.
    Standard Flux Capacitor rules, as seen in the real life documentary “Back to the Future”.
    Only your bed needs less plutonium.

    Jason
    The Cheeky Daddy

  142. Thus far, I have resisted but you will eventually peer pressure me via the internets into watching Doctor Who, at which point I am sure to become addicted. I already blame you for this so I suppose I should go ahead and start watching.

  144. Many electronic clocks have a ‘week-day only’ alarm feature. This as well as knowing whether to have a Leap day is more than enough reason to need to know the year. You could set the Day of Week and have it cycle the 7 days, but if you set the date including year, almost everything along those lines can be calculated.

  148. Too many buttons. We have the same one and I’m not allowed to sleep next to the clock anymore due to my inability to hit snooze without hitting 5 other buttons first and ultimately turning the f*ing thing off altogether.

  149. And to Think… someone designed it that way. I mean there were a bunch of geeky people in a room, designing this AWESOME piece of engineering and then one looks to another and says…. I wonder what people would think if we put a year button!!

    One of those cruel “Big Bang Theory” Sheldon kind of jokes.

    And here we are!!!

  152. For practical purposes? I wish mine had a “year” button! Then I wouldn’t have to hit snooze 36 times every morning.

  153. Ya know, when you build a time machine from parts lying around the house (and maybe a delorean), you’re gonna be thankful for that feature.

    I know this cos i am from the future. Also, in the future, nobody speaks English. We speak a hybrid of Dutch and Hawaiian. Who’d of thunk it?

  156. The number of you people who can wake up to a cell phone alarm is just stunning to me. I could sleep through my house being hit by a car. I still use a very loud and very obnoxious alarm clock because I’m a deep sleeper. Also, I take my anxiety meds before bed so that probably has something to do with it…

  157. It has a time zone button because not all time zones change daylight savings time on the same day.
    Until recently there was a corner of Illinois that NEVER changed daylight savings time. Made for some complicated programming on electronics, may I add.

  159. Rip Van Winkle lobbied for that. He only meant to sleep for 15 years, and he was waaaay late to the party.

  162. Why does it have a time zone button?! Does it really need to know what time zone it is? I think your alarm clock is a robot, it comes alive when you are asleep.

  163. I think you have the Limited Edition Disney Princess “Sleeping Beauty Awakening System” that includes a year button in case the Handsome Prince is too inbred to make his way through the woods or survive the battle with the early on set menopausal dragon to kiss you awake in time for you to enjoy what’s left of your thirties.

  168. Maybe it’s for travelling. If you must come to another country, you don’t want to be wake up at 3 a.m for sure 😀

  169. I have this exact same alarm clock and the reason is actually much simpler than everyone else says: This clock supports alarms that only go off M-F or only on the weekends. In order to do that, it has to know the date so it knows what day of the week it is.

  170. I’m attempting to de-lurk and this is the first time I have commented on a website (yes, I know how that sounds, but it’s true). First, let me just say that I thoroughly enjoy your work. I am currently reading your book and it is hillarible. Secondly, (and I know this comment is totally unrelated to your post) having seen photos of Ron Weasely and Ermione Granger (and having laughed heartily at both), I (and my sister) feel compelled to ask (please forgive me if you have heard this before-I only recently began reading your blog), have you considered creating Harry Otter, or Vole(or Mole)demort? Perhaps Drakeo Malfoy or Professor McGonagull? Again, I apologize if you have heard these before, but if you feel the need to further your collection of life-challenged family members, I certainly will not try to stop you. I would also be willing to contribute towards this effort. Thank you again for being awesome.
    P.S. I have used an inordinate amount of parentheses. I don’t know if I should apologize for that or not.

  172. Why Jenny, I always wondered why the dates on your new blogs read “2013” or “2012”… didn’t you know it’s 2042? Makes the lack of flying cars even more depressing doesn’t it?

  173. “In unrelated news, it’s like 2 weeks too late for my weekly wrap-up and I don’t even know what year it is anymore.”

    See? That’s why it’s on there!

  177. i have that same clock and here’s the deal. it’s a SELF-ADJUSTING clock (ironically for someone – me – who is not very self-adjusted). shouldn’t it know what year it is? and, actually, how long i’m going to sleep??? oh, and mine broke. thanks, self-adjusting clock. your breaking just made ME less adjusted.

  179. OMG! I have the same clock! 🙂 I originally thought the same thing, but it is because of daylight savings time.

  181. We have the same alarm clock!! Is it the one where you wave your hand in front of it instead of hitting a snooze button?

    Yeah…I wind up snoozing for about 30 minutes longer than I should because I don’t have to fumble for a button…I don’t care.

  182. AS LONG AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.

    My bed and I are having an illicit affair. My husband is not invited, because he has bad breath and snores.

  183. My alarm clock wants to know what the date is so it can work out which day of the week it is, which is information it needs to do its snazzy functions of only going off on weekdays, or weekends or going off at different times on different days of the week. As it doesn’t adjust itself for daylight saving, I have yet to work out why it doesn’t just ask me to set which day of the week it currently is, instead of making me set the date and then wasting a load of its processing power and memory working out if today is Saturday or not. I’m probably missing something.

  184. I’ve been doing pretty much nothing but sleeping for the last nine months I usually don’t know the date and recently since I slept threw Christmas and NYE I pretty much still sign things 2012 a year button on my alarm clock would come in handy.

    I am also on a medication where one of the side effects is memory loss and word loss… I laughed at this when I first saw it thought how bad can it be? Yeah they call it dopomax for a reason! I have literally walked away from people because I have forgotten I was talking to them at all or I’ve forgotten it was my turn to talk or in the middle of a sentence the word the just gets removed frommy vocabulary and I’m stuck there thinking I know I know the word it’s a three letter word for and then force the person with me into a game of sarades they never wanted to play in the first place just to figure out the word the. So a year button might come in handy. Btw I’m writing this from my bed.

  185. I rarely know for sure which day of the week it is, often forget the month and have been known, on occasion, to forget the year. Like in September or October, not January.

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