---
title: >
  America's screwy
date: 2005-03-30 02:24
status: published
description: >
  Really, it's not their fault. Poor bastards.


---

<p>
I happened to be watching <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/"><abbr title="American Broadcasting Company">ABC</abbr> World News Tonight</a> on <a href="http://bbc.co.uk/news24" title="BBC News 24">News 24</a> earlier, which included an article about how teenagers were the most sleep-deprived group:
</p>
<p>
<q>With most high schools' classes starting at 7:30<abbr title="ante meridiem - before noon">a.m.</abbr>...</q>
</p>
<p>
<strong>07:30<span title="Interrobangs are cool.">‽</span></strong> No wonder American kids are so screwed up.
</p>
<p>
For the record, in the <abbr title="United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)">UK</abbr> school nominally starts at 09:00 although we had to arrive at 08:45 for registration. It generally finishes some time around 15:20 although some private secondary schools go on to 16:30.
</p>
<p>
Hey, this probably explains why Americans like coffee so much.
</p>