Why not everywhere?

I won't be staying up late tonight. I never do -- except maybe 10 years ago, when the odometer on our current calendar system rolled over, and then there were so many news reports as the New Year occurred through Asia, Australia, Africa, and Europe that I didn't really need to see any more once it hit North America.

That got me thinking. When I lived in New Mexico, I could watch the ball drop in Times Square then go to bed at a decent hour (and then be woken up at midnight when neighbors started shooting guns or setting off fireworks). However, the TV network shows the ball drop then starts rolling the credits, and the heck with anyone else in the country. Why New York City, even? Why not Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., or even Atlanta?

For that matter, why not other time zones? A TV network could have a night-long extravaganza, kind of like Jerry Lewis's Labor Day telethon for muscular dystrophy (but without the pejorative jokes). After the ball drops in Times Square, why not show an hour's worth of entertainment before the New Year in Chicago? Or St. Louis or Kansas City? New Orleans could throw quite a party, I bet (although they already have Mardi Gras). In the Mountain time zone, it most likely would be Denver -- although Albuquerque and El Paso would be warmer. Maybe Salt Lake City could do it, but who wants to watch a bunch of Mormons standing around on a night known for alcohol consumption?

And, as I typed that, I realized that I'm giving short shrift to my Canadian readers. Not only are there more northerly cities that could throw awesome New Year's Eve galas (and probably do, but the media in the U.S. would prefer us to remain ignorant of anyone who's not us), but they would all stand outside and prove to those of us closer to the equator that we are wussies for thinking it's too cold to stand outside in New York City on December 31.

For the Pacific time zone, Los Angeles would most likely host, since it's television central. However, San Francisco and Las Vegas are in the running, in my opinion (although Las Vegas has enough of a party reputation that it wouldn't hurt for them to lay out from this night).

Alaska has enough time zones to have it's own TV network -- but not the population to merit one. Honolulu will have to fend for itself -- as it probably already does, but I'm well in bed by that time to bother finding out. It would be a nice, warm place to ring in the new year, though.

For that matter, I wouldn't mind seeing in the new year in Puerto Rico. Or how about Guam or American Samoa?

I wonder how long it would take me to save up enough money for airfare (boat fare?) and hotels for two at New Year's. Yes, for two. You don't think I'd go that far without you, do you?