DST (2018)

[abefroman329]

Said it before, and I'll say it again. I hate Central Time and am glad I'm in the Eastern Time Zone.

Prime time television starts at 7, NFL games start at noon, the Super Bowl is over by 9 or 9:30...I much prefer Central Time.

[MikeTheActuary]

It's kind of sad that the rhythm of life is defined by TV scheduling, both because of the general principle, and because of the existence of DVRs and the cloud equivalents thereof.

[hbelkins]

Said it before, and I'll say it again. I hate Central Time and am glad I'm in the Eastern Time Zone.

Prime time television starts at 7, NFL games start at noon, the Super Bowl is over by 9 or 9:30...I much prefer Central Time.

I'm not worried about any of that -- especially the NFL.

I don't like Central Time because the sun sets so early in the winter, and it's compounded by the reversion back to standard time. If it's practically dark by 5 p.m. here, that means it's practically dark by 4 p.m. in Owensboro or Paducah.

[hotdogPi]

Said it before, and I'll say it again. I hate Central Time and am glad I'm in the Eastern Time Zone.

Prime time television starts at 7, NFL games start at noon, the Super Bowl is over by 9 or 9:30...I much prefer Central Time.

I'm not worried about any of that -- especially the NFL.

I don't like Central Time because the sun sets so early in the winter, and it's compounded by the reversion back to standard time. If it's practically dark by 5 p.m. here, that means it's practically dark by 4 p.m. in Owensboro or Paducah.

Even if you were in Central, it would still set later than when it sets where I live (4:13 PM) unless you're east of Huntington, WV.

[kalvado]

It's kind of sad that the rhythm of life is defined by TV scheduling, both because of the general principle, and because of the existence of DVRs and the cloud equivalents thereof.

But that provides an insight into another  possible solutions - TV schedules can change more gradually, without any need to touch actual clock...

[abefroman329]

It's kind of sad that the rhythm of life is defined by TV scheduling, both because of the general principle, and because of the existence of DVRs and the cloud equivalents thereof.

I watch most television through streaming options.  The last thing I watched live was Fox's adaptation of A Christmas Story: The Musical, and that was over three months ago.  But it was nice that it started and ended an hour earlier than if I was on the East Coast.

I'm not sure why I'd choose not to watch a live sporting event live, unless I wasn't available to watch it when it was going on.

[abefroman329]

I don't like Central Time because the sun sets so early in the winter, and it's compounded by the reversion back to standard time. If it's practically dark by 5 p.m. here, that means it's practically dark by 4 p.m. in Owensboro or Paducah.

Once you get far enough north and/or east, the sun sets early in the winter in the Eastern Time Zone too.  In Boston, in November, it's dark by 4:30.

[jeffandnicole]

It's kind of sad that the rhythm of life is defined by TV scheduling, both because of the general principle, and because of the existence of DVRs and the cloud equivalents thereof.

DVRs and the Cloud are way more recent technologies than the advent of DST.  TV shows and their timing are a function of most people's work and school schedules.  TV adapted to people; not the other way around.  Soaps and other daytime TV wouldn't work well in the evening when moms are taking care of the kids; sports and other TV programs commonly seen at night won't work well during the day when people are at work.

[kkt]

Said it before, and I'll say it again. I hate Central Time and am glad I'm in the Eastern Time Zone.

Prime time television starts at 7, NFL games start at noon, the Super Bowl is over by 9 or 9:30...I much prefer Central Time.

I never watch broadcasts.  I watch discs that I buy, or from the library.  I definitely don't care about televised sports.  I don't want my eyeballs to be monetized.

[abefroman329]

Said it before, and I'll say it again. I hate Central Time and am glad I'm in the Eastern Time Zone.

Prime time television starts at 7, NFL games start at noon, the Super Bowl is over by 9 or 9:30...I much prefer Central Time.

I never watch broadcasts.  I watch discs that I buy, or from the library.  I definitely don't care about televised sports.  I don't want my eyeballs to be monetized.

You're missing out on great television if you're waiting for it to come out on DVD.  Granted, broadcast television, basic cable, and Hulu have commercials, but Amazon's streaming service and Netflix's do not.

[kkt]

I don't know that I'm missing out.  If it's great, it'll still be great in a few years when it comes out on DVD.

[vdeane]

It's worth noting that many people enjoy talking about what they're watching as it comes out with their friends and on social media.  Many people also prefer to follow what's "trendy".  Honestly, I only have so much time, so I'm VERY particular about which TV shows I watch, particularly if it's something older and I'd have to catch up.

As a Hoosier living in the Eastern Time Zone, is it bad to say that one of the reasons I like being in Eastern is being able to watch the ball drop on New Years Eve and it actually mean something to me?

ABC has started broadcasting the New Orleans ball drop too.

[jakeroot]

That is exactly the message - being in EST actually makes that meaningful.

tdindy88 worded his post in such a way that he seemed to indicate a preference for EST so that, when he watched the ball drop (which apparently he does regardless of his current time zone), it actually meant "happy new year" and not "happy new year, EST". I think mine and Brandon's point is that, if you don't live in the eastern time zone, why do you bother watching the ball drop at all? Surely there's a large celebration in every time zone that is broadcast zone-wide.

Now, apparently about 1/3 of all Americans watch the ball drop in NYC, with about a million crowding Times Square to see it in-person. But that doesn't negate the potential meaningless of the drop itself to those outside of EST. It's more a testament to America's obsession with the Big Apple, something Brandon and I don't fully understand.

[kalvado]

That is exactly the message - being in EST actually makes that meaningful.

tdindy88 worded his post in such a way that he seemed to indicate a preference for EST so that, when he watched the ball drop (which apparently he does regardless of his current time zone), it actually meant "happy new year" and not "happy new year, EST". I think mine and Brandon's point is that, if you don't live in the eastern time zone, why do you bother watching the ball drop at all? Surely there's a large celebration in every time zone that is broadcast zone-wide.

Now, apparently about 1/3 of all Americans watch the ball drop in NYC, with about a million crowding Times Square to see it in-person. But that doesn't negate the potential meaningless of the drop itself to those outside of EST. It's more a testament to America's obsession with the Big Apple, something Brandon and I don't fully understand.

Well, I knew some guys who started celebrating with some distant points eastward - having a drink every time another time zone clicked into new year... Small problem is that some of them could be too drunk to celebrate their local midnight properly - but strongest did continue their journey westward even after that...

[MNHighwayMan]

There's more than 30 time zones across the world, accounting for zones offset by 30 or 45 minutes, and UTC+13 and +14 out in the Pacific...

Were they all blackout drunk by the end of it?

[english si]

It's over 26 hours, so one can sober up a little between drinks if they are not big ones. The problem is 'celebrate' is probably not a small drink, or even one and tiredness would kick in, and if you don't do lengthy sessions....

I think mine and Brandon's point is that, if you don't live in the eastern time zone, why do you bother watching the ball drop at all? Surely there's a large celebration in every time zone that is broadcast zone-wide.

When I was in SoCal for NYE, the people who actually lived there whom I was with watched the ball drop at midnight. I didn't get it - not least as I didn't realise they did it again and this was actually live. To me it felt like watching Sydney's fireworks on the News  that happens some hours before the New Year starts for you.


The UK (maybe not Scotland so much) goes with Big Ben bonging. There's now a fireworks display at the London Eye that mostly runs after the bonging stops (the first year serious money was spent - 2000 - they did a gimmick of fireworks travelling at the 'speed of midnight'* along the river from the new Dome to Parliament. It was about 10 seconds at most, so was finished before the clock chimed and looked sucky on the TV).

We don't give a rats ass about the ball drop here - it happens in the small hours of the New Year, and while it might make a morning news montage of 'elsewhere' on Jan 1st, far more time (even though the news has already shown it several times already) goes to Sydney, supplemented by Hong Kong and perhaps some other Asian or European cities if they have good fireworks.

[abefroman329]

The only reason I give a rat's ass about the ball drop in Times Square is that it happens at 11 pm local time, and it's a lot easier to stay up until 11 than midnight.

You couldn't pay me enough money to hang out there for 14+ hours waiting for the ball to drop, but thousands of people do it willingly every year.

[jwolfer]

I can't remember if the document came from my employer or from L&I, but I haven't taken a "break" in almost four years. On the plus side, I work exactly eight hours a day.

"Anyone seen Jake lately?"

"Yeah, he's taking another 'break' in that Porsche over there."

Or a 1961 Ferrari 250GT California edition? 

No fucking way I'd touch that car.

Cameron?

Z981

[abefroman329]

A NICE STRETCH JOB WITH A TV AND A BAR!

[dvferyance]

What stinks is being on the eastern edge of the time zone. In May and June it starts get light here by around 4:15 or 4:20 that is too early. I have stayed in Kansas and Nebraska and it doesn't get light there until around 5 or so and it stays light longer at night.

[jakeroot]

What stinks is being on the eastern edge of the time zone. In May and June it starts get light here by around 4:15 or 4:20 that is too early. I have stayed in Kansas and Nebraska and it doesn't get light there until around 5 or so and it stays light longer at night.

Wisconsin is in the central time zone, though. Are you not in New Berlin? I'd be annoyed if I were in some place like MI's Upper Peninsula.

[webny99]

What stinks is being on the eastern edge of the time zone. In May and June it starts get light here by around 4:15 or 4:20 that is too early. I have stayed in Kansas and Nebraska and it doesn't get light there until around 5 or so and it stays light longer at night.

Wisconsin is in the central time zone, though. Are you not in New Berlin? I'd be annoyed if I were in some place like MI's Upper Peninsula.

Precisely.... pretty much all of Wisconsin is considered to be on the "eastern edge" of the Central Time Zone.

[jakeroot]

What stinks is being on the eastern edge of the time zone. In May and June it starts get light here by around 4:15 or 4:20 that is too early. I have stayed in Kansas and Nebraska and it doesn't get light there until around 5 or so and it stays light longer at night.

Wisconsin is in the central time zone, though. Are you not in New Berlin? I'd be annoyed if I were in some place like MI's Upper Peninsula.

Precisely.... pretty much all of Wisconsin is considered to be on the "eastern edge" of the Central Time Zone.

Ohhhh, I read the post wrong. I read it as "eastern edge of the eastern time zone". Which obviously makes no sense thinking about it now.

[tradephoric]

What stinks is being on the eastern edge of the time zone. In May and June it starts get light here by around 4:15 or 4:20 that is too early. I have stayed in Kansas and Nebraska and it doesn't get light there until around 5 or so and it stays light longer at night.

^And if DST was eliminated it would be getting light at 3:15am!  If the  goal is to never have to change the clocks again, i think there are two options that could  work.

1.  Nationwide year-round DST (as Marco Rubio is trying to push though).

2.  Eliminate DST entirely, but shift all the time zones over.  Eastern time would become Atlantic... Central would become Eastern.... Rocky would become Central... Pacific would become Rocky.... and Alaska would become Pacific.  This would accomplish the same result as option #1, but we could at least say we are no longer on DST.

I guess there is a third option... be like China and combine time zones, and just deal with the sun setting at 1AM depending on where you live.  But i don't know if that would fly.

[kalvado]

What stinks is being on the eastern edge of the time zone. In May and June it starts get light here by around 4:15 or 4:20 that is too early. I have stayed in Kansas and Nebraska and it doesn't get light there until around 5 or so and it stays light longer at night.

^And if DST was eliminated it would be getting light at 3:15am!  If the  goal is to never have to change the clocks again, i think there are two options that could  work.

1.  Nationwide year-round DST (as Marco Rubio is trying to push though).

2.  Eliminate DST entirely, but shift all the time zones over.  Eastern time would become Atlantic... Central would become Eastern.... Rocky would become Central... Pacific would become Rocky.... and Alaska would become Pacific.  This would accomplish the same result as option #1, but we could at least say we are no longer on DST.

I guess there is a third option... be like China and combine time zones, and just deal with the sun setting at 1AM depending on where you live.  But i don't know if that would fly.

1 and 2 are essentially equivalent. And yes, that was tried before...
probably there are other examples, but here is one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decree_time
But honestly speaking, all you need to do is to adjust local activities to