Ellington

If you live in Samoa and your birthday is Dec. 30, I send my condolences. From ABC News Australia:
Samoa has taken a leap into the future by shifting its time zone forward by 24 hours to bring itself in line with Australia and New Zealand.

The Samoan clock has now been reset, wiping Friday December 30 off the calendar and sending the country straight into Saturday.

Samoans cheered, sirens wailed and fireworks exploded in the skies as the change took place at midnight on Thursday (local time).

The shift from the eastern to the western side of the international dateline means Samoa has gone from being the last country to ring in the New Year to being the first.

Prime minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi says the time zone change will take the country into a more prosperous future by bringing it into line with its major trading partners.

"It feels very great. Especially we have just finished our ceremony which formally signals the changing of our time zone," he said. ...

I know the time change may have made economic sense for the country, but what about little Johnny who waited all year for his 10th birthday, just to have to wait until next year for the actual day? I can hear the conversation with his parents now:

"Baby, you can celebrate it on Dec. 29 or New Year's Eve. Isn't that cool?"
"But it's NOT THE SAME!"

On the other hand, If Grandma Myrtle was going to turn 70...