Comments on: Why is this day not like other days?

Why is this day not like other days?

not_on_display — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:29:35 -0800

Why Leap Years are used. Leap Years in other calendars. About Leap Day itself. On this day in history. The Leap Year Capital, Anthony, Texas. February 30?! [via]

By: DU

DU — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:37:04 -0800

Early while we were living together, my now-wife and I had a long, long argument about Leap Day. It was her contention that if we just switched to not having it anymore we'd be better off in the long run, like going from imperial to metric measurements or dropping Daylight Saving Time. We argued far into the night, lying on our own sides of the bed in the dark. Finally, around 2 or 3 in the morning, I happened to say "it takes a non-integer number of days for the Earth to go around the Sun". Her reply: Oh. And then we went to sleep.

By: heatherann

heatherann — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:41:43 -0800

I'm getting married today. When we picked up our marriage license, we joked that we'll only have to celebrate our anniversary every 4 years, but I don't think the lady was very amused. :)

By: chillmost

chillmost — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:44:22 -0800

Heh, heh, heh. Meh.

By: chillmost

chillmost — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:45:42 -0800

I forgot to add: from the sidebar...

By: FelliniBlank

FelliniBlank — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:45:50 -0800

Here in Michigan, we think of Leap Year Day as "one more chance for February to punch you in the face" (although I enjoy a nice snowfally day myself and just spent a couple of hours walking dogs in it, so Happy LYD!)

By: oddman

oddman — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:46:50 -0800

This is awesome: "*Please note that not every historical event and famous birthday that happened on leap day is listed."

By: StickyCarpet

StickyCarpet — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:53:42 -0800

Congratulations, heatherann. I have a friend who wasn't convinced he needed to be married, and finally compromised on Feb 29, by an Elvis, in Vegas. As a bonus the chapel caught on fire during the brief ceremony.

By: mediareport

mediareport — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:55:30 -0800

I'm getting married today. And still checking Metafilter. *sniff* Our little girl. *dabs eyes*

By: mediareport

mediareport — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:56:11 -0800

Congrats! :)

By: i_cola

i_cola — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:05:14 -0800

I'm going to an 11th birthday party tonight. In a pub until 4am :-)

By: marxchivist

marxchivist — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:11:53 -0800

Congrats, heatherann. I get paid once a month. The same salary every month. I got paid today as much as I got paid (well, I did get a raise and a new job) the end of February last year. I just can't get over the feeling that I'm not getting paid for the work I'm doing today. (He said as he posted this while at work...)

By: uncleozzy

uncleozzy — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:14:27 -0800

My grandmother actually warned me last night that my girlfriend might propose to me today. I'm hoping for a ring pop, actually. Sour apple. Or watermelon.

By: DU

DU — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:16:02 -0800

..my girlfriend might propose to me today. Last night my wife warned me that girls might try to propose to me. I had never heard of this custom, which she explained as being "like Sadie Hawkins Day". That inspiried me to create "Stephen Hawking Day" where anyone can propose to anyone else, provided they do so in a robot voice.

By: SmileyChewtrain

SmileyChewtrain — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:16:03 -0800

I'm going to an 11th birthday party tonight. In a pub until 4am :-) A friend of mine turns seven! Hooray for the arrested development of leap years!

By: CheeseDigestsAll

CheeseDigestsAll — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:29:33 -0800

February 30 existed from 1930-1931 after the Soviet Union introduced a revolutionary calendar in 1929. This calendar featured five-day weeks, ... intended to improve industrial efficiency by avoiding the regular interruption of a non-working day. ... The Soviet revolutionary calendar was eventually discarded as it was difficult to eliminate the Sunday rest tradition. Oh, the irony. "Worker's unite! And work everyday of your life."

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:29:56 -0800

Most Siblings, and Most Generations, in a single family who share February 29 as birth date.

By: rmd1023

rmd1023 — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:41:17 -0800

congrats, heatherann! also, DU, i think stephen hawking day is a great holiday idea. i always get the paradox song from "pirates of penzance" stuck in my head on leap day.

By: quonsar

quonsar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:41:37 -0800

Here in Michigan, we think of Leap Year Day as "one more chance for February to punch you in the face" and this morning, it is making the most of that!

By: dr. fresh

dr. fresh — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:48:54 -0800

For the calendar and math nerds out there, here's a good Leap Day article. I like it because continued fractions make my head spin.

By: piratebowling

piratebowling — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:59:56 -0800

I know someone very, very pregnant and due any second. I keep hoping today is the day.

By: cowbellemoo

cowbellemoo — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 07:04:17 -0800

I have started knitting my Doctor Who scarf on leap day. I felt so clever!

By: francesca too

francesca too — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 07:20:20 -0800

I always wonder about the names of the slaves of Julius Caesar who did the calculations and never got any credit.

By: mullacc

mullacc — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 07:24:14 -0800

It's not Leap Day, it's Ja Rule Day. Holla Holla!

By: Wolfdog

Wolfdog — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 07:42:06 -0800

Tim Powers talks (well, tangentially) about being born on leap day.

By: Phanx

Phanx — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:11:16 -0800

I understand it wasn't slaves, francesca, but Sosigenes of Alexandria. Perhaps they thought 'Sosigenic Calendar' just didn't have the right ring to it...

By: Phanx

Phanx — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:21:56 -0800

...but apparently, legend has it that Sosigenes was tutor to Cleopatra. On the strength of this, he appeared as a minor character in the Elizabeth Taylor film, played by Hume Cronyn. Perhaps not quite the recognition a great astronomer deserves, but better than nothing perhaps.

By: Phanx

Phanx — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:30:48 -0800

...however, it seems he also has a small crater on the moon named after him. Just to the east of the much larger one named after Julius Caesar.

By: phrayzee

phrayzee — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:28:37 -0800

chillmost: You forgot 2000 <conan>In the yeeeaaar 2000.....</conan> Also, Wikipedia's entry for Feb. 29

By: Netzapper

Netzapper — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:29:02 -0800

We're getting married today, on the Leap Day, just as soon as our witnesses arrive.

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:04:42 -0800

^We are? I'm only wearing a sweatshirt! Do I know you? Hey, wait, this isn't my email client. Congrats to you all marryin'-on-leap-day-ers. I have a friend who's got a birthday today, and a colleague at work is scheduled to be induced today or yesterday, with twins... no word yet, but twins on a leap day, that'll be freaky!

By: mannequito

mannequito — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:16:49 -0800

Alright that does it, I'm marrying Ja Rule

By: grateful

grateful — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:48:36 -0800

teh math

By: lothar

lothar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:01:43 -0800

It's my wedding anniversary today. (There's still time to give a gift...)

By: mediareport

mediareport — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:05:01 -0800

I had never heard of this custom, which she explained as being "like Sadie Hawkins Day". Weird. At the thrift store this morning a lady buying a bunch of stuff announced to everyone in line it was for a Sadie Hawkins Leap Day dance at an old folks home tonight. She said it like we'd know it was some kind of tradition, but no one seemed to know what she was talking about. I guess it's a thing after all.

By: fuzzypantalones

fuzzypantalones — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:14:16 -0800

That inspiried me to create "Stephen Hawking Day" where anyone can propose to anyone else, provided they do so in a robot voice. man, that might be the only way i'd ever agree to marry someone. awesome.

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 23:06:53 -0800

Sadie Hawkins Day. Li'l Abner. (The Shmoo, too.) She's a looker, that Sadie.

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 23:08:06 -0800

Borked link: "She's a looker..."