Abolish Leap Year Now !

[deepcold29]

229.... we leapers came into this world on that day...

now some old fart with a bug up his a ZZ wants to deny us our day...

perhaps on the 29th I'll pay him a visit and abolish him...

[rockbutt123]

Im a leap year baby, and im just happy to say to peoiple that im younger than they are cuz i was born on a leap year .lol

[LINX29X92]

FUCK ALLL YOU HATERS!!!! jealous cause you cant find a way to say your birthday is on a special day... its hard enough going 4 years without a birthday that is on your true birthday!!! IM A LEAPER AND PROUD OF IT!!!

[bibz93]

Why do the Americans think that they can abolish the calendar? If there's going to be a change in the calender, I think the entire world should decide, not just the Americans...

LoL... Love the spoof...

[MegaLeapyear]

@JessicaLovering Hello, you are right with what you say. The issue that I struggle over is that I always hear news stories about the Mayan Calendar and how it was the most accurate ever, even more than our current calendar. I don't understand how today with all our technology, we have a less accurate calendar than the Mayans that existed over 2000 years ago. What could we do to equal the accuracy of their system? I'm very interested in this topic. It is a fascinating discussion!

[rockbutt123]

@MegaLeapyear was the mayan calendar so accurate that it included the leap year?

[CTnaturalist]

@rockbutt123 YES !!!!

But it was not called Leap Year under their system.

They had a lunar based calendar. The cycle of full moons kept everything aligned

[MegaLeapyear]

@JessicaLovering Each year our calendar drifts further out of alignment with the solar timetable. Leap Day is an attempt to keep our calendar accurate, but it fails because it is not as accurate as it should be. We should switch to a lunar based system. Then we would never have a leap day hanging around. Each month is based on the cycle of full moons, and yes once in a while we would have 13 months, but that would keep everything in alignment.

[JessicaLovering]

@MegaLeapyear I don't really understand how that would be any better. There are 12.3682662 lunar cycles in a year. So, instead of adding an extra day every four years, we would have to add an extra month every three years, and that wouldn't be very accurate.  That seems like it would be much more disruptive. I don't want to argue from authority, but I actually am an Astrophysicist and I study planetary orbits. A simplistic system will not stay accurate for very long.

[MegaLeapyear]

Actually, the math is correct.

Leap year is an nothing more than an obsolete tradition.

[JessicaLovering]

@MegaLeapyear No, it's not obsolete. The time it takes the Earth to go around the Sun is not exactly 365 days, it's 365.242199 days. If we didn't have leap year, the months would slowly start to shift away from their traditional seasons. We also occasionally add a few seconds to the new year, to make it very accurate. You may think it's not a big deal for winter to be in October instead of January, but a lot of the world uses the calendar to time events such as when to plant crops, etc.

[friederikec]

I was born on leap year and I love it. I mean, it's special. It's a pain in the ass sometimes (for instance my driver's license is supposed to expire on my birthday every five years...I only have a birthday every 4 years). On the whole though, it's wonderful. For those who can't grasp it, handle it, etc. Let's focus on getting rid of daylight savings first since that's much more of a pain in the ass than leap year.

[hamishray]

No way I was born on the 29th February it is a special day for all of us that were born on that day. I am a Senior and I love my special birthday so hands off you folk who are trying to spoil our special day. You're only jealous!!

[pollypocket48]

I don't get this!! There are millions of things wrong in the world and this is what people worry about????? You can't just take our birthday away just because older people are "afraid" of it! Old people should be worried about health care and S.S. not about Leap Day!! On the other hand I like having my birthday on leap day, it's special and I'm sure that the other leapers fell the same way.

[S34N3R32K4II8]

If they got rid of leap year I wouldn't have a birthday!

If they got rid of the 29th - millions of people would have no birthday.

It is unfair on us who are born on the 29th and the Leap year baby in the actual video saying its unfair that we get only one birthday every 4 years, well 1 day is better than none >_>

This has angered me x)

[MegaLeapyear]

Yes,

This has angered me too !!

We should have birthdays every year !

Some people have suggested a moratorium on Leap year. Selecting a target date in the future where leap year will end. We will be long gone, but our childrens' children will not have to be born on a leap day.

Then having only 1 birthday every 4 years will be something only we current leap babies have to deal with

[shawgo]

Why is everyone getting so upset about leap year? I never even notice it.

[MegaLeapyear]

Apparently, some people are deeply concerned.

I heard there might be an anti-leap year march on Washington during the next leap year, 2012.

Although I'm used to our current Leap Year system, I understand that it is flawed. Considering that we live in the "age of scientific progress", maybe it's time to adopt a more accurate system. What do you think?

[shawgo]

I wouldn't object to a new calender system, but if the Earth's orbit varies every year, how can you do any better than the calender we use now? Something would have to be done to account for the change in the time it takes the earth to circle the sun, and then everyone would want to change that system as well.

[MegaLeapyear]

That is a good point,

I was researching this issue and remembered hearing about the Mayan calendar, and how it is supposed to the most accurate calendar ever created.

Turns out, they used a lunar calendar, based on the orbit of the moon. A month is based on the distance between full moons. This is extremely accurate, but causes problems for western culture because the we demand that our months retain the same number f days for eternity.

[kledermans]

But the diagrams make no sense, as do neither any of the comments.

[IndianaJesusfreak]

My mother was born on Feb.29th. I am 51 years old.  My mother just had her 23rd birthday.

[Wesleyweasel]

It is a strange phenomenon

[MegaLeapyear]

@Wesleyweasel Who made this video?

[purplexenno]

if this is a satire it's poorly done.

[Wesleyweasel]

It's not a satire

[kledermans]

Then it's just a bad joke.

[purplexenno]

this is silly. The government has not been "monkeying with our calendar". One extra day isn't a problem if you can't count go back to school. a true year is 365 1/4 days. not 365 days. hence every four years you add a day. no biggie. geez. my only problem is what i hear about programmers who can't can't when programming software and cause problems on drivers license renewals.

[MegaLeapyear]

Yes,

The software issue is crucial.

I am going to write a letter to Obama about this.

I don;t know if he'll read it, but it's worth a shot, right?

[Animalabusesucks1990]

i know im like one extra day? who cares? and how could they take away leap year anyway? it would still happen even if we don't notice it. and when would leap year babies celebrate birthdays without the extra day in the leap year? ONE FRIGGIN DAY its not like its another 365 days! sheesh.

[redibis07]

My son is celebrating his first (Leap) birthday (he is 4) today: 2/29. To abolish the day, would effect all those who were actually born on this day.

[Animalabusesucks1990]

yeah. I don't get that! i have a friend thats older then me but then again her being born on leap year day. she is younger.

[mommyliz02]

I hate to break it to the uneducated ones, but leapyear is SCIENTIFIC! If there was no leapyear, eventually Christmas would end up in the Summer... sorry no more white Christmas for you! I think you are trying to get publicity.. which is biting you in the ass.. since all it does is make you look like an idiot. If there was no more leapyear, i'd like to know what my birthday will be! A random date? I'll have to explain it to those at the DMV. Get over yourself, you will not change the calendar.

[Hadoken6001]

It doesn't snow on Christmas much around here anyway.

Not saying we should abolish leap year, just saying that's not a very strong argument for some people.

[Wesleyweasel]

Exactly,

and every year the odds of a white Christmas decrease, because our calendar is slowly falling out of alignment with our seasons. This is why we need something more accurate than the Leap Year system.....maybe.

[Animalabusesucks1990]

um have u thought of the people that were ACTUALLY BORN ON THAT DAY? theres not many people but there are people that were born on leap year day! just saying.

[Wesleyweasel]

A lunar based calendar is more accurate than our current solar based calendar

[purplexenno]

right you do realize that the assyrians used a lunar calander, and they had to add a whole month.

[Iamthelaw00]

All I hear with this video is, "We're too stupid to realize that every 4 years there is an extra day.  I'm old and the world scares and confuses me!"

[Wesleyweasel]

Some of the guests want to preserve Leap Year.

Others want to abolish it.

It is an interesting debate

[MegaLeapyear]

@Wesleyweasel I want to abolish it, where do I sign up?

[MegaLeapyear]

Wow,

I just found this video.

Do you have a leap year birthday??

[majorb42]

I was taking this seriously until I saw the guy with the fake Scottish accent. I was worried for a minute.

[aardvark1917]

Wacky.

[casablanca1910]

what the hell. this is retarted. my bday is on leap year. how is it complicated to have just 1 extra day every 4 years!!! get a life

[Wesleyweasel]

As a compromise, what would you say to having Feb 29th a National Holiday? No work for everyone!

Tomorrow we all have to work - and its an extra day - not included in most contracts that are designed on a 365 day year

[casablanca1910]

thats a good one

[nin4nin]

How about those of us for which 2/29 is our birthday? This report is just dumb. Get a life!

[Wesleyweasel]

That is part of the point.

Yes, what happens to 2/29 for 3 consecutive years? It is gone - only appearing every 4th year. Many Leap babies celebrate on March 1.

But one must realize that calendar dates are nothing more than semantics. The earth will complete its orbit around the sun regardless of an arbitrary date.

A lunar based calendar will simply keep the earth in PERFECT alignment with its calendar and yearly orbit cycle

What do you prefer - scientific fact or personal bias?

[nin4nin]

The Jewish calendar is a lunar based calendar. But it still isn't perfect as at times they need to add a leap month (7 out of the 19 years in the cycle) in order to compensate for the seasons. That is why the Jewish holidays jump around.

It may not be about bias but about tradition and what is familiar.

I appreciate your interest and I still find the same result. The report is dumb. Get a life!

[Wesleyweasel]

The leap month compensates for the natural cycle of the moon's orbit around the earth. The lunar system is based on natural events. The leap month is normal because months are based on full-moon intervals.

Also, this report stimulates discussion. It is fine to be pro-leap or anti-leap. It is only dumb, if one takes so much offense to an opposite point of view that they start insulting those who have different points of view

[MegaLeapyear]

Do you think the Jewish calendar is better?

[fudgefactor]

Yes -- the Mayan calendar is interesting -- but not as interesting as leap year day -- so I don't think we should change anything unless the Mayan calendar also has a leap year day in it. Still, I wonder how the seasons could come on time if it's a lunar calendar -- then the only way you'd know it is spring is because the birds are chasing each other.

[Wesleyweasel]

In the lunar based calendar, every once in a while there is an extra month much shorter than the rest.

Have you ever heard the expression, "Once in a blue moon"

Well, a "blue moon" is when we have 2 full moons in one calendar month.

In a lunar based system, this "blue moon" would actually stand alone as a short month complete to itself.

The moon cycle naturally gives us a "leap day", but in the form of a "blue moon"

This is natural and would not require monkeying with the calendar

[KiptheDip1307]

Alright, I apologize for that. I was angry at the idea of trying to abolish a 2 millenium old system that keeps the calendar in perfect balance with the solar cycle because it somewhat inconviences some workers, despite the fact that it would only cause a heck of alot more inconvience, and it wouldn't work anyway.

[Wesleyweasel]

Please consider this:

The most accurate calendar ever used was that of the ancient Mayan's. The reason is because they used a "lunar" based calendar- system.

Our current calendar is based on the sun; therefore, we have the leap year, but it does not keep our calendar in "perfect" balance.

I know this is a sensative issue, but if you reasearch the Mayan's lunar calendar, I think you will find some interesting information.

Thanks for your open mindedness.