Random Leap Day Goodness

It is rather fun to have a birthday on February 29th. Today is my 8th birthday, which is pretty weird, considering my young son will have his 8th birthday later in the year. For him, it’ll be the same old birthday. For me, it’s, well, the same old birthday, but it only happens once every four years. Other leap babies, who are today turning 16 on their 4th birthday or 84 on their 21st birthday or just 4 on their 1st birthday, have their own opinions. For me, it is simply an excuse to post a themed collection of otherwise random links.

So... what’s the deal with Leap Day?

John at Cosmic Variance looks at why we leap years and turn our clocks back and forth. Some of it makes sense. Some of it is just a grand delusion.

Then, Jeffrey at Overcompensating.com offers a different theory:

But call it arbitrary, call it a reminder to vote... I’ll always think of it as a most ingenious paradox:

I just love watching Kevin Kline and Angela Landsbury do Gilbert & Sullivan... I grew up listening to the D’oyly Carte Opera Company version of the Pirates of Penzance and watching Murder She Wrote. I later discovered Kevin Kline’s acting when I saw In and Out in the late 90s. This version of the Pirates of Penzance was made long before that, however, back in 1983, so watching it now is a little surreal. If you can catch the whole thing (they often show it on some of the cable networks) I’d recommend it.

Finally, something that has nothing to do with leap year or birthdays, but should offer a little delight, nonetheless... Find 10 Gnomes in 10 minutes:

(And then find 10 more.) This lovely little art game was designed by Mateusz Skutnik, the talented creator of the Submachine.

Stay tuned for the next Random Leap Day Goodness, in only four years.