The Problem with February 29th

I don't like February 29th. It creates too many problems.

My great aunt was born on a leap day, and I can never remember when I'm supposed to wish her a happy birthday. 28 February risks prompting a reaction of "What, I look that old?" On the other hand, waiting until 1 March creates the potential for an "I can't believe you forgot!" Finally, there's always the chance that she's a hardcore leapling - only wanting to celebrate when there is a 29th.

Leap days can also create contracting headaches. For example, you've been asked to turn around a new agreement by yesterday. You grab an old document and start editing it. You correctly enter "29 February 2008" as the start date. Then, knowing it's a one year agreement, you inadvertently put "29 February 2009" as the end date. In all the rush, you miss the fact that you have entered a non-existent date. You better pray that the parties remain friends.

What we really need is a replacement for the Gregorian calendar (or a smarter way to draft contracts).