What is Wrong with Everyone?

[Steven McGarthwaite]

I do not know when it all started, but somehow, we have all been misinformed that at Midnight on December 31st 2009, it will be the end of the first Decade of the 21st Century, and the start of the 2nd Decade of the
21st Century.

You read about in the Newspapers, and Magazines. You hear it on the Radio, and Television. It is also plastered on the Internet.

The 19th Century, was that time period that started at 12:00:01 AM on January 1st of 1801 and ended at Midnight on December 31st, 1900. That is why it is commonly referred to as the "19th Century", in History Books!

The 20th Century, was that that period from January 1st of 1901 and ended at Midnight on December 31st, 2000. But somehow, everybody started celebrating it at Midnight on December 31st, 1999, one year too early!

As for the Gregorian calendar, which is name for Pope Gregory XIII (13th) who signed a decree on February 24th, 1592: switching observed time from the previous "Julian Calendar" (name for Julius Caesar), correcting the leap year calculations.

In the same decree, New Years was switched from April 1st (Julian Calender which celebrated the Spring Equinox) to January 1st (Gregorian Calender), so that the start of the New Year would be part of the Catholic Church's "Christmas Season" which does last 12 days.

At the same time to correct for the miscalculations under the Julian Calender Leap Year dates, eleven days disappeared from the calendar. So what was originally April 1st in the Julian Calendar, became March 21st in the Gregorian Calendar. Which why "Spring" officially begins on March 21st, today (even if the snow is on the ground in Minnesota, and the lakes and streams are still frozen.

So do not be surprised if on March 21st, some of us will wish everyone a Happy New Year. As for me, I am just and Old April Fool, who knows better!
~Parnelli

[Uncle Jesse]

Parnelli,

Now everyone will know, before your post I think it was just you and I. I can only assume the misinformation is a result of government run education insitutions. I probably broke a rule saying that but sometimes my head and finger will not behave.

Happy New Year!

[Kerry Stratton]

I am so confused......................................

[Joe Valencic]

Parnelli,

Now everyone will know, before your post I think it was just you and I. I can only assume the misinformation is a result of government run education insitutions. I probably broke a rule saying that but sometimes my head and finger will not behave.

Happy New Year!

Shame on you for telling the truth. There, now I'll go stand in the corner along with you, because now there are two of us rebels.

[Uncle Jesse]

It's a simple manner of counting, most of us start 1, 2, 3, ... The year 2000 was the end of the 20th (20 x 100 yrs.) century not the beginning of the 21st century; 2010 is the last year of the first decade, not the first year of the next decade.

[Buddy Sanders]

I get the whole counting thing..

Makes perfect sense to me...

But, it's the whole concept that has some flaws in it.

Someone(s) made it all up. And, since several someones did so differently, when it is is open to some reasonable debate. The only aspect of reality here is common acceptance and some inate need to know when when is.

Since it has no bearing in reality, it doesn't matter much whether 2010 is the beginning or end of a decade.

Besides, since it was all made up, we can continue to make it all up if we want to.

If you watch, you'll see that the media will count this as the end of the decade and will do all sorts of best of the decade and end of the decade type stories and coverage.

A year from now, they'll do it all again. Since, they will opine, 2010 is really the last year of the decade.

Gives them something to do to fill all that air time.

I think it's kind of funny. Some folks get really into it and will go on and on about stuff like this .

Buddy

[Uncle Jesse]

Buddy, You are absolutely correct a other than the subject of a good discussion the end of the decade make not a bit of difference to most of us.

I noticed that as the sand has run through the small opening in the hour glass the grains have polished themselves against each other so the interval required to empty the glass has become much shorter than when I was a youngster. There's no way I can be a month away from celebrating the 15th anniversary of my 49th birthday. Less time than that before my wife tells me how lucky I was that she caught me 43 years ago. Maybe the global warming is causing the earth to go around the sun faster.

[DG]

If you are a Christian, I suppose.

There are roughly a billion and a half Muslims out there who know that it is 1431, for instance. ~1.3 billion Chinese know it is the Year of the Ox, or 4705, 4706, or 4645, depending on when you start counting. For me, we are still in 41CM (the 41st year of the Cookie Monster).

Let people believe what they will, it is no business of anyone else's.

[Lotech]

Talk about intellectual exercising. I keep telling folks that FAOL is wealth of information.
All this useful information is only usable if you put it to use. Otherwise it's useless.

[kbproctor]

For me, we are still in 41CM (the 41st year of the Cookie Monster).

And my guess is that if you dated a check "41CM" it would probably sail right on through.