You’d think by now these folks would be able to plan ahe

Some folks are having heartburn about the occasional leap second:

Because the rate at which Earth slows isn’t perfectly predictable from
year to year, leap seconds are announced only 6 months in advance.
That’s a concern for software designers, operators of satellite-based
systems, and anyone else who relies on split-second communications. Six
months isn’t much warning for engineers who operate computer programs
or types of equipment that require precise time information and are
intended to last for at least a decade….

I’d sympathize with these folks if I hadn’t read this

For the 23rd time since 1972, the International Earth Rotation and
Reference System Service added an extra second to the time standard, a
worldwide network of some 200 atomic clocks.

a few paragraphs earlier.

WHAT?  You thought the last 22 leap seconds were the only ones that would ever happen?  This has been going on since 1972!  THIRTY-FOUR YEARS isn’t enough warning?  No wonder most software sucks–just like the designers.

I LIKE leap seconds.  Reminds us that even the clockwork universe needs a bit of winding from time to time.

Tip from the Geek Press.