For the lazy like myself:

Kip's answer (from above) in coffeescript, using an "enum", and operating on the same object:

Date.UNIT =
  YEAR: 0
  QUARTER: 1
  MONTH: 2
  WEEK: 3
  DAY: 4
  HOUR: 5
  MINUTE: 6
  SECOND: 7
Date::add = (unit, quantity) ->
  switch unit
    when Date.UNIT.YEAR then @setFullYear(@getFullYear() + quantity)
    when Date.UNIT.QUARTER then @setMonth(@getMonth() + (3 * quantity))
    when Date.UNIT.MONTH then @setMonth(@getMonth() + quantity)
    when Date.UNIT.WEEK then @setDate(@getDate() + (7 * quantity))
    when Date.UNIT.DAY then @setDate(@getDate() + quantity)
    when Date.UNIT.HOUR then @setTime(@getTime() + (3600000 * quantity))
    when Date.UNIT.MINUTE then @setTime(@getTime() + (60000 * quantity))
    when Date.UNIT.SECOND then @setTime(@getTime() + (1000 * quantity))
    else
  return

For the lazy like myself:

Kip's answer (from above) in coffeescript, using an "enum", and operating on the same object:

Date.UNIT =
  YEAR: 0
  QUARTER: 1
  MONTH: 2
  WEEK: 3
  DAY: 4
  HOUR: 5
  MINUTE: 6
  SECOND: 7
Date::add = (unit, quantity) ->
  switch unit
    when Date.UNIT.YEAR then @setFullYear(@getFullYear() + quantity)
    when Date.UNIT.QUARTER then @setMonth(@getMonth() + (3 * quantity))
    when Date.UNIT.MONTH then @setMonth(@getMonth() + quantity)
    when Date.UNIT.WEEK then @setDate(@getDate() + (7 * quantity))
    when Date.UNIT.DAY then @setDate(@getDate() + quantity)
    when Date.UNIT.HOUR then @setTime(@getTime() + (3600000 * quantity))
    when Date.UNIT.MINUTE then @setTime(@getTime() + (60000 * quantity))
    when Date.UNIT.SECOND then @setTime(@getTime() + (1000 * quantity))
    else throw new Error "Unrecognized unit provided"
  @ # for chaining