This isn’t math (or science), it’s arithmetic.

As for math, the fuel economy of my Honda is 0.0559 square millimeters!  (42 mi/gal, or  0.238 gal/mi, which is the same as 0.00009 cubic meters per 1,609 linear meters - the units cancel, and there you have it)

I’m blonde too.

The angel Gabriel prophesied to Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth would have a son, John (the Baptist).  Luke tells us that Zechariah was a priest from the 'house' (or division) of Abijah, doing temple duty at the time.  In 1 Chron 24:10, we are told that the house of Abijah did their priestly duty during the 8th lot, out of 24 lots spread over the entire year.

The 'house of Jehoiarib' did their temple service (the 1st lot) in the month of Nisan, which is the beginning of the Hebrew calendar year (Neh 2:1; Esther 3:7), around end of March in the Gregorian calendar.  The 8th lot would have been 4 months later, around end of June, beginning of July.  

Six months after John, the cousin of Jesus, and the one who would prepare the way for him, was conceived, Jesus was miraculously conceived (Gabriel’s prophesy to Mary).  That would be around the end of December/beginning of January.

Jesus was born 9 months later, around the end of September/beginning of October - which is the time of the Feast of Tabernacles (in the Jewish calendar, the 15th to the 22nd of the month of Tishrei).

I understand what you're saying, but I've got to agree with Kearney.  Don't knock Ron Popeil!  Anyone interested should read Malcolm Gladwell's profile of Mr. Popeil:

http://www.amazon.com/What-Dog-Saw-Other-Adventures/dp/0316076201/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317336314&sr=1-1#_

"The pocket fisherman isn't for using, it's for giving."

We conservatives never try to "sell" our ideas, while every leftist proposal is put forward on moral terms (they all think they're Wilberforce).  No wonder we lose so often.

There were several motivations driving the 9/11 terrorists (e.g. M. Atta didn’t like skyscrapers in Egypt).  However, the operation was funded, whether partially or fully, by Saddam’s Oil-For-Food program.  So much information has been lost, but another suggested Saddam link can be found in the telling language of this bin Laden statement:

“…the Americans' continuing aggression against the Iraqi people using the Peninsula as a staging post, even though all its rulers are against their territories being used to that end, but they are helpless.” – Fatwa of OBL, 1998

That brief 1998 fatwa is mostly about Iraq, but within the context of “occupation.”  Although many of his followers were Saudi, OBL was a wanted man in Saudi Arabia at the time.  By his own words, OBL was offended mostly by U.S. Iraqi operations from Saudi bases and less by “Arabian occupation” generally.  Also remember, Clinton sent hundreds of cruise missiles at Iraq before his impeachment.

We will always have "motivated" terrorists, but state-sponsorship of terror operations remains the biggest threat.

Perry might be the only candidate that can turn out the "sports fans."  Particularly NFL and NASCAR fans.  We need these people to vote in much higher numbers.  See:

http://thepolitikalblog.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/sports-stats_900.gif

This might mean that we (PGA fans!) have to live with some "insane" comments.

Traditionally, society’s check on government corruption was the independent press.  Back when we had real newspapers, the best articles were on the latest scandal(s) of the local politician(s) and their ill-gotten gains. But today, the press is a bastion of pro-government sentiment that will not report much in the opposite vein (outside of the odd sex scandal).

Much like Joseph’s comments above, remote central government removes local accountability.  Often, a corrupt national politician gets re-elected because of his local shaking down of businesses – despite his personal scandals and the overall adverse effect on the nation.  See Rangel:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/25/business/economy/25tax.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all

Our big problem with central government corruption is that we don’t have a “national” press.  A reporter assigned to cover the nation, but living in suburban Washington, does not see anything around him that would indicate that there’s anything wrong with government?  His neighborhood is doing great.

I think John Fund did an historical analysis of this (see Freedomnomics), but the main problem is the USPS management’s price-undercutting for parcel deliveries.  The USPS doesn’t have a monopoly for this activity, and wants desperately to be competitive (maybe even wants to drive FedEx out-of-business, remember the first FedEx ads?). For some time now they have covered losses in parcels by increases in postage, for letter service they do enjoy a protected monopoly.

Had a great time, lots of laughs along with the interesting conversation.

Michael Fuller, melon-colored (not pink!) shirt 

Loved the get-together in Palo Alto.  I had an encrusted opakapaka and bacon-wrapped water chestnut deep dish.  Best $90 pizza I’ve ever had.  By-the-way -- who knew BMW made a pizza-delivery van.

Great group of about 14 members.  Normal gathering of conservative, productive people – concerned about preserving the country (rare for Northern California).  I was most interested in the contributors and thought people might want to know my impressions (who are these people that sign up for this abuse?)

Mark has grey hair, really grey – almost Gandalf.  Kind of unnerving.

Peter arrived a little late.  Introductions all around and he sat down with us.  The chair held! (break one piece of furniture…).

George is super-smart, but… he’s intent on assimilating us into the Borg.  Be afraid, very afraid.

Diane is a very suspicious, asked me “You’re a serial killer, right?”  I tried to assure her I just have a quirky sense of humor.

Conservatives are just bad at metaphors, period.  Metaphors are devices that carry a thing from one arena to another (in the Athens airport, the luggage carts are each labeled "metaphor").  Liberals, including journalists, love to use metaphors.  Ann Coulter's latest book describes this use of pictures as the language of "the mob."

If our conservative politicians can't simply reject the use of all "symbolic example" (tell our audience, Mr. Republican, why should you get the car keys back"), they need to come up with their own metaphors. These should be fresh and stinging (the car is not an appropriate example, Miss Journalist, it would be better to ask why the Democrats want to jump the guard rail and have the country swept over the waterfall).

I told you conservatives were bad at metaphors.

It has been stated is these posts, that we should denounce all violence between Protestants and Catholics. I for one, do so now! How can it be that anywhere in the world, these two groups of Christians continue to have unresolved tensions?We Americans have put aside sectarian differences long ago. Here, Catholics and Protestants get along in peace, harmony and full respect. The people of Northern Ireland and elsewhere need to just look at us for a model of religious acceptance. We Americans are the outworking of the “great brotherhood of man” ideal.All of the Catholics I personally know have complete appreciation for my Protestantism. My chauffeur, Luigi, is Catholic – as is my cook, Pierre. And Mumsy’s chambermaid, Mary-Katherine-Margret is also Catholic. These people love and respect me. You could write and ask any of them (however, I don’t know their last names).On a serious note, we all need to develop thicker skin and not take offense so easily.

I comment occasionally but usually I find that others have expressed precisely my thoughts, in considerably better language.  I did, however, once offend Kenneth deeply - for which I’m still quite proud.  I would say that everyone at Ricochet is benefitted from a wide sampling of people, even if they express similar opinions.

As a rough example, I read an online international news report (BBC, I think) during the last World Cup.  It seemed that the poorly-performing North Korean players might have been punished by being sent to mine coal upon their return home.  This had happened previously, which their coach knew about – but was still hopeful that this would not be repeated for his team.  Upon finishing the article, my thoughts were something like “Oh those poor dears…”

But when I checked other reader’s comments, which came from all over, each one stated something like “This is what should happen to our national team,” or “If mining coal was the result of our team’s not completing their passes…” or “Our #*^!~ players probably can’t dig coal very well, either.”  Anyway, those comments told me something about all people’s firm grasp on their national identities.

The U.S. will be required to borrow the money for Harry Reid’s Cowboy Poetry Festival from the Chinese.  I reckon they’ll be a wantin' soma ol’ Mao’s thrown in:

Mountains!   I whip my swift horse, glued to my saddle.  I turn my head startled,  The sky is three foot three above me!

Mao plagiarized this, like most of his “goodens,” from a local folk song - during The Long March.  Still, as Cowboy Poetry it's pretty good.  I just have a beef with the image of our cowboys holding up little red books.

The question we need to ask about all federal spending, discretionary AND entitlements, is “Is this worth owing the Chinese?” 

NPR loves having “National” in its name.  To them, and many others, the name means that they are the record-of-state, the official version of current events.  They know that public funding (taxpayer dollars) isn’t really necessary from a strictly budgetary perspective, but it is critically important philosophically.  Without federal government support, most of their credibility and much of their private contributions would fall away.

From my perspective, news reporting is simply not a valid use of public funds – period.  Even if Shiller had said better things (like: “NPR doesn’t hold political positions,” or “we can’t take a donation if there is an expectation that your money will influence news coverage,” or “you’re the Muslim Brotherhood!, I’m outta here!”), I would still want NPR defunded.

If you want a decision that was basically put together from whole cloth, as opposed to being constituted in our foundational law or responding to recent legislation, please consider Engel v. Vitale.  Potter Stewart’s lone dissent (was he the only one listening to the arguments?) nails it.

I knew one day a Ricochet topic would come along for which I would have particular expertise.  You see, I’ve made something of a career of studying ugly women.  It didn’t start out that way, but, well…

My observations, sometimes quite up-close, have discovered some interesting things.  First, “ugly” might be selected-for by evolutionary pressures.  The theory being, that pretty people are more likely to carry STD’s (due to the gratuitous sex, being pretty and all).  This leads to infertility and early death, which our ancient (ugly) ancestors avoided. 

Secondly, “pretty” itself, can be considered a spiritual-handicap, in that much of the aforementioned gratuitous sex is probably sin.  Ugly people are, by definition, free of these physical temptations (mental sin is another matter).

Lastly, to quote the calypsonian Mighty Charmer (1950’s recording artist, Louis Farrakhan): “If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life, Never make a pretty woman your wife. So from my personal point of view, Get an ugly girl to marry you.”