Comments on: Madame Chair http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/lileks/2008/08/27/madame-chair/ Lileks on Location ... Metro columnist James Lileks covers the Democratic National Convention as only he can. Which is a kind way to put it, no? Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:27:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: benjammin http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/lileks/2008/08/27/madame-chair/#comment-196 benjammin Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:36:32 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/lileks/2008/08/27/madame-chair/#comment-196 As any math buff knows (and apparently I know too, somehow), Pi is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. However, that assumes that the diameter is a straight line. New Dakota is so flat that the people of New Dakota don't realize the Earth's surface actually curves. So one day, when they wanted to draw the world's biggest circle (their only claim to fame, since the title of Biggest Ball of Twine is shared by both Minnesota and Kansas, for some reason). In doing so, they "discovered" that Pi was wrong, because they failed to take into consideration the fact that the diameter was slightly bowed do to the curvature of the Earth, resulting in a diameter slightly longer than what they would expect. Upon realizing this, they decided to recalculate Pi, and somehow managed to oversimplify it to 22/7, since that's about the limit of mathematical complexity that anybody in New Dakota ever achieved. I'm glad New Dakota isn't a real place, otherwise I might be offending some people here... FYI: I don't really feel this way about the actual Dakotas, in fact I'm spending the weekend in rural North Dakota with my girlfriend's family. And the state really isn't that flat. As any math buff knows (and apparently I know too, somehow), Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. However, that assumes that the diameter is a straight line. New Dakota is so flat that the people of New Dakota don’t realize the Earth’s surface actually curves. So one day, when they wanted to draw the world’s biggest circle (their only claim to fame, since the title of Biggest Ball of Twine is shared by both Minnesota and Kansas, for some reason). In doing so, they “discovered” that Pi was wrong, because they failed to take into consideration the fact that the diameter was slightly bowed do to the curvature of the Earth, resulting in a diameter slightly longer than what they would expect. Upon realizing this, they decided to recalculate Pi, and somehow managed to oversimplify it to 22/7, since that’s about the limit of mathematical complexity that anybody in New Dakota ever achieved.

I’m glad New Dakota isn’t a real place, otherwise I might be offending some people here… FYI: I don’t really feel this way about the actual Dakotas, in fact I’m spending the weekend in rural North Dakota with my girlfriend’s family. And the state really isn’t that flat.

]]> By: grg999 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/lileks/2008/08/27/madame-chair/#comment-195 grg999 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:13:32 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/lileks/2008/08/27/madame-chair/#comment-195 Apparently in Colorado they've legislated pi to be 22/7, which is 3.142857142857142857... repeating endlessly. Apparently in Colorado they’ve legislated pi to be 22/7, which is 3.142857142857142857… repeating endlessly.

]]> By: Kev http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/lileks/2008/08/27/madame-chair/#comment-193 Kev Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:03:29 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/lileks/2008/08/27/madame-chair/#comment-193 <i>My sources – which consisted entirely of DB from the Miami Herald, who’d heard a rumor on TV</i> Heh. I'm guessing DB = Dave Barry. The two of you are providing the best coverage of this thing by far, and I bet you're having a great time hanging out. (Too bad someone couldn't get a picture of both of you in that pedicab.) Keep up the good work. "kevpg32" from buzz My sources – which consisted entirely of DB from the Miami Herald, who’d heard a rumor on TV

Heh. I’m guessing DB = Dave Barry. The two of you are providing the best coverage of this thing by far, and I bet you’re having a great time hanging out. (Too bad someone couldn’t get a picture of both of you in that pedicab.)

Keep up the good work.
“kevpg32″ from buzz

]]> By: neoalec http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/lileks/2008/08/27/madame-chair/#comment-189 neoalec Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:33:57 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/lileks/2008/08/27/madame-chair/#comment-189 Amy Klobuchar made MN looks particularly pathetic during roll call. Bragging about the Duluth hockey team or something. She made it abundantly clear that we are famous for and known for nothing. Amy Klobuchar made MN looks particularly pathetic during roll call. Bragging about the Duluth hockey team or something. She made it abundantly clear that we are famous for and known for nothing.

]]> By: Kate http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/lileks/2008/08/27/madame-chair/#comment-184 Kate Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:43:18 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/lileks/2008/08/27/madame-chair/#comment-184 Um, is Amy drunk? Um, is Amy drunk?

]]> By: thomas.lindenmuth http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/lileks/2008/08/27/madame-chair/#comment-174 thomas.lindenmuth Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:23:58 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/lileks/2008/08/27/madame-chair/#comment-174 Why does pi have a different value in New Dakota than it does in Pennsylvania? By the way... the first candidate to have a position that is not about a)abortion b)gay marriage or c)the other guy sucks, will get my vote. With all the problems we have after eight years of the Decider, who really cares what the gay couple does when they get home? I didn't think it could be any worse than Bush. Now, I'm not so sure. Why does pi have a different value in New Dakota than it does in Pennsylvania?

By the way… the first candidate to have a position that is not about a)abortion b)gay marriage or c)the other guy sucks, will get my vote. With all the problems we have after eight years of the Decider, who really cares what the gay couple does when they get home?

I didn’t think it could be any worse than Bush. Now, I’m not so sure.

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