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My colleague, Louis Warren, called me last night to try to explain the apportionment of Nevada delegates. And this article tries to do the same thing. I honestly can’t believe this is how the system works. But there you go. Also: how many people named “Ari” write for The Nation in one capacity or another?
Via Apostropher at Unfogged.
* More fun facts about Nevada are available here and here. Like, for instance: “The Orovada Series Soil was designated as Nevada’s official state soil in 2001.” The Orovada series contains volcanic ash, which means that you need less water to grow crops. Good thing, too, since Nevada is the driest state in the Union, with an average rainfall of just 7 inches. California’s state soil is the San Joaquin.
Update: And here’s Chris Hayes on the same issue (delegates — not ducks or soils)



12 comments
January 20, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Matt W
More duckblogging!
January 20, 2008 at 3:38 pm
ari
Is this an observation or a request?
January 20, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Matt W
Sorry, where are my manners: More duckblogging, please.
January 20, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Megan
I do like a nice sandy loam overlying a finer textured subsoil with a significant clay increase. Good choice for state soil.
January 20, 2008 at 8:39 pm
ari
I agree, Megan. Though one wonders about the other contenders. Forgotten, now, I expect. How very depressing to have come so close and then to be cast aside like so much, um, sand.
January 20, 2008 at 9:06 pm
bitchphd
Excellent. I can now literally claim to have grown up on the very essence of California.
Though I understand that the central valley is increasingly saline. Insert “salt of the earth” joke.
January 20, 2008 at 10:52 pm
ari
You grew up in the Central Valley?
January 20, 2008 at 11:26 pm
bitchphd
I did that. Stockton.
Btw, I have another topic request for you guys: good history books for primary school kids. PK has expressed a sudden dissatisfaction with his knowledge of history and geography. I’m thinking some kind of historical atlas thing, but have no idea which one(s). I know the “If you lived in X times” series is pretty good (and no, we don’t own any of those yet), and the DK books are nicely engaging. But I’m thinking something that offers a (preferably global) overview, so that the smaller slices of stuff like “Ancient Egypt” and “castles and knights!” and the civil rights era, etc., will *fit in* rather than just being isolated snippets?
January 20, 2008 at 11:39 pm
ari
I’ll ask the good people at the History Project. Primary school is their beat.
January 20, 2008 at 11:41 pm
bitchphd
Whoa, you’re still up! It’s like instant service around here!
Thanks for helping (and the link).
January 22, 2008 at 9:13 pm
John Emerson
The Minnesota State Soil is Lester.
Not a joke. Lester. At the link.
January 22, 2008 at 9:16 pm
eric
John Emerson, still a national treasure.