* It is large enough that it has cleared the orbit through which it moves

I'm not sure I understand this. Does it mean nothing else is in it's orbital path?

I'm not sure I understand this. Does it mean nothing else is in it's orbital path?

Yeah (with the exception of moons). This rule prevents an asteroid from being a planet, because there are bunches of other asteroids in similar orbits.

Part of the thing, though, Dana, is how hard it is to convince some of the people on What Not To Wear that hiding is not best. And then the designers were supposed to work with what their clients wanted, after a half-hour conversation. I'm not saying the whole thing isn't jacked up.

I am seriously remarkably not cranky. Even after I just got caught in the rain for a 15 minute walk in my fresh-from-the-cleaners suit!

I love the premise: Mel Gibson has decided to make good with the Jewish community, one Jew at a time.

I remain cranky, which has nothing to do with Mel Gibson. Okay, maybe a little to do with him. Why not?

Pluto was robbed.

Another thing non-regular-planetary about Pluto is that its orbit is significantly off the ecliptic -- i.e. it's not orbiting in the same plane as the regular planets. Which some people theorize because it was a wandering body captured by the sun's gravity. Wikipedia has a very nice illustration of the orbit, if you read down in the article, which has already been updated to reflect the demotion.

Poor old Pluto. Now he'll have to change all of his stationery!

still at work.

Actually I don't think having Mel apologize to one Jew at a time is a bad thing -even if he confines himself to the U.S.

Currently there are slightly under six million Jews in the U.S. Let's say that a sincere apology takes at least 5 minutes. Then if Mel apologizes 12 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year, it will take him 114 years to apologize to every Jew currently living in the U.S. Of course this is an approximation. Many Jews will die before that 114 years are up. (We won't make him apologize to anyone born after his remarks.) On the other hand he can't apologize on Sabbaths and high holidays. (Unless he converts - then he can ask forgiveness to mass crowds on Yom Kippur. But I would insist that any conversion on his part be accompanied by a circumcision .) At any rate I think it would be perfectly appropriate for Mel to spend the rest of his life, apologizing to us, either one at a time, or in small groups.

Also, if I'm remembering correctly (and I may not be, I've been reading about binary stellar systems all day; my brain may be poisoned), the center of gravity for the orbit of Pluto isn't even ON Pluto. It's a point between Charon and Pluto.

If Clyde were alive, he'd be making up godawful puns about this.