Thirty Deaths and the Porcupine Rule

When I was a kid back in the country in New Hampshire, the Town Selectmen would pay you to get rid of varmints. You got your payment by presenting the nose. The Selectmen paid 35 cents for a porcupine. 50 cents for a hedgehog. Can you tell the difference between a porcupine and a hedgehog, via a disembodied nose? Neither can I. One reason why I can't is that in all my time there, nobody ever demanded payment for a porcupine. It was the hedgehog every time.

Next issue: when we kill bad guys in Afghanistan, why does it always appear that we take out a group of thirty? Here's one response:

In 2003, an air strike killing 30 civilians could be launched w/o issues. 31 dead civilians and Rummy had to approve.

So a Tweeter by the name of Registan, as reported here, and H/T Marginal Revolution.