The POINT at which a year begins is the instant of the clock striking midnight at the start of the first day of the first month of that year. The INTERSECTION of the year previous and the year ahead!

OK, class, we are going to explore the difference between measuring and counting. Archie, you may follow along if you wish. Please open your desks and take out a ruler, a pencil, and a piece of paper. We're going to count inches. I would like you to draw a line 10 inches long, but do it very slowly.

First, place your ruler on the paper. Now place the tip of your pencil on the paper at the start of the first inch of your ruler. This is point zero of your line. How long is your line? Please count the number of inches you have drawn so far.

Drag your pencil along the ruler until it is next to the "1" inch mark. How long is your line? How many inches have you completed?

Continue to drag your pencil to the 1.5 inch mark. Which inch is your second inch, the inch we would count as inch #2? Have you completed two inches yet?

Continue to drag your pencil along your ruler until it is next to the "9" inch mark. You are now ready to begin to draw your 10th inch. How long is your line? Are we ready to celebrate the completion of 10 inches yet?

Your pencil is at the POINT marking the end of the 9th inch and the beginning of the 10th inch. If you're ready to break out the champagne and party favors and celebrate having drawn your 10 inch line, be my guest. You're still an inch short.

The POINT at which the first millennium began is the beginning of the first day of the first month of the first year. Whether they were counting then or not.

The FIRST year. Not the ZEROETH year. FIRST! Measure the year. Count the year. Number the year. We never number things we count starting with thing 0.

I hope you're gotten the POINT by now. The next step is to drag out all your best chips and start writing on them with a Sharpie. You don't really want to do that!