These merit selections could have been the shortest distance to gender parity in the judiciary.

FORBES: Dim Prospects for Women Leaders in a Romney Administration

That portion of the Texas-Mexico border is the shortest distance from Central America.

NPR: Arrests Along US Borders Up In Last Year

To spur you to praise other more often, in writing and in person, consider this: The heaviest thing to carry is a grudge and the shortest distance between two people is a compliment.

FORBES: Sparkplug Scutaro: the Velcro Effect of Insults and Praise

Studies show that drivers in the U.S. spend an average of eight minutes cruising for city parking, mainly so they can find a space free or at the lowest price possible within the shortest distance of their destination, according to Donald Shoup, a professor of urban planning at the University of California, Los Angeles.

WSJ: New Turf for Sharing Services: the Driveway

There is an argument for transporting animals the shortest possible distance to slaughter, to minimise stress and the risk of injury.

BBC: The pointless slaughter?