Snail mail

[ChrisGreaves]

I used to sing that when I was a little girl!

Go for it Kiddo!
You already know that as a little boy, I sing it still.
Cheers
Chris

[BobH]

" . . . I suspect that with occasional legislative events ion both countries, they inched (sorry!) closer and closer to an understanding, but that at different times there were slightly different absolute measurements."

Ever centimetered (or millimetered) closer and closer? Aha! I thought not!! Thus, proving once and for all that the imperial system is immensely better than those silly metrickaal (extra a for Rudi) units that so much of the Earth's societies adopted in error.

But, never worry. The good old U S of A will maintain the standard when they return to their senses and return to sane systems of measurement.

[ChrisGreaves]

But, never worry. The good old U S of A will maintain the standard when they return to their senses and return to sane systems of measurement.

I'm not even going to try to tamper with this!
Cheers
Chris

[Argus]

Going back up the thread to measurements....

After trying to understand pixels and points, I was under the impression that a US inch was actually different to a UK inch at one time causing even more confusion!

It's interesting reading about the history of the inch. Apparently until very recently, 2020, the wiki only gives the year, the US used a different inch when doing surveys which led to a difference of 1/8 inch per mile.
[...]

I've heard about the difference when doing surveys (in the US).

But a Swedish inch and foot was different.

1 fot (foot) = 12 verktum (tum, inch) = 1/2 aln = 29.69 cm.

Thus:
1 tum (verktum; German Werkmass) from rules 1665 = 2.474 cm.

When the decimal system was introduced during the second half of the 1800s (around 1855) we got 1/10 of a foot ..., 2,969 cm (but wasn't popular and not used that much), and during the 1880s we moved to the metric system. But inch and foot have been used long after. We still have mil (mile) as 10 km.

[ChrisGreaves]

So, Bob, what else are Texans good at excepting thinking that the most important part of cattle is the length of their horn?

I rest my case:
America’s most recent complete redesign, released in 2007, includes ...long-horned cattle ...
You even managed to get it onto, or into, your national passport!

Yippe-eye-oh-yea-ay!
Chris

[DaveA]

Well my experience, with the metric system tried here in the US did not go so well.

Were were the prime contractor of a weapon system for the US government. It was a redesign of a system from England. We were to be able to use most of the drawings done in England using their metric system.
Most of the subcontractors were not set up to do Metric Machining, so there was the conversion factor used.
The biggest problem we found, one MUST use metric to inch convertor of .039070078740157 (1/25.4).
If one was to round off at 2 or 3 decimal places the over all length will be different if one was to round of at 8 places.
To get small machined parts to fit one had to use the 8 places or more. Also on larger subassemblies the true interface had to be held at the 8 places also.
This is one of the major reasons that the US di NOT go for the metric system.

[BobH]

To understand the true evils of the metrickery system, look up the Gimli Glider.

[Argus]

Of course there will always be situations where you'll need ridiculous conversion factors etc. The point is to make a change and be done with it, and live a simpler life.

[ChrisGreaves]

To understand the true evils of the metrickery system, look up the Gimli Glider.

Now that was just plain unkind!

We should note, however, that these examples of so-called "problems with metrication" or whatever we call it arise because of CONVERTING between imperial and metric.

If we do away with the need for the conversion, then the problems of conversion go away.
(text removed for political reasons)

Cheers
Chris

[BobH]

Uh. Ahem! The need for conversion arose from the adoption of metrickery, methinks.

[ChrisGreaves]

Uh. Ahem! The need for conversion arose from the adoption of metrickery, methinks.

Oh come now, Bob. You're sounding like that old fogey who refuses to stop using DOS batch files, and laments the passing of the 80-column punched cards, the vast British Empire and all the colonization it stood for, understands vast swathes of Win3.1, bugs, fleas,
Cheers
Chris

[StuartR]

The USA will continue to need to convert between metric units, as used in almost every other country, and imperial units until they adopt a sensible system like the rest of us. They will then have a short period of confusion while people get used to the new units, after which we can all relax and use the same worldwide system.

[BobH]

Stuart, you forget what rebellious folk we are. Bye bye Georgie!

[stuck]

...rebellious folk we are...

Yet vast numbers of you can't get enough of the British Royal Family

Ken

[PJ_in_FL]

...rebellious folk we are...

Yet vast numbers of you can't get enough of the British Royal Family

Ken

After putting up with Meghan and her boy toy, we're ready to send them back.

[BobH]

...rebellious folk we are...

Yet vast numbers of you can't get enough of the British Royal Family

Ken

Oh, I think most of us have had QUITE ENOUGH of them, Ken. Especially the pair that moved here.

[stuck]

..most of us have had QUITE ENOUGH...

...we're ready to send them back.

Can I suggest that, as on this side of the pond, the 'us' and 'we' you are talking about are only those people with the sense to apply simple critical thinking skills to the output of the media before they consume it and, sadly, such folk are in the minority?

My logic being that if vast numbers of people were not consuming what 'us' and 'we' are not swallowing then there would be no money to be made and so no one would be peddling these wares

Ken

[BobH]

Tell that to the Mirror.

[ChrisGreaves]

Tell that to the Mirror.

How did we segue from Metrication to Mortification?

(I know, I know, "Give them an inch and they'll take 63,360 inches ...)

Cheers
Chris

[BobH]

Perhaps I should have been more specific: The Daily Mirror.