The Metric system eats babies.

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Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

I think I've made my opinions on the Metric system fairly clear in the past. With that evil system in place, here in the US, the following lovely family interaction would have never happened.

CLICK

The Imperial system gave this father and son, Paul and Paul Jr, time for some quality bonding and meaningful communication. The cruel Metric system would have limited their interaction time to a quick measurement and calculation, probably 10 seconds or less.

Stand brave with us Burma and Liberia, we have fought this cold, uncaring, logical bastard up to this point. Keep the faith brothers and sisters, keep the faith.

Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 10:35 pm

Not quite a Newb Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 41

*because Rover understood that sometimes this would be an appropriate icon

Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 10:42 pm

I'm rooting for all you Pauls and Paulies on this earth. I hope some day someone explains about the meter/cm/mm rulers and tape-measures available in the civilised world.

Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 10:59 pm

Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 11:36 pm

The Mesopotamians fought off metric, where are they now?

Basic Length
Unit Ratio Ideal Value Sumerian Akkdian Cuneiform
grain 1/180 0.00025m še uţţatu 𒊺
finger 1/30 0.015m šu-si ubānu 𒋗𒋛
foot 2/3 0.333m šu-du3-a šīzu 𒋗𒆕𒀀
cubit 1 0.497m kuš3 ammatu 𒌑
step 2 1.000m ĝiri3 šēpu 𒈨𒊑
reed 6 3.000m gi qanû 𒄀
rod 12 6.000m nindan nindanu 𒃻
cord 120 60.000m eše2 aslu 𒂠

Distance
Unit Ratio Ideal Value Sumerian Akkdian Cuneiform
rod 1/60 6.000m nidan nindanu 𒃻
cord 1/6 60.000m eše2 aslu 𒂠
cable 1 360m uš uš 𒍑
league 30 10,800m da-na bêru 𒁕𒈾

Basic Area
Unit Ratio Dimensions Ideal Value Sumerian Akkdian Cuneiform
shekel 1/60 1kuš3 × 1kuš3 1m² gin2 šiqlu 𒂆
garden 1 12kuš3 × 12kuš3 36m² sar mūšaru 𒊬
quarter-field 5 60kuš3 × 60kuš3 900m² uzalak ? ?
half-field 10 120kuš3 × 60kuš3 1,800m² upu ubû 𒀹𒃷
field 100 60ĝiri3 × 60ĝiri3 3,600m² iku ikû 𒃷
estate 1,800 3eše2 × 6eše2 64,800m² bur būru 𒁓

Basic Time
Unit Ratio Ideal Value Sumerian Akkdian Cuneiform
gesh 1/360 240s mu-eš geš 𒈬𒍑
watch 1/12 7,200s da-na bêru 𒂆
day 1 86,400s ud immu 𒌓
month 30 2,592,000s itud arhu 𒌗
year 360 31,104,000s mu šattu 𒈬

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:09 am

Actually, while the metric system may be wonderful for various branches of science where you have to multiply huge numbers by tiny numbers and so on, it is far less efficient in daily use by real people for ordinary tasks.

For example, in cooking, it is much more common to need to double, halve, or even quadruple ingredient quantities than it is to factor them by an order of magnitude (the only fundamental division available in the metric system). The English system provides a useful graded system of measurements in the quantities used most often (cups, pints, quarts, etc).

It's much more likely that most people will be cooking for 1, 2, 4, or 8 people than 1, 10, 100, or 1000 people on any given day.

Similarly, the centigrade system of temperature offers no advantages at all over Fahrenheit in every day life. The use of 0 and 100 for the freezing and boiling points of water is as arbitrary as anything else and offers no computational advantage at all. Fahrenheit is also superior by vitue of providing a finer distinction in temperatures than centigrade.

So there!

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:18 am

not a chef or baker wrote:

For example, in cooking, it is much more common to need to double, halve, or even quadruple ingredient quantities than it is to factor them by an order of magnitude (the only fundamental division available in the metric system). The English system provides a useful graded system of measurements in the quantities used most often (cups, pints, quarts, etc).

DON'T answer Irish, just shake your head and walk away.

Don't answer.

Bite my tongue

Don't

Don't

Don't

Don't

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:21 am

What I need to know from our UK friends, why do you still use miles for distance, but metric on everything else.

I am big time confused

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 3:03 am

And another thing--why are there pi * 10 ^^ 7 seconds in a year?

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 4:53 am

irishemigrant wrote:

DON'T answer Irish, just shake your head and walk away.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Since you've left, I won't bother you with the fact that the fundamental unit of the MKS system, the kilogram, is simply too large for everyday use, unless you're an Army cook. And the gram is way too small.

In French speaking countries at least, they came up with a unit (in the metric system) called the "livre". It is exactly HALF a kilo. Not 0.1. No one goes to buy a kilo of bread. It's sold in livres. Which are about a pound.

If you like metric, fine. Use it. But don't call me a fool. Whatever...

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 5:17 am

Awww, David Bone, don't be upset. Irish was just trying not to launch into something that would bring tears to someone's eyes.

I too am a foot and inch user and you explained it in a way that made sense to me.

I still have no visual concept of a centimeter or a millimeter.

I have a visual image of a 1/4 inch or two feet.

I used to sell lighting and fluorescent lighting is sold in two foot increments, so I know what two feet, four feet, six feet and eight feet look like. I have no idea what any of those would be, except six feet would be like two meters. Then my brain goes into imperial units and says two feet would be 2/3 of a meter and four feet would be 1 1/3 meters.

I'm trying Irish really I am don't beat me with a <strike>yard stick</strike> meter stick again... Shocked

oh and do the sisters in Catholic school hit your across the knuckles with a centimeter stick instead of a ruler in the "other" countries? Laughing

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 6:06 am

@ David Bone, lighten up lad, it's too short a life to get upset over someone having fun.

I did chefs quals using imperial, bakers apprenticeship using imperial, pounds, stones, quarters, did engineering using both imperial, metric, and American unf, I can still work with both without any trouble.

You must have a small family if a kilo is too large to use. 2.2lb is a small roast for us, barely 2 loaves of bread.

Metric is a lot easier for baking , even with ounces/gram conversions imho.

where is the Pastor after starting this?

I think I'll join Ted

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 6:30 am

Which ever system you use, always measure twice, cut once. You'll thank me for that little bit of advice one day.

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 8:29 am

@irish & Ted, while it is a nice idea to grab some popcorn and enjoy the bickering that is to come, would you rather measure your amount of popcorn in the metric system or that other, weird one?

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

irishemigrant wrote:

where is the Pastor after starting this?

I lit the flame and went to work while it simmered. Wink

I'll say one positive thing about the Metric system, when I'm in Canada gas prices sure look cheaper.

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:34 am

mhallack wrote:

What I need to know from our UK friends, why do you still use miles for distance, but metric on everything else.

The European Union tried to convert us to metric by force, but we werent having any of it. People went to jail for selling potatoes by the pound, and the Daily Mail got its knickers in a real twist.

I still buy beer by the pint and drive in miles (not usually at the same time), 'cos thats what we were brought up with. Apparently young people understand these new fangled grammes and stuff. And how to switch my mobile phone on.

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:38 am

@David Bone and irishemigrant - That is quite enough of that nonsense. Both of you, knock it off.

@PF - Haven't you noticed most old school biker types deal in US pounds?

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

Ghost wrote:

@PF - Haven't you noticed most old school biker types deal in US pounds?

I see what you did there. Laughing

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 2628

@ Pastor, I think there would be blockades again if folk here worked out the prices per gallon.

I the lab I'm used to using grams, litres, metric being the standard.
Baking I use pounds , ounces, pints as most of my recipie books are old
I have never used the cups system of measurement in cooking and have no concept of it
We weigh ourselves in stones and pounds but our pet rats we measure in grammes.
I measured the kids height in feet and inches but bought their clothes in cms when younger but now its in inches for chest and waist for the men and the UK sizing for women.
Shoes are in some arbitary sizing system, size 13 UK is different from size 13 USA and I'm not sure what it is in Europe
Bra sizes are shown in cm AND inches, cup sizes in letters.
Most shops show the prices for fruit, veg and meats in kilos and pounds.
The bread is sold in loaves not by the kilo ( strange thing in Scotland bread is commonly called a half loaf ) but they work out the price in grammes/kilo
The butcher will sell me a roast *this * big- holds out hands. He can tell me the price per pound but works out the cost per kilo
I can buy 3 bananas and 5 apples prices will be shown per pound and per kilo but again worked out in kilos.

I guess it depends on what you're used to using
Hubby still thinks pre decimal coinage, the cry of "17/- for a pint of milk!!!" is common if he comes shopping ( or doing the messages as we say around here )

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:00 am

In the UK I can't see the birth weight being given first in kilos and grammes as it was when my daughter was born 5 years ago ever being accepted.

What's that in lbs and ounces? It's important to know these things the correct way so that the winner of the 'predict the baby's weight' sweep gets their winnings straight away. Wink

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:24 am

What in the heck are you weirdos talking about Laughing

More trivia. Twenty five grams is sometimes referred to as a Mexican ounce.

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:33 am

Americans only use Imperial because 4 inches sounds better than 10.16 centimeters.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

^^This will impress the ladies, sailor. You can round up a bit if you want to.

Quote:

10.16 centimeter = 0.000 018 286 537 077 league [nautical]

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 2628

@ Asena, so true
I can remember by babies birth weights in pounds and ounces
but their length in cms
ie 9lb 7oz and 56 cms
or 7lb 13oz and 52 cms.

There's one measurement I forgot about.
Never ever got the hang of it
Fish, the weight and size of the "one that got away"

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