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Subject:Re: Metric this, metric that
From:Jake de Villiers
Date:Mon, 30 Jan 2006 13:05:44 -0800

Worse than that Kim, they use kilopascals, and I'll send you one if you
really want one!  I still don't know whether the barometric pressure is fair
or foul!
If you think the metric system is cool, try living with the stuff. It is
completely non-intuitive and indeed was designed by the French to be that
way!  A 4 x 8 sheet of plywood is theoretically 2440 x 4880 mm. No way. If
you ask someone to show you with their hands what 2 feet looks like, most
people get pretty close - ask them to show you 60 centimeters and they're
stumped.  With feet and inches I can divide a foot by 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12.
With metric, you can only use 1, 2, 5 and 10, making it much more difficult
to use in construction. The CBC, because it is funded by the Canadian
Government, had to convert all its scenery to metric! Cost a lot for zero
gain.

I'm surprised that I am still so  pissed off that we went Metric, but
really, there is no good reason to use it in your daily life. I already have
tons of wrenches in Imperial and Metric, and that's where it should have
stopped.

Sorry for the tirade. I feel calmer now.

Feet and inches, chains and rods, gallons and miles forever!

On 1/30/06, Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@mac.com> wrote:
>
> Okay, for all you folk that are so high on converting to the metric
> system....what's the pressure in your tires? Uh, huh. What's that PSI
> thing again?
>
> So, let's see would that be 2.75 bar in my tires...or 3.3 when fully
> loaded. Bah, let's use hectopascals instead. 2750 or 3300 (roughly).
>
> Hmm, I wonder where I can get a tire gauge that measures in
> hectopascals.
>

--
Jake
1984 Vanagon GL
1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
www.crescentbeachguitar.com