Well mostly! We still buy our lumber in metric feet! Peter Drake Hereford UK
On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 17:56:06 -0000, Serge VIDAL <serge.vi...@sagem.com> wrote: > Well, Frank, the Brits did it! They switched to metric in 1965, and never > looked back! Why did they do it? Well, simply because their industry > needed to import from and export to Europe. > So, you're right, as long as America ain't "broke" (pun intended), no > need > to start fixing... ; - ) > > Serge > > > > > > > Frank Ross <alamo...@yahoo.com> > > Envoyé par : krnet-bounces+serge.vidal=sagem....@mylist.net > 14/01/2006 16:47 > Veuillez répondre à KRnet > Remis le : 14/01/2006 16:47 > > Pour : KRnet <kr...@mylist.net> > cc : (ccc : Serge VIDAL/DNSA/SAGEM) > Objet : Re: KR> "Mil" as in MILIMETERS off topic > > > > Thanks Serge, I'll try to be more careful about my > spelling. :=] > For sixty-five years I thought I was speaking English; > then I came to England... > All too true, Serge, it's just that as an American > living in England the last two years, I realized the > English and Australians (and probably New Zealanders > as well) use the word "mil" when they are talking > about millimeters and most Americans wouldn't know > this. > I think the metric system is a wonderful thing, but I > have a house full of tools, measuring devices, > cookbooks, etc., that I'd have to throw out to switch > over. Is it worth it? All the traffic signs in the US > (and maybe someplace else in the world, but I think we > are the only ones left using this wonderful, but > archaic system) would have to be discarded and > replaced, billions of dollars. Is is worth it? And, we > now have the confusion of people converting not only > from Knots to MPH but kilometers as well, for what > purpose? Then there's the altitude in meters when so > much of our existing equipment is still in feet. Will > it stop? Not until everything new is metric and > everyone is ready to throw away everything they are > using. > I know it'll change someday, but I still say "If it > ain't broke, why fix it?" > Cheers, > Frank > > --- Serge VIDAL <serge.vi...@sagem.com> wrote: > >> All the more so that "millimeter" can be abbreviated >> only one way, and >> that's "mm". Moreover, "millimeter" is spelled with >> two "l". >> >> You see, the Metric system was designed in the 18th >> century by the same >> chaps that inspired the American constitution: the >> Encyclopaedists.These >> guys had a good sense of organization, and they made >> the entire system >> confusion-proof and absolutely consistent. Think of >> that: they wanted the >> absolute reference from which all other measures are >> derived (the meter) >> to come from something also absolute. They thought >> Planet Earth would be >> good enough as a reference. So, they started by >> measuring... the Earth's >> circumference (meridien) (an ambitious feat at that >> time!), and they >> divided it to get a practical, "yard-size" measure. >> So, at that time, the >> meter was "the ten-millionth part of the quarter of >> the Earth's meridian". >> >> The amazing thing is their measurement of the Earth >> came right by a >> handful of miles. >> >> These guys were so obsessed with invention and >> precision, they would have >> deserved to become KR builders! >> >> Serge Vidal >> KR2 "Kilimanjaro Cloud" >> Paris, France > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > > _______________________________________ > Search the KRnet Archives at http://www.maddyhome.com/krsrch/index.jsp > to UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@mylist.net > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html > > > _______________________________________ > Search the KRnet Archives at http://www.maddyhome.com/krsrch/index.jsp > to UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@mylist.net > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.371 / Virus Database: 267.14.18/230 - Release Date: > 14/01/2006 > > -- Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/
