In an attempt to reduce the number of emails - I have condensed "Jerry's" unhealthy interest in just my posts and the very unhealthy interest in metrication/non metrication in *just* the UK whilst seemingly ignoring US metrication from a neutral but now extreme position (ring any bells?) into this one email.'Jerry' - if you have further questions related to the odd questions you see answered in this post then can I suggest that you take it up with me personally and OFF the list thereby reducing the mass of messages posted to the USMA list serv. My initial thought is that you won't want those conversations to be private - but we'll see.So - many emails/posts condensed into one, please feel free to respond *privately* :-----Jerry said:"What does a military dictatorship have to do with military time?"
My reply: I was 'having a joke' Jerry said:"You seem to go to great lengths to point out where English is used, but I haven't seen from you an equal amount of incidences where metric is used. For someone who claims to be neutral, I would expect more balanced reporting." My reply: A lot of sports Medicines Car engine sizes Pre packed items By the way - I haven't gone to great lengths to point out where imperial is used. Not on this site anyway. I've just tried to answer your questions. If I were to know that my answers were 'wrong' then maybe I could have said something else for you ;-) Jerry said:"Stephen is trying to give the impression that metric usage is low in the UK and where it does appear it is either ignored or insignificant." My reply: You asked specific questions - I have answered them. If you don't like the answer I give then either kid yourself that the UK is a metric paradise or tell me that I'm not telling the truth. Jerry said:"I can't believe that it is that simple. It seems like one draws a line and everyone on one side uses metric and everyone on the other side is imperial. Don't people ever cross the line? I don't think the government, the military and business is made up of robots and the rest by real people.. Real people also make up the government, the military and business. If they spend a good portion of their lives using metric in these occupations, would it stand to reason that they continue to use metric other places as well? -and- When you refer to the "little man" and previously "little Englanders" what type of people are you referring to? How do they differ from the people who do prefer to use metric units in their daily life? " My reply: "Jerry" - People do not make metric and imperial the central meaning of their lives. The vast majority will see a metric or imperial notation and not think much of it. What's with the 'extreme' view all of a sudden. (Sorry, 'all of a sudden' should have been in quotes). Jerry said:"What does the size of the network have to do with it? I'm comparing drivers to drivers and the number of them is immaterial, unless you have more dunderheads in the UK who would have a hard time adjusting to anything different. I don't think this is correct, but you sure are trying to give me that impression." My reply: It means the scale is much higher. Costs are as much as £750m. The number of miles/km to change is greater. Your 'dunderhead' comment does not equate with the 'neither pro nor anti' image you mentioned. Another troll posting ended thus (Jerry said:): "You say your house appears to be imperial built? Are you sure or just wishing? Why not say it is or it isn't instead of just being vague or unsure? What year was it built and was this before or after the UK started building homes in metric? " My reply: If it helps with your illusion then shall we just say that my home is really very very metric (even though, to the other folks here, it isn't)? It's just that I think you're becoming tiring with your obvious posts where you ignore other more pro-metric people being realistic about how things are just to jump on something very similar that I say in order to make me out to be something I am not. If someone else is *genuinely* interested in how, for example, my living room was changed into a home theatre (home cinema) and the measurements used then feel free to ask away - however I'm fairly convinced that the interest is not there and there are other reasons for this form of questioning. from someone who is neither 'pro' nor 'anti'. If you get my drift. Finally, The post starting "I really don't know what you are on about. I find it strange that for a person who claims to be neutral you seem to go out of your way to make sure..." almost convinces me that you are euric/kilopascal etc. I'm not 100% but the direction you've moved in and the absence from another forum would back this up. I think it was the 'pretending to be neither anti nor pro' stuff and then coming out with tired old quotes that let the pro-metric side down because they don't truly represent sane moderate pro-metric thought that really did it for me. Maybe I'm wrong. Let's hope so, and I'll be happy to respond to your private emails off the list. ------> From: [email protected]> To: [email protected]> Subject: [USMA:42817] Jerry> Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2009 17:46:22 -0800> > > Jerry,> > I want to second what Brian and some others have already said. Why don't > you try to keep it to one or two posts per day (which is a lot) and please > ask yourself whether you're really sharing new and useful information when > you draft your posts.> > -Victor> > --------------------------------------------------> From: "Brian J White" <[email protected]>> Sent: 02/01/2009 4:59 PM> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>> Subject: [USMA:42814] Re: Small item seen on TV> >>>> I think we should rename this list the "Jeremiah MacGregor list". My >> has the email traffic more than quadrupled over the past week or so. Wow. >> :)>>>> At 16:38 2009-02-01, Jeremiah MacGregor wrote:>>>Stephen,>>>>>>I can't speak for UK houses, but most US houses are made out of wood and >>>are framed. The spacing between studs is usually 16 inches. In a metric >>>house, this would be 400 mm. In an English house the drywall sections >>>would be 4 x 8 feet, in a metric house they would be 1200 x 2400 mm. So >>>there is a difference. To the homeowner the issue would be transparent >>>unless they are going to do remodeling and would need to know which system >>>the house was built in.>>>>>>Of course US houses aren't built metric yet as far as I know. But if they >>>were then the distinction would be important.>>>>>>Naturally no one is going to tear down a perfectly good house because it >>>is not metric just to build a new one in metric. In the US when >>>neighborhoods become too old they become slums. The houses become rotten >>>and many are torn down. If there ever is a program for redevelopment then >>>the remaining old homes are torn down and new homes are built on the spot >>>and a new neighborhood arises.>>>>>>If this were to occur after a conversion to metric then the new homes >>>would be built in metric where previously English homes stood.>>>>>>Maybe in other countries homes are built differently and meant to last >>>1000 years. Not in the US. We don't want things to last. We want them >>>to fall apart so that companies can make money selling us new things.>>>>>>You say your house appears to be imperial built? Are you sure or just >>>wishing? Why not say it is or it isn't instead of just being vague or >>>unsure? What year was it built and was this before or after the UK >>>started building homes in metric?>>>>>>Jerry>>>>>>> > _________________________________________________________________ Twice the fun—Share photos while you chat with Windows Live Messenger. Learn more. http://www.microsoft.com/uk/windows/windowslive/products/messenger.aspx
