No, I did not forget. I simply haven't had time to consider your questions.
Cheers, Pat Naughtin Geelong, Australia On 2011/01/23, at 03:27 , Kilopascal wrote: > Pat, > > A week ago I sent this to you and you didn't give me an answer. Did you > forget? > > I'm sure others share my curiosity, so you would be helping a lot of people > to understand what the situation is. > > kPa > > From: Kilopascal > Sent: Saturday, 2011-01-15 08:59 > To: [email protected] ; U.S. Metric Association > Subject: [USMA:49483] RE: Floods in Germany -- AP Reporting > > Pat, > > I find you to be an enigma. You derive your living by being a specialists on > metricating others but in a country that supposedly fully metricated close to > 30 years ago. So, if Australia is significantly metric, why would anyone in > Australia need your services? Or is it just possible Australia is not as > fully metric as some would have us believe? > > You stated that "Australia is at least 90 % metric and this is gaining all > the time.". Well, to me 90 % is a lot and the remaining 10 % is just dust. > I'm sure that even countries that have been metric for centuries will use > pre-metric words at least 10 % of the time. Not so much as measurement units > but as slang terms for vague amounts. > > I found this article from Australia somewhat confusing: > > http://www.inmycommunity.com.au/shopping-and-lifestyle/motor-and-boat/Commuting-with-a-touch-of-charm/7580918/ > > The author claimed: > > Under its pert little snoot is a 1.2litre four-cylinder engine that produces > 59kW/107Nm, and fuel consumption is an impressive 5.6litres/100km, or 50mpg > for people who still can’t figure out the metric system. > > How is it possible that after 30 years of existing in an environment that is > virtually purely metric that some people still can't figure it out and a > regression to old units would somehow make it clear? > > The very fact that you derive your living 30 years after the fact in trying > to convince the population to use the metric system tells me that Australia > must be far from 90 % metricated. I can see where your expertise would be > useful in the US or UK, but not in Australia. > > Can you elaborate further on exactly where your services are used in > Australia and what still needs to be done? What are your active projects? > I'm sure many of us would like to know? > > > > [USMA:49483] RE: Floods in Germany -- AP Reporting > > Pat Naughtin > Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:21:03 -0800 > > > On 2011/01/12, at 08:30 , Stephen Humphreys wrote: > > > >> I heard the tragic news about the torrential rain in Australia, > >> > >> However- a little note which will probably annoy you- or at least > >> disappoint > >> They were broadcasting from Australia (BBC) via a feed from an Aussie > >> channel > >> > >> The only use of measures was when someone said (in an strong Aussie > >> accent) > >> 'the water was over 12 foot deep....' > > > This is a common feature of BBC broadcasts. They interview a number of people > then select the interview to suit their audience. If the BBC audience is in > the > UK then "feet" will be chosen from the several interviews available. > > Fox News was having the same trouble here > http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/01/10/dead-new-flood-australias-crisis-worsens/?test=latestnews > when one kind soul translated 2 to 3 metres to 6 to 10 feet for the poor > foreign interviewer who didn't seem to know his metres from his elbows. > Translating for foreigners from the UK or the USA is often a matter of > politeness and courtesy. > > Cheers, > > Pat Naughtin > Geelong, Australia > > [USMA:49427] Re: Horror! Reporter has culture shock! > > Pat Naughtin > Wed, 05 Jan 2011 04:20:59 -0800 > > Dear John, > > Australia is at least 90 % metric and this is gaining all the time. However > there are particular activities where the old pre-metric words are protected > because they are a jargon. Furlongs in horse racing (even though these are > now > defined as exactly 200 metres) and nautical miles (defined as exactly 1852 > metres) and the associated knots in yachting, etc. > > The fishing equipment industry is another holdout where almost all equipment > is > made in Asia for Japanese companies for sale to the market in the USA and any > surplus is directed to the much smaller Australian market. We get the dregs > from the USA table marked in pounds! > > Cheers, > > Pat Naughtin > Geelong, Australia Pat Naughtin LCAMS Author of the ebook, Metrication Leaders Guide, see http://metricationmatters.com/MetricationLeadersGuideInfo.html Hear Pat speak at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lshRAPvPZY PO Box 305 Belmont 3216, Geelong, Australia Phone: 61 3 5241 2008 Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has helped thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the modern metric system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they now save thousands each year when buying, processing, or selling for their businesses. Pat provides services and resources for many different trades, crafts, and professions for commercial, industrial and government metrication leaders in Asia, Europe, and in the USA. Pat's clients include the Australian Government, Google, NASA, NIST, and the metric associations of Canada, the UK, and the USA. See http://www.metricationmatters.com for more metrication information, contact Pat at [email protected] or to get the free 'Metrication matters' newsletter go to: http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter to subscribe.
