This is has been a sore spot for me for some years. Actually, the  Metric 
Convention was signed in Paris on May 20, 1875 by 17 countries, including  
the USA and we continue to move toward its adoption "inch by inch" ;-) 
Actually  we have been backsliding and future generation will suffer as a  result, 
especially the fields of science and engineering. There is a beauty  and 
logic to the metric system with interrelated units of measurement rather  than 
disparate and arcane units of ancient origins. 
 
The metric system makes sense where all the others are rooted in  
nonsense.... furlongs per fortnight?  And who can fathom the fathom?  (actually it is 
from the old  English "faethem" which means
outstretched arms  hence the length of the outstretched arms now taken as 6 
feet but it only  applies to depth in water [sigh] ) 

There is a timeless poem by Sam Walter Foss called The Calf Path  
(http://www.holyjoe.net/poetry/foss3.htm) that is worth reading and  pondering. This 
is especially the case when one thinks about the  increasingly outdated 
measurement system we continue to cling to in  the states like some sort of 
security blanket. Unfortunately, a security blanket  won't help when your 
sinking into the fathoms as our children will. And so it  goes...
 
Excuse the rant.
 
Joe
 
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