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April 2009

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Subject:
From:
Joe Fjelstad <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
TechNet E-Mail Forum <[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask]
Date:
Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:54:06 EDT
Content-Type:
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Thanks Inge
 
Legacy measurements are a pain. It we had a clean slate to begin with and  
our present knowledge, we would not be doing what we are doing and that is  
why there is need to consider the possibility of rational change to metric 
where  possible. Some things are not worth the bother.  
 
I don't advocate ripping out all of the train tracks (because of  reasons 
rooted in ancient history) and relaying them but anyone who  has traveled 
into Russia on a train from Western Europe has observed  what happens at the 
boarder will realize what a difference it might  make in travel time. (I 
understand that Russia consciously adopted  an alternative for strategic reasons)
 
One thing I found very clever when I lived in Russia was the  coinage. The 
smaller value brass coins 1,2,3 and 5 kopecks could be  counted for value by 
simply weighing them as their value was also their  gram weight. 
 
Cheers, 
Joe
 
       
 
 
In a message dated 4/14/2009 11:21:31 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

Noone is  perfect, not even in Europe. If I go to the timberyard to buy 
some 
boards,  let's say 10 meters of dimension 25x100 mm, they will just look at 
me as  being stupid. You see, THICKNESS is still in inches, but WIDTH in  
millimeters. So, I must say 10 meters 1"x100 mm. If  they are very  modern, 
you may ask for 22 mm or 28 mm, and  then you get 25 mm,  which is one 
inch. 
And nearly all builders say 2 inch nails, 3 inch nails  etc, but the length 
is in millimeters. And the tire pressure ought to be  kPa, but all say kg 
(kilogram). And we sin every day by saying that the  barometer shows 700 
millimeters instead of Pa. And we say that the wind  speed is nn knots 
instead of m/s. And all millions of folding rules we  have here are named 
'inch tools' and not meter tools. And the beer is 33  cl and not an even 
multiple of 1000 cl. And cooks use teaspoons and not  milligrams. And not 
one 
normal man dare say his BMW got nn  kilowatts.  And textiles and an silts 
are 
name with mesh and not  openings per centimeter. And diamonds are valued in 
carat, which is a  little nut. I could go on until you fell asleep.

Viva the  imperfection!

Inge


----- Original Message ----- 
From:  "Lee Whiteman" <[log in to unmask]>
To:  <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 7:00 PM
Subject:  Re: [TN] European Union Council Directive 80/181/EEC (Metric 
Directive) -  NTC


Remember, whether it's 9.8 m/sec2 or 32.2 ft/sec2, it's still 1  G.

Lee Whiteman, PMP
Senior Member Engineering Staff
L-3  Communications East
Telephone: (856) 338-3508
FAX: (856)  338-2906
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]

-----Original  Message-----
From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Joe  Fjelstad
Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 12:03 PM
To:  [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [TN] European Union Council Directive  80/181/EEC (Metric 
Directive) - NTC

Steve

Your note reminded  me of one the worst modifications made to the English
system and that was  the decimal inch.  This allowed  users to think they 
had
a metric  system equivalent and did not need to  make the change, which was 
 a
BIG mistake.

Let go crash some more Mars explorers...  ;-)

Cheers,
Joe




In a message dated 4/14/2009  8:57:29 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask]  writes:

Mike,

As a similar aside, I have had many  'knowledgeable'  individuals verbally
refer to a 'mm' [millimeter] as  a 'mil'....  ouch!

Let me assure you, that when bonding '1 mil'  gold wire, I am  referring to
'0.001 inch'.  'One mil' is so much  easier to say than  25.4 µm [or 
microns]
....[yes, I know all the  arguments, but the real  problem comes in when
people do not pay  attention to labels.  In the  olden days of chalk  board
and
slate, we were taught to 'mind our labels'  when it came  to math.  Alas,
ignorance is bliss.]

Should anyone  have  any 1 mm gold wire they wish to dispose of, I would
gladly put it  into  my unemployment fund!!  I would even spring   for
shipping!!

We'll get there   eventually.

Steve

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