Louis et al

The history of measurement goes far back in time.

If anyone has the interest go read: http://www.robertlomas.com/megyard/index.html

I find it a fascinating subject and keep my mind wide open to  
alternative considerations.

Graham Naisbitt
Gen3 Systems

On 14 Apr 2009, at 17:06, Louis Hart wrote:

> Joe, et al, If I am correct, the US has been using international  
> units officially since 1890. At that time, I believe the Imperial  
> units were legally defined in terms of the metric ones. (For  
> whatever good that did.)
>
> I largely refuse to use the Imperial units, unless asked, as many  
> people, including engineers, often do. My wife is an artist who also  
> does framing work (with a lot of help from me). Occasionally, I make  
> a mistake and use the legitimate excuse that measuring, adding, etc,  
> with the Imperial units most material suppliers provide set me up  
> for an error. If I could use International units, chances of an  
> error are enormously reduced. When I can start measurements from the  
> beginning, on my own terms, I use international units and feel much  
> more comfortable. So I see, in a very small way at first hand, some  
> of the cost of using an outmoded system of units.
>
> Incidentally, I have to admire the surveyors who, during the French  
> Revolution, went all over the country during turbulent times with  
> their strange equipment to determine how big a meter was.
>
> Louis Hart
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Joe Fjelstad
> Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 11:52 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [TN] European Union Council Directive 80/181/EEC  
> (Metric Directive)
>
> 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
>
> **************Why pay full price? Check out this month's deals on  
> the new
> AOL Shopping. (http://shopping.aol.com/?ncid=emlcntinstor00000001)
>
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