Replies

1 posted on 01/14/2004 4:25:40 PM PST by Fox on the Run

To: Fox on the Run

Can anybody please explain to me why you Americans remain in the Dark Ages with all your feet, ounces, pounds, miles, quarts etc? It just has me very confused why the doyen of freedom in the world has to make day-to-day life so complicated for everyone else. After all, everybody else in the world has made the switch, why not the US?

Can you explain to me why we should change to accomodate everyone else?

2 posted on 01/14/2004 4:30:59 PM PST by ibheath (Born-again and grateful to God for it.)

To: Fox on the Run

Short answer: We like making others' lives a living hell. Long answer: In 1776...

4 posted on 01/14/2004 4:52:46 PM PST by WinOne4TheGipper (YOU sit down, Mr. Dean. You've had your say, now we'll have ours.)

To: Fox on the Run

We like our heritage. Deal with it.

6 posted on 01/14/2004 4:59:37 PM PST by GovernmentShrinker

To: Fox on the Run

Sorry, I am at a loss to explain it myself. The subject came up in our household. My dear wife said that she was opposed to changing to the Metric system as she didn't see anything wrong with the system that we have.

"What system is that, Dear?"
"Our system."
"You mean the one with 12 inches to the foot, 5280 feet to the mile, and 16 ounces to the pound?"
"Yes, if that's really what the numbers are."

Logic cannot prevail against that.

8 posted on 01/14/2004 5:02:17 PM PST by NicknamedBob (The President said "We're going to Mars!" and suddenly, everyone has a head full of Space..)

To: Fox on the Run

The french developed the meteric system, that in and of itself is reason enough to not use it.
I have it on good authority that the french done it just to make their manhood sound larger. (150mm vs 6 inches)

10 posted on 01/14/2004 5:08:48 PM PST by Tax Slave (The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.)

To: Fox on the Run

If God had meant us to use the metric system, Jesus would have only had ten disciples. ;)

14 posted on 01/14/2004 6:42:18 PM PST by gcruse (http://gcruse.typepad.com/)

To: Fox on the Run

After all, everybody else in the world has made the switch, why not the US?

Because Jimmy Carter was in favor of switching to the metric system.

16 posted on 01/14/2004 7:18:11 PM PST by Wissa

To: Fox on the Run

Because it makes day-to-day life less complicated for us.

17 posted on 01/14/2004 7:18:24 PM PST by luvbach1

To: Fox on the Run

We have partially converted. Scientists use metric system. And we do buy litre-sized bottles of water.

18 posted on 01/14/2004 7:20:23 PM PST by luvbach1

To: Fox on the Run

We do it our way. Good enough reason for us.

But I do agree with the day/month/year thing. Being raised in a military family, I have always put the date as - 14 Jan '04 or 2004. Always made more sense to me. And it jas always confused others until they actually looked at it.

20 posted on 01/14/2004 7:52:09 PM PST by Khurkris (Ranger On...)

To: Fox on the Run

oh dear I hope you're wearing a flame suit...

22 posted on 01/14/2004 7:57:48 PM PST by cyborg

To: Fox on the Run

More importantly why aren't Americans interested in rugby and cricket???? That's what I want to know...

23 posted on 01/14/2004 7:58:55 PM PST by cyborg

To: Fox on the Run

I once watched an English cooking show and they were using the stupid metric system to measure all the ingrediante.

They actually had to weigh out the flour they used. Using the English system is easier. You measure the flour by a cup.

Cooking is easier. It is all based on fours. To get to the next higher measurement you multiply by four.

Milk is sold by the gallon, quart, pint.
1 gal = 4 quarts = 8 pints
1 pint = = 16 oz = 32 tablespoons = 96 teaspoons.

You can't take a stick and reliably split it into smaller halves using the metric system based on 10's.
Just try it.

Take a 10cm piece of paper and fold it in half. You get 5cm. Divide it in half again and you get 2.5cm. Divide it again you get 1.25cm. Again is 0.625cm.
Now tell me...can you create a system of measurement reliably using a system that can be devided into whole numbers.

English system is based on whole numbers.
1 ft divided in half = 6 inches. 6 in half is 3. You now have a foot reliably divided into four parts. You can then split the 3 inches by folding into three equal lengths and there you have a 1 foot length with all the inches marked off.

Can you do that with a meter stick?

Now try and make a song or poem using the metric system.
You can't rhyme the following "Miles and miles of little brouwn piles," into "meters and meters of little brown ?????".

If the USA switched to metric all the land would have to be remeasured. An acre which is 640ft^2 would change. There are 640 acres per square mile. All the maps would have to be changed. So would all the

Besides, the USA uses both systems when selling goods. The bottle in front of my says NET Wt 16 oz (454 g).

24 posted on 01/14/2004 8:59:52 PM PST by Chewbacca (Gold and silver are the international reserve currency of the world!)

To: Fox on the Run

Can anybody please explain to me why you Americans remain in the Dark Ages

Why is it the Dark Ages? That's the silliest thing I've ever heard. A thing is the same length no matter what system you use to measure it.

A system of measurement just needs to be uniform- nothing else.

Why not complain about the Brits? They use both the English system and the Metric. At least Americans are still using one.

34 posted on 01/15/2004 7:48:14 AM PST by Prodigal Son

To: Fox on the Run

Hey, I tell you what. Since we're in to the Q and A-

Why do Australians have a monarch for their head of state?

37 posted on 01/15/2004 8:05:13 AM PST by Prodigal Son

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794