Why We Should Go Back To The Imperial Measuring System

it makes sense

Monday, April 18, 2016 by starkers | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk

Right, so the title says it all, and we should go back to the Imperial Measuring system.  Why?  Cos it sounds better, that's why.

Let me explain:

First of all, when one reaches an important point in their life it is a Milestone.... not a kilometre stone.

Moreover, those wishing to stay with the metric system should be banned from using 'Milestone'.  They can't have their cake and eat it, too.

Another example of sounding better is a Gallon of gas.  A litre of gas just doesn't have the same punch or pizzazz.  Not only that, it isn't as much, and there are times when quantity beats the fech out of quality.  Yup, a Gallon of gas makes more sense.

And when you go to a pub, it sounds more proper like to ask for a Pint of Guinness... though if they sold a litre for the same price I'd not complain.  I'd just have it in two 1 pint glasess

Then there's when you're chastising yer kids fer poor behaviour... you tell them that you gave then an Inch and they took a Mile.  The metric equivelant just doesn't have the same impact.

And what about the song, "Walk A Mile In My Shoes"?   The Metric version simply wouldn't convey the same message or suffering, now would it?  A kilometre is nowhere near as long, nor does it invoke the same mental imagery of a man suffering.  No, a Mile in really uncomfortable shoes is gonna hurt way much more and it give the song meaning.

Another is the four minute Mile, right?   It sounds impressive, don't it?  Unlike a four minute kilometre.  You're gonna say: "Hey, my granny can run faster than that, with her knickers down 'round her ankles.

Okay, so you get my meaning.  There are other examples of where Imperial beats the snot out of metric, but I'll leave some for you bunch of desperados to chime in.  When we have enough examples we'll get up a petition and press the powers that be to revert back to Imperial measures, right?

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DaveBax
Reply #1 Monday, April 18, 2016 9:10 AM

Well I live in the US so Imperial it is here. I watch different sports and some are measured in Meters. Unless I look it up I have no idea how far they are talking about.

Now if forced I could learn Metric but not what I would really want to do at my old age. My suggestion would be to make it one or the other everywhere. That would also solve the problem as I'm not sure I'm the only one that comes needs to use Metric now and then and have no idea about it. However as I mentioned at my age it doesn't matter to me anymore one way or the other. So trying to change it now makes no difference to me. 


Another is the four minute Mile, right?   It sounds impressive, don't it?  Unlike a four minute kilometre

Well to the Imperial users yes. However maybe not to the Metric people. So guess it depends on what you use everyday.

starkers
Reply #2 Monday, April 18, 2016 10:03 AM

DaveBax

Well I live in the US so Imperial it is here.

Ah, just cos you don't live where it's metric, don't mean to say you should sit on your hands and not join the good fight  And just cos it ain't metric there today, don't meaqn to say it won't be tomorrow.

If you had half an Ounce of sense [which is better than a few miligrams], you'd rise a few Inches and stamp your Foot to get worldwide Imperial equality.  Don't be complacent or I'll have to come get my Pound of flesh from you instead.

Yup, there's a Ton of good reasons to return to Imperial, tho joining the Mile High Club won't be on my list of todo's anytime soon.  They say high altitude, even in a pressurised cabin can affect Viagra and reduce one's member by Inches... and frankly,  I don't have any Inches to spare.

Now here's an interesting question.  If the UK went full on metric, would it be called Scotland Metre instead of Scotland Yard?

mozler
Reply #3 Monday, April 18, 2016 10:12 AM

Slowly he inched closer to her, but by then she was miles away, he couldn’t fathom out why,  the only feeling he got was hunger so he got out his sandwich, it was a foot long, followed by two quarter pounders, he then decided to go the whole nine yards, but if he had an ounce of common sense he would have gone metric.

Slowly he centimetred closer to her, but by then she was kilometres away, he couldn’t fathom out the metric equivalent of a fathom,  the only feeling he got was hunger so he got out his baguette, it was 30 centimetres long, followed by two 454 grammers, he then decided to go the whole 8.23 metres, but if he had 28.3 grams of common sense………..

Damn it, even the British press cannot make up their mind, if it’s going to be cold It’s in Centigrade, if it’s going to be hot it’s in Fahrenheit…………….

How long before we have 100 minutes in a an hour, and 100 seconds in a minute?

It hasn't done the US any harm staying Imperial.

or maybe I'm just another Old Fart

DaveBax
Reply #4 Monday, April 18, 2016 10:26 AM

starkers

And just cos it ain't metric there today, don't mean to say it won't be tomorrow

Well I doubt that. They actually were trying in the US very hard to push it about 10 years ago or so. That plan was scraped and never heard again since so highly doubt it will ever change hare. Besides if it happens 100 years from now and I'm alive I would have set all the age records. At 71 I also doubt if I will do that. Really the way the World is going I wouldn't want it or even if the World as we know it will ever be here.

mozler

or maybe I'm just another Old Fart

LOL. Part of the club are you. Welcome. 

stalkers, as old as you are what the hell do you even care or think about it. You have been around since dirt has been around. You must expect to be around when dirt turns into rock.

starkers
Reply #5 Monday, April 18, 2016 10:31 AM

mozler

or maybe I'm just another Old Fart

Join the club.  I grew up in the UK with feet and inches, ounces and pounds, pounds shillings and pence... then I get to Australia, where it's all gone metric, and I still prefer/relate better to the Imperial system.

Speaking of the whole nine yards, I did that once, but got disqualified for jumping the starter's gun.

Jafo
Reply #6 Monday, April 18, 2016 10:55 AM

Anyone who was an Architect in the early 70's will NEVER EVER want to go back to Imperial...or anywhere else.... any other change...no matter what or why.

FULL STOP.  End of discussion.

 

If you were not there you will never know.

DaveBax
Reply #7 Monday, April 18, 2016 11:21 AM


FULL STOP.  End of discussion

Good luck with a "stalkers thread" 

anotherside
Reply #8 Monday, April 18, 2016 1:12 PM

Imperial doesn't sound very scientific, does it? He is six FEET tall, ugh? Why not six stones tall or six rocks tall or tall as a big fish? Just kidding, but the metric system is easier to understand because it is based on 1, 10, 100, 1000 and so on.

I have a really big problem with time because there are only 24 hours with sixty minutes each and that doesn't make much sense. Maybe we should make this more metric? Iron Maiden has a song called "2 minutes to midnight". Maybe it should be called "2 millisuns to midnight"?

The metric system is not really good as a starting point for time calculation. It should be based on 360 because the sun behaves like a circle. There can be 360 sundegrees of time any given day. Then you can have deci, centi, millidegrees. I would welcome time being measured in degrees. Hours and minutes; those are the real culprits we should revolt against. 

Fuzzy Logic
Reply #9 Monday, April 18, 2016 1:41 PM

Another example of sounding better is a Gallon of gas.  A litre of gas just doesn't have the same punch or pizzazz.  Not only that, it isn't as much, and there are times when quantity beats the fech out of quality.  Yup, a Gallon of gas makes more sense.

Gas is measured in cubic metres

Did you mean:

  • Petrol?
  • Diesel?
  • Any other liquid fuel?

In which case the measurement is litres. Or gallons if you want to know how many miles to the gallon you are getting.

Q: If we have the metric system as standard, why are all the road signs in miles?
A: It would cost zillions to change all the road signs from Miles to Kilometres.

Besides, it's sounds better when you say 'doing a ton' is in MPH. I mean, my push bike can do 100 KMH...

Pint. Leave my f***** pint alone. Thank you.

Jafo
Reply #10 Monday, April 18, 2016 5:48 PM

Fuzzy Logic

Pint. Leave my f***** pint alone. Thank you.

But Fuzzy....that's just an English pint....and everyone knows it tastes like cat's piss....

 

....except warmer.

anotherside
Reply #11 Monday, April 18, 2016 6:28 PM

Imperial measurements are straight out of Middle Earth. But I like 'em. They have a certain flavor. But why not go full out Imperial? One dollar can't be 100 cents. That's way too metric! One dollar should be 47,3 pebbles.

What imperial measurements lack in logic, they make up in flavor and size. I have been to US a couple of times and it's true that things are bigger there compared to Europe. So I would say imperial measurements have a considerable size advantage.

As the saying goes: Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. Because then when you criticize someone you are a mile away and you have their shoes!

starkers
Reply #12 Monday, April 18, 2016 8:36 PM


Anyone who was an Architect in the early 70's will NEVER EVER want to go back to Imperial...or anywhere else.... any other change...no matter what or why.

FULL STOP. End of discussion.

Who invited an architect, fer cryin' out loud?    Everybody knows their plans look okay on paper, but when it comes to actual builing they're an inch out, a foot out, a yard out.  It's like architects grew up a foot the wrong side of Imperial and could never get it right fer the want of tryin'

Seriously, there were some great architects back in history.  I mean, take a look at the pyramids and the Great Wall.... though things have gone off the boil a bit since then.  What's more, they used cubits... not Metric.

As for the discussion, were having way too much fun to end on a sour 'architectural' note.

starkers
Reply #13 Monday, April 18, 2016 8:54 PM

anotherside

I have a really big problem with time because there are only 24 hours with sixty minutes each and that doesn't make much sense. Maybe we should make this more metric? Iron Maiden has a song called "2 minutes to midnight". Maybe it should be called "2 millisuns to midnight"?

The metric system is not really good as a starting point for time calculation. It should be based on 360 because the sun behaves like a circle. There can be 360 sundegrees of time any given day. Then you can have deci, centi, millidegrees. I would welcome time being measured in degrees. Hours and minutes; those are the real culprits we should revolt against.

Leave the damn time alone!  My mother was for ever going on about a one world time and changing the clock.  It's all I ever heard about... if she wasn't bitching about social security and government.  In fact, I'm glad she's gone back to England.  Now she won't be sucking all the oxygen out of the Aussie atmosphere with her endless nattering.

Fuzzy Logic

Gas is measured in cubic metres

Should be cubit feet... simple as that.  If anybody knows anything about gas it's me, and there's nothing good or catchy about a cubic metre of gas.

As fer yer pint, keep it.  I want my own pint[s]... and plenty of 'em.



Quoting Fuzzy Logic,

Pint. Leave my f***** pint alone. Thank you.



But Fuzzy....that's just an English pint....and everyone knows it tastes like cat's piss....

 

....except warmer.

Ahem!  An English pint is a bit of alright, thank you.  I'll often get some imported English beers for a change... and there's nothing wrong with it, 'cept I drink it cold because of the climate difference.  I mean, seriously, you try drinking a chilled Coopers in a -6C English Winter.  I was going to say a Fosters, but that truly is cat's piss and unfit for human consumption.

RedneckDude
Reply #14 Monday, April 18, 2016 8:58 PM

I think an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

 

Or

 

28.3495 grams of prevention is worth 0.453592 kilograms of cure.

 

Or is it a pint is worth 1000 gulps, what the hell, I dunno, I'm a redneck.

starkers
Reply #15 Monday, April 18, 2016 9:08 PM

anotherside

As the saying goes: Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. Because then when you criticize someone you are a mile away and you have their shoes!

And socks!  I mean, any civilised person's gonna steal their socks as well.

And there's something more romantic with the Imperial system.  For example:

"Ten more miles 'til the end of the road.... love shack baby....."

Orright, it might've been more about lust than romance, but ya get the picture.   If the B 52's had written "Ten more kilometres 'til the end of the road" it simply wouldn't have been the huge hit it was, and the world 'd be a sadder place today for not having heard it blasting out of the radio. 

And where would the Proclaimers be without 500 miles?  And '500 miles more'?  Orright, their feet mightn't be as sore, but at least it was romantic miles and not boring old kilometres.... or a 1000 metres.  Nope, there's NO ring to metric measrements.  NONE!!!!!

 

starkers
Reply #16 Monday, April 18, 2016 9:28 PM

RedneckDude

I think an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

 

Or

 

28.3495 grams of prevention is worth 0.453592 kilograms of cure.

 

Or is it a pint is worth 1000 gulps, what the hell, I dunno, I'm a redneck.

Aw, don't be so hard on yerself, rednecks know something.... like sheep, for example.  Ya knows how ta raise 'em and graze 'em... how ta butcher 'em and.....  Well they make good eatin' and, before that, help keep ya warm on a cold winter's night.  

On a serious note, I'd rather have an ounce of prevention any day.  Howver, I don't practice safe sex anymore.  In fact, I don't practice ANY sex any more.  I think it's about time I found meself anuvver woman.... preferably 30 - 35 years younger, tall and bunette, with huge bank accounts

Jafo
Reply #17 Tuesday, April 19, 2016 12:04 AM

Went to an Aussie bar in New York last September....you could pick the Aussie 'wannabes' ...at the bar...drinking Fosters.

In Michigan, visiting Stardock, Brad and his wife took us and Neil out to dinner.  Waiter asked what would I like to drink... I said 'do you have an Aussie beer?' and he said 'like what?' 'Coopers'...'no...but the place across the road has....I'll be back...'

And he was.

Moral of the story....whatever your poison....the service is best in the US.

 

...of course...Brad probably is a regular...

starkers
Reply #18 Tuesday, April 19, 2016 12:44 AM

Yeah, the Poms drink a lot of Fosters.  Apparently they make it there under license these days.  Still, I don't care wot country it's in... wouldn't put it in my mouth.  It's worse 'cat's piss' than anything brewed in England.

As for service, I used to get the best service ever at a place called 'The Saloon' down in Launceston.  I was a regular, so that may have helped some, but the entire staff was always polite and ever so helpul to most patrons... well those who behaved themselves. Not that there was ever any trouble while I was there.  I stayed there a couple of nights before leaving to come back up to Qld, and I could not fault the service or friendly staff.  First night I felt hungry around 10.00pm and asked the manager if there was any food available.  He said that the kitchen was closed but that he'd call in a favour from a mate... next thing I knew I had a pizza delivered and it didn't cost me a cent.  Now that's what I call service... going the extra MILE to satisfy a customer.

Another place I get great service is Jets Leagues Club here in Ipswich.  I've been a member for 10+ years and it's a great spot for a meal, a beer or 3 and some light entertainment.

As for 'poison', I'd drink pretty much any beer except VB and Fosters... cos Victorians just dunno how to make beer.

Jafo
Reply #19 Tuesday, April 19, 2016 2:43 AM

Since most beers on the planet and almost all of them in Australia are either owned by SAB or Kirin....I'll stick with Coopers as it's fair dinkum Aussie.

BTW....Kirin is Jap...and the 'SA' in 'SAB' stands for South African.

 

Meanwhile...my hand is now minus its 'cast' ...and all I have is adhesive webbing over the stitches...so I'm back to 2-finger typing...and don't have to do a Hendrix with the mouse...

JuniorCrooks
Reply #20 Tuesday, April 19, 2016 8:55 AM

Canada adopted the metric system in the 70's however there are many like myself who still use imperial. Most construction workers still measure in inches and feet. I will say though that once you get your head around it the metric system is easier to work with because everything is measured by multiple of 10's. For example 10mm = 1cm, 100cm = 1m, 1000m = 1km. That being said I am more use to 12" = 1' so I still use imperial measurements.      

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