We are continually told by 2 Americans on this board how simple US measurements are. I simply could not resist to share this simplicity with a metric world. Poor sods, they have to do with an infinitesimal number of units and I am sure they feel deprived seeing that opulent splendour of irrelevant antiquity. Somebody, somewhere, at some time, has to learn these superfluous units by heart. If not, somebody somewhere, at some time, has to print these superfluous units for someone somewhere at sometime to reference them. Now that is what I call a tremenduous waste of anybody's time. Note the lovely mix of metric C with outlandish units in a country that uses only one system according to Bud and MattS.
Diameter of a circle = circumference x .31831
Circumference of a circle = diameter x 3.1416
Area of a circle = diatmeter x diameter x .7854
Surface of a ball = diameter x diameter x 3.1416
Doubling the diameter of a pipe increases it's
capacity 4 times
metre, you know d*** well that many of those units are no longer in common use. Open your eyes.
SteveH
The Idiot
April 27 2004, 1:16 PM
Note that he fractionalises and embelishes in order to try to get his point across too.
Right, I'm off for a hogshead of beer, once I've had 5 scruples of vitamin C.
MattS
Real American Measures
April 27 2004, 1:48 PM
Let me educate Mr. Meter. The system below includes only those units currently in use by Americans for everyday life. Notice there are no Apothecary's measures and no obsolete length or volume units included. Funny my post looks a whole lot simpler that Mr. Meter's. And you'll note that you could probably ask most Americans the equivalents and they could tell you a large part of them.
No one uses rods/poles/perches, or furlongs unless you have land records old enough to have them. The mile is not associated with the yard in the US and the acre is not associated with the square yard.
Cubic measure, there are three in common use:
cubic foot
cubic yard
1 cord = 128 cu. feet and it's only used to measure fire wood.
Dry Measure is for the most part unused but I have included it for completeness:
The kip and ton are not usually associated with anything but the pound.
Re: Simplicity?
April 27 2004, 7:14 PM
What on Earth, you have done this thread TWICE before, metre, and been rebutted **both** times. What is wrong with you??
Anyway, two main points to add here:
1, a knot is a unit of speed. So, 1 knot = 1 nautical mile per hour. So, 1 knot = 1.15mph.
1 nautical mile (used in metric circles too) = approx 6/5 miles.
Also, 1 troy ounce = 175/144 avoird. ounces ( a better way opf expressing it, Matt :) )
metre
Head in the sand
April 28 2004, 6:18 AM
Re: Simplicity? April 27 2004, 7:27 AM
metre, you know d*** well that many of those units are no longer in common use. Open your eyes.
metre:
Don't kid yourself these abominable units are used by surveyors today. If anybody is blind to reality, you and MattS are prime candidates for that dubious honour.
metre
Thanks
April 28 2004, 6:33 AM
Re: Simplicity? April 27 2004, 7:14 PM
What on Earth, you have done this thread TWICE before, metre, and been rebutted **both** times. What is wrong with you??
Anyway, two main points to add here:
1, a knot is a unit of speed. So, 1 knot = 1 nautical mile per hour. So, 1 knot = 1.15mph.
1 nautical mile (used in metric circles too) = approx 6/5 miles.
Also, 1 troy ounce = 175/144 avoird. ounces ( a better way opf expressing it, Matt :) )
metre:
So who cares, apart from you and the odd American? Your explanations are gems and probably convince many a metric sceptic to abandon imperial altogether.Thanks for your help.
I know it hurts to be confronted with convoluted and antiquated measurements. It shatters your imperial dream world built on wishful thinking. To face dreary medieval realty might help to bring all you imperial lovers back from fog land occasionally.
metre
Living in fog land
April 28 2004, 6:40 AM
Real American Measures April 27 2004, 1:48 PM
Let me educate Mr. Meter. The system below includes only those units currently in use by Americans for everyday life. Notice there are no Apothecary's measures and no obsolete length or volume units included. Funny my post looks a whole lot simpler that Mr. Meter's. And you'll note that you could probably ask most Americans the equivalents and they could tell you a large part of them.
metre:
Don't argue with me man, I just pasted the units as are from a Yankee site.
As to your desperate attempt to simplify the un-simplifyable, what a waste of time. You truly need your head examined if you you think anything will improve your antiquated units.
Re: Simplicity?
April 28 2004, 8:24 AM
Seriously now metre, you did this exact same thread twice before. You were rebutted both times. This is getting very boring now.
SteveH
Re: Simplicity?
April 28 2004, 12:38 PM
You'll note also, Bryan, that as he rapidly loses this one he's turning to his old tested method of calling people names.
I liked this one though:
"I know it hurts to be confronted with convoluted and antiquated measurements. It shatters your imperial dream world built on wishful thinking. To face dreary medieval realty might help to bring all you imperial lovers back from fog land occasionally."
Where on earth in Britain does he live? LOL! Does he simply ignore TV, radio, people in the street, the streets themselves, the shops, etc etc!?!?
Or perhaps we all live in "Fogland"
What is double-funny is that he's admitted in the past that he knows only imperial, because of his education, and that you can't be fluent in both imperial and metric!
Perhaps he actually lives on a different planet.
(In his secure cell, where he's allowed to use his computer at the crack of dawn, before writing another song)
Re: Simplicity?
April 28 2004, 2:27 PM
"Don't kid yourself these abominable units are used by surveyors today. If anybody is blind to reality, you and MattS are prime candidates for that dubious honour."
Metre, I AM a surveyor and civil engineer. The ONLY time I have ever used perches/poles/rods or chains was reading an old deed (1800's). All surveys done in the US since the middle of the last century, at least have been done in feet and tenths thereof which is the standard unit for civil engineering and surveying.
"Don't argue with me man, I just pasted the units as are from a Yankee site."
Just because you can find some site with all those units on it doesn't mean that we use half of them here. I gave you a list of those units in use today and EVERYONE uses them EVERYDAY. OBVIOUSLY they're comprehendable enough to be used by the 42,000,000 or so people who live in the US.
Bud
Re: Simplicity?
April 29 2004, 12:10 AM
<<
Seriously now metre, you did this exact same thread twice before. You were rebutted both times. This is getting very boring now.
>>
We are just encouraging him by replying to his posts. We know he refuses to even attempt to think a little further, yet we keep trying to make him. The more we try, the more junk he will post.
metre
Rebutted?
April 29 2004, 5:36 AM
Re: Simplicity? April 28 2004, 8:24 AM
Seriously now metre, you did this exact same thread twice before. You were rebutted both times. This is getting very boring now.
Sorry, it is not the exact same thread. The recent one incorporated another heap of disfunctional units, surveyor measurements not shown in the other table.
Rebutted? Now that is news to me, metric lost out to antiquated imperial? How do you and your fellow travellers achieve that feat, by slight of hand? Open your eyes and look at stark reality , imperial is in its dead throws man.
metre
Irksome is it?
April 29 2004, 6:01 AM
Re: Simplicity? April 29 2004, 12:10 AM
<<
Seriously now metre, you did this exact same thread twice before. You were rebutted both times. This is getting very boring now.
>>
We are just encouraging him by replying to his posts. We know he refuses to even attempt to think a little further, yet we keep trying to make him. The more we try, the more junk he will post.
metre:
All imprialists seem to suffer from the same malaise, a dislike for harsh reality.
Confronted with their own dismal measurement units they start one by one to disown them. We don't use those any more, it can be simplified, people use only a small number of them. Children don't have to learn all these units at school and so on.
If you are confronted with your antiquated units often enough, maybe you will come out of inchland one day and join a blissful world that speaks only one measurement language. Mind you I won't hold my breath knowing that reason comes invariably distant second to emotion, read misguided patriotism.
metre
Miniature America
April 29 2004, 6:15 AM
Re: Simplicity? April 28 2004, 2:27 PM
"Don't kid yourself these abominable units are used by surveyors today. If anybody is blind to reality, you and MattS are prime candidates for that dubious honour."
Metre, I AM a surveyor and civil engineer. The ONLY time I have ever used perches/poles/rods or chains was reading an old deed (1800's). All surveys done in the US since the middle of the last century, at least have been
"Don't argue with me man, I just pasted the units as are from a Yankee site."
Just because you can find some site with all those units on it doesn't mean that we use half of them here. I gave you a list of those units in use today and EVERYONE uses them EVERYDAY. OBVIOUSLY they're comprehendable enough to be used by the 42,000,000 or so people who live in the US.
metre:
Which America is that then? Did you have a famine nobody knows about. The America I am talking about has nearly 300,000,000 million inhabitants.
Anonymous:
done in feet and tenths thereof which is the standard unit for civil engineering and surveying.
Interesting indeed, sounds as idiotic as 3.5 oz. Why would you bastardise your state of the art
system with lousy decimals? Keep on thinking about it and you might one day realise why, and also that your units do not lend themselves to decimalisation.
SteveH
sigh
April 29 2004, 12:46 PM
Aren't you intelligent enough to 'answer' all the points in one posting, and without having to repeat other peoples quotes? And without repeating the same junk as you normally do? Oh, you forgot to repeat the word "habit", by the way!
"imperial is in its dead throws man"
What's with the "man" stuff?
Is it an attempt to sound "all american"?
Or is it meant to conjure up an image to the lie that you are some sort of musician?
By the way, while you scream and shout your nonsence about a measuring system you know little about please note that no-one on the metric side is making any effort whatsoever to help or back up your fruitless "claims"?
In fact its given us pro-imperial and pro-choice lot a bit of a dilemma, a catch 22 if you like.
Because although its enjoyable for us to collectively poke you with a stick and marvel at your beautiful use of the English language as you spit insults and repeat long running daft views, it also means that we miss out on excellent debates and heated arguments that we regularly used to have with the likes of Martin, Andy, Conrad etc (no offence to those I haven't named).
Yes they still post here but I always get this image of them collectively ready to contribute and then you come along and burst straight through them shouting "I'll handle this, lads" as you zimmerframe your way up to the keyboard to vomit your childish rants and re-rants about arguments that you repeatedly lose or "let die".
The biggest dilemma is whether we should collectively say "shut the **** up and p**s off", denying us of any further fun at your expense, or risk losing the moderate well spoken pro-metric debaters altogether.
All I can say to that is, to you lot on the pro-metric side, continue to hang around - continue to post. I hope I speak for all on "my side" here in saying that we know quite clearly that eric/metre does not in any way represent your collective point of view.
In the same way abu hamza does not represent the collective point of view of the average muslim.
I hope this all makes sense to "y'all"
sorry, couldn't resist that attempt at "sounding all american" there at the end!
MattS
Tenths
April 29 2004, 1:36 PM
"Interesting indeed, sounds as idiotic as 3.5 oz. Why would you bastardise your state of the art system with lousy decimals? Keep on thinking about it and you might one day realise why, and also that your units do not lend themselves to decimalisation."
Funny, Civil Engineers and Surveyors have been using tenths and hundredths of a foot for the past 100 years. So don't tell me that my units don't lend themselves to decimaliZation. The measurements used for land in the US are a very interesting bunch if you cared to UNDERSTAND them instead of bashing them.
The perch/rod/pole went out of favor about 1900 even though they were still used. Mr. Gunter invented his chain which was used for surveying and has been discussed here in the past. It was made up of 100 links and very neatly simplified all land measure with regard to the acre. The Ramsden's chain was also used. It's 100' long with 1000 links. Both chains were used frequently depending on the application. This is where your custom of feet and tenths came from. Don't tell me it's some new fangled system to make computations in calculators easier.
Metre, just remember that the vastness of the American west was "conquered" with Gunter's 66' chain of 100 links. Oh, I forgot, you don't understand the vastness of the American west because you've never been there.
Decimals and Fractions
April 29 2004, 3:33 PM
I hate how some people try to characterise this whole thing as Metric = decimal = modern VS. Imperial = fractional = antiquated.
The way I see it, Imperial is useful for decimal and non-decimal. I mean, that is only practical. In science and engineering, mostly only decimal sub/multiples are used anyway, and it all works quite well. What is the problem?
MattS
Try responding
April 29 2004, 4:33 PM
OBVIOUSLY they're comprehendable enough to be used by the 42,000,000 or so people who live in the US.
metre:
Which America is that then? Did you have a famine nobody knows about. The America I am talking about has nearly 300,000,000 million inhabitants.
Hmm, it's obvious I made a typo by putting the number in, can't tell you where I got that wacked firgure. Be that as it may, you still have disregarded the fact that these measures are comprehendable to 290,342,554 people. You claim that our system of measures is not understandable to people because it's so complicated. Tell me how the US came to be the power it is with "antiquated" measures that no one understands?
metre
Re: Simplicity?
April 30 2004, 5:49 AM
MattS
Tenths April 29 2004, 1:36 PM
"Interesting indeed, sounds as idiotic as 3.5 oz. Why would you bastardise your state of the art system with lousy decimals? Keep on thinking about it and you might one day realise why, and also that your units do not lend themselves to decimalisation."
Funny, Civil Engineers and Surveyors have been using tenths and hundredths of a foot for the past 100 years. So don't tell me that my units don't lend themselves to decimaliZation. The measurements used for land in the US are a very interesting bunch if you cared to UNDERSTAND them instead of bashing them.
metre:
No they don't! All it shows that you can't work with them in fractions that's why you are forced to decimalise these ridiculess units. If you want the advantages of the metric system for god sake use it instead of mucking about with antiquated garbage.
The perch/rod/pole went out of favor about 1900 even though they were still used. Mr. Gunter invented his chain which was used for surveying and has been discussed here in the past. It was made up of 100 links and very neatly simplified all land measure with regard to the acre. The Ramsden's chain was also used. It's 100' long with 1000 links. Both chains were used frequently depending on the application. This is where your custom of feet and tenths came from. Don't tell me it's some new fangled system to make computations in calculators easier.
metre:
Gunters chain, sounds very German to me. The good man obviously thought in decent numbers, but had to satisfy the people in power to get a job.
Metre, just remember that the vastness of the American west was "conquered" with Gunter's 66' chain of 100 links. Oh, I forgot, you don't understand the vastness of the American west because you've never been there.
metre:
I also remember that you can send men to the moon with antiquated units. So what does that prove, that you can travel in a mechanised world with horses and carts from city to city?
What would you know where I was, and by the way it DOES NOT MATTER.
metre
Beloved imperial
April 30 2004, 5:57 AM
Decimals and Fractions April 29 2004, 3:33 PM
I hate how some people try to characterise this whole thing as Metric = decimal = modern VS. Imperial = fractional = antiquated.
The way I see it, Imperial is useful for decimal and non-decimal. I mean, that is only practical. In science and engineering, mostly only decimal sub/multiples are used anyway, and it all works quite well. What is the problem?
metre:
Put your head outside your narrow world and ask 96% of humanity what they think about old measurements. You would find that most metric people don't know, nor care, and the few that do just smile and say ah well some people just don't know what's good for them.
metre
Mistake
April 30 2004, 6:20 AM
OBVIOUSLY they're comprehendable enough to be used by the 42,000,000 or so people who live in the US.
metre:
Which America is that then? Did you have a famine nobody knows about. The America I am talking about has nearly 300,000,000 million inhabitants.
Hmm, it's obvious I made a typo by putting the number in, can't tell you where I got that wacked firgure. Be that as it may, you still have disregarded the fact that these measures are comprehendable to 290,342,554 people. You claim that our system of measures is not understandable to people because it's so complicated. Tell me how the US came to be the power it is with "antiquated" measures that no one understands?
metre:
I normally don't comment on mistakes, we all make them, but that figure was so far out that I thought what are you talking about.
No, I do not disregard the fact that out of
290,342,554 people, roughly 280,000,000 or thereabouts have only a very rudimentary understanding of USC.
Let's just say it happened in spite of it.
Your country like all others will lose the top position. With metric China breathing down your neck it's safe to say that your antiquated units will sadly hasten that process.
SteveH
Re: Simplicity?
April 30 2004, 12:14 PM
<<<Hmm, it's obvious I made a typo by putting the number in, can't tell you where I got that wacked firgure. Be that as it may, you still have disregarded the fact that these measures are comprehendable to 290,342,554 people>>>
Please be aware that he can only win an argument if someone makes a clear typo mistake like you did.
I was impressed that he said "No it isn't" without me having to put:
Eric: "No it isn't"
LOL!
SteveH
Re: Simplicity?
April 30 2004, 12:14 PM
I mean't "no they don't"
MattS
Poll
April 30 2004, 1:17 PM
All those in favor of abandoning this thread due to useless rambling by an idiot named Metre, say aye.
SteveH
************AYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!****************
April 30 2004, 2:22 PM
Ow! My eardrums!
Stan
Making an impact
May 1 2004, 3:44 PM
I find this thread amusing.
All those complaints about metre, who (they say) wont lie down and keeps repreating himself, and yet no one ignores him.
He is obviousy taken more seriously than anyone cares to admit.
Roth
Metric China
May 2 2004, 3:34 AM
China isn't even completely metric!! I have here a notebook made in china you know what the measurements on it are? 10.5"x8" (26.7cm x 20.3cm) Obviously metric was not the system the paper was produced by! China uses alot more USC than you think metre!
metre
Talking of idiots...
May 3 2004, 5:09 AM
Making an impact May 1 2004, 3:44 PM
I find this thread amusing.
All those complaints about metre, who (they say) wont lie down and keeps repreating himself, and yet no one ignores him.
He is obviousy taken more seriously than anyone cares to admit
Nice observation, and oh, so true!
metre
Difference?
May 3 2004, 5:20 AM
Metric China May 2 2004, 3:34 AM
China isn't even completely metric!! I have here a notebook made in china you know what the measurements on it are? 10.5"x8" (26.7cm x 20.3cm) Obviously metric was not the system the paper was produced by! China uses alot more USC than you think metre!
metre:
With Yanks you have to be careful, more than half of them haven't a clue that there is such a thing as another world outside their borders, let alone a place called Taiwan.
Now prove your brazen statement that China uses a lot more FFU's than I think. Besides how do you know what I think, apart from what I let on in my posts?
metre
Gob smacked?
May 3 2004, 5:27 AM
Poll April 30 2004, 1:17 PM
All those in favor of abandoning this thread due to useless rambling by an idiot named Metre, say aye.
That is right down your alley, saves you from exercising your 2 damaged neurons if you haven't worn them out already.
SteveH
poke poke
May 4 2004, 1:47 PM
"All those complaints about metre, who (they say) wont lie down and keeps repreating himself, and yet no one ignores him."
Have you seen the stick I use to poke the old troll with?
If you poke hard enough you can get him to say things like "FFU" and spout insults.
The trouble with the internet is that you could not see me rubbing my hands and grinning after I said "aye".
BTW - has anyone read his mate's stuff on metricsucks? You know, the one who cannot pass a day without spitting out "FFU" at least 20 times.
He's taken to posting as me but with a dash after the name.
What does that say?
Re: Simplicity?
May 4 2004, 7:57 PM
I find this whole FFU Eric: You r 4ll garb4g3, Everyone Else: No u r garb4ge, Eric talk to be tedius.
I mean, from both sides- it is just old now. Eric/metre whatever the hell he is called is obviously a moron, so let's just leave it alone.
metre
Mirroron the wall
May 5 2004, 6:02 AM
Re: Simplicity? May 4 2004, 7:57 PM
I find this whole FFU Eric: You r 4ll garb4g3, Everyone Else: No u r garb4ge, Eric talk to be tedius.
I mean, from both sides- it is just old now. Eric/metre whatever the hell he is called is obviously a moron, so let's just leave it alone.
Talking of morons, have you looked into the mirror lately?
Re: Simplicity?
May 5 2004, 8:37 AM
Interpretation of this thread:
metre: metric is the best
metre: FFU stinks
Steve: haha I provoked him
Bryan: why are we replying to this moron?
metre: you're a moron
Are we all in kindergarten or what?
SteveH
Re: Simplicity?
May 5 2004, 12:49 PM
Go back in time and realise when this "kindergarden" started. See if you can reconginse the influencing character in what made this happen.
"Talking of morons, have you looked into the mirror lately? "
Whatever you do, eric, *never* become a stand-up comedien. That was a trully awful "put down"
metre
Re: Simplicity?
May 6 2004, 6:32 AM
Re: Simplicity? May 5 2004, 8:37 AM
Interpretation of this thread:
metre: metric is the best
metre: FFU stinks
Steve: haha I provoked him
Bryan: why are we replying to this moron?
metre: you're a moron
Are we all in kindergarten or what?
Fascinating, got you all rattled, hasn't it?
Empty talk and no ideas, sums the imperialist nicely up.
Don't take my word for it, look at Stan's astute observation and do it very often.