Patrick Moore
Tue, 10 Aug 2010 06:22:01 -0700
Good call, Mr. Ressel. I was about to say the same thing. It’s very hard to keep one’s e-address out of the hands of spammers, and extra hard if someone else is broadcasting it. I did sign up to get messages from the newsgroup, and the filtering provided at Colorado State is very welcome.
You know, some people don’t even know about blind copies. That option needs to be turned on in the preferences/settings of most e-mail programs. ------ Forwarded Message From: "Ressel, Howard (DOT)" <hres...@dot.state.ny.us> Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2010 08:50:39 -0400 To: [spam list omitted here] Subject: RE: US Police height scales use centimetres I am not sure how this private metric list started but can we please stop and use the USMA list? Also if you send out email to a list like this the names should be in the BCC so you are not sharing everyone’s email with everyone on that list. Please stop responding to all. From: Anthony O'conner [mailto:barkatf...@ymail.com] Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2010 8:39 AM To: [spam list omitted here] Subject: Re: US Police height scales use centimetres I saw the same mugshot on the news this morning and the "2 M" was very visible. Especially since he is exactly 2 m tall. One of the other escapees mother was arrested in Arizona and her mugshot was shown. However, it had only one scale. I didn't see the numbers, just the lines. I'm assuming Arizona is backwards and doesn't do metres. Personally I don't know why every time the metric issue arises, there is a need to involve Burma and Liberia. To claim they are not metric is false, especially when visitors who visited these countries found the metric system in common use. Sierra Leone was claimed for years to be metric, yet recently we found they are just now changing. Some countries don't need to make an official change, they just do it as the need arises. Since they are too poor to dictate to trade partners what units to use, they have no choice but to become metric by stealth due to imports of metric products. Why can't we just agree to what Rowlett says: http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/ <http://www.unc.edu/%7Erowlett/units/> What countries besides the U.S. have not adopted the metric system? Many U.S. teachers think the answer is "Liberia and Burma" (make that Myanmar). Let's give Liberia and Myanmar a break! All countries have adopted the metric system, including the U.S., and most countries (but not the U.S.) have taken steps to eliminate most uses of traditional measurements. However, in nearly all countries people still use traditional units sometimes, at least in colloquial expressions. Becoming metric is not a one-time event that has either happened or not. It is a process that happens over time. Every country is somewhere in this process of going metric, some much further along than others. I would also disagree that the use of feet and inches is unspoken common sense, since it isn't used elsewhere. Criminals crossing national borders make the use of metric heights a priority everywhere. If Americans claim not to understand metres, then it is time they learn it and stop hanging on to excuses or reasons not to. Let the inability of not understanding SI be a costly burden if that is what it will take to force a change and create an understanding. Reward and punishment are the most effective ways to bring about change. Reward those that do and punish those that don't. Business is already punishing those that refuse to learn and function in metric by rewarding metric countries with jobs and punishing Americans by taking away the jobs. If metrication is to succeed we can't look to exceptions or else it will never succeed, because that is what we will constantly do...keep looking for exceptions. No exceptions...metric all the way. From: Paul Trusten <trus...@grandecom.net> To: undisclosed-recipi...@yahoo.com Sent: Tue, August 10, 2010 3:19:41 AM Subject: Re: US Police height scales use centimetres I suppose I should forward you folks my letter. I can't conceive of leaving you out. Here you are, some of you hanging on to the discussion of this national goal by your own mailgroup! Thank you for your loyalty to U.S. metrication. Paul Sheriff Lou Falgoust Hot Springs County, Wyoming Dear Sheriff Falgoust, Congratulations on your capture of Tracy Province. But, I would like to congratulate you for something else. I noticed, in the photo of him published by your department (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100809/ap_on_re_us/us_inmate_escape ) , the height bar behind the prisoner has two scales: one in centimeters, the other in inches. In my experience, this is unprecedented. Thank you for advancing the metric system in U.S. law enforcement. In 1988, Congress declared the metric system to be the preferred measurement system for U.S. trade and commerce, but I had never known of its use by police in our country. I had thought that U.S. law enforcement agencies relied only upon feet and inches (i.e., traditional measurement units) to measure the height of people, since they, as well as the general public, were mentally more familiar with them than with metric units, and could react best with identifying individuals. I had considered the use of feet and inches in law enforcement a matter unspoken common sense (that is, putting out a bulletin for someone with a height of two meters would cause much confusion). The same common sense applies to global aviation, which, as I understand, continues to measure altitude in feet. Do you use centimeters to aid law enforcement agencies in other countries? The U.S., along with Myanmar (Burma) and Liberia, are the only countries that have no plan to change over to the metric measurement standard. In any case, thank you for your promotion of metric units, and also for all you do to protect the peace of the citizens of your county. SIncerely, Paul Trusten, R.Ph. Vice President and Public Relations Director U.S. Metric Association, Inc. trus...@grandecom.net www.metric.org www.twitter.com/usmetric +1(432)528-7724 ------ End of Forwarded Message