Hi, fellows of SI!
Thought I'd follow the latest news for a while, so I've resubscribed.
But, I also resubscribed to bring the following to your attention.
I knew about something called the Old Farmer's Almanac all my life, but
yesterday I discovered a similar publication called The Almanac for
Farmers and City Folk, published in Las Vegas, NV (wonder what green
they grow there besides money). I'm trying to work my OCR software so I
can post the entire article in question, but in the meantime, if you
can, please find a copy (I got mine at Walgreens, so it may not be hard
to find) and look at pages 115-116 in the 2001 edition of this almanac,
an articled entitled "Are We Going Metric?", by Michael Sinclair.
This concepts in this article seem to me to represent the worst kind of
prejudicial thinking relative to metrication in the USA. The author
raises objections to the metric system that go to the heart of American
jingoism on this issue. It seems to suggest, primarily, that Americans
should not do any thinking when it comes to measurement. In particular,
it makes a shallow swipe at NASA:
So let the shuttle astronauts measure outer space in their
sissy metric units, just as the French weigh their frog
legs; give us that good, old-fashioned, organic ounce
any day. In fact, maybe we should start a crusade
to get the rest of the world to change back to our
standard measures and thereby save them from their metric
impoverishment. Okay,okay, just a thought.
I've heard WOMBAT called many things, but this is the first time I've
seen it called "organic". In any case, those of you who read the whole
article will find your blood temperature rising to 100.
--
Paul Trusten, R.Ph.
3609 Caldera Boulevard, Apt. 122
Midland TX 79707-2872 USA
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"No one from the Audubon Society has yet documented the
finding of a modified barium swallow."
--Byrd Ona Wyng, Forensic Ornithologist
"Free Billy Rubin!" ---Medical Technologists' protest cry
