From: kilopascal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: U.S. Metric Association <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: December 24, 2000 11:20 >2000-12-24 > >Time to catch up to the rest of the world > >2000 ---> 2001 > >People who celebrated the arrival of the "new century" on 2000-01-01, were >one year ahead of time and should consider it a dress rehearsal for the real >one a year later. The zeros following the No. 2 affected only our >computers, and this was expected. We are still living in the 20-th century, >and here is a logical [?] explanation for this statement: > >The first century started with its first day, its first month and its first year. Take it from there! (Try thinking of measuring length, not time, from some datum point with two metre sticks.) Duncan >Are we behind the time? Yes, very much so. Let the arrival of the new >century and, this time, also the new millennium, give us a wake-up call to >start dismantling our awkward system of weights and measurements. Why do we >hang on to it so stubbornly for so long? The whole world is using the >international metric system, which is based on decimals and is far superior >to our. It is logical, simple and precise. We are in a never-never land somewhere between BMU and SI. The object should be to minimize time spent there. Duncan > >And, finally, since the day has 24 hours, let us join the rest of the world >once more by adopting the 24-hour time schedule on all important >time-related activities such as travel schedules, appointments, meetings, >programs, etc. > >There is no need for splitting the day into a.m. and p.m. hours. Numbers >alone are sufficient to identify the correct time. Our military uses the >24-hour time schedule for a good reason. It has less chance for errors. >Like the metric system, it is simple and precise. > >Fred N. Helm >Strongsville > > >Why don't we flood the Plain Dealer with letters supporting Fred's views, as >they are our own. Maybe some will get printed. We can give examples where >using FFU caused us costly mistakes, or missed connections because of >confusion over the 24-hour/12-hour clock. > >Write to: > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >or to the editorial page editor, Mr. Brent Larkin > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >Happy holidays! > > > >John > >Keiner ist hoffnungsloser versklavt als derjenige, der irrt�mlich glaubt >frei zu sein. > >There are none more hopelessly enslaved then those who falsely believe they >are free! > >Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) >
