[USMA:10106] RE: US postage hike, mixture of SI & WOMBAT, am/pm

[Gregory. Peterson & Tammy Booth Peterson]

This is a wonderful example of how people refuse to change.
"I don't care what the new number is... I like calling it 'Number 7'".
There are obviously two groups of people in the world... those who can
handle change and those who can't.
Unfortunately those who can't tend to be the majority.

Have you ever considered that those who do not like to change are those
who have the least amount of worldly experience? I have found that here
in Saskatchewan, a rural, farming province of about 1 Mpeople, that
those who have never left the province (or their own rural
municipality), never went on to college or university, and never pick up
an educationally oriented publication (only watch TV or read the
tabloids/local newspaper) have much difficulty understanding different
ideas, methods, or suggestions. The are unable to alter their way of
life.

Maybe we are seeing a more fundamental problem in our society in North
America. The inablity to see the benefits of SI, 24 hour time, or
changing the number on a machine, may just be symptoms of an society
that is becoming increasinly isolated and ignorant of the rest of the
world.

WOMBAT evolved in a society where people were illiterature, innumerate,
and unaware of the rest of the world around them.

greg
--
=======================================================
Gregory Peterson & Tammy Booth Peterson

location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
co-ordinates: 52�05'54" N, 106�36'00" W
URL: http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/gregtami/metric.html


"Looking? Found someone, you have, I would say, hmmm?"
-- Yoda, Jedi Master

=======================================================

> Subject:
>        [USMA:10027] US postage hike, mixture of SI & WOMBAT, am/pm
>    Date:
>        Mon, 25 Dec 2000 00:47:07 -0800 (PST)
>    From:
>        Justin JIH
>     To:
>        U.S. Metric Association
>
>
>
>      Effective 2001-01-07, the US basic postage of a
> domestic letter up to 1 ounce (28 g) will hike from
> 0.33 USD to 0.34 USD. Many (not all) other postages
> and fees are to be changed as well, but not necessary
> hikes. Unfortunately, there is still no provision on
> US postal metrication. The news release is at
> http://www.usps.com/news/2001rate.htm . Postal books
> are usually in WOMBAT only, seldom in WOMBAT (SI).
>
>      Also, I wonder if some would think that use of
> am/pm in time prevents excessively large numbers, such
> as 20s. Similarly, in my workplace, Mid-Island P&DC
> (Processing and Distribution Center), Melville NY
> 11805, there are 31 letter-size mail sorting machines,
> but after major replacement of many of them, new
> numbers were assigned, but old ones remain
> indefinitely, causing confusions. The 31 machines are:
> DBCS (Delivery Barcode Sorter) #1 to #12: unchanged
> OCR (Optical Character Reader)#1 (old #) = 13** (new
> #)
> OCR #2* = #14,
> OCR #3 = #15, and so on until
> OCR #6 = #18
> OCR #7*/*** = #19
> BCS (Barcode Sorter) #1 = #20
> BCS/OSS #2 = #21, and so on until
> BCS/OSS #7 = #26
> BCS/OSS #8**** = (now) OCR #7 (or 27***)
> Relocated OCR #2 (or 28***)
> BCS/OSS #9, #10, #11 (# unchanged)
> *old machine relocated
> **not marked on the spot
> ***duplicate OCR #7
> ****old machine removed
>
>      Within OCR's, usually old # + 12 = new #; BCS's,
> usually old # +19 = new #. But both #19 and #27 can be
> called "OCR #7"; both #14 and #28 can be called "OCR
> #2". New numbers are often marked alone, but many
> people, even supervisors, still prefer old #. I doubt
> if they do not like excessively large numbers, as in
> the am/pm case. The mixture of 2 sets of numbers are
> so stupid, comparable to mixture of the SI & WOMBAT;
> and mixture of 24 h time & am/pm (some even convert by
> adding/subtracting 10 rather than 12, e.g., 15:00 =
> 5pm? Wrong!). These require avoidable conversions. I
> doubt what kind of education level they have received.
>
>      When I said a new machine number, someone asked
> me, "Old?" I refused to answer and let him figure out.
> Similarly, if I say SI and 24 h time and others ask me
> their equivalents in WOMBAT or am/pm, I may want to
> refuse to accomodate them and let them find out
> themselves. If they do not understand, they are not
> smart enough and need refreshment. That's all.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Justin JIH
> US postal clerk
> Mid-Island P&DC
> Melville NY 11805
>
> =====
> Justin JIH     URL: http://www.geocities.com/jusjih/
>      << Vive le Syst�me international d'unit�s! >>
>      "Long live the International System of Units!"
>      To visit or join "anti-conscription" in eGroups, go to 
>http://www.egroups.com/group/anti-conscription .
>