Maybe he is other than intelligent. D. -----Original Message----- From: Stephen Davis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: U.S. Metric Association <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: August 28, 2001 15:44 Subject: [USMA:15032] Re: From Yardstick August 2001 >The only comment I will make on this tripe is how does the likes of >otherwise intelligent people like Bernard Levin get themselves involved in >bullshit like this?? > >Regards, > >Steve >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >----- Original Message ----- >From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2001 4:51 PM >Subject: [USMA:15028] From Yardstick August 2001 > > > >One of the latest articles in BWMA's Yardstick. >Especially the bit about 'a perfect cup of coffee' is a real joke. > >METRICATION MADNESS >(Yardstick Aug 2001) > >This was the title of a feature article by Bernard Levin in The Times on 15 >August 1995 - yes, six years ago! >For he was one of only two leading journalists who were alive to the evils >of >the metric regulations before they came into effect. The other, of course, >was >Christopher Booker, who was the first to investigate and expose the Euro- >Whitehall conspiracy that plotted and enforced compulsory metrication, >whereas >Bernard Levin was inspired simply by sheer outrage at its tyranny and >cultural >vandalism. >That prophetic article had passed us by, because BWMA's campaign got under >way >a month later, in September 1995. But every word of it is as true today as >it >was then. Not only that, but it reminds us that the lies characterizing the >process of implementation throughout the intervening six years of our >campaign >were merely a continuation of the several earlier years of lies that had >characterized the inception and enactment of these regulations. After two >general elections, this reminder is timely. We therefore reproduce these >excerpts now. > >"We all knew that this government lies to us, that it has always lied to us >and >that it will continue to lie to us.We also knew that this government ignores >our wishes, has always ignored our wishes and will continue to ignore our >wishes. Nor is that all.For we all knew that this government has cheated us >out >of our heritage, has always cheated us out of our heritage and will continue >to >cheat us out of our heritage. In short, this government is based on nothing >but >mendacity, cowardice, arrogance, bluster and desperation. But the worst is >yet >to come. And it comes in the form of metrication. >When did the British people give permission to change - and overnight - from >their ageold imperial measures to the metric ones? When did the British >people >accept the criminalisation of half a pound of cheese? When did the British >people allow themselves, by the total loss of any kind of guard, to be >entirely >open to crooks and scoundrels? When did the British people deny their >Britishness? >Do you seriously believe that if this government had come out and told the >truth about what was imminent we would have allowed it to happen? But the >deeply rooted culture of lying by which this government lives has so >sprouted >that it towers over everything. If you think I am making it up, let me tell >you >that when the secret, the hidden agenda upon which the British people are >now >impaled, was revealed and our rulers were asked why they had not come out >with >the truth at once, they said it was not necessary be-cause the British >people >had already agreed - in 1965. > >Please understand that I am not trying to call down lightning upon the heads >of >the European Union. But what would anyone deduce from the lying and cheating >and hiding that the British government is so prone to? There could only be >one >answer: that the British government is doing something dirty, and the dirt >is >inevitably going to be found on the British people. For otherwise why would >there be any need for secrecy? Only, of course, because if there were no >secrecy the truth would be bared." >Plus �a change, plus c'est la m�me chose! > >Steve Tamblin from Wellingborough sent a copy press release from Railtrack, >dated 9 March, which seems to reflect the muddled state of that company. It >concerned a contract between Virgin Trains and Railtrack for the upgrading >of >parts of the Cross Country network. It states that "The Cross Country routes >cover some 5,300 track miles" but that "The project will see the replacement >of >over 3,400 metres of track, 24,400 metres of ballast and 7,300 sleepers." >Quite >apart from the conflicting use of imperial and metric units, ballast is a >measure of weight or volume - not of length - and why boast about "over >3,400 >metres of track" which is only a little more than 2 miles? > >James Bye was amused when, watching 'Trading Up' - one of those ubiquitous >house 'make-over' style TV programmes - he saw the normally very politically >correct presenter proudly displaying some amazingly inexpensive material she >was about to use, declaring that at a cost of only so much per square metre, >she could afford to use "yards and yards" of it. > >And Christopher Pierpoint was amused, during the intensely exciting final >drama >of the US presidential election, to see the ghastly weather forecasters on >British TV, predicting temperatures in miserable Celsius numbers, followed >directly by the latest news from sunny Florida, with reporters announcing >that "it has been another glorious day here - not too hot - in the mid70's >all >day." If our weather forecasters were still watching, it must have made them >sick with envy! Of course, references to the weather during golf >commentaries >from the USA are equally refreshing. > >Christopher Pierpoint also sent an article from The Daily Telegraph on 14 >April, entitled "The perfect cup of coffee", containing this incredible >paragraph: "Your cup should contain between 1.0 and 1.2 fluid ounces of >coffee, >which should have been delivered at a water pressure of "9 Bar" and a >temperature of 90 degrees celsius. Any milk added to the drink should be >warmed >to a temperature of between 155 and 160 degrees fahrenheit." > >Mr G F Goodwin, a Member from Brighton, received an unusual response to his >complaint about metricated BBC weather forecasts, in the form of a telephone >call directly from a young man in the Met Office at Bracknell, who accused >him >of being a 'Little Englander', insisting that they must deal in >international >units because this is an international business. "But", pointed out Mr >Goodwin, "you don't deal in international units. You have recently changed >from >an international measure - knots for wind-speed - to a British customary >measure - miles per hour." Spluttering at the other end! > >'Private Eye' (1 June) highlighted the madness of metric pricing by >reproducing >a supermarket advertisement which read: "aubergines [but spelt >'aubergenes' - >some superior variety of genes?] 0.395kg @ �2.31kg". How many shoppers could >work out in their heads that this represents 91.245p? What would the >customer >actually be charged - 91.00 or 92.00p? What is the point of measuring the >weight of fruit or vegetable to the thousandth of 1kg when the price has to >be >rounded up or down to the near-est penny? Indeed, how many shoppers would >even >realize that 0.395kg equals 395g? Is not this mystification calculated to >harm >consumers' interests? When BWMA Members notice this type of price ticket, >will >they please bombard their local Trading Standards Officers with these >questions >and let us see their replies! > >A glossy brochure published by the Overseas Placing Unit (Employment >Service), >as a guide to European citizens working in the UK, includes an >imperial/metric >conversion table, the top line of which reads: '1 inch = 2.45cm'. Clearly, >this >should have read '2.54cm'. It was especially stupid, because the next line >correctly stated "1 foot = 30.48cm" and obviously 2.45 x 12 = 29.40 which is >far short of 30.48! As Vivian Linacre pointed out in a letter dated 31 >May: "This cannot be dismissed as a simple typographical error, for the text >must have been vetted and approved by several sets of eyes through the many >stages of production. It shows yet again that even those in authority are >unfamiliar with the most basic conversion factors." Needless to add, no >reply >has been received. > > > > > > >
