Well done, Marcus.
If anyone knows Philip Moore's address, could you pass it on to me as well.
Thanks,
Pat Naughtin
CAMS - Certified Advanced Metrication Specialist
- United States Metric Association
ASM - Accredited Speaking Member
- National Speakers Association of Australia
Member, International Federation for Professional Speakers
--
on 2001/12/31 06.47, Ma Be at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> I'll try to give this individual a break since he's just a young ignorant
> idiot, but I just had to react to this nonsense! (Anyone would be welcome to
> post my response to this guy...)
>
> On Sun, 30 Dec 2001 16:59:57
> Han Maenen wrote:
> ...
>> Philip Moore ( - 131.111.237.176) on Sunday, May 14, 2000 - 01:30 pm:
>> As a 20 year old science student at Cambridge University I have been exposed
>> to "metrication culture" all my life.
>
> Wrong, wrong, W-R-O-N-G, sir! There is no such a thing as 'metrication
> culture', p-e-r-i-o-d! The SI system is a **scientific tool** to allow
> societies to conduct measurements, a purely technical exercise! So much so
> that this is *taught* in schools in classes in science subjects, NOT
> ***ARTS***, by the way! (Just a parenthesis here that should not be part of
> my response addressed to our forum here that I am SICK AND TIRED of this
> boloney talk! Alas...)
>
>> We are not taught Imperial Measures
>> anymore, and this is a crying shame.
>
> ? Why would that be a shame, when NO COUNTRY ON EARTH calibrates and measures
> their measuring instruments and devices by them (not even the US, by the way,
> so much so that such measures only exist as referenced to metric
> parameters!)??? Please answer me that, sir!
>
>> I for one taught myself Imperial
>> measures
>> and used them to pass my Physics A-Level!
>
> ? I find this rather strange, do you mean that exams in Great Britain are all
> stated in obsolete units? I rather doubt that...
>
>> The Imperial System is more practical because its units were developed from
>> use, rather than by Committee.
>
> Dead wrong, sir! I'd strongly suggest that you go back to history class and
> reread the real story behind this "system". You will find that such units
> were "developed" by individuals who had absolutely no clue about how to do
> metrology, when science was even still anathema. AND, to top it all up,
> devised and enforced by some obscure anglo-saxon king that noone seems to
> remember (rest in peace...).
>
> It requires greater numeracy than Metric, but
>> this is a skill to be encouraged!
>
> ? I beg your pardon? Why would I waste my precious time in exercises of
> futility? I have better things to do in my life than to torture myself with
> such useless elocubrations. Time is precious and IS money, sir. Despite the
> advent of computers and technologies that make such tasks more user-friendly
> and less time consuming, the *bottle neck* would still exist: *us*! And labor
> costs are huge, sir! (Just food for your thought!...)
>
>> It is part of our culture and history and
>> should not be replaced by a soulless alternative.
>
> ? Yes for the second, but no for the first. I'd strongly suggest you revisit
> the definition of culture in your standard dictionary. You'll find that the
> issue of "customs", for instance, is not meant to include these, as a closer
> investigation of the meaning of that term would demonstrate.
>
> As for SI (metric) being "soulless" well... Science is not in the business of
> having a "soul", sir, but in the business of studying and understanding the
> reality around us. And doing it in the most effective and efficient way
> 'cause people have better things to do in life, you know...
>
>> I don't suggest we outlaw Metric - that would make me as bad as the EU - but
>> let those of us who want to do so use Imperial!
>> ...
> Good grief! Thank you... However, it's the business of ANY government
> ANYWHERE in the world to *dictate* what system of units should be used in
> trade and economics and science, and on that score it's unfortunate (for you,
> I guess) that metric happens to have been the choice by nearly all civilized
> nations...
>
> Have a nice day (really!). :-)
>
> Marcus
>
>
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