Hi Mike: Your comments made interested reading; but, talking of SI and Metrication: I have submitted that there is a need to change and change for GOOD. For a *World Calendar* with minimal changes and ease to be slipped for 'needs of tomorrow'. The Leap Week Rule is meant for this change; where the Descending Order Dating in tune with ISO 8601:1988 is implemntable and count of Weeks rather than 'months' take over. Decemalised HOUR using the existing HOUR-ANGLE, thus causing the minimal change and *perhaps* there may not be another *SIMPLEST, SUREST, CHEAPEST and cost-effective* suggession. Brij Bhushan Vij <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>From: "kilopascal" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [USMA:21443] Re: Canadian coins >Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 00:29:56 -0400 > >2002-07-31 > >Interspersed comments below > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Mike Joy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Tuesday, 2002-07-30 02:36 >Subject: [USMA:21430] Re: Canadian coins > > > > John, > > > > I'm 60 in 6 weeks time so you can wish me a happy birthday now!!!! > >Sure, why not? Happy Birthday and many more! > > > > > I assume you live in the US. > >Yes, in Ohio. I'm 600 km from Toronto and 400 km from Niagara Falls.. > > > > > The reason mother England is struggling is the very reason I left that >country in 1968. I wanted to > > live in a country with a young, dynamic and youthful approach. Those >folk >that choose to stay there > > are happier with the original ways and tend to resist change. Those that >like to be a part of change > > for the better prefer to emigrate with their young family to young >Commonwealth countries such as > > Canada, New Zealand or Australia. > >There is more to it than that! Mother England was once a great empire and >that has bred arrogance among the population. England spread its language, >culture and measurement "system" to the ends of the earth. Rejection of >the >English measurement system by the world and having the competing metric >system being required in England is a blow to the ego of the Imperialists >who still have a strong nostalgia for the lost glory. Metric is a daily >reminder to these people that the empire is dead. Th EU is more so >reminder. So, they hate both with a passion. > > > > > As for the 'poor old crow', I was referring to the phrase 'as the crow >flies', and after flying > > across the Nullabor Plain then you'd feel like a beer too!! A bit of >Aussie humour. > > > > As for my age I think I'm quite young mentally and sincerely hope that I >can contribute in a > > positive way for what is obviously going to be a difficult time for most >Americans when it comes to > > using unfamiliar measurements, but it really is a question of attitude. >That's why I joined this > > group because subscribers have a positive attitude towards the SI >system. > > >Well, Mike, I hope you will be able to relate to us some of your experinces >from those days when conversion was the topic of the day. How you handled >the change, how your friends and neighbours handled the change, and most >important how those who resisted finally were able to adjust. Even though >you lived in Canada at the time, you must have discussed with your present >neighbours from timt to time their memories from that time, and also your >memories and experiences with your neighbours and friends in Canada. > > > > > > And it's this attitude that carried us through the changeover >successfully >in these countries and > > why the UK is resisting it. > > >And don't forget, that "these countries" were subject lands of the empire. >Australia is a place where england sent its criminals and unwanted, so the >Australians most likely don't see things through the same pair of glasses >as >the English do. > > > >Another reason for the UK's difficulties is the proximity to continental > > Europe. For centuries there has been animosity between England and its >neighbours across the > > Channel, and having a French measuring system shoved down their throats >is >just too much for most > > Brits to bear. So, even knowing that the SI system is far better, they >will hang on to the Imperial > > system as long as possible out of spite. A shame, because it's the young >ones who suffer and have to > > put up with both systems at the same time. > > >The system may be French in origin, but it is not French in nature nor >structure. The unit names that don't come from peoples names, as well as >the original prefixes are all latin and Greek in origin. Latin and Greek >were the languages of science and culture in those days. In fact, the >units >that are named for frenchmen (Amp�re, Bequerel, Pascal) came much later. >There are more units named after German and British scientists then French. >Thus, to say it is French shows ignorance. Opponents to metric always use >this argrument and refuse to accept that metric (SI) is used in EVERY >country. Can you imagine what the BWMA must think of australia, New >Zealand, South Africa and Canada. From what I have heard, they scour these >countries looking for people still in opposition and make it appear that >the >real people of these countries don't use SI at all and still cling to >imperial in their dail lives. That if people had a real ,democratic >choice, >they would prefer imperial over SI. From your experience, how would you >respond to such claims? > > > > > > > Also, metrication is an EEC requirement, so naturally many people resent >being told what to do by > > some bureaucrat sitting in a Brussels office (or that's how they see >it). >Also there's the > > 'heritage' issue. > >Again, because once you are a great empire telling everyone else what to do >it is impossible for you to have others tell you what to do. And as for >the >heritage issue, that is an excuse used by arrogant has-beens angry over >loss >of empire, and as you noted spitefullness. > > > > > I was living near Toronto at the time Canada, Australia and NZ changed >over and although it went > > well, there was (and still is in Alberta) some animosity in having >Pierre >Trudeau's government > > shoving bilingualism and metrication down Canadian's throats. But this >has >settled down now and folk > > can see the obvious benefits of using SI. > > >When I was in Alberta last year, I did not notice any anti-metric attitude. >The people freely >used some units, like degrees Celsius, and others they stillused the old. >Most packaging I saw in the stores was metric only. Food at the deli >counter was priced and marked per 100 g. The only things I saw in pound >pricing was some items like apples and potaotes that were prepackaged, but >still sold by weight. The unit price was in dollars per pound in big font >and dollars per kilogram in small font. This was done because kilogram >prices seem more expensive. And100 g prices seem cheaper. > >In spoken terms, people still used miles, even though everything was signed >in metric and the auto speed/odometers were metric. Their excuse was the >land was laid out in quarter mile sections. But, it seemed they > > > > > In Australia and NZ there was no French influence to cause such >concerns, >and it was just a matter > > of learning unfamiliar units. It was easier to swallow 20c for a litre >of >gas than 90c for an imp. > > gallon!!! > > > > The only result of my experience with changeovers (and I include other >just-as-important changeovers > > I have been in, such as VAT, GST, Pounds-shillings-pence to decimal, >12hr >clock to 24hr) is that of > > attitude. Either you start using new units as if you've always used them >or you don't. The people > > who can forget the old system on switchover day are the ones who don't >get >ulcers and are the clear > > winners, just as kids today are born with keyboards in their hands and >therefore know more about PCs > > than we'll ever know! > > > > The main lesson I can give is to NOT use a dual system. I saw a National >Geographic documentary a > > few days ago (The Sea Hunters) which was an effort to 'metricate'. The >narrator kept saying things > > like "100 meters or 328.08 feet" for every time he mentioned a dimension >or distance, and ruined the > > film. He definitely should never have mentioned inch-pound units, which >detracted greatly from the > > text. > >This is an American thing. Once on a jobsite, I was asked if I had any >data >on signal loss to a remote set of meters. I handed the guy a sheet that >explained that for a certain size wire, there would be a 1 % loss in >accuracy of the meter at 50 m. He looked at the sheet and looked and me >and >asked, "Is that 150 feet?". So, as not make an issue, I said, "I think >so". >The point is, if he knew that, why did he have to say it outloud? It is as >if there is some need to give attention to FFU. > > > > > > > > Some tips - use something you're familiar with to estimate a dimension. >I >used to work with 8mm film > > so I know exactly what an item of that width is. I used to run in the >100m >races so I know how far > > 100m is. Our milk comes in 1 or 2-litre cartons so I know what 1 or 2kg >feels like. > > > > The best aid I have for measurement is what I was born with, which is my >index finger. As luck would > > have it the distance from my knuckle-bone to the tip of my index finger >is >exactly 100mm, and this > > is very handy for measuring things. By laying your finger on the item to >be measured, using a > > fingernail on your left hand as a marking point and continuing on in >100mm >increments then > > guesstimating the remaining portion with your finger, (eg. � finger is >75mm) I've never been more > > than 2% out. I hope it will work for you too! > > > > Similarly, the width of my thumb when pressed flat is 25mm. > >My thumb is 23 mm at its widest point and from the knuckle to the tip of >the >thumb is exactly 30 mm My FOOT is 250 mm from the tip of my big toe to my >heal. > >It seems the body parts when used as measurement devices come out closer to >rounded metric izes than to FFU. It seems despite the propaganda of the >BWMA, we can use our body parts to accurately estimate metric amounts, more >closely than English > > > > > > > No doubt you will find familiar everyday items to use as permanent >measuring guides. > > > > I think Pat Naughtin may have already passed on his wise words to the >group in previous months from > > an Australian perspective and I don't want to risk the possibility of >repeating or altering what he > > may have said in the past. > > > > Best regards > > > > Mike > > Perth, Australia > > > > > >John _________________________________________________________________ Join the world�s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com
