Ah, another self-educated "student of everything, eh?" :-)
Adding an "sh" before a word is a Jewish habit, particularly among Jews who
speak Yiddish (like my in-laws). For example, a Jewish man might be arguing
with his wife over an expensive suit he wants to buy ("But honey, it's
fancy!"). And his wife might retort, "Fancy, Shmancy! It's too expensive
for you to afford right now." -- Jason
----- Original Message -----
From: Brij Bhushan Vij <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: U.S. Metric Association <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Saturday, December 21, 2002 6:36 AM
Subject: [USMA:24146] Re: Megagram, shmegagram!!!
> Hi James:
> At there is ONE more like me - who had NO education literally and have
grown
> to be an autodidact! Your suggestions, although intelligent, I doubt SI
> workable.
> I have grown simple and like ground simplicity. My basic theme is
> METRICATION, *Time, Arc-angle and Calendar - to be on ONE axis*. Any
> purposeful solution lies on this.
> What is the term, 'Shamegagram'? Has it anything to do with...Shame!?
> Brij
>
> >From: "James R. Frysinger" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >Subject: [USMA:24138] Re: Megagram, shmegagram!!!
> >Date: Sat, 21 Dec 2002 09:41:45 -0500
> >
> >James Wentworth wrote:
> > >
> > > Hello All,
> > >
> > > I feel strongly compelled to comment on the many recent posts
concerning
> > > unit names (megagram vs. metric ton vs. tonne, "What shall we re-name
> >the
> > > kilogram?," "Are the hectare and liter SI-kosher?", etc.).
> > >
> > > As far as I can tell, I am the only one on this list who is *not* a
> > > highly-educated professional. I currently work as a parking lot
> >attendant,
> > > my schooling ended after two years of college, and my real education
has
> > > been "the school of hard knocks." My socio-economic status gives me a
> >more
> > > realistic perspective on what will work and what won't work to
expedite
> >US
> > > metrication since I am, for practical purposes, a "Joe Sixpack." Here
> >are
> > > six observations:
> > >
> > > [1] Using the megagram (and its symbol Mg) instead of the metric ton
or
> > > tonne is a *very* bad idea....
> >
> > Excellent point on the propensity of neophytes to the use of the metric
> >system to confuse things. Proof in point, my liberal arts college
> >students sometimes confuse milli and micro and occasionally mega
> >prefixes.
> >
> > > [2] Re-name the kilogram? Forget it!....
> >
> > Judging from the rate at which the CGPM is willing to make changes
> >(they favor reluctance over rashness), my personal guess is that it
> >would take over 10 years to get them to change the name of the kilogram,
> >and more likely it would be forty of fifty years. I don't want to wait
> >that long to see the U.S. go metric.
> >
> > > [3] Trying to retire the hectare and liter would be very foolish.....
> >
> > Your points on this are excellent! This is meant to be a useful system,
> >albeit one with a rigorous theoretical basis. But, rigor aside, it must
> >be useful to the public.
> >
> > > [4] The decimeter should be included in any program to popularize the
> > > metric system in America. The most common complaint I've heard and
read
> > > from tradesmen is that "the meter is too big and the centimeter is too
> > > small." Like Baby Bear's porridge, the decimeter would be "just
> >right."....
> >
> > I disagree here only to the extent that I think the analogs will be
> >felt to be cm:in, dm:ft, m:yd. The decimeter is too large to be
> >considered the replacement for the inch, in my view. And my students are
> >more likely to confuse inches with centimeters than with decimeters when
> >they must use dual labeled meter sticks or tapes.
> >
> > > [5] If you were to ask 100 randomly-chosen Americans about the metric
> > > system, all of them would say they've heard of it, and many of them
> >would
> > > even be familiar with the commonly-used units. However, I doubt if
even
> >5
> > > of the 100 would have heard of SI....
> >
> > True enough! In public, it should be "the metric system" first and
> >foremost, then *perhaps* and parenthetically "the SI". In legal
> >documents, the introduction should always define "the metric system" as
> >used within as meaning "the SI". That's essential for legal and
> >technical reasons and since darned few Americans read legal documents,
> >it won't get in their way.
> >
> > > [6] For weather reporting in the US, the hectopascal should be used
as
> >a
> > > 1:1 "drop-in" replacement for the millibar. The millibar is so seldom
> >used
> > > here for public weather reports that there would be no familiarity
issue
> > > with replacing it.
> >
> > Yep!
> >
> > > The perfect is often the enemy of the adequate.....
> >
> > Thanks for this breath of common sense, Jason! This is one of the most
> >intelligent posting I've seen here for weeks. Some people get college
> >degrees and some get an education. Relatively few get both, a wag might
> >say.
> >
> >Jim
> >
> >--
> >Metric Methods(SM) "Don't be late to metricate!"
> >James R. Frysinger, LCAMS http://www.metricmethods.com/
> >10 Captiva Row e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >Charleston, SC 29407 phone: 843.225.6789
>
>
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