Hey, if he knew that iridium consists of atoms, he must know a few of them thar other words :-). He also knew where Sevres was.
----- Original Message ----- From: "James Wentworth" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, June 14, 2003 5:12 PM Subject: [USMA:26084] Re: In for a penny, in for a ... kilogram--your recent column > Great try, but nah...he'll never understand it. You used too many big words > (for him). :-) -- Jason > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Paul Trusten, R.Ph. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: U.S. Metric Association <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Saturday, June 14, 2003 1:41 PM > Subject: [USMA:26081] In for a penny, in for a ... kilogram--your recent > column > > > > Dear Mr. Lewis, > > > > I read with great interest your online column "In for a penny, in for > > a...kilogram" (May 29, 2003), and have spent the interim preparing my > > response. Since my parents did not raise me to speak and write vulgar > slang, > > I waited two weeks so I could calm down before writing this. > > > > Your article asks why the United States, after 28 years of considering > > conversion to the metric system, is still "pounding and inching along". > One > > of the primary reasons for this, I believe, is because people such as > > yourself have newspaper columns, and singlehandedly, are in a position to > > publish opinions and information as prejudiced, as narrow, and as > fractured > > as the material you put into the above-mentioned column. The prevalence of > > such dim views of a subject make me yearn to have a newspaper column of my > > own so that I could at least back up my widely disseminated opinions with > > facts. Does your paper have an opening for a new writer? > > > > I start by saying that I am an American, native born and lifelong, who is > > proud of the United States and what it has done for its people and for the > > people of the world. I wholeheartedly support President Bush in his effort > > to protect the United States from terrorism. And accordingly, I condemn > the > > French for their barbed opposition to our efforts to eliminate a great > > threat from Iraq. But there is one thing that I will always thank the > French > > for, and that is their invention of the metric system. > > > > > > You say that the metric system is "boring and sterile", and "suitable only > > for mathematicians and other colorless folk". I've never before heard > > someone compare units of measurement for their entertainment value, and I > do > > not measure things to be entertained. I measure things to accomplish some > > task, such as framing pictures, cutting paper, or judging how much space I > > need for a carpet. Sometimes I need to expand these measurements into > larger > > units or reduce them to smaller units. The American plan of measurement, > > using 12 inches to a foot, etc., is so cumbersome and so silly compared to > a > > decimal system that I would equate it to being sterile of thought. I long > to > > use a measurement system in which all the units are decimally related. > That, > > this inch-weary American feels, would be a most exciting and fertile > change > > in our society. I yearn for what you call, almost with approval, "the > > all-too-even 10". No, the "Way Of Measuring Badly in America Today" (I > use > > the acronym WOMBAT to describe our "system" of measurement, which is > > unsystematic) is not, as you say, "just fine". It is bad for the > individual > > user, and, as you shall shortly read, bad for America. > > > > You were partially correct when you observed that the United States is one > > of only three nations not officially using the metric system. However, the > > Congress declared in 1988 that the metric system is the "preferred system > of > > measurement for trade" in the United States. Congress has long known what > > the American people have been reluctant to recognize: that being alone in > > the world with our measurements is a major hindrance to our global > > competitiveness as a people, both in academics and in trade. American > > producers must produce one set of goods with US units for domestic sale > and > > one set of goods with metric units for export, and this has to be a major > > incumbrance to our economy. So, I must disagree with your statement that > our > > metrological kinship with Liberia and Myanmar is "a good thing". I think > it > > is a very bad thing, since much of the world looks to the United States > for > > wisdom, not backwardness. > > > > Of all the provocative statements you made in your column, the one notion > > which irks me above all the others is your using that > ignorance-perpetuating > > old ruse about metric units, making hard conversions of US units to metric > > and using them in a statement to show how supposedly cumbersome metric is, > > e.g., that Newville was 17.7028 kilometers from Carlisle. Please tell your > > readers that, in a metric America, one will say that Newville is about 18 > > kilometers from Carlisle, period. Once the US converts to metric, there > > will be no more frequent converting. There will only be metric units being > > used. Please stop spreading that kind of prejudicial venom, which I > believe > > is a hindrance, not just to metric conversion, but to much of human > > progress. > > > > You may know that the United States was the first nation to introduce > > decimal currency. Would you like to return to the "human touch" of the old > > British system of (this may not be right) 20 pence to the shilling and 12 > > shillings to the pound, the system discarded by the British in 1971 in > favor > > of our own decimal system? > > > > I'm not a mathematician, but I would not describe mathematicians as > > colorless folk. On the contrary, I sense that their craft brought much > color > > into the world, including the color pictures of all types we now see from > > around the world on our web browsers. These people are actually the color > of > > the world, and a few of them, a couple of hundred years ago in France, > gave > > the world an easy and convenient way of measuring things. Both as a > > patriotic American, and as someone who just has to measure stuff from time > > to time, I want to join that world. But I can't join it if American > > columnists like you persist in attempting to rob America of the > measurement > > system it deserves. > > > > Please reconsider what you have written. > > > > > > Sincerely, > > > > > > Paul Trusten > > 3609 Caldera Boulevard, Apartment 122 > > Midland TX 79707-2872 USA > > 432-694-6208 > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > "There are two cardinal sins, from > > which all the others spring: impatience > > and laziness." > > ---Franz Kafka > > >
