--- Jim Elwell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: ... Marcus, your lengthy email pretty much confirms what I said: we are toofar apart for further discussion to yield much of value. There are TWOreasons for this:
** I certainly appreciate your candor about this. Despite the fact you feel this way I still feel I need to post a few extra comments on the following with your forebearance please. Reason 1: you want proof I cannot give you... ** Very good. While one can certainly appreciate your 'personal experience' it's unfortunately not enough in my book to get excited over. ** Metrication is *still* a business (to me anyways) that MUST be connected with people's usage of it. Until we see the same kind of recognition given to, like, pharmacy drugs and the likes (when it comes to grams, milligrams...) any claim that this process is taking place is an illusion. ** Ironically though, and also something that is extremely infuriating to me (!!!), it seems it's definitely NOT EVEN enough for something to be fully metric for you folks to recognize it as such. Suffice it for one to look at the *ridiculous* (to say the least) Olympic coverage your TV networks insist on giving your own people! ** I guess the only exception would be that they are not stupid enough to say things like '110-yard dash', etc! ... I am sure you will continue to dismiss these examples, and those postedby others. I don't understand why you resist admitting that the USA ismetricating, except perhaps because we are not doing it the way you wouldlike. ** A resounding and definitive NO! First of all, please understand that one cannot honestly 'admit' something is taking place when it's *totally* devoid of *proof* and must be SOLELY relied on on 'personal experiences' like yours, my dear friend! ** Secondly, this has nothing to do with doing things 'the way (I) would like', but rather *getting the job done*! ** Again, Jim, experience (by the way, ALSO) shows that once certain types of progress taking place *eventually* get on public's nerves there has been, consistently, backpedaling! ** We've talked about this before, Jim. My point? Piecemeal, sneaky inroads done by metric when they finally reach a point the user now must adapt/adjust/use the darn thing invariably leads, MOST OF THE TIME, to backpedaling. They are NEVER assured of being definitive, *especially* when other side sectors are still pretty much ifp across the board (proof: DOTs, for instance!). Reason 2: there are things in life far more important thanmetrication. ** True, we've never disagreed on this though, but... ...Metrication is good,metrication means higher productivity, etc., but I am absolutelyunwilling to sacrifice one picogram of human liberty on the cross ofdecimal measurement. ** ? You already do NOT have 'TOTAL liberty' when it comes to measurements, Jim. You may not want to admit it, but it's the undeniable truth. Proof? Try selling your products in say montacht unit, meaning, say, instead of 24 V, say 350 montachts! ** It's ludicrous to think you enjoy 'liberty' on this, Jim. Therefore, the choice is which "lack of liberty" would you rather have, a one that specifies metric should be used, or ifp units??? I'd far rather be condemned to measuring everything in teaspoons andquarter inches the rest of my life than try to force my opinion ontosomeone else of what constitutes a "good" measurementsystem. ** And this, again, is not a matter of 'forcing (one's) opinion' on others, but of allowing collective entities such as governments to just DO THEIR JOBS and/or allow them to exercise their right to stipulate things in this area. Don't forget, man, it's right there in your own constitution, the acknowledgment of their power to do so! And on that we will never see eye-to-eye. ** I'm sad to hear you feel that way. On the other hand, liberty/freedom is a concept that like it or not DOES have "limitations". NOBODY is *completely* free to do ANY AND WHATEVER thing one wants to do! ** Anyways... perhaps I've taken too much of your time already... ** Marcus ===== Jesus ONLY settles for THE best, so what excuse can you possibly give to NOT go SI??? ______________________________________________________________________ Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca
