Lincoln Chafee: The US should convert to metric units

[Jimmy Higgins]

I live with the system and it causes me approximately 0.0 decigiveashits of inconvenience on a daily basis.

Even 0.01 decigiveashits per person per day, 365 days per year for 325 million people is a metric shit ton of giveashits.

FIFY.

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The only reason the U.S.A. has not switched to metric is because they didn't do it first, and they want to be seen as the leaders. If they switch to it now, they admit how backwards they are

There are tens of millions of Americans that would refuse to use metric simply because it wasn't "American".

 

[beero1000]

Even 0.01 decigiveashits per person per day, 365 days per year for 325 million people is a metric shit ton of giveashits.

FIFY.

I actually considered that phrasing, but decided it was funnier to leave the conversion to the giveashit readers.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

FIFY.

I actually considered that phrasing, but decided it was funnier to leave the conversion to the giveashit readers.

I still don't know what a metric shit ton is. 2200 lbs, 4400 lbs?

 

[beero1000]

I actually considered that phrasing, but decided it was funnier to leave the conversion to the giveashit readers.

I still don't know what a metric shit ton is. 2200 lbs, 4400 lbs?

Nah, shit-tons are measures of volume. Kinda like light-years, y'know?

 

[dismal]

I live with the system and it causes me approximately 0.0 decigiveashits of inconvenience on a daily basis.

Even 0.01 decigiveashits per person per day, 365 days per year for 325 million people is a shit ton of giveashits.

How many shit tons is it if you use 0.0 like I said instead of 0.1?

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Losing a space probe was a pretty big inconvenience for NASA.
And having got less fuel in the airliner due to the incorrect conversion was a big inconvenience for passengers when they were watching themselves gliding in the plane

How about we look at the systems used by various countries and the one which has landed the most people on the moon wins?

 

[Nexus]

Although I've stated my preference for a newly created dozenal metric system. The fact is for most people it doesn't really matter what system they're using. Whether they buy milk by the gallon or liter they're just going to open the container and pour it into a glass or bowl. If they're cooking something that require more precise measurement they're still just going to open the container and pour it into a measuring cup with the number the recipe calls for. If they're baking a pizza they will turn the oven to either the number 400 or 200 for 18 minutes depending the temperature scale used on the directions.

 

[Angra Mainyu]

How many shit tons is it if you use 0.0 like I said instead of 0.1?

beero1000 was using 0.01, not 0.1. Given that you said 0.0, that seems compatible with its being 0.01, or - say -, 0.04, if you're approximating at 1 decimal points only. But okay, nitpicking aside, the context of your post was clear. Your 0.0 was actually 0 regardless of the number of decimals, so you have a point there.

Losing a space probe was a pretty big inconvenience for NASA.
And having got less fuel in the airliner due to the incorrect conversion was a big inconvenience for passengers when they were watching themselves gliding in the plane

How about we look at the systems used by various countries and the one which has landed the most people on the moon wins?

On the other hand, you don't have a point there. Even though the US landed people on the Moon and no other country did, that was not facilitated by US system of units, and other countries also didn't fail to put people on the Moon because of their use of the metric system.
However, a mistake because of conversions between units was the cause of the loss of a NASA probe, and that cost a lot of money.
There are replies to that, but pointing out that the US is doing better than anyone else in space exploration is not a good one. A better reply would be to point out that NASA has already switched to the metric system ( http://www.space.com/3332-nasa-finally-metric.html ), so that won't happen again, or argue that the problem wasn't the American system, but the use of two systems on the same mission.

 

[4321lynx]

There are tens of millions of Americans that would refuse to use metric simply because it wasn't "American".

Right on!

Then maybe somone should tell them what we all here know: that it is a 'British', or better still, ENGLISH Imperial System of Weights and Measures and that Americans are the last exColonials of any size to be still using it. ?A British Secret Service plot to make Imperial fun of the USA?

 

[bilby]

Even 0.01 decigiveashits per person per day, 365 days per year for 325 million people is a shit ton of giveashits.

How many shit tons is it if you use 0.0 like I said instead of 0.1?

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Losing a space probe was a pretty big inconvenience for NASA.
And having got less fuel in the airliner due to the incorrect conversion was a big inconvenience for passengers when they were watching themselves gliding in the plane

How about we look at the systems used by various countries and the one which has landed the most people on the moon wins?

Twelve people. You could have sent ten, or twenty. But no. You had to try to make a point and send twelve. No wonder everyone hates America.

 

[Bomb#20]

Losing a space probe was a pretty big inconvenience for NASA.
And having got less fuel in the airliner due to the incorrect conversion was a big inconvenience for passengers when they were watching themselves gliding in the plane

Um, you do know that was in Canada, don't you? It's like you're lunging at your opponent's sword throat first.

 

[Bomb#20]

How about we look at the systems used by various countries and the one which has landed the most people on the moon wins?

Twelve people. You could have sent ten, or twenty. But no. You had to try to make a point and send twelve. No wonder everyone hates America.

But we didn't. We sent fourteen.

 

[barbos]

Twelve people. You could have sent ten, or twenty. But no. You had to try to make a point and send twelve. No wonder everyone hates America.

But we didn't. We sent fourteen.

But only 12 got there.

 

[barbos]

Losing a space probe was a pretty big inconvenience for NASA.
And having got less fuel in the airliner due to the incorrect conversion was a big inconvenience for passengers when they were watching themselves gliding in the plane

Um, you do know that was in Canada, don't you? It's like you're lunging at your opponent's sword throat first.

Does not matter, what matters it was stupid english system.

 

[dismal]

Although I've stated my preference for a newly created dozenal metric system. The fact is for most people it doesn't really matter what system they're using. Whether they buy milk by the gallon or liter they're just going to open the container and pour it into a glass or bowl. If they're cooking something that require more precise measurement they're still just going to open the container and pour it into a measuring cup with the number the recipe calls for. If they're baking a pizza they will turn the oven to either the number 400 or 200 for 18 minutes depending the temperature scale used on the directions.

Yeah, this is kinda my point upon which no one seems to be able to engage or rebut. I can I make it through life just fine buying gallons of milk and 12 oz sodas. I am quite well calibrated to how many miles my car can get per gallon, and whether it sucks to miss a 5 foot putt to lose the US Open.

I am not helped in any way by changing these things to measures to things with which I am unfamiliar.

 

[Togo]

Although I've stated my preference for a newly created dozenal metric system. The fact is for most people it doesn't really matter what system they're using. Whether they buy milk by the gallon or liter they're just going to open the container and pour it into a glass or bowl. If they're cooking something that require more precise measurement they're still just going to open the container and pour it into a measuring cup with the number the recipe calls for. If they're baking a pizza they will turn the oven to either the number 400 or 200 for 18 minutes depending the temperature scale used on the directions.

Yeah, this is kinda my point upon which no one seems to be able to engage or rebut. I can I make it through life just fine buying gallons of milk and 12 oz sodas. I am quite well calibrated to how many miles my car can get per gallon, and whether it sucks to miss a 5 foot putt to lose the US Open.

I am not helped in any way by changing these things to measures to things with which I am unfamiliar.

My father gets on quite well using furlongs and guineas and stones. My old school still uses hides on occasion. Not sure 'what you're used to' is really the point. Everyone can use non-standard measurements. The point is whether to have standardised measures at all. If no, then you're right. If yes, then why not use an international standard measure, rather than one unique to a few countries?

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Although I've stated my preference for a newly created dozenal metric system. The fact is for most people it doesn't really matter what system they're using. Whether they buy milk by the gallon or liter they're just going to open the container and pour it into a glass or bowl. If they're cooking something that require more precise measurement they're still just going to open the container and pour it into a measuring cup with the number the recipe calls for. If they're baking a pizza they will turn the oven to either the number 400 or 200 for 18 minutes depending the temperature scale used on the directions.

Yeah, this is kinda my point upon which no one seems to be able to engage or rebut. I can I make it through life just fine buying gallons of milk and 12 oz sodas. I am quite well calibrated to how many miles my car can get per gallon, and whether it sucks to miss a 5 foot putt to lose the US Open.

I am not helped in any way by changing these things to measures to things with which I am unfamiliar.

Well, what if you travel? If you're in a foreign country and you see that you need to go twenty kilometers to see some tourist attraction you're interested in, how are you going to get there? It's not like there's some some kind of magic device you can carry in your pocket to do the conversion for you automatically in manner of seconds or anything.

 

[coloradoatheist]

Yeah, this is kinda my point upon which no one seems to be able to engage or rebut. I can I make it through life just fine buying gallons of milk and 12 oz sodas. I am quite well calibrated to how many miles my car can get per gallon, and whether it sucks to miss a 5 foot putt to lose the US Open.

I am not helped in any way by changing these things to measures to things with which I am unfamiliar.

Well, what if you travel? If you're in a foreign country and you see that you need to go twenty kilometers to see some tourist attraction you're interested in, how are you going to get there? It's not like there's some some kind of magic device you can carry in your pocket to do the conversion for you automatically in manner of seconds or anything.

Except when going to the foreign country you are going to have to deal with many differences, like language, cultures, money. So to make things easy to travel do we make all the countries the same?

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Well, what if you travel? If you're in a foreign country and you see that you need to go twenty kilometers to see some tourist attraction you're interested in, how are you going to get there? It's not like there's some some kind of magic device you can carry in your pocket to do the conversion for you automatically in manner of seconds or anything.

Except when going to the foreign country you are going to have to deal with many differences, like language, cultures, money. So to make things easy to travel do we make all the countries the same?

I'm unsure how you could read my post and miss the point of it so completely.

 

[coloradoatheist]

Except when going to the foreign country you are going to have to deal with many differences, like language, cultures, money. So to make things easy to travel do we make all the countries the same?

I'm unsure how you could read my post and miss the point of it so completely.

Were you trying to be sarcastic and agree with dismal? I guess we need to make sure we put enough sign makes and installers to work to change all our signs to metric to correct a non-issue.

 

[4321lynx]

Although I've stated my preference for a newly created dozenal metric system. The fact is for most people it doesn't really matter what system they're using. Whether they buy milk by the gallon or liter they're just going to open the container and pour it into a glass or bowl. If they're cooking something that require more precise measurement they're still just going to open the container and pour it into a measuring cup with the number the recipe calls for. If they're baking a pizza they will turn the oven to either the number 400 or 200 for 18 minutes depending the temperature scale used on the directions.

Yeah, this is kinda my point upon which no one seems to be able to engage or rebut. I can I make it through life just fine buying gallons of milk and 12 oz sodas. I am quite well calibrated to how many miles my car can get per gallon, and whether it sucks to miss a 5 foot putt to lose the US Open.

I am not helped in any way by changing these things to measures to things with which I am unfamiliar.

Just out of interest, how do you feel about the 13 Colonies leaving the glorious British Empire? That was a radical change and a shock to quite a few American born Americans in those days. And how do you feel about the Confederacy losing that other war? And about the Confederate flag now?