Peanuts by Charles Schulz for March 07, 2013

This is why the rest of the world went metric some 40-odd years ago!

1957!

Decimal counting rocks!

No one is denying that the metric system is a better system due to the powers of ten, but the problem is that people used to the American system have no intuition for metric values. That’s why it’ll be hard to make a switch.

Everybody used to be much better at mental arithmetic and those weights and measures were based on the human body. Imperial is much better suited to everyday use. Metric is fine for the scientific stuff.

U.S.A. The most advanced backward cxountry!!!!

We’ve had both metric and imperial measurements shown on labels for years, petrol is sold by the litre, my speedometer has mph and kph on it. It shouldn’t be a problem. When we decimalised our currency back in the early seventies we should have gone the whole hog and gone completely decimal then. We have too many people who live in the past and want to retain imperial measurements for sentimental reasons.

It is mostly just habit and wouldn’t take that long to change. In the 1970’s the US started the process and if Reagan hadn’t been elected President, the change would be “history”. The metric changeover was supported by Carter, so of course the Republicans had to say it was a bad idea. The solar collectors on the White House had to go… I’m surprised they didn’t outlaw sweaters..But for everyday use, there are two small advantages to the current system in the US. With volume, it’s all multiples of two, and that can be handy. And a foot is divisible by two, three, four or six. That doesn’t seem like much but does come in handy sometimes. Still it’s not enough to make up for the dis-advantages. Anyone know (Without Google or Wiki) how many feet (or yards) in a mile? And how much does a gallon of water weigh?

I was living in Canada when they went metric. I hated it. Backwards or not, I’m glad I’m living in the States now and not having to deal with all those conversions.

Decimal measurements are fine until you need a third of something. That’s when decimal measurements fail to the old, superior English measurements.

I remember 5,280 feet to a mile (which is 3×1760 yds, naturally). Water? something like 8.4 pounds, I think. (Okay, I searched and it’s 8.34 pounds.) Haven’t thought about water weight in years.

OZZES AND LIBS? What’s up with that?

And this was a decade before a time in the 1970’s every math class in school was about to lean into the Metric System.

Just got it that she was talking about 16 ounces in a pound. I was wondering what the heck ozzes and libs were. oz and lb – got it!

I hate water measurements.

And then there is the British. Pounds are money and stones are weight????

1 US gallon = 3785.41178 grams. Easy and handy, no?

“A pint is a pound, the world around.” Therefore a gallon of 8 pints (4 quarts) is 8 pounds. Nya, nya, nya!

Ozzes and libs? Is she talking about pounds and ounces, as we refer to them now-a-days?

Wondered why I got such great mileage driving in Canada years ago.

If the United States went metric tomorrow, within three months, everyone would be wondering why we waited so long to make the switch.

You’ll be forever reminding him, Lucy!

LOL xxx

The U.S. will never convert to metric – tried it – didn’t work….can’t for most of our sports anyway….

Metric system is king!

unless you are talking troy weight. 12 troy oz=1 troy lbThe troy pound (troy) is 5,760 grains (≈ 373.24 g, 12 oz t), while an avoirdupois pound is ≈21.53% heavier at 7,000 grains (≈ 453.59 g).

I only use metric for measuring stuff because it sucks trying to figure out half of 17 3/8ths.

Had a fairly bad day at work but it’s good to come home and see all these posts, I feel I learned something today. So I now know what a gallon of water weighs.

distance is distance because of time, and versy- vicey. the foot and yard are actually more “earth commensurate” and are based on the sacred cubit, whereas the meter is based on the profane cubit. math tells us (pi) that a circle (the earth) can only be approximated my mathematical formulae. vastly truncated synopsis here, but it’s also why vinyl, with its ability to reproduce arcs exactly, sounds better than digital reproduction, which, regardless of compression or sampling rate, remains “notchy” ( i love you guy"s characterization “trolls”! can’t wait to see what they do to this one).

Using 10s is so very much easier and less error prone. It makes my tired ache trying to add something like 3 feet 2&5/8 inch to 1 foot 7&3/16 inch. I usually convert it to metric to add, then convert it back if necessary. -Actually, I usually measure with a metric tape and convert it to feet and inches if I have to in order to buy a piece of lumber.-I love working with decimals. If I had my way, we would even have something like 100 seconds in a minute, 100 minutes in an hour, and 10 hours in a day, and don’t get me started on our ridiculous calendar.-And, its easy to use one third as a decimal. It’s .33 -Just add another 3 for more accuracy, if needed.

I like the units that are smallest when measuring, as it provides the best accuracy.

At least most of the time, because I have to say, I REALLY like that the second knuckle of my right index finger is 1 inch, the span of my thumb to index when both are fully extended is close enough to 6 inches to make no nevermind, and that my elbow to finger tips is exactly 1 cubit (18 inches). I have measured things in the store using my hand/arm and been off by less that 2% as compared to a tape measure on a regular basis. Handy when my mom calls because she saw a dress on clearance that would work perfectly for my daughter but she needs to know the nape of neck to natural waist measurement RIGHT NOW and I’m in the middle of the mall food court. (I was off about 3% there, 1/2 inch over 18 inches, but my daughter was getting wiggly.)

ozzes and libs mean ounces and pounds I sure y’all know that

I not correcting you but ozzes and libs mean ounces and pounds

An American gallon weighs about 8lbs

I love how all these people are slagging off a system they’ve never actually used. I’ve used both. Metric makes more sense once you let go of the past and move into it.

Poor Charlie.