How Obama could TRUELY be a historic president!

reply to post by Seiko


Ehm...Dick York! No, wait, Dick Sargent. It was Dick Sargent...
OK, point taken.

Still, I personally think that a conversion would have greater impact that what you mentioned. But that is just me talking.

As far as I am concerned, the rest of the world uses the same classification of hurricanes, has TV in every household (or sort of)...and near to everyone uses the metric.

Maybe, I say maybe, it wouldn't be such a big deal for the common man, conversions in other countries, such as Australia, went by without any major problems and it is possible that the state leader who introduced it will not be remembered for it, I don't know. But for people dealing with import/export business it would make all the difference in the world.



Baah, look at me. Just rambling on here....

I use metric for design and imperial to build with.




[edit on 11-11-2009 by PaulKCA]

[edit on 11-11-2009 by PaulKCA]

Coming from the UK, I can honestly say that we are just confused!!

We measure a person's weight in Stones and Lbs, but we weigh food in kilos and then ask for a pound of potatoes.

We measure liquids in litres, but purchase a pint of milk or beer.

Petrol (Gas) is sold by the litre, but speed and distance is measured in miles and petrol consumption in miles per gallon... I don't even know WTF a gallon is!!!

At school I was taught there were 12 inches in a foot and 100 cm in a meter, but how many feet in a meter??? (I now know it's just over 3).

I'll measure a sheet of paper in cm, but a room in feet and inches.

Of course the advantages to this are that I can operate equally as confused both in Europe and America!!

Many of us work with both systems.

No big deal for the most part, although I note that the metric micrometers go mostly un-used in my small home machine shop....

Originally posted by Uniceft17

As far as i'm concerned Americans like the system we already have in place, and you're from Europe so I don't really see how you can say this is what we have all been waiting for, do you have a source to back that up?

I say leave the current system in place, we couldn't even afford to replace all the road signs in this country at this point in time anyways.

Well, I'm an American and I believe the current system (imperial, i believe) is beyond stupid. If you have taken any upper level math or physics classes you know that the metric system is used because IT MAKES SENSE!

It wouldn't even be hard to do the conversion. In stead of tearing down the existing signs and replacing them, just require that all new signage include the metric equivelant. Eventually, you can begin to weed out the imperial units and American units can be out of the stone age!

Great Idea for Prez BO
S&F

-E-

...just because the "standard" system doesn't make sense to you - doesn't mean it doesn't make sense to those of us who grew up with it.

We have our way - you have yours.

We drink coffee - you drink tea.

We say apartment, you say flat.


We're different. Get over it?

Isn't it obvious the metric system was created by the white man to keep the black man down? What would make you think Obama would support that?

And reposting all our mph signs and mile marker signs to kilometer? Changing gallons of gas to liters? The cost would be exponential! We probably have a billion road signs that would need changed. Why bother? What would we gain?

Originally posted by nik1halo
Of course the advantages to this are that I can operate equally as confused both in Europe and America!!

What?

Are you phasing out Imperial or is this they way it is supposed to stay?

Sounds really weird to me.

Haa, I always loved the "stone"! Sounds like something invented in time before time.
1 stone = 6.350293 kilograms

Crazy.

reply to post by Raud

1 cubic decimeter = 1 litre (of water = 1 kilo)

1 liter is 10 deciliters, 100 centiliters, 1000 mililiters.

1 kilometer = 1000 meters.
1 meter = 10 decimeter.
100 centimeter = 1 meter.

0 celsius degrees = freezing point for water.
100 celsius degrees = boiling point for water.

But the manner in which you approach this argument suggests that you believe the metric system to be superior.

So i would respond with:

3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons = 1 fluid ounce
8 ozs = 1 cup
2 cups = 1 pint
2 pints = 1 quart
4 quarts = 1 gallon


See, our system has those wonderful whole numbers too. 2's and 8's, 1's and 4's. No 0.2232's and no 23.209302's

I think the whole world should use the standard system. Because thats what i grew up with and it's what i know best.

Metric vs imperial both work!

[edit on 11-11-2009 by PaulKCA]

Originally posted by jjkenobi
Isn't it obvious the metric system was created by the white man to keep the black man down?

Eh, no it isn't.

The cost would be exponential! We probably have a billion road signs that would need changed. Why bother? What would we gain?

Here is a quote from the link I provided in the OP:

The cost to the US for not being on the metric system is no doubt high. Just last year, a Martian probe was destroyed because some of its navigational data was in feet, and some was in meters.

Linkage

[edit on 11-11-2009 by Raud]

Originally posted by Snarf
But the manner in which you approach this argument suggests that you believe the metric system to be superior.

Well, I do suggest just that!

Originally posted by PaulKCA
Not to sound stupid here although I obviously am, isn't the topic of discussion about what our president could do, rather than a debate or discussion of measurement systems.

Ssshhh!!!

Originally posted by Raud

Originally posted by nik1halo
Of course the advantages to this are that I can operate equally as confused both in Europe and America!!

What?

Are you phasing out Imperial or is this they way it is supposed to stay?

Sounds really weird to me.

Haa, I always loved the "stone"! Sounds like something invented in time before time.
1 stone = 6.350293 kilograms

Crazy.

Weeellll, officially the UK is metric, but we have used imperial for so long that it's just stuck around.

In general, I suppose it depends on your age, although there are still some imperial measurements that are still used. My generation (I'm 27) have grown up with both.

A person's weight - The medics will use metric, but the general population use imperial. I know I'm about 12 stone, but I wouldn't have a clue what I am in kg. Oh yeah, the gen pop also measure a person's height in feet, but medics in meters.

Beer is sold in pubs by the pint, but in cans in 500ml (although people complained so certain companies brought out pint cans too ). Whiskey is sold by the litre in pubs and in bottles

We measure distance and speed in miles and the street signs are in miles too.

As I said, it's all very confusing, but it works. I don't think the UK will ever go completely metric, or at least not for a few generations yet.

Originally posted by PaulKCA
Not to sound stupid here although I obviously am, isn't the topic of discussion about what our president could do, rather than a debate or discussion of measurement systems.

The title is "what obama could truely do"

and the answer was : convert America to the metric system.

So naturally - the discussion is about THE METRIC SYSTEM.

Why?

Because in order to discuss rather or not it'd be a good thing for Obama to do (and memorable) you have to discuss the pro's and con's of conversion.

The only off-topic posts in this entire thread are yours, and this one.

reply to post by Raud


Obama is a truly "historic" President. Because of the mess that he has made of the Office of POTUS he has guaranteed that another "one" will not be elected for at least 100 to 150 years.

2nd line ... How is that "Hope and Change" working for you? I'm still unemployed!

The argument of the rest of the world using it is answered simple enough. Americans do not need to go to system based on simple math. Our math skills are poor enough as it is and anything to reduce additional thought would just make things worse.

Beside we use the oddball measurements less than you guys us the decimeter.

Originally posted by digitus impudicus
reply to post by Raud

 

Obama is a truly "historic" President. Because of the mess that he has made of the Office of POTUS he has guaranteed that another "one" will not be elected for at least 100 to 150 years.

2nd line ... How is that "Hope and Change" working for you? I'm still unemployed!

I think some people in this thread may have a reading comprehension problem

The thread is "how Obama COULD be a historic president"

not

"how COULD obama be a historic president"

The OP is creating a thread to suggest an idea of how the OP thinks Obama could achieve this.

He's not asking you what you think Obama should do

and if you're still unemployed - try looking in other places. I know a guy who refuses to work at McDonalds, but whines that he has no money because he can't find another desk job that over pays him to do nothing.






[edit on 11-11-2009 by Snarf]

I can think of a few things Zero could do to become a "TRULY HISTORIC" president, however NONE of them have anything to do with the metric system.

At the top of my list are impeachment, trial for treason, tar and feathers......

AND this is not an "OFF TOPIC" post if you read the title of the thread.

reply to post by expat2368

AND this is not an "OFF TOPIC" post if you read the title of the thread.

actually it is. The title implies that the OP is suggestion a single method

it is not a question. It's a statement.

So much for you saying "if you read the title of the thread"

Has no one thought that the metric system COULD be a slippery slope:

1. Metric system.

2. Change the calendar: no more AD & BC

3. Change the days of the week.

4. Months of the year.

5. maybe the whole language!!!