fitzcoraldo
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You are the cool ruler
Feb 28, 2006, 11:33
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I should start of by stating that I love Europe, I love European law, I love the people of Europe - the more the merrier, I love the open borders and free trade and I have no problems with Britain adopting the Euro as our currency.
Where I do have a problem is this latest move, not by EU I should add, to get rid of our imperial measurment system.
I love feet and inches They are a common sense set of measurements and probably date back into prehistory. I realise that they have been dicked about with over the centuries but they remain a system based upon the human body.
I would be extremely saddened if we were to lose this beautiful, simple and ancient system.
J'obtiendrai mon manteau
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wolfnighthunter
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Re: You are the cool ruler
Feb 28, 2006, 13:02
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Fitz de bon après-midi,
c'est un manteau intéressant.....
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Wild Wooder
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Re: You are the cool ruler
Feb 28, 2006, 13:04
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The metric length system was established in France in the late 18th century by dividing up the circumference of the Earth. Naturally, they got that wrong so where's the relevance?
And I like my pint!
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wychburyman
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Re: You are the cool ruler
Feb 28, 2006, 13:20
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where's the relevance?
hmmmm.... to stone circles and shit?!
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PeterH
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Re: You are the cool ruler
Feb 28, 2006, 13:23
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Right on! A foot is a foot's length, an inch is the top thumb bone, a yard is a pace. A cubit the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. Ell is a bit odd because it is 45 inches and that is too long for an arm. Furlongs and chains speak for themselves. They are all still useful as rough and ready measures.
I just cannot cope with heights in metres and have no idea whatsoever of distances and speeds in kilometres.
Will we face prosecution like the traders who tried to hang on to pounds and ounces?
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PeterH
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Re: You are the cool ruler
Feb 28, 2006, 13:26
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The relevance is that you can estimate dimensions of megaliths using body parts ;o) if you don't happen to travel with a metre rule.
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Kammer
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Re: You are the cool ruler
Feb 28, 2006, 13:34
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> Will we face prosecution like the traders who tried
> to hang on to pounds and ounces?
Yes you will. It'll be custodial sentences for anyone saying the word 'foot' (or eating a curved banana, promoting British beef etc etc).
:-)#
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fitzcoraldo
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Re: You are the cool ruler
Feb 28, 2006, 13:40
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I guess the relevance is, that this system probably started somewhere in prehistory and is a little bit of prehistory that still has some relevance to modern life, a living, working link to our ancestors.
Ok so it's a dodgy link but somewhere in my mushy brain I can groove on the continuity of it all.
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fitzcoraldo
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Re: You are the cool ruler
Feb 28, 2006, 14:15
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Bon après-midi Monsieur Loup
Mon manteau est fait à partir des barbes des moules et a l'arome du potage de lentille.
Toute la grâce aux poissons merveilleux de Babel
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Vybik Jon
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Re: You are the cool ruler
Feb 28, 2006, 14:22
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1, 10, 100, 1000, 10,000, 100,000, 1,000,000...
You want something more common sense than that? You can do it using fingers and toes! (Well, the majority of the earth's population can).
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