Any suggestions for HO gradient?

Just like you miss everything else of substance.

You're funny!

On 3/1/2009 7:27 AM John Fraser spake thus:

Whoa: where do you get that last one? Rounding 1:87 to 1:100 is sheer sloppiness.

Oh, you're describing the theoretical proposed Perfect Metric version of HO, which doesn't exist.

O scale *might* be tolerably close (1:48 compared to 1:50 is close enough for many folks).

Ours are 340ml, give or take. A very satisfying size. ;-)

Just what's your point? Oh, yeah, I see -- you think you're disagreeing with something a dumbyank said.

Pathetic, really.

wolf k.

WRT fuel for cars, "gas" is short for "gasoline", a trade name for petrol, which (like "aspirin) became a generic term.

wolf k.

Who said I did? Oh, I see, you're misreading again. Tsk, tsk.

When Al was first isolated, its proposed name was aluminum. Really. Look it up.

Ve-hicle is the original pronunciation of the word (well, actually, it was closer to vay-hickle). It was the speakers of the King's English who dropped the /h/.

We say c'nTRIBute over here.

wolf k.

You obviously jump to conclusions.

I grew up with both systems, and pounds, shillings, and pence, too, as I was shuttled back and forth between Austria and England in my yout'. The only time I converted between units was when I had to do math homework. In my _real_ life (buying chocolate bars and ice cream) I never converted between units. A chocolate bar was about 5 bites in size, whether it was denominated in oz or gm. My Granny bought milk in pints and 1/2 pints, whipping cream in 1/4 pints, sliced ham in ounces, butter in 1/2 and 1/4 pounds. My Oma bought sliced ham in dekas, butter in 1/2 and 1/4 kilos, milk in liters and half liters, and whipping cream in

The house I live in has about 60% "sweat equity" in it -- mine and my family's. We didn't have to convert between units, or between measuring systems. _Not once_.

wolf k.

I fully agree. :-)

That 1:48 scale you mention must be invented by someone who couldn't do simple calculations.

On 3/2/2009 9:35 AM Erik Olsen spake thus:

I have no idea of the arithmetic capabilities of whoever "invented"

Weird. Broad gauge; the opposite of British 00.

On 3/2/2009 1:36 PM Erik Olsen spake thus:

O *scale*, not gauge. Dunno about the gauge; others will have to comment on that. Don't think it's broad gauge, though.

An this comes from one of the people who call polyethylene polythene.

On 3/2/2009 3:22 PM Steve Caple spake thus:

Plus that mangling of "proprietary" he uses, "proprietry" (which is probably what it sounds like, but certainly not how it's spelled--oops, "spelt". Hey, I though that was some kind of German bread!)

Spelt (Triticum spelta) is a relatively modern cross between the ancient emmer wheat, or farro (Triticum dicoccon) and wild goat grass (Aegilops tauschii).

True farro makes both the wonderful Tuscan bean and farro soup, but also is combined with chestnut (castagna) flour to make truly wonderful savory pastries.

Unscrupulous suppliers attempt to pass spelt off as farro; conversely, true farro (emmer) is often called spelt by the ignorant. True farro is primarily produced in the Garfagnana region of Tuscany (the Serchio river valley north of Lucca, between the Apuan Alps and the Appenines), and the producers would prefer to see use of the term farro controlled much as wines are under DOCG regulations. For the tase of real farro, look for the seal of the Consorzio Produttori Farro della Garfagnana IGP (indicazione geografica protetta).

Even the Italian Trade Commission badmouths the proud name of farro by referring to "Farro della Garfagnana (IGP)" as spelt:

Zuppa di Farro col Cavolo Nero:

On 3/2/2009 5:47 PM Steve Caple spake thus:

So I guess there's no telling just *what* is in those "spelt" tortillas (yes, tortillas) you can get at Traitor Joes, eh?

It's not that hard ----- 1/4" = 1 ' [the ratio IS 1:48] The 1'4" is for convinence for those without the equipment to work with the 7mm : 1' that the British folk use.

Chuck D.