Newbie question :) be kind...

Ray Haddad wrote:
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No Ray, the USa has put metrics on it's list of acceptable measuring systems, but it _hasn't_ adopted metrics.
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How many times do you have to be told that the Easter Bunny isn't real?
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No, the US Government has dual standards, the US doesn't.
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No Ray, we fully embraced metrics - some NZers are reverting due to US influences, specifically US TV programming. There's a difference.
Greg.P.

On Sun, 20 Jan 2008 21:20:41 +1300, I said, "Pick a card, any card"
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The standards are in place. Contrary to what you brazenly claimed. Once again, you're wrong but won't admit it.
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Oh, dear. Greg's lost this one so the non sequitur appears.
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Both do. You're just a guy who can't accept the facts.
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Aussies, Kiwis and Americans all use metric and Imperial when required. If you're not smart enough to do it, let those of us who are continue on without your comments. -- Ray

On 1/20/2008 2:57 AM Ray Haddad spake thus:
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No, *you're* wrong and *he's* right (gawd, it pains me to say that, but it be true); read my lips very carefully: THE UNITED STATES HAS NOT ADOPTED METRIC MEASURES. WE HAVE NOT BEEN "METRIFIED".
Officially, yes, the "standards are in place", whatever the hell that means. *Practically* speaking, we continue, FOR THE MOST PART, to use our old "customary" units (with some exceptions, most of which have already been noted here). So please recognize reality and stop insisting on winning your pathetic semantic argument, or whatever the fuck you insist on proving to us here.

On Sun, 20 Jan 2008 03:54:52 -0800, I said, "Pick a card, any card"
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That doesn't make sense. The standards were set in place in 1970. Since then, it is legal to sell or trade using metric measurements. Just because it never caught on due to choice doesn't mean the standards aren't there. Shouting about it only confirms more clearly that you haven't a clue.
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I don't wish to prove anything to you. Ever. Teaching a pig to sing only annoys the pig. -- Ray

Ray Haddad wrote:
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Sorry I have annoyed you!
Regards, Greg.P.

Ray Haddad wrote:
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Ray, I _accept_ the standards are in place. We are discussing the US populations' acceptance of the standards. It isn't happening.
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US officialdom's acceptance of the standards consists of their writing "Accepted" in the statute books. US population's acceptance of the standards consists of their manufacturing/buying goods made to the standard.
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Ray - New Zealanders do _not_ use US imperial measurements, we never have. Making it a requirement to use either major imperial system is in fact against the law here.

On Mon, 21 Jan 2008 08:59:31 +1300, I said, "Pick a card, any card"
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No we're not. You tried to switch to that argument after you declared that the US doesn't use metric at all. Nice try. -- Ray

On Mon, 21 Jan 2008 08:59:31 +1300, I said, "Pick a card, any card"
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Oops. Perhaps you'd like to restate that? -- Ray

Ray Haddad wrote:
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I stated it very carefully - baring the odd person like me, yank car enthusiasts ...
Try to think about it in general terms, rather than just looking for the exceptions to further your argument.
Where we use "gallons" we use UK imperial gallons. (pints ...) Where we use "Tons" we use UK imperial tons. (cwts, lbs, ozs ...) Where we use "miles" we use UK imperial miles. (feet, inches ... nautical miles, knots ...)
Ok, so miles and feet just happen to be the same, but the rest are different. It's the UK imperial measurements that some NZers hang on to.
Regards, Greg.P.

On Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:21:46 +1300, I said, "Pick a card, any card"
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Imperial US? Are you serious? -- Ray

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"Imperial US" is Greg's entire shtick. He's fixated on it. If you mention "Imperial" or "US" he falls into his rant. Words trigger Greg, context is to abstruse for Greg.
Paul N.

Ray Haddad wrote:
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So you tell me the correct collective term for US measurement systems. No one else seems to have come up with a term. Or are you suggesting that the US isn't imperial - that's a whole other argument and probably not relevant to this ng.

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The Americans do not use the Imperial System for measurement.

Brian Smith wrote:
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Ok, but we need a name for whatever it is they use or we're going to be discussing "......" ;-)
Greg.P.

On 1/20/2008 2:39 PM Greg Procter spake thus:
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Fair enough; I've heard them referred to as "(American) customary units", which is a pretty bland description, but better than none. Apart from this, I don't think there actually is a name for our (North American) "system" of measurement. (Corrections welcomed.)

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Non-metric? Who cares? There is no name for it.
Since until 1970 the metric system was meaningless in the US, there was no need for a name for the system in use. It was just the standard. Some of it is based on the imperial system, but if you actually *used* the imperial system, you'd get a lot of things wrong.
Also, since there is no confusion in unit names between the two systems, there is still no need (for the most part) to distinguish the metric set of measurements from the non-metric ones. The only exception is the ton, and if someone in the US is referring to those, they say "metric ton". A US ton is, get this, called simply "a ton". Nobody ever, ever, says just "ton" and mean "metric ton". *

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Which "ton" are you discussing. A real ton, 2240lbs? An American ton, 2000 lbs. A metric tonne, 2,204.6lbs?
I'm confused.
-- Cheers
Roger T. Home of the Great Eastern Railway at:- http://www.highspeedplus.com/~rogertra / Latitude: 48° 25' North Longitude: 123° 21' West

On Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:25:38 -0800, Roger T. wrote:
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I have 7 shillings 6 pence worth of sympathy for your guinea's worth of confusion.

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I'll raise you a groat.
-- Cheers
Roger T. Home of the Great Eastern Railway at:- http://www.highspeedplus.com/~rogertra / Latitude: 48° 25' North Longitude: 123° 21' West

Roger T. wrote:
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I'll have to have a whisky and think about seeing your raise.
Ordinarily, I wouldn't give a farthing about it, but I think you're having far too much fun at our expense, guv'ner.