The impossibility is to know _which_ particular gallon is being discussed in an international forum.
So you can quote me the price per Litre in 2005!
No Ray, "petrol" is not short for "petroleum". "Petrol" is short for "Refined petroleum" - the stuff that yanks call "oil".
"Gasoline" was so named because it was originally/is a distilate of "oil/petroleum", ie seperated in a gaseous state. "Petrol" was originally obtained by allowing oil to seperate into layers by weight/density.
I learned my Imperial measurements (and Metric) by rote in the
1950s/60s, including the "gallon". I never learned US measurements at school. In 1974 we dropped all Imperial measurements in favour of the internationally accepted Metric System of measurement.
The result is that if you say "gallon" or "ton" or any of the hundreds of non-Metric system measurement terms I will revert to those learned in childhood conversions. If, as Ray assures me, the US has two equal standards, US and Metric, then I have no need to clutter my little mind with US to Metric conversions because you yanks already do that and can quote me the price of petrol in litres as easily as foreign gallons.
The point is that Ray claims the US uses it's own measures and Metric meaures equally. This bit is really an NZ vs Aussie argument so you're exempt.
"Petrol" vs "Gasoline":
I've heard US tourists ask for "Gas" here in New Zealand. If you do that at a petrol station you're more than likely to be directed to the LPG or CNG dispensing system. Some youngsters get into US terminology (through US sourced TV and films presumably) I've been asked "Do you want gas", to which I answered "I want petrol, that's why I stopped beside the petrol pump rather than the gas dispensing pump")
On Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:22:56 +1300, I said, "Pick a card, any card" and Greg Procter instead replied:
No, moron. I claim that they are both authorized means of weights and measures. Look it up.
See what I mean about Kiwi arrogance? It's your way or no way. Join the world, Greg. There ARE other people out there who may actually like Kiwis and visiting NZ. Until they get there and meet folk like you, that is. That'll put them off forever.
You're the ambassador of bad will.
That's because they've realized that GASOLINE is not the same as PETROLEUM, which seems to escape you. Those kids are not learning bad, evil ways from watching TV or movies. They're learning by using their own brains. Perhaps you should ask them next time.
On Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:03:47 +1300, I said, "Pick a card, any card" and Greg Procter instead replied:
That's Greg for you. He went to a sawmill once to steal a bucket of sawdust and he's now an expert at sawing. Five minutes in the sawing room and he claims a lifelong knowledge of wood and stock.
I'd refer to him as a Bozo but that would insult clowns the world over. Not fair.
On Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:15:49 +1300, I said, "Pick a card, any card" and Greg Procter instead replied:
Well, Greg, as many have pointed out, it's quite true. Dual standards exist and are legal for trade and retail which is the entire point of them being made legal. If you really wanted to, you could define your own measuring system, let's say you named it Brouhahas, and use them for your railroad. But, you could never sell anything legally using that as a standard.
The same happens in countries who regulate things like weights and measures. In the US, the major standards are Imperial and Metric with others like Troy, Avoirdupois and so on being used legally in some trades and not in others for the sake of convenience. Those standards are also in place. So, the US, just like New Zealand, has more than one standard. Before you go flying off on another tangent, gold and gems are sold using standards that are not metric.
This all started because you took an innocent comment and tried to turn it into another of your America bashes. Could I make a serious suggestion here? Make your comments all you wish but there are other people on this newsgroup besides Kiwis (which may sound disrespectful to some of you but the New Zealanders take pride in being Kiwis) and there's no need to simply bash them because you happen to not like the USA. That's crossing into an area not related to the hobby. Measurements are and this was actually enlightening to some here. Slamming the USA is not. Had you simply stuck to discussing measurements and the absurdity of so many systems, you would have had folk here clapping. Think about it.
Just leave the bashing of other countries to a newsgroup dedicated to that bashing. Just a favor. Ok?
That's a neat wee changearound - I wonder if anyone noticed???
Arrogance has nothing to do with it - we call the product "petrol".
Of course it's not the same thing - I explained the origins of the two terms for you several posts ago. You are the only person attempting to equate the two.
Ray, you're telling me it's legal to _sell_ a given item in two different measuring systems. I, and several others here, have attempted to point out to you that a system can't be considered accepted (by the general population) if it can't be _purchased_ (as well as sold) in either/both measurements.
We have standards on all sorts of things - what we don't have is two parallel measuring systems.
Why do you stupidly imagine that I'm "America bashing"?
Ray, old buddy, it is _you_ who took this discussion into the realm of "bashing". Sure, I pointed out absurdities but it was you who translated that into "insults".
I've bought a series of US engineering machines, because they are the best available for my needs. I'm intending to expand my collection. That's hardly an insult. I already have 3 or 4 Austrian machines (Emco), which the Sherline was designed to compete with. The first (SL) I bought in 1978 and the last (Compact 5) in 2007. If anything I'm dissing Austria, and China, and Britain.
The three seperate absurdities I've pointed out are:
- the Sherline "metric" machine is assembled using US specific nut and bolt sizes which makes it's usage outside the US problematical.
- (US) modelling materials (and tools) come in a variety of different measuring systems.
- the US is the only major stand-out in an internationally accepted measuring system.
- Absurdity #4 is that the US has used the same terms as the previously internationally accepted Imperial measurements but applies them to different measurements.
- Absurdities #5-#1005 are that you have attempted to defend absurdities by piling on even further absurdities in justification.
- Absurdity #1006 on is that I have bothered to respond, but I justify that by admitting that I have lots of spare time between medical treatments.
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