Slashdot Mirror
Presidential Candidate Lincoln Chaffee Proposes That US Go Metric
New submitter Applehu Akbar writes: The good news is that for the first time in years, a candidate in the next presidential cycle has proposed completing our transition to the metric system. Though unfortunately it's Lincoln Chaffee, let's all hope that this long-standing nerd issue gets into the 2016 debate because of this. Warning: Lame CNN autoplaying video.
I don't know the stances of Lincoln on other issues, but trying to push the metric system is a great start and bound to fix the economy as soon as people can figure out how to measure things. Why can't one of the main stream candidates get this?
Place something witty here
I am surprised the republican field has not proposed we get rid of the english system for Biblical set of measures in units of Palms, Spans, and Cubits.
It's a non-starter of a proposal from a non-starter of a candidate. There is no huge push in the US to go fully metric right now.
Never go full metric.
Because dumb people are against it and smart people are able to deal with it.
Go metric and your dicks will become about 2.5 times larger!!!
Antisthenes: "Wisdom begins by examining the words/names." - excuse my English, i am (slightly...) better with my Greek!
I would like to sit down and have a pint with.
Metric is NOTHING! Do you realize that fluoridation of water is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face?
A foreign substance, introduced into our precious bodily fluids, without the knowledge of the individual, and certainly without any choice... that's the way a hard-core commie WORKS!
I first became aware of it... during the physical act of love. A profound feeling of FATIGUE... a feeling of EMPTINESS followed... loss of ESSENCE! Women, women sense my power, and they seek the LIFE ESSENCE. I do not avoid women... but I DO DENY THEM MY ESSENCE!
Take it easy, Charlie, I've got an Angle...
I'll resist this with every ounce of my being.
I'll resist this with every gram of my being.
I won't give an inch on this issue.
I won't give 5 centimeters on this issue.
They came at us with a shit ton of rockets and mortars!
They came at us with a shit kilogram of rockets and mortars!
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
An gram of prevention is worth a kilo of cure.
When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
The British system is a mess. Speed is measured in miles per hour, but distance & fuel in kilometers & liters. Those poor kids in school probably get word problems like "Bobby is driving at a constant speed of 50MPH to his friend's house, which is 35 kilometers away. Given a fuel consumption of 40km per liter, how many clowns can fit in his car?"
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
I advocate adopting the Feter. Exactly 1/3 of a meter.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
Well sure, there's England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, and Australia.
Years 0-25: All signs replaced must print both measurements
We tried that once in the 70s. In some places people shot the signs down. Literally. With guns.
I'm reminded of one time back in high school when we were discussing a poem by Margaret Atwood. The English teacher mentioned as an aside, "who knows where Margaret Atwood is from," thinking it would be a good segue. Silence. "I'll give you a hint: she's writing in her native language."
"American?"
- "No."
"British?"
- "No."
"Australian"
- "No." There was another pregnant silence and before I could hazard a guess on New Zealand, he gave up and said, "Canada! Margaret Atwood is perhaps the most famous Canadian poet!"
So help me, my thought at the time was actually, "Ohhh. Canada... they exist too."
The point of the story is, just because you speak English doesn't make it any more likely we'll remember that your country exists. Sorry, Canada. If it helps at all I'm in Texas, so you're not exactly foremost in our thoughts.
There is America. Then there is ThirdWorldLandia which sends us illegal immigrants and terrorists. Then there is Europia which is full of communists and yodelers. And then maybe there's Antarcticstan I think but no one goes there. Anyway, that's all the countries I know of.
I forgot Texas. That's yet another country.