Comments for DemoCritic http://www.demo-critic.com Join the debate... Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:45:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Metrication – Let’s Finish the Job by Seares http://www.demo-critic.com/archives/482#comment-1595 Seares Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:45:44 +0000 http://www.demo-critic.com/?p=482#comment-1595 Central heating control, car engine temp, electric cooker, most weather forecasts- metric (a few diehards use the F word supposedly as we oldies can't understand anything post 1862. Electric cables, timber, plumbing, builders stuff, plans, petrol, film, bottled drinks, postage rates, NATO, NASA, armed forces (even the US) - metric Still to convert- Politicians- might be easier now we're not afraid of Murdoch. Newspapers- stop insulting our intelligence. We do understand metric.. Road signs- we manage OK when on the continent. Granny's kitchen scales- stick metric equivalents on the weights. (Near enough) I just can't see the problem. Just give it another 150 years to total conversion-- but by then I'll be 230 years old and might not live to see it. Seares (67 kg, 172 cm) Central heating control, car engine temp, electric cooker, most weather forecasts- metric (a few diehards use the F word supposedly as we oldies can’t understand anything post 1862.
Electric cables, timber, plumbing, builders stuff, plans, petrol, film, bottled drinks, postage rates, NATO, NASA, armed forces (even the US) – metric

Still to convert-
Politicians- might be easier now we’re not afraid of Murdoch.
Newspapers- stop insulting our intelligence. We do understand metric..
Road signs- we manage OK when on the continent.
Granny’s kitchen scales- stick metric equivalents on the weights. (Near enough)

I just can’t see the problem. Just give it another 150 years to total conversion– but by then I’ll be 230 years old and might not live to see it.

Seares (67 kg, 172 cm)

]]> Comment on Metrication – Let’s Finish the Job by Blaise F Egan http://www.demo-critic.com/archives/482#comment-1483 Blaise F Egan Sun, 30 Oct 2011 12:40:00 +0000 http://www.demo-critic.com/?p=482#comment-1483 Great article! Yes, we really should finish the job. Great article! Yes, we really should finish the job.

]]> Comment on Metrication – Let’s Finish the Job by Hughster http://www.demo-critic.com/archives/482#comment-1481 Hughster Sun, 30 Oct 2011 10:40:51 +0000 http://www.demo-critic.com/?p=482#comment-1481 Well spotted. X mph in km/h <– the speed limit on your nearest road Unfortunately I can't amend my own post so the administrator will have to do it. Well spotted.

X mph in km/h <– the speed limit on your nearest road

Unfortunately I can't amend my own post so the administrator will have to do it.

]]> Comment on Reforming the House of Lords by grasscloth wallpaper samples http://www.demo-critic.com/archives/4#comment-1480 grasscloth wallpaper samples Sun, 30 Oct 2011 10:26:34 +0000 http://www.demo-critic.com/?p=4#comment-1480 <strong>Tim Fini blog...</strong> we like to honor other sites on the web, even if they aren't related to us, by linking to them. Below are some... Tim Fini blog…

we like to honor other sites on the web, even if they aren’t related to us, by linking to them. Below are some…

]]> Comment on Metrication – Let’s Finish the Job by Phil Hall http://www.demo-critic.com/archives/482#comment-1479 Phil Hall Sun, 30 Oct 2011 10:25:19 +0000 http://www.demo-critic.com/?p=482#comment-1479 The article makes valid points about the metric system not being as alien to us as some would have us believe. What is more important is that the metric system is much easier to learn and use than imperial. We are not doing our children any favours by expecting them to work in both metric and imperial. Few people can genuinely cope with that and there is no need for it. The only sensible way forward is to teach metric only in school and the rest of society adapt to the singular use of metric. The article makes valid points about the metric system not being as alien to us as some would have us believe.
What is more important is that the metric system is much easier to learn and use than imperial.
We are not doing our children any favours by expecting them to work in both metric and imperial. Few people can genuinely cope with that and there is no need for it.
The only sensible way forward is to teach metric only in school and the rest of society adapt to the singular use of metric.

]]> Comment on Metrication – Let’s Finish the Job by Martin Vlietstra http://www.demo-critic.com/archives/482#comment-1471 Martin Vlietstra Sat, 29 Oct 2011 20:39:50 +0000 http://www.demo-critic.com/?p=482#comment-1471 I lived in South Africa when that country went metric. They had a very simple solution to educate people to use metric units – the sale of measuring devices that had imperial calibrations on them was banned. I believe that Australia adopted a similar principal. I lived in South Africa when that country went metric. They had a very simple solution to educate people to use metric units – the sale of measuring devices that had imperial calibrations on them was banned. I believe that Australia adopted a similar principal.

]]> Comment on Metrication – Let’s Finish the Job by worstall http://www.demo-critic.com/archives/482#comment-1468 worstall Sat, 29 Oct 2011 12:30:55 +0000 http://www.demo-critic.com/?p=482#comment-1468 Hughster;s input needs amending when talking about speed. The kW referred to should be km/h. Hughster;s input needs amending when talking about speed. The kW referred to should be km/h.

]]> Comment on Metrication – Let’s Finish the Job by Hughster http://www.demo-critic.com/archives/482#comment-1464 Hughster Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:51:59 +0000 http://www.demo-critic.com/?p=482#comment-1464 Harry, like you, I used to think I would only ever know my height in feet and inches -- but then I measured myself with a tape measure in centimetres, and now I know. It took a matter of seconds. I've successfully done the same with my weight, my clothes sizes, my car's fuel consumption and engine power, the speeds I drive at, the distances I travel and every other area where the only figures I previously knew were imperial. It took a matter of seconds to look up each of these statistics and they were committed to memory. If everybody sets aside five minutes to do this for themselves, bang -- we've already "finished the job". Updating road signs, clothes labels, quoted measurements in the media and everything else will naturally follow as a mere formality because everybody will be thinking metric. Why not do it now? Open up Google in a new tab and type in the following queries, replacing the 'X's with your own personal figures, and write the results down on a post-it note stuck to your wall: X feet X inches in cm <-- your height X stone X pounds in kg <-- your weight X inches in cm <-- your waist size X inches in cm <-- your inleg length X inches in cm <-- your collar size X inches in cm <-- your computer's screen size X miles per imperial gallon in l/100km <-- your car's fuel consumption X hp in kW <-- your vehicle's engine power X mph in km/h <-- the speed limit on your nearest road X miles in km <-- distance to work or other place you often travel to X imperial pints in litres <-- amount you drink on an average night out Congratulations -- you're metric! Harry, like you, I used to think I would only ever know my height in feet and inches — but then I measured myself with a tape measure in centimetres, and now I know. It took a matter of seconds.

I’ve successfully done the same with my weight, my clothes sizes, my car’s fuel consumption and engine power, the speeds I drive at, the distances I travel and every other area where the only figures I previously knew were imperial. It took a matter of seconds to look up each of these statistics and they were committed to memory.

If everybody sets aside five minutes to do this for themselves, bang — we’ve already “finished the job”. Updating road signs, clothes labels, quoted measurements in the media and everything else will naturally follow as a mere formality because everybody will be thinking metric.

Why not do it now?

Open up Google in a new tab and type in the following queries, replacing the ‘X’s with your own personal figures, and write the results down on a post-it note stuck to your wall:

X feet X inches in cm <– your height
X stone X pounds in kg <– your weight
X inches in cm <– your waist size
X inches in cm <– your inleg length
X inches in cm <– your collar size
X inches in cm <– your computer's screen size
X miles per imperial gallon in l/100km <– your car's fuel consumption
X hp in kW <– your vehicle's engine power
X mph in km/h <– the speed limit on your nearest road
X miles in km <– distance to work or other place you often travel to
X imperial pints in litres <– amount you drink on an average night out

Congratulations — you're metric!

]]> Comment on Review: Marr vs Blair by Annie http://www.demo-critic.com/archives/177#comment-1038 Annie Tue, 06 Sep 2011 07:48:51 +0000 http://www.demo-critic.com/?p=177#comment-1038 This could be Camerons only option to obliterate the past Governments and say "I stood up to help Libyans, the past government helped hold them down." However this enquiry will have about as much clout as the one for Dr Kelly or Iraq. Mr Blair will put on his white suit and stand by the river Jordan and swear it was because it was the right thing to do. God told him to be strong.... How wrong he is. I hear Blairs next pitch is on evangelistic television where he will pray for you for a few dollars more. This could be Camerons only option to obliterate the past Governments and say “I stood up to help Libyans, the past government helped hold them down.” However this enquiry will have about as much clout as the one for Dr Kelly or Iraq. Mr Blair will put on his white suit and stand by the river Jordan and swear it was because it was the right thing to do. God told him to be strong…. How wrong he is.
I hear Blairs next pitch is on evangelistic television where he will pray for you for a few dollars more.

]]> Comment on Has BoJo lost his Mojo? by Boris Backer http://www.demo-critic.com/archives/1475#comment-693 Boris Backer Thu, 11 Aug 2011 23:34:50 +0000 http://www.demo-critic.com/?p=1475#comment-693 All of which ignores the fact that the odds on Boris being re-elected have *improved* since the riots, not worsened: http://www.borisbacker.com/2011/08/10/boriss-re-election-odds-improve/ All of which ignores the fact that the odds on Boris being re-elected have *improved* since the riots, not worsened: http://www.borisbacker.com/2011/08/10/boriss-re-election-odds-improve/

]]>