The Exciting World of Metrics

[Justin Goeres]

If you follow me on Twitter, you probably already know that I own the "metric system" lunchbox mentioned in this list of the worst lunchboxes ever. The article, however, only shows the front of the lunch box. There's 5 more sides to the Exciting World of Metrics. So I thought I'd post the other faces of the lunch box here.

Note: This was not a lunchbox I originally owned as a child. I bought it in a kitschy retro-70s-&-80s-crap store in downtown Portland a few years ago. Back in my elementary school years, I rolled with a sweet Return of the Jedi lunchbox, and then later on an even more awesome Dragon's Lair lunchbox.

[Ton Plomp]

What you still use the 'standard' system?

Ton

[Michael Aivaliotis]

Thanks Justin for that!

[crelf]

*sniff* there's no place like home, there's no place like home *sniff*

[PaulG.]

Speaking for America ... one of the few things we've done really wrong is not adapt to the metric system. I deal with both daily. Metric is SO MUCH simpler.

[Phillip Brooks]

*sniff* there's no place like home, there's no place like home *sniff*

[crelf]

[Phillip Brooks]

Geek version:

There's no place like 127.0.0.1

[Ton Plomp]

Anybody else seen Tin Man.

Ton

[Yair]

Actually, centipedes and millipedes do not have those number of legs, but the metric system is still better.

Anybody else seen Tin Man.

That just gave me an idea - someone really needs to make an action version of The Wizard of Oz.

[crelf]

Anybody else seen Tin Man.

I saw it *yawn*

[Grampa_of_Oliva_n_Eden]

What you still use the 'standard' system?

Ton

Yes I'm late and just catching up...

I rember when the US was all geared up to do the switch and then they figured out how much it would cost to replace all of the road signs that gave number of miles too and speed limits. It was never funded so it never happened aside from the part where the government did not have to pay (labeling on packages). So to this day pacakges are marked in both standard and metric and serve as a ready reference when doing unit conversions durring dinner.

Ben

[crelf]

So to this day pacakges are marked in both standard and metric and serve as a ready reference when doing unit conversions durring dinner.

Sounds like an exciting time around your dinner table

[Gary Rubin]

Someone in the UK can correct me, but when I was in Wales in 1996, I seem to remember that there was odd mixing of the systems there. Dried goods and fresh produce were measured in different systems (oz. vs. kg)? And distances on roads were measured in km, but on distances on footpaths were in yards or miles? I don't remember exactly, but I recall thinking at the time that it was strange.

[crelf]

Someone in the UK can correct me, but when I was in Wales in 1996, I seem to remember that there was odd mixing of the systems there.

Just like in the US - where the oz can measure mass *and* volume!

[Gary Rubin]

Just like in the US - where the oz can measure mass *and* volume!

Thisis a song on the topic by a local kids' band...

[hooovahh]

Just like in the US - where the oz can measure mass *and* volume!

Yeah and in what other countries does inflammable mean flammable?

[Francois Normandin]

Yeah and in what other countries does inflammable mean flammable?

I know that one! I know that one!