1 mile = 5,280 foot = 63,360 inch
1 kilometer = 1000 meter = 1000,000 millimeter
Now what's more convenient? The Metric System (or more correctly the SI system) is just as arbitrary as the US system, but at least you can calculate with it.
The kilogramme the only one of the SI units which is still defined in relation to an artifact rather than to fundamental physical properties (yeah I copy-pasted that part).

I'm all for banning Turkey from the EU by the way.

When we traveled in the Army on foot through the woods we called its "clicks" meaning 1 click was 1 kilometer. And you have a "pace count" which is how many sets does it take you to walk 1 "click". So as your leading point in the woods/jungle your counting your steps and thats how far you know your've gone. And then your have your dumdass LT (officer, first year) with the GPS double checking your loc.

I prefer miles to kilometers, for actually knowing how far i have go to go, but kilometers are easier to figure out.

I fail to see the logic in that sentence, but it could be me as well

I don't see anyone arguing that our time system be converted to a base 10 system. I think that would be very handy.

I second the time thing. I have felt that way for a long time. No one listens to me though...

Attempts at that have been made somewhere in during the French revolution I believe, but that attempt horribly failed.

It's too well-ingrained. At least the military got a tiny bit of it right by sentencing the AM/PM shit to destruction. Next we need to have 100 minutes in an hour. Then the seconds. And, some time in the 26th century, we may be able to have a decent number of hours in a day.

I don't understand, *sorry* Do you mean, instead of, 60 to a minute, 60 min to an hour, you have 100 instead? I guess it would make sense, but right now we all understand time, so it's easier to leave it the way it is. But with miles/klm a lot of people, me included, aren't great with them.

@ J, to elaborate on that sentence, if you said to me, so and so, is X amount of miles away, I'd have a rough Idea of whereabouts it is, BUT Kilometres, I easier to figure out on paper, as in, mathematically.

wouldnt 100mins in a hour make the day longer?

60 mins ( 8 work hours in a day = 480 mins )
100 min ( 8 work hours in a day = 800 mins )

I would have to work 320 min longer to make it 8 hour day. Thats 5 more 60min hours and 3.2 more 100 min hours I would have to work.Screw THAT.



Hell no, keep me at 60 mins in a hour. The day is already long enough waiting for 5 oclock.

We can't fully decanize time anyway, there's still 365 days in a year.

Nothing we can do about the year thing... that's based on astronomical reality, I guess.

11b...a 100 minute hour would be the same length as a 60 minutes hour.. just minutes would have to be 'shorter'. 100 seconds to a minute, so seconds would have to be shorter, too. Basically, same amount of time, just a base 100 system instead of base 60.

Since this is the bullshit topic anyway, I'll post this here instead of starting a new one. Looky here at this quote I found:

"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."

Sounds vaguely familiar.

Eh? Machiavelli? heh. No, not eloquent enough. Bleh. Reality is a bitter pill.

Good call on the eloquency, it is in fact Hermann Göring. (Nazi big shot, chief commander of the Luftwaffe, for anyone who doesn't know him) He said that on a recorded conversation during the Nuremberg trials. (not part of the hearings of the trial itself tho, but that doesn't matter) This is it in its context:


We got around to the subject of war again and I said that, contrary to his attitude, I did not think that the common people are very thankful for leaders who bring them war and destruction.


"Why, of course, the people don't want war," Goering shrugged. "Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece. Naturally, the common people don't want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship."

"There is one difference," I pointed out. "In a democracy the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States only Congress can declare wars."

"Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."


Hehe..a real leftist pacifist coward, that Göring.