A Political Thread pt. 2

[The Seeker]

I mean Newsom is utter ****. Not exactly far right to not want him tbf

I'm a Californian and I don't like Gavin Newsom, but Larry Elder (leading Republican candidate) is too far right for most (including myself) here in the Golden state. And being a Trump supporter really hurt his efforts, thankfully. I'm glad Newsom wasn't recalled, but only to keep Elder out of Sacramento. We can always vote Newsom out when his term end's. That's my hope. Under Newsom our taxes have gone up when he said they wouldn't. And he hasn't done anything about the homeless problem when he promised he would. I do think he's done a good job regarding Covid-19, as do most Californians according to the polls. But overall I don't feel Newsom deserves to be re-elected in November of 2022.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

In fairness, as dumb as a story as this is, it's just removing a fairly rediculous rule in the first place

 

[Gavin]

Strange though as the UK made the move over to metric before they even joined the European community

Metrication timeline

Contrary to popular belief, the adoption of the metric system as the primary system of weights and measures in the UK is not a recent trend. Nor is it particularly to do with the European Union. In…

ukma.org.uk

It's as if the government is using this as a post-Brexit sovereignty tact to appease the patriotic Brits

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Strange though as the UK made the move over to metric before they even joined the European community

Metrication timeline

Contrary to popular belief, the adoption of the metric system as the primary system of weights and measures in the UK is not a recent trend. Nor is it particularly to do with the European Union. In…

ukma.org.uk

It's as if the government is using this as a post-Brexit sovereignty tact to appease the patriotic Brits

Blatantly going after the Express reading segment of society. The sort of people who think metric was brought in because ickle snowflakes found it too difficult to do the necessary maths of an unnecessarily complex system of measurements. It's ******* in the wind though, the sort of people who genuinely care at all are old, younger generations have no desire to go back to using older measurements. The only ones I've ever used are stone (although I've now shifted to weighing myself in kilos), pints and gallons (purely for fuel efficiency).

Even then I wouldn't bat an eyelid if we switched to half litres and kilometers per litre. I've ordered drinks enough in Europe to know that ordering a half litre does not change the experience in the slightest. TBH I don't think many shops will switch back, it's way too much hassle and not widely supported. Maybe the odd street vendor but that's about it.

 

[ncurd]

Yeah sorry an entire generation (and more) were never taught Imperial measurements they certainly stopped teaching it when I was in school some 30+ years ago or at least gave it the vague hint of acknowledgement. And for good reason the entire system is just stupid when compared to metric and its just objectively terrible from a Mathematical standpoint now if we want to teach kids something useful like base16 Maths we can talk.

 

[ncurd]

Of course the actual worrying thing is if they ever consider 1 and 4 on this list. 4 is exceptionally bad we have some best educated kids compared to previous generations and most of that was making the decision that our schools were not correctional facilities.

Lightbulbs yeah the original Energy saving ones (from the 90's) were shite but LED bulbs are actually pretty damn good.

**** me people actually want pre-decimal currency? Likely not enough to ever be considered a reality. Much like smoking indoors.

 

[Which Tyler]

If that poll is accurate, then **** me it's depressing.
Interestingly, not one item on that list is remotely an advantage over the status quo.


As for pounds and ounces, shops were never not allowed to use them, it was only the exclusive use of them that was ever disallowed. No shop will go back to being only iimperial (except as a publicity stunt) as they'll immediately lose all customers under the age of 50 who'll just go so ewhere else where they know how much they're buying.
Like blue passports, its an utterly meaningless "win".

But then, as far as can tell, no-one has yet to find an actual, real win that can be attributed to Brexit if it ever actually happens. Just meaningless slogans (eg sovereignty) and meaningless gestures (eg pounds and ounces), and the occasional trumpetting up of something that was never disallowed in the first place (eg blue passports)

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Literally looks like something that'd be on the mash report

 

[Reiser99]

Blatantly going after the Express reading segment of society. The sort of people who think metric was brought in because ickle snowflakes found it too difficult to do the necessary maths of an unnecessarily complex system of measurements. It's ******* in the wind though, the sort of people who genuinely care at all are old, younger generations have no desire to go back to using older measurements. The only ones I've ever used are stone (although I've now shifted to weighing myself in kilos), pints and gallons (purely for fuel efficiency).

Even then I wouldn't bat an eyelid if we switched to half litres and kilometers per litre. I've ordered drinks enough in Europe to know that ordering a half litre does not change the experience in the slightest. TBH I don't think many shops will switch back, it's way too much hassle and not widely supported. Maybe the odd street vendor but that's about it.

As someone who teaches primary, those obsolete units of measure are not even on the curriculum (though based on the way the Tories are heading they will probably add it back in soon). I guess I use pints at the pub, gallons at the petrol station and that's it. Everything else I've moved to metric because it's so much simpler. I honestly wouldn't have a clue about converting imperial measurements and I have absolutely no desire, because it's a complete stupid, random system that makes no sense. Why bother when all I need to know is either x10, x100 or x1000.

As you and others have said this is purely for the older generation in a pathetic nationalistic, flag waving stunt. Same as the crown on the pint glass. I reckon there will be very few traders who sell exclusively in imperial if any. More will use both, but most places won't want the hassle of changing signs, prices etc...

Edit: This is supposed to be taught in Year 5 and that's it. To understand and use approximate equivalences between metric units and common imperial units such as inches, pounds and pints. That's not actually using them, that's roughly knowing 1 pint to 1 litre etc. It will probably taught over 1 maybe 2 lessons, won't come up in a test and will be forgotten about by most kids asap.

 

[Reiser99]

Of course the actual worrying thing is if they ever consider 1 and 4 on this list. 4 is exceptionally bad we have some best educated kids compared to previous generations and most of that was making the decision that our schools were not correctional facilities.

Lightbulbs yeah the original Energy saving ones (from the 90's) were shite but LED bulbs are actually pretty damn good.

**** me people actually want pre-decimal currency? Likely not enough to ever be considered a reality. Much like smoking indoors.

Simple fact is it's nationalistic nostalgia for a golden age of Britain that never actually existed. These people actually want to go back to the past when they thought Britain was great. Part of it is natural, humans often remember the past inaccurately, but it's also the product of decades of propaganda portraying plucky Britain as the underdog of the world who always stands up to these big mean foreign powers. I imagine most of these people wouldn't be happy until we have our glorious empire back and we return to screwing over the rest of the world.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

gallons at the petrol station and that's it.

It's weird because I know my cars miles-per-gallon but without having a proper think I wouldn't know what that translates to at the petrol pump, as it's in £ per litre


Pints at the pub, as well, is more of a way to order than it is wanting a specific measurement - if you asked for a pint and got half a litre you'd never know

 

[Reiser99]

It's weird because I know my cars miles-per-gallon but without having a proper think I wouldn't know what that translates to at the petrol pump, as it's in £ per litre


Pints at the pub, as well, is more of a way to order than it is wanting a specific measurement - if you asked for a pint and got half a litre you'd never know

Actually you're right, it's litres. Got that one wrong. Guess I was desperate to find something imperial as it's basically none barring getting a pint at the pub and as you said most people wouldn't know the difference.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Actually you're right, it's litres. Got that one wrong. Guess I was desperate to find something imperial as it's basically none barring getting a pint at the pub and as you said most people wouldn't know the difference.

I think the only imperial I use is:
Miles (only for long distance)
Feet (for measuring a persons height)
Stone (for measuring a persons weight - though Kg is becoming used a lot more these days)
Pints (but meh)

 

[ncurd]

Actually you're right, it's litres. Got that one wrong. Guess I was desperate to find something imperial as it's basically none barring getting a pint at the pub and as you said most people wouldn't know the difference.

We work in miles on the road (and I do it for running) but that's a distance over time thing rather than using it for anything else scarily it means most us work out our petrol as miles per litre and most of it is subconcious you know how much petrol will get you x miles form your tank.

Miles to KM is actually the one conversion I can do because when I first started running I did it in KM's and now run in Miles. Most races are KM so it was 'easier' but I've found because a mile is longer and thus there are less of them its better psychologically. But I wouldn't actually promote it as a unit of measurement...

 

[Which Tyler]

Aged 46, I've never been taught imperial units for... anything, as far as I remember.

Common usage for me:
I can use imperial or metric for height and weight of humans, but have to stop and thing of trying to convert from one to another.
I can use imperial or metric when measuring shorter distances, but will only use metric if it's for anything other than an approximation.
I can use pints of half-litres for beer/cider, but exclusively metric in the kitchen.
I can use either to measure speeds and longer distances, but am more comfortable with imperial.

Professionally, about mid-30s seems the cut off where a notable majority give their height and weight in metric, about mid-40s where a notable majority use imperial.



Ultimately, imperial distances are good for approximations of every-day measurements, and the mental arithmetic of halves, quarters and thirds.
Metric is better for any measurement that actually matters or require accuracy.
Imperial weights and volumes are worthless (and why they chose to use base-16 rather than base-12 is beyond me.


Interestingly, base-12 for distance measuring was first started local to me in the FoD.
It comes from counting based on the number of fingers you had, rather than the number of fingera the Romans had.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Weights for Rugby players and boxers is the only time I really come across pounds and ounces nowadays. It's a bit of palaver to convert it into Kgs and grams. Divide their pounds by 2.2 to get to kgs.

Suspect we'll only see imperial measures still in the pubs and market stalls as already pointed out. Even the market stalls will likely have both or customers getting out their smartphones to convert.

We still use Miles per hour when driving rather than Km/hr on the continent.

Yep of course height as well.

 

[Reiser99]

Yeah I forgot miles. Miles and pints for me.

I've stopped using pounds and ounces. Even with my baby daughter most of it is kg. Only convert using the chart for my older relatives. Height, mostly I measure at school with the kids and it's always in cm and m.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Weights for Rugby players and boxers is the only time I really come across pounds and ounces nowadays. It's a bit of palaver to convert it into Kgs and grams. Divide their pounds by 2.2 to get to kgs.

Yeah, i just thought that

I know my own weight in stone but not pounds, I know all the MMA weight classes in pounds but not stone, I know my dogs weight in Kg but not lbs or stone
I couldn't convert any to any other without a sit down
(though lbs --> kg is a bit easier just from going to the gym, where weight plates have both kg and lbs on)

What a bloody mess, ha

 

[Gavin]

All this has a sniff of an early election to me. The Conservatives know that the later they get it the worse the impact of Brexit will be seen by more of the general public. Also I read that in 2026 there is scheduled to be UK/EU negotiations.

So the imperial weights, turning back migrants, crowns on pints is all to shore up their Brexit voter base for an election in 2022 which will give them power until 2027, so they'll be in charge for the UK/EU negotiations, so at the election then they can still use the narrative it's all the EUs fault etc.