metric system (was Re: [thechat] Jan 18 peace march)

[Erika Meyer]

The metric system is absolutely easier.  I never had a problem switching.

But USA is like this big stubborn island.  We do not do things
because they make sense... we do them because we are Americans.

Soccer is another example of a sport that has a history of being
despised by Americans (though it's gained a bit more acceptance at
least among certain economic classes over the past 20 years)
Cycling, same thing.

There is the sense that soccer and cycling are "gay."  And "gay" is
effeminate and that is bad. In my high school, soccer players were
the "fags" who sported flattops and listened to punk music.  Whereas
"Real American" men had long hair, played football and listened to
metal and butt rock.  -- How hardcore punk (ala Black Flag) was
"gayer" than hair metal (ala Twisted Sister) I have no clue, it just
is.

Cyclists are clearly gay because they wear tights and they are a
threat to auto traffic.

I think that to Americans, the metric system is a bit "gay."  Because
it's Euro, and it has funny little names like "kilometer" and
"millimeter."  It panders to non-Americans at the expense of
Americans.  It is a Euro threat.  Like bicycles,  pointy shoes, and
french berets, metrics are "gay."

HTH,

Erika


>At 09:30 PM 22-01-03, aardvark wrote:
>>and it's human nature to resist things that are different...
>>
>>or destroy things that are unknown...
>>
>>this surprises you? it's hardly an american curiosity...
>
>No, it doesn't surprise me. I expected *that*. I just wondered if there
>were other reasons that I may not be aware of.
>
>[insert yelp of "but the metric system of 10s is so much easier to use...]
>
>Thanks,
>
>Madhu

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