Ballard Street by Jerry Van Amerongen for September 18, 2021

The metric system is for those who can’t remember that there are 5280 feet in a mile, 12 inches in a foot, and 16 ounces in a pound.

Clifford’s blathering means Sophie can read, knit, watch tv, even talk to her mother on the phone and not feel guilty that she isn’t paying attention to her husband. She is free to pursue her own interests. I believe George is his name.

Love.

I would like to propose that what JVA was saying when he used the word “range” in the caption was something completely different. Sophie finds Clifford’s tessitura endearing. As he blathers on about whatever, and gets more excited about the topic, his voice limbs the octaves till he’s squealing like a teenage girl. Very endearing.

I like his thinking.

Clifford is always many furlongs ahead of the common man in his thinking.

I’d say more, but there was a very lengthy “metric thread” in another comic’s comments section recently, and I’m all metered out.

Want proof that the metric system is based upon the imperial system? Try to buy a metric ratchet. They are all imperial. Can’t use your metric sockets without one.

Riiight. We all know Sophie has her ear-plugs in…

Name one, Clifford, name just one!

Some businesses in the UK now want to go off the metric system!!! Next they will want that incredibly confusing “old money” back.

Best to save those topics for pillow talk.. turns endearing into passion.

Pick one and stick. Converting is a PITA

But at times she wishes he’d keep it to him self.

The only convenient use of Fahrenheit is that crickets chirp at the frequency equivalent to the temperature.

I try to share my range of thinking. It doesn’t work.

Interesting timing. Boris Johnson is currently working to take GB off the metric system.

In 1975, the United States passed the Metric Conversion Act. If we had transitioned to it anyone under the age of 45 would only know the metric system, the rest of us would’ve been just fine also. The US would actually be up to speed with the rest of the world. Of course, we couldn’t be bother with learning anything new.

Of course the benefit of the Imperial system is that things naturally divide up easily into halves and quarters, even thirds, which is a boon when you are dividing things between people. Tens, not so much.

The other absurd thing about metric was that it was created by revolutionaries who, typically, wanted to change all aspects of the existing order just for the sake of change.

If you REALLY wanted no more than a “rational” system of measurement, there was already one in existence, which could have been easily modified into something more “rational” — the nautical mile.

The nautical mile is a natural measure based on the length of one minute of longitude. Under the standard Imperial system, it is about 6000 ft, somewhat longer than the statute mile, but not greatly.

So here’s what you do — adopt the nautical mile as your basic unit. Redefine one foot as 1/5000 of a nautical mile, in other words, 5000 feet to the mile. Keep the foot as being comprised of 12 inches, lengths of those adjusted commensurately. That way you keep the ease of of being able to work in thirds and quarters as well as halves.

There. Perfectly sensible measurement system, rationally based, while keeping familiar units and breakdowns.

All you fans of metric, should we adopt the Revolution’s OTHER innovations — renaming days of the week and months, and the seasons as well?

It’s harder to get those Ballard Street cardboard pleats in centimeters.