Althouse: "I don't know why the media have been ignoring this candidate who so clearly..."

June 4, 2015

"I don't know why the media have been ignoring this candidate who so clearly..."

"... has his finger on the pulse of the issues facing the American people."

109 comments:

chickelit said...: The day will come when the GOP will sort the wheat from the Chafee.; 6/4/15, 9:28 AM
chickelit said...: But can Althouse readers sort the wit from the chafe?; 6/4/15, 9:30 AM
ALP said...: I am a huge fan of the metric system. FINALLY, a candidate I can get behind.; 6/4/15, 9:34 AM
Laslo Spatula said...: Describing a foot-long yellow polyurethane dildo as being 304.8mm is too much math.

Maybe OK for Euro Chicks, though.

I am Laslo.; 6/4/15, 9:39 AM
Known Unknown said...: I actually use the metric system all the time at work. It is easier for some things, but not for all.

Maybe ISIS is afraid of the metric system.; 6/4/15, 9:42 AM
TrespassersW said...: I'm not sure which is worse: that a doofus like this thinks that one of the main points of his campaign should be adopting the metric system, or that people elected him to public office in the first place.; 6/4/15, 9:45 AM
Wilbur said...: I saw part of his announcement yesterday. He looked and sounded like someone had slipped him a marijuana mickey.; 6/4/15, 9:47 AM
Laslo Spatula said...: "Describing a foot-long yellow polyurethane dildo as being 304.8mm is too much math."

And describing it as 0.3048 meters in length takes away the sense of impressiveness.

Maybe Euro Chicks like 1 meter dildoes.

I would watch that.

I am Laslo.; 6/4/15, 9:48 AM
madAsHell said...: There was actually legislation that mandated the metric system by 1985...or there-abouts. My Ford is completely metric. Mr. Chafee must be dumber than Obama.; 6/4/15, 9:49 AM
MisterBuddwing said...: There was, of course, FNC host Anna Kooiman, who caught a lot of grief for suggesting that the metric system may have played a role in the crash of AirAsia flight QZ8501.

I can't cite a case in which the metric system was blamed for an aviation disaster, but I do recall an incident in which the metric system played a role in a potential air disaster: Air Canada Flight 143.

(Wasn't there a CNN anchor who, told that something was "30 meters deep," wondered how deep 30 meters was?); 6/4/15, 9:49 AM
Laslo Spatula said...: "(Wasn't there a CNN anchor who, told that something was "30 meters deep," wondered how deep 30 meters was?)"

That would be 98.42 foot-long yellow polyurethane dildoes. length-wise, of course.

I am Laslo.; 6/4/15, 9:52 AM
traditionalguy said...: Another smug baby Boomer here to lead us.; 6/4/15, 9:54 AM
Etienne said...: Ahrr! Real men only do Base 12. Ahrr! Ahrr!; 6/4/15, 9:55 AM
Big Mike said...: I didn't know he was still alive. I suspect he's the sort of liberal politician who had "run for president" on his bucket list.; 6/4/15, 9:55 AM
Big Mike said...: Also his tie is too wide.; 6/4/15, 9:56 AM
Gahrie said...: I spend much of my life using binary, even though I don't realize it.

You guys do too.; 6/4/15, 10:00 AM
PuertoRicoSpaceport.com said...: Could someone tell me again why we need the metric system?

I use it every day here in PR. I buy gas and milk by the liter, see addresses expressed in Km (a typical address might be Road 923, Km 23, Hm 8 or just Km 23.8), My house lot is measured in square meters, many of the machines I work with are all metric, many of the measurements I work with are metric. Every single US package in my cupboards has both normal and metric sizes on the label. And so on.

In other words I am well comfortable with metric and have been for 40 years or more.

So can someone explain the advantage to me over normal measurement? I just don't see it myself.

But, if we could get a president who would focus all his energies on metrification, I would be happy with that. While he is focusing on metrification, he is leaving us alone in other areas.

Any Trollope fans here? This makes me think of Plantagenet's obsession with decimal currency.

John Henry; 6/4/15, 10:02 AM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: 1 meter = 1.0936133 yard

So unless you are surveying, for all practical purposes they are about the same.,

And supposedly, a Mars probe crashed because one engineering team used metric units while another used imperial.; 6/4/15, 10:02 AM
Known Unknown said...: Also his tie is too wide.

Big Mike is bringing the real issues about Chafee to the forefront. Hear! Hear!; 6/4/15, 10:06 AM
Jane the Actuary said...: The metric system?

There was a book out earlier this year about the metric system. Read it while my kid was at swimming lessons. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/janetheactuary/2015/02/from-the-library-whatever-happened-to-the-metric-system-how-america-kept-its-feet-by-john-bemelmans-marciano.html

Key point was that as long as industry uses metrics, there's no compelling reason for the rest of us to start measuring distances in km, weight in kg, etc.; 6/4/15, 10:07 AM
Known Unknown said...: I can't believe there are 20 comments in relation to Lincoln Chafee.

Oops. 21.; 6/4/15, 10:08 AM
Henry said...: I like Lincoln Chafee and voted for him for Senator when I lived in Rhode Island. I like the fact that he's an oddball. He's a centrist in New England which means he's liberal everywhere else. He's generally transparent with his opinions, which goes a long way in my book.; 6/4/15, 10:10 AM
Anonymous said...: Laslo Spatula said...
Describing a foot-long yellow polyurethane dildo as being 304.8mm is too much math.

The metric system favors dimension challenged males. If you have a 5" dick, wouldn't you prefer to describe it as 12.7 centimeters?; 6/4/15, 10:11 AM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: "So can someone explain the advantage to me over normal measurement? I just don't see it myself. "

The only rational reason to adopt it is because most of the rest of the world uses it.

It is not, in any sense, better. It was developed during the French Revolution while they were doing there best to sweep away the "old order" and enshrine (literally) Reason as their guiding principle.

They considered it more rational because base 10.; 6/4/15, 10:11 AM
Henry said...: Could someone tell me again why we need the metric system?

Bicycle maintenance.; 6/4/15, 10:11 AM
Etienne said...: If you are going to use SI units, then I'm going to have to insist you spell it metre as per treaty.; 6/4/15, 10:11 AM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: I would have sworn I edited that there to be their; 6/4/15, 10:13 AM
Henry said...: The English system has the advantage of being divisible by three. There's a lot to be said for a system that neatly divides by 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 12.; 6/4/15, 10:13 AM
Bob Ellison said...: The metric system is indeed superior to the traditional system.

One cubic centimeter is one milliliter, and one calorie heats one milliliter of water by one degree centigrade. One joule is the energy transferred when applying a force of one newton through a distance of one meter.

It all kinda fits together nicely that way. Just saying "Bah! Jimmy Carter liked it!" does not make it stupid.

One can argue that a foot is about a foot long, and who knows what a decimeter is, and a pint of beer is what one wants in a bar. But the metric system works better, overall.

Odd that Chafee says the USA is one of only three countries (I think he mentioned Myanmar and one other backward country) that use the imperial system. Has he ever been to the UK?

I'd prefer an octal system, though.; 6/4/15, 10:13 AM
Jane the Actuary said...: It's like soccer. We're supposed to adopt it because the rest of the world has.

Never mind that when any other country is pressured to make a change to conform with the rest of the world, when something unique to their heritage is slated to be discarded, we hear about the evils of globalization.; 6/4/15, 10:14 AM
Known Unknown said...: " 12.7 centimeters?"

No. Everyone knows a centimeter is tiny.; 6/4/15, 10:14 AM
Anonymous said...: Exactly who does a white male RI Republican turned independent turned Democrat expect is going to vote for him in a Democratic primary?

His mother is likely dead...; 6/4/15, 10:15 AM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: Personally, I think we need to adopt a binary system of measurement so as to more easily communicate with our robot overlords who, experts in AI inform me, are no more than 50 years away.; 6/4/15, 10:16 AM
Bob Ellison said...: How many kilojoules does the average PC or iPad waste each year converting octal numbers into base 10? Obama should take this up as a green initiative. "America's Future Lies Octally!" Bill Gates might fund it.; 6/4/15, 10:16 AM
lemondog said...: Net worth = $50 million.

What is that in metrics?; 6/4/15, 10:20 AM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: The French also tried to decimalize the week and time of day as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Republican_Calendar

This did not work out well. Obviously.; 6/4/15, 10:21 AM
traditionalguy said...: Sneaky little Rhode Islander is in on the Obama Dems moving the former USA into World Trade Treaty governance. That will require metric metrics.

The secret provisions are designed to offshore the Professions using computers and eliminate traditional licensing by our present political boundaries.

The secret redone status categories go slowly into effect for five years before they are announced. Don't ya just love those 5 year plans.

The Mexicans will become our new digital lawyers, Doctors and all other licensed professionals at the cheapest rate. All they will need is a militarized police with SWAT team tactics and military gear to arrest and re-educate the resistance.

This is Mao's cultural revolution redux. But this time Mao and The Party have computer power and propaganda media saturation.; 6/4/15, 10:22 AM
Etienne said...: Bottom line, he is eligible for social security next year, and in my book - ineligible for leading a country with massive quantities of WMD.; 6/4/15, 10:22 AM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: @Bob Ellison

Why only half-measures? Binary I tell you! Binary!; 6/4/15, 10:23 AM
Todd said...: Bob Ellison said...

Just saying "Bah! Jimmy Carter liked it!" does not make it stupid.

6/4/15, 10:13 AM

Maybe not but the fact that he did (does), does not help the case to switch. Just saying...; 6/4/15, 10:24 AM
Dr.D said...: So, Chafee is pushing the metric system; big deal!! There is nothing at all inherently superior about the SI (current metric) system over the US Customary system. Oh, yes, I know all about the powers of ten, etc. But consider ...

The metric unit of length is the meter, a bit over 3 feet. This is awfully large for many purposes where inches fit much more nicely. Sure, we can always write 0.001 inches as 2.54*10^(-5), but do you really enjoy carrying the exponents?

The SI unit of force is the Newton, roughly 0.225 lbs. Do you really want to express your weight in 5ths of a pound? This unit is too small.

The SI unit of pressure (or stress) is the Pascal (Pa), just about 0.000145 lb/in^2. It takes a zillion Pascals to get up to a measurable quantity.

The SI system is so superior, that those nations that supposedly are exclusively SI also use non-SI units like the bar = 100000 Pa, just because the Pascal is so miserably small.

So, let's forget about the SI system and all enjoy a pint!; 6/4/15, 10:26 AM
Original Mike said...: Metric is easier to use for lengths and volumes. I see no advantage, however, to switch from Fahrenheit to Celsius.; 6/4/15, 10:26 AM
Etienne said...: The French Huguenots went a little crazy there, as the days of the week make much more sense as planetary names, except for Sunday, which shall ever be a Catholic day.

Can you imagine Mardi Gras as anything other than Mardi Gras???; 6/4/15, 10:29 AM
Bob Ellison said...: Ron Winkleheimer, half measures indeed! Let's go unary! So much easier to read, and to count.; 6/4/15, 10:30 AM
Original Mike said...: "So, let's forget about the SI system and all enjoy a pint!"

16 or 20 oz?; 6/4/15, 10:30 AM
Etienne said...: I see no advantage, however, to switch from Fahrenheit to Celsius

It's a question on the IQ test. They ask you at what temperature does water boil, or water freeze, and if you use Celsius, then it is beaucoup plus simple.; 6/4/15, 10:33 AM
Bob Ellison said...: In England, folks still routinely express weights (especially of humans) in "stone" (14 pounds). That cracks me up. Imagine NutraSystem advertising "You could lose half a stone in your first eight days or so!"; 6/4/15, 10:34 AM
Original Mike said...: Ron, thanks for the decimal calendar link. I did not know that.; 6/4/15, 10:34 AM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Heard part of his announcement and agree he may have been high.

And I think the entire Senate should pass a resolution saying they are ashamed this clueless dumbass was ever in the Senate.; 6/4/15, 10:35 AM
Jaq said...: I am against the metric system for the same reason I think that the Brits going to decimalized money was stupid.

Keeps the mind sharp doing little calculations all the time.

Same reason kids should play card games instead of with their phones, but that ship has sailed.

I remember as a child playing Monopoly and there was a card that made you pay a 10% tax on your money, and we would count it then ask our mother what ten percent came to and she would work it out right in her head and we just sat there in awe.; 6/4/15, 10:41 AM
dix said...: There are two kinds of countries in the world. Those that use the metric system and those that have been to the moon; 6/4/15, 10:45 AM
Jaq said...: They also goofed when they defined the length of the meter. It turns out that the speed of light = 299792458 meters per second. How hard would it have been for them to define it in such a way as to make it 300000000 meters per second?

Who wants a system invented by fuckups? Besides, the original proponent, Thomas Jefferson was a francophile.; 6/4/15, 10:47 AM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: My Dad, who had to drop out of school at 10 to help support his family, had the multiplication table memorized up to 15x15, because that is how education rolled back then.; 6/4/15, 10:47 AM
Jaq said...: dix wins the thread.; 6/4/15, 10:48 AM
Todd said...: dix said... [hush][hide comment]
There are two kinds of countries in the world. Those that use the metric system and those that have been to the moon

6/4/15, 10:45 AM

Thread winner!

Everyone else, thank you for playing. We do have some nice parting gifts for you that oue lovely hostess will hand you on your way out.; 6/4/15, 10:52 AM
Todd said...: NUTS! Did not see your post tim...; 6/4/15, 10:53 AM
Anonymous said...: agree, Dix wins; 6/4/15, 10:57 AM
Jaq said...: Better he should win by acclamation. :^); 6/4/15, 10:58 AM
MadisonMan said...: I see no advantage, however, to switch from Fahrenheit to Celsius

There isn't one. Fahrenheit is more precise. There's a huge potential difference, precip-wise, between 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34. That's just -1.1 to 1.1 C. Bleah.; 6/4/15, 11:00 AM
Etienne said...: Thread winner!

Typical American bluster to mask inherited ignorance :-)

Everyone knows Wernher von Braun used metric units in all his rockets, since way before the V-2.

The displays were translated to units that fighter pilots could understand, but all variables were stored in the computer as their metric units.; 6/4/15, 11:07 AM
mikeski said...: @The Drill Sgt -

"Exactly who does a white male RI Republican turned independent turned Democrat expect is going to vote for him in a Democratic primary?

His mother is likely dead..."

Ha! Like being dead ever stopped anybody from having their vote (for a Democrat) counted.; 6/4/15, 11:08 AM
Roger Sweeny said...: When the metric system was adopted in France, they also had a day of ten hours, an hour of 100 minutes, and a minute of 100 seconds. I'm not voting for Chafee until he says he will get rid of our 24-60-60 time system. Powers of ten forever!; 6/4/15, 11:12 AM
Left Bank of the Charles said...: I have a metric crescent wrench from the 1970s. It works so much better than an imperial crescent wrench.; 6/4/15, 11:16 AM
mezzrow said...: and so, he ran for President on a platform of...

The metric system. Ten fingers, ten toes. What could be simpler and more organic?

It was the only thing that hadn't been taken that he could think of. And think of all the jobs. The urge burns brightly.

Wait until those with missing digits on any extension have to wait for their trigger warnings...; 6/4/15, 11:17 AM
Etienne said...: With 22 million illegal immigrants, who vote much more often than natural born citizens, anyone can be President in America. Even a man with a bowl haircut.; 6/4/15, 11:17 AM
Unknown said...: Finally an issue worthy of knocking Kaitlain Jenner off the front page.; 6/4/15, 11:20 AM
Original Mike said...: "I have a metric crescent wrench from the 1970s. It works so much better than an imperial crescent wrench."

dix may have won the thread, but I nominate Left Bank for honorable mention.; 6/4/15, 11:26 AM
Quaestor said...: Before turning to politics Chaffee earned a living in the farrier trade. I've had many hundreds of hours of enjoyable conversation with farriers over the years, and they are as a group level-headed, courteous, thoughtful, and analytic. Most who leave the trade do so because of painful backs, though a few are forced to retire by receiving one too many kicks. If Linc Chafee wasn't kicked in the head by an irate pacer, he should have been.; 6/4/15, 11:28 AM
MadisonMan said...: What does Lincoln Chaffee think about the production of Pennies? That's even more important.; 6/4/15, 11:38 AM
Anonymous said...: Heard part of his announcement and agree he may have been high.

And I think the entire Senate should pass a resolution saying they are ashamed this clueless dumbass was ever in the Senate.

6/4/15, 10:35 AM
-----------------------------------------------

..and they could include the current occupant of the Oval Office.; 6/4/15, 11:44 AM
Brando said...: Can't view the link, but the comments suggest we're talking about Lincoln Chafee?

As far as Democrats go, good for him--it's time someone went after Hillary over her warmongering and hostility to civil liberties. The GOP seems silent on that (except maybe Rand Paul) and the other Democrats seem afraid to offend her, god forbid. I see Chafee as a breath of fresh air.

He doesn't have a chance in hell of winning, but he's an example of one of those candidates who can benefit the race itself even if he can't win it.; 6/4/15, 11:58 AM
William said...: Poetry should be expressed in iambic decimeter. It would make it easier for children to understand.; 6/4/15, 12:08 PM
Jaq said...: Exactly! The metric system lacks poetry.; 6/4/15, 12:21 PM
Louis said...: A presidential candidate should campaign on inventing a new American system. He/She/They could propose a commission of scientists tasked with a unified new language for describing time and space in engineering contexts.; 6/4/15, 12:46 PM
Birches said...: Ha! HA!; 6/4/15, 12:47 PM
Louis said...: The elements could be renamed according to their properties. A system for describing the structures of molecules could be very useful in law and policy making contexts. Same for mechanical systems that resemble WMD. Orwell warned about this, though.; 6/4/15, 12:52 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: Lincoln Chafeee's Dad was a stud -- former moderate Senator John Chaffee. Marine Corps Officer at Guadalcanal in WW2, the Governor of Rhode Island, Senator, and Secretary of Navy.

I guess this proves that the apple does fall far from the tree:); 6/4/15, 1:24 PM
Bob Ellison said...: Dix gets my vote for the win. I thought I was in the running, but Dix hit a home run.; 6/4/15, 1:28 PM
Rocketeer said...: Converting to metric is Linc Chafee's subtle plan to make Rhode Island sound bigger than it is.; 6/4/15, 1:32 PM
Unknown said...: A couple of minor points: The metric system may have ben adopted during the French evolution, but it was initiated beforehand, under Louis XVI; I think we quietly went metric officially with the 1988 Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act. Mr. Chaffee may not have heard.; 6/4/15, 1:49 PM
Crimso said...: He's putting the cart before the horse. How can we mandate an official system of units before we have mandated an official language in which to describe the units mandate?; 6/4/15, 2:11 PM
rcocean said...: Why not be really scientific and change Time? 24 hours in a day, 365/year, 7 days/week, 52 weeks/year, 60 minutes/hour.

Its so hard to learn and not user friendly. I suggest Chaffee push for "deca-time". Forget the problem of overlap between years. I suggest 100 minutes per hour/10 hours per day/ 10 days per week and 50 weeks per year.

Easy to learn and the rest of the world will follow.

Adopt it for his campaign and Say hello to President Chaffee.; 6/4/15, 2:14 PM
rcocean said...: The other great thing about the metric system is it improve the old English sayings. We'll now be able to say:

Give me hot 187 ml of Joe.

Give them a centimeter and they'll take a Kilometer

28 grams of prevention is worth a 6OO grams of cure.; 6/4/15, 2:21 PM
J. Farmer said...: I don't give two shits about the metric system, but at least Chafee had the perspicacity to vote against Bush's absurd middle east adventurism.; 6/4/15, 2:35 PM
Hagar said...: The metric system is much simple and easier to work with.
However, that does not mean it cannot get screwed up, and college professors and government bureaucrats are the ones who can - and will - do just that.

Thus, though growing up under the metric system in Norway, which has been metric since 1814, I never even heard of the peculiar units like Pascals, etc., commented on above. I think I remember Newtons from physics class in high school, but that is about it. This is university scientist kind of stuff that is not used in real life.

And we dodged a real bullet, when the forced conversion to metric in this country died a quiet death with the election of Republican majorities in Congress back when. It was blankety-blank unbelievable to see the units that the FHWA was going to force onto the highway industry, f. ex. Just no common sense whatever. And they were going to enforce the same sort of thing across the board, food packaging and everything.
And no, nothing like that was ever used in Europe. This was American government at work. Democrats, that is.

As it is, those who needed to convert for practical reasons have quietly done so - like Detroit went metric in the '80's when the companies went multi-national and it no longer was any telling which components of your car were made in which country - and you did not even notice, did you?

May also mention, that, as noted above, Norway went metric in 1814, the masonry and lumber trades still use English units. Possibly some others too, for all I know. There just is no good reason to change, and you can still add a new addition to an old house and match it in.; 6/4/15, 2:37 PM
Skeptical Voter said...: Good Old Senator Chafee. Another pompous gasbag from New England who doesn't realize that--out in flyover country--most of us who actually use our hands and build things are comfortable with both the metric and the Imperial system. Don't know about the BA nuts and bolts and the Whitworth system--but Metric and Inch--I got it. Despite sneering blue state dilettantes, we'uns out here can actually keep two different things in our pointy little heads.

But even an electorate dumb enough to elect Obama twice probably isn't dumb enough to elect Chafee---so there's that.; 6/4/15, 2:39 PM
Todd said...: Sears was happy cause it forced me to go buy another set of sockets and another set of crescent wrenches.; 6/4/15, 2:44 PM
Wince said...: Money, pedigree and credentials allow a moron like Chaffee to act so self-assured.; 6/4/15, 2:45 PM
MayBee said...: Bob Ellison- yes!! The stone really cracks me up.

People in the UK use the metric system, but they still talk about distances they drive in miles and speed limits are in mph.

Its all very bastardized. And I hate celsius. So stupid. It's so chili today! It's 19. It's so warm today! It's 24.; 6/4/15, 2:51 PM
MayBee said...: Remember when Lincoln Chafee was help up as the reasonable republican?; 6/4/15, 2:52 PM
richard mcenroe said...: There are also countries who have buggered up a Mars landing by confusing mph and kph. (Looking at you, England). Made an impressive crater, though.; 6/4/15, 3:01 PM
Fabi said...: Dix for the win!!

I am not Titus.; 6/4/15, 3:09 PM
Quaestor said...: Unknown wrote: A couple of minor points: The metric system may have ben adopted during the French evolution, but it was initiated beforehand, under Louis XVI

Somewhat confused points. The beginning of the French Revolution is hard to pin down (it isn't the fall of the Bastille) but scholars usually mark the convocation of the États Généraux in 1789 as as good as anything else. When on 20 June 1789 the États declared itself the National Assembly with the authority to create a constitution for France the Ancien Régime, for all intents and purposes, ended at that moment. Louis XVI continued as the titular constitutional monarch until the abolition of the monarchy on 4 September 1791. The metric system was a product of the Revolution, but Louis was still a king when the system was adopted.; 6/4/15, 3:12 PM
Bayoneteer said...: The Clinton Foundation is paying these stiffs, mediocrities, & goofs to get into the race because compared to them HRC actually seems a good choice. No proof but my narrative is sound and it could be true. Just sayin'.; 6/4/15, 3:14 PM
Quaestor said...: Metric sucks. I feel pretty damned dwarfish at 1.815 meters.; 6/4/15, 3:18 PM
Quaestor said...: Hillary looks almost sane by comparison.

Almost.; 6/4/15, 3:19 PM
Brando said...: The GOP has several candidates who have no hope of getting the GOP nomination--why aren't they jumping into the Democratic race instead? They'd still get to be on TV (sharing a smaller stage, too) and put out their ads and meet crowds (sure, leftist Democrats won't flock to those meet and greets, but Republicans in their niche audiences still can) and get to say what they want and get famous enough to sell books or whatever they're really in this for. Plus, they'd have a chance to go directly after Hillary instead of wasting ammo on the GOP nominees. Wouldn't that make more sense from the long-shot candidate's point of view?

Unless they seriously think they have a shot at the GOP nomination, in which case if they're that delusional, maybe they should be delusional enough to run for the Democratic nomination.; 6/4/15, 3:20 PM
Lewis Wetzel said...: A) The goal of totalitarians is to impose arbitrary rules on society.
B) Chafee is a totalitarian.

A & B Lead us to the conclusion that, if the US now exclusively used the metric system, Chafee would insist that we convert to to the english system of measure.; 6/4/15, 3:21 PM
Brando said...: As for metric, it makes more sense in a lot of ways but the English system is so ingrained that culturally it's hard to imagine us leaving it--even in Britain it's been a rocky transition and they still to some degree use both. (Imagine describing a football game in yardage converted to meters)

Still, to discuss this as a key part of his announcement speech? We're now in Ron Paul territory. Chafee's in a good position to go after Hillary in one of her biggest weaknesses among Democrats, he should stick to that.; 6/4/15, 3:22 PM
Hagar said...: @mcenroe,
I believe Lockheed-Martin is an American firm.

(The Wikipedia article also states that Lockheed-Martin used "American units," which is the first time I have seen that usage for the "US customary units," or "English system," which really is a simplified English system adopted by the U.S. Congress.); 6/4/15, 3:25 PM
Rick said...: "I don't know why the media have been ignoring this candidate who so clearly..."
"... has his finger on the pulse of the issues facing the American people."

Amusingly the other day some NPR "political contributor" tried to pass off the Democratic "candidates" as a broad field instead of a few headline grabbers taking advantage of the media's need to promote other candidates for Hillary Clinton's benefit.

O'Malley could have been a serious candidate. He took somewhat of a hit when his heir apparent lost to a Republican. But his chances died with the Baltimore riots.

Warren is the only credible alternative, and it seems like she isn't running. Mark Warner probably could be - although moderates don't fair well in the Dem primary. But he's never even spoken of.

But Lincoln Chaffee - you go girl!; 6/4/15, 3:25 PM
Rick said...: or "English system," which really is a simplified English system adopted by the U.S. Congress.

Thank god, we Americans don't need to be droning on about stones as the Brits do.; 6/4/15, 3:27 PM
jameswhy said...: Linc the Dink's tenure as Guv here in RI was noteworthy mainly for his persistent refusal to call the Christmas tree in the state house as anything but "Holiday tree." Since RI is about 85% hardcore Catholics, this did not play well. He was sucking up to his constituency: the combined faculty of Brown, Providence College and URI (I don't know how the faculty at RISD votes...I suspect they don't since that would require spending an hour or so here on planet Earth.); 6/4/15, 3:51 PM
Hagar said...: I probably should have said a system of selected unit measures from the various units in use in the British Isles in the 19th century.
It looks like there also may be slight differences, since the U.S. customary units are defined in metric terms.; 6/4/15, 3:51 PM
Bob Ellison said...: The Imperial measurement system is not as ingrained as, say, the QWERTY keyboard, or standard 6-string guitar tuning.

The benefit of changing/imposing change must outweigh the societal loss from adapting to a new standard.

Nice day! 76 degrees and wind out of the southwest at 5mph!

If you want to design an intelligent species from scratch, and occupy a planet with it, you might start with metric. Then again, you should consider whether that planet's primary atmosphere has lots of oxygen, lots of CO2, or lots of methane first.

Otherwise, if it ain't broke, shut up.; 6/4/15, 4:08 PM
PuertoRicoSpaceport.com said...: CE Johanssen is a name that will be familiar to any machinist. Jo Blocks are still used for extremely precise measurement.

His bio is very interesting. Back in the late 19th century he was part of a committee to develop conversion factors that would allow British, European and US dimensions to be converted one to another.

It took a group of very learned men about 10 years to get it figured out. One problem was measurements have to be expressed at a standard temperature. In the US, IIRC, it was 72 deg F and in Britain 68 deg. This made a British inch slightly shorter(?) than a US inch.

It seems like conversion should be simple but when you need high precision, it gets complicated.

Henry Ford was such a nut on precise measurement he Bought Johanssen's company just to get him to work at Ford. Johannsen wrote a chapter on measurement at Ford in Ford's book Moving Forward.

You can read the chapter here:

http://changeover.com/fordmetrology.html

John Henry; 6/4/15, 4:12 PM
traditionalguy said...: All I learned in Canada was don't drive over 90 k and wear short sleeves when it is over 30 c.; 6/4/15, 4:15 PM
chickelit said...: Quaestor wrote: Louis XVI continued as the titular constitutional monarch until the abolition of the monarchy on 4 September 1791.

Quaestor said "titular."; 6/4/15, 7:09 PM
Babaluigi said...: In the mid-60's, I was taught the metric system in 3'd grade in a school system 10 minutes downrange from Cape Canaveral. We were using the little colored blocks that I see are now called, "manipulatives"...each little differently-shaped and colored one representing a single or multiple value of 10. No one knew it in the next school system where I attended--so, oh well...

Lincoln Chafee is a Swamp Yankee who was nominally a Republican to begin with (such is the Republican party in the Ocean State). He then turned himself into an Independent, and is now running as a Democrat--surprise! surprise! Many of the good folks in RI are also excited about the candidacy of Bernie Sanders, so another New England hat in the ring spices the johnnycakes up a little bit. Rhode Island is in such terrific shape, economically and socially, of course we should appreciate their preferences and contributions in the electoral field!; 6/4/15, 10:14 PM