Illegal feet?

[mrsmelly]

So how is it identifying as European makes you a sheep but identifying as British still allows you to have your own identity?

 

Hi Ike

 

Not your fault but you are far two young to understand, unluckily you were born years after we had already been sold down the river.

[Hairy-Neil]

Does Dyslexia stop you using a spell checker?

 

It can do. No spell checker can read your mind. They do not perform well when more than two letters are wrong, or you have the right letters but in the wrong order. At the end of the day you still have to know which of the word/words, if any, the checker suggests is the correct one.

 

Most/all? spell checkers use American software so also include the american spellings.

[Derek R.]

Well at school I was taught metric, but I'm with you all the way!!

 

I'm sure it will happen!!! http://www.ahajokes.com/eng011.html

 

Aaah! No wonder I am having trouble understanding - steam boat on the Rhine - Deutschland uber alles. That rings a bell.

 

To quote my own first paragraph:-

 

"It could possibly be said that some people were dragged kicking and screaming into each new century as it arrived, or with each passing of yet another piece of legislation written. The following touches on politics, and as such may taste bitter to many, but with an ever increasing sense of being 'had' by the EU politically and legally on a wide range of matters, the British ( a collection of many nationalities as long as mankind had tramped the land bridge from the rest of Eurasia or learned to float in a boat ) are well on their way to becoming bar-coded and microchipped units as the EU harmonising culture machine steps up another notch."

 

Paranoid? Obsessed? No, just aware.

 

I do not know why Daniel (entry to University I thought required some basic language skills. Clearly I am mistaken) has taken a confrontational line to an issue of length. That particular issue was one of BW converting an Imperial measurement into metric - inaccurately, perhaps a result of university education.

 

Whether we are part of Europe may be considered in part a geographical situation, and in part a political one. If taken as geographical, we are indeed an Island race and separate from mainland Europe, but as stated in my quote above, we are as a people a wide mixture from many places. But that was long ago. Those who now consider themselves to be part of the indigenous population have - or should I say had - become proud to stand up for ways that developed in a different vein to those across the water on mainland Europe. A great many of those emigrants who made up the British did so because they were escaping regimes that persecuted them. Two World Wars were fought defending against invasion, and for the rights of other European countries already invaded. The third has been won through politics - but a great many have seen it as a necessary step to an integrated Europe - politically - the very thing those horrendous two World Wars were struggling against. Those desiring power have put down the gun, and now use the pen - under a 'marketing' strategy.

 

I have never had any problems working with metric measurements, they were on my school ruler in the fifties. We measured the capacity of an internal combustion engine always in cubic centimetres, and litres. I do not have a problem with using metric. What I do have a problem with is the insistence that Imperial measurements should be banned. Why? Don't you have a calculator that is capable of almost instantaneously making the conversion available? Do not computers make currency exchanges equally instantaneous? No, the push for Britain to be 'homogenised' for the betterment of all, is a call from a party that requires all to be dominated by that one party - strength in unity - another dictatorial expression. The very fact that world currencies fluctuate in value against one another provides at times opportunities to market advantageously - both in goods and in currencies. Combining in one European currency reduces those opportunities.

 

If people do not like the existence of Imperial measures - then use metric. But why deny its right to exist alongside metric? Metric was never denied existence alongside Imperial.

 

Why is it that so many get so strung up about getting rid of the inch, foot Yard, mile and all the rest? What's their problem? Like Daniel suggests - Get over it - unless you have an ulterior motive, in which case you never will.

 

Derek

[carlt]

Err thats a hard one as far as I can see none ! we appear to be an Island race. If u go to Dover on a clear day and look hard u can see the land mass known as Europe though.

Even if we were joined to that particular land mass it doesnt mean to say we have to be clockwork Europeans I have my own identity I do not live in a field going baaa baaaa all day and as i state I am BRITISH we as an Island have never been asked to vote as to wether we want to become Europeans.

I am Baaaaahritish! Fly the flag, man the barricades, queue up to get sheared by the Euroseptic shepherd.

 

The same accusation can be levelled at all people who identify with one particular thing.

 

Personally I think the willingness to embrace other cultures and work towards a greater good for all is far less "sheeplike" than blindly shutting up shop and staying in your own little flock.

[Speedwheel]

has taken a confrontational line to an issue of length.

 

(sniggers)

 

I got an email telling me that I could increase my girth by 12.7mm in just 4 weeks. (Doesn't sound quite the same does it!)

 

Naturally I emailed them back and said that an extra 12.7mm might mean I would get stuck in locks and therefore their product was fatally flawed.

[grahoom]

Hi Ike

 

Not your fault but you are far two young to understand, unluckily you were born years after we had already been sold down the river.

 

Does patronising have to be a criteria also? For someone who claims to be British I'd have thought you'd have paid more attention to your grammar.

Edited April 24, 2009 by grahoom

[alan_fincher]

(sniggers)

 

I got an email telling me that I could increase my girth by 12.7mm in just 4 weeks. (Doesn't sound quite the same does it!)

 

Naturally I emailed them back and said that an extra 12.7mm might mean I would get stuck in locks and therefore their product was fatally flawed.

Try taking the key out of the lock first ?

[Tiny]

Does Europe have the equivalent of the NSA yet. If so and they are monitoring I love metric. If not...

[Machpoint005]

Try taking the key out of the lock first ?

;)

:lol:

 

Good 'un! I always liked layered humour!

 

Back to topic: had we gone entirely metric in 1971, instead of just rationalising the currency, we would all have got over it by now.

 

I'm always struck by how stupid it is that we buy road fuel in litres, then express our fuel consumption in miles per gallon. What's more, the lower the consumption, the higher the figure!

[DHutch]

I do not know why Daniel has taken a confrontational line to an issue of length. That particular issue was one of BW converting an Imperial measurement into metric - inaccurately, perhaps a result of university education.

To be honest, i didnt really know i had!

- You raised an issue you felt you had, which i read, and them commented apon in return airing my own thoughts.

- Its true my comments didnt fully agree with yours, but at no point was intending to get into confrontation with you.

 

As for my education. Im really not quite sure where the comes into it?

 

And to return to the topic ever so slightly, im happy to be able to confirm that having opened our own renewal notice today emilyanne as is registed as being 17.68m which to 4sf is the nearest metric equivilent to the nominal 58ft she is in imperial units.

 

 

Daniel

[Natalie Graham]

I have a problem with the motor bike I am currently restoring because no-one now makes the 3.5inch x 15 inch tyres to replace the originals of that size made by Pirelli in Italy which were fitted to it's 15 inch rims when it was built by MV Agusta in Italy in 1953. To get round this problem I have to buy some new 2.5 inch x16 inch rims from the factory in Italy which is the only place that makes them.

 

Reading the thread title I keep thinking I should take my shoes and socks off to check if mine are likely to be compliant.

[RLWP]

I have a problem with the motor bike I am currently restoring because no-one now makes the 3.5inch x 15 inch tyres to replace the originals of that size made by Pirelli in Italy which were fitted to it's 15 inch rims when it was built by MV Agusta in Italy in 1953. To get round this problem I have to buy some new 2.5 inch x16 inch rims from the factory in Italy which is the only place that makes them.

 

Reading the thread title I keep thinking I should take my shoes and socks off to check if mine are likely to be compliant.

 

If your socks are not compliant perhaps you should change them more often.

 

Richard

 

Or use fabric conditioner, or beat them with your mooring pin hammer...

[Derek R.]

I have a problem with the motor bike I am currently restoring because no-one now makes the 3.5inch x 15 inch tyres to replace the originals of that size made by Pirelli in Italy which were fitted to it's 15 inch rims when it was built by MV Agusta in Italy in 1953. To get round this problem I have to buy some new 2.5 inch x16 inch rims from the factory in Italy which is the only place that makes them.

 

Reading the thread title I keep thinking I should take my shoes and socks off to check if mine are likely to be compliant.

 

The Italian Inch! Probably running on Dunlop rims. My 250cc (metric) Ducati also runs on 18 inch rims. Seems like the Italians had no trouble with Imperial measurements then!

 

Derek

[Tiny]

The Italian Inch! Probably running on Dunlop rims. My 250cc (metric) Ducati also runs on 18 inch rims. Seems like the Italians had no trouble with Imperial measurements then!

 

Derek

 

Surely it was the Italians as in the romans who settled on the foot and the mile to start with. Then after thousands of years of one system the revolting French invented the metre - carefully tailored to make conversion difficult from feet to metres. Obviously over the years the foot has got bigger as mine are 13 inches!

[carlt]

Surely it was the Italians as in the romans who settled on the foot and the mile to start with. Then after thousands of years of one system the revolting French invented the metre - carefully tailored to make conversion difficult from feet to metres. Obviously over the years the foot has got bigger as mine are 13 inches!

Personally I think decimalisation came when improvements in transport meant people travelled more, reducing in-breeding and making 10 digits the norm.

Edited April 24, 2009 by carlt

[Machpoint005]

Personally I think decimalisation came when improvements in transport meant people travelled more, reducing in-breeding and making 10 digits the norm.

Can't speak for you, Carl, but despite my webbed feet I have 20 digits!

[carlt]

Can't speak for you, Carl, but despite my webbed feet I have 20 digits!

And I edited it from "fingers" because I knew that some smart Alec would say "I think you'll find it's 8 fingers and 2 thumbs."

[Derek R.]

Surely it was the Italians as in the romans who settled on the foot and the mile to start with. Then after thousands of years of one system the revolting French invented the metre - carefully tailored to make conversion difficult from feet to metres. Obviously over the years the foot has got bigger as mine are 13 inches!

 

Yep! They gave us the Libre Soldat and Dinarii too. £.s.d. "Three penn'oth of chips please . ." That was a handful too.

Blame Napoleon's short legs for the metre. Another interfering git.

[mrsmelly]

Does patronising have to be a criteria also? For someone who claims to be British I'd have thought you'd have paid more attention to your grammar.

 

Hi Grahoom

 

My little lads your age Again at your age you know nothing but metric and Europe so just sit back and observe..........Oh and as for grammme, Gramma, graimaa or whatever, you will later realise on a scale of one to ten of importance in todays world it does not even make it to first base

[Derek R.]

Hi Grahoom

 

My little lads your age Again at your age you know nothing but metric and Europe so just sit back and observe..........Oh and as for grammme, Gramma, graimaa or whatever, you will later realise on a scale of one to ten of importance in todays world it does not even make it to first base

 

Uuh? Yo - know wot I mean - right? Laters. txt spd spk mtts mor. N tm 4 mor

 

Take the centres of words out, and the vast majority of people will still be able to 'read' the whole word if the beginning, ending, or a vital consonant is present. But that does require familiarity with the whole word as originally spoken or spelt, hence the need for a comprehensive understanding of the English language from the start. Imagine any one of us trying to understand a foreign language written so, or in text speak - barely possible, because we would not know the construction of the original word let alone its meaning.

 

Grammatical mistakes can be made by anyone, and most people do make them. It is a sad fact of life that current educational standards in some ways have fallen to the point where many school leavers struggle to either spell correctly, or construct sentences correctly - the evidence of this can be seen even in official documentation - from local government departments through to the top, and 'Waterways' are not unknown for it.

 

As children I'm sure most of us have attempted to construct their own 'language', often by taking the last part of a word and placing it at the front, and adding an extra vowel at the end - or even speaking the words backwards (much harder). It's all part of growing up and wanting to stand out from the crowd. The need to 'be different' - to be recognised from all those who went before, and ironically as such, they are all the same. Ultimately, a standard is needed for language simply so that we can communicate accurately and concisely when needed. Bad grammar leads to misunderstandings, and bad spelling leads to distraction and confusion. It is indeed a sign of the present times that these basic items are taken as being just too inconvenient to be bothered with.

 

In the end it is down to each and every one of us as individuals, to set standards that might be copied through respect. How many books would you want to pursue in reading, if one word in ten was mis-spelt, or the grammar led you to believe one thing when the author meant another? If it were a technical manual, everything might rest upon the accuracy of the written word to complete a vital task. Legal documents on the other hand, and Bills before parliament go too far the other way - and the lay-man cannot understand even one sentence as it is referenced to previous paragraphs, sub-paragraphs, and clauses - and often cross referenced with other Acts - a nightmare!

 

One of the fatal flaws amongst the older generation, is to belittle younger people with the "When I were a lad" etc. We can all do it - young people of today will do it in years to come - it's guaranteed to cause rejection or defensive replies, as it is seen as an attack and disrespectful to an age group that seeks more than anything else to make their mark and gain respected. Respect is gained through empathy, understanding, and encouragement.

 

Kick the dog, and it will fear you, and maybe bite back. Talk to it quietly at its level, begin to understand 'its' language, and it will see you as a guide and leader. Pander to it, and patronise it, and 'it' will dominate you.

 

Derek

[FadeToScarlet]

It can do. No spell checker can read your mind. They do not perform well when more than two letters are wrong, or you have the right letters but in the wrong order. At the end of the day you still have to know which of the word/words, if any, the checker suggests is the correct one.

 

Most/all? spell checkers use American software so also include the american spellings.

 

Eye halve a spelling chequer

It came with my pea sea

It plainly marques four my revue

Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

 

Eye strike a quay and type a word

And weight four it two say

Weather eye am wrong oar write

It shows me strait a weigh.

 

As soon as a mist ache is maid

It nose bee fore two long

And eye can put the error rite

It's rare lea ever wrong.

 

Eye have run this poem threw it

I am shore your pleased two no

It's letter perfect awl the weigh

My chequer tolled me sew.

 

 

 

Err thats a hard one as far as I can see none !

 

So we're in-continent, then?

 

Not your fault but you are far two young to understand, unluckily you were born years after we had already been sold down the river.

 

That still doesn't answer the question. Why are those who identify with Europe mere mindless sheep, whereas those who rally to Britannia's (or, perhaps, St. George's... you know, the Turkish fellow?) call far less so?

[NBMike]

Eye halve a spelling chequer

It came with my pea sea

It plainly marques four my revue

Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

 

Eye strike a quay and type a word

And weight four it two say

Weather eye am wrong oar write

It shows me strait a weigh.

 

As soon as a mist ache is maid

It nose bee fore two long

And eye can put the error rite

It's rare lea ever wrong.

 

Eye have run this poem threw it

I am shore your pleased two no

It's letter perfect awl the weigh

My chequer tolled me sew.

 

 

Brilliant:-)

[carlt]

That still doesn't answer the question. Why are those who identify with Europe mere mindless sheep, whereas those who rally to Britannia's (or, perhaps, St. George's... you know, the Turkish fellow?) call far less so?

Not St. George Dubya, then?

[FadeToScarlet]

Not St. George Dubya, then?

 

He thought he was last week, but apparently today he thinks he's a pair of curtains. Next week, who knows...

[Derek R.]

So how is it identifying as European makes you a sheep but identifying as British still allows you to have your own identity?

 

I wouldn't say Europeans are like Sheep, each have their own National identity which in itself might only be a form of pride in their Country and its customs. It's when history is swept away like so much rags and tatters that those whose memories are longer, and who perhaps long for fewer changes to create some form of stability in life, that the ever consuming homogenisation of Europeans into 'one' form of society/leadership/government/language or even measurements - that many feel that it's gone too far. De-stabilising a national identity is a major step taken by all dictators, it breaks the will of the people. Gallons to litres, inches to millimetres, British to 'European'.

 

As for St. George - Google, and you will find him a Roman Tribune who was beheaded in 303 for sticking up for some Christians who were being given a hard time by the Romans. He may never have set foot in England, but his deeds were recognised by a great many countries as worthwhile examples to follow, and so he unwittingly became a patron Saint of around a score of different countries in which he probably also never set foot. It's an idealism that is followed, regardless of who he was. The dragon slaying is myth. Though there's plenty to slay in Brussells and Whitehall before we all fade away completely.

 

Fly the flag? I know which one I'd burn.

 

Derek