Scottish independence: Yes campaigners rally in Edinburgh

[Blackleaf]

It's broken... Trust me

How is it? We've used it for centuries and it has NEVER caused any problems as far as I know.

There is no way on this Earth that the metric system of measuring things in mls etc is anyway superior to measuring things in the imperial way of cupfuls, or teaspoons, or tablespoons.

When doing cooking I use the good old Imperial measures, so I don't have to get the measuring jug or the weighing scales out. I add two tablespoons of this, a cupful of that.

Whereas if I use metric, rather than simply telling me to use "a cupful of..." it'd tell me to use "240 mls of...." If you don't know what 240 ml is you'd have to get the emasuring jug out, whereas everyone knows what a cupful is.

The Imperial system is superior in this regard.

Another way the Imperial system is superior is that its units are divided into 4 parts, 8 parts, 12 parts, 16 parts, 24 parts etc.

The metric system is divided into ten parts, 100 parts, 1000 parts etc.

Therefore imperial is superior in this repect because numbers such as 12, 16 or 24 can be divided into a greater number of equal parts than numbers such as 10. 12 - a popular imperial number - can be divided by 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12, whereas 10 - a popular metric number - can only be divided by 1,2,5 and 10.

Wine bottles are packed in cases of 12 bottles each - not 10 bottles each.

Question: the scale you use to weigh yourself; does it give the measure in pounds (like the currency) or stone (like what we use to construct fireplaces?)

In Britain we measure ourselves in stones. I'm fourteen-and-a-half stone, which is quite heavy.

Setting trends in violence related to religious fanaticism, sure, I can buy that

So let's just ignore all the trends that Britain sets in music, television, art and other such things then, eh?

 

[captain morgan]

How is it? We've used it for centuries and it has NEVER caused any problems as far as I know.

Centuries ago, medieval doctors used to drill holes in peoples heads to 'let out the bad humours' to cure all that ails ya.

They moved on, so should the systems

So let's just ignore all the trends that Britain sets in music, television, art and other such things then, eh?

Music, sure, I'll give you that from the 1970s, but art and television?

 

[Blackleaf]

They moved on, so should the systems

Why?

Music, sure, I'll give you that from the 1970s, but art and television?

Have you never heard of Constable, Turner, Gainsborough, Hogarth, Banksy, Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, David Hockney or George Stubbs?

As for television, British produces the best of it in the world. Anyone who's watched much American television will tell you how good British television is in comparison.

Put it this way - there are more British shows which have been remade in America that American shows which have been remade in Britain.

British shows which the Yanks have remade include (although the Americna versions of some have different names) Absolutely Fabulous, Are YoU Being Served, Balls of Steel, Birds of a Feather, Britain's Got Talent, Fawlty Towers, Footballers' Wives, Four Weddings, Gavin and Stacey, Gladiators, Hell's Kitchen, House of Cards, Dragon's Den (the Canadians have copied it, too), I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, Life on Mars, Little Britain, Love Thy Neighbour, MasterChef, Pop Idol, Porridge, Queer As Folk, Red Dwarf, Shameless, Skins, The Sketch Show, Spaced, The Thick of It, Top Gear, Top of the Pops, Trigger Happy TV, The X Factor, The Weakest Link, Undercover Boss, Who Do You Think You Are?, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Wife Swap, and World's Strictest parents.

The Canadians also probably get many of these British shows or have made their own, inferior, versions of them.

Yet the number of American and Canadian shows exported to Britain can be counted on one hand, because those two countries don't produce as many quality shows as Britain.

 

[captain morgan]

Why?

When was the last time that a Dr drilled a few holes in your skull to cure the flu?

Have you never heard of Constable, Turner, Gainsborough, Hogarth, Banksy, Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, David Hockney or George Stubbs?

Never heard of them

As for television, British produces the best of it in the world. Anyone who's watched much American television will tell you this.

Like?

 

[Blackleaf]

When was the last time that a Dr drilled a few holes in your skull to cure the flu?

Why should I suddenly stop saying that I'm 5 ft 9 in tall and instead go round telling everyone that I'm 1 metre 85 centimetres tall?

Never heard of them

Either you're lying or you're not very well-learned.

Like?

Absolutely Fabulous, Are YoU Being Served, Balls of Steel, Birds of a Feather, Britain's Got Talent (became America's Got Talent/Canada's Got Talent when exported to North America), Fawlty Towers, Footballers' Wives, Four Weddings, Gavin and Stacey, Gladiators, Hell's Kitchen, House of Cards (the American remake stars Kevin Spacey), Dragon's Den (the Canadians have copied it, too), I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, Life on Mars, Little Britain, Love Thy Neighbour, MasterChef, Pop Idol (American Idol/Canadian Idol), Porridge, Queer As Folk, Red Dwarf, Shameless, Skins, The Sketch Show, Spaced, The Thick of It, Top Gear, Top of the Pops, Trigger Happy TV, The X Factor, The Weakest Link, Undercover Boss, Who Do You Think You Are?, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Wife Swap, and World's Strictest parents.

All of these shows (many of whose American and canadian remakes have different names) - and many more besides - are BRITISH shows which have been exported to American and, most likely Canada. The Yanks and Canucks even have their own versions of many British shows. The Canadians have their own version of Dragons' Den.

The number of American and Canadian TV shows that the British watch, or have copied, can be counted on the fingers of both hands, though.

 

[Spade]

That's not correct. An Imperial pint is 20 ounces, or 1.2 pounds. An American pint of water (16 ounces avoirdupois) is a pound.

Oh my, I must apologise to Blackleaf. "A pint's a pound the world around" I quoted, must have been an American rhyme taught to little churls in school to help them remember that relationship in American customary units. There is no way Blackleaf would then have heard that rhyme when being taught the superior Imperial System.
You must also forgive me, however. As a Canadian I use the God-given SI units. After all, I have ten fingers, not twelve or sixteen.

 

[captain morgan]

Oh my, I must apologise to Blackleaf. "A pint's a pound the world around" I quoted, must have been an American rhyme taught to little churls in school to help them remember that relationship in American customary units. There is no way Blackleaf would then have heard that rhyme when being taught the superior Imperial System.

Don't feel too bad about this; you were a little confused... What you need is a good bleeding and a hole drilled in your head to let out the 'confusion humours'

You must also forgive me, however. As a Canadian I use the God-given SI units. After all, I have ten fingers, not twelve or sixteen.

We can fix the finger problem too... Cut one off each had so you have an easy multiple of 12 on each.

 

[hunboldt]

Oh my, I must apologise to Blackleaf. "A pint's a pound the world around" I quoted, must have been an American rhyme taught to little churls in school to help them remember that relationship in American customary units. There is no way Blackleaf would then have heard that rhyme when being taught the superior Imperial System.
You must also forgive me, however. As a Canadian I use the God-given SI units. After all, I have ten fingers, not twelve or sixteen.

Actually, You have eight fingers, and two opposing thumbs.

Correction - that is something only you would know for sure!.I am 'surmising'.

SI is a progression into a digital age. IU was a product of a/split the circle age'.

 

[captain morgan]

Actually, You have eight fingers, and two opposing thumbs.

Correction - that is something only you would know for sure!.I am 'surmising'.

SI is a progression into a digital age. IU was a product of a/split the circle age'.

Thanks Poindexter.... I'll see to it that you get a special pocket protector for your Xmas bonus this year

 

[tay]

62% of Scottish people now feel "only Scottish", with only 18% feeling "Scottish and British"



Data released from the 2011 census showed 62% described themselves as "Scottish only", while 18% said they were "Scottish and British".

The results also showed Scotland was becoming more ethnically diverse.

In 2011, 4% of Scotland's population was from ethnic minority groups, up from 2% in 2001.

The 2011 census was the first to include a question on national identity.

Voters living in Scotland will take part in a referendum on independence on 18 September 2014. It will ask the single yes/no question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?".

In total, 83% of the country's population felt some Scottish identity, according to the census.

In Wales in 2011, the census recorded 66% of the population as considering themselves either Welsh only or in combination with another identity.

In England the equivalent figure was 70% and in Northern Ireland 29% thought themselves as being Northern Irish.

In Scotland, 2% said they felt English only, and another 2% felt they had some other combination of UK identities excluding Scottish.

The census showed the proportion of the Scottish population born in Scotland was 83%, with 9% born in England, 0.7% in Northern Ireland and 0.3% in Wales.
Ethnic minorities
Of those not born in the UK, 15% were born in Poland, 6% in India and a further 6% in the Republic of Ireland.

The figures indicated that most Scots from ethnic minorities were Asian, making up 3% of the Scottish population.

People from ethnic minorities made up 12% of the population in Glasgow, 8% of the population in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and 6% of the population in Dundee.

The ethnic group "white Polish" was recorded by 1.2% of the population.

A total of 54% of the population stated their religion as Christian. That was a fall of 11% from 2001.

There was an increase of 9% in those saying they had no religion - a total of 37%.

Within the Christian denominations, 32% said they belonged to the Church of Scotland - a decline of 10%.


more

BBC News - Census suggests most Scots 'feel only Scottish'

 

[Blackleaf]

There is no way Blackleaf would then have heard that rhyme when being taught the superior Imperial System.

I wasn't taught in Imperial. I was taught in metric. But, like all people who were taught metric in school, once they leave school they enter a world where metric is barely used. We live in a world where we measure our height in feet and inches; where our roadsigns are in miles rather than kilometres; where me measure fruit and veg by the pound; where we measure our weight in stones; where we buy beer by the pint and gallon rather than by the litre. So we forgot all the metric we were taught and use the imperial instead.

Why we were taught in metric when everyday life in Britain is in imperial is something I haven't quite been able to figure out.

In other words, we discovered that it was completely and utterly pointless being taught in the silly metric system when it isn't used in evryday life.

As a Canadian I use the God-given SI units.

Well, the fact that Canada was silly enough to adopt an inferior system of measurement is YOUR problem, not mine. At the end of the day it is the British, not the Canadians, who use the best system of weights and measures. So you shouldn't be gloating.

After all, I have ten fingers, not twelve or sixteen.

You don't have 100 or 1000 fingers though, do you, never mind 12 or 16?

As as I've pointed out - but which, for your own convenience, you have ignored - is that fact that a system of measures using units of 12s and 16s is better than a system of measures using 10s, 100s, and 1000s, due to the obvious fact that 12 and 16 can be divided into an greater number of equal parts.

That's why wine bottles are always packed into boxes of imperial 12 rather than boxes of metric 10.

62% of Scottish people now feel "only Scottish", with only 18% feeling "Scottish and British"



Data released from the 2011 census showed 62% described themselves as "Scottish only", while 18% said they were "Scottish and British".

The results also showed Scotland was becoming more ethnically diverse.

In 2011, 4% of Scotland's population was from ethnic minority groups, up from 2% in 2001.

The 2011 census was the first to include a question on national identity.

Voters living in Scotland will take part in a referendum on independence on 18 September 2014. It will ask the single yes/no question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?".

In total, 83% of the country's population felt some Scottish identity, according to the census.

In Wales in 2011, the census recorded 66% of the population as considering themselves either Welsh only or in combination with another identity.

In England the equivalent figure was 70% and in Northern Ireland 29% thought themselves as being Northern Irish.

In Scotland, 2% said they felt English only, and another 2% felt they had some other combination of UK identities excluding Scottish.

The census showed the proportion of the Scottish population born in Scotland was 83%, with 9% born in England, 0.7% in Northern Ireland and 0.3% in Wales.
Ethnic minorities
Of those not born in the UK, 15% were born in Poland, 6% in India and a further 6% in the Republic of Ireland.

The figures indicated that most Scots from ethnic minorities were Asian, making up 3% of the Scottish population.

People from ethnic minorities made up 12% of the population in Glasgow, 8% of the population in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and 6% of the population in Dundee.

The ethnic group "white Polish" was recorded by 1.2% of the population.

A total of 54% of the population stated their religion as Christian. That was a fall of 11% from 2001.

There was an increase of 9% in those saying they had no religion - a total of 37%.

Within the Christian denominations, 32% said they belonged to the Church of Scotland - a decline of 10%.


more

BBC News - Census suggests most Scots 'feel only Scottish'

That's interesting.

62% of the Scots feel themselves to be more Scottish than British.

66% of the Welsh consider themselves to be more Welsh than British.

70% of the English feel themselves to be more English than British.

Only 29% of the Northern Irish consider themselves to be Northern Irish - so I'm assuming the majority of the Northern Irish consider themselves to be British.

So you can only deduce that the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish are all more pro-British than the English are - but still hardly anyone in Britain considers themselves to be British.

The strange thing is, though, is that despite the fact that 62% of the Scots feel more Scottish than British, this does NOT reflect in the polls on independence. The polls still show, as they have done consistently for years, is that most Scots do not want independence.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Oh my, I must apologise to Blackleaf. "A pint's a pound the world around" I quoted, must have been an American rhyme taught to little churls in school to help them remember that relationship in American customary units. There is no way Blackleaf would then have heard that rhyme when being taught the superior Imperial System.
You must also forgive me, however. As a Canadian I use the God-given SI units. After all, I have ten fingers, not twelve or sixteen.

I regret that your level of arithmetical expertise is such that you must have regular resort to counting on your fingers.

And the SI units were given by Napoleon Bonaparte. If he is your god, I must beg to be excused from your holy services.

 

[hunboldt]

I regret that your level of arithmetical expertise is such that you must have regular resort to counting on your fingers.

And the SI units were given by Napoleon Bonaparte. If he is your god, I must beg to be excused from your holy services.

You are now suspended from Armchair General Forums. Your on line heresy trial is next week,

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

You are now suspended from Armchair General Forums. Your on line heresy trial is next week,

Oh, damn. Can anyone recommend a good lawyer?

 

[Spade]

As as I've pointed out - but which, for your own convenience, you have ignored - is that fact that a system of measures using units of 12s and 16s is better than a system of measures using 10s, 100s, and 1000s, due to the obvious fact that 12 and 16 can be divided into an greater number of equal parts.

Look!
Citing factors of 12 and 16 as a reason for retaining imperial weights and measures is tacit admission of the superiority of the sexigesimal system - base 60. Look at your watch. The 60 minutes you see are divisible by 1,2,3,4,5,6,10,12,15,20,30, and 60. Perhaps you are a closet sexigesimalist. That system arose in Sumeria and came to us through the Babylonians (aka Iraqis). Your government was at war with Iraq. Your arguments are treasonous. May I remind you of the penalties for treason?

And as suggestions from my American friends that ten fingers is Napoleon's contribution to human evolution is absurd at best!

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Look!
Citing factors of 12 and 16 as a reason for retaining imperial weights and measures is tacit admission of the superiority of the sexigesimal system - base 60. Look at your watch. The 60 minutes you see are divisible by 1,2,3,4,5,6,10,12,15,20,30, and 60. Perhaps you are a closet sexigesimalist. That system arose in Sumeria and came to us through the Babylonians (aka Iraqis). Your government was at war with Iraq. Your arguments are treasonous. May I remind you of the penalties for treason?

The odd part is that a few posts up Blackloaf is giving us percentages, whilst at the same time decrying multiples of 10 as a useful measure. What a fool.

And as suggestions from my American friends that ten fingers is Napoleon's contribution to human evolution is absurd at best!

Sez you. It was the Babylonians who divided the circle into 360 degrees, and the Germans who put 180 degrees between freezing and boiling on the Fahrenheit thermometer in the 18th century.

Substantial evidence that in pre-Napoleonic times humans had 12 fingers. The reduction in number of fingers to 10, and the subsequent invention and rise of the decimal system, is one of humanity's two great achievements. The other being Tim Hortons.

 

[Spade]

.Substantial evidence that in pre-Napoleonic times humans had 12 fingers. The reduction in number of fingers to 10, and the subsequent invention and rise of the decimal system, is one of humanity's two great achievements. The other being Tim Hortons.

You may be right that ten fingers is French. If I've heard it once, I've heard it ten times, from below-the-49ers about giving a hand or two, "Lafayette! We are here!"
PS
Even a dozen timbits is two hands plus two fingers!

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

You may be right that ten fingers is French. If I've heard it once, I've heard it ten times, from below-the-49ers about giving a hand or two, "Lafayette! We are here!"
PS
Even a dozen timbits is two hands plus two fingers!

Ha, sir! Do you think me an ignorant Yank? I am well aware that Timbits come in boxes of 10, 20, or 30. Admirably decimal, and the fights that break out when they can't be divided evenly among the sharers are quite amusing.

 

[Spade]

Why, no!