Re: Ghastly Mess (was A Ransome Moment)


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Posted by John Nichols on September 16, 2004 at 19:13:46 from 165.91.196.143 user Mcneacail.

In Reply to: Re: Ghastly Mess (was A Ransome Moment) posted by RichardG on September 16, 2004 at 18:01:35:

I don't know if you realize that the foot is now a metric unit - it has been for about 100 years. The fact that it is exactly 304.8 mm. We can thank the US congress for this element of wisdom - again from one of the endless fights between the US and the French, this time over trade.

The French metre is very close to the old French yard as far as I remember and I do not have the time to go get the book on this out of the library.

Where I live in Texas there have been four different feet used in the last 400 years, the Spanish foot, the 36 barley corns to the foot { a standard measurement used up until recently to establish a foot), the USGS foot and the 304.8 mm to the foot. The four feet are not the same.

This is why Congress stepped in and said enough is enough, but
your English foot ceased to exist as soon as Congress created the new foot, which is fractionally longer.

There is no bar anywhere in the world that says this is a foot, there is a metre (defined by light) and then there is 304.8 mm which is a new foot.

Finally a question: does anyone on this board think we should do all we can to protect young lives? I would appreciate a round of answers - be aware this is a loaded question.

JMN


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