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Metric Time


Vixters other half

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Currently holidaying in Brittany and came across a small article in the le Ploermelais, which made interesting reading. I have precised it and translated it as best I can.

 

The EU is currently considering proposals to standardise the way in which we measure time. Instead of seconds minutes and hours, they are proposing they be renamed and decimalised to millidays centidays decidays and days. Weeks months and years will become hecto days cento days and Kilodays.

 

On this basis a milli day will be the equivalent of 86.4 seconds and a kiloday will be the equivalent of 2.739 years.

 

The rationale behind this change is uniformity across the metric system and to support a move to greater bureaucracy with civil servants re issuing passports birth certificates etc, along with a whole army of trades men recalibrating clock faces in all public buildings.

 

The plus side for we the payers of this excercise, is that Christmas will happen at intervals 2.739 times greater than current and therefore giving us the opportunity to fully recover finacially from the last one.

 

Retirement age for men will plummet to 23.73 kilodays while for women it is 21.9 kilodays thus bringing some tradition back to the 21st birthday celebrations.

 

The age of consent along with getting a car license is 6.57 kilodays though you will have to be retested after a further 18.98 kilodays.

 

The other advantage for the farming community is that they will have more season in a kiloday than in a current year thus improving their prospects

 

All good stuff eh? What are the benifits to you?

 

VoH

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I also understand that having just 10 months in the year is under discussion. The idea being that if we are not allowed to use Lbs & Oz's any more and have to use the metric system, how daft is it that the EU still works within a 12 month cycle?

 

I suppose it has some merit.

 

Which months would we get rid of tho'???

 

Any one but April would suit me.

 

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In 1972 when we went decimal it was proposed that the time should go metric 100 secs per min 100 mins per hour 10 hours per day 10 days per week 100 weeks per year.

I was also proposed when we joined the EEC that driving would change to the continental pattern of driving on the right.

There was a pilot scheme proposed to start in Ireland 1st April all HGVs would drive on the right and then 1st May alll other vehicles would follow suite ,but the idea was quashed because of the cost of road signage.

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CliveH - 2007-04-01 10:44 AM

 

 

 

Which months would we get rid of tho'???

 

Any one but April would suit me.

I,m all for reducing a year down to ten months Clive and may I suggest getting rid of Jan/Feb as the the weather does,nt really suit me and makes our long winters seem to go on forever.

Fitted a new bathroom before Christmas, and for the first time decided to work it all out using metric measurements. (35 years is not that long and you do need time to adjust). Nothing begrudged here as to my supprise I found it just as easy and more accurate than the old imperial system. Should have given it a try years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

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howie - 2007-04-01 12:06 PM

 

35 years is not that long and you do need time to adjust

Hardly any time at all when you consider that the 1971 change to decimal coinage started in 1849 :-D

 

Graham

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Guest starspirit

I think that January and February should be abolished because they are the coldest months although I could also justify abolishing March due it being budget month and December due to it being the dreaded 'C' month (Commercialised).

 

We really must keep April or we would lose the most suitable day to start the new calendar next year.

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Guest starspirit
One of those facts is incorrect Mike and as someone who has seen the Loch Ness Crocodile there's no prize for guessing which one tis.
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howie - 2007-04-01 12:56 PM

 

Decimal coinage is another thing I,ve come round to Graham. 12 pence to a shilling, one and thruppence change from a half crown, 240 pence to a pound and all without a calculator. No thanks.

Bet most people don't realise that we only got decimalisation because calculators don't have 11 and 12 keys though :-D

 

Graham

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Guest starspirit
Are metric clocks powered by metro gnomes and are metro gnomes the little people who live on the Paris underground?
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starspirit - 2007-04-01 3:31 PM

 

One of those facts is incorrect Mike and as someone who has seen the Loch Ness Crocodile there's no prize for guessing which one tis.

 

That is the point Richard, the joke is on the rest of us who not only have to pay for prescriptions but get a 20p increase OR is it on the Welsh who will have to fund their NHS services with free prescriptions on the same NHS budget?

 

Regards,

 

Mike

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Guest starspirit

You never get owt for nowt Mike - not in this country anyway -and we will all be paying for worse NHS services because the money can only be spent once and no doubt the Cardiff Old Pals Club will ensure that they need more Civil (wherever did they get that name) Servants to manage free prescriptions than they ever did when some of us paid.

I'm over 60 so have had freebies for a year or two now and am mighty relieved to say that I don't need very much from the NHS so I don't save a lot anyway.

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GJH - 2007-04-01 3:46 PM

 

howie - 2007-04-01 12:56 PM

 

Decimal coinage is another thing I,ve come round to Graham. 12 pence to a shilling, one and thruppence change from a half crown, 240 pence to a pound and all without a calculator. No thanks.

Bet most people don't realise that we only got decimalisation because calculators don't have 11 and 12 keys though :-D

 

Graham

 

'Plus-adders' used to have 11p and 12p keys though!!

 

B-)

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twas a sort of calculator, the posher ones produced a paper tape readout, the cheaper ones just gave you a total. chunky unwieldy not easy to use, but they only 'plussed' or 'added' figures - couldn't do take aways. I used to do the really clever stuff - long division sums with only pen and paper.

 

I also worked for the coop during school holidays working out the 'divi' to be paid out - 6d in the pound, or 1/40th, all done using pencil and paper.

 

B-)

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Guest starspirit

 

 

B-)

Eh? What's a Plus-adder when it's at home? I'm obviously too young a lad to remember them :-D

 

Graham

 

I believe that it was called a comptometer Graham and the folks who operated them were very quick and nimble fingered.

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twooks - 2007-04-01 8:28 PM

 

twas a sort of calculator, the posher ones produced a paper tape readout, the cheaper ones just gave you a total. chunky unwieldy not easy to use, but they only 'plussed' or 'added' figures - couldn't do take aways. I used to do the really clever stuff - long division sums with only pen and paper.

 

I also worked for the coop during school holidays working out the 'divi' to be paid out - 6d in the pound, or 1/40th, all done using pencil and paper.

 

B-)

 

starspirit - 2007-04-01 9:39 PM

 

 

I believe that it was called a comptometer Graham and the folks who operated them were very quick and nimble fingered.

 

Ah, that explains it then. I learned long division but it was mainframe computers before I was let loose on machines :-D

 

Tell you what though Twooks, you must have started pretty early if you were still young enough to get into t' Top Deck when it were open :-D

 

Graham

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Mike Chapman - 2007-04-01 2:42 PM

 

Hello Richard,

 

I wonder how many of the respondees to this thread also went to Loch Ness to see the Crocodile or believed that Wales was getting free prescription charges?

 

Regards,

 

Mike.

 

Hang on a minute, I saw the Wales/NHS story on the EVENING news - you're not allowed to do April Fools after 12noon - or is that another bit of insidious legislation that's been slipped in on a Friday, disguised as the ""Early April Lack of Wisdom (timing) (amendment) Order" ?

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Tony Jones - 2007-04-02 9:49 AM

 

 

 

Hang on a minute, I saw the Wales/NHS story on the EVENING news - you're not allowed to do April Fools after 12noon - or is that another bit of insidious legislation that's been slipped in on a Friday, disguised as the ""Early April Lack of Wisdom (timing) (amendment) Order" ?

Its all true Tony, and something else I believe is right also is free bus travel everywhere in the Principality for the over 60,s. What a brilliant idea, and lets hope this covers the rest of the U.K. in due course.
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Hi,

 

Free prescriptions will cost the Welsh NHS £30,000,000 a year. Average that out amongst the 4,000,000 residents and you get......whatever, it doesn't mean anything, because 85% of prescriptions were free anyway. No, let me rephrase that....85% of the UK population do/did not pay for their prescriptions. My wife had to pay a double prescription charge for her HRT. And water tablets are cheaper over the counter in France than the cost of a prescription in UK.

 

Can somebody re-assure me that there will not be a £15 surcharge (Sunday Mail) on speeding fines, to pay for domestic abuse. If I get zapped, my wife will get a spanking......that way I get value for money. 8-)

 

602

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Guest starspirit
W3526602 - 2007-04-02 5:57 PM

 

Hi,

 

Free prescriptions will cost the Welsh NHS £30,000,000 a year. Average that out amongst the 4,000,000 residents and you get......whatever, it doesn't mean anything, because 85% of prescriptions were free anyway. No, let me rephrase that....85% of the UK population do/did not pay for their prescriptions. My wife had to pay a double prescription charge for her HRT. And water tablets are cheaper over the counter in France than the cost of a prescription in UK.

 

Can somebody re-assure me that there will not be a £15 surcharge (Sunday Mail) on speeding fines, to pay for domestic abuse. If I get zapped, my wife will get a spanking......that way I get value for money. 8-)

 

602

 

 

So you reckon that the net cost will ONLY be about £4,500,000 then John eh?

Add to that the number of people who will want a prescription because it is free from the GP whereas they would have to pay over the counter and that figure might just increase slightly?

If Grasping Gordon suddenly gave the Cardiff Old Pals Club an extra £4,500,000 it would make headline news as a bonanza bonus that would make a huge difference to services - if it didn't all go on new managers and pay rises - so by the same token taking £4,500,000 out of the system must be the reverse?

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