Re: Miles from Hwy 120 Entrance

I'm curious how many people actually need the KM part of the sign

Vince wrote:

> I'm curious how many people actually need the KM part of the
> sign

Haven't you noticed the number of Germans in the park during the summer?

eeek wrote:

> Vince wrote:
>
> > I'm curious how many people actually need the KM part of the
> > sign
>
> Haven't you noticed the number of Germans in the park during
> the summer?

I thought that many Germans were keen on hiking in Death Valley during the summer. Or so I've heard. I was never away from an air conditioned building or vehicle for more than three minutes.

y_p_w wrote:

> I thought that many Germans were keen on hiking in Death Valley
> during the summer. Or so I've heard.

Yeah, that too.

Vince: I'm curious how many people actually need the KM part of the sign

Perhaps it is a feeble attempt to wean the American public off the antiquated system that the rest of the modern world has left in the dust...

B

Bee wrote:

> Perhaps it is a feeble attempt to wean the American public off
> the antiquated system that the rest of the modern world has
> left in the dust...

You're gonna love this:

I took a class in orbital mechanics when I was in college. There were five of us in the class and I was the only physics major (the other four were engineering). We often had "fights" over metric. So one day the professor assigns a homework problem and one of the engineering majors asks what units he wants the answer in. He made the mistake of saying he didn't care about the units. I'm pretty sure he never checked the furlongs per fortnight I turned in.

eeeek: >I'm pretty sure he never checked the furlongs per fortnight I turned in.<


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. (without looking it up, I believe that a fortnight is two weeks? and a furlong is 200 yards?)

B



Post Edited (04-08-09 21:08)

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The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.

A furlong is 220 yards. It took a lot of work to go from meters per second one a slide rule. (The things I'll do for a laugh!)

eeeek: A furlong is 220 yards. It took a lot of work to go from meters per second one a slide rule. (The things I'll do for a laugh!)

yer too FAST! I went back and fixed the feet to yards after i realized I goofed.

A SLIDE RULE???! ( my dad gave me three of them)

B

Bee wrote:

> A SLIDE RULE???! ( my dad gave me three of them)

Yes, I'm old enough to know how much using one really sucks.

eeeek;Yes, I'm old enough to know how much using one really sucks.

i remember dad's first calculator: it had NO floating decimal AND the numbers were this really neat glowing red..(I used to sneak and use it for my math...a subject that I am very good at)

B

Bee wrote:

> eeeek;Yes, I'm old enough to know how much using one really
> sucks.
>
> i remember dad's first calculator: it had NO floating decimal
> AND the numbers were this really neat glowing red..(I used to
> sneak and use it for my math...a subject that I am very good
> at)

What about fractions? http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090407174805.htm

And do you remember New Math?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXx2VVSWDMo

eeeek: And do you remember New Math?

I remember it as it appeared in the Snoopy cartoon books that my older brother gave to me. I believe that it was a bit before my time, but much talked about.

(I need to switch computers to watch the youtube

I love fractions because there is a rythm and a logic to them much like language. The most magical calculation is the simple calculation of ratio, if/then. My father made me spend hours at the table after dinner practicing calculations (because I was supposed to go into business...which I did, eventually) I have a knack for language (except English) and I believe that it comes from mathematical familiarity.

B

Bee wrote:

> I love fractions because there is a rythm and a logic to them
> much like language. The most magical calculation is the simple
> calculation of ratio, if/then. My father made me spend hours at
> the table after dinner practicing calculations (because I was
> supposed to go into business...which I did, eventually) I have
> a knack for language (except English) and I believe that it
> comes from mathematical familiarity.

US stock trades used to be fractional until the US gov't mandated a change in 2001. I think traders had their own pet terms for 1/8 or 1/16. I heard 1/16 used to be referred to as a "teenie". Brokerages complained that they would have to upgrade their software or that there would be confusion. the other thing was that brokerages were able to pocket a little bit of the difference.

YPW: US stock trades used to be fractional until the US gov't mandated a change in 2001

papa and I had discussions about what change would mean to the "old guard" (the likes of him who were very comfortable with the old system)

B

Bee wrote:

> papa and I had discussions about what change would mean to the
> "old guard" (the likes of him who were very comfortable with
> the old system)

Warren Buffet sure seems to be doing ok after then change.

eeeek: And do you remember New Math?

I have the Tom Lehrer CD box set. I could recite most of his songs at one time (the Periodic Table of Elements is my all-time favorite)

B

Bee wrote:

> i remember dad's first calculator: it had NO floating decimal
> AND the numbers were this really neat glowing red..(I used to
> sneak and use it for my math...a subject that I am very good
> at)

Math:

LOVE IT!!! Out with the Pythagorus -- in with LOGIC!!!

B

Should read "Ambiguity, Makes simple, clever, answers wrong."

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Old Dude

A furlong is actually 1/8th of mile.

---

Old Dude

mrcondron wrote:

> A furlong is actually 1/8th of mile.

And very close to being 1/5th of a km.

eeeeek: And very close to being 1/5th of a km.

I vote that we only use the Metric System in discussion! (I will stand back as Vince tries to deport me....haha I am a citizen)

B

Yeah, but so what? They're in America.

Vince wrote:

> Yeah, but so what? They're in America.

Yes, and America needs to get its butt in gear and use a sane set of units. (MKS or CGS, take your pick!)

me: physics major at SDSU

dual major: journalism

So go ahead, figure me out.

This is AMERICA.

VInce: >me: physics major at SDSU

dual major: journalism

So go ahead, figure me out.

This is AMERICA.<

did you serve in the US Armed Forces, too?

B

Vince wrote:

> SDSU
> So go ahead, figure me out.


Dual purpose state institution?

Vince wrote:

> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx5KDyvlG3Q

That's just plain disturbing.

And on a related note:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I1MGsSDS8c

eeeeek: And on a related note:

It creeps me out to watch the guy; I like hearing my fav TL song, though. I lived with a husband/wife professor team who worked with him when he was teaching at Santa Cruz U(THAT was a great time in my life -- they introduced me to all sorts of culture)

B

Bee wrote:

> eeeeek: And on a related note:
>
> It creeps me out to watch the guy; I like hearing my fav TL
> song, though. I lived with a husband/wife professor team who
> worked with him when he was teaching at Santa Cruz U(THAT was a
> great time in my life -- they introduced me to all sorts of
> culture)

He just turned 80 recently. Sigh.

eeek: He just turned 80 recently. Sigh.

The couple is in their early eighties, so I thought that he must be close in age. My favorite SW author Tony Hillerman died this year (82); it broke my heart

B

Is that base or base 10?

Jim

I think it should read:

"SIMPLICITY: face it she is always right, and if she is wrong then just shut
your pie hole cause you want dinner right? and maybe you want to
sleep in the bed you bought with your hard earned cash? and maybe
get some fringe benefits of your marriage? ok, ya ya ya, I know that you
are right but seriously, can we just eat our Taco Bell and go to
Dave & Busters and maybe have a beer, damn I'm sick your your whining...
no wonder she yells at you all the time... no wonder she is always right"

or

"SIMPLICITY: caveman always wrong"

Bill-e-g: "SIMPLICITY: caveman always wrong"

Can you say that a little slower and louder into the microphone?

B