> I mean
> 39 thou makes it sound as if you know what you are talking about

Unless you say 39 mil, and then just confuse everyone :-)

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Am 19.07.2013 09:56, schrieb scott:

> Also inches aren't suited for things the width of a human or smaller,
> which is exactly why you end up using crazy fractions like 3/8, 5/16 and
> 29/32. I bet most people you stopped in the street wouldn't be able to
> add those 3 numbers together (and many probably couldn't even tell you
> the smallest). Or tell you how long it would be if you needed 1000 lots
> of 5/16. Try the same with 8, 9 and 23 mm it's - trivial.

The use of fractions, all by itself, is still on the fun side; just wait 
until you have to express longer distances to high precision, as in "2 
ft 3 1/4 in".

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On 18/07/2013 10:51 PM, Warp wrote:
> Orchid Win7 v1<voi### [at] devnull>  wrote:
>> three seventy-seconds of one inch
>
> I think that at least *some* Americans realize how ridiculous the
> imperial measurement system is. It's a petty that resistance to change
> is such a huge psychological phenomenon that it's not going to change
> any time soon.

In fairness, the "printer's point" is one of those obscure measurements 
which is only used in one specific field - much like the Troy ounce, the 
carat, or the furlong...

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Am 19.07.2013 20:09, schrieb Orchid Win7 v1:

> In fairness, the "printer's point" is one of those obscure measurements
> which is only used in one specific field - much like the Troy ounce, the
> carat, or the furlong...

BTW, does anyone outside the world of printed circuit board design ever 
use the measurement "mil"?

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On Sat, 13 Jul 2013 09:24:17 +0100, Orchid Win7 v1 wrote:

> Yes, it is true. After THREE MONTHS of waiting, the vendor's solicitors
> have FINALLY released the draft contract.
> 
> Finally step #1 of my house purchase can actually begin...
> 
> Fun fact: For three months the estate agent has been promising me that
> the contract would appear in the next day or so. Every time a difference
> excuse as to why it hasn't happened yet, but "it's fixed now". On Monday
> my mother phoned them and suggested that I might pull out of the deal.
> By Friday of the same week, the contract had appeared.

Sounds like the tactic your mother used is something to learn from. ;)

Jim

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>> Fun fact: For three months the estate agent has been promising me that
>> the contract would appear in the next day or so. Every time a difference
>> excuse as to why it hasn't happened yet, but "it's fixed now". On Monday
>> my mother phoned them and suggested that I might pull out of the deal.
>> By Friday of the same week, the contract had appeared.
>
> Sounds like the tactic your mother used is something to learn from. ;)

It's astonishingly how quickly people can make stuff happen if they 
think there's money involved...

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On Fri, 19 Jul 2013 21:19:26 +0100, Orchid Win7 v1 wrote:

>>> Fun fact: For three months the estate agent has been promising me that
>>> the contract would appear in the next day or so. Every time a
>>> difference excuse as to why it hasn't happened yet, but "it's fixed
>>> now". On Monday my mother phoned them and suggested that I might pull
>>> out of the deal. By Friday of the same week, the contract had
>>> appeared.
>>
>> Sounds like the tactic your mother used is something to learn from. ;)
> 
> It's astonishingly how quickly people can make stuff happen if they
> think there's money involved...

More accurately, if they think they're going to lose money. ;)

But yes, what your mother did is something to keep in mind.  They want 
you to continue to be a customer, and if you decide that they're wasting 
your time and are going to leave, if there's enough money in it for them 
to react in a way other than "OK, see'ya", they'll get things moving.

There are always plenty of estate agents and solicitors around, so that's 
a tactic that can work well in cases like this.

Jim

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Orchid Win7 v1 <voi### [at] devnull> wrote:
> In fairness, the "printer's point" is one of those obscure measurements 
> which is only used in one specific field - much like the Troy ounce, the 
> carat, or the furlong...

Are barrels used for anything else than oil?

-- 
                                                          - Warp

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On 19/07/2013 8:45 PM, clipka wrote:
>
> BTW, does anyone outside the world of printed circuit board design ever
> use the measurement "mil"?

I've never used it.
I have used Mils and thought that was generic British for I'm working in 
that foreign stuff.

-- 
Regards
     Stephen

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On 19/07/2013 09:35 PM, Warp wrote:
> Orchid Win7 v1<voi### [at] devnull>  wrote:
>> In fairness, the "printer's point" is one of those obscure measurements
>> which is only used in one specific field - much like the Troy ounce, the
>> carat, or the furlong...
>
> Are barrels used for anything else than oil?

According to Wikipedia, it also measures beer, cornmeal, Portland 
cement, sugar, flour, lime and cranberries.

Note also that ALL of these "barrels" are standardised BUT COMPLETELY 
UNRELATED sizes. (!!)

(That is, a "barrel" of flour is utterly unrelated to the weight or 
volume or a "barrel" of cement.)

So much for weird historical units...

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