for a good chuckle today.....

[Franswa]

I post a little ditty about trailer manufacturing 14 days ago and we are at post # 260 ????

How does THAT happen ??????????

Anyway as the OP....all I got to add to this is:

Toyota, Honda, BMW manufacture cars in the states now....and in a whole lot of other countries too.......Ford, GM do exactly the same ......Dodge is an ITALIAN company now. ANYBODY can buy shares in Fiat.... The world is now..... "global".

For the last hundred years the USA has been preaching to the rest of the world that Capitalism is best and, guess what?... the rest of the world is now fully on board. The clear winner is the consumer everywhere.

There is no going back. The next winners will be the ones staring intently ahead....

There are TWO countries left in the WHOLE world that have not officially adopted the metric system.....the US and.............................Liberia!

Cheers to all....thanks for all the great conversations/advice/feedback.... and Happy New Year.........................F

[Kenton]

Originally Posted by Franswa

I post a little ditty about trailer manufacturing 14 days ago and we are at post # 260 ????

How does THAT happen ??????????

Anyway as the OP....all I got to add to this is:

Toyota, Honda, BMW manufacture cars in the states now....and in a whole lot of other countries too.......Ford, GM do exactly the same ......Dodge is an ITALIAN company now. ANYBODY can buy shares in Fiat.... The world is now..... "global".

For the last hundred years the USA has been preaching to the rest of the world that Capitalism is best and, guess what?... the rest of the world is now fully on board. The clear winner is the consumer everywhere.

There is no going back. The next winners will be the ones staring intently ahead....

There are TWO countries left in the WHOLE world that have not officially adopted the metric system.....the US and.............................Liberia!

Cheers to all....thanks for all the great conversations/advice/feedback.... and Happy New Year.........................F

And it's all Britons fault that we never went metric.
Them and their pirates.
https://www.nist.gov/blogs/taking-me...metric-edition

[Tom 72]

It didn't hurt that for a week, this was the only active post I saw. That was when some of us temporarily quit getting new posts daily. This thread seemed to take on the role of a General Store as a place to gather.

[Mike_L]

I bought my trailer new. Just days after the warranty expired the circuit board in my fridge delaminated. The fridge died at 30 plus degrees C deep in the back country.
The circuit board was made in China. I bought a made in the USA replacement for half the price the dealership wanted for an OEM made in China unit.
That was 10 plus years ago and the made in the USA circuit board is still going strong.

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

I bought my trailer new. Just days after the warranty expired the circuit board in my fridge delaminated. The fridge died at 30 plus degrees C deep in the back country.
The circuit board was made in China. I bought a made in the USA replacement for half the price the dealership wanted for an OEM made in China unit.
That was 10 plus years ago and the made in the USA circuit board is still going strong.

Yeah, but most people don't want good, they want cheap.

I recall walking through a Cracker Barrel "Old Country Store" a couple years ago. Anyone who's stopped at one knows they sell all sorts of "old fashioned" goods and "Americana". But a closer look revealed that virtually everything in the store was "made in China". Yep, nothing says good old fashioned country store goods like made in China.

I wrote the company and asked how it is that an "old country store" has almost it's entire inventory made in China. I got back some form letter full of blah blah blah, the general gist of which was that they "strive to offer goods made in the USA whenever possible". Utter nonsense. Next time you're having some eggs and bacon there, see for yourself.

There are plenty of US manufacturers and crafts folk clamoring to have their goods offered at Cracker Barrel. The reason they're not offered there is that people are simply not willing to pay for quality or authenticity. They would rather have the cheaper item, regardless of where it's made - or how well made.

[Glenn Baglo]

Wait for it. As of January 1, 2018, China won't accept our junk for recycling. I would expect prices to rise for Chinese manufactured goods, and the Grand Canyon will be full of RCA flat screen TVs.

https://www.npr.org/2017/12/09/56879...-foreign-waste

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Franswa

I post a little ditty about trailer manufacturing 14 days ago and we are at post # 260 ????

How does THAT happen ??????????

Anyway as the OP....all I got to add to this is:

Toyota, Honda, BMW manufacture cars in the states now....and in a whole lot of other countries too.......Ford, GM do exactly the same ......Dodge is an ITALIAN company now. ANYBODY can buy shares in Fiat.... The world is now..... "global".

For the last hundred years the USA has been preaching to the rest of the world that Capitalism is best and, guess what?... the rest of the world is now fully on board. The clear winner is the consumer everywhere.

There is no going back. The next winners will be the ones staring intently ahead....

There are TWO countries left in the WHOLE world that have not officially adopted the metric system.....the US and.............................Liberia!

Cheers to all....thanks for all the great conversations/advice/feedback.... and Happy New Year.........................F

There are still countries who drive on the wrong side of the road too, and they are accommodated.
Why is it so important to you that we change our highways and fuel stations when it is so easy to choose calibration on the dash? Certainly easier than than switching the steering wheel to the right side!
Most people don't know and don't care about the fasteners in their cars and they already measure engine displacement in Liters.
You claim a global economy which the US has adapted to perfectly well and competes in very well.
Burning a US gallon of fuel every 25 Miles suits me just fine, and I have a full set of metric wrenches which I understand very well.
I fail to see how our cowtowing to pressure to change those irrelevant factors will have a positive effect on your life or anyone else's....
BTW.... I like being 6 feet tall and weighing 210 pounds and knowing my correct shoe size.
It really don't sound appealing to me to stop at my fast food joint for a .1133980925 kilogramer with cheese.
As Joe South once said...
"Walk 1.609344 Kilometers in my size 44 shoes"
It just don't sound right does it?

[Raz]

If you want to survive in a world economy you learn English because that's the language the world uses to do business. Like it or not the metric system is in the same position. It is the system the world uses. You don't want to adopt it, no problem. But if your grandchildren don't, they can look forward to a much lower standard of living than you have. In the 50's he worked. In the 70's they both worked. Now they each work 2-3 jobs. That's adapting perfectly well to a world economy?

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by floyd

There are still countries who drive on the wrong side of the road too, and they are accommodated.
Why is it so important to you that we change our highways and fuel stations when it is so easy to choose calibration on the dash? Certainly easier than than switching the steering wheel to the right side!
Most people don't know and don't care about the fasteners in their cars and they already measure engine displacement in Liters.
You claim a global economy which the US has adapted to perfectly well and competes in very well.
Burning a US gallon of fuel every 25 Miles suits me just fine, and I have a full set of metric wrenches which I understand very well.
I fail to see how our cowtowing to pressure to change those irrelevant factors will have a positive effect on your life or anyone else's....
BTW.... I like being 6 feet tall and weighing 210 pounds and knowing my correct shoe size.
It really don't sound appealing to me to stop at my fast food joint for a .1133980925 kilogramer with cheese.
As Joe South once said...
"Walk 1.609344 Kilometers in my size 44 shoes"
It just don't sound right does it?

Floyd ; God Bless, you are a true PATRIOT .
I too have metric wrenches , I didn't want them but they came with the set. I will say metric shoe sizes are consistent , no matter what size you buy they don't fit properly

Maybe it doesn't sound right because it is just plain wrong

**Every year when we go to Canada Fishing one of my biggest irritations is trying to figure out if I will need a jacket when out in the boat.
I listen to the weather report but that is of little help , half the time the weather report is in a foreign language and if it is in English the numbers make no sense . The way I see it , the Canadians are playing a game with us cause even their money is LOONIE.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Raz

If you want to survive in a world economy you learn English because that's the language the world uses to do business. Like it or not the metric system is in the same position. It is the system the world uses. You don't want to adopt it, no problem. But if your grandchildren don't, they can look forward to a much lower standard of living than you have. In the 50's he worked. In the 70's they both worked. Now they each work 2-3 jobs. That's adapting perfectly well to a world economy?

As it pertains to the metric system ... Yes we have more than adequately adapted to the world system. The faults in our system are directly related to political decisions and bad trade policy. Hopefully those issues will be addressed over time. Products which cross borders generally accommodate international standards.

My children already do very well, using the metric system when needed, while still driving a few miles to buy a quarter pounder and to pick up a gallon of milk.. One is a BSN, another is a sporting goods manufacturer who does well dealing globally. Both are educated well and use the metric system effectively on a daily basis where it is appropriate.
If I should cross the border into Canada I can simply push a button and convert my internationally sourced vehicle to Kilometers.

I studied German instead of French as a second language, so I would be handicapped in Quebec (like most Canadians) but I'm sure we would be welcomed and accommodated as tourists. As it turns out, Spanish would have been a better choice for me anyway, which leaves me with the same issues going north.
Our choosing miles over kilometers is certainly not as crippling as not having a common language inside the borders of a single country.

As you said, "If you want to survive in a world economy you learn English because that's the language the world uses to do business." They learn it as a second language, then still use their native language at home and in their own culture, when it is appropriate.
"Like it or not the metric system is in the same position."

[Paul O.]

Don't worry, Francois, this thread will hit 300 yet. Enjoy your morning coffee in the meantime! Those links to the recycling and the NIST article are interesting. I have just one little bit to add and that is that the US Standard system IS (emphasis added) based on "metric". All definitions of units are truly global and inches and pounds have been redefined at one time to relate exactly and easily to the SI units. The example is one inch being 25.4 mm (exactly). If the customers (who are always right, by the way), wanted to buy stuff in meters and liters, it would happen. Here is a link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SI_base_unit
note the contrast between the definition column and the historical justification column.
Happy New Year!
PS. The quality of Jayco stickies will not improve if they use 5 x 10 instead of 2 x 4 lumber.

[Mike_L]

Is it really cheaper if you have to buy it twice?

[Raz]

Mars Probe Lost Due to Simple Math Error - latimes

This would not have happened if the components were made in Canada. They would have had a "feel" that someone who has to do a conversion will never have.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Raz

Mars Probe Lost Due to Simple Math Error - latimes
More
This would not have happened if the components were made in Canada. They would have had a "feel" that someone who has to do a conversion will never have.

So! that's rocket science??
That is sad, 'cause we all know the best candy on Earth is from Mars.
snicker snicker

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by floyd

As it pertains to the metric system ... Yes we have more than adequately adapted to the world system. The faults in our system are directly related to political decisions and bad trade policy. Hopefully those issues will be addressed over time. Products which cross borders generally accommodate international standards.

My children already do very well, using the metric system when needed, while still driving a few miles to buy a quarter pounder and to pick up a gallon of milk.. One is a BSN, another is a sporting goods manufacturer who does well dealing globally. Both are educated well and use the metric system effectively on a daily basis where it is appropriate.
If I should cross the border into Canada I can simply push a button and convert my internationally sourced vehicle to Kilometers.

I studied German instead of French as a second language, so I would be handicapped in Quebec (like most Canadians) but I'm sure we would be welcomed and accommodated as tourists. As it turns out, Spanish would have been a better choice for me anyway, which leaves me with the same issues going north.
Our choosing miles over kilometers is certainly not as crippling as not having a common language inside the borders of a single country.

As you said, "If you want to survive in a world economy you learn English because that's the language the world uses to do business." They learn it as a second language, then still use their native language at home and in their own culture, when it is appropriate.
"Like it or not the metric system is in the same position."

The USA has a common language in name only (English)
I have been to Canada over 100 times and have never had a problem conversing with the populace.
I can not say the same thing for the USA . There are parts / regions of the US where they speak a totally foreign language at least foreign to me
If you cannot understand what they are saying does it matter if they are speaking Greek , Russian , Chinese or English

In parts of the US , English is the second lanquage and I am not referring to Spanish speaking Americans or people who speak Metric.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

The USA has a common language in name only (English)
I have been to Canada over 100 times and have never had a problem conversing with the populace.
I can not say the same thing for the USA . There are parts / regions of the US where they speak a totally foreign language at least foreign to me
If you cannot understand what they are saying does it matter if they are speaking Greek , Russian , Chinese or English

In parts of the US , English is the second lanquage and I am not referring to Spanish speaking Americans or people who speak Metric.

Yeah Ya know... I've been to Wisconsin, ya know , and its like when ya go to Canada fishin' eh? an ya listen to the guy on the radio,eh? and still don't know which coat ta wear.. eh?

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by floyd

Yeah Ya know... I've been to Wisconsin yaknow , Its like when ya go to Canada fishin' ya know! an don't know which coat ta wear.. ehh?

Floyd : We moved to Wisconsin 5 years ago and still do not speak fluid Sconie , but at least when I watch the movie "Fargo" , I can understand the dialogue .
Right now most of Wisconsin is depressed and mourning the fact that the Packer's football season is over . They live a simple life here so small things have a great affect. Luckily beer cures all ills.
Thank God that beer comes in 12 ounce cans and bottles.
Metric beer is terrible! !

[rbryan]

With all due respect, I've seen lots of opinions from economists, trade experts, business experts and politicians on why people in the US often now work 2 or 3 jobs to make ends meet. Personally I believe it's because the average Joe is on the debt treadmill and we went from a savers society to a borrowers society, living WAY beyond our means. I could be wrong, or perhaps that's only a part of it.

But blaming it on the US not adopting the metric system? That's just plain silly.

[Raz]

Originally Posted by rbryan

But blaming it on the US not adopting the metric system? That's just plain silly.

No, but it's one nail in the coffin. Not having a feel for numbers is another. Treating going to college as a social event another. I spent 25 years teaching electronics at the college level. My first year we had over 200 incoming freshman. My last year, 10. Why? The jobs are gone. Good paying jobs with benefits. And we invented the electronics industry. Imagine Apollo 11 not making it to the moon because someone used English measure instead of metric.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by rbryan

With all due respect, I've seen lots of opinions from economists, trade experts, business experts and politicians on why people in the US often now work 2 or 3 jobs to make ends meet. Personally I believe it's because the average Joe is on the debt treadmill and we went from a savers society to a borrowers society, living WAY beyond our means. I could be wrong, or perhaps that's only a part of it.

But blaming it on the US not adopting the metric system? That's just plain silly.

I worked 2 and 3 jobs from the time I was 17 until I retired
It had nothing to do with debt , cause the only money I ever borrowed was to buy a house which I paid off at age 46.
I never understood why people believe that the root cause of poverty is poor people. I suppose I could have worked one job, got food stamps and trained my 5 children to only eat every other day and never get sick . Just think how much time I could have devoted to patting myself on the back and bad mouthing others if I only worked one job or got a nice fat inheritance.