Measurements

[Jenny T. Malmiola]

> It is understandable that we tend to think in imperial units of 
> measurement, because they are natural.  An inch is the first joint 
of 
> the thumb; a foot is, well, a FOOT; a yard is the length of a pace; 
a 
> mile is 1000 paces.  The meter, in contradisinction, is some 
fraction 
> of the distance from the north pole to the equator on a line 
passing 
> through Paris.  BLECCH!!
> 
> Haggridd

I think it has everything to do with what you're use to. I have tried 
to understand miles and inches and lb's and whatever there is, but it 
seems impossible. I'm grown up with meters and kilos and that's 
always the natural measurement for me. I do know where those inches 
and feet come from, and that's the only way to somehow remember them, 
I do think it's good to have those old measurements to remind us 
about traditions, or something. =) But still, I always have to 
translate everything into centimeters to really understand how long 
something is. Why didn't they teach us both systems at school..? Oh 
yes, meter is the distance light travels in one second, because it 
doesn't always go excatly the same distance, they keep the "original" 
measurement-bar (gold, if I remember right) in Paris. So meter isn't 
that made-up, as you could easily think. It's just lightyears little-
sister.

Jenny (why do I see something familiar in Hermione?) =)