Way back in 8th grade, (or the late seventies) I did a whole semester on the Metric System (SI). We were told that its adoption was imminent. The jolly old US was the only major country still using the old English system.

I've been waiting ever since.

The metric system is so elegant. Grams, meters, liters. Milli, centi, deci, hecto, kilo, mega, giga, tera- it all makes so much sense. Factors of 10. It just doesn't get any better or easier than that.

Not so arbitrary as 16 ounces in a pound or 1760 yards in a mile.

Sigh. I've been waiting a long time. I've used the metric system in chemistry and physics and even professionally.

What is the problem? It works so much better but there so damned many ignorant people in the United States. Whats worse than ignorant is they don't give a damn about learning anything new. Every time the metric system makes gains, it was attacked by hordes of ignorant, dickless hillbillies to whom using the metric system was the first step to the new world order.

Well screw it. I like the metric system. Hence forth, I'm going to USE the metric system.

Have meter stick will travel. I will drink by the liter and have my kilo-gram of flesh. I'd walk 1.609 kilometers for a Camel.

Granted- the temperature in Celsius will take some getting used to but its worth it.

What is it with this fucking country and progress? We go to the moon. We build super carriers. We build supersonic stealth fighters but we're either too arrogant or scared to make changes that will amount to real social and scientific progress.

How much time, money and productivity is lost to business and industry because we sell in English tons and the rest of the world deals in metric tons?

How many people have been scared away from the sciences because the first thing they are taught are English unit conversion factors?

It's time to join the world.