How does a cat become too heavy?

[44'cruisingcat]

So how do you overload a boat that has no payload specification?

[mark_morwood]

Originally Posted by Kelkara

Stu ... in those intervening years the world has stopped using pints to measure pure water ... except in the USA, where their pints are smaller ... so the only pints of water left in "the world around" today weigh a pound.

Now a pint of beer is a different beast altogether.

For those who might not know/recall, there used to be two different pint and gallon measures used around the world - imperial and US. Both had 8 pints in a gallon, but in the US gallon is 3.785 liters, and in the imperial gallon is 4.546 liters. So an imperial pint or gallon was approximately 25% larger than the equivalent US unit. Now the rest of the world has gone metric (except for beer) there is only the US pint unit used in general, where a pint of pure water does way approximately a pound.

[markpierce]

Maybe best to have a boat which isn't so weight sensitive.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by mark_morwood

For those who might not know/recall, there used to be two different pint and gallon measures used around the world - imperial and US. Both had 8 pints in a gallon, but in the US gallon is 3.785 liters, and in the imperial gallon is 4.546 liters. So an imperial pint or gallon was approximately 25% larger than the equivalent US unit. Now the rest of the world has gone metric (except for beer) there is only the US pint unit used in general, where a pint of pure water does way approximately a pound.

Yes, and 1 pt= 16 oz by fluid volume, therefore 1 oz of water by fluid volume weighs 1 oz. Shockingly logical!

[Sailorbob8599]

How does a cat become too heavy? . . . I would suggest you're feeding it too often

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by rabbi

Pint? Yet another strange measurement unit. I just learned its 28.875 cubic inches or 473.176473 millilitres.
It always puzzles me to see these medieval units made it into the modern age.

Yeah well.. you guys prefer the other medieval units like the Stein which is 2 pints of beer..

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by minaret

Yes, and 1 pt= 16 oz by fluid volume, therefore 1 oz of water by fluid volume weighs 1 oz. Shockingly logical!

How many drams in a pint, how many pints in a ton?

By comparison, metric is easy.

1 cc of water weighs a gram.

1000cc = 1 kg = 1 litre.

1000 litres = 1 cubic meter = 1 tonne

[hamburking]

In Canada, a gallon weighs 10 pounds.
In the USA, a gallon weighs 8 pounds.

We must have more gravity in Canada, you know, cause we're closer to the north pole

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

How many drams in a pint, how many pints in a ton?

By comparison, metric is easy.

1 cc of water weighs a gram.

1000cc = 1 kg = 1 litre.

1000 litres = 1 cubic meter = 1 tonne

Metric definitely has it's uses but if you want to talk logic.

Why would the base unit of mass be based on the mass of water contained in a volume 1 billionth the distance from the equator to the pole cubed?

A pint on the other hand is logical human sized measure of a nice quantity of beer to serve. Not so much that it gets warm before you finish it but not so small that the bar maid can't keep up.

This is really the fundamental difference. Standard measurements are based on things that a human can relate to. Metric makes calculations easy but is far less intuitive.

The truly unfathomable measurement is berths on a boat. It fits neither the metric system nor the standard system (it certainly bears no relationship to how many normal humans can sleep on said boat)

[Sailorbob8599]

Originally Posted by mark_morwood

For those who might not know/recall, there used to be two different pint and gallon measures used around the world - imperial and US. Both had 8 pints in a gallon, but in the US gallon is 3.785 liters, and in the imperial gallon is 4.546 liters. So an imperial pint or gallon was approximately 25% larger than the equivalent US unit. Now the rest of the world has gone metric (except for beer) there is only the US pint unit used in general, where a pint of pure water does way approximately a pound.

Don't know why you say "there used to be" because nothing has changed. The US gal is still smaller than the Imperial gallon. Also, a US ton is given as 2000lbs. whereas the british ton is 2240lbs. That's a hell of a difference.
British measurement is known as "avoirdupois weight" whereas US measurement is something created in the US. Probably in an effort to simplify for those who could not deal with the vagaries of the British system.
Something like the spelling of various words where Americans left out certain letters or changed them. eg: Tyre vs Tire. or Aluminium vs Aluminum etc. and there are numerous other examples.
I read somewhere these changes were made by a past US president who had a problem spelling, so he mandated changes to simplify the spelling but I gather it wasn't wholly accepted and he had to stop any further changes.
I predict, given the internet and cel phones that promote texting and tweets etc, there will be more changes in future spelling. One only needs to read some of the posts in these forums to see many people still have difficulty with correct spelling. I noticed one in this particular thread. I think it was the word 'wait' when the writer clearly meant 'weight'. O well, what's in a word?
I have grand-children who graduated High School, then went on to college and University. They still can't spell. I recall when they were in grade school I questioned the teacher on their marks when their spelling was so poor. I was told: "Correct spelling is no longer important, as long as they get their point across" . . . Guess I lost that argument, simply because that was the "system" at the time.
I now have Great G-children. God only knows how they will be taught, I hate to think because it will be the text'ers and the tweet'ers who will be doing the teaching.
As for liquid measurement, I'll take the British 'pint of beer' over a US pint any day. Here in Canada we have litres and half litres . . . notice the correct spelling of the metric measurement.
One final word. I'm sure you are all familiar with, and use the term "myriametre"? I thought so! . . . Sorry, got carried away . . .

[minaret]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

Metric definitely has it's uses but if you want to talk logic.

Why would the base unit of mass be based on the mass of water contained in a volume 1 billionth the distance from the equator to the pole cubed?

A pint on the other hand is logical human sized measure of a nice quantity of beer to serve. Not so much that it gets warm before you finish it but not so small that the bar maid can't keep up.

This is really the fundamental difference. Standard measurements are based on things that a human can relate to. Metric makes calculations easy but is far less intuitive.

The truly unfathomable measurement is berths on a boat. It fits neither the metric system nor the standard system (it certainly bears no relationship to how many normal humans can sleep on said boat)

True that. Sort of like a fathom is the depth of water in which you may drown if you can't swim?

[double u]

"... is logical human sized measure..."
the whole imperial measurement system, isn't it? 12" to 1', 6' to 1 fathom, 2 pints to 1 qt, so many yards to a mile, pounds, stone, long & short tons...different ounzes...gallons...
"human size" -my ass! it's gotta be a DECIMAL system, otherwise it's absolute madness, just look at your fraction of inches for drills etc.! still beats me how you could win a war with that system, or fly to the moon!

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by double u

still beats me how you could win a war with that system, or fly to the moon!

Funny thing about that. Ddn't just win a war, but won the war for a whole heap of other countries on the planet. All of Europe included. Along with rebuilding a vast majority of the planet afterwards. Much of which was also funded by the taxes on workers in the US, & the good that they made using said "odd" system of measurement. But those are but small matters.

That said, yes, the metric system makes a f**k of a lot more sense. But in a huge amount of manufacturing worldwide, both are used right alongside one another. To include both being incorporated into the same products.

[double u]

hey uncivilized, we are grateful, don't worry. but youall didn't win it because but despite the imperial measurement system. having bothe system in the same production line side by side-now that sounds like a challenge!

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by double u

hey uncivilized, we are grateful, don't worry. but youall didn't win it because but despite the imperial measurement system. having bothe system in the same production line side by side-now that sounds like a challenge!

Go & start taking apart some of the major systems in your car, or your boat's engine & you'll run into both metric, & imperial fasteners.

Also keep in mind that until a couple of decades ago, there were more different types of threads & fastener sizes to be found in Europe as a whole, than types of animals that Noah had on the Ark.
I used to work on racing bicycles in the 80's, & a bit of the 90's, & it was a nightmare what with each country having several different types of threads. And by different types I mean both thread & pitch. This on just one size of bolt or screw alone. And even bolt sizes between countries using the Metric System weren't standardized. This along with the fact that most European countries also used a mix of both Metric, & "archaic" fasteners, & measurements.

Which, you can imagine how much fun that was for car mechanics. Back then you took a Peugot to a Peugot dealer/shop, period. Almost exclusively. For exactly those reasons. Ditto any other brand made in country X, or Y. Yet now it's pretty much 2 types of fasteners, so it's a lot easier for auto repair shops to service most brands out there. Albeit no, fastner continuity isn't the only reason why.