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[CrowFairy]

Hmmmm, says I'm averageing 1,433 per day.  Had no idea I was that prolific!!   

It's a decimal, not a comma.


I've been logged in 6 days and 8.5 hours. What am I doing with my life??
I have .585 posts per day, and Tuesday will be my two-year anniversary with the forums.

[pwhodges]

I'm guessing many of them are ones who signed up, posted once in "Hi, I'm New" and never came back.

I cleaned up the members database a while ago (and I know Ben did a few years ago).  When I did it, 70% of the database consisted of people with zero posts - those with no posts who had last logged in over six months ago (I think) were deleted, which cut the database size down by more than half.  There is, of course, the possibility that those who have no posts but do log in are lurkers who like to have the forum software keep track of what posts they have read.

[CrowFairy]

I just checked, and I went a full three months between my first three posts and my fourth. But I was still reading the posts. I think it's important to account for lurkers. The ones who haven't logged in in more than six months probably aren't coming back. And if they do, what are the odds that they will actually remember their username and password?

[Skewbrow]

Hmmmm, says I'm averageing 1,433 per day.  Had no idea I was that prolific!!   

It's a decimal, not a comma.

Depends on where you live. Comma in these parts.

Here's a deal. You give up foot/pound/gallons and convert to metric. We give up  on decimal commas and start using a decimal point instead.

After that we only need to agree to disagree on the meaning of billion, trillion et cetera.

[Bluesummers]

How could a billion possibly be something other than a billion?

I spend my entire junior year chemistry class by pissing off the teacher, who insisted that metric was superior to the apothecary system (what's used in the United States), because there was "no link between units of measurement".

Truth be told, I do like metric more than standard U.S. measurements, but I was bound and determined to prove her wrong:

1 pint = 1 pound (assuming volume density 1:1 relative to water, same as 1mL = 1cm³.
1 gallon = 231 in³ (exactly 231...no rounding or whatever)

She did eventually recommend me for AP Physics.

[pwhodges]

When I was young, a billion was a million million, a trillion was a million million million, and so on; and some people still cling nostalgically to that definition.  In that regime, a milliard (which tends to mean "a lot") was reserved for a thousand million.

Oh, and "a pint of water weighs a pound and a quarter", "a gallon of water weighs ten pounds" - there'll be none of your penny-pinching US pints and gallons for me, thanks.

[cesium133]

On the subject of English-vs-Metric units, I find it interesting that the U.S. has indirectly been using metric units since 1896, when all the U.S./English units were redefined in terms of metric units: for example, 1 inch = exactly 25.4 mm.

And as for the gallon, I think the U.S. gets to dictate what that is now, since the British have switched to using the metric system. Plus, in the words of Alton Brown, "a pint is a pound the world around." If we can't believe Alton Brown, who can we believe?  (for people from outside the U.S. who might not know who he is, Alton Brown is a TV cooking-show host)

[pwhodges]

A UK pint is still the standard measure of beer and such in a pub.  Actually, both gallons originated in the UK, as was mentioned in a similar discussion in this thread.

The imperial measures of volume (in the US form) follow a long trail of binary relationships, as listed later in that same thread.

[Skewbrow]

How could a billion possibly be something other than a billion?

It is, of course, a billion, but is it 10 to 9 or 10 to 12? The former is milliard here (I think we have been following German practice there for quite some time).

1 pint = 1 pound (assuming volume density 1:1 relative to water, same as 1mL = 1cm³.
1 gallon = 231 in³ (exactly 231...no rounding or whatever)

US liquid pint  is 473 milliliters, but a pound is 454 grams, so a US liquid pint of water weighs 473 grams. Much like a fluid ounce of water weighs more than an ounce. Avoiding conversion factors like 231 cubic inches to a gallon is the essence of the metric system. Of course the basic units don't need to match with models in Paris for it work well in physics classes - they could be something else.

Having said that I do like beer in UK pints (568 milliliters).

More about comma vs point. We use point here to indicate ordinals, so "1." is "the first" and so on. This is used e.g. in dates, so "18.02." is "February 18th". Programs like MSExcel tries to cope (the different kind of separators and such are regionally configurable in Excel), so when I copy numerical tables produced in the US to a Finnish edition of Excel, it interprets figures containing a decimal point as dates, and performs an irreversible conversion (at least I haven't figured out how to revert it). Arrggh.

[cesium133]

And as for English units in science, the velocity unit feet/nanosecond is particularly useful. 

[Skewbrow]

^LOL. I thought that the very good approximation c=3x10⁸ meters per second was proof that "God is metric", but now I'm having second thoughts

[celticgeek]

I prefer using the FFF system of units.

[Valdís]

When I was young, a billion was a million million, a trillion was a million million million, and so on; and some people still cling nostalgically to that definition.  In that regime, a milliard (which tends to mean "a lot") was reserved for a thousand million.

It depends on the language. In Scandinavian/German 1 000 000 000 is a Milliard (Miljard) and your "Billion" we use for Trillion (Biljon).

[Carl-E]

...and performs an irreversible conversion (at least I haven't figured out how to revert it). Arrggh.

Ctrl + Z. 

Then try it again.   

[pwhodges]

When I was young, a billion was a million million, a trillion was a million million million, and so on; and some people still cling nostalgically to that definition.  In that regime, a milliard (which tends to mean "a lot") was reserved for a thousand million.

It depends on the language.

But in English it also depends on the country!

[Bluesummers]

Oh, and "a pint of water weighs a pound and a quarter", "a gallon of water weighs ten pounds" - there'll be none of your penny-pinching US pints and gallons for me, thanks.

bwha?! I'm very confused..."A pint's a pound the world around", my mother used to tell me. And a gallon would be 8 pounds by that reckoning...

What's the metric equivilent of your british pint and gallon? You've genuinely piqued my curiosity now.

[Thrillho]

WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON IN THIS THREAD

[Blood-Tree]

Who can beat 0.249 posts per day?

0.106

Joined in Feb 2011, logged in for 23 hours and 54 minutes.

They call me El Lurko Supremo

[Bluesummers]

WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON IN THIS THREAD

I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA, JUST GO WITH IT, ACT NATURAL

[pwhodges]

What's the metric equivilent of your british pint and gallon? You've genuinely piqued my curiosity now.

Our pint and gallon are simply a quarter larger than yours (i.e. 0.568l and 4.546l) - the history I linked to earlier.

[Thrillho]

Cats have to drink plenty of water to avoid urinary tract infection FUCK YOU GUYS

[pwhodges]

Are you saying that you think cats are healthier with English pints than US pints?

[Thrillho]

Yes?

[Valdís]

Practically every time I hear "Pint" it's from Brits in a pub, so now I'm picturing you giving your cats booze. You're bad people!

[Zingoleb]

my father was confused when his uncle woke him up to offer him a brew in england. 

[Bluesummers]

He didn't even have second breakfast yet, did he?

[Carl-E]

England =/= the Shire. 

[Cire27]

No, the Shire is in New Zealand.

[de_la_Nae]

Welp, after reading this thread it's official, where do I sign up for that One World Government thing?

[Bluesummers]

England =/= the Shire. 

No, the Shire is in New Zealand.

And tea is tea, no matter where you drink it. I'll have a scone, please.

[Papersatan]

Nah.
'Tea'-commonwealth:


'Tea'-USA:

[Bluesummers]

That's not real tea...that's an American bullshit excuse for a cold drink. Long Island is the only place that does American tea correctly around here.

My genuine tea comes in two varieties: English High, and Matcha.

Okay, three varieties. Because no one can take my Yerba Mate away from me.

[Papersatan]

Long Island Iced tea is my favorite! 

But perhaps you were speaking of some beverage which has tea in it.

[Bluesummers]

Long Island Iced tea is my favorite! 

But perhaps you were speaking of some beverage which has tea in it.

Hahahahaha......no. You had it right the first time.

[nekowafer]

I really like Tazo Passion and Wild Sweet Orange tea. It is super sweet on its own and even better with a bit of sugar. I'm guessing basically everyone in the UK would scoff at me for it.

[lepetitfromage]

Tazo passion tea is awesome. And just keeps coming up in conversations here for me lately. I neeeeeeed some nowwwww.

[Zingoleb]

oh god their passion tea is awful. I can't stand it.

their wild orange tea makes excellent iced tea, though - kind of like a citrus kool-aid, just without the fake stuff.

[Blood-Tree]

I think I'll stick to Earl Grey.

[Thrillho]

Here is a photo of one my oldest friends drinking green tea, which looks quite a lot like piss:

By the way she is absolutely beautiful and my god if photos could do her justice you'd probably all just cry like tiny little girls right now.

[Redball]

Naw, but I smiled back at her!

[Thrillho]

She has an infectious smile.

Brothers and sisters, I've been crushing on this girl since 2002.

[Papersatan]

Here is a photo of one my oldest friends...

She doesn't look all that old.

[Thrillho]

That's cause I'm not either, babes.

[Barmymoo]

My oldest friend is probably Redball, if you mean people I'm actually friend friends with, and his friend whose name has temporarily slid out of my brain if you mean people I have socialised with (who is in his nineties, is that correct?). But I don't think that's quite what you meant, is it Gareth?

[Thrillho]

I meant people we have been friends with for the longest time.

[Papersatan]

I figured.  I was trying to be clever.

[Thrillho]

I know. I was playing dumb for the first post, and for the second there didn't really seem to be any recourse except for giving a straight answer. I'd have made the exact same joke and there wasn't really anywhere I could go with it.

BUT SERIOUSLY GUYS HOW GODDAMN PRETTY IS SHE

[Redball]

My oldest friend is probably Redball, if you mean people I'm actually friend friends with, and his friend whose name has temporarily slid out of my brain if you mean people I have socialised with (who is in his nineties, is that correct?).

Now that I think of it, I suppose you're one of my youngest friends, and a pleasure to have a friend that bridges a couple of generations. You're thinking of Dean Wilson, about 92, beginning to fade, but said something a few weeks ago about accompanying him to South America. He has a friend down there, a former secretary, he thinks I should meet.

[Bluesummers]

Am I a worthless hipster shitcock for liking Teavana? I don't drink it to brag that I can brew loose-leaf tea, I drink it because it tastes good...

BUT SERIOUSLY GUYS HOW GODDAMN PRETTY IS SHE

IF YOU LIKE HER SO MUCH WHY DON'T YOU MARRY HER?

Seriously, ask her out!

[Lines]

BUT SERIOUSLY GUYS HOW GODDAMN PRETTY IS SHE

Very! But her glass is far too big for tea. Hot damn, she must have had to peeeeeeee after drinking all that.