Alex's Secrety Nazi Gripe Offensive Journal Entry
If reading opinionated stuff gets your panties in a bunch, stop here. This entry isn't for you.
If you're smart/mature enough to pass judgment based on logic and sense, then please read on. I would love feedback on whatever I write, so long as it is constructive or validly argumentative (read: you have reason behind your statements).
So...
I really like the Metric system.
1 millimeter x 10 = 1 centimeter
1 centimeter x 100 = 1 meter
1 meter x 1000 = 1 kilometer
1 milliliter x 10 = 1 centiliter
1 centiliter x 100 = 1 liter
1 liter x 1000 = 1 kiloliter
and every interval of 10 between and beyond has it's own prefix.
This makes sense. Basing a system of measure upon a denomination of 10, which is the way things are done in most aspects of the rest of the world, is a very effective way to communicate. It's efficient. One does not have to pull out charts and tables to rely on conversions.
Does anyone reading actually know the value of a slug off the top of their head? Yes, that's actually the standard unit of mass in the US.
"The slug is an English unit of mass. It is a mass that accelerates by 1 ft/s² when a force of one pound-force (lbf) is exerted on it. Therefore a slug has a mass of about 32.17405 pound-mass"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slug_%28mass%29
The English system is a horrible way to measure. Even Britain doesn't use the English system.
Here is a complete list of countries that do not use the Metric system:
Liberia
Myanmar
The United States of America
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_system
So, screw the rest of the world, right?
US: "Liberia, we've always been pals. Let's stick this out together. Don't ever change, ok? It's a promise."
Stupid.
So why is it that we do something so nonsensical? Well, it comes down to the fact that Americans are arrogant and hate change. Not anyone reading this entry, of course, but the other hundred million or so inhabitants of our country who would die off if we just removed the warning labels on everything (and that's giving the remaining 250 million a lot of credit)
Seriously, standardizing our system of distance, mass, volume, and all other measurements...it would make things so much EASIER!
And speaking of systems that need to be revised:
Women's clothing sizes.
Also, t-shirt sizes for any gender.
My pants are 36/36. That's 36 inches around the waist, and 36 inches down the leg. We're going to pretend that if clothing sizes are revised, they'll be done so in a unit of measure that makes sense. Like centimeters. Like the rest of the world.
I love the way my pants are measured. When I go to the store to buy new pants, I know that all of those pants on the shelf that are not 36" around the waist will not fit. I know that all of those pants that are not 36" down the leg will not fit. It makes shopping very accurate; I go to where my size is, and there are my choices. I try them on for individual variation amongst the pants, and that is that. There's no spending hours in the changing room, either the pants fit or they do not. If a certain brand doesn't fit me well, I will get a different one. I know that, amongst that different brand, my waist and leg size will remain the same. I'm not getting fatter or growing while I try these pants on. The numbers won't ever lie to me.
Dress shirts are already measured numerically with a size (I believe it's the 'around the neck' size, and this works just fine for me) but t-shirts are not. I would love to see t-shirts measured with numbers, like my pants. How about from collar to bottom, and from shoulder seam to shoulder seam? This way I will know just by the numbers how long a shirt will be, and whether it will hang around my sides or not. I'm sick of fitting into Ls or XLs, or XLTs, depending on who makes the shirt. Get some numbers, standardize the system, and I'll never have to repackage and ship out a shirt I bought on the Internet ever again.
So, women's sizes. Cut the shit with the "Junior" sizes and the "Size 0" and all of that corporate bullshit to give you the subconscious message that you're smaller than you actually are. You're whatever size you are, and that's just fine. Stop fucking worrying about it. If you want to lose weight, stop eating Ben & Jerry's whenever you get emotional and start going to the gym twice a week. If you don't wanna take these steps, just accept where you are and tell everyone else to shove it. Chances are no one thinks you're fat anyway.
As far as shirts and other "tops" go, a numerical standard would be fine. As far as pants go, get some numbers up there. Make things make sense. You can do this with any type of clothing. I understand that clothing fits many different areas of the body in different ways. That's cool, just get more numbers. Need to measure around the chest? Around the neck? Around the shoulder? around the upper arm? Around the stomach? Around the knees? Whatever, get it done once, write it down on a card, and keep that card in your wallet. Shopping will take half the time and be twice as effective.
And that's another thing. Every girl should have a wallet. You can keep it in your handbag if you want to, and have it match if that's the kind of thing you're personally worried about. But it's useful, it's organized, and it makes sense. It keeps your cash, your credit cards, your driver's license, your library card, your Subway Rewards card, etc. all conveniently located in the same spot. No more loose items dinging around so it takes you 10 minutes to find what you need. Got loose change? Get a change purse. Personally, I use pockets. Whatever helps you keep your shit in order. For girls, I'm not saying ditch the pocketbook (which is pronounced "pocket book", not "pock-a-book"). I for one am a huge advocate of collecting useless shit (anyone who has seen my basement can vouch for this) and I am completely not against carrying this aforementioned shit with you. A bag that you carry with you constantly to hold said items? That works...but it's a huge inconvenience to you and everyone else if you haven't cleaned it out since freshman year of high school so you can't find anything important. Putting a wallet in there eliminates this problem outright.
I guess I should end this. It's pointless and, like I said, I'm being a huge Nazi about this sort of thing.
I guess I'm just upset whenever I see things being done so...backwards. I hate it when things are done illogically, when they just don't make any sense.
I've had it with this English system. I'm going to move to England.
If you're smart/mature enough to pass judgment based on logic and sense, then please read on. I would love feedback on whatever I write, so long as it is constructive or validly argumentative (read: you have reason behind your statements).
So...
I really like the Metric system.
1 millimeter x 10 = 1 centimeter
1 centimeter x 100 = 1 meter
1 meter x 1000 = 1 kilometer
1 milliliter x 10 = 1 centiliter
1 centiliter x 100 = 1 liter
1 liter x 1000 = 1 kiloliter
and every interval of 10 between and beyond has it's own prefix.
This makes sense. Basing a system of measure upon a denomination of 10, which is the way things are done in most aspects of the rest of the world, is a very effective way to communicate. It's efficient. One does not have to pull out charts and tables to rely on conversions.
Does anyone reading actually know the value of a slug off the top of their head? Yes, that's actually the standard unit of mass in the US.
"The slug is an English unit of mass. It is a mass that accelerates by 1 ft/s² when a force of one pound-force (lbf) is exerted on it. Therefore a slug has a mass of about 32.17405 pound-mass"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slug_%28mass%29
The English system is a horrible way to measure. Even Britain doesn't use the English system.
Here is a complete list of countries that do not use the Metric system:
Liberia
Myanmar
The United States of America
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_system
So, screw the rest of the world, right?
US: "Liberia, we've always been pals. Let's stick this out together. Don't ever change, ok? It's a promise."
Stupid.
So why is it that we do something so nonsensical? Well, it comes down to the fact that Americans are arrogant and hate change. Not anyone reading this entry, of course, but the other hundred million or so inhabitants of our country who would die off if we just removed the warning labels on everything (and that's giving the remaining 250 million a lot of credit)
Seriously, standardizing our system of distance, mass, volume, and all other measurements...it would make things so much EASIER!
And speaking of systems that need to be revised:
Women's clothing sizes.
Also, t-shirt sizes for any gender.
My pants are 36/36. That's 36 inches around the waist, and 36 inches down the leg. We're going to pretend that if clothing sizes are revised, they'll be done so in a unit of measure that makes sense. Like centimeters. Like the rest of the world.
I love the way my pants are measured. When I go to the store to buy new pants, I know that all of those pants on the shelf that are not 36" around the waist will not fit. I know that all of those pants that are not 36" down the leg will not fit. It makes shopping very accurate; I go to where my size is, and there are my choices. I try them on for individual variation amongst the pants, and that is that. There's no spending hours in the changing room, either the pants fit or they do not. If a certain brand doesn't fit me well, I will get a different one. I know that, amongst that different brand, my waist and leg size will remain the same. I'm not getting fatter or growing while I try these pants on. The numbers won't ever lie to me.
Dress shirts are already measured numerically with a size (I believe it's the 'around the neck' size, and this works just fine for me) but t-shirts are not. I would love to see t-shirts measured with numbers, like my pants. How about from collar to bottom, and from shoulder seam to shoulder seam? This way I will know just by the numbers how long a shirt will be, and whether it will hang around my sides or not. I'm sick of fitting into Ls or XLs, or XLTs, depending on who makes the shirt. Get some numbers, standardize the system, and I'll never have to repackage and ship out a shirt I bought on the Internet ever again.
So, women's sizes. Cut the shit with the "Junior" sizes and the "Size 0" and all of that corporate bullshit to give you the subconscious message that you're smaller than you actually are. You're whatever size you are, and that's just fine. Stop fucking worrying about it. If you want to lose weight, stop eating Ben & Jerry's whenever you get emotional and start going to the gym twice a week. If you don't wanna take these steps, just accept where you are and tell everyone else to shove it. Chances are no one thinks you're fat anyway.
As far as shirts and other "tops" go, a numerical standard would be fine. As far as pants go, get some numbers up there. Make things make sense. You can do this with any type of clothing. I understand that clothing fits many different areas of the body in different ways. That's cool, just get more numbers. Need to measure around the chest? Around the neck? Around the shoulder? around the upper arm? Around the stomach? Around the knees? Whatever, get it done once, write it down on a card, and keep that card in your wallet. Shopping will take half the time and be twice as effective.
And that's another thing. Every girl should have a wallet. You can keep it in your handbag if you want to, and have it match if that's the kind of thing you're personally worried about. But it's useful, it's organized, and it makes sense. It keeps your cash, your credit cards, your driver's license, your library card, your Subway Rewards card, etc. all conveniently located in the same spot. No more loose items dinging around so it takes you 10 minutes to find what you need. Got loose change? Get a change purse. Personally, I use pockets. Whatever helps you keep your shit in order. For girls, I'm not saying ditch the pocketbook (which is pronounced "pocket book", not "pock-a-book"). I for one am a huge advocate of collecting useless shit (anyone who has seen my basement can vouch for this) and I am completely not against carrying this aforementioned shit with you. A bag that you carry with you constantly to hold said items? That works...but it's a huge inconvenience to you and everyone else if you haven't cleaned it out since freshman year of high school so you can't find anything important. Putting a wallet in there eliminates this problem outright.
I guess I should end this. It's pointless and, like I said, I'm being a huge Nazi about this sort of thing.
I guess I'm just upset whenever I see things being done so...backwards. I hate it when things are done illogically, when they just don't make any sense.
I've had it with this English system. I'm going to move to England.