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Map of countries that have not implemented the metric system

Daniel — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:51:43 +0000

All countries across the globe have officially adopted the metric system except the United States of America, Liberia and Burma (Myanmar).

Feet, yards, inches, miles, gallons, ounces, these may mean something to some people around the world, while others struggle with online converters or, worse, software designed to convert these values, that are not reliable most of the times.

“The money would be pretty good/ if a quart of milk were still a dollar/ or even if a quart of milk were still a quart”

—Cowboy Junkies, “A Horse in the Country”, from Black Eyed Man, (1992).

The Junkies lyric is a reference to the mid-70s when Canada was shifiting to the metric system which meant that an imperial quart shrunk by about 14 percent into a litre.

Canada passed the metric enabling legislation, as I discoverd, in the late 60s, and began the changever in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Had we waited a few years to pass this legislation, we’d still be on the Imperial/Avoirdupois system.

But come on. Liberia, Burma and the US? Map discovered via Digg! Click here to read the entry.

You’re Not Attractive… and Neither is Your Girlfriend

Daniel — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:24:35 +0000

… but in order to stomach the prospect of a long-term relationship, you delude yourself into believing she’s better looking than she really is.

To see if men (and women) really deceive themselves in this manner, a group of researchers obtained data from the popular physical attractiveness ratings site Hot or Not and studied users’ behaviors.

The site has evolved to include a dating service dubbed “Meet Me,” where instead of rating a person’s photo, users pick the photos of the people they’re interested in. If both people are open to meeting each other, then the initial contact can be made.

Check out Zubin Jelveh’s blog entry on Condé Nast’s blog.

Read the article here. Discovered via Digg.

This week’s sign that the apocalypse is upon us

Daniel — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 19:54:04 +0000

CBGB to reopen—but as a high-end fashion boutique… Seriously.

Click here to read the unfortunate news.

Linked via digg.

Raising Money: The Bless Back Project

Daniel — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 19:28:54 +0000

Last week, Elevation Church in North Carolina did something quite commendable. They take in an average of $40,000 weekly (despite the lack of a building of their own). They’re trying to raise capital to get one.

So, what are they doing for their capital campaign? Something that at first blush seems counter-intuitive.

When pastor Steven Furtick instructed members to pluck from the collection bowls, filled with envelopes containing $5, $10, $20, $50 or $100, some people didn’t believe it. One person at each of the five services even got an envelope with $1,000.

Members looked at Furtick like “What’s the punchline?” he recalled. “Then the creative wheels started turning.”

The money isn’t to keep, Furtick told them. Instead, members were to go out and do something random for someone else.

Get inventive, he said, and tell us about it.

Read more by clicking here. I discovered this link via Digg. If you’ve never been to Digg—get there; it’s a great site.