Saturday, April 14, 2012

Metrification - March 12th, 1970

March 12th, 1970 

Dear Diary:

I saw the most fascinating advertisement in the back of a magazine today.  For one American dollar (plus 25 cents in shipping and handling) I can receive a modern miracle of science:  X-Ray Specs.  I will be able to glance at my hand and "look right through the flesh and see the bones underneath" or "see the body underneath the clothes."  The possibilities of this technology are endless.  I have heard that asbestos is resistant to X-Rays, so I think that I will be able to re-purpose these glasses as a highly effective asbestos detector.  I have already put my order in the mail and am expecting my package in 4-6 weeks.  Hopefully, by early April I will be able to confirm that the school is indeed up to snuff with asbestos as well as help father plan for maximum strategic asbestos value in the house.

We had another lesson on the metric system today.  It took half an hour to teach the class that water will no longer freeze at 32 degrees Fahrenheit.  Water will now freeze at zero degrees Celsius.  Which is totally crazy.  Who will re-calibrate all of the thermometers?  How will we properly set the refrigerator temperature?  And, even crazier, water will no longer boil at an easy-to-remember 212 degrees Fahrenheit.  Water will now boil at 100 degrees Celsius.  Who died and made water the master of temperature?  This is not right.  I cannot even begin to speculate on what room temperature will become.  Luckily, I have one constant in my life: The Piano.  Not even the French can spoil the simple, majestic beauty of the twelve notes of the chromatic scale.

SJH


Added May 7, 2012

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