The idle musings of a former military man, former computer geek, medically retired pastor and now full-time writer. Contents guaranteed to offend the politically correct and anal-retentive from time to time. My approach to life is that it should be taken with a large helping of laughter, and sufficient firepower to keep it tamed!
Monday, March 25, 2024
Memes that made me laugh 202
Gathered from around the Internet over the past week. Click any image for a larger view.
Don't blame the Brits! The metric system first came in 1799, during the French Revolution, after the existing system of measures became impractical for trade, and was replaced by a decimal system based on the kilogram and the metre. After a period of reversion to the mesures usuelles due to unpopularity of the metric system, the metrication of France and much of Europe was complete by the 1850s. Furthermore... The Calendrier Républicain Français), commonly called the French Revolutionary calendar, was created and implemented during the French Revolution, used by the French government from late 1793 to 1805, and for 18 days by the Paris Commune in 1871, and meant to replace the Gregorian calendar. The calendar consisted of twelve 30-day months, each divided into three 10-day cycles similar to weeks, plus five or six intercalary days at the end to fill out the balance of a solar year. It was designed to remove all religious and royalist influences from the calendar, part of a larger attempt at decimalization in France (which also included decimal time of day, decimalization of currency, and metrication). It was used in government records in France and other areas under French rule, including Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Malta, and Italy.
Three 10 day weeks per month? Today France has a 32 hr work week, so this would have made 6 day weekends a thing. I'm seeing a Monty Python skit in my head.
My favorite metric story is from the pursuit of a fictional British traitor during the Napoleonic Wars. He had been repatriated with giving his Gentleman's Parole after being captured in Spain, but had sung like a canary beforehand about all the other local officers and his amateur yet detailed take on Wellington's situation and plans. He successfully argued that as a parolee, as he would be obliged to resign his commission, and some assistance with funding would be required. He then consistently took ire with the state and future of the war effort in the House of Lords, and Intelligence got suspicious of certain timing combined with his increasingly frivolous lifestyle. It was found that the gold bars he was clandestinely selling for cash were not the squandering of the family's nest egg. The dealer had simply been weighing the bars and paying the price per ounce, but the investigating agent noticed the significance of the weight. For the gold bars were portioned out into Kilograms.
They're all profound...timely and timeless.
ReplyDeleteDon't blame the Brits!
ReplyDeleteThe metric system first came in 1799, during the French Revolution, after the existing system of measures became impractical for trade, and was replaced by a decimal system based on the kilogram and the metre.
After a period of reversion to the mesures usuelles due to unpopularity of the metric system, the metrication of France and much of Europe was complete by the 1850s.
Furthermore...
The Calendrier Républicain Français), commonly called the French Revolutionary calendar, was created and implemented during the French Revolution, used by the French government from late 1793 to 1805, and for 18 days by the Paris Commune in 1871, and meant to replace the Gregorian calendar.
The calendar consisted of twelve 30-day months, each divided into three 10-day cycles similar to weeks, plus five or six intercalary days at the end to fill out the balance of a solar year.
It was designed to remove all religious and royalist influences from the calendar, part of a larger attempt at decimalization in France (which also included decimal time of day, decimalization of currency, and metrication).
It was used in government records in France and other areas under French rule, including Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Malta, and Italy.
Three 10 day weeks per month? Today France has a 32 hr work week, so this would have made 6 day weekends a thing. I'm seeing a Monty Python skit in my head.
DeleteMy favorite metric story is from the pursuit of a fictional British traitor during the Napoleonic Wars. He had been repatriated with giving his Gentleman's Parole after being captured in Spain, but had sung like a canary beforehand about all the other local officers and his amateur yet detailed take on Wellington's situation and plans. He successfully argued that as a parolee, as he would be obliged to resign his commission, and some assistance with funding would be required. He then consistently took ire with the state and future of the war effort in the House of Lords, and Intelligence got suspicious of certain timing combined with his increasingly frivolous lifestyle. It was found that the gold bars he was clandestinely selling for cash were not the squandering of the family's nest egg. The dealer had simply been weighing the bars and paying the price per ounce, but the investigating agent noticed the significance of the weight. For the gold bars were portioned out into Kilograms.
ReplyDeleteAnd if the horse has six legs on the ground, lock up your wives and daughters - Odin is on the prowl . . .
ReplyDelete