Europeans and Canadians have a snooty air when it comes to measurement standards. (Maybe, I don't know, just go with it.) They tout the superiority of the metric system to the standard system used in America and they are right. Metric is based on 10, a foot is 12 inches. A kilometer is 1,000 meters, just like the name implies. Most Americans probably don't know there are 5,280 feet in a mile. Even Celsius is makes more sense. Water freezes at 0 and boils at 100. Thirty two and 220 for Fahrenheit. But, my response would involve frame of reference. Yeah, metric is superior, but if you tell an American it's 38 degrees outside they will put some gloves on. If you say you something is 17 kilometers away, well, you'll just be met with a blank stare. We grew up with the standard system; we think in terms of that framework. Say, for instance, a third person were to join this ludicrous straw-man conversation. In his land, they've worked out a system where there are 100 minute hours. If he told you it was 8:72, you would probably call him an asshole even though it's systematically a better system than base 60. You can recognize the supremacy of it without knowing what the hell it means alright!
-K
