>I know, for the octal ref, but I just needed to say that for the record and fyi.
>
"Base 8 is just like Base 10 ............... if you're missing two fingers"

(New Math by Tom Lehrer)




>>We are talking fingers here not thumbs. :-)
>>
>>
>>
>>>My blackened left-hand thumb and index finger nails have only just grown out leaving no trace of the traumae. I hit them them with a hammer so many times (eg when hammering posts into the ground) that I nearly did end up with 8 - 5 on my R and 3 on the L! :-)
>>>
>>>>And how many fingers do you have. 8 unless you've chopped some off building your shed.
>>>>
>>>>i
>>>>>How would that be bizarre? It was 1/8 of a £. What could be more natural?
>>>>>
>>>>>>You don't think it was even a little bizarre that one of the basic units of currency was worth two shillings and sixpence?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Decimilisation of our currency was a huge boost to inflation. I never saw the benefit. its supposed to make calculations simpler but I never saw a lot of people struggling with 12 pennies in a shilling, the threepenny bit, the sixpence, the half crown (two shillings and sixpence), the florin (two shillings). That was proper money.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>When Canada was making the change to the metric system, a lot of people were grumbling about it. The coworker of a friend of mine was very angry about it and she was actually heard to complain that "Next they're going to do it to our money!"
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>The best I've heard is "How many quarters are in the game", spoken by a Blonde at a football game.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>I was at the checkout of a K-Mart. The clerk rang up $46.64 charge. I Gave her a fifty dollar bill. She gave me back $46.64. I gave the money back to her and told her that she had made a mistake in MY favor. She became indignant and informed me she was Educated and knew what she was doing, and returned the money again. I gave her the Money back... same scenario! I departed the store with the $46.64.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>I've seen a few... a girl who measured 4 2/3 yards of fabric, and couldn't find it on the printed table taped to the table how much was it in decimal yards; it took her a few minutes but she eventually located it (.667 - even Walmart was generous enough to hire someone who knows proper round(x,3)). Then she forgot the four and typed .667...
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Or a guy who asked me how many cigarettes do I get out of one bag. "Didn't count, but one cigarette should be 1 gram, it says 200 grams on the bag, so that should be 200 cigarettes". "Wow! How did you calculate it so fast? I never got the hang of those metric units." (at least he was a customer)