Make and model of Simpsons car.

Are we ever given that information?

Drunk and full of pie, Superdude wrote:

No, but Homer's car looks like a "pink Cadillac"... well... the taillights look like they're from a Caddy.

"Superdude" wrote in message news:[email]...

And how many hectares does it get per litre of kerosene?

Nathan Loeschman wrote:

actually, that's wrong, cuz hectares are a measure of area, not distance.

Greg Bair wrote in message news:...

I think the metric system is the tool of the devil! My car gets forty rods to the hogshead, and that's the way I likes it!!

We know that his car was made in Guatemala in the episode where Homer sells Tommacco.

"Greg Bair" wrote in message news:[email]...

Maybe that's why that country no longer exists...

Nathan Loeschman wrote:

What country would that be? AFAIK, hectares is an imperial/US unit.

"Greg Bair" wrote in message news:[email]...

distance.

It's what they call on this page a "reference"...

Crazy Vaclav: She'll go 300 hectares on a single tank of kerosene. Homer: What country is this car from? CV: It no longer exists. But take her for a test drive and you'll agree: "Zagribjeven Slotik Diev." (Pushstarts the car) Put it in "H"!!!

You should really see the Mr. Plow episode -- it's quite good.

Damn the hectares! The question is: does the manual indicate which lever is the velocitator and which the deceleratrix? Hmm?

Scorpio

"Nathan Loeschman" wrote in message news:[email]...

That communist car had automatic transmission didn't it? I would expect all of those cars to be manual with maybe only numbers indicating gears.

Also, a hectare is a metric unit for area, equal to 10 000 square metres or 1 square hectometre. There are 100 hectares in 1 square kilometre. Isn't metric easy? How many square feet in an acre? Who knows? I guess that's why the Simpson's make fun of the United States inability to move to international units. The No Homers Club (formerly the Stone Cutters) must still be exerting it's influence.

Dunc!

"Hank Scorpio" wrote in message news:[email]...

agree:

Dunc! wrote:

<SNIP>

That would be 4840 square yards, or 14520 square feet. I knew the yards one off the top of my head, the feet I had to multiply by three. If people pay attention, the Imperial system is quite easy to learn. Besides, the joke about keeping the metric system down is not a joke on the inability of the US to move to metric, it's a joke on how powerful they are, that they control important stuff. The only people in the US who want to change to metric are scientists, like 1% of the population. The rest of the world hates us anyway, so why should we care how they measure stuff?

I suppose the same was said when "Western" civilisation changed from Roman numerals to Arabic. Of course, with such reasoning, anything that's impractical can be justified.

Yes, tending to be the more rational part of your population. Ignorance rules, yet again!

Because you might learn something?

Graham

Graham wrote:

I didn't mean that the metric system shouldn't be used at all. I'm saying

that it doesn't need to be used on things that only apply to people here in the US, such as baking recipes and atlases and the like. Most things scientific already use metric. Why does the whole country have to switch? American students are taught the metric system (at least I was, and that was an inner-city public school, so I suppose most other ones do, too) and use it in most science classes, because that's what the global scientific community uses. When I was in chemistry, physics, and biology in high school, we used millimeters and milligrams and milliliters and the like. We used metric in math classes, except when learning things like how many cups in a gallon and things like that. What I'm saying is that it's easier to figure out when you grow up using the measurements.

It's not as easy as you say it is to learn the metric system. One still has to memorize things such as what deci- centi- and milli- is as opposed to say deca- and kilo- mean. Hell, we're so generous to the metric system, even our drug traffickers use it.

Well, you might learn something by looking at the Imperial system too. They aren't just arbitrary figures pulled out of the air, as so many people like to think.

Drunk and full of pie, Greg Bair wrote:

At this stage, we call him "Professor Greg". He's informative, witty; even a little insightful.

:)

What's there to learn? I come from the UK, where we gave you lot that archaic system, yet we're in the process of junking it ourselves (slowly, yeah, but it's being done). The only thing that's holding the US back on this subject is public inertia and political cowardice.

The imperial calculations might well mean something, but they meant something centuries ago, which has been lost to those who still cling to them, as well as those who use metric. The Greeks had a number base of 60, the Romans used their weird numerals, they even had some justification to use them, but over time they were junked for more rational ways to count: the Arabic numeral system (ten numeral digits for ten digits on the hand). Same thing goes with the metric against the imperial system (done in tens, hundreds, thousands, millions, etc... not twelves, then threes, etc).

Graham

Graham wrote:

Well, the only reason the Greek and Roman systems were junked was because

those civilizations broke apart. Roman Nuerals are still used in some places.

Political cowardice? We have more important things to do than screw with a perfectly functional measuring system. Why must it change? It works for us. We don't ask the world to change. Let us measure in feet, yards, and inches. I like my 16-oz steaks and my oatmeal with 2/3 cup of milk. It's what sets us apart from the punk countries who do whatever other people tell them to. Besides, public inertia is the power behind any great democracy. If enough people agreed with it, the metric system would be adopted. But it just isn't sensible for John Q. Public to change his system that he's used all of his life and use another one just because every one else is doing it. If the rest of the world jumped off a bridge, would you?

The most efficient number system is binary. You only have to memorize two numbers. Why isn't everyone using that? Because the decimal system has been around longer, and that's what people have used for so long.

Greg Bair wrote:

Wrong! As you said, the Roman system is still in use in some places (so small and insignificant, I'm surprised you actually think it's a justification... still), and was used up to the latter Middle Ages and a few years beyond, in most other "Western" countries. The reason it was eventually junked was not due to the collapse of Roman civilisation some thousand years previous to the abandonment of the numerals, it was simply that a better system came about, namely the Arabic numeral system. Up until then, people used the Roman numerals to count with, but soon realised the simplicity and logic of using a base ten system in which each number had its own symbol. It was a matter of social education, that was quickly realised. Sure, some still use these numerals, but not for anything important, might I add (*decorative* clock makers, etc).

That "why must it change?" type of argument has been the stumbling block of many societies trying to modernise themselves. Maybe you should ask why has metric been widely adopted, what has caused its widespread acceptance? Simple thing is that the imperial system is illogical, cumbersome, and a headache to use, while the metric system is the opposite to such difficulties. What is more natural to humans than the base ten?

Ah, yeah, those same countries who have to bow down to the mighty GW Bush; I know those countries well. As for it working for you: maybe it's just that you know no better.

But, it's also an important part of any society to help educate its members, so that things move forward. *Constantly* doing what the people want isn't always healthy... otherwise we'd have mob justice. Oh, wait, you already do have that, right? ;)

Ask Bart that. Seriously, that argument only applies if you mindlessly do what others do, not when you mindfully adopt another system because it is superior. It could be argued that you are mindlessly clinging to an archaic system because you know no better... so do you want to jump first?

Maybe because having ten digits on our hands makes it the logical choice. Binary isn't that efficient, well not for humans it ain't, as it involves large cumbersome numbers, despite the two different numerals to use.

Graham

Rocky II plus Rocky V equals Rocky VII Adrian's Revenge!

As an american, I completely agree with this tea-sippin brit. The imperial system is useless. We should start teaching children in school both the metric and our system. Metric is REALLY easy to learn... so you learn what deci, milli, centi mean, big deal. then we should be set to change to metric in 12 years. there might be a better way; maybe we should look at what UK is doing, but it's absolutely necessary. we are the only country left using these measurements. and whoever said only 1% - the scientists - want to change was completely wrong. it's probably more near 50% - most educated people, not just scientists, wish to leave behind our stupid system. someone tell me how many cups in a quart? in a gallon? how many inches in a mile? in an AU? all astronomical units (AU, light year, parsec) are based on kilometers too, not to mention chemistry, biology, and everything else. and our system caused havoc for example that mars voyager that crashed into mars because of some incompatibility between inches and the metric system. if everything else is done in metric, so should have that piece that cause a multi-billion dollar piece of equipment to be destroyed.

Graham wrote:

Actually, I hate tea. Coffee drinker here. :)

LOL! Forgot about that one! Yeah, an archaic system bringing down modern high-tech equipment; that's priceless! :) So, do you want to calculate the cost in dollars or in groats? ;)

Graham

Well as stupid as that may be...the whole nation does not have to change their standard system in order for NASA to use the metric system in its work. They are stupid if they don't and stupid if they don't make sure all of their contractors do as well.

Kevin

Amir wrote:

<SNIP>

The Mars Voyager was messed up because of failure to communicate between teams of scientists. That's an organizational problem indicative of NASA's need to get rid of the "better, faster cheaper" motto. The JPL figured that the NASA boys would be using the metric system, while NASA thought JPL would use imperial. A simple phone call would have averted that multi-billion dollar disaster. I agree that on scientific things like that, metric should be used.

US schools already teach the metric system. If our political leaders thought think the metric system is a viable choice, we would switch. However, I doubt 50% of people feel that way. Probably more like 2-3% of the general public. If you want the metric system, call your senators and representatives.

BTW, there are 4 cups in a quart, which would make 16 cups in a gallon. One mile = 5280 ft. * 12 = 63,360 inches. As far as AU, I don't care, because I'm not an astronomer and don't plan to ever be one. They can have the metric system, just leave my imperial system where it is.

I seriously doubt you want to do it the way the UK has tried. Very slow, very inefficiently. Not the way to run a country, IMHO. Not that ours is much better.

Well I've agreed with you the whole way, but I have to say that the only way to switch systems is slow. It takes time to switch everything and everyone over and ease everyone into totally using the new system. It also takes money which no one seems to think about. The time and money factor are probably two of the main reason most ordinary citizens don't care to change. And (to those who think we should change) yes that is ok, if we are happy with it then there is nothing wrong with keeping it. It works. The people who need to use the metric system can and do and we all learn both so we can use either one when needed.

Kevin

In article , Greg Bair wrote:

To convert from square yards to square feet, you must multiply by NINE.

I think.

Drunk and full of pie, Sam wrote:

Don't worry, boy. There's nothing wrong with a father hugging his son.

I think.

Indeed, there are 9 square feet in 1 square yard so you have to multiply by 9.

Kevin

"Nathan Loeschman" wrote in message news:[email]...

Well, *MY* car gets 40 rods to the Hogshead... And that's the way I likes it!!

Superdude wrote:

On the web site for our game (http://www.simpsonsroadrage.com/) you can get a screnshot of 3d car models, if that helps you at all. Go to the characters sectoin and click on the character to see a larger shot.

If that's not enough info, I guess you'll have to buy the game. ;-)

Joe

Bumpkin: Well, well. Look at the city slicker pulling up in his fancy German car.

Homer: This car was made in Guatemala!

This time, its personal...

Superdude wrote in news:[email]:

Oh yeah, the tail lights on Homer's car are a dead giveaway, as well as the general styling of the body. I believe it's a 70's New Yorker Brougham. Marge's car appears to be an early to mid 80's Plymouth wagon. Her vehicle is not as accurately drawn, or you might say, is drawn as just a generic wagon, but since Homer has shown a preference in Chrysler vehicles (His Plymouth SuperBird and his current New Yorker), I'd say this is the best match.

Homer's car. http://brougham.freeyellow.com/HYDESCar.JPG

Marge's Car http://www.stationwagon.com/gallery/pictures/1986_Plymouth_Reliant.jpg

Interesting to note - neither car shown in the intro are the car's as seen in the show itself. They are very generic "cars", with no real world counterpart that I can see. However, if you watch the close-up of Marge's hood as she almost hits homer in the garage, there's a very Chrysler-like ornament on the hood.

DON3k wrote:

Damn! Compared to the '76 New Yorker, my 86 Continental is a shrimp!

DON3k wrote in message news:...

Two comments.

1. What were the gas gauge labels in Rainier Wolfcastle's Italian sports car that was "stolen" my Marge and Homer in a recent episode? "Fugedaboudit" was "Full", and "Whatsamattafoyu" was "Middle" and something else was "Empty".

2. As for Homer's car and the original question, buy the model kit for the vehicle mentioned above, use a lighted match to soften and deform the front, and then built the kit! And you will have Homer's car!

Space Museum

All I know is it's got an 8-track player.

"Superdude" wrote in message news:[email]...