Re: A Salmon Days tribute?

Richard Bos <rlb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Geoff Lane <zzassgl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> > Paul Martin <pm@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > > Of course, Brits think of all of this as perfectly normal, just like we
> > > thought that a base 12/base 20 money system was normal.
> >
> > Er, what's wrong with mixed base coinage?

> It makes it harder for the innumerates in accounts to fill your paycheck
> correctly.

After a 1000 years, the ability to do mixed base maths is genetically
imprinted in much of the UK population. The early UK computers had mixed
base arithetic hardware instructions. Somewhere I have a small (pocket
calculator size) mechanical calculator that can do arithmetic on pounds,
shillings and pence.

http://www.vintagecalculators.com/html/exactus.html

It's an amazingly cute bit of hardware and reduces money maths to a simple,
brainless, mechanical process.

--
Geoff Lane
The best firewall is two inches of air.
.