Metric System May Be Right for These Times

I hope the rest of the news you report in your Business section is more accurate than your reporting of the calendar!

The decade will be “One-Third Through” (May 2) on April 30, 1994. This year, at midnight on June 30, one-quarter of the decade will have passed. Decades are counted from one to 10, just like fingers and toes. The first year of a decade ends in 1 (1901, 1991, etc.), and the last year ends in zero (1910, 2000, etc.). Similarly, the 20th Century ends on Dec. 31, 2000, and the 21st Century begins on Jan. 1, 2001.

Perhaps The Times should campaign for immediate and widespread adoption of the metric system so more people would know how to count to 10.

ROBERT J. PURVIS

Oxnard