They're so convoluted and measurement defying, they're often sold by the pound instead of board foot.

NPR: Excerpt: 'A Splintered History Of Wood'

Mr. RILEY: Well, one of the things that I think we're accomplishing with the five-year evaluation that we have in Cincinnati of the partnership to improve police community relations is we're helping communities understand what kind of measurement capability and benchmarks they have to have in place.

NPR: Shooting Strains Police-Community Ties in NYC

The calculation is rough and ready, and I come to slightly lower numbers than Allwood and co, but the point is that this measurement uses a unit we're familiar with - us.

BBC: Go Figure: Why does every person need 200kg of steel a year?

They're also big hits online, according to online media measurement firms Big Champagne and Hitwise, which measure the most swapped shows on BitTorrent networks and the most searched programs on the Internet, respectively.

FORBES: Magazine Article

They want to be put in a position to succeed, and they're open to having their performance measured, as long as the measurement system is fair.

WSJ: Bill and Melinda Gates on Teacher Evaluation