Really Good Quotes

Greetings, Quotaholics:

I’m not much of a baseball fan. I pretty much see all I need on the highlight reel of the nightly sports segment of the news. But with the World Series going on right now I know that many of you are paying a lot of attention to the game right now.

One thing I don’t like about baseball these days is the use of aluminum bats in amateur games. If I’m going to watch baseball I want to hear the nice ‘crack’ of the bat, not the metallic ‘plink’ of a metal bat.

I read an article about the use of these bats that claims that the ball travels faster when hit with an aluminum bat. I don’t know if this is true or not. It seems unlikely to me, but I haven’t seen any studies one way or the other.

The reason the article was discussing the subject was because of the outcome of a lawsuit in Helena, Montana. The suit was filed against Hillerich & Bradsby, the company that manufactures Louisville Slugger baseball bats. According to the article in the Missoulian, the company "…failed to adequately warn about the dangers the product can pose".

Now I thought, "What sort of dangers could a bat pose. Do they break and injure people?" No they hit baseballs that could injure someone.

The suit was the result of the tragic death of 18 year old Brandon Patch. Brandon "…was pitching for the Miles City Mavericks when the ball ricocheted off his head, eventually falling behind first base after traveling as high as 50 feet in the air."

"Patch went into convulsions on the field in front of a horrified crowd and died within hours from his injury."

As it happens, this isn’t the first time a player has been injured after being struck by a ball hit by an aluminum bat. There are other lawsuits that are still pending or have been settled. But in this case the jury awarded the family $850,000.

The basis for such a large award? "…failure to place warnings on the product."

Now it seems to me that people playing sports should have a reasonable idea that they could be injured. Especially a pitcher in baseball. I mean, the pitcher is standing there in front of someone who is supposed to hit a ball back in his direction. Does the type of bat being used really affect this aspect of the game?

"Attorneys for Hillerich & Bradsby declined to comment. They had argued that accidents are bound to happen in baseball games and there’s nothing inherently unsafe about aluminum baseball bats."

"A spokesman for the legendary bat-maker said Wednesday the company did nothing wrong and the verdict ‘appears to be an indictment of the entire sport of baseball.’"

"’We made a bat in accordance with the rules,’ Rick Redman said. ‘That bat was approved for play by baseball’s organizing and governing organizations.’"

If the league allows aluminum bats, and the bats are manufactured to the league’s specifications, does it make sense to find the manufacturer at fault here? Does it seem that it is the league at fault for allowing the use of the bats? Shouldn’t the league be held liable, if anyone, for not making the players wear protective headgear?

"In the verdict Wednesday, the jury also decided the product was not defective. Drake (one of the family’s attorneys) said that decision was not significant, since the jury found it posed a threat without an adequate warning label."

So this will make it all better. Put a label on the bat that says "Warning. Baseballs might leave the bat at high rates of speed." Sheesh!

Grouchily,

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"The Artist Currently Known as Unpronounceable has wasted too much time and public goodwill forcing that damned symbol down our throats." – Rolling Stone (1995)

"Sting – where is they death?" – Joe Queenan

"If the Old Testament were a reliable guide in the matter of capital punishment, half the people in the United States would have to be killed tomorrow."

"In a rational society we would want our presidents to be teachers. In our actual society we insist they be cheerleaders."

" Totalitarianism is patriotism institutionalized." - All from television personality, musician, actor, comedian Steve Allen who died on this date in 2000

Speak right up!

Halloween

We have been seting up a "Haunted Path" for Halloween for quite a while now. It takes us from the first of the month to get it all set up and ready for a one-day event. But, we think it’s worth it. The reactions of the kids & not-so young kids is priceless. We do not scare the younger kids even though we are in hideous costumes somethings. Anyone under the age of 6 we consider as "appetizers" and try not to scare them. We will even remove our masks if they seem even the least bit scared. Anyone over that age is an "entree" and it is open season. We get some very interesting reactions from some kids, and some "kids at heart".

As many know, Halloween has been an adoption of other celebrations. Some say our Halloween is more a merging of other events into one strangely morphed secular event. Others say it is a poor adaptation of pagan celebrations and refuse to participate. Fall has always been a time to celebrate. All the crops have been put in and the laborious duties of farming are over for a while. While some societies made it a secular activity, others used it as a time to reflect on their religious feelings.

It is because some people would use it as a religious ceremony in the past that some people today refuse to participate. Some religions and denominations within religions will prohibit the celebration of any other event, secular or otherwise, if there is a tinge of paganism or lack of appreciation for their diety or their particular beliefs. Although today’s Halloween seems completely secular, it’s past, and portions of it’s current representation, are unappreciated by current religions.

As a child, then as an accompanying parent, I noticed that many houses didn’t have decorations, or, even if they did, they didn’t have on a light to indicate they were giving out candy or treats. Even some whose lights were on wouldn’t answer the door. I was quite confused as a child as to why some people wouldn’t let their kids come out with me to get candy & treats. When I was admonished for being a pagan by one mother, it upset me. I knew I was no such thing, whatever that was.

Some, even yet, have voiced quite emphatically that they will not participate in any such pagan activities. Now it amuses me even though I feel sorry for the children. They are left out of something fun simply because a celebration doesn’t fit into their religion. I can respect that they feel that way and practice their religious teachings. But, at least from my viewpoint, it is something fun to do that has nothing at all to do with past beliefs or religions.

Here’s your quiz:
Do you put out Halloween decorations?
Do you consider Halloween to be a pagan celebration and something to be avoided?
Do you dress up in costume for any Halloween event?

Halloween - Annual Event To Scare The Crap Out Of Kids
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn’t rate a fancy ’signature pic’)

Email Kirsten

"That moment. That instant when your fingers curl round the handles of a shiny, uncreased bag - and all the gorgeous new things inside it become yours… It’s like going hungry for days, then cramming your mouth full of warm buttered toast."
Confessions of a Shopaholic ~

When I left work today, I was not feeling very well. I had been feeling exhausted throughout the day, I had a headache, and I just felt terribly run-down. My theory is that I have been feeling the after-effects of the H1N1 vaccine that I received. This idea is supported by the fact that I have been feeling as if someone had punched me in the arm, right where the needle went in. Interestingly enough, neither of the kids seem to have been too bothered by anything. Either I’m a complete wimp, or my kids have benefitted from the fact that they routinely punch each other in the arm, and they don’t even notice things like that anymore.

Anyway, I wasn’t feeling well today and when I left work, all I wanted to do was go home and sleep. I couldn’t do that, though, because a friend from work had invited me to join her at an invitation-only clothing sale at some fancy place in the city - the kind of the place that I usually feel too intimidated to even walk into. I wasn’t planning on actually buying anything; I merely wanted to provide moral support to my friend, who lost everything, including her wardrobe, in a house fire.

But of course, once I was there, it would have been churlish to not even try on some of those lovely clothes. I was impelled by three little words: Fifty, Percent, and Off. Suddenly the prices seemed merely scary rather than downright terrifying. I wandered through the place, selecting things to try on. I tried on jackets here, coats there, and handed things to my own designated assistant, who would take them to the dressing room for me while I continued browsing. It was a fairly dramatic change from shopping at, say, Wal-Mart, where you go to the change rooms, have your things counted, and then have a plastic tag shoved at you which grants you entry into a tiny little cubicle where the mirrors make you look fat.

At this place, the mirrors made me look thin, which, when you think about it, is far better marketing. People are far more likely to buy clothes that they think they look thin in. I tried on a pair of jeans (yes! I’m officially one jeans size smaller than before!), a jacket (very nice, really, but I don’t have anything that goes with it), a white shirt (made my boobs look too big), a pants suit (looked lovely, but similar to something I already have), and a skirt suit (very nice; a complete departure from my usual fare).

When I was leaving the place (”store” seems like too ordinary a term), bearing my new jeans and my new skirt suit, I suddenly realized that I felt a lot better. No more headache, no more run-down feeling, no more exhaustion. Even my arm is not aching anymore.

So men, take note. Next time your Significant Other wants to go shopping, remember that it is not just for self-gratification. There is an actual proven medical benefit. I am a living example.

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten

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Re: Flight Safety

The record is still pretty good, but I know a jet engine mechanic who gave up flying himself. I quit too, but for environmental reasons. My brother in law tells of a time many years ago when the staff at his flight school had a rush of early-morning agricultural business, and one instructor fell asleep during a lesson. The student could not wake him with physical agitation, but fortunately he responded to the collision-avoidance warning phrase used in the morning work. Even during normal times, a pilot fell asleep soon after taking a flight test, while riding back as his co-worker took the same test.

For the airlines, pilots used to have plenty of rest time available, but after de-regulation, time for travel between airports, etc, got called "rest" and dozens of similar changes have led to the current situation where pilots are often moonlighting at other jobs, and at least one is on food stamps. (see Michael Moore) I wouldn’t necessarily fire the recent likely sleepers, just using them as a threat to others; I’d improve conditions for all pilots. On long overseas flights, where it is better to have alert pilots at the landing than in the middle, there is even an official bunk concealed in the tail of a 747. - Bob of the North



Re: Justice? of the Peace

Hi Mike, You had the following comments in response to my posting last week:

You said; "Using the extremist viewpoint for a moment, I would say your friend is a bum. Two years is too long to be on the public dole. You mean to tell me that after two years he hasn’t been able to find a job at McDonalds?? Cut him off! I’m sick and tired of my taxes going to support people like this!"

First, I thought that standard RGQ protocol was to refrain from any sort of personal attack, or is it because he’s not a member that you felt you could tee off on him? Or maybe you felt that your "extremist view" disclaimer relieved you of the obligation? Or maybe as a moderator you’re immune from that restriction? I just want to make sure I understand the boundaries I have to work within.

Second, have you applied for a job recently? Never mind that the unemployment rate in California is more than 2% higher than the national average (US = 9.8% while CA = 12.2%), my friend just turned 50 and even though he has better than 25 years of experience in the insurance business there hasn’t been much interest. Not difficult to understand when companies can easily find folks right out of college who are willing to work for considerably less than someone with a vast amount of experience to go along with the education would command.

As a long time RGQ reader I have an idea of just how old you are and your field of employment. I daresay you would be very hard pressed to find a position in your chosen field in today’s job market at a salary similar to what you are accustomed to even though the unemployment rate in Arkansas is quite a bit lower (7.1%) than the national average. I won’t insult the RGQ readers by asking them to accept my facts without being able to back them up, so here are the websites where I found this information, http://www.bls.gov/cps/ (national) and http://www.bls.gov/lau/home.htm (state/regional.) These are for the month of September 2009 as of October 24.

Even minimum wage jobs such as McDonald’s as you suggested have their own barriers in place which make it difficult for some people to even get a chance. I haven’t been to Arkansas in the past few years (actually a very, very nice place with great people), but I can tell you here in Southern California you’ve probably got a better chance of getting into Harvard Medical school than you do of getting such a job unless you’re fluent in Spanish. This is because most of the employees speak nothing but Spanish and you are expected to be able to work with them. This is exactly the sort of reverse discrimination I alluded to in my earlier post.

One more comment about your suggesting McDonald’s for employment. We have a rather generous (in my opinion) minimum wage here in California ($8.00), but you’re still only likely to work 18-24 hours a week and certainly not more than 32 as that would be considered full time. I’ll allow for an extreme case and allow for 28 hours. For those 28 hours you could expect a paycheck (before taxes) of 28×8 = $224. Now that’s not bad except when you consider unemployment was paying my friend $400 a week before taxes. I can’t imagine anyone would voluntarily go to work in this type of situation when you could be making more money by staying at home and searching for a position in your chosen field.

"I do believe there is a racial aspect to this. When the subject of welfare cheats, or as you put it ‘generations of welfare families’, come up I think most people think ‘black’. So I believe there is a movement afoot in this country to do away with social programs and they’re using racism to further their agenda."

Your comments above could themselves be interpreted as racist. The fact is, it’s extremely difficult to adequately discuss the topic without appearing to be racist from at least some points of view. What "movement" are you referring to? Who are the "they" you mention? Is this a conspiracy theory of yours, or do you have any evidence to validate your position?

"There should be ways to ensure that people are actively seeking work if they are able to work. But this requires there to be jobs for everyone. There should be penalties for companies that ship our jobs overseas in order to make a bigger profit for themselves."

Who are you to decide how much profit is too much? In a free market economy the consumer determines the winner and losers in the market. I’m sure the fund managers for your 401K account would not invest in a company who was not showing a profit, and I’m sure you would not want them to. I also do not believe that "bigger profits" are the sole reason US companies either farm work overseas or hire illegal workers here at home. What about the unions who are constantly forcing employers into a corner with demands for higher wages? In the opinion of some, unions have all but destroyed the American automobile industry. I won’t go that far since Detroit’s problems go well beyond the UAW, but for me a closer to home example can be found in the local grocery store. The unions have such a stranglehold on the grocery store chains here in California that cashiers are paid as much as $20 an hour to sit there and swipe goods over a laser scanner. Then they complain that there is no full time work available and stores are reducing staffing requirements in favor of self checkout facilities. I ask, "Can you really blame them?" The bottom line is any company is in business to make money, period. If they can’t make money then they’re going to close their doors, period.

"But in a country as rich as ours, I don’t think there should be people starving while others make multi-million dollar bonuses for letting their companies go broke. And I don’t think people should begrudge the relatively small part of their taxes that go to support social programs."

I strongly agree with you on this one. Each time I read or hear on the news about how AIG and the other bailed out companies are reserving millions for executive bonuses it really torques my nuts. A bonus should be a reward for a positive objective or milestone achieved. Was their objective to all but destroy the company and undermine the entire financial infrastructure of the United States? If so, then they deserve every penny, however I cannot imagine how that would be the case and they should receive absolutely zilch!

It’s obvious that we need some type of taxation in order to fund government, but everyone seems to have their own opinion on what is a fair percentage and how the revenue generated from taxes should be spent. I think that might be better left for another debate forum however.. - Robert from Southern California
[Robert you said "I thought that standard RGQ protocol was to refrain from any sort of personal attack, or is it because he’s not a member that you felt you could tee off on him?"

Of course it makes a difference that I wasn’t saying something of this nature to you or your friend personally, but I thought it was clear that I was only presenting a viewpoint that I have heard voiced by others. Of course I don’t think these things about your friend or anyone else who is collecting assistance. I believe that these programs exist to help those in need and I support this.

You go on to make a good defense of my arguments in favor of public assistance by pointing out the problems your friend is having finding suitable employment. The problem is, of course, as you presented it. Someone can make more on unemployment than at a minimum wage job, and you can’t even get a full time minimum wage job. Why? Because the companies don’t want to have to pay you overtime or provide benefits. It’s all about using the lower classes to make maximum profit.

Corporate greed has gotten to a point where a long term employee is an expense instead of an asset. The thinking is that you can layoff the high priced employee and replace them with someone willing to work for less. So what if productivity, quality, or employee moral drops? Everyone is so scared they will be the next to go that they work overtime for free in order to keep their jobs.

I’ll comment more on this next week. Right now there are huge thunderstorms moving in and I’m afraid I’ll loose power before I get the issue sent.]

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