Tropical Vacation: Newsletter Challenge (09/11/07)

What makes you think that Texas has a tropical climate? Or do you just mean for perhaps three months of the year?

Perhaps he should have said "parts of Texas have a tropical climate". South Padre Island and Brownsville are usually warm year round. I have vacationed there several times, even daring to cross the border on foot with friends and check out Matamoros, cantinas, cafes, drug pushers, peddlers, beggars and all. I told my friends, "don't drink anything served you that is not straight out of a can or bottle," so most of us drank cold bottled beer or warm Cokes. Of course, the girls had to buy fresh fruit drinks made with (presumably) local ice from the street vendors, which they paid for twice. Once, with money that day, and later, on the toilet all night.

Darn, crossed the Rio Grande from Padre Island on foot? Must have been low tide during a drought. HAHAHAHA, a wetback in reverse.

Check your map. We parked in Brownsville and walked over the international bridge into downtown Matamoros.

Yawn

Yawn

I think he plays Center Field for the Yankees! <grin>

Watt's the name of the man on second base?

So who's on first?

STL: What is the name of the guy on second.

ER: That's what I said!

STL: Naturally!

ER: Is he the guy on first base?

STL: Who.

ER: Naturally.

STL: That's right, Who is on first base.

ER: I thought you said it was Naturally?

STL: No, Who is on first base.

ER: That's what I want to know! What's the name of the guy on first base?

STL: No, What's on second. I thought you knew that!

ER: I thought I did but now, I don't know.

STL: Oh, he is the guy on third base.

ER: Who?

STL: No, I Don't Know.

ER: Well if you don't know, who does?

STL: Naturally, how else could Who throw the ball to third base?

ER: Who?

STL: Naturally!

ER: Wait a minute, you got an outfield on this team?

STL: Naturally.

ER: I thought you said Naturally was the guy on first base!

STL: WHO is on first!

ER: That's what I was trying to find out! But tell me the name of the left fielder.

STL: Why.

ER: I just thought I'd ask you.

STL: Well, I just thought I'd tell ya.

ER: Then tell me who's playing left field.

STL: Who's playing first.

ER: I'm not... stay out of the infield! I want to know what's the guy's name in left field?

STL: No, What is on second.

ER: I'm not asking you who's on second.

STL: Who's on first!

ER: I don't know.

STL and ER Together: Third base!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you have enjoyed my short adaptation of this classic bit. For the complete, and original, sketch check out:

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/humor4.shtml

I thought had the whole point of American Football was that it was a test of "manhood", and skill was not a requirement. I'm now sadly disillusioned .

Fyz

I thought had the whole point of American Football was that it was a test of "manhood", and skill was not a requirement. I'm now sadly disillusioned

Fyz,

Don't be disillusioned! It is BOTH. One must apply skill to achieve your objective (goals) while everyone on the other team is trying to KILL YOU!

ROFL

Haven't we done the baseball / rounders debate somewhere else recently?

And really real men play rugby. All the tackling and tactics of American "Football", but without the sissy pads!

Is "Australian Rules" Football the same as "Gridiron"?

Nope. I don't know much about Australian Rules, and will defer to Mobi & Masu, but I do know that these guys are even tougher (and more vicious) than rugby players. I believe the word "Australian" in the title can be translated as "No"

A nice game of croquet anyone?

"A nice game of croquet anyone?"

Ah, croquet. My grandmother's favorite yard game. A French name for an English game, re-invented by the Irish, and then of course re-appropriated by the English! Then borrowed again by us Americans for some backyard fun <grin>. I wonder, do the Brits pitch horseshoes, or washers?

Always made me wonder how the expression "a sticky wicket" came to be until I learned about Cricket. Interesting similarity in the names, cricket/croquet. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about the history of croquet:

It seems that the origin of this game is found in the game of "mail" (as in "hammer" in old French) played in the french countryside during middle-ages. Borrowed by the British during the 14th century, the modern game was apparently invented in Ireland in the 1830s, influenced by cricket, and as a distant cousin of golf and taken to England as a pastime of the aristocracy in the 1850s, and by the 1870 to its colonies. It may have evolved from the earlier mallet and ball game pall mall.

Croquet made its way to Canada, the United States, Australia, and France, and while never hugely popular has continued to maintain a substantial following.

Croquet - nice - whom are you trying to kid?

Just waiting to see who pegs out next!

It's something you could play in a spare moment.

All you need is 14lb sledge hammer, a stainless steel ball and a couple of large "U" bolts.

Make your own rules!!!

OK, for your Industrial Croquet set you would need more than "a couple of large U-bolts". When we used to play croquet in my Grandmother's house, nine wickets (or hoops) were used; two at each post, a center wicket, and two more each between the center wicket and each post. I think 1/4-20 threaded ends with a 5-6 inch ID and extra long legs should do nicely for the U-bolt wickets. 3/8-16 U-bolts might hold up better if play is particularly rough.

You are also going to need one sledgehammer and a large ball bearing (about 2.5-3.0 inch diameter, I believe) for EVERY player. Most backyard sets can accommodate 6 players. Stainless steel balls would be hard to identify, especially when one player hits the other player's ball so as to "send" it off into the rough, so I suggest hardened 52100 chrome alloy steel colored with a good colored steel dye (the kind used to mark ends of steel bars and rods to identify them) since any other paint or coating would probably chip. These should then be given a clear rust preventative coating. The ball colors should be color-coded to match the players sledge handle (colored with paint or tape) so as there can be no mistake as to whose ball is whose.

And finally, you are going to need 2 solid steel rods which can be driven into the ground at opposite ends of the playing field. I would recommend two 1" diameter x 3-ft. long 301 stainless steel rods, with a flat on one end and a ground point on the other for driving into the ground.

Oh, yeah. Don't forget safety glasses, since sparks and/or steel chips may fly when you smash those sledges into the balls or the balls fly into or graze the posts or wickets!

Anyone care to price this out? It is bound to be in the hundreds of dollars, I am sure, perhaps closer to one thousand.

Then again, perhaps you would prefer Mondo Croquet, using sledgehammers, bowling balls, and bent steel rebar for the hoops. Certain to be much cheaper than industrial hardware like large U-bolts and ball bearings!

I must say STL Engineer you are very well up on this.

Boy was I supprised to see the "Mondo Croquet" web page............... didn't even know it existed. Must agree with you about the cost.

I always played with two croquet balls per player. That allowed the really good players (I never achieved those heights) to finish the course once they had overcome the opponents' defensive strategy. Playing with a single ball per player* would completely change the nature of the game, as even I could sometimes get half-way round during a single turn if the opposition failed to get the defensive placements right.

Fyz

*Perhaps this should be known as "Bogie Croquet", after the Colonel.
(The alternative would be to play as teams, with two balls per team. Technically, this works rather well, but it is apt to get really nasty).

Yes, there are many variations in how the game is played. I was describing the equipment which would be needed for the typical "backyard" version popular in the US, usually played with inexpensive wooden balls, stakes and plastic faced mallets with wickets/hoops usually made from thin wire, sometimes covered in vinyl plastic for a small degree of rust prevention and cosmetics.

Games like this with equipment for 6 players (or three for your two-ball version) usually sell for around US$20-50, depending on accessories such as carrying case or even a small cart.

In contrast, I can see the industrial version selling for many hundreds of dollars. There might be over one hundred dollars in U-bolts of that size alone! I wonder if there would be a market for it. Perhaps instead of sledgehammers and steel balls one might substitute a typical industrial hammer with plastic faces and a longer handle, and hard plastic spheres for a more lively game.

Is "Australian Rules" Football the same as "Gridiron"?

Please English Rose, don't dare mention Aussie Rules and "Gridiron in the same breath, it is just not done, even in the best of circles (Oh here we go rounders again).

That would be similar to saying a rose is the same as a dandelion.

Aussie rules is a game of skill and dexterity where as Gridiron what can one say, "brute force and ignorance," and from what I have seen of it, rugby is a far better game to watch, and that's either league or union.

I know - and I said something along those lines in my post. It was STL in post 57 who asked the question - which is why it was in italics, as a quote, in my post.

If we're on the flower analogies, I'd be tempted* to say that "Gridiron" (although here is the first time I've ever heard American football called that) is for pansies, Rugby for roses of the rambling variety (a bit of a thug, but still good to look at ) and Aussie Rules for Blackberries (complete thugs ).

* but only tempted, I wouldn't insult the flower of America's youth in any way

If we're on the flower analogies, I'd be tempted* to say that "Gridiron" (although here is the first time I've ever heard American football called that) is for pansies, Rugby for roses of the rambling variety (a bit of a thug, but still good to look at ) and Aussie Rules for Blackberries (complete thugs ).

Well then, if American football is for pansies, English/Euro Soccer/Football must be for bloody shrinking violets!

As far as Rugby being for roses, (assuming a nice scent and your "still good to look at"), have you looked at a typical Rugby player, or smelled one, AFTER a game? Ugh! Whatever part of their body doesn't bleed is gonna stink! I would change "roses" to "dandelions", at first they are sunny yellow and "nice to look at", then they change and break into little white pieces that get broken up and blown away, leaving nothing but an ugly, empty stalk and stem amongst weeds. Better yet, how about "stinkweed", or more spedifically "jimsonweed" ?

ROFL

Nice game this rugby!!!!

You think Rugby is rough? Look at this:

Kansas City Royals third baseman Alex Gordon lies on the field after getting hit in the face by a ball hit by Cleveland Indians' Kelly Shoppach during the ninth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 30, 2007, in Kansas City, Mo. The Indians won 4-2. Gordon left the game and was taken to the hospital for undisclosed injuries. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Ye chillen don't know you were born. When ah were a lad, rugby warmup consisted of a cold shower and a beating - that way thee were prepared for the game ahead. It were regarded as a bit erv a pansy game if ye finished with nae concussion or a full set of teeth and all thy limbs in place.

I believe one supposed to keep their eye on the ball in baseball, but that is ridiculous.

I'll tell you one thing, he would be no good fielding in slips, in cricket. As a matter of fact you would not want him fielding anywhere near the bat.

Hey, these guys are pros. It is very unusual for something like this to happen when one is actually fielding the ball. Players on the sidelines ( a base coach or a batter "on deck" waiting for his turn) have sometimes been injured by a batted ball flying straight at them, since they might not have been paying attention to the ball at that time. Sometimes when the ball hits the ground right before the player catches it, it rebounds at an unexpected angle, what they call taking "a bad hop", making it impossible to catch. I am guessing that is what happened here. Doesn't this happen in cricket sometimes as well?

Just being facetious, I used to play baseball when I was in high school and I loved it.

However when I joined the RAN they did not play baseball. The next game I played many years later was at Subic Bay in the Philippines, we played a US Navy team.

I am too embarrassed to mention the score.

I am too embarrassed to mention the score.

Yeah, so are the Cubbies after losing two straight to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League playoff series!

You can do as good a job as that diving?????

She should have said, "Hey, I meant to do that. Don't I get high marks for originality?"

Also should have received high marks for difficulty

Just going back to baseball, I used to listen to some of the games on short wave radio. One name that springs to mind was Mickey Mantle, a great switch hitter.

For some reason, I know not why, I used to follow the Yankees, now I can watch the World Series on TV.............good stuff.

Yeah, too bad about Mickey. A great player, with a messed up personal life.

Do you know the unusual circumstances of his death?

Can't say I do ................ please fill me in on that.

As I recall, and it was all over the news, Mickey was a chronic alcoholic. He developed liver cancer and, some say because he was a celebrity, received a liver transplant in relatively short order. He supposedly had sworn off alcohol, but apparently the liver cancer had already spread to other parts of his body and the new liver was being destroyed as well. This time the doctors decided that no matter how much money, or how big a celebrity, Mickey was not worth wasting a perfectly good liver on, that could benefit someone else. He soon succumbed to the cancer and passed away.

Wikipedia has this interesting footnote:

In eulogizing Mantle, sportscaster Bob Costas* described him as "a fragile hero to whom we had an emotional attachment so strong and lasting that it defied logic." Costas added: "In the last year of his life, Mickey Mantle, always so hard on himself, finally came to accept and appreciate the distinction between a role model and a hero. The first, he often was not. The second, he always will be. And, in the end, people got it."

* Costas lived in St. Louis for several years as a sportscaster for local CBS affiliate KMOX Radio and returns to our area often to host charitable events and to socialize with family and friends.

Thanks for that STL Engineer, much appreciated.

It is interesting, when in the RAN and many years after, I was an alki, two years ago I gave up smoking and heavy or binge drinking. At this point in time no probs. I guess it has to do with an individuals metabolism.............or something.

I must admit I do feel better.........I think.

too bad the switches never worked again once he'd finished with them

always get their man

I thought that was the RCMP!

The RCMP stole the idea from Texas, the little buggers!

I feel your pain, STL. This question isn't much of a challenge. I only posted what I did to clarify some info.

FWIW, I submitted a question a while back, right after they posted my earlier submission. It might not test you based on what you know, but on your ability to investigate. Science is investigation, and sometimes engineers have to investigate things too. At least these questions help with my SDS.

I used to have similar fun building up a charge on my cat and then zapping her ear tips or nose.

Where's Del?

"I used to have similar fun building up a charge on my cat and then zapping her ear tips or nose."

Shocking, especially for the poor cat.

Keep ER away from Del! <grin>

Where's Del?

Hiding with a bottle of fabric softener.

Here kitty, kitty, kitty! Look at all this lovely Swedish fish I brought you...

LOL. He's been out on the tiles, and it looks like he's homeless. Who could be soo cruel to our beloved Kitty ?

But do you allow your carpets to become damp and remain that way for significant periods of time. If they are damp in an hotel, I'd be inclined to assume the worst

And, BTW, I've often found that what I thought to be "assuming the worst" turned out to be a relatively optimistic scenario...

The storm is now an official depression and is expected to become a named storm prior to landfall, with winds in access of 50 kph. This will be a major rain event with 8 (20 cm) to 10 (25 cm) inches of rain but not a major wind event. At teh present time, te storm is about 150 km off-shore and moving north at less than 5 kph. It should reach shore somewhere between Matagora Bay and Galveston Bay in next couple of days.

My brother lives in suburban Houston. A few years ago they had severe flooding. The water came up to their front door jamb and they placed towels in the cracks and around the door to prevent seepage. The high water discouraged most through traffic on their street but every so often a big truck would come by and make a wake, just like a cruiser on a lake, sending 2-3 foot high waves crashing against the door.

My brother put his thinking cap on and made a sign just like you see on buoys and posts in marinas, "NO WAKE ZONE". Then he went out and planted it in the yard on a tall stick. He wasn't sure, but it seemed the trucks slowed a little after that.

"The high water discouraged most through traffic on their street but every so often a big truck would come by and make a wake, just like a cruiser on a lake, sending 2-3 foot high waves crashing against the door."

To be honest with you, there are some clods in Texas who delight in racing their flood-proofed truck through high water in order to flood the lower riding autos and homes, thinking it is ?good? sport. They certainly are not cowboys and clearly do not live by the cowboy code.

"there are some clods in Texas who delight in racing their flood-proofed truck through high water in order to flood the lower riding autos and homes"

I wonder if they are breaking the law if they stay under the posted speed limit. And if so, would the ticket be issued by the police or the harbor patrol? <grin>

That is really stupid to be driving around over flooded streets as it is extremely asy to be swept off track by a current into a significantly perilous stituation. It is these types of people you see on TV news being pulled out of vehicles by heliocopters and lossing half their lives in the process.

Not to mention all the "stuff" floating around that would/will damage your vehicule anyway...people do stupid things.....

CR4 has some very good threads on the topic of static (some of the recent Challenge Questions have been directly related). A slightly related field is Bleve which I have not yet chanced upon here. Explosion in flour mills is another interesting one that I've not yet seen here. As with spark to methane igniting coal dust explosions underground, the explanations for these things is often more complex than meets the eye.

Be careful Kris, or you'll have me spouting European Legislation numbers at you and whittering (surely not!) on about ATEX Regulations and DSEAR and Best Practice.

Try 94/9/EC as amended for starters.

Are you still planning to get the e dude ? LOL

you've lost me? What e dude? (I'm thinking that's a puzzled emoticon, 25 years + 2 days old!)

The one who doubted your Swedish exploits. Yes ? ('The Emperors new Bowler hat')

"25 years + 2 days old!" ? Yeah, and I'm really Leonardo De'caprio.

Hi Kris Leonardo DC*

My wife wants your autograph

Fyz

*I imagine that to be nothing like Leonardo diCaprio, nor yet like Chris Leonard. Same principle as Washington DC being nowhere near Washington, I suppose.

LOL. Tell her I'll trade for a suitable letter of credit. I can collect it off the next banker who appears down here. I will, of course, be supplying my autograph in the usual fashion.

Fyz retires, beaten into the ground by difficulties with reset key on PC autograph machine. (Yes, my hair would be pointy if I could lose enough of it)

None of us can retire comfortably untill ER does so and leaves that 'second-best bed'.

You're going to have to do some very good explaining, or you'll be higher up on my list than E.

<taps foot>

Oh alright...It was a compliment you see, rosebud. That sled 'em all up the garden path. Such prose as yours is worthy of tribute.

Apologies for my churlish behaviour! I think you may need to borrow that second best bed for a lie down in a darkened room. I'll bring the cold flannel and the rose water.