Ask Grandstander

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by phenweigh

If you were interested in knowing the moisture content of the outside air, would you rather know the dew point or the relative humidity?

The calculation of the dew point employs an equation which has humidity as one of the components, you need to know what the humidity is to figure out the dew point, but you do not need to know the dew point to figure out the humidity. On the other hand, if you know the dew point and have the other information, you can reverse the equation and extract the humidity from it.

Or you can do what I do which is to step outdoors and see if there is dew on the grass or how sticky it feels.

[JoseA]

What are your views on composting?

[Zen653]

Aside from controversial figures such as Pete Rose and Joe Jackson, which pre-1990 MLB player most deserves enshrinement into Cooperstown?

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by JoseA

What are your views on composting?

Oh sure, I'll comp a post here now and again for a worthy cause, but I make my living off the subscriptions.

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by Zen653

Aside from controversial figures such as Pete Rose and Joe Jackson, which pre-1990 MLB player most deserves enshrinement into Cooperstown?

None. The more you reach back into the past for HoFers, the lesser the choices will be. If follows that you have already honored the better ones from previous eras, so what is left are the second tier stars. My feeling is that the Hall has already honored too many not really the greatest type players and I would be for shutting the doors to any future admission from the veteran's committee...I would dissolve the veteran's committee.

Not a player, but astonishingly not voted in, is Marvin Miller. I do not see that there is a single figure who had a greater impact on changing the game in the last part of the 20th Century. They induct sportswriters who spent their careers reporting on the incredible things that Miller did, but they don't induct Miller. During Miller's tenure as head of the MLBPA, there was no commisioner who matched his power and prestige, there was no owner collective capable of winning a negotiation against him, there were just relentless and total victories for the player's union. Miller was undefeated lifetime. In 1966, when Miller took over the union, the avergae player salary was $6000.00. In 1984 when he retired, it was a half million dollars. Every ML player since the mid 1970's owes his monetary fortune to Miller. Miller is responsible for creating more millionares than Michael Anthony.

75 % of the Veteran Committee's votes are required for enshrinement and Miller received only 44 % in his first year of elligibility. 44 PERCENT! That means 56 % of the voters thought him an inconsequential figure. It has risen slowly in subsequent elections and this year he got 63 % of the vote. So perhaps next year. I just cannot imagine what the grounds are for not voting for him.

Another guy getting dismal support from the Veteran's Committee who I think is a no brainer HoF manager is Billy Martin. For all his alcoholic rage and character flaws, Martin was amazingly succesful as a manager wherever he went. There has never been a manager who could take over any losing team and turn them into winners instantly with the reliability of Martin. Further, the Hall of Fame is about, damnit, FAME. Martin was the center of attention on all his teams regardless of the roster personnel. When you are the center of attention in a show which includes Steinbrenner and Reggie, then you burn with celebrity. He talked brassy, he managed with great competitive fire and he sure knew what the hell he was doing when running a ballclub. Martin and Weaver were the managerial giants of their era. Sparky Anderson got to drive the Big Red Machine but there was never much danger of anyone mistaking him for a genius. Lasorda was the high profile, rah rah sort who benefitted from the Dodgers being the best run organization in baseball during his tenure. Both were good managers, but neither were as responsible for their clubs winning as were Weaver and Martin.

So...no more old players.....but let's add Miller and Martin.

[JoseA]

How many different states (United States) have you been to and which ones?

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by JoseA

How many different states (United States) have you been to and which ones?

I'm not sure what you will be doing with this information, but it is:
Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Mississippi, Tennesse, Kentucky, Maryland, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Okalahoma, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, California, Washington, Minnesota, Hawaii and Illinois. That's 26 out of 50.

[MuffinMcFluffin]

Today my little sister's middle school had a terrible accident where an SUV jumped the curb and hit several students (luckily, none were killed). When I first heard the story, my instant reaction was that my little sister was one of them, and I called her up to make sure she was alright. Thankfully, she wasn't one of them, and I constantly reminded her how many times I love her and how I'm happy nothing happened.

The thing is, this isn't the first incident at which I worried so much. I even have bad dreams that something happens to her while she's at school and I can't do anything about it because I'm in college 500 miles away. Do you think that it's healthy for me to be so worried about how safe she is at school all the time, or should I lay back a little more?

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by MuffinMcFluffin

Do you think that it's healthy for me to be so worried about how safe she is at school all the time, or should I lay back a little more?

I think that you are going to worry about her regardless of any decision to "lay back" based on health concerns.

Now if by "unhealthy" you mean generating such anxiety that you are making yourself ill, then perhaps you should turn to that Lucinda Bassett woman. That's a general, not personal endorsement, I really don't know what goes into her program or how well it works. I tried to watch her infomercial once and she made me too nervous to stay with it very long.

[jtur88]

It now takes at least 3 jobs to support a nuclear family, where it took only one a half century ago. But what are all these jobholders doing? You cannot find an employee to tell you where something is in a store, no human being can ever be reached at a business phone number, there is no dentist who can see you in less than 6 months, everything is manufactured by workers in Asia. Students are home schooled, and throw-away appliances cannot be repaired. So what are 200-million Americans doing at their 'essential' jobs?

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by jtur88

It now takes at least 3 jobs to support a nuclear family, where it took only one a half century ago. But what are all these jobholders doing? You cannot find an employee to tell you where something is in a store, no human being can ever be reached at a business phone number, there is no dentist who can see you in less than 6 months, everything is manufactured by workers in Asia. Students are home schooled, and throw-away appliances cannot be repaired. So what are 200-million Americans doing at their 'essential' jobs?

They are working on enhancing their self esteem. You seem to be working on winning the 2007 Andy Rooney Gripe-Off.

[phenweigh]

When do you think a 51st state will be admitted to the Union and what do we currently know it as?

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by phenweigh

When do you think a 51st state will be admitted to the Union and what do we currently know it as?

I think fifty is it, no more new ones. Hawaii is the only state which we have admitted which began with a majority of the population not speaking English. It was only after the place had become completely Americanized and English became the official language and Anglo culture was dominating that Hawaii was deemed suitable.

Those conditions are not yet present in any of the candidates from among US territories/trusts such as Puerto Rico, Guam, Somoa, Mirconesia and Iraq.

So, I'm thinking it won't happen....unless of course we finally get fed up taking guff from those evil Canadians, invade, take over the place...and then carve it up into a new set of states.

[jtur88]

If poultry production and marketing were in the hands of corporations that had Mobil-Exxon's capacity to anticipate seasonal demand patterns, what would be the price of a turkey in November?

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by jtur88

If poultry production and marketing were in the hands of corporations that had Mobil-Exxon's capacity to anticipate seasonal demand patterns, what would be the price of a turkey in November?

This question comes with the implication that some people trying to maximize their profits are evil while others are not. I am 100 % confident that the folks who sell turkeys will accept as much money for them as they think they can get and that if they could think of a way to boost their profits even more, they would do so.

This is capitalism, no one is born with a right to low priced gasoline or low priced turkeys. Besides, it is consumer demand for gasoline which keeps the prices high. Americans feel that they must drive supersized SUVs, that when they go on vaction to get away from it all, they must rent monster Winnebagos so that they can bring their entire homes along with them...and tow that supersized SUV behind it.

I drive an ecomony car, I've driven nothing but an economy car for the last 30 years, I average about 4 or 5 thousand miles a year.....if everyone was like me, gasoline would be a a great deal cheaper. The solution is to quit complaining about evil oil companies and make me your role model for driving.