Why the Curveball Curves

This is a special book for all the sports fans out there.  Why the Curveball Curves was produced by Popular Mechanics and it draws from articles from the magazine as well as articles written especially for the book.  Don' be fooled though, because it's not just about baseball pitches.  Baseball is by far the most represented sport, probably because so many aspects of the game lend themselves to differing principles of physics.  Sports range from baseball soccer and hockey to bicycling, running and golf.

I won't go too much into the principles of the books, largely because it's been so long since I finished it.  The book is for the sports fan, any sports fan.  It's not worth buying, unless you are into every sport, or at least really into baseball.  I think it's a worthy check-out from the library (that's the only reason I bothered to get it).

The most interesting article was in the cycling section.  There's a race called The Hour, where you ride for an hour on a track.  The test is to see how far you can ride in that hour.  Lance Armstrong has never attempted the task, at least not at the time the book was released.  What was striking was a particular rider who took up the challenge.  There's a weight limit, so the bike cannot weight less than 30 lbs (or something like that).  Well, this fella noticed there was not maximum weight limit, so he opted for a heavier bike.  That may seem counter-intuitive, but it works.  The bike takes longer to get up to speed.  Once up to speed it's actually easier to maintain the desired speed and keep control of the bike.  I don't recall if this guy actually broke the record, but the theory was very interesting.

Since the title references the infamous curveball, I should at least touch on that.  I remember from a physics book about how a curveball works, so that that part wasn't new to me.  There's been a debate as to whether the action of the curveball is the result of an actual curve, or an illusion.  It's a mix of both.  The ball curves, due to the rotation of the ball.  The curveball drops more than a normal pitch would.  The illusion comes in the fact that it doesn't drop as fast as it appears to, if you're looking at it from the batter's perspective.  The ball appears to drop two feet within the last five feet of the pitch.  It actually takes a greater distance for the drop to happen, but because of the speed of the pitch it appears to happen much faster in a much shorter distance.

One interesting fact I learned about pitches what that a curveball will fly farther when hit by the bat than say a fastball.  The reason is simple.  The curveball and fastball come into the plate with opposite spins.  The curveball happens to be spinning the say way it will be spinning when it makes contact.  Whereas a fastball must reverse it's spin, thus reducing the distance it will travel.  I can't remember the whole principle, but that's the basic idea.

Anyway, it's a worthwhile book, but not a must read.

The Obama-nation

It's official.  To all the nay-sayers that said that Jesus could never be elected, I say take that that.

Honestly, the messiah-esque mantle that has been bestowed upon Mr. Obama is not really his fault.  I've I've discussed in the past, the media fell in love with the man.  It's a love affair that goes back to the 2004 Democratic National Convention.  I certainly give the man credit for trying to be real with the american people about the struggles we face as a nation.  He's truly stated that the road ahead will be long and rough.  The problem is, I don't think too many people are listening.

Bush enjoyed immense popularity right after 9/11.  Within a year it was gone.  Some say he squandered it.  I can't honestly place blame on anything in particular; I don't have the expertise.  I think Obama may be set up for that kind of response (I hesitate to use the word failure).  He could do great things, but if it's not enough he will lose support.  When things don't happen as quickly as I believe some people hope, I believe Obama will suffer.  It may be to the detriment of the nation.  I disagree with Obama on may policy/philosophical areas, but I don't want the man to fail.  I just want him to end up making the right decisions.  Only time will tell.

I only saw part of the inauguration.  Two things stuck out that bugged me.  First were the people who booed Bush.  I'm no Bush fan.  I disagree with the decision to go to Iraq, from the start.  Then there's the PATRIOT Act.  I don't think he's Hitler, I it troubles me that we live in a nation that people think it's appropriate to boo an out-going president.  I don't know Bush personally and I think most politicians have questionable morals in general.  That being said, I do believe, right or wrong, that Bush was acting in the way he felt best.  I don't see this as just oil greed and such (maybe that's the non-cynical voice in my head).  We all act on mixed motives in everything we do (see Joe Badaracco's book).  Few things have one reason; it all depends on the mix of good vs. bad motives.  I think Bush's were mostly good, but in the wrong direction.  I don't know that he was incompetent.

The other thing that bothered me was the swearing in.  Obama stumbled, but I don't think it was his fault.  I just got the impression that Justice Roberts gave Obama too many words to remember at one time.  The first line he paused, which made it seem like he wanted Obama to repeat.  Then as soon as Obama started, Roberts continued the line.  Maybe Roberts was nervous, but my cynical voice wants to think he did it on purpose just to mess with the guy.  Maybe we'll never know, but I think that it could have been done better and maybe they should have practiced.

Those are my few thoughts.