Americans consider a match without a winner a tie as that is what is reflected in any standings. We consider unfinished matches as to be finished later. While there have only been 2 "ties", identical scores after 5 days, the frequency of draws, no winner no loser, is 25-30% of matches.
Yes, I guess that's reasonable, except ... if you live in a place where you might need it at night, and not have time to open the safe. I recall some work on triggers that were fingerprint-sensitive, and would be able to recognize say, you and your wife but not your children, so your kids couldn't shoot you with your gun, but your wife could.
Whoa ... I must have seen out of date information. I stand corrected. (But the Maoris are sharpening their taiahas).
It's a shame Americans don't understand cricket. If we did, we could appreciate this wonderful poem, Vitae Lampada, by Henry Newbolt: There's a breathless hush in the Close to-night— Ten to make and the match to win— A bumping pitch and a blinding light, An hour to play and the last man in. And it's not for the sake of a ribboned coat, Or the selfish hope of a season's fame, But his captain's hand on his shoulder smote "Play up! play up! and play the game!" The sand of the desert is sodden red,— Red with the wreck of a square that broke;— The Gatling's jammed and the Colonel dead, And the regiment blind with dust and smoke. The river of death has brimmed his banks, And England's far, and Honour a name, But the voice of a schoolboy rallies the ranks: "Play up! play up! and play the game!" This is the word that year by year, While in her place the school is set, Every one of her sons must hear, And none that hears it dare forget. This they all with a joyful mind Bear through life like a torch in flame, And falling fling to the host behind— "Play up! play up! and play the game!"
Well...as long as your wife still can. I've heard it's not the trigger but the palm. Personally I think a gun that fires a projectile that stuns and tranquilizes the assailent would be perfect. Unlike a taser it could be used repeatedly in succession. Incapacitating force not deadly.
The palm. Yes, makes more sense. I actually agree re something that would actually stun an intruder ... something in between a little bean-bag and a .357 bullet. If they could make such a thing. Paintball guns raised to a higher power. What rightwing gun nuts like me are concerned with are two things, not at all the same. (1) Defending our homes from nasty people: they're likely to be up close, not 250 meters away, so you don't need a military rifle. In fact, you don't want a military rifle, because you might take out your neighbor's children. "Friendly fire" was the wonderful name for it in Vietnam, I think. (Someone had a sense of humor.) The 'incapacitating' and 'not deadly' bit doesn't sound too good to us bloodthirsty conservatives at first, but ... if we consider that sometimes you wake up at night, hear noises off, or someone walking around in your living room, you take out your 9mm (as we say in Texas, we dial 911 after we dial 9mm), empty a magazine into the target and find out ... oops, it was an inebriated neighboor, an early-arriving relative .... an incapacitator would relieve you of inhibition. (2) A large-scale disorder/civil war situation. California is one 9.0 earthquake away from the latter. Of course a civil war could never happen in a country like the US or England, but .. there's always a first time. In a situation like that, you do want an AR15. But ... perhaps something like an expansion of the 'State Guard' concept, as I've argued elsewhere -- every neighborhood has someone deputized to be in charge of the arsenal, which is kept in a gun safe. Sweeteners could be that the ammo is supplied by the taxpayer -- we could cut back on welfare to pay for it. Probably 'way too radical to be considered.
One of the ways for a batsman to score is to hit a pigeon or seagull. This is worth 50 runs and is known as a birdie. Fielders can also score a birdie but they have to hit it while in the air.
Animals ... sports involving hitting balls .... time for another golfing joke. A young nun takes part in an expedition from the nunnery to learn how to play golf. She returns in the afternoon, and asks to see the Mother Superior. The latter ushers the young nun, who is in obvious distress, into her office, and closes the door. "What is the matter, my daughter?" the older woman asks. "Oh, mother ... today... while playing ... I blasphemed!!!!" "What was the occasion of your sin?" "Well, I hit the ball ... and it was a good shot ... God guided me ... but ... when the ball hit the ground and stopped rolling ... a squirrel ran out and picked the ball up and began to run away with it!!!" "And then did you blaspheme, daughter?" "No, Mother ... because as the squirrel was running ... an eagle swooped down and picked up the squirrel, ball and all, and began to fly away with it!" "And that was the occasion of your blasphemy??" "No, mother... because as the eagle was flying over a pond, the squirrel dropped the ball, and it fell straight towards the water!" "Ah ... and then you blasphemed!" "No, mother! Because there was a turtle in the pond, and the ball hit his shell, and bounced on to the green, and rolled to within three feet of the hole I had been playing for!" "Wait!!!!! You need say no more, my daughter!!! I understand it all now..... . . . . . ...You missed the f*****g putt!!!"
British humor has always been a favorite of mine. So dry... Anyway, I was in London some years back and watched fireworks on New Year's Eve. When it was over, there was a really long line waiting to get on the Underground. As we stood in line, some young guy tried to slip in the line ahead of everybody, and to my surprise, a man grabbed the guy by the back of his jacket and pulled him back. Before he released him, another person and another and another and so on, pulled this guy back to the end of the line. I don't know if that's indicative of the culture, or just a fluke, but I was impressed by the fact that it all seemed so normal. Even the Bobbies paid little attention when they saw the commotion.
