When do you let your kids out of a booster seat? Whenever I want to, that’s when. I understand safety guidelines, but how is a booster seat going to help at the rate of speed that I drive? Or as a matter of fact, someone else is driving? A crash at that speed the child might as well be sitting on a stack of glued-together phone books.
I remember lying in the front seat of my Dad’s Dodge Dart when we had a wreck, and I believe I hit the windshield. But that part is fuzzy. I turned out fine. If a child can put their feet on the floor with their back to the seat and the seatbelt doesn’t choke them, then they are ready to toss the booster seat. Not out the window because I do not believe in littering.
I recall taking a nap in the front seat of my Dad’s Dodge Dart when my father had a wreck, and I believe I hit the windshield. But that part is unclear. I turned out just fine.
*Disclaimer, don’t break the law, check your local guidelines and follow them. Or at least, don’t get caught or wreck. Oh, who cares you are going to do what you want anyway.
Whenever you are attending a sporting event where many people are moving from place to place, stand in the common walkways. Take up as much space as possible. Walk side by side instead of a single file. Don’t forget to stop and reverse directions. You might want to make sweeping hand and arm gestures so that you accidentally hit someone in the face as they are walking by. Remember, you are the only important person there.
I’ve been watching a lot of high school and college softball over the years. Mostly because my daughter plays. One thing I noticed is that teams will rely on one dominant pitcher and not develop a pitching staff. I know that pitchers are hard to obtain, and it’s a tough skill, but you are running the risk of long term injury for your pitcher. In the short term, you may have a setback when your team is facing a tough game and your star slinger is sidelined.
The idea that fastpitch softball pitching is easier on the arm and shoulder than overhand baseball pitching has been a widely held belief, especially among coaches and parents. This is largely because the underhanded windmill motion used in softball is often seen as more “natural.” However, recent research and long-term observational studies are challenging this narrative.
What the Evidence Says
1. Biomechanics: Not Necessarily Easier
Underhand windmill pitching still places significant stress on the shoulder, elbow, and wrist.
Studies using motion capture and force analysis (e.g., University of Michigan, ASMI) have shown that peak shoulder torque in softball pitchers is comparable to that experienced by baseball pitchers—just in different parts of the throwing cycle.
Softball pitchers often throw hundreds of pitches in a weekend, especially at the travel or collegiate level. This volume can lead to overuse injuries just like in baseball.
2. Injury Patterns: Different, Not Less
Softball pitchers tend to experience:
Biceps tendinopathy
Shoulder impingement
Labral tears
Lower back pain
Forearm/elbow pain (particularly with riseballs and curveballs)
Research by the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine found that nearly 75% of collegiate softball pitchers reported a history of upper extremity pain that impacted performance.
3. Long-Term Impact: Studies Emerging
There is limited but growing longitudinal research on former collegiate softball pitchers:
A 2020 study published in the Journal of Athletic Training looked at over 200 former NCAA Division I softball pitchers. It found:
Over 40% reported persistent shoulder or arm pain even years after their careers.
Many had a reduced range of motion or strength compared to their non-pitching arm.
Those who pitched more than 3 seasons in college had a significantly higher incidence of chronic shoulder pain.
Anecdotally, many former high-level pitchers report issues requiring physical therapy or surgery, especially if they had high innings counts or poor mechanics in their developmental years.
Myths Debunked
Myth
Reality
Underhand pitching is “natural” and can be done indefinitely without harm
It’s repetitive overhead stress in disguise—especially at elite levels
Pitch counts don’t matter in softball
They absolutely do; overuse is a top predictor of injury
Girls are less prone to arm injuries
Not true—different sport, but same risk when training volume is high and rest is limited
Bottom Line
Softball pitching is not inherently safer—it’s just different.
High-volume pitching without proper mechanics, rest, and strength training can cause serious long-term arm and shoulder issues, even if pain isn’t felt immediately.
Ongoing studies highlight a clear correlation between long-term overuse and injury risk in former collegiate pitchers.
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I’ll never forget the look of shock on my Dad’s face when he was taking me to school and was curious to what the younger kids were listening to. I don’t know if he asked or I just inserted the cassette tape. Anyway, I played a few short snippets of the latest 2 Live Crew release. It wasn’t long before the tape was ejected and then very few words were spoken on the remainder of the journey to school. The cloud of disappointment was precipitous.
I’ve pretty much abandoned all Hip-Hop after 1997 because I really started listening to the lyrics and how terrible the content was. Turns out, I really only liked the beats and scratching. I’ve since started a small project where I will find the instrumentals and splice together the hooks and scratches so I don’t have to hear all the vulgarities.
Now that I’m an adult, I’ve become concerned with what my children listen to. They don’t listen to much other than Disney soundtracks or whatever I listen to when I take them places. Don’t worry, NWA and 2 Live Crew don’t make it into the rotation anymore. The closest I get to listening to Luke Skywalker is the Star Wars scores.
When do you let your kids ride in the front seat? Well, hopefully never. Maybe when they are old enough to drive. Once they make that move from the back to front, they will try to control the A/C and SiriusXM settings. We have a 100-pound rule in our state; once they reach that weight threshold, they can sit in the front seat. We figure by then they will be tall enough as well. So we have to control their diet so we don’t end up with a 100-pound 3-foot weeble wobble in the front seat. There are some stipulations.
There are two types of people when passing an accident on the roadways.
The person who says, “We should all pray for them so that everyone is safe”
The person who says, “If they survive, they should be taken to jail after they’ve been treated for their injuries. They’ve ruined my day and my plans.”
Seriously, if you are in traffic and you are approaching an accident, just GO! It’s none of your business what is going with that scene. Certainly, don’t slow down and try to look. If you do witness some gore, it will haunt you forever. Keep moving…
When you travel, it’s nice to stop off somewhere for a quick bite to eat. However, fast food has become increasingly unappetizing. Kentucky Fried Fish or Long John Chicken are two that I have a soft spot for. Well, several soft spots and not just because Long John Silver’s got me out of the hospital when I was a kid.
The sad thing is more and more Long John Silver’s are setting sail over the horizon and falling off our flat earth. While I’m not a fan of hybrid restaurants, I think they could do better to draw in more foodies. For instance, take the batter from Long John Silver’s and infuse it with KFC’s 11 herbs and spices. Take a couple of fish planks and cover them in mashed potatoes and gravy for a nice Irish fisherman’s pie. The possibilities are endless!
AKA: the pace car. Your job is to keep everyone going the speed limit. If they pass you on the right they are then breaking the law. But so are you by continually using the far left lane. Buy hey someone else will be using it if you don’t, so why shouldn’t it be you. You are trying to keep everyone safe by obeying the posted speed limit.
Middle lane(s)
This one is a bit tricky. You have to work well with others. If you can find an 18-wheeler then you are golden. Just keep pace with them and you can now block two lanes of traffic. Bonus points if they are in the far left lane.
Far right lane
Your job here is to block people from merging in and off the interstate. You don’t want people in front or behind you. Your goal is to run them into the grass or wrap them around a tree. It’s also your duty to ruin people’s cruise control pace. Try to maintain a 5 to 10 MPH under the speed limit.
HOV Lane
If your city has an HOV lane then you must use it no matter what. If you don’t want to carpool and don’t have any friends or family. By now, your driving habits should secure that status for you. You will need to construct some sort of mannequin and make it your passenger. You could just follow the rules of using the Far left lane and play dumb when you get pulled over and cause everyone to be an hour late for work.
Make your own lane
Finally, if all else fails, make your own lane. This can be driving on the lines if you have a motorcycle. You can also drive on the shoulder or medians to pass people if you are in a hurry. Above all else remember, you are the most important person on the road, so act like it!
Do you remember Net Neutrality, do you miss it? Do you even notice when you had it? To me, it sounds like people are trying to say that people have a “right” to a fast internet connection. The next step is that everyone gets free gigabit broadband. The Internet is not a public utility, you still have to pay for it, just as you do water, electricity, feces removal, and rubbish pickup. If you want a better service I think if you should have to pay for it. Why would your ISP want to slow down Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon streaming? Not everyone has a right to transportation. You can ride your skateboard, bike, bus, train, personal vehicle, luxury car, commercial jet, or private charter plane. Which one would you rather take? In my opinion, it sounds like people are being paranoid because they don’t want to give up their favorite “free speech” websites. Take that however you want to. Since we are on the subject of “public utilities”. What about…
Water Neutrality
I will gladly pay more for premium filtered water coming into my house rather than the water that smells like it was just boiling a dozen duck eggs dipped in the sewage treatment plant. However, do I think that if I used my allotted water my water company will cut me off and let me die of thirst, no? But I pay more per month if I use more water, and I pay a minimum no water what. If I don’t pay my bill, then I get no more water.
Electricity Neutrality
I’d love a service where I didn’t get any brownouts. Companies are really cashing in on putting solar panels on your roof. What about energy neutrality, shouldn’t it all be free since the sun is free?
Website Neutrality
I already pay more for my internet because I want faster speeds, I don’t want buffering of my YouTube and Netflix so I have a business account. This way I don’t have to share bandwidth with all my neighbors who are playing video games. Truth is, I’ve already paid premium rates for Hulu with no commercials. Guess what, there were still commercials.
Trash collection Neutrality
I’ll pay more for a service where I can fill up as many containers as I want rather than just the one small one. And without bags, and I’ll pay someone to sort my plastic, glass, and cardboard. I stopped recycling because it became too much of a chore to separate all the crap myself. I don’t care about the environment anymore. Our society hates children anyway, so why should we care about their future?
Conclusion
Universities already have Internet 2 How is that fair with net neutrality? There is also this thing called the “Dark Web”, and I really have no interest in it. That thinking will still exist regardless. However, I would be interested in something called the “Light Web”. An internet that doesn’t have all the depravity, perversions, and other garbage so I don’t have to put a million filters on my internet router so I can keep my children sheltered as long as possible. Right now I guess the “Grey Web” will have to do.
Sir Is used as a polite or respectful way of addressing a man, especially one in a position of authority
Ma’am Is a term of respectful or polite address used for a woman.
However, whenever I hear this directed towards another human at retail, a restaurant, or another place of business during a customer complaint, it always has the connotation of @$$h0le or B! tch. It’s never used with endearment but rather as a derogatory term. It’s overused with emphasis that you are not getting what you want no matter how reasonable you are being. To be blunt, it’s a power trip for the person using it. It’s like calling your dog a stupid idiot but using a friendly voice, he still wags his tail and licks his chops with excitement.
Daily Irritant 
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