From other discussion, I think the questioner may have been mistaken about there being seven ways besides a hit.

[spoiler]Six:

catcher's interference
dropped third strike
error
fielder's choice
hit by pitch
walk
[/spoiler]

Yanks can't play rugby, football or cricket...
 

No Problem.

Just invent your own game and call it "The World Series"

[url]http://www.npr.org/2011/06/28/137394348/-1-billion-that-nobody-wants[/url]
[QUOTE]In 2005, Congress decided that a new series of dollar coins should be minted to engage the public. These coins would bear the likeness of every former president, starting with George Washington. There would be a new one every quarter. So, far, the Mint has produced coins through the 18th president, Ulysses S. Grant.[/QUOTE][QUOTE]If the mandate to make presidential coins wasn't enough to generate a growing heap of unwanted coins, a political deal ensured that even more unwanted coins would be produced.

It was easier for the bill's sponsor, then-Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE), to move the presidential coin bill forward if it didn't displace other dollar coins honoring Sacagawea, the teenage Native American guide to Lewis and Clark.

The deal: The mint would be required to make a quota of Sacagawea coins. Currently, the law says 20 percent of dollar coins made must have Sacagawea on them.

So, there are now about 1.2 billion dollar-coin "assets" chilling in Federal Reserve vaults, unloved and bearing no interest. By the time the presidential coin series finishes, and there are coins honoring all past presidents, there could be 2 billion.[/QUOTE][QUOTE]Earl Pomeroy, a former Democratic congressman from North Dakota who championed the quota while serving in the House, hedges a bit.

Pomeroy stands by his defense of "dear old Sacagawea." But he acknowledges that there's at least some folly in continuing to make coins that will not be used.


"I think the foolish part of the law may be not the Sacagawea part, but the fact that with no one picking up these coins, we've got to keep printing them because we've got to get through the rest of the presidents list," says Pomeroy, who lost his bid for a 10th term in Congress last year. "That to me doesn't seem to make any sense at all.

"Is the nation waiting with bated breath for us to get to the Calvin Coolidge coin? No! Maybe we should call a halt to this whole thing."[/QUOTE]

'Loonies and 'Toonies work just fine in Canada....why not here? (These are the one and two dollar coins).

Though I hear complaints about dollar coins not being easy to use, and there's a legitimate problem with the millions of cash registers that'd need a different drawer arrangement, the vending machine industry has made a large proportion of their machines able to accept dollar coins, for a couple of decades now.

[QUOTE=cheesehead;264926]there's a legitimate problem with the millions of cash registers that'd need a different drawer arrangement,[/QUOTE]Rounding prices/totals to the nickel would free up the penny cup in a drawer. Vending machines use 5 cent increments. Drawers from years ago had half dollar and silver dollar cups.

[url]http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-06/video-japanese-sense-roid-robot-torso-hugs-you-back[/url]

[QUOTE=retina;264941][url]http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-06/video-japanese-sense-roid-robot-torso-hugs-you-back[/url][/QUOTE]

might be useful in disaster scenario's , though I'm concerned about people becoming addicts of it because it reminds them of a fallen loved one.

[QUOTE=Christenson;264921]'Loonies and 'Toonies work just fine in Canada....why not here? (These are the one and two dollar coins).[/QUOTE]
I skimmed around a bit and am impressed at how well that went. It is interesting though that the $1 original master dies (both sides) were trusted to an "Ace Courier" unsigned pickup that was lost-in-transit -- the loon design was a substitute.

I also took a look at last year's botched release of one billion printed US $100 notes (all printed before a serious creased printing defect was discovered). There is a June 14 2011 official progress report transcript and video at [url]http://www.newmoney.gov/newmoney/default.aspx[/url]

[QUOTE]A great deal of work has gone into identifying the problem through the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and its paper supplier, Crane and Company. While we understand that there’s not likely to be a silver bullet in this particular case, they’ve investigated a number of different possible solutions and they’ve made several process changes, they’ve conducted numerous tests, and while we think we’re on the right path to finding the solution to make us all comfortable, we’re making sure that we do have the solution that is sustainable and repeatable. As an added assurance, we have asked a consulting firm to give us an independent assessment that the steps that have been taken will actually solve the problem.

Running parallel with this initiative, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing has about 1.1 billion notes that they had printed before they discovered the creasing problem. They’ve done some hand-tests already and those tests have suggested that by and large the majority of these notes will be usable. They are looking for an automated solution so that they can work through that inventory much faster.[/QUOTE]So they don't know when it will finally debut but they say that they will give at least 6 months advance notice of release.

[url]http://ca.news.yahoo.com/inaccurate-gas-pumps-shortchange-canadians-090309656.html[/url]

I was having a conversation with a friend not too long ago and the subject of hygiene and psychological isolation on the ISS came up. After a few dozen articles, I bumped into this one. I guess it was the ambiguous last sentence that really threw me off.

[URL="http://english.pravda.ru/world/europe/07-12-2007/102446-astronauts-0/"]http://english.pravda.ru/world/europe/07-12-2007/102446-astronauts-0/[/URL]