Even though theres war raging on several fronts and an election coming up, like many American males, Ive spent the past few weeks thinking mostly about the Major League Baseball playoffs. The draw of our national pastime was seemingly the same in 1921, when, despite World War I finally coming to an end and the first successful BCG vaccinations against tuberculosis, the question on everyones lips was: How the heck can Babe Ruth hit so many home runs?

Think of these pretty portable players as the lovechildren of TiVo, satellite radio and the iPod. They allow you to record your favorite crystal-clear satellite programming TiVo-style and then listen to it later on, wherever you are. Although these wearable units are not themselves satellite receivers-they have to be docked to receive and record content-the XM Samsung neXus and Sirius S50 have two key advantages over their antenna-outfitted relatives: They´re half the size, and you can upload your MP3 and WMA files and mix them into your satellite-radio playlists.

Why do Wooden Baseball Bats Break?

Pat Honan
Middle Village, N.Y.




"Remember, a wooden bat is a 100 percent natural product," says Bill Williams of Hillerich & Bradsby, makers of the Louisville Slugger bats used by Major League Baseball. The bat makers evaluate the wood from the exterior, but they cannot look inside the bat for minute structural flaws.