As I drove along the country roads of Southwestern Missouri, I couldn’t help but notice the painted hand-made “Good Food” signs which began popping up on fence posts. These road signs pushed my imagination into high gear and visions of “Deliverance” to “Ma and Pa Kettle” began swirling around in my head, and the thought of a big greasy hamburger with piles of French fries falling off the sides of the plate, set my stomach to churning. I had to stop.

The inside of the Greasy Spoon, although furnished in 1950’s style tables and chairs, a few metal corn fertilizer advertisements hanging on the walls, I failed to see the correlation between food and fertilizer, but the place was spic and span clean and the few patrons sitting at the tables all offered a friendly smile.

I finished ordering my food then went to the restroom to wash up and that’s where I saw the old black and white photos of men playing the game of cork ball hanging on the hall way walls leading to the restrooms.

“Where were those pictures taken,” I asked the bartender.

“Right out there,” he said nodding towards the back door.

I was astonished at what I saw as I peered through the foggy glass panel of the door and couldn’t wait to go outside for a clear view. Stepping out into the sunlight I saw the predecessor, the grandfather if you will, to the modern day net batting cage.

It was a Cork Ball facility and it looked brand new. I hadn’t seen one of these facilities since I was a very young man, many decades ago, and had completely forgotten they existed until today.

On that issue, there are probably many of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, so let me explain the game of cork ball.

Cork ball was played between two opposing teams and the rules and goals were similar to baseball, as far as counting runs, outs and innings. The teams consisted of three players each, the pitcher, catcher and outfielder.

The game was played inside a large netted area, similar to today’s modern batting cage. There were many different versions of how the game was played, depending on location, but the most familiar rules were as follows:

1. The defense consisted of a pitcher, catcher and outfielder. The catcher wore a catcher’s mask and used a regular baseball glove to catch.

2. A pitching rubber was set at a specific distance from the plate where the pitcher followed the same rules as a baseball pitcher.

3. The outfielder played behind the pitcher, remember this is a tunnel shaped stadium. If the outfielder caught a fly ball or line drive, it was an out, if he fielded a ground ball, it was a base hit, miss a ground ball and it was a double, a ball hit over his head, depending where the ball struck the back wall, was a triple or home run.

4. The batter was allowed 1 strike, a swing and miss or a called strike by the umpire which constituted a strike out. Two balls, constituted a walk and a foul ball followed baseball rules.

The equipment, the bat and ball, is what made the game unique and very special.

1. The bat was @ the same length of a baseball bat, but more like a thick broom handle in size and hitting surface. ( perhaps the ancestor to today’s fungo bat. )

2. The ball resembled a miniature baseball, made of cow hide with seams, but much smaller than a regular baseball.

The speed in which a pitcher could throw a cork ball, the narrow hitting surface of the bat and the fast pace of the game, made it a very popular sport of older men, beyond their high school playing days.

Cork ball leagues sprang up everywhere with the most popular playing areas being adjacent or along side a tavern or bar. The roar of fans, sitting on bleachers, the glare of the lights and the sound of clinking beer bottles were heard late into the night on Friday or Saturday.

The game had been an American icon, played with fierce rivalries and filling the coffers of the tavern’s owner. I have no idea what lead to the sports demise, perhaps us becoming couch potatoes, but it held a significant place, for awhile, in American sports history.

Home cinemas are the latest trend. There’s nothing like having the luxury of a dedicated cinema in your home with a big screen, where you can unwind, and get your frequent dose of cinematic pleasure with family, friends, or just alone.

Whether a 5-seater home cinema room, or a 50-seater, unless you do a proper, professional audio visual installation, it will be money thrown down the drain.

Designing and creating a home cinema that has both the style, acoustic and other technical elements you want, is no easy task. If you are going for a complete home cinema installation, to get all the elements in the way you want in – it’s best to tear apart the whole room and start from scratch!

Home Cinema Installation – What You Need to Anticipate:

There will be a lot of wiring requirements for your audio video installation!: No one likes wires to show in their home cinema room. And, there will be a lot of wires. These can be concealed in the wall or in elegant wooden paneling behind your screen and elsewhere. Remember – you’ll want to go with “neat and tidy”, wherever there will be wiring.

Structural components will be needed to support heavy equipment: Your huge TV screen, for example, will need to be supported well. Make sure you choose your equipment first, before you go ahead with the interiors.

Special audio-visual Furniture: Whether you are going in for cinema chairs or sofas, you will need special professional audio-visual furniture, so sound is absorbed and not bounced off wrongly.

Choosing surface materials for correct audio video installation: Remember that everything in your room will affect the quality of sound. So, do select all your surface materials prudently. Hardwood or concrete floors, for example, will reflect sound too much. If you must go with such reflective surface materials, you will need to compensate with thick carpeting, drapes, cushion sofas, etc. Even the walls, ideally, should be built or treated for optimal acoustics.

Colour of interiors: Going with bright colours on your walls is a big ‘no’! Bright colours reflect onto the projector or TV screen and affect image quality. Before you go ahead with your home cinema installation, please do look into this important element.

Planning the right lighting during audio video installation: Beyond sound, the right lighting will also tremendously affect your entertainment comfort and experience. If your room has too much sunlight, for example, consider blackout shades or curtains, an anti-glare TV, etc. You might want to go in for aisle lighting, if you are planning a relatively larger home cinema installation. Fans should also be planned in conjunction with lights or they could throw flashes of light onto your screen!

Getting the acoustics right: Hiring an acoustics expert is the best way to get the acoustics right in your home cinema installation process, in terms of placement of your speakers, ideal settings on your equipment in relation with your room, etc. Most total home theatre providers will have a few acoustics expert on staff, so do take advantage of their services.

If you are going in for a complete home cinema, do commit to as much renovation of your designated room as possible – Going the whole hog will enhance your entertainment experience tremendously.