Behind the eight ball again?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="behind">behind</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="ball">ball</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span>: “<span word="Costs">Costs</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="behind">behind</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="again">again</span>.”</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Costs">Costs</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="company">company</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="financial">financial</span> <span word="trouble">trouble</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="time">time</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="lose">lose</span> <span word="money">money</span>, <span word="i">i</span>.<span word="e">e</span>. <span word="failing">failing</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="profit">profit</span> <span word="again">again</span>.</p><p><span word="That">That</span>’<span word="s">s</span>, <span word="more">more</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="less">less</span>, <span word="what">what</span> “<span word="behind">behind</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="ball">ball</span>” <span word="means">means</span> <span word="here">here</span>.</p><p><span word="Of">Of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="play">play</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="game">game</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="pool">pool</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="understand">understand</span> <span word="this">this</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="version">version</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="game">game</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="exact">exact</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="Eight">Eight</span> <span word="Ball">Ball</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="Eight">Eight</span>-<span word="Ball">Ball</span> <span word="pool">pool</span>, <span word="two">two</span> <span word="players">players</span> <span word="play">play</span> 15 <span word="balls">balls</span> <span word="numbered">numbered</span> 1 <span word="through">through</span> 15. <span word="As">As</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="matter">matter</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fact">fact</span>, <span word="each">each</span> <span word="player">player</span> <span word="plays">plays</span> <span word="seven">seven</span> <span word="balls">balls</span> <span word="first">first</span>, <span word="with">with</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="player">player</span> <span word="owning">owning</span> <span word="numbers">numbers</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="seven">seven</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="nine">nine</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="fifteen">fifteen</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> (<span word="denoting">denoting</span> <span word="Ball">Ball</span> <span word="Number">Number</span> 8, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="eighth">eighth</span> <span word="ball">ball</span>) <span word="is">is</span> <span word="played">played</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="player">player</span> <span word="pockets">pockets</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="seven">seven</span> <span word="balls">balls</span> (<span word="knocking">knocking</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="six">six</span> <span word="side">side</span> <span word="holes">holes</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="pockets">pockets</span> <span word="round">round</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="table">table</span>) <span word="is">is</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="allowed">allowed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="ball">ball</span>. <span word="He">He</span>/<span word="she">she</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="knock">knock</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="wins">wins</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="game">game</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="frame">frame</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="accordance">accordance</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rules">rules</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="game">game</span>, <span word="players">players</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="allowed">allowed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="touch">touch</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="aiming">aiming</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="seven">seven</span> <span word="balls">balls</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="supposed">supposed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="hit">hit</span>. <span word="Therefore">Therefore</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="white">white</span> <span word="ball">ball</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cue">cue</span> <span word="ball">ball</span>, <span word="immediately">immediately</span> <span word="behind">behind</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="ball">ball</span>, <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="position">position</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="difficulty">difficulty</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="fact">fact</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="closer">closer</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cue">cue</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="ball">ball</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="greater">greater</span> <span word="area">area</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="blockage">blockage</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="creates">creates</span>.</p>
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