Curiosity about the physics of the long ball inspired one of the questions in this edition of "Ask AP," a weekly Q&A column where AP journalists respond to readers' questions about the news.

If you have your own news-related question that you'd like to see answered by an AP reporter or editor, send it to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , with "Ask AP" in the subject line. And please include your full name and hometown so they can be published with your question.

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With so much concern paid to toys made in China that contain lead paint, how are we to know that dishes and cookware also made in China are free from lead? Is this dangerous for us?

Jane Rink

Terre Haute, Ind.

Lead in cookware and dishware has been found in ceramics from China, Mexico and India. The lead comes from varnish or glaze that gives the product a shiny finish. If the temperatures used to "cure" or "seal" the varnish are high enough, the cookware will be safe and the metal will not leach into food or liquids.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it tests imported ceramicware to measure whether lead might leach into food. And the FDA has put out alerts warning about excessive lead in ceramicware from China, among other countries.

China has set safety standards on how much lead and other potential toxins are allowed in products. However, with large numbers of small, often loosely run operations in the country focused on cost-cutting and profits as they manufacture everything from ceramics to food, it's hard to police every step of the process.

The FDA is also involved, but as seen in recent problems with lead paint in toys and other tainted imports, American government agencies lack the manpower to inspect all shipments.

In the absence of firm controls either in China or the U.S., a consumer may be better off buying from large, reputable retailers, which usually do a better job making sure their suppliers observe quality and safety standards.

"More reputable stores would install a tighter quality control system to screen out defective products," said Chen Shih-Fen, a professor at the University of Western Ontario who specializes in outsourcing interactions between Western buyers and Chinese subcontractors.

In short, there is no sure way to guarantee that the products you are using are completely safe, unless you have them tested. Here are a few home test kits that have been reviewed by Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports: http://sn.im/d81p1. Additionally, here is a page from the National Institutes of Health that outlines the symptoms of lead poisoning and offers resources on what to do if you think you've been poisoned: http://sn.im/d81ry.

Audra Ang

Associated Press Writer

Beijing

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Now that baseball season is just around the corner I once again heard that it is easier to hit a home run if the ball is pitched faster. Is that the case? If so, why are so many home runs hit during batting practice, when pitchers are throwing much more slowly?

Bill Brescia

Memphis, Tenn.

Hit fastballs will go farther, much like a harder thrown ball will bounce farther off a wall than a softer thrown one, explained Yale physicist Robert K. Adair, author of the book "The Physics of Baseball." Fastballs hit squarely will travel a few extra feet, so the effects of the speed of the pitch are rather small, he said.

The key phrase is "hit squarely." Fastballs aren't necessarily easier pitches to turn around into home runs. Hitting is all about timing, and a fastball can be hard to hit because of bat speed issues, Adair said.

Batting practice pitches in general are medium speed — not slow change-ups that could be hard to hit, nor blazing heaters, Adair said. Hitters in batting practice generally know what's coming because the idea is not to fool the hitter, but to allow him to fine-tune his timing — get in the proverbial groove. That makes it easier to hit homers.

They may not go quite as far as a 98 mph fastball that's hit squarely, but they go far enough.

Seth Borenstein

AP Science Writer

Washington

and

Ron Blum

AP Baseball Writer

New York

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Can you tell me how to obtain one of the jobs that the stimulus package is supposed to generate? My husband and I are both out of work and would much rather work than take a handout, but getting a job has proven to be impossible in Ventura County, Calif.

Have you ever applied for a federal job? The application goes into a black hole and there is absolutely no response (still waiting to hear — applied 6 months ago).

Sandy Ragan

Camarillo, Calif.

The federal government lists job openings online at http://www.usajobs.gov. Job seekers can search the site for positions in a particular field or location. The listings tell people how to apply, what the job's qualifications are and who to contact for questions.

Agencies are encouraged to follow up with the applicants within 45 days, said Edmund Byrnes, a spokesman for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, which runs the Web site. People can also contact the individual agencies about job opportunities.

Byrnes said there's not a separate way for people to apply for stimulus-related jobs. It's not known yet how many openings each government agency will have from the stimulus measure, Byrnes said.

Ann Sanner

Associated Press Writer

Washington