President Reagan's State of the Union Speech - 2/18/81

YouTube - State of the Union: President Reagan's State of the Union Speech - 2/18/81

Now, THAT'S a State of the Union message.

Why haven't we heard this ... or something like this ..... lately"

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Video - "Project Gunrunner" drug cartel scandal - National gun rights | Examiner.com

Video - "Project Gunrunner" drug cartel scandal - National gun rights | Examiner.com

Again, this link thanks to an article by David Codrea on "The War On Guns".

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Jury Nullification Advocate With Court Pulpit Charged - NYTimes.com

Jury Nullification Advocate With Court Pulpit Charged - NYTimes.com

I'm not The Only One talking about Jury Nullification.

A 78 year old man in New Jersey (where else?) is on trial for his attempts to pass out pamphlets on the concept in front of a courthouse. The judge contends he's trying to sway juries. The Defendant says he's just trying to education The People, and was only "... hoping that jurors are among them."

(In case I haven't made it completely clear ... see the link above ... H/T to David Codrea at "The War On guns".)

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ADZ: No Opinion, Please!

The Smallest Minority: Damned Little Linky, No Thinky
Quote from the Arizona Daily Star (February 20, 2011)

We hope you'll try to set aside your most fervent emotions about guns in America and join us in considering the issue dispassionately, with the goal of finding answers that protect both our freedom and our public safety.

Arizona Daily Star
The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." (Ratified 1791)

[sigh]
Once again, Kevin Baker of "The Smallest Minority" has posted a 2-RKBA topic which is rife ... RIFE, I say! .. with meaty juices of Second Amendment Controversy.

The ADS (Arizona Daily Star ... derogatorily referred to in the comments as "The Red Star") has introduced a 'series of articles' designed to 'explore' the intricacies of the Second Amendment.

Curiously. the subjects selected by ADS seem focused on two issues: the ability of "crazy people' to buy guns (and ammunition, and magazines); and the types of guns and magazines 'anybody' can legally purchase. It kind of sounds like the same thing, doesn't it? And when you read the opinion piece, they sort of sound ... against ... the Second Amendment, don't they?

Although the exemplars in the article focus on mass-murder by gun and are related by a single focus -- arguably crazy people who shoot a lot of innocents --- and although the NCIS system already uses the force of existing law to weed out firearms purchases by 'arguably crazy people who are likely to shoot a lot of innocents', the ADS jumps right into the issues with both feet.
As long, that is, as the "issues" include 'high-capacity magazines' and guns that have 'no legitimate use' or purpose other than to kill a lot of innocent people, really quickly.

The introductory article pays lip-service to the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, but immediately undermines its presumed objectivity by defining the questions it has decided to 'explore'.

As Baker suggests, read the comments. It's very clear that the folks who actually have to LIVE in Arizona (what was the name of the DOONSBURY character who was always working on his tan .. Zonker Harris? Who else would choose to reside in the Grand Canyon State?) don't always agree with it's editorial bias. And of course, 95% of the time the comments are meatiest part of any internet newspaper article. (The exception is Florida, where the commenters are the looniest people who can type, in the whole world. Arizona and Florida should trade nicknames; Arizona should be "The Sunshine State", and Florida should be either "The Loony State", or "The Where Old People Go To Die State". But I digress.)

Personally, I have always enjoyed reading the ADS; the articles are generally well-crafted, and it usually selects an interesting mix of subject matter for both local and national audiences.

Until this opinion article appeared, and it undermined my previous high opinion of the rag.

On the other hand, I note that there are a number of entertainers whose performances I have always enjoyed, in their chosen milieu; but I deplore and detest their political views. I wish they would just, as the saying goes, "Shut Up And Sing".

A small sampling of these ignorant but gifted entertainers:

• Barbra Streisand
• Bette Midler
• Alec Bladwin

Oh well, another digression. Deal with it.
The fact remains, the ADS is just another 'entity' which I enjoy; but they should really, really avoid offering their opinions in public.

It's unseemly.
And stupid.

Like ... Alec Baldwin

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Dundee Match Cancelled - Feb 26, 2011

Global Warming Deniers -- be warned!

Resistance is Futile! You Will be Assimilated!

Email received this afternoon from "Evil Bill", Match Director at the planned USPSA match 2/26/2011 at Dundee:

As of this afternoon there was snow cover in all the bays at Dundee. Saturday morning's low temperature is forecast at 15 degrees, with a wind chill of near zero. Slick bays, slick roads, bitter cold, and no placeat Dundee to get out of the cold---I'm going to cancel the match for reasons of safety.

Bill

I think this is a good idea, considering the steep hills which surround the Dundee range and the forecasts for snow (and possibly icy roads due to daytime warming).

Through the years I've proudly announced to people who ask "do you shoot in the rain?" that in all my years of competition, I've only seen ONE match canceled because of the weather; that was when the road was icy and the Stats Mistress at TCGC couldn't get up the hill to the range because it was too slippery".

Actually, Mike McCarter 'called' a match a couple of years ago at ARPC, because of the danger of ice on the freeway. That makes two.

This year we have had two cancellations due to unsafe road conditions.

Hmmm ... that "Global Warming" thingie isn't working too good for us.

I've got it! We'll call it "Climate Change!" That way, no matter what happens, we're covered.

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Government Cost Calculator

MyGovCost | Government Cost Calculator

I don't recommend this as a legitimate "Government Cost Calculator". For one thing it makes the assumption that your future income (and tax rate) will be "similar" to your current income. As I'm retiring in TWO months, that is plainly not so.

What it DOES do, is break your tax burden down into various categories: military, transportation, medicare/medicaid, etc. If they have been honest in their algorithm ... note that there's no reason to expect that they ARE honest, but let us give them the benefit of the doubt ... it may serve to provide some insight on what proportion of your taxes go to which program(s).

So take a look at it. I was surprised at the disproportionate ratio between, say, "Military" and "Education".

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The Tax Man Cometh: Getting Old is Hard To Do

Yeah, I paid my 2010 Taxes tonite. Took me about 90 minutes using Turbo-Tax.

I've been using that software for about 4-5 years now, and if you think you should try it then you should know that the Federal Tax Return is "FREE", and the state tax return costs you about $30.

Except, the Federal Tax Return can cost you an extra $30, if you accept the "deluxe" version. But that is not intuitive, the way it's presented, nor is the difference between the "FREE" version and the deluxe version.

I have a very simple tax situation: I don't owe anyone, they don't owe me. I don't own a house, or have deductions of ANY kind (except Standard Deduction). No dependents, property deductions, charitable deductions or medical deductions to speak of (certainly none to the degree which would be worth the effort to claim, summarize or document). If I were doing my tax returns manually, I would be using the 1040EZ form. Instead, Turbo-Tax put me on the 1040A form, and it was more of a nuisance because I had to complete a lot of form pages which necessitated saying "NO" or "Not Applicable" on every item.

I can't complain (although I will); I was tired when I started filling out the forms and responding to the questions, so I accepted the "DELUXE" version of the form, when I really should not have.

I like Turbo-Tax, except that they throw in complexities which the novice or the unwary (such as me) can easily trip over, and cost more money than they are worth.

If you decide to download and use Turbo-Tax, you should be careful that you understand what the alternatives mean to your particular tax situation. If I had any of the deductions listed on form 1040A, I would probably have saved myself money.

As it is, it cost more than I had expected. I can't blame anyone but myself, because by the time I realized I was obliged to pay them an extra $30 for the Deluxe version, I was so tired of the exercise that I thought ... "just pay the money, and get it over with".

Yes, I got a return, in both Federal and .. a surprise to me ... State taxes. This is not due to clever manipulation of the tax laws. It's due to the fact that I worked about 10 months of the year, rather than 12 months. Between my absences from work due to illness, stress, need to tend to SWMBO and not showing up at work at ALL during the month of December (after SWMBO died on 11/28), I not only maxed out my sick leave, my vacation leave, and my personal time ... I had at least 60 days of unpaid leave.

No, that's nobody's fault than my own. I could have worked, in a manner of speaking. But it was my choice not to work.

Ultimately, when I get more than a couple of hundred buck back on my Federal and State income tax combined, it's a sign that I would have more money in the bank at the end of the year if I had been able to work as many hours as I should have.

That hasn't happened for the past couple of years.

There is a tendency to view returned taxes as "found money", or a "windfall", but that's not a legitimate evaluation.

What I like is the years when I make much more money than I did the last year. Paying taxes is a pain, but knowing that I made so much money is, although difficult when April 15 comes around, kind of a milestone. It's good to make more money than you expected. It's bad when you make less, because when you compare the two situations, you end up with less money in the bank.

Some of the return (about 25%) is due to the fact that I turned 65 last year. Monetarily, that's a benefit.

But practically speaking, it means more illness and less work time; the time I spent out of the office, compared to the time when I could have been compensated (by "Sick Leave" and "Vacation Leave" combined) ... the deduction level is not equivalent to the salary that I lost.

Just saying ... getting old is even worse monetarily than the added aches and pains.

Look forward to my "Tax Man Cometh" article next year, when I pay taxes on Social Security AND the part-time job I'm going to have to find, to make ends meet.

NOTE:
I announced to my co-workers last week that I was retiring. They all send me replies of congratulations, as if I was likely to enter into an era of comfort and no-cares.

Very nice of them, but I would rather have worked another four years. My pension may not have been a lot bigger, but the Social Security dividend would have been worth another thousand dollars a month.

I should live so long.

The good news is: my Social Security monthly dividend for working until I am 66, instead of retiring at age 65, was worth an extra $41/month.

The bad news is: I'm pretty sure that there will come a time when that extra $41/month may make the difference between eating tuna versus cat food for dinner.

And isn't THAT a fine state of affairs?

(Sorry for the negativity. It has been a long day. I'm pretty sure I'll feel better in the morning.)

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Last weekend I posted about new shooters, as in "It's All Good".

There was a comment from an anonymous "Guest" reader, who had what I thought was a really qood question:

Wow I had a chance to shoot at Douglas Ridge last weekend, and it was very refreshing, there were a lot of new shooters there but they were doing something that I couldnt help but take notice to and that was they were just having a good time!!!!!
It caused me to really reflect on what we are doing in our area and what we are doing for new shooters, does anyone think that perhaps we should offer the class that Jerry runs and then offer them a match that is a little scaled down (less imitaditing) than one of the normal matches at Albany or Tri County or Dundee??? Perhaps 4 stages with a few less round count and less movement maybe not as many 180 traps and such. It seems like we get a lot of new shooters but somewhere they fall from our fold and perhaps it is because the stages are a little hard and they are not having fun???
Just a thought?

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Douglas Ridge range program, here is a short description of the monthly matches there (which I have never attended, although I know that Paul [The Soccer Coach] and [Big Dawg] John often run it, and [White-Fish] Fish has mentioned that he sometimes attends the matches, so I'm not entirely ignorant because these guys tell me what's going on.)

One or more experienced IPSC competitors run the matches, and they are deliberately low-key stages. They set up two stages side by side, and they run everybody who shows up on one stage, then the run everybody through the other stage, and then they stop to set up a couple more stages. This routine is necessary because they don't have a lot of room to work with; it's a popular club, and they muse necessarily take up as little room as possible because other shooters are using the rest of the range.

Most of the people who choose to participate at these matches are NOT folks who compete at 'regular' matches in the Columbia-Cascade Section. They're just people who want to shoot their pistols, and don't really care about competition except that they Do, sort of, compete; but against other people who are of the same mind-set. They aren't necessarily competitive, and they don't choose to invest their time and 'disposable income' to the degree which they may feel obliged if the "competed" in "regular matches".

(I'm counting on people like Paul, John and Fish to correct me if I misrepresent the situation. As I may have said before, I'm never attended one of their matches: I don't even know how to find the Douglas Ridge range, although I'm reliably informed that it's somewhere East, and a little South, of the Portland Oregon metropolitan area. You can find directions at the www.columbia-cascade.org website .. or go directly to the directions here. You can find out more about the club at their website here, and you can find more information about their USPSA program here.)

No, I don't know when the matches are held; according to the website, the last match for which scores are published was held on October 2, 2010 --- which was the FIRST SATURDAY of the month.

Taken directly from the USPSA Program page (see link above), here is their description of the program:

Welcome to DRRC USPSA/IPSC shooting. We are offering monthly USPSA/IPSC style matches. Initially these will not be sanctioned matches but we will follow all USPSA rules and procedures. This will be a training ground for those who wish to learn and become proficeint in USPSA shooting skills. We will be promoting safety, training, proficiency, and fun. USPSA shooting is commonly referred to "Run and Gun" because you do not just stand and shoot. Many stages require moving to/from different targets and shooting under, over, and around barriers.

This discipline is not for first time or inexperienced shooters. You must be able to compentently handle a handgun to particpate. If you are interested in USPSA shooting or joining USPSA, you can access the USPSA Safety Manual at the link below. Training outside of a match is available to interested new shooters. Matches are open to the public and all are welcome.

So, what we have here is a COF (Course Of Fire) which is true to IPSC/USPSA standards, but unofficially is less ... intimidating .. than a "standard" Practical Pistol match.

I suspect, given the descriptions that I have had relayed to me by the folks who administer these matches and at least one person who has attend, that the stage designs are deliberately chosen to be less complicated, and less intimidating (fewer problems understanding the nuances of the stage designs) than those which are typically encountered at a "regular" USPSA match in Oregon.

Frankly, I would like to attend a few of these matches, if only to get a better understanding of the stage design philosophy. Unfortunately, it conflicts with the "Introduction to USPSA" class which I instruct at ARPC (Albany Rifle and Pistol Club) on the First Saturday of every month, so I simply cannot do so because of scheduling conflicts.

---

Based purely on second-hand descriptions of these matches, both from people who have participated as shooters and those who have been administratively responsible for presenting the matches, I think that this depiction is reasonably accurate. However, I may be wrong.

I'm hoping that someone who knows more about Douglas Ridge will chime in via the comments page, and perhaps correct any inaccuracies.

Still, the original comment has merit; we need to have opportunities for folks who aren't feeling very "competitive" to try the game and see how they like it. If they don't want to become more invested in USPSA (or IPSC), that's fine. But after they've tried it for a while, and decide they want to more challenging stage design ... there's always (along the Willamette Valley, in Oregon) a place to play within an hour's drive via the I5 corridor.

And if you're a safe shooter, with good gun-handling skills, you're always welcome at any of the regular USPSA matches.

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Bunny Operators from Heck!

Start with Japanese Anima. (I'm no fan.)
Throw in themes from Michael Z. Williamson, John Ringo, and Tom Kratman.
(And by the way, I've read just about every book these guys have written.)

Add a timely dose of Deus Ex Machina, and introduce it via a Free Access offer.

What do you have?

Cat Shit 1

I found this on the Lawdog blog, and rather than steal the well-deserved credit from him, I will encourage you to go to the article and read it for yourself.

You'll have to judge for yourself whether this is as far-out weirdo fascinating as I found it to be.

The only decisions you have to make is whether you have a half-hour to enjoy ... well, I won't spoil it for you. Just know that it's probably NSFW because you will disrupt your office cackling over each scene.

Oh, and DO obey Lawdog's injunction to view it on HD. Or at least, on Full-Screen mode.

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Buyer Remorse

Apropos of absolutely nothing at all, I have been reading some stuff about "re-holstering" (via Michael Bane Blog). While it's an eminently worthwhile discussion about "making yourself appear un-threatening to police", that was only the spur to the memory.

When I re-applied to ARPC for membership several years ago, I discovered they had a new twist to the new-member application: a mandatory meeting ["New Member Orientation"] with a club officer, where he (among other things) discussed Rules of the Range.

The thing that struck me was the rule which forbade "Drawing From The Holster". That was an ironclad rule, and was applicable on the North range ... where ARPC had been holding IPSC-type matches for several years, already.

When I heard that one, I went ballistic. So did another new member, Keith Tyler, one of the best IPSC competitors in the Columbia Cascade Section. Keith is also an LEO, and had just begun his owning training venture.

We argued that the rule was ridiculous, given that they sponsored both IPSC and Speed Steel matches on a monthly basis. These two sport strongly emphasize drawing from the holster.

"How can we possibly use the range to practice our sport, when you won't let us draw from holsters?" we both objected.

The Club Officer who was giving the class was much taken aback. This seemed reasonable, since he was the person who organized Speed Steel matches, every month.

He didn't have an answer for us. We both suggested that if we were joining the club for the purpose of having a range where we could practice, but the club rules forbade drawing from holsters, then there was not much advantage for us to justify club membership.

(The club also offers "Old West" Single Action Society, "I.C.O.R.E" (revolver competition) and the range is used by several local police departments ... ALL of which features drawing pistols from the holster.)

We worked it out that the officer would check with the Board of Directors, and in the meantime we would join the club with the understanding that if this Range Rule would be enforced, we could quit and our initiation fee would be returned.

In the end, the BOD reviewed that earlier decision and decided that it was unrealistic. They had to have new "Range Rules" signs painted and mounted, but the exercise resulted in a club which was much more responsive to the needs and competence of its members.

Since then, the club has initiated new training classes which it offers to its members. One is an "Introduction to Handguns", which is intended for the benefit of members who want to learn how to use handguns safely ... even in competitive environments.

Another new class is "Introduction to USPSA". of which I am one of the instructors.

A third class is "Firearms Handling to Certify for Concealed Carry Licenses", which I have taken and also necessarily includes drawing from a holster.

The lesson here is that ranges which wish to be an active member of the shooting community must attempt to attract members of all shooting communities, and many of these will both practice and compete drawing from the holster. Any range today which wishes to be both busy and profitable will find that they cannot attract new members without recognizing that their fears of lawsuits will keep them at the level of a "small, private club of trap-shooters".

I have nothing against trap-shooting, but if that was the only activity offered by my local club, I would not be willing to spend hundreds of dollars every year there, between membership dues and match fees; nor would I be willing to spend several hours each month volunteering to help the club fulfill its mission.

That mission should be to encourage firearms competition and to provide a safe, well-maintained venue for firearms practice.

Private clubs often sink into obscurity. Public clubs may either grow with the demands of the public it seeks to attract, or ... not.

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Ghosts of the Forest

news public affairs player: video

( http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=inwi10s22a3q81f )

PBS offers this video record of "White Deer" with a homely host and a silly ( but obviously and appropriately enamored) Irish-looking photographer/correspondent.

In the normal course of events, it would be a "Silly Season" article.

But here, it's something wonderful.

Yes, the deer are white and they are not albinos.

Yes, they are beautiful. And protected, legally by state law.

Sometimes Laws are reasonable. It would be shameful to be a predator of these beautiful Ghosts.

Sorry, no embedded video.

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Never Underestimate An Old Broad

This video was sent to me (H/T G-man), and originally represented as "Ginger Rogers at 93, (Salsa) dancing with her grandson ...".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O-o5gwi4HI


Looking at the YOUTUBE link, however, it appears that it was a lady named Sarah "Paddy" Jones, a 75 year old British lady; and that Ginger Rogers died childless in 1995.

So it's a little bit of a disappointment, of course, but still ... it's a remarkable performance!

I don't know a lot of people at 75 who can dance like that. I know for certain that my mother (a red-headed 93) can't dance like that!

---

It reminded me, in a way, of the USPSA match last weekend at ARPC. It was won by Carl Schmidt who is MUCH younger than 75 but still far from the youngest competitor there.

If you are a member of USPSA, you may recall that Carl is a USPSA Range Master and an instructor in USPSA Level I and Level II courses. So it's not like he's new to competition. In fact, he only moved to Oregon last year, and we who regularly compete here are fortunate to have him in our community. Not just because he's experienced and knowledgeable, but also because he's representative of the kind of people we have grown accustomed to meeting in this venue. He's warm, friendly, helpful, industrious and I have no doubt that he is also brave, reverent, thrifty and cheerful.

Well, perhaps he's not an entire Boy Scout.

Still, when I saw him at the January match he still had his Winter Beard, and I have to admit that he looked kinda "old-fartish". Of course, the "Old Broad" appellation does not apply to Carl but just looking at him it would not be immediately obvious to the casual observer ... especially one in their 20's or 30's ... that there is more "Speed, Power and Accuracy" there than meets the eye.

---

One of the things I try to mention when I'm conducting the "Introduction to USPSA" classes to prospective new shooters is that "here you will meet people you would be happy to invite into your home; in short, there are a LOT of very nice people who compete in USPSA matches, and you will surely make new friends".

For me, it was a Good Things moment when Carl came up to me after the match, patted me on the back and said: "Don't worry about retirement, you're gonna love it! You'll wonder why you waited so long."

Dammit, Carl, now I'm going to be impatient for April 21 to come along, so I can start having all this fun you're talking about.

On the other hand, I now realize that it has been a long time since I have been impatient for tomorrow.

New Horizons, Pal!

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What WILL they think of next?

Those naughty boys from The Continent Which Must Be Named have found a new variation on their Un-namable Letter. They are still attempting to share a multi-million dollar legacy with you (if only you will allow them to process the funds through your private checking account ... as if that wouldn't be noticed by your bank!), but this the catch is that the 'solicitor' cannot access the funds directly because he is "under-aged". But still, they have a "business deal" which sounds just entirely too good to be true.

And of course, it is.

I rarely get these kinds of letters, and probably lyou don't either. For your edification and amusement, here is the unsolicited letter I received this week from my would-be benefactor, Mr. Gred Jacomet:

I am really interested to do business with you, actually I have strong plans to relocating to Europe in Three (3) weeks time for some business and also to invest there, this is a business proposal which I want us to be in partnership, we will execute this business then you will get your own percentage share and I get mine.

With trust and gratitude I faithfully contact you knowing that this letter will definitely come to you as a huge surprise, but I implore you to take your time to go through this mail carefully as the decision you make will go a long way to determine my future and continued existence.

I will make my proposal well known if I am given the opportunity and I would like to introduce myself to you. I am Mr. Gred Jacomet, 17 years old, a Liberian schooling in England, My (late) father Dr. George Jacomet was the Managing Director of Gold and Diamond Mining company in Monrovia-Liberia in west Africa, but he was wickedly poisoned to death by his business associates on one of their outing in Oversea.

Consequently, after his death, I managed to escape with a very important document of (?8.5m) Eight Million, Five Hundred Thousand Great Britain Pounds deposited by my late father in a Bank, which I am the Next of Kin. Meanwhile I am saddled with the problem of securing a trust worthy foreign personality to help me transfer the money over to Europe in your custody and await my arrival to come and meet you for Investment purposes. I am willing to give you 15% of this amount if you can stand in for me and retrieve the money from the bank because I am under-aged to handle this transaction. The amount was deposited as bond and I can write the bank a letter, introducing you as my relative, this way the bank will deal with you directly on the transfer modalities and when the money is transferred to you, I will meet with you. Furthermore, you can contact the bank for more confirmation and I will issue a letter of authorization in your name, that will enable the Bank to deal with you
on my behalf. I am giving you this offers as mentioned with every confidence on your acceptance to assist me and take me as your brother or as your son and manage the money. Conclusively, I wish you send me a reply immediately as soon as you receive this proposal.

For confidential purposes, your urgent reply will be highly appreciated. Please do send me your full information, so that I will send it to the bank in London if you are interested:

1. Your Full Names:
2. Your Address:
3. Your Sex:
4. Your Age:
5. Your Marital Status:
6. Your Occupation:
7. Your Direct Phone Number:
8. Your Resident City:
9. Your Resident State:
10. Your Country:

With best regards,

Gred Jacomet

A nice Irish boy like this would not try to harm you, would he?

Please note that I have "sanitized" this text by passing it through a text editor. There are no hidden links.

Here are a few clues about how to recognize the falsity of this kind of solicitation:

• It's unsolicited
• Bad grammer, awkward sentence structure, poor spelling, other indicators of semi-illiteracy.
• NOT addressed to you personally
• No "real" contact information
• A corresponding demand for YOUR detailed contact information and "other" personal information.
• The circumstances of (a good business partner) don't seem to describe you, so you wonder ... "why the heck is this stranger writing to me?"

Of course it's just a blind pig. A random marketing ploy, a mass-mailing to hundreds of thousands of email addresses collected all over the world, with the hope that only a handful of recipients will respond.

And if you respond ... your email address is immediately noted as "currently active", they have just marked you as a potential "cash cow", and they will take you as far down the road to poverty as you will permit them.

Laughable? Of course it is. Still, every year there literally BILLIONS of dollars lost to this sort of vicious opportunism.

I wish I could send this email to my mother, bless her heart, because I worry that someday she may be so soft-hearted that she can be taken by this or a similar lament.

On the other hand, she has no more disposable income than do I, so we're mostly safe from these guys.

Sometimes it's good to be poor; but as this letter shows, everybody is worth milking, because the only investment the originator has is their time.

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"Will America Let Us Shut Off Our Power System?

None Dare Call It Treason ..
but this guy does.
Alex Jones Calls Out Obama for Treason Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!
I don't know who this "Alex Jones" guy is, or whether or not his premise is Legitimate. I have "issues" when someone accuses the President of the United States of America of being a "traitor" (or more commonly, here, of being guilty of "Treason")

I'm not as sure as this commentator seems to be that President Obama is a "traitor",. although I admit that I'm uncomfortable with some of his policies. Okay, several of his policies.

The full quote from Ovid is:

Treason doth never prosper:
what's the reason?
Why if it prosper,
none dare call it treason.

These are my thoughts on Treason.
Let us get back to the comments presented currently by Alex Jones.

I don't know who this man is. I've never heard of him before, and I have no idea whether I'm inclined to accept his arguments or not.

KEYWORDS:

• Kyoto Protocol
• Carbon Taxes
• Cap and Trade

These concepts, I have barely enough understandingso that I know whether I am "Pro" or "Con". In all of the above, I am against them. I believe that they have dubious benefits for Environmentalists, and also that they have a negative influence on the Wealth of a Nation.

Also, that the concepts --- if enacted in this country --- would have a negative influence on the wealth of THIS nation (America), while providing a positive economic advantage to "other nations (China is the first country which springs to mind).


So if it is true that President Obama has taken an official, enforceable stance against Coal Powered Electricity Power Plants in America, then yes; I do believe that this "unilateral" national policy, which imposes no similar limits on the "carbon emissions" of other countries, may truly and unilaterally undermine our national "power wealth". This is by definition without requiring other power-using nations, such as China, to reciprocate.

And that serves only the singular purpose to impose expensive limitations on America, with no attempt to impose similar limitations on our competitors, which would at least providing a balancing influence.

That is to say ... if we are obliged to limit our power generation under a given set of circumstances, should noit our competitors be obliged to limit their power generation under the same circumstances?

this affects our national wealth, our national well-being, and our ability to compete on the world market.

I am very curious as to why our national leadership would agree to such egregious limitations when our "partners" are not required to agree to similar, if not identical, limitations

Stumble It!

Teaching and Shooting: It's All Good

To my great surprise, I discovered today that teaching an "Introduction to USPSA" class is a great way to get some range time.

My training technique is "Tell, Show, Shoot" approach.

• First I tell the students what they will be doing on each stage of the Life Fire Excercises;
• Then I show them what it lo0ks like ( in slow-time, preferably, so they can see what is happening"
• Then the each come up to The Line and emulate what they have had described, and what they have seen.

This approach has multiple values as a training regimen. It becomes crystal clear to each student what must be done to solve the "shooting problem", and it re-enforces the concept that one need not shoot quickly to perform well.

In fact, the mantra (is there is one) is that "the fastest shooter doesn't necessarily win the stage".

And the apotheosis is :
Q: what is the most common mistake mistake made by new shooters?
A: Shooting too fast.

In fact, the fastest shooter sometimes DOES win the stage, but that's only true when the "fastest shooter" in only quick, but accurate. And experienced.
But that doesn't really deliver the message, so for "new shooters" we emphasize Accuracy.

And we tell them that "speed will come ... when you someday discover that you can shoot as accurately at a higher speed".

It's true, but for 99% of us, it's not true. The exceptions do NOT prove the rule; rather, they are a distraction for those of us who must work to achieve proficiency. So we don't teach it: we teach accuracy, and if every shot isn't an "A-Zone" hit, we reinforce that by saying "Shooting To Fast ... Slow Down!"

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Running a class is a wonderful way for us to get a Reality Check on our own skill set. We tend to think that we are so experienced that we can do no wrong, but in truth that is is bogus thinking. Perhaps the best thing we can do is to dial it down to whatever percent (80%? 50%?) and let the hits fall where they may. Or misses ... if nothing else, it may prove that the best purpose we serve as Instructors is to provide a bad example. There's nothing like standing in front of a class of earger students, and admitting that you missed the freaking target.

Reality check? No, it's a valid test of their ability to score a target which includes a miss. If you have taught the class right, the students do not miss the target. Sometimes, your (*my?*) own fallibility is the best training tool available.

If you are a trainer, it may be a very useful technique to demonstrate that experienced shooters can get caught up in the excitement of the moment, and ... "Shoot Too Fast".

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It has been a while since ARPC (Albany Rifle and Pistol Club) has been able to conduct an "Introduction to USPSA" class. But with the improved weather and the uncommon fair weather we have experienced as a consequence of the "Global Warming" phenomenon, several (six) people chose February in Oregon as a good time to take the class and learn what they need to know before beginning IPSC competition.

We have a training manual (online) which is down loadable in Oregon. Not everyone chose the option of going through the manual, and completing the exercises before the class. Fortunately, the gun-handling skills of the attendees was excellent, on the average, and there were no problems in the class.

People who shoot in competition ... or want to do so ... tend to be (if I can make an observation) intelligent, responsible and competent, so we had NO problems during the training. I was pleased that everyone who attended was able to focus on competition issues, and not on basic gun-handling skills. Or, in other words, nobody screwed up to the degree which would have required me to flunk them from the class.

We got through the one hour of classroom instruction okay, and the surprises of actually going through the live-fire drills was decidedly more rewarding than problematic. As I had no demonstrator, I was "forced" to act as the demonstrator myself; this solved the problem of "describe, SHOW and experience" and also served to allow me some "Range Time" of my own.

The thing is, I shoot in competition because I love to shoot. And everyone in the class demonstrated their own personal devotion to "Let's Go Shoot Some Cardboard".


At the end of day ... okay, I'm not going to say that everyone had shot enough to satisf them, but we had a lot of fun and everyone shot safely. What else are we here for?

Stumble It!