YIKES!

I've been singularly inactive here for the past (mumble mumble mumble) days ... okay, it's like about two months ... mostly because my life has been so placid and boring that I didn't really have anything much to say. I know, that never seemed to stop me before.  Well, now I'm old. And I'm retired.

So you may be excused for being surprised that I actually found something to talk about today.  Something even more interesting than complaining about my inability to keep my loading presses functioning smoothly, my competition pistols functioning smoothly, and the odd directions in which targets dodge to avoid those very expensive bullets I pour downrange at them in vain hopes of not embarrassing myself TOO badly during IPSC-style shooting matches.

What's so exciting today?

I've been robbed.

Smooth but shady characters have sneaked into my private domain and slipped smoothly away with $1,327.00 of my money, and they almost got away with it.  But I caught them, shot them down, and got my money back.  Yes, I shot them ... not with my Beloved Kimber or the Marvelous Mossberg, but with my lowly Casio cell phone.

Here's the story:
I didn't get to go to the Dundee match this weekend because I'm now having trouble with my Lee loading press, so I spent some time on my computer, checking on my financial situation.  I signed onto my VISA credit card account and I discovered that I owed them over $1,600 dollars!

Hence the "YIKES!" title of this post.

Two transactions, the description of both beginning with "SQ*" showed up, dated on the 19th of this month.  Posted on the 20th ... it took me three days (this being the 22nd, if I can remember to actually PUBLISH this post before I wander off to the kitchen for another glass of wine) for me to discover them and report them via phone to my credit card carrier.  I talked to a representative in their "Fraud Department".  That very helpful Customer Service Representative assured me that I would NOT be required to pay for those transactions.  However, I have been sternly enjoined to destroy my credit card immediately and insure that any statements or other documents which may have my account information NOT be casually tossed in the trash, etc.

The funny thing is, I'm almost entirely paperless in my financial transactions. Any document which includes my name, or any account information (such as account number and/or transaction details) is shredded.  I don't even put the shredded paper in the trash until Trash Day.  Well ... okay, sometimes I forget to do it on Trash Day, but I always dump the shredder stuff on SOME Trash Day!

The accounts which include legitimate transactions are those -- such as Amazon.com -- with which I have done business for years.

It's a total mystery to me how my credit card number got out, and I suppose I will never discover the labyrinthine manner in which those shady shoddy sneaks winnowed out my account information.  But it will do them no good in the future, because my account has been cancelled, and a new card will be FedEx-ed to me (signature required!) during the coming business week.

[My GOD!  Can you just hear the stentorian tones?  I swear I can hear John Huston or John Amos or some stentorianly voiced John doing a voice-over.  No wonder Darth Vadar lost the fight. Oh, wait a minute ... that WAS the Stentorian-Toned one, wasn't it?  Okay, never mind.]

Thankfully,  I don't depend on credit cards to make most of my purchases, so being without one for a few days is not an imposition.  I'm grateful for my carrier that they took me at my word and acted immediately ... which is to say, while I was still on the line ... to cancel the card and arrange for its replacement.

It's probably a very good thing that I discovered the fraud so early.

It's only a fluke that I chose to check my account almost a month before the next payment is due.

But you know, I've noticed a LOT of 'flukes' in my life recently.  For example, I lost my cell phone last week.  Not in the usual places (desk, coffee table, nightstand, charger, trouser pocket, etc.) but before I began a THOROUGH search of the usual second-tier places (car, garage, under the sofa cushions, in the refrigerator ... I swear I'm not making that up) I somehow thought to look behind the curio cabinet which abuts the stairs to the second floor.  Yup, there it was, on the floor very close to the book case.  I NEVER put anything on top of the curio cabinet, except for pictures of my kids, and I have no idea what prompted me to look there.  Must be some kind of sub-conscious "save this idiot from losing his stuff" survival-oriented instinct of which I have not previously been away.  Anyway, I found the phone and I walk around the house with it in my hand, when I'm wearing pajamas which have no pockets.  (I suppose you would call those pajamas "A T-Shirt And Boxer Shorts", but I'm much classier than that.)

Well.  I had another "Credit Card Crisis" incident slightly similar to this a few years ago, involving sums of  a considerably less significant denomination. [I would include the link here for your edification and reference, but I'm old and retired and therefore too lazy to look it up.  Maybe later.]  At that time, I made some profoundly helpful suggestions about how everyone should monitor their financial accounts closely and frequently, including at random dates for no discernible reason.  I'm pretty sure I've been taking my own advice, and I want to congratulate myself for sharing my wisdom.

Now, everybody get off this loser blog and go check your accounts.  Do it now.

PS:  Gee, this writing business is kind of fun.  Maybe I should start a blog?
Oh .. wait a minute, I already have one, don't I?  I forgot.  Well, I'm old.

And I'm, retired.  Have I already mentioned that? (smug moment here)

If I'm too proud to inflict my peripatetic mundanities on myself, why should I inflict them on you?  Other than, of course, that I CAN!  (There's enough smugness here to fill a wine glass, which is a good thing because I've emptied mine and it's a  damn long way down to the kitchen to get a refill.)

PPS: Damn!  This means I can't write another blog entry until I've been robbed of an equal or greater sum. I KNEW this was a bad idea!

 PPPS.  Never mind.  By this evening, I would have forgotten all about this post, so I have a good excuse for writing about anything I wish, whenever it strikes my fancy.  Who says that Getting Old Is No Fun?

Oh, by the way .... if any of you should happen to stop by Chez Geek, would you mind looking around for a pair of bifocals?  I don't remember where I placed them, and it's unbelievably difficult to find glasses when you don't have .... er .. the glasses you need to be able to SEE to find your glasses.

Mountain High/Colorado: Dozen Die in Massacre

[Early reports from USA TODAY]

 Calls for gun control stir little support | General Headlines | Comcast:

WASHINGTON — Gun control advocates sputter at their own impotence. The National Rifle Association is politically ascendant. And Barack Obama's White House pledges to safeguard the Second Amendment in its first official response to the deaths of at least 12 people in a mass shooting at a new Batman movie screening in suburban Denver.


Once, every highly publicized outbreak of gun violence produced strong calls from Democrats and a few Republicans for tougher controls on firearms.


Now those pleas are muted, a political paradox that's grown more pronounced in an era scarred by Columbine, Virginia Tech, the wounding of a congresswoman and now the shootings in a suburban movie theater where carnage is expected on-screen only.


"We don't want sympathy. We want action," Dan Gross, president of the Brady campaign said Friday as President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney mourned the dead.

There's a lot of sympathy for the victims, both those who were shot ... ... and those who were witnesses.

But there are voices being raised saying that the shootings in Aurora are less an argument for gun CONTROL than for gun OWNERSHIP ... and Concealed Carry.

 For example:

On April 22, 2012, convicted felon Kiarron Parker, just released from jail, entered the parking lot of an Aurora, Colorado church and shot and killed one of the members of the congregation before being killed himself by a member carrying concealed. Parker had been convicted for assaulting two police officers, breaking and entering and drug abuse.
However, it is the Aurora shooting no one heard about, because there was a different outcome.

Many of us have been saying for years that most mass shootings occur in locations where firearms are not allowed .... starting with the  1991 massacre at the Luby Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas.

In the past 20+ years, American states have dramatically liberated their citizens to defend themselves .... by permitting concealed carry.  But the killings go on, in theaters, in schools, in churches, in shopping malls.  "Gun Control Advocates" (a polite term for "Gun Grabbers") continue searching for a :"dialogue" (a polite term for "we want YOU to concede your rights, unilaterally, so we can feel good about ourselves) and the center of their argument continues to be:

Why would you want to carry a gun in a:

• theater
• school
• church
• shopping mall

The answer to these questions can easily be found by reading about the latest maniacal slaughter of the innocent.

Apparently, "those people" aren't reading the same news reports.

Oh, yeah.  But Kevin Baker reads them.   Especially those about Gun Control & Fearless Frank.

We're Running Out of Anti-Heroes!

The Wild Bunch (1969) was arguably Sam Peckinpah's greatest tribute to cinema violence.  Essentially, almost every major character died in the bloody shoot-out that ended the movie.

In real life, many of the main actors have also passed away during the past 42 years.

This week, the last of the four key characters died.  In the iconic photo, right to left:

Ernest Borgnine, who played Dutch Engstrom, died this week at the age of 95 of kidney failure

As for the three "other" Wild Bunch characters who survived to the final shoot-out:?

• William Holden ("Pike Bishop"}died in 1981 at age 63.  The rumor is that he got drunk on vodka in his home one night, fell down and hit his head.   Too drunk to realize that he was seriously injured, he went to bed and bled to death.  This  information is also from the autopsy report and resultant book by the L.A. County Medical Examiner.
• Warren Oates ("Lyle Gorch") ...died in 1982 at age 53 of heart attack
• Ben Johnson  ("Tector Gorch") ..   died in 1996 at age 77 of heart attack

 The "Anti-Anti-Heroes" in the pursuing posse did little better in the Survival Lottery.

• Robert Ryan ("Deke Thornton")  ... died four years after the movie was completed, in 1973 of cancer
• Strother Martin ("Coffer") .... died in 1980 at the age of 61 of heart attack
• L.Q. Jones ("T.C.  ") ... will be 85 next August

Even the Anti-Anti Villains have reached their "Best Used By Date":

• Emilio Fernandez ("The General" or "El Indio") died in 1986 at the age of 83

But there were SIX members of The Wild Bunch who survived the original bank robbery:
The other two?

• Edmund O'Brien ("Freddie Sykes"), the hostler, died in 1985 at the age of 69 of Alzheimer's Disease
• Jaimie Sanchez ("Angel", who was the first to die after having his throat treacherously slit by El Indio, which action was the direct impetus for the final shoot-out) .. as of this date is alive and well and still working at age 74

 Strange, that the actor who played 'first to die' in the movie is almost the last to die in Real Life.

(Watch the movie for $2.99 here)

Camp Grenada

"Hello Muddah, hello Faddah
Here I am in Camp Grenada.

It is very ... entertaining,
And they say we'll have some fun if it stops raining."

Do you remember that 1963 novely song by Alan Sherman?



If you do, or if you've just listened to it, you have an idea about how my trip to see my grandchildren has been working for me so far.



The very old, like the very young (and like dogs ... see below), have 'problems' dealing with their environment and experiences.

For me ... well, I'm like The Hobo Brasser ("My Travels With Hansel and Gretel"), except the grief in my life comes from my car.

Yesterday, my car died just as I was pulling into the motel in Medford, Oregon. I ended up perched on a red curb (NO PARKING: VIOLATORS WILL BE TICKETTED AND TOWED!") by the restaurant next door to the motel. After I had explained and apologized to both the motel and the restaurant owner, the car started right up and I drove to my room.

Today, halfway to the American River Valley area along Interstate 5 in California, my front tire started to make "funny noises". Like THUMP-THUMP, THUMP-THUMP. So I pulled into a gas station at the next exit (ever notice how Service Stations never have a "Mechanic's Bay" anymore?) and it looked fine,

Back on the road, 20 miles later the car started pulling to the left.

It's 6pm Saturday Night, no place to go, so I limped on into Stockton and got room. The most disreputable Motel 6 in the entire chain can be found there; i'm in room 105, and the fine folks in room 106 are starting their Saturday Night early. WHOOPIE! Did I mention that the ice machine isn't working? I called the front desk. They checked. "Yes sir, our ice machine is working". Yes, it's churning and making noises .,. but it isn't dispensing any nice. One presumes that the fine folks in room 106 are making regular Ice runs too keep the machine drained. Either that, or in 94 degree weather, the stuff melts before it gets to the dispenser.

I haven't tried the shower yet. I'm afraid to.

Maybe I should just go visit the party in 106. It's my best chance to get ice, and The Good Lord knows I'm not going t get any sleep tonight anyway ... and I'm afraid to drive a car with a wobbly wheel like a grocery store shopping cart tomorrow.

Tomorrow: "Muddah Faddah Kindly Disregard Dis Lettah"

Geek Ride

Here's the problem;  I live in Oregon (mid-Willamette valley, milepost 228 on the Interstate 5) and my kids live in San Diego (milepost 0 from the Mexican Border).  I've got two kids, and between them they have SEVEN children.   They don't come to visit me in Oregon very often, and I can only handle one trip a year because ... face it! ... I won't fly with the current regulations, and it's a drive of about a thousand miles.

Who knows how many?  Maybe only 900 miles between us, maybe 1100.  Perhaps I should keep track of my mileage this year, so I could REPORT it accurately; but I think if I spend too much time focusing on how far away they live, I may talk myself out of the next trip.  So I'm saying 900, if only because it's doable.

Oh.  That's one-way distance.  Not round-trip.  I don't want to think about round-trip distance.

In previous years, I've made the trip in three days.  The last day is always a killer.   I cannot help but thing that The City of The Angels is right  next door to Saint Diego; but in truth, just getting through the LA Freeways is a grueling experience for a guy how has lived in a small college town for the past 20 years.

And of course, the time of the year is important.

Right on the California/Oregon border, there's a mountain range where any trip attempted September through March offers the possibility of fog at least, snow/sleet/ice at best on what can only be described as "a treacherously curvacious freeway".

It looks straight-up and straight-down, except that the Interstate 5 freeway appears to have followed the path of a notoriously lazy cow, always searching for a road grade which tries (but often fails) to conform to the standard of a 6% grade.

There is no chance at all that I would choose to make this trip during the winter; I have, often enough, when my kids lived in the San Francisco Bay area.  I could make that trip in two days.

Once I rode a motorcycle from Oregon to the Bay Area, with a passenger.  When we got to the bay area, I dropped the bike in a super-market parking lot, at night, when we got to Oakley (where the kids' mom, my ex-wife, lived).  My passenger ... my second wife .. ended up in a hospital being treated for possible spinal injuries.  Thankfully, she was only suffering from bruises, but the experience demonstrated how fatiguing it can be to drive too far in too short a time.  I don't want to dump my car because I'm suffering from driver fatigue, so I'm leaving a week early and also taking another week to come home.

What's the Point?

The point is, I'm going to admit that my stamina has decreased, and there's no reason why I should push myself so hard that I will be to tired to enjoy my grandchildren when I get there.   I'm looking for under 300 miles a day, and a good night's sleep between every leg.

Unfortunately, this means that I will be unable to commit to my regularly scheduled "Introduction to USPSA" class, which should take place on the first Saturday of the month;  July 7.   I may or may not be back home by then, but I won't make any promises.

Mac has volunteered to take the class for July, and I'm volunteering to let him do it.  He's a good instructor, even though he's still going through "The Cancer Thing" ... chemo-therapy undermines one's stamina, but he feels he's able to handle it.   We've got one student signed up for the class so far,  and frankly I'm hoping that (a) the class won't be so large that it's a challenge to the instructor, and (b) local competitors will volunteer to support Mac during the class, so HE won't  be tempted to exert himself physically more than his current condition allows.

Me?  I'm retired, but I still allow myself one vacation a year.  I'm going to see my kids and my kids' kids whatever it takes.

Grandson Jack teasing his Pre-school teacher with his diploma

Granddaughter Samantha and friend





(below) Granddaughter Elizabeth showing off her six-stitch scar from where she hit her head on the side of the swimming pool while doing "laps"

iPad Beer at Hofbraeuhaus

iPad Beer at Hofbraeuhaus - Simon Pierro - YouTube

 "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.". - Arthur C. Clarke .. the third of Clarke's Three Laws

Steve Jobs vs Bill Gates. Epic Rap Battles of History Season 2. - YouTube

Steve Jobs vs Bill Gates. Epic Rap Battles of History Season 2. - YouTube
http://youtu.be/njos57IJf-0
Thanks to the G-man .. I think it's funny as heck!

Skin Song: Day 2

This is a really boring post, unless you're into medical crap.

I went to the Dermatology folks at Oregon Health Science Unit in Portland yesterday.  They spend 2 hours taking medical history, asking questions about my life style and health-care habits, and eventually got down to the Nitty Gritty; putting the patches on my back to check for allergies.

So far, nobody has made any statements about what they think may be cause of the skin peeling off of my fingers.  Well .. nothing new.  Over the past four years, various medicos have suggested, and failed to support, their theories of stress, fungus, yatta yatta yatta.  That's their way of saying they have NO idea.  Now they're working on the theory that I've acquired an allergy to some substance.  I didn't believe it then, I don't believe it now, and if they find the cause as a result of this "Patch Test" (and if it leads to a successful treatment) I will be thrilled to admit that I was wrong ... as long as the skin quits rotting away, and my hands quit bleeding.

I mentioned before that they were going to do about 150 patch tests?  The technician corrected me, saying that they were going to do "only" about 115.  But when she finished applying the patches, she noticed that she had room for more, so we said "WHAT THE HELL?" and she found some more substances to test for.

Then she covered my entire back with tape, to make sure the patch-arrays (there are 8 substances in each array) wouldn't rub off in my sleep.

The common comment from other people who have been tested is "it feels like my back is covered in cardboard".  They're right.

There was a movie called "The Tingler" starring Vincent Price;  aliens affixed themselves to human spinal columns and controlled them.  Now I think I know how they might have felt .. the humans, not the Tinglers.

Tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday, June 20) I make the 80 mile drive back to Portland to get the first evaluation.  They take the patch arrays off, and see if there's any reaction to any of the substances.   I don't expect them to find much, because nothing is even tingling, let along itching.

I'm very much looking forward to the event, because they have all of this tape and plastic plates affixed to my skin with glue.  Think of it as having extensive very-sticky bandages covering 100% of the skin on my back.   Are they going to go to the slow, excruciatingly painful method of removing the tape?   Or will they use the fast, excruciatingly painful method?    I'm sure that, in the future, when I'm feeling bored, I can look back on that event to remind myself that boredom is not always the worst thing that can happen.

Well, it IS something to look forward too.

I had asked the technician to take pictures, so I can see what my back looks like.  I told her I wanted to put the pictures on my blog.

Bad idea.  I have an ugly back, and the pictures do not flatter.  Maybe I'll edit them down to smaller photos of the details, in case anyone is that much interested.    But I won't do it tonite.

I'll be getting to bed soon, so I can be rested and make it to my 3pm appointment tomorrow.

What a life, eh?  When the most interesting thing I have to talk about is getting tape ripped off my back.

CCS asking for Equipment Donations!

Okay, it's not the Columbia Cascade Section asking for equipment donations, it's just me.

And it doesn't have to be a donation; it may be a loan, or a sale.

Almost every month, when I teach a new class of "Introduction to USPSA", I find students who don't have sufficient equipment to compete in matches.  Usually, it's a matter of crappy holsters; as often, they don't have enough magazines, or enough magazine carriers, to provide them with sufficient reloads to shoot some of the "Hi Round Count Stages".

Many of the folks who are really interested in competing want to shoot their first match as soon as possible, but they just can't afford, or can't receive the extra equipment necessary to shoot in their declared Division.

I try to help them out by offering what equipment I have, but often it doesn't fit their pistol, or their magazines.

Some of the equipment I have is not needed (because it's redundant, or not appropriate to the Division in which I expect to compete, so I offer it to the students.    But I'm concerned that these folks may not compete at all, because of the high start-uip costs.

If YOU have equipment which you don't use any more, I am hoping that you might be willing to donate it to the Introduction to USPSA Equipment Fund (which I just now established), so new shooters have what they need to decide whether they sufficiently enjoy the sport; if not, they can return the equipment.  If they want to continue competing, they can buy their own, or use what is available until they can afford to replace it with something that is more appropriate to their basic gear.


My thought is that they can buy the equipment (belts, magazine carriers, even magazines) from you at a "Used" price, which would save them money AND get the equipment to them in the week between the Introduction class, and their first match.

Of you want to to sell your gear at a reduced price, that's fine.  The new shooter will pay you what you ask, or decline the bargain.

If you want to just contribute the gear, it will be used by several shooters until they can get their own gear.


Do you want to sell it, but are willing to wait until they decide they want to keep it?  Okay, they can have the loan of it until they decide to buy their own, and return your gear; or they can pay you for it, and continue to use it.

The basic choices are:

1. Sell it outright to whomever needs it, with no returns.
2. Loan the equipment (it's still your), and when the student gets his/her own, it will be returned to the pool.
3. Loan the equipment, with the possibility of selling it at a reduced price.
4. Loan the equipment, with the understanding that it will be returned to the "pool" for use by the next student who needs it.

If you want to sell it, you set the price.  If it's more than the student wants to pay, then the transaction doesn't happen.

Okay, it can be complicated or simple.  It's your choice.

I don't care HOW you want to make the deal, as long as we can get usable (if dated) equipment to new shooters.  My only concern is that we encourage new people to TRY the sport, and if they don't like it, then they haven't spent a lot of money just to learn that it isn't for them.

Please contact me (contact me in the COMMENTS section for this post) and we'll work something out.  I won't be giving a July class, so there's at least six weeks for you to make a decision, set a price (if necessary), and arrange for the exchange of merchandise.   

I'll keep the gear, on trust.  I'll entrust the gear to the students;  if they rip us off, I won't be able to pay you.  Folks who know me, know that I won't be keeping the gear for myself.

Please think this over, and let me know if you're willing to make your gear available to new shooters.  But remember ... the more competitors there are, the more people who will show up at matches and Build The Sport!

(Also:  they will tape targets, pick up brass, and tell you what a GREAT shooter you are!)

Well, maybe not the last part.  but the more shooters we have, the better the sport gets.
____________________________________________________________________

UPDATE:  June 19, 2012

So far I have received emails from FOUR people who have offered to contribute their old gear.  Mostly, it's magazines, magazine pouches, and holsters.   These are three of the most essential items for IPSC type competition, so I'm sure they will be very welcome by new shooters in the future.

Mac has promised me that we can store them in the ARPC Club "Vault", so they'll be readily available.  And in the future, contributions can be turned in at either the Stat Shack during Match Days at ARPC, or at the Pro-shop.

They will be disbursed to shooters on the basis of need.  No strings attached, except that they will be encouraged to return them to the club Vault when they are able to replace them with gear which they can now afford, after they determine that they are committed to the sport.

Then they will be made available to other shooters.

I plan to keep track of which specific items are contributed by each donator.  I think that feedback should be available, although there is no requirements imposed on the recipients.  However, I don't plan to institute any major tracking program.  My experience has always been that people are more than eager to contribute to the sport, and to encourage new shooters.   The recipients of these donations will likely want to keep the Gear Box full, if only because they realize how helpful it may be for the New Shooters who follow them.  And if they don't?  Then the program will be discontinued.  Any system which becomes too cumbersome to administer will fail, so we'll make this one as 'unofficial' as possible and count on the good will of both donators and recipients.

If you donate, and later decide you want your gear back?  If we still have it, just ask for it.  Thanks for the loan, no problem.

Other clubs who also offer a Certification/New Shooter Safety Training Program might consider instituting a similar equipment repository.  As time goes by, and if unexpected situations occur, I'll keep you informed of  any negative consequences of this program.

Gun Sales Up, Violent Crime Down (Again) | NSSF Blog

Gun Sales Up, Violent Crime Down (Again) | NSSF Blog: Preliminary crime statistics for 2011 released today by the FBI show a 4 percent decrease in violent crime–a continuation of a long-term downward trend nationwide. The report highlights that all four violent crime categories–murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault–declined in the country’s four major geographical regions and in all city population groups. The report also noted that violent crime decreased both in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties. The continuing decrease in violent crime comes at a time when firearms ownership has increased across America, a fact that utterly contradicts the mantra of anti-gun groups that that more guns equals more crime. “Every firearms owner should be armed with this information,” said NSSF President and CEO Steve Sanetti. Read the report. (opens in a new window)

The Skin Song; same song, different verse

For three and a half years I've been whining here about my crappy hands.

Admittedly, while SWMBO was slowly dying of cancer,  I tried to ignore my eczema;  it seemed to be (and it was) exceedingly self-centered of me to complain about what was essentially 'dry skin' while her lungs were rotting away.   It was worse when I came home from work and she asked me 'how are your hands?'.  It seemed graceless to complain .... and it would have been.

But she's gone now, and I've decided to go back to whining.

It's nothing more than an inconvenience, but it's debilitating to a "slightly" lesser degree than cancer;  when I try to do anything more strenuous than type on a computer keyboard, or read a book, the skin on my fingers dries out and splits.  And bleeds.  It's like getting paper-cuts, grasping nettles, or a severe sunburn ... often all at the same time.  Oh, and sometimes the skin on my hands just peels off, and I get these open bleeding wounds which make it really hard to do something like ... uh, shoot a pistol?  Even dimpled plastic grips get slippery.

So last month I went to my doctor (for the first time in a year), and HE asked me "how are your hands?  Still got the same problem?"

I admitted that I've adopted ways to cope with the problem.  I put ointment (Clobetasol, which is a 5 % steroid compound in a petroleum jelly base) on three or four times a day, and the rest of the time I just use vaseline petroleum jelly to keep my hands from drying out.  And I wear vinyl gloves about 12 hours a day to keep the stuff from drying out.  Still, it makes it awkward when I can't wash my hands with soap unless I immediately put that greasy crap all over my hands, and cover them with gloves.

My doctor, bless his heart, suggested that I see a Dermatologist.  I explained that the last one I saw did nothing more than prescribe clobetasol ointment and tell me to avoid washing and especially avoid soap.   And then last year, he retired ... mostly, I suspect he's living high on the extravagant fees he gets for telling people to quit washing.

To my surprise, my family doctor told me that there were now new dermatologists in town, and would I like him to refer me?

Would I?   Oh, HELL yes!

I went to see Dr. Vandergrift, and he didn't even look at my hands.  Not an auspicious start, from my perspective, but apparently he had been discussing my 'case' with my family doctor (who spent 9 months trying to eliminate the problem as being a fungus infection) and he understood that the only thing which had EVER helped was semi-annual massive infusion of Steroids ... which worked for a week at best.

(Then it came back, just as annoying and aggressive as ever.)

Dr. Vandergrift decided that since nothing else had been discovered to explain the situation, it must be an "acquired" allergy to some substance which had never been an issue until recent years.   He has referred me to the Oregon Health Science Unit (a division of the Oregon University System, and the Major Hospital facility in Oregon).

I made the appointment, and in subsequent phone calls to Doctor Pamela Norris I agreed to submit myself to a Patch Test.  This is the process where they scratch the skin on my back in about fifty places and deposit various substances, to see if my body reacts to them. I filled out a questionnaire, and after a couple of phone conversations with Dr. Norris's office, it turns out that they will be testing 150 substances, simultaneously.  It makes me feel like a Drunken Sailor getting his first tattoo during an extended shore-leave, and I haven't even had the tests yet!

On Monday, June 18, I'll show up at the office and they'll inscribe "MOTHER" on my back in 150 different languages.  In two days I'll come back, and they'll evaluate the results.

The next Monday, June 25, I go back for the 7-day evaluation.  Lord knows what that's going to be like.

In the meantime, I can NOT get my back wet until the testing period is completed.

There are a lot of benefits to living alone; when I say something funny, everyone in the room laughs at my jokes.  Everything stays just were I put it, and if I can't find it, it's my fault.  And if my dinner tastes crappy, I don't have to smile and say "It's delicious, Dear .. can we have this again next week?"  Instead I can just spit it out and phone for a pizza delivery.

Now there's another benefit to being a hermit:  when I haven't bathed for a week, I have nobody to offend but myself.

But, still ... Yuck!

   It isn't easy, being Geek.

A Clean Gun is a Happy Gun .. not!

I was cheerfully shooting the "El Presidente" stage as a demonstrator on today's (okay, yesterday's) "Introduction to USPSA" class, when my 2011 STI Edge in 10mm ... just didn't feel right.

I did the "Tap Rack Bang" and charged on.  A couple of shots later, it failed to go into battery, so I had to perform the same remedial exercise again.

Now, I've been shooting this pistol with NO maintenance for the past year, in classes and in matches.  It probably has 1,000 rounds fired from it (based on my orders from vendors, where I bought new reloading components), and it has performed flawlessly.  But I cleaned the gun, and  oiled it (using medium weight oil appropriate to the weather) last night, and today ... well!

I'm not sure whether to claim that "The Gun Let Me Down",  or "The Sweet Old Girl Just Isn't Accustomed To Shooting 'Clean'", bu the one thing I DO know is that I was surprised at the failure of the slide to go into battery during a speed-shoot stage.

Or, it may be to a kind of "Psychic Shock" (if such is possible with an inanimate object like a pistol).

Well, that, and I'm not willing to consider that it might have been something that (_I_) might have done.

... other than cleaning the gun, of course.

Never mind ... that's the last time I'll clean THIS gun until this winter, when I have to change to a lighter oil.

"Does the fastest shooter win the stage?"

The "Introduction to USPSA" classes run for three hours (at ARPC, the First Saturday of every month).  One of the challenges is to present a HUGE body of information within this very limited time span, without boring both the student and the instruct staff.

The question which invariably comes up is:  in the balance between Speed, Power and Accuracy, which is more important?

The answer is, and always should be:  "It Depends:".


This was the essence on the final question on the test: Question Number 20:

20:  Does the fastest shooter win the stage?

The textbook answer is:   No.  After all, the purpose of the course is to shoot SAFELY, and shoot ACCURATELY.  (We always tell our students:  "Shoot for Accuracy: speed will come to you, as your experience increases".)

My comment was, and always has been:
"Well, sometimes the fastest shooter DOES win the stage.  It depends on the stage, and the shooter.  Fast shooters are often more experienced, and they CAN shoot quickly without sacrificing accuracy."

So instead of a drill about shooting behind a Bianchi Barricade, today I substituted shooting an "El Presidente" stage as the final exam.

I did this because about half of the students, during the Live-Fire Exercise, started competing among themselves to see who could shoot a teaching stage fastest, and still shoot all (or mostly) "A-zone" hits.  Surprisingly, they were doing a good job of it!

They were ready to learn a lesson that not every class could handle, so we gave them the opportunity to learn about DVC .. .with emphasis on the difference between the three factors of Speed, Power and Accuracy.

For those who aren't familiar with El Presente, here is a short description.

Shooters start out facing uprange in a shooting box, pistols loaded and holstered, and the starting position is Facing Uprange  with toes touching the back of the shooting box, wrists above shoulders.  On the start signal, turn, draw, and engage each target  with two rounds each.  Perform a mandatory reload, and re-engage each target with two more rounds each.  The targets are positioned 7 yards downrange of the forward edge of the shooting box, positioned on the supporting stakes about 40" at the shoulder, and about a foot apart".  Twelve rounds required, sixty points possible.

That may not be the perfect description of the stage, but that's the description we adopted.

All nine students attempted the stage, and for the first time we recorded both score, and time.  We had deliberately avoided recording Stage Time before, because we are trying to teach an emphasis on Accuracy.

The lesson we taught here was an education to all of us.

Here's a summary of the most salient scores on El Presidente, a 60-point stage:

Highest Score: 59 points in 19.78 seconds.  Hit Factor: 2.98   (9th Place)
Second Highest Score (highest time): 57 points in 14.61 seconds.  Hit Factor 3.90 (7th Place)

Fastest Time: 50 points in 7.03 Seconds.  Hit Factor 7.11 (1st Place)
Second Fastest Time: 56 points in 10.47 seconds.  Hit Factor 5.35  (2nd Place)


ALL scores sequenced by hit factor (place of finish)
(place)=(score/time)=(HitFactor)

1 = 50/7.03 = 7.01
2= 56/10.47=5.35
3= 46/09.57=4.81
4= 54/33.24=4.08
5= 56/13.91=4.03
6= 54/13.69=3.95
7= 57/14.61=3.90
8= 54/17.68=3.05
9= 59/19.78=2.98

What this taught the shooters  included:

1. sometimes, the fastest shooter DOES win; and
2. sometimes the most accurate shooter tanks the stage

Did I teach the wrong lesson here?  I spent the day teaching them to shoot for A-zone hits, and suddenly I show them that strong hits don't ALWAYS count as much as shooting faster?

I don't think so.

I think I provided a valuable lesson, in that if the shooting problem is "easy" (3 targets at 7 yards, for instance), shooting fast without a miss may ultimately score MUCH higher than slow, careful, ACCURATE shooting.

The exercise, hopefully, drove home the lesson that in ANY shooting problem, the competitor must always balance accuracy vs speed + power (shooting Major results in higher scores for a C-zone hit).

Yes, we want them to shoot safely, and that IS the primary purpose of this class.  But we also want them to be as competitive as their own personal skill-set allows, and sometimes we need to DRIVE this lesson home by allowing each to focus on the potential of their skills to perform well on a certain kind of stage.

---

I think I threw them a curve.  I taught them accuracy all day, and them I made them shoot a Speed stage.  I should have taught them the other side of the equation, as well.

In retrospect, I should have also included a stage where the same targets were presented at a range of, say, 15 yards.  Or better, 20 yards.  With about the same round count.  This would have allowed the shooters whose greatest skill is ACCURACY rather than SPEED to demonstrate their forte.

So you see, I learn as much from my students as they learn from me.

The next class I teach, I'll include TWO "Real Live" stages which focus alternatively on SPEED, then on ACCURACY.

Has anyone a suggestion on which Classifier stage would best present this contrast?  And which should I present first?  The ACCURACY stage, or the SPEED stage?

Anyone?

Chronograph: War Stories!

In 1998, I (and SWMBO) traveled to my first Major Match, which was the Area 1 match in Reno, Nevada.   I was shooting The Beloved Kimber (.45ACP) in my 200gr SWC load,, and I was entirely confident because it had chronographed consistently in Major Power in my own Chrono Tests, and in the Chrono Tests which my Home Section (Columbia Cascade Section) provided during the Section Match.

So it came as a complete surprise when Doctor John and the Chrono Crew in Reno found that my loads were just a little too slow to prove Major Power!  What's this?  I'm shooting a .45 .. how can it NOT be Major Power?

This was the first Surprise Event in my competitive career, so I wasn't sure how to handle it.  But they shot six rounds, and I was still decimal-points short of the speed I needed in my ammunition to make Major Power.

Chrono Man gave me the option; should I re-weigh the last bullet, or shoot it for speed?

Since my original bullet weight had been measured within one tenth of the declared weight, I  was reluctant to expect that the last bullet would be anonymously heavier.  I asked them to shoot it for speed, and fortunately it was much faster than all the other rounds which I had submitted for testing.  I ended up shooting in Major Power .. but just barely!

The thing is, I was using Hercules Unique powder, which is notoriously coarse-grained.  It did not measure accurately from one round to the next; it was only dumb luck that it had tested 'faster' in the last round.

I finished in the lowest 5% at that match .. in at least one stage, I was the lowest non-zero scoring range.  I wasn't very good, but I was still having fun!

Since then, I have changed to fine-grain powder (Vihta Vourhi 330 or VV 320) for the .45 ACP loads, which weigh much more accurately.  And I quit shooting the .45 ACP in competition, for that reason.

(I use only fine-grain powders in competition, even in Level I matches where the ammunition is unlikely to be choreographed.)

I've said this before, and I won't go to the bother of looking up the links to previous posts, but if you expect to compete in a Major Match, you would be well served by using a fine-grain powder which measures more consistently and accurately in most reloading presses.

BTW, I used the same coarse-grain powder in my next Major Match; the Limited National match at Las Vegas later in 1998.  I overloaded the rounds, and ended up with a Power Factor of 198.  It was a bear to shoot, but I managed to do well enough to jump from C-Limited to B-limited based on my scores at that match.

Knowing the limitations of my ammunition, I was careful to shoot for accuracy, not for speed.  This may serve as an object lesson, as my scores in the National Match were just barely high enough to jump me from C-Class to B-Class in Limited.  That, using a single-stack Kimber (cost: $238) with borrowed 10-round magazines and untested ammunition.

I've got the best job in the world!

Last month I squadded with some of the students from my previous "Introduction to USPSA class", and as usual I was treated to the rewarding demonstration of people who are experiencing their first match.


I had a Father and Son pair show up at the class.  They were shooting reloads, but toward the end of the class they began to experience squib load.  The first time was an anomaly; the second was a trend, and so I was reluctantly obliged to discontinue the class; there was only one other shooter in the class, and it would not have been fair to anyone to complete the class with only one shooter.

Besides, it's always better to quit than to reinforce negativity in competitive shooting.

The next weekend, the Father (Chris) and the son (Dominic) showed up with Factory Ammunition.  Sure, they had reloading problems; but they were not about to miss the fun just because of that!


They both did well during the match, but at the last stage it was clear that Dominic, at least, was determined to have his 'best stage ever'.  He was working hard to get through the stage in a minimum amount of time, and we could all see the big grin on his face as he double-tapped every target on the stage.

At the end of the stage, I approached Dominic and said: "Hey, Dominic ... the stage is over, you can calm down now."

He was still grinning like a Cheshire Cat, so I continued:

"Hey, you're still excited?  What is it?  Do you like this stuff?"

He replied breathlessly:

"YEAH!"

The only one there with a bigger smile than Dominic was his father, Chris.    Well, I was pretty happy for him, too!  He had completed his first match safely (it was my privilege to present him with his Certification card), and from now on he can shoot at any range in the Columbia Cascade Section, and compete at any match safely.  He has proven himself.

That's what it's all about.  

When you can prove your ability to compete in the toughest, most rigorous competition shooting venue in the world; when you can stand up in front of your father and your friends and demonstrate that you are not only competent, but "Safely Competent" ... then you have shown that you are the moral  and competitive equal of any man.  They may be 'faster', and 'more accurate'... but they are not 'better'.

And when your own parent beams with pride at your accomplishment .. well, nobody else really counts quite so much.

Not everyone can do that.  Many of us need a couple of tries before we meet the challenge.  Some of us never meet the (deliberately difficult) challenge at all.    I've known grown men, with a lot of experience, who just couldn't meet the test.

But when you do, then that's the truest test of all, of your ability to be fast, accurate, and safe.

I'll squad with Chris and Dominic anytime, and I'll be confident that they can both perform safely and competitively every time.  I can't say that about everyone I've hosted in my classes.  It gives me special pleasure to work with people who can allow themselves to reach for the maximum.  Perhaps they may not achieve it, but they do not falter in their attempts to be ...


"Faster.  Stronger.  Better."

Chrono Questions

I recently received a technical question from a friend and viewer (Rock):

Will a change from our close-to-sea-level altitude here in the valley, to Bend/Central Oregon, approx. 3300’, have an effect on 9mm ammo that is normally about 127 power factor? 1110 fps X 115 Gr?

This is a reasonable question, and one which has plagued competitive shooters since IPSC was invented  (shortly before Christ was promoted to Corporal).  After serious reflection, I decided to address this important technical question.

Taking into consideration all of the salient factors, this was my reply:

Altitude difference will influence measured power factor inevitably, and usually to the detriment of the shooter.

Other factors which may lower a competitors power factor include, but are not restricted to:

• Humidity
• Ambient Temperature
• Time of day
• Exposing your ammunition to the heat of the sun
• a dirty barrel (always clean and oil your firearm before going to the Chronograph Stage!)
• Different brass, powder, primer or bullet .. not just weight (bullet and powder charge), but lot and brand
• Length of time since your ammunition has been loaded
• The number of times you have reloaded your ammunition
• Your religion; are you "Good With The Lord"?
• How long since you have bathed?   [Whew!]
• The cost and importance of the match
• Travel time and inconvenience of timing of the match
• How long since you have chronographed your load
• The physical characteristics of your firearm
• Your personality: "jerks" never chronograph as Minor
• If you  squad with your spouse or child, one of you will be Minor Power (or under!) with the same ammunition
• Your financial situation:  have you slipped a ten-spot to the Chrono Crew?

Hope this helps.


Jerry

Don't thank me ... it's my job to be helpful.

Tennessee Football Coach fired for making Obama so

Tennessee Football Coach fired for making Obama song. He'll make more money when this song becomes a big hit than he would teaching school. Tennessee middle school assistant football coach, age 26, fired for a song he wrote and played! This could be the next number one hit country song. It's the best effort yet at encapsulating the outrage at the oversteps of this government in an entertaining song. Apparently, the guy was fired over the song because some parents complained. If you like it, help it go "viral" by passing it along to everyone you know. Click for a Great Song!!! x Tennessee Football Coach fired for making Obama so Not saying ... .... well, yes I am.

USPSA Announcements - United States Practical Shooting Association

USPSA Announcements - United States Practical Shooting Association: USPSA - Announcements

For those of you who want to go to the Nationals this year, and either haven't made up your mind for SURE or didn't get a "Slot" from your Section, you need to be aware of this announcement from USPSA:

Slot Deadline Is Approaching


The deadline for slots to the 2012 STI USPSA Handgun Nationals is coming up June 18. All slots not received by end of business on that day will unfortunately have to be voided and *CANNOT* be replaced. The unreturned slots will be rolled over in to the wait list, which opens June 4th.


Make sure that you don't wait until the last minute. Things can and have happened to delay receipt by USPSA HQ of a signed slot with payment by the deadline. Once the deadline passes there is nothing that we can do. Mail your slot with payment as early as possible to make sure there is adequate time to correct any unexpected issues!

Trust me, if you haven't shot the Nationals yet, you cannot claim to be a "competitor" in the largest sense.

I've been to a few Nationals in my time, and it's my personal opinion that they are the "Biggest Bang For The Buck" available .. even though they are outrageously expensive in terms of time, money, effort, heartbreak, and thrills. 

The first time I want to the Nationals (Limited, in Las Vegas, 1998) I met Jerry Barnhardt in the Vendor tent.  I told him: "Hey, My name is so much like yours, the guys I shoot with kid me about beating Jerry Barnhardt, and I can't live up to the name.  So ... lose a match for me, will you?"

Okay, it was dorky, but just YOU meet your Idol and try to make an intelligent conversation!

In my first national, I was lucky;  I was TWO places away from the bottom of the pack ... not just in my Division, but Overall.   Could have been worse; I could have been at the very bottom (I think my overall percentage was insignificantly about 4%).  Still, it was worth the money and the travel and the inglory ... I got to shoot with some of the greatest shooters in the world.

I don't care if it IS your very first year competing, you owe it to yourself to got to the match and see just what IPSC is really about.  You'll meet people you've only heard about (and perhaps not even that), they will kick your ass, and you will consider it money well spent.

How many times in your life can you say that you have pitted yourself against the best in the world?  And if you're really lucky, as I was, you may find yourself shooting mano-a-mano against the world's champion shooters.

Go do it.  You will rue the expense today, but you will never forget the experience.

'Stand Your Ground' Law Repeal Proposed

'Stand Your Ground' Law Repeal Proposed:

It's called the "Stand Your Ground" law. More than a dozen Michigan lawmakers want to get rid of it. They're afraid that the current law will lead to vigilante justice.


More than 24 states, including Michigan, have some version of the "Stand Your Ground" law. Michigan's went into effect on October 1, 2006. Now, these politicians say they're not aware as of yet that this law has lead to any unnecessary violence, but they want to prevent it from happening. ...

Well, that sounds like a good reason for preventing people from defending themselves from predators.

Not!

Crimson Trace® to Host World's First And Only Midnight 3-Gun Invitational

Shooting Wire: (Wilsonville, OR)   May 18, 2012 Crimson Trace, maker of the industries finest laser and lighting systems for personal defense, is hosting the world's First Annual Midnight 3-Gun Invitational this summer. This three night competition will take place just outside of Bend, Oregon in the high desert. What makes this 3-Gun Event so unique? The entire shooting competition will take place at night, in complete darkness. Competition will kick off just after sunset July 16 and continue into the wee hours of the morning each evening, with the closing ceremony the afternoon of July 18. The top 3-gunners in the nation, such as Jerry Miculek and Juli Golob, are registered and scheduled to compete.

For more information, click this link.

Lawn-mower guy gets Fired for Turning in a Gun He Found on Street

(Wayne County, Detroit county worker John) ... Chevilott found a gun while mowing the lawn [ed: ... on city property]. The gun was in the way of him doing his job ... so he picked it up with the full intention of handing it over to police. He eventually handed it over to police. Then, he got fired for picking up a loaded firearm off the street and handing it over to police. 

Words John Chevilott isn't likely to say in the immediate future:

"I LOVE THIS JOB!"

Nobody Is Perfect

I checked my results from last weekend's ARPC match (sent from USPSA.ORG) and ... as much as I appreciate the great statistical-reporting we now enjoy, I was appalled to read that I had got major penalties in almost every stage.

 I took a picture of the printout: this was sent to me at 1:50 pm after the match.

(Right-click on the image to see full-size image in a new tab)

Yes, that was my USPSA member number all right, and the right class, division, power factor ... but down in the lower right corner under "Pistol Statistics" it says:
Total Penalty Points: 140

... according to this, I shot only one stage clean.  Gee, I know I haven't been practicing much for the past few years, but I could only recall two stages where I got penalties!  (Wow!  I must be getting Sudden-Onset Alzheimers since last weekend)

A little explanation; I haven't read my email for a week, and I always read from the oldest unread email to the newest.   So the next email was ALSO from USPSA, sent at 2:00 pm.  It told a slightly different story:

 (Again .... right-click on the image to see full-size image in a new tab)

 Same identification info as the last time, but this version has my competitor number as #79 ... which I recall as being correct since I was almost the last to sign up for the match, and I saw guys in line ahead of me with numbers between 49 and 78 ... so I know I wasn't competitor 48.
and the actual stats were a lot closer to what I remembered, too:
Total Penalty Points: 20

... Except these (a) were the stages for the APRIL APRC match, not the MAY ARPC match, and (b) it shows me as DNF on the last stage (classifier: "Melody Line"), and I shot that match complete, including the classifier. And I strongly doubt that my competitor number was "79" in April, because there were not that many competitors for that match.   Since the email identified it as the results for the MAY ARPC match, and I dispute the reported results for that match, I have no confidence in any of the match results I receive.

...

It has been a long time since I really worried too much about being competitive.  In fact, it has been since I was no longer able to reload .38 Super ammunition, so I could compete in OPEN division (in which I can still see the sights AND the target clearly).   Consequently, I'm not concerned that my reported statistics from ... well, either or both matches .... don't meet my very low expectations.

However, if YOU are competitive, and you want honest accurate reporting on the results of your matches, I strongly advise you to record your own stats from the match before you leave the range, and compare them to the results you receive from USPSA.

TEAM X-T.R.E.M.E. & Cpl Todd Love

TEAM X-T.R.E.M.E. & Cpl Todd Love - YouTube Thanks to SCOTT for pointing out this extraordinary story and video. (I especially liked the Seal Suit!)

No Dundee Match for May

Bill Marrs  sent out an email announcement to all Columbia Cascade members earlier this week.   If you're not a member of the Section, or if you must missed it, here it is:

There appears to be some confusion as to whether there will be a match at Dundee on 5-26.

NO.   There will be no match at Dundee this month.  I'm headed to Bend to shoot the Oregon State match,
and so it everyone else that I could think of to do the Dundee match!

See you at the points match at Dundee in June.

Bill

Enough said, and thanks to Bill for letting us all know.

Oregon Primaries

If God had wanted us to elect our leaders, he would have given us candidates.

I'm trying to fill out my ballot for the current election (which includes Presidential Primaries), and all I can say is that the local issues are more interesting --- and I can be more "hopeful" about them --- than anything on either the state or national venue.

I would have (albeit reluctantly) voted for The Newt as the Republican Presidential Candidate,  until I learned he had been found guilty of "Jumping the Shark", and was no longer a viable candidate.

At the ARPC match yesterday,  I asked The Hobo Brasser if he could tell me for whom he planned to vote, as the Republican Presidential Candidate.   He told me .... but was unable to complete the discussion without reverting to the most foul anglo-saxon terminology.  I think he may even have mentioned the word "D*m*cr*t" once.  (I probably should not have said this; I hate to embarrass my friends.)   (Oh, that's right, I don't, do I?)

What I'm thinking is that the ballot should include the category "ANYONE BUT ______" (name your choice, I know who my "Anyone But ____" choice would be on the Presidential election).

So what we're left with is Montrose's Toast:

 "He either fears his fate too much,
Or his desserts are small,
Who dares not put it to the touch,
To win or lose it all!"

Translated:  "You pays your money and you takes your chances"

Not very comforting, is it?

And I thought *_I_* had too much drama in my life!

[HAT TIP to The G-man, who is recovering nicely from his surgery according to his latest email)

GO FULL SCREEN ON THIS ONE                 – with sound!

FANTASTIC!  You just never know what might happen next time  you go out for a quiet cup of coffee! Press the red button and find out........

How to rip off the IRS for Big Buck$

"Undocumented Workers" from Mexico are claiming ... and receiving ... BILLIONS of dollars of exemptions on their tax returns (and receiving tax refunds) for "Dependent Children Who Live In The Home", for children who live in Mexico.

Can this be true?  Who knows?  At least one TV station in Indiana claims to have interviewed one such "Undocumented Worker" who confirms the story.

According to Indianapolis News, the Inspector General knows this is happening, has reported it, but the IRS is doing nothing to rectify the situation

Indianapolis News Video | Weather Video Forecast | Sports - 13 WTHR Indianapolis (Hat Tip: G-Man)

Travels with Hansel and Gretel

Travels with Hansel and Gretel The Hobo Brasser has started his own blog. There ... in a forum in which he proposes to share the merry adventures of his annual travels (decrepit pickup, dented fifth-wheel, spicey wife, and the dog and the dogette) he proves himself to be the master of understatement. The man is stealing my blog material!

Update-on-Fast-and-Furious-with-attachment-FINAL.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Update-on-Fast-and-Furious-with-attachment-FINAL.pdf (application/pdf Object)

The Seven Deadly Sins of USPSA Competition

When I teach the "Introduction to USPSA" class at the Albany Rifle & Pistol Club (ARPC), I recognize the importance of presenting the class material in a user-friendly, positive manner.

That's why I emphasize all the ways in which a competitor can "DQ" (Match Disqualification for violating a safety rule).

You can't do 'right' unless you know what is 'wrong'.   It's easy to say "Go, shoot, be safe".  But unless people know what are UNSAFE actions ... well, it's complicated.

The easiest way to teach people how to be safe, is to define the actions which are NOT safe.

I'm developing a teaching guide for instructors who are attempting to familiarize new shooters in USPSA competition (this almost exactly follows IPSC rules, as well), and in the process I've boiled the competition rules into a simple seven-element set of  "DO NOT" rules which will help the new competitor to shoot safely, over 90% of the time.  [I would say "100%", but nothing is all- right.

These seven deadly sins are:

1. Muzzle (180)
2. Finger (1 & 2)
3. Sweeping
4. Dropped Gun
5. D&D
6. Over The Hill
7. Cheating

Seven rules, ten words (more or less).  The "Four Basic Rules of Gun Safety" are:

1. Treat Firearms as if they are loaded;
2. Point the muzzle away from non-targets;
3. Keep fingers off the trigger;
4. Be sure of your target, and what is beyond it

Lots more words to remember.  And actually all of the rules are embodied in the USPSA rules which define "unsafe acts".    But competitors need to know the elements of these rules, and the even more esoteric rules which are elemental in a competitive environment.

Here are the Seven Deadly Sins again, with some explanations:

I:   Muzzle (180)

Face downrange, and extend your arms to each side.  Your arms define the 180 degrees in which it is 'safe' to point your firearm.  If you point your firearm 'behind' that 180 degree line, you are breaking the "180 Rule".   That is, you are pointing it uprange, where there may be people standing.  It matters not what you are doing or where people are actually located relative to your firearm; as the competitor, you are responsible for everything that happens with your firearm and breaking the 180 rule is ALWAYS unsafe.

II: Finger (1 & 2)

The rules say you cannot have your finger on the trigger unless you are actively engaging targets.  This breaks down to two general situations:

• You cannot have your finger on the trigger when you are loading, reloading, clearing a jam, or during any activity other than actively engaging targets.
• You cannot have your finger on the trigger when you are moving, except when you are actively engaging targets.

This last part is a bit complicated.

If you take ONE step, you may keep your finger on the trigger.   That's Part 1.

But when you are "actively engaging targets", you may have your finger on the trigger 'anyway'.
That means, your firearm is mounted ... it is raised so that you may see a sight picture with the target generally including the front and rear sights, and the target.  If your firearms is below the sight-line between your eyes and the target, the Range Officer may reasonably assume that you are not "actively engaging the target".  ("Engaging" means shooting at, or trying to shoot at, a target.)   That's Part 2.

III: Sweeping

The term "SWEEPING" include any motion of your firearm or your body which may result in the muzzle of your firearm pointing at any part of your body.

It (according to the rules) does NOT include such actions as are needed to holster, or un-holster, your firearm.  I'm not sure why this is true, except that with some holsters it's impossible to holster a weapon without using your 'off hand' to expand a pliable holster so you can place the muzzle of your firearm in the holster.  This may also be true when using a "gun rug' rather than a holster at the beginning or end of a stage.

At all other times, though, if during the course of fire you combine the actions of your hand which holds your firearm with ANY other activity in such a way that the muzzle of your firearm points at any part of your body, that is an Unsafe Act.

For example:
You are required to open a door so that you can pass through it; if your free hand passes in front of your firearm, you have just "swept yourself".

Or:
You drop your magazine at the end of a stage.  If you reach down to retrieve the grounded magazine before holstering your firearm, you may "sweep yourself".

IV:  Dropped Gun

IF "during a stage" you lose control of your firearm ... it is not in your hand under circumstances which are not required by the stage directions or after you have drawn your firearm from the holster ... and the firearm hits the ground, you may be DQ's for having dropped your gun.  It matters not whether your firearms lands pointing safely down-range.  If you are not in full control of your firearm at all times, you are subject to a DQ.

The phrase "during a stage"   is significant.
If you are NOT an active competitor under the direct control of a Range Officer, and you drop your gun while you are not shooting a stage (eg: you are in the squad area or walking through a stage, and your pistol falls out of your holster and drops to the ground), you are NOT automatically DQ'd. Unless, that is, you touch your firearm. The thing to do under this circumstance is to protect the firearm, call for a Range Officer, and let the Range Officer do whatever is necessary to SAFELY retrieve the firearm and return it to a safe condition.

Of course, this does not obviate the rules which forbid you to handle your firearm other than when  you are at a SAFETY TABLE or under the direct supervision of a Range Officer.

V: D&D

The acronym "D&D" refers to "Drunk & Disorderly".
"Drunk" refers to any situation where the competitor is under the influence of substances to the point where he or she is incapacitated ... which is a very fine line, considering that this is a sport where the 'normal' competitor can be described as "running around with loaded guns".  Essentially, if you are under the influence of alcohol, or drugs, you should not be handling firearms.  This includes such situations as taking prescription medication under the care of a physician.  Any substance which undermines your ability to be entirely responsible for the safe handling of a firearm, including those which only have the warning "may cause drowsiness", is entirely incompatible with USPSA competition.

You're welcome to come observe, tape targets, reset steel targets, and visit your friends.  Please do us all a favor and leave your guns at home.

"Disorderly" refers to many ancillary activities, including coarse/foul language while arguing with a Range Officer.  An armed society is a polite society; one who allows him/her self to display belligerent behavior during a competition event may reasonably be defined as one who should NOT be allowed to "run around with a loaded firearm".  Disorderly conduct is, of course, defined by the Range Officer or other range officials.

These activities may fall under the general category of "Unsportsmanlike Conduct", which is complete in "Deadly Sin #7: Cheating".  (See below.)

VI: Over The Hill

This section refers to both negligent discharges (there is no such thing as an "Accidental Discharge", as we are all entirely responsible for anything which happens with our firearms) and shots which are so badly aimed that the bullet passes over the berm.  The berm is provided by the range to stop any fired shot; if you can't keep your shots low enough to hit the berm after they pass through the target, then you are not a safe shooter.

This also refers to any shot which impacts the ground within six feet of the competitor (or behind the competitor) unless it is obvious that the competitor is actively engaging a target which is close to the ground within that range

VII:  Cheating

This is a general catch-all phrase which envelops situations which may not have been defined previously.  Essentially, this is "unsportsmanlike conduct" or a deliberate attempt to obviate the rules.  This is presumably to gain a competitive advantage, but not necessarily so.

A good example is the rule which requires all competitors to wear both eye-protection and ear-protection.  If, during the course of fire, a competitor may lose either piece of competitive safety equipment, the Range Officer is obliged to stop the competitor, correct the situation, and mandate a re-shoot for that competitor.  There are no options available for the Range Officer; the competitor has, at last, lost time by the loss of safety equipment, and consequently has not been presented with an 'equitable shooting problem'.  The RO must mandate a reshoot.
This provides the competitor who is 'having a bad stage' with an opportunity to re-shoot the stage; by merely doffing ear muffs, the rules would mandate a reshoot.

However, the rules specifically forbid this under the "Unsportsmanlike Conduct" clause; it is cheating.

The number of categories is small, but the detail is large.  This approach doesn't pretend to simplify the rules of competition.  It only serves to present the rules in an easy to remember set of categories, and provide the instructor to bunch the most important safety rules in a simple framework for presentation.

BlogMeat for April

I know I know, I haven't been talking here for .... well, far too long. Almost every night when I turn the lights out I lay in bed and think about the things I want to talk about here. But by morning, it's all gone out of my head.

So what I'm going to do, with your kind permission, is to just grab a few of the many subjects that won't let go of my brain and do kind of a free-style "chain of consciousness" core-dump.

My Lai:
I went to the local library yesterday and checked out some DVDS from their limited stock. I ran across a short series pertaining to the Viet Nam war, and I brought that home. The video on the My Lai Massacre was so horrendously sickening to watch, I had to shut it off last night and finished watching it this evening.

The thought that anyone, especially American Soldiers, could willingly ... even eagerly ... take part in a massacre of men, women, children and infants is appalling. The video ( available online through pbs.org/american experience ) made me almost ashamed to be an American, let alone a veteran of that horrible war. I understand the combat pressures and failed leadership which drove those soldiers to such extreme reactions, but I still cannot countenance it.

The massacre took place on March 16, 1968. The first news became popular media grist a year later. I entered the service in September of 1968, and went to Viet Nam a year later. We were just becoming aware at that time. I remember being horrified even then, and my determination was to NEVER find myself in a position where I was as helpless as those young men in C-company must have felt. I went through NCO school, and arrived in Viet Nam as a Staff Sergeant (E6) on September 20 of 1969. My determination was not only to bring every man in my platoon home, but to prevent ANY combat reaction which preyed on unresisting, unarmed civilians.

(I didn't bring 'every man' home; one man was killed by a booby-trap, another was wounded. One man was snake-bit; the venom gave him a 70% profile, and got him out of the field, so at least HE was satisfied.)

Thankfully, my experience was not that extreme, and the situation was not one with which I had to contend. But I had nightmares before Vietnam, and during my tour .... and they were much worse than those which I experienced after I returned to civilian life.

The nightmares are few and far between, but I suspect I will experience "What Might Have Been" nightmares for a few days to come.

Introduction to USPSA classes:
The Albany Rifle and Pistol Club, where I conduct these introductory classes in IPSC/USPSA training, has historically worked hard to ensure that the people who show up a the classes have at least rudimentary skills in firearms handling techniques. This year, the 'filtering' process broke down; I was designated at the primary contact person for enrollment, and most frequently prospective students contact me only a few days before the next scheduled class.

So I don't have time to insure that they have the background in gun-handling and pistol shooting, and sometimes when the students begin their live firing exercises I discover that they have some seriously bad habits which are not consistent with shooting under the pressure of competition.

When that happens, I notify Mac that this person should not be allowed to sign up for a match, and I watch the registration for that match to insure that they are not accepted as a competitor. Usually, I respond to their registration email to inform them that they need more training.

That was the case last class (actually, this month/first Saturday) with a student I'll call "Vern".

Vern is a helluva nice guy ... well, almost all of the students are (is there something about personality types of those people who want to compete?) ... and when I contacted him after the class I told him that I would prefer that he get more training.

The problem appeared to be that he learned to shot handguns as a child, and he was given a revolver to shoot. Unfortunately, whomever taught him allowed him to brace the heavy weight of the revolver by bracing his right wrist with his left hand, his left thumb over his right wrist.

That works fine for revolvers, but he planned to compete with a semi-automatic pistol; a Beretta 92 variant, if it matters.

EVERY time it was turn to shoot, he started out with his left thumb in the way of the recoiling slide. I would shout "STOP!", explain to him that it was personally dangerous to put his thumb in a position where the slide might hit his bracing thumb. He acknowledged the danger, but could NOT break himself of the practice!

That night, I decided that I could not let him shoot. I told ARPC that he needed more training, and then I told Vern that this was a problem which could not be ignored. Sure, he had no problems with just casual shooting at the range, but under the pressure of competition it was almost inevitable that eventually he would do himself a damage.

Vern replied with a surprisingly understanding tone. He realized that my concern was for his personal safety, and was not offended that I had singled him out for special treatment.

So he and I made a date to meet at the range this afternoon (he is a club member, so access to the range was easy for him), and I agreed to coach him.

We started out with dry-fire exercises. Then we went to one-round stages, where I watched him carefully for his instinctive "thumb-over" grip. We worked together for two hours, and I tried every trick I could think of to rattle him. I kept telling him his draw-to-first-shot time, thinking he would be so concentrated on improving his shot that he would forget his grip.

He did not.

I gave him shoot-then-reload exercises. Surely that would distract him from reverting to his old grip.

It did not.

Finally, after two hours and over fifty separate live-fire exercises ... he had been gripping his pistol safely 100% of the time.

I told Vern that he could shoot on my squad any time, and I would be glad to watch him complete his certification match safely. We parted friends, still, and I think it's going to be really fun watching him at his first match.

Barb:
On the other hand, sometimes there's an impulse to just let the shooter try a match and see if they can consciously overcome their ingrained problems. It doesn't always work.

Barb and her husband first come to my August, 2010, class. She was completing her chemotherapy treatments for Cancer, and she was totally bald. Immediately I attached my feelings about SWMBO's long (30 months) losing battle with Cancer, so Barb became something of a "Teacher's Pet" in my mind. I was so determined that she get through her training successfully, I may have been less critical than I should have been about her inability to keep her finger off the trigger during loading/reloading/clearing a jam.

Some time went by after her August training, during which they were unable to make it to a Certification Match; so they came back to my February, 2011 class for a "refresher". By then, Barb had successfully completed her chemotherapy and had her hair back! But Barb still couldn't keep her finger off the trigger, even though I "DQ-ed" her during the class.

Finally, she shot her certification match in February. I was the RO for her first stage, and she violated the "FINGER" rule three times in quick succession before I finally (reluctantly, but necessarily) DQ'd her.

It pissed her off. She wasn't mad at me; she was angry with herself. She knew that we had worked on that, and she just hadn't been able to overcome her bad habit. The problem was, she became self-conscious when being watched by a lot of people, and under pressure she reverted to old, bad habits.

The next month, I asked her to not only come to the class, but to be my "Demonstrator".

In each class, we set up from 5 to 10 different stages (depending on how much daylight is available). I explain the shooting problem to the class, take questions, and then my Demonstrator shoots the stage so the new students can see what should be done.

That put Barb very much in the lime-light, when she knew that everyone there was watching on her ... and counting on her to set a good example.

Barb performed beautifully on each and every stage. Of course, there were some glitches when she had to clear a jam on one stage, but that was also a training experience.

Finally, this month (last weekend) she shot her Classification Match clean; I squadded with her, and I got to RO her for several of the stages. There were some awkward moments, which is natural ... I had a few awkward stages too (I have GOT to practice more!) but she was always safe.

At the end of the match, I got to award certification cards to Barb and to one other new shooter, Bob. (Bob had his wife and his little daughter with him for the last two stages, as an Unofficial Cheering Section; it worked well for him, but his daughter wouldn't share her Oreo cookies with me.)

During the award ceremony, traditional at every club match in the Columbia Cascade Section ... when Barb came forward to receive her certification card, there was just the slightest hitch in my throat.

She had told me earlier that this day, April 14, was exactly the one-year anniversary of when she had been diagnosed with Cancer. That day was very special, to her and to me. That she was there, and able to play with new friends as a "normal person", was a bit of a miracle. I don't know which of us was the most moved; Barb, her husband, or me.

July:
New Shooters who intend to take the Introduction to USPSA class in July ... are probably not reading this. But I have already informed Mac that I will not be available to instruct the July class.

My son, my daughter, and both their families all live in San Diego. Independence Day is the Wednesday before the "First Saturday" of the month. I'll be in Southern California on Independence Day, and I don't expect to return in time to attend the class. I've already told Mac, but if you are planning to suggest that friends attend the class in July ... take a hint. I don't know yet if the class will be cancelled, or Mac will teach it, or it will be rescheduled. We're still trying to work out the details.

I have my priorities, and I'm very clear on them. Family first, THEN shooting ....


Snow Bird:
The Hobo Brasser and his charming wife Sharon "Spicey" Brasser typically spend their winters in a trailer park in Texas. This has been problematic for them.

Last year, some fool put regular gas in their fifth-wheeling diesel pickup. They spend two weeks in Shasta, California, waiting for the local mechanics to put a new engine in (which cost them much more than their retired-folks budget could easily accommodate).

This year they experienced a hail-storm .. with hail the size of golf balls ... just before they were scheduled to return to God's Country (Oregon, for those of you who are not familiar with the concept).

Since then, they have experienced a few other mechanical calamities, including the need to replace three tires on the New/Improved Pickup.

The Hobo Brasser has requested and required that I meet him at the Dundee match at the end of the month .... that would be the 28th. We will retire, after the match, for our traditional repast of Wheat Bear and Linquica Pizza at the Abby's Pizza Parlor in Newport Newberg, Oregon. Fellow devotees of the shooting sports are invited to join us: the story telling will be dominated by the Mad Irishman, but you must buy your own freakin' pizza & beer!
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Update: changed NEWPORT to NEWBERG as the closest Abby's Pizza Parlor. thanks for the Hat Tip, Guy!