Saturday, June 30, 2007

Hyperbole Saturday

This from Roseanne Barr's blog...
IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT AND THE VICE PRESIDENT, THEY ARE TRAITORS TO AMERICA, AND SO ARE ALL OF THEIR SUPPORTERS. IMPEACH! ANYONE IN CONGRESS WHO REFUSES TO SAVE OUR UNION FROM THESE TRAITORS BY DOING NOTHING NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. SAVE OUR TROOPS!!! SAVE OUR SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS AND JOBS. FEED OUR HUNGRY AND POOR! SAVE THE DROWNING PEOPLE IN NEW ORLEANS! ANYONE WHO MENTIONS PARIS HILTON ONE MORE TIME MUST DIE!
Well, I'm pretty much on board with the Paris Hilton part of the message, but otherwise, I'm afraid it's a week of decaf for Roseanne!

Going to spend the day bicycling mountain passes over in Summit County, which will be both beautiful and fun (and, yeah, will probably cause my heart to pop out my ear or something).

I realize I have an explanation due over my off-hand comment that I might start shooting USPSA Single Stack with a .40 Short & Weak STI Trojan, since I recently had what I thought was a pretty well-thought-out rant about how the .40 was a not-so-ingenious solution to a more-or-less real problem (cops wanted more rounds than could be stuffed in a .45 semiauto).

SOOOOO, if I don't like .40 at all, why would I shoot it in competition? Cause I've got about a billion rounds of brass, many cartons of bullets and a Dillion 650 set up to spew finished .40s out like a bulemic Hollywood starlet...the legacy of my days of shooting USPSA Limited with an STI Edge...arguably the gun that defines USPSA Limited.

Alternately, I've been halfway thinking about giving in to my ever-increasing age and shoot Open with a red-dot site, which would require me to go forage a .38 Super and all that other happy crap to compete with...not necessarily a bad thing.

I know what you're wondering...why not IDPA? Frankly, I just can't face getting yelled at by "tactical master" pizza delivery guys and orthodontists. Yeah, they probably know more than me, but I've never been much on yelling as a way of transmitting information. Certainly not all IDPA clubs have institutionalized this shouting at the shooter for every small (or perceived) infraction nonsense, and I strongly urge you to resist the temptation...when you yell at the shooter for everything — failure to use cover, foot misplacements, etc. — you essentially desensitize the shooter to your range commands. As a rangemaster, the only word I've ever shouted was, "STOP!" And when I yell that, believe me, I want instant obedience because I have seen a dangerous situation that the shooter is not aware of. I have been hauled onto the carpet by some of the top instructors in the world, and not a single one has raised his or her voice while doing it...interesting.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mr. Bane,

I usually very much enjoy your TV show and your web log. However it bothers me that someone in the public eye would denigrate an entire sport because of the way your local club works, or the way a few SOs at your club do their job.

How about having a chat with these SOs and the MD off the clock? Would that work?

I understand that you imply there must a club somewhere that doesn't do yelling, but you never-the-less paint IDPA with a brush that is very wide. ("Certainly not all IDPA clubs have institutionalized this shouting")

I've never shot IDPA in Colorado but Utah, Idaho, and Washington do not run their matches the way you describe.

Your make your living as a writer, please be precise.

Thanks for listening,

Ken Reed

Anonymous said...

Ken,

STOP

Thank you

Gerry

Anonymous said...

You need to move on and find a better club!
(and accept the reality that IDPA is not going away.)
P----ng and moaning about it will not help!

Anonymous said...

http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?ID=3134

The californicators in CO are at it again.

The 60 db limit they want would make conversations unlawful, let alone 4WD vehicles and firearms.

Michael Bane said...

Mr. Reed;

You're probably right.

You should know, however, that I have talked at length to the SOs, the MD (I co-founded the club at the request of Bill Wilson, the sport's founder, as the first large IDPA club in the West) and the other founders of the sport about the issue. I personally think it's a safety issue and I would have been remiss to NOT bring it to everyone's attention.

Additionally, more shooters have been driven away from the practical sports by bad match officiating than by all the antigun initiatives ever launched.

I'm attending the IDPA Nationals this year at the invitation of the Match Director, and he and I talked long and seriously before I accepted his invitation.

As far as stopping my pissing and moaning, it's probably unlikely, I have been involved at an organizational level in the practical shooting sports for more than 20 years. I am constitutionally incapable of shutting up. That's why I have a blog.

And please remember, I am a commentator, not a reporter. When the mothership lands, I am not concerned how many aliens pop out; only whether or not they can dance...

mb

Anonymous said...

Didn't IDPA DQ a some guy a couple days after the match? Seems the failure to do right was on the part of IDPA if this is the case. Peronally, I'd rather shoot USPSA production division but that is a personal preference. If I want to do more defensive shooting I'd sign up for a force on force class and really put myself under stress while shooting.

Anonymous said...

Paraphrase from "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy": Vogon guard - "If you'll just excuse me, I've got some shouting to get on with...."

Anonymous said...

Mr. Bane,
You misquote me, "As far as stopping my pissing and moaning, it's probably unlikely, I have been involved at an organizational level in the practical shooting sports for more than 20 years. I am constitutionally incapable of shutting up. That's why I have a blog."

I simply asked you to be precise. That should not be over the head of a reporter, writer or commentator.

I will be SOing the Nationals, see you there.

Ken Reed

Anonymous said...

Michael,
You dont need to give up on iron sights. I have an optomitrist that made me perfect set of shooting glasses. Correct your strong eye for the front sight and your weak eye for 15 yds and out. What a difference!!!
Dave Hearth-Hearthco Moonclips

Anonymous said...

Hey Mike,
What you're experiencing is simple "Group Dynamics". You find it at school, church, work and 'Scout meetings. Every organization "matures" (a. k. a.: de-generates) as it moves along. The solution is having qualified leadership at all times. If the membership is happy with status quo, they'll do nothing and you may want to move on. If they aren't, then they'll vote accordingly. I think that they'll opt for the latter. Anyhow, maybe you'll need to take over, or groom a suitable replacement for the "leader".
Life Member