Kurosawa

This year is what I like to call my "Secret Samurai" year, in honor of the Japanese film director Kurosawa. Basically only traveling to like two or three matches this year instead of the 13 or so I did last year. But instead staying local and focusing on 'sharpening my sword', to then next year burst forth out of hiding.

To have made Master and start shooting well and have people be shocked about this guy who just came out of nowhere and is sooo good.
Kinda makes me wanna change my personal logo from a shark to a samurai......

Modeling....

I love outside industry sponsorship. Three things about it I like are that 1. my continued sponsorship with them is more contingent on being a nice guy/good representative than on being first place every time. 2. they are normally excited to include me in their promotional material. I have two modeling gigs coming up where I am going to be photoed and videoed for the various company's websites and such. 3. it allows me more freedom in the equipment I choose.

All of these things increase my level of enjoyment in competing and in just being nice, friendly and talking with people about the products I help represent.

Range Master Rowdy

Ok, so plans seem to be moving forward on building my own practice facility/fun compound. Instead of moving overseas for two years.

Land will be about 40 grand. A shed and storage will be about 1 grand. Targets and shooting supplies about 9 grand. Then a fence, Bobcat rental to build berms and other stuff I've forgotten are unknown costs to me. Two grand? Five?

So let's say it is 55 grand to do it. Last year I spent 20 grand just on travel and match fees. I think my skill level would improve at a rate two times it did last year, so the ROI on this seems to be right. But I'm biased.

The right plot will also have the terrain to make a small motorcycle track around it as well. Oh yeah.

Add me

Add me to your "People to be killed list", I'll do the same for you.

What we think doesn't matter.....

If someone wants to fight me, what I think their motivation is doesn't matter. What matters is what they think their motivation is for the attack.

We may not say we are at war with Islam but for the people on the other end they definitely proclaim the faith. So when Hollande says, and I quote directly, "Those who committed these acts have nothing to do with the Muslim religion" he is being disingenuous.

Look at what the attacker says, not the victim. Yes, those who espouse these beliefs are not mainstream. But the mainstream Muslim in this case doesn't matter. What the terrorists say, that matters because it is their truth.

Terrorism is classically and broadly defined as violence against non military targets to further a political goal. Religion and politics in this case are one. This is about forcing a change through violence. This is about attacking non military targets. Listen to what the ones doing the attacking say. Read what they write, and whether we declare it or not our of fear or misguided attempts to not offend, it is most especially a war with and against Islam.

You may be ready to die for your convictions and freedoms, but others are ready to kill for theirs.

Better start accepting that and deal with it directly.

Year in Review

I started the year as Sharpshooter in ESP for IDPA and ended the year at Master and as a Division Champion for ESP in a match.

I finished 16th in the national championships for IDPA for SSP division.

I went the entire year without being hospitalized!

I have two brand new motorcycles, a FZ09 and a CRF250L and a 300 Ninja that is no longer around.

I earned my Rider Coach certification with the MSF and then the state stopped using that program.

I gave up on ever having a full time Nuclear Medicine job again. Or PA school.

I went to South Korea and Cambodia for two weeks! The discovery of sights and foods was overwhelming.

I continued taking classes at a local community college.

I finished second overall in a year long, nation wide contingency program for shooting put on by Automatic Accuracy.

I finally met Simon Jack. And another wonderful family addition in Jade R.

Killer came back to the USA.

I got up to 148lbs, the most I ever have weighed in my life. Sadly it was all couch muscle and I'm down to 142 again thankfully.

I signed up for a semester abroad in Spain for the summer of 2015 to study Spanish.

I grew a beard for the first time. I grew my hair longer that it's ever been in years.

I started braces with Invisalign. And got eye glasses. Is this middle school??

I've owned my truck for 5 years and 95,000 miles. A new personal record as I normally flip vehicles quickly.

Envy and strife.

In the past two weeks I've got to talk with different people about the problems in their lives. Relationship issues, mental health, housing, diabetes and so on.

What I learned from these chats were that one, everyone has problems. It is really hard to tell from the outside what is truly going on with some people. (not in these recent cases, but some people are drama and create problems when they have none. those people are to be held at arm's length)

Secondly, is that no matter what I have going wrong or whatever problem I may have at the moment I absolutely do not want another person's problems. It's funny how we are often heard to say, "Wow, I don't know how they do it? I could never do that." And I think it is because very often we're suited for the problems we face.

Readers, keep your head up and endure. Miracles most often happen after the hardest trials.