ACG

BE could probably write a book on just this topic. Personally, I'd have to ask a few questions first: What is your intent, to find your weaknesses (which was ALL have) or to shoot a solid match? I guess one of the basic tenets has more or less already been pointed out - to find positions where you're shooting as often as possible without much down time. If there is breaks, you probably already see these as a good time to reload. But here's the kicker, if you intend to shoot a solid match you must know where your weaknesses are! Let me illustrate the point. You've done a walk through and know there's a PP which activates a turner. You see about how long the activation sequence takes and figure that you can pick up two, maybe three, targets before the turner shows. You take your turn and get to the PP activation, only to discover that it's faster than you figured during your mental prep. Here's another. You walk through and figure the most efficient way is to sweep across most of the targets. This includes several pieces of steel that are about 35 yds away (you have the choice of standing in one position or moving up on them). You figure that efficiency takes precedence over what you can reliably do everytime and go for it anyway. Each of these is the difference between BTTW hosing versus just getting a solid score on the stage. There is a place for both in the learning process. At the local level, I learn quite a bit by crashing on a stage. It sucks. I don't like to repeat my mistakes. But after it's over, I analyze my performance and try to learn from it! Hope this helps, Aaron 'When the student is ready, the teacher will appear'

What do I hate? I’m getting damn tired of the often-used word ‘offensive’. Not the old fashioned type, where your words or behavior was shocking to all members of the reasonably minded public. By traditional standards, when a man was doing something ‘offensive’, police would typically arrive to take him into custody just in time to be saved from the crowd (who was preparing to tar and feather him). No, this new kind involves the subjective opinion of only one other individual. Simply put, if somebody doesn’t like what you’re doing they can lay claim to having your words, deeds or beliefs labeled ‘offensive’. The problem is, in our rush to prove our complete tolerance of one another, we haven’t been given a score sheet to rate the different levels of ‘offensiveness’. Henceforth, whether it be at work, in social settings or other formal gatherings, if someone has observed something about you that is ‘offensive’, you are under the proverbial gun to explain yourself from a ridiculous stigma. You literally feel compelled in our modern day society to defend your legally acceptable words, beliefs or actions from a claim where the findings may result in your loss of reputable status in the court of public opinion. I’m not talking about someone who has a chronic problem with stupid comments or unacceptable behavior. Those types are noticeable anywhere and usually meet their match somewhere along the lines! I’m talking about the regular, average, mind-your-own-business and pay-your-taxes types, like most people reading this. When WE are merely offended, don’t we have the right to ignore or choose our own passive response to the stimuli? Where did this right to ‘whine’ about it come from anyway? Or for that matter, how come so many feel obligated to listen to such a complaint? While I’m on the topic of being offended, whatever happened to the phrase “Get over it”? It wasn’t too long ago, especially on the East Coast, when two people would get into an argument and immediately bring up some negative connotation about the other’s race, religion, upbringing or ethnic origin. Ultimately, both would walk away and never see the other again. It also wasn’t that long ago when a female would get sexually harassed in the workplace by a male co-worker, only to have her boyfriend or brother show up and punch the male offender in the nose. Things just seemed to get settled a little faster and clearer back then. You might think by this rant that I have recently come under suspicion of having committed the crime of ‘offense’. I probably have, although it hasn’t been brought to my attention yet. I just hope that there is some good catalyst that comes along soon to usher in the death of the age of ‘offensiveness’. Rant over!