When Metal-Rules.com posted their Top 30 Metal Albums 1990-2000, I thought it’d make a fun list for Sunday Metal.
#18 – Children of Bodom – Hatebreeder
“Black Widow”
Author: hsoi
Standards of Performance
Karl emailed the following to me. He said:
I put this together for Kathy Jackson to use as part of her talk at
the AG&AG conference next week. If you want to use it on your blog, go ahead.It’s going to become part of a larger article I’m putting together based on my slides from the Polite Society talk.
I asked what the greater context of this was, given the percentages. Karl said:
Kathy is trying to show the AG&AG Facilitators (club leaders) some points along the path to instructor level skill, or at least reasonable competence.
So with that, here’s what Karl provided (reformatted for presentation). Karl’s stuff is blockquoted, and I added some additional comments in between.
A reasonable skills progression to recommend:
0. Purchase a shooting timer. The Pocket Pro I is the ‘best buy’ on the low end of timers, and the easiest to operate. Without a shooting timer, you can’t fully measure performance.
Note that there are some cheaper options too, in the form of “shot timer” apps for smartphones (both iPhone and Android). Your mileage may vary with them however, just due to limitations of the hardware microphone being able to pick things up. IMHO it’s not an unreasonable way to start, but long-term you’re going to want to pick up a dedicated and proper shot timer.
1. 100% on the Texas CHL test shot using an IDPA or IPSC target, not a B-27. IDPA/IPSC has a smaller A-zone. Shooting 100% on Texas CHL is basically 25% of GM.
Note: when Karl gives “percent of GM” he’s referring to IPSC/USPSA Grandmaster-level. This isn’t to say you need to shoot at that level, but it gives you some idea of where things lie along the continuum.
2. Learn to draw from an open carry holster and be consistent i your shot to shot timing.
Bill Drill = par time of 5 seconds at 7 yards with all A’s on IPSC or IDPA target. That’s a 40% goal.
Aside: just a few weeks ago, Bill Wilson himself (creator of the “Bill Drill”) discussed a new version of the Bill Drill, called simply enough “Bill Drill 2“.
3. Learn to do a speed reload. Practice “Four Aces” with a par time of 7 seconds, which is 37%.
4. Learn a slide lock reload. Practice the FAST drill. Set a par time of 12 seconds, from open carry. This is a 40% goal.
5. Learn how to draw from concealment, practice shooting one handed. Shoot a perfect score (100 points) on “Three Seconds or Less“. That’s a 50% goal.
6. Learn how to clear malfunctions. Practice the “Farnam Drill“. Set a par time of 15 seconds, which is around 50%.
Finally, shoot the IDPA Classifier (also found here) with a goal of shooting at least 160 seconds (162 is 40%, 130 seconds is 50%).
2014-03-28 training log
Oh yeah… negatives!
Based upon Paul Carter’s LRB-365 and Base Building
- 135 x 8
- 135 x 8
- 135 x 8
- 135 x 8
- 135 x 7
- 90 x 15
- 90 x 12
- 90 x 12
- 185 x 20
- 185 x 15
- 185 x 15
- 185 x 15
- 185 x 15
- 85 x 15
- 85 x 15
- 85 x 15
- 90 x 15
- 90 x 15
- 20 x 10
- 25 x 8
- 25 x 6
- 20 x 50
I forgot… more stress on the negative. I just kept zooming along, “gee this feels light”, oh yeah — negative! I remembered that on my 3rd set of pulldowns. Makes a huge difference.
I think it was in something Paul Carter wrote, but the speed isn’t like a 4 count or something. It’s a speed at which I could easily and immediately (without overtravel) change direction if I had to. That works better for me in terms of finding the right pace, than trying to count to some arbitrary number. I did discover that having a hold would be good too, like pull down, hold a moment… not so much for the hold, but to eliminate the momentum. I’ll keep working on it, because I’m just not used to working this way.
Not much else to report. Was an 80% day, so I’ll take it.
towards perfection
These days a lot of people see me as a finicky and nit-picking type of person. It’s because when I look at software, I look at it through this ambitious, striving for perfection type of lens that I picked up from Apple. And I hasten to add that I don’t think my products are by any means perfect. It’s the thing about perfection. It’s really hard, probably impossible. But what Apple does is strive for it anyway, even if it’s impossible. I came to respect that attitude very much, to the point that I can no longer relate to people who don’t share that view.
– Daniel Jalkut (emphasis added)
I accept the trade-offs that come in life, and especially in software development. I mean, sometimes you gotta ship if you want to keep the lights on so you can keep working towards that perfection. Besides, rarely do we achieve perfection right out of the box; usually it requires a lot of time, trials, iterations, failures, and effort.
I just don’t like it when people take satisfaction in shoddy, or accept “half-assed” as “good enough”.
2014-03-26 training log
Based upon Paul Carter’s LRB-365 and Base Building
- Squat
- BW x 10
- BW x 10
- bar x 5
- bar x 5
- 125 x 5
- 155 x 4
- 185 x 3
- 215 x 2
- 245 x 1
- 185 x 10
- 185 x 5
- Stiff Leg Deadlift
- 185 x 8
- 185 x 8
- 185 x 8
- Leg Press
- 135 x 15
- 135 x 15
- 135 x 15
- 135 x 15
- Lunge
- BW x 10e
- BW x 10e
- BW x 5e
- Standing Calf Raises
- 30 x 15
- 30 x 15
- 30 x 15
- 10 minutes elliptical
This was pretty good. I’m happy to be working my way back up with squats. Geez… I never thought I’d use the words “happy” and “squats” in the same sentence. 🙂
I realized I haven’t used a belt in a long time… few months? I’m OK with that. Once I get to a point where things are a struggle beltless, I’ll add the belt and keep going up.
The 245 went up pretty easily, so I’m going to continue upping the work-up weights by another 10#. Just going to keep doing that until I find my level. The 50% weight I upped by 10# as an audible (planned on 175) and happy I did. I think I’ll stay here for a little while tho, given I only got 10 reps.
Everything else went alright for the most part. I did stop lunges early because my legs were so exhausted by that point, I found myself wobbling too much and my ankle isn’t worth the risk.
One thing I thought about tho…..
Frequency.
When I was doing 5/3/1, I found that 4x week (typical 5/3/1 program) was too much. I tried a spell doing 2x week, and that was too little. That whole adaptation/supercompensation curve thing that Rippetoe talks a lot about in his books, in terms of trying to time recovery and when to work again. But it’s not even so much about number of times per week, but how often you hit whatever you’re working. On 3x/week 5/3/1 I was actually hitting upper body about every 5 days, and lower body about every 5 days. On this LRB setup, I’m hitting things about every 7. Granted, I’m hitting upper body every 4 days, but it’s a different setup (pull vs. push; whereas 5/3/1 was always push as a main, and pull assistance). Lower body is once every 7 days.
Is this enough for me?
I don’t know.
It’s too early to tell because I’m still working up from the injury — the weights I’m using aren’t fully pushing me yet. Plus I figure I can’t really get a handle on things until I’ve been with it for at least 3-6 months. I mean, sometimes you can tell much faster, but so far with this I can’t know for sure yet. And in some respects, I think that’s a good sign. I do like what I’m doing, it’s a good change, a different challenge — I mean, only 1 minute of rest between sets is kicking my ass. 🙂
But it’s something I think about as an interesting variable.
What should she have done?
What do you think this 12-year old girl should have done?
Fine. You don’t like guns. You think guns are horrible, evil things that should be banned and no one should have them. Fine.
Given that, tell me what this 12-year old girl should have done?
Oh, here’s some more information:
Supposedly the dude was arrested previously for an alleged abduction of a 17-year old girl. That wouldn’t have been known to this 12-year old girl at the time he was making his way through her house, but does it matter?
She’s home alone.
She cannot escape, because obviously the dude is out there and his intentions are quite clear.
She doesn’t go to confront him, she doesn’t go looking for trouble (smart). She retreats to a safe area, hunkers down, and is on the phone with 911 the entire time.
Dude continues his way through the house, makes his way to where she is.
If you were her, how would you be feeling right about then?
And really, if this 12-year old girl didn’t have that gun, what sort of story would likely have been reported on the news that evening, especially given dude’s past?
So tell me, how was it a bad thing that this girl had a gun? And that she used it to ensure her safety?
Please… I’m really wanting to know.
And if you can tell me, could you look her in the eyes and tell her the same?
Guns are a force equalizer. As humans, we are tool-users, and a gun is a tool to help us overcome force disparity. A 12-year old girl cannot overcome a 32-year old man, especially a 32-year old man determined to do evil.
Do not deprive those on the lesser. You just empower those of the greater.
2014-03-24 training log
It was a good day.
Based upon Paul Carter’s LRB-365 and Base Building
- Incline Press
- 45 x 5
- 45 x 5
- 110 x 5
- 130 x 4
- 150 x 3
- 180 x 2
- 200 x 1
- 155 x 12
- 155 x 6
- DB Bench Press
- 55e x 10
- 55e x 10
- 55e x 8
- 55e x 8
- 55e x 8
- Behind the Neck Press
- 90 x 8
- 90 x 8
- 90 x 7
- BB Upright Row
- 60 x 12
- 60 x 12
- 60 x 12
- 60 x 12
- 60 x 10
- Tricep Punchdowns
- 70 x 40 (each arm)
- 20 minutes elliptical
Today felt very good. Went up in weight on everything, reps were solid. Felt good.
I thought that I should continue upping my incline weight by another 5# next week, but decided against it. That 1 rep shouldn’t be a 1RM, it should be a good working max, so even if I have a crappy day I can still hit it. I know I could go up, but…. not worth it right now. Focus on getting the 50% sets to break rep records there, and also across the board because I went up in weight on just about everything and reps were almost there across the sets. So… I think I’m settling into the groove of Paul’s program now. Rep records.
Death is winning. Do something.
The Hyena is the Lion’s natural enemy.
What is yours? Fear.
Fear that you will fail. That you won’t be good enough, or measure up enough. Fear of change.
Fear is the driving force behind people making subpar decisions in their life.
Fear is what puts you on your knees, with your assassins and demons standing behind you, laughing at what a weak little bitch you have become. Persuaded so easily, you fall to your knees, gladly taking one in the back of the dome without even the slightest protest. You fail to make the tough choice because you succumb to your fears, over and over again. And it gets easier each time. Each time that you give in to your fears, it makes it a little easier the next time to do so.
Your life slips away, and so does all of the dreams you had for it.
Tisk, tisk, tisk.
Death is winning. Do something, besides getting on your knees over and over again.
Rise up against the adversity in your life, against your demons, and shove that weapon straight up that would be assassin’s ass. Then tear his skin off and wear it around as a suit. There’s not a damn thing wrong with being afraid. Use that fear to motivate you.
Embrace the fact that you could fail, but with failure comes learning, and with learning you get better. And when you get better, you fail less and less.
If you have been getting on your knees, it’s time to reload who you are, and what you are about.
You need to envision the person you want to become. Be honest with yourself about all of the cracks and weaknesses that currently exist in you. You need to repair those cracks, and make the foundation stronger than ever.
Because strength reigns….strength is king. Now is the time to become stronger.
It’s time to prepare to win.
It’s time to become the fucking lion.
Sunday Metal – Top Metal Albums 1990-2000 – #19 Metallica
When Metal-Rules.com posted their Top 30 Metal Albums 1990-2000, I thought it’d make a fun list for Sunday Metal.
#19 – Metallica – Metallica
Another dispute with this list. While I understand the old school fans wanting to hate on this album, this was the album that broke Metallica into the big time (well, Justice with their video for “One” started the ball rolling). But without question this was Metallica’s big commercial breakthrough, and the Metallica we loved (Cliff, R.I.P.) was gone in favor of shorter, more radio-friendly songs. I won’t fault the band tho, because we all crave that level of success, and there’s no question it solidified Metallica’s place as one of the biggest rock (née metal) acts ever. For that historical significance, I think this album should place higher.
Say what you will about the album, “Sad But True” is a cool tune.
Wiser choices
We always make choices. Some are more wise than others. Some are more foolish than others.
While police operate under different conditions than private citizens, this lapel-camera footage of an Albuquerque police interaction with a hammer-wielding suspect provides us with some information from which we should be able to make wiser choices.
That’s a KRQE report of the incident. More raw lapel-camera footage can be found at LiveLeak. More story here.
There’s much to take from this, but I want to focus on one thing: ammunition selection.
There’s a lot about the shotgun that’s great, because it can be so versatile. There’s all sorts of useful, and then all sorts of exotic ammunition one can buy for it. Because of that, some people feel a need to use that exotic ammunition for whatever reason. In such a case as this, using bean bag rounds because they are “less lethal” and because “they don’t want to hurt anyone”.
Here’s a tip.
While you not wanting to hurt anyone is commendable, look at dude in the video — he very much wanted to hurt people. He was quite happy to hurt people, which is what caused police to be initially called to the scene. Then when 2 police officers confront dude, he charges them armed with a hammer — and yes, a hammer is a deadly weapon. Dude was quite determined to hurt people!
First officer fired 4 bean bags — they didn’t stop the threat. In fact, the threat got WAY too close for comfort, before second officer stepped in with a more effective mechanism for stopping the threat.
We’re not out to kill. We want to stop the threat. We want to go home, we want to be with our spouse, our children, and see our great-grandchildren graduate from college. When your life is at stake, you want the most effective tools for preserving your life. Choose wisely.
Stuff From Hsoi 