Hold My Beer

There's an old adage that the scariest phrase you can hear a drunk say is "Hold my beer." It's usually followed by "Watch this." But a Serbian tourist in Egypt has taken the phrase, or warning, to a whole new level.

"Dragan climbed on the jumping board, told me to hold his beer and simply ran to jump. There was no time for me to react or to try to stop him, he just went for it"..."Dragan jumped high and plunged down to the sea, but didn't make as much splash as we thought he would"... 

The reason could be because Dragan Stevic ended up jumping straight on the shark which was lurking near the beach, probably looking for its next victim. Dragan had nailed it right in the head, killing it instantly. The Egyptian police found the shark washed out on the beach that morning. 

At the moment, the fearless hero is in a hospital recovering from alcohol poisoning. After Dragan gets well, he will get a chance to have some more drinks as the resort had awarded the Serb tourist with a free vacation for his heroic deed.

The shark had already killed one person and injured four others. From my reading of the story, the fearless drunk is probably an accidental hero, not realizing the shark was there. But I wonder if he'll be purchasing any lottery tickets in the future.

See "Drunk Man Kills Shark By Jumping On Head" for more.

Flying Dog Single Hop Chinook IPA

Flying Dog Brewery recently sent over a sample bottle of the latest addition to their Single Hop Series of beers. The Chinook hops version is the fourth beer in the series that's been reviewed in these Musings. I think it's one of my favorites so far.

Flying Dog Single Hop Chinook IPA pours a dark amber color with a moderate, but short lived, off white head. The aroma is earthy and sweet. The flavor is rich with bitter pine resin balanced with sweet malt. The beer has a thick, malty character that leaves behind a coating of sweet malt in the mouth. The 10% ABV reveals itself in the finish with a lingering warmth. It's a bold beer, but without being overbearing or burning out the tastebuds. If you're a fan of big beers, you'll likely enjoy this.

The previous Single Hop beers reviewed were El Dorado, Centennial and Simcoe. As an unabashed hop head I've enjoyed the opportunity to try them out. I think it would be an interesting exercise to try them all in a side-by-side comparison in order to compare the various hops against one another.

Flying Dog sent me an unsolicited bottle of this beer. It is through my own free will that I consumed and reviewed it. No compensation was received for this review.

Fredericksburg USPSA Match

This month's USPSA match at Fredericksburg Practical Shooters was a "Classifier" match, with 4 classifier stages and two field courses. Many of the USPSA classifier stages are "stand and shoot" stages but this event the match directors picked ones that I thought were especially interesting and challenging. Since the stages for next weekend's Area 8 Championship Match are being set up, the monthly Fredericksburg match was worked in around that activity. The two field courses made use of some of the stages for next weekend's event, with targets placed among those props.

Like most summer Fredericksburg matches, the day was seasonably warm hot. However, in a switch from what is typical, we were treated to a nice breeze much of the day, complete with refreshing strong gusts on occasion. Although, at one point my sunburned neck was unpleasantly abraded by cloud of wind-borne sand. Interestingly, my squad include two father and son pairs, and a husband and wife — this really is a family sport.

Our squad started with "Mini-Mart." The loaded gun and magazines are placed on a shelf under the table. A Virginia count stage, no extra shots are permitted. Each target gets two shots, then a mandatory reload followed by two more shots one each target. I fortunately placed two mags on the shelf even though only one is was needed. When I reached for the magazine I knocked it to the ground and had to go for the spare that was fortunately there.

Next up we shot one of the field courses, "Why Not." Ten targets were hidden among the walls setup for the upcoming Area match. The targets were placed such that they weren't visible without the shooter moving around quite a bit. I had one miss on this stage. When I shot that particular target I suspected I may have pulled the second shot, but didn't decide quickly enough to make it up before moving on.

Next up was "Raw Deal." The shooter started seated, with elbows on the table and holding a playing card in each hand. At the start signal three targets are engaged, followed by a mandatory reload, then the remaining three targets. This stage is also scored Virginia Count, which means no makeup shots. The furthest target was 40 feet from the table so careful aiming was called for. 

The second field course, "Barrel Race," featured targets placed among walls and barrels around the perimeter of the free fire zone. As an interesting twist, the stage started with the unloaded gun placed on a barrel at the start position. The shooter strategically placed all magazines he would need on top of barrels which were staged around the course, and all reloads were done by grabbing mags from the barrels. It was very fun stage requiring lots of running. I found myself reaching for my belt during the reload even as I was looking at the magazine on top of the barrel I was approaching. Old habits.

Next up was undoubtedly the most interesting and complicated classifier stage I've done, "Color Blind." Many shooters were surprised it was actually a classifier. The designer of this "test" made use of a smorgasbord of options and props. The starting position was seated in a chair, with legs extended under the table and crossed at the ankle. Arms were folded at the chest. The loaded gun was placed in the center of the table. At the start signal you had to lean forward to retrieve the gun and shoot at three head shot targets, aiming under a low barrier. Next the shooter moved to a door to be swung open, through which three more targets were engaged. That completed, the shooter ran to a low barrel port and shot at three partial targets through the barrel. It was a fun course of fire that offered a variety of shooting positions.

The final stage was "Big Barricade" which consisted of 7 targets arranged in an inverted "V" behind a barricade. All of the targets were partially covered by "no-shoot" targets. As I reloaded and moved to the other side of the barricade to the engage the last four targets, I missed getting a hit on the furthest right target, giving me my second miss for the match. The size of the available target area was a bit deceptive as we were shooting it at an angle. Several shooters ended up with misses on this particular target.

Even though I helped to set up the match on Saturday morning, seeing it for the first time fully set up on Sunday, with the targets in place, was interesting as I hadn't realized just how many "no shoot" targets were being staged. While I finished, again, about in the middle of the pack, at 52.182% match percentage, I felt a lot better about my shooting this month. I'm pleased that I no "no shoot" penalties and just two misses for the entire match. Once the scores are posted to the USPSA results page I'll be able to look at each stage in detail to get an idea of what was good and what was not. The interesting stages, the cooling breezes, and a fun squad of shooters combined to make a very enjoyable match.

Back home afterwards, I relaxed with a cool pint of Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale from Heavy Seas Brewing, while I started writing up my thoughts on the match. I thought the name of the beer was especially apropos to follow a day of shooting. The evening was capped off by throwing some very thick steaks on the grill for a tasty dinner. All in all a wonderful way to end the weekend.

Starfire .380 Ammo Review

Earlier this month the folks at Lucky Gunner sent me a couple of boxes of PMC Starfire .380 Auto ammo for review. I finally got around to hitting the range with it this week.

Two other members of the Gabriel Possenti Shooters helped out with the shooting and subsequent review. We had three small pistols with which to try the Starfire rounds; a Walther PPK, a Bersa Thunder and a Keltec P-3AT. We all took turns firing the Starfire ammo, along with some "plain" full metal jacket rounds for comparison, through each of the weapons.

The immediate impression from all the shooters was how soft the recoil from Starfire rounds felt. The difference from the FMJ ammo was significant. Shooting these small guns is not the most pleasant experience in general, but it's quite bearable with this hollow point ammo. It's important to practice regularly with any carry weapon, and the reduced recoil is conducive to regular practice. Granted it's not as inexpensive as FMJ ammo, but you're not going to be firing hundreds of rounds in practice either, just enough to remain proficient. I know many folks carry full metal jacket rounds in their .380 pistols, however the reduced felt recoil may be beneficial when you are shooting to protect yourself or someone you love.

The Starfire ammo fired and cycled without any problems in all three guns. One of the shooters concentrated specifically on accuracy, from 5 - 7 yards. He commented the ammo was very accurate and produced nice tight groups. Even with a fairly rapid rate of fire, I was able to easily keep the groups within the A-zone. Unfortunately I forgot to bring along some phone books to catch a bullet in order to photograph the expanded round. You can read some technical details on Starfire ammo here.

Lucky Gunner is one of the online sites from which I regularly buy ammo, much to the chagrin of hoplophobes like Senators Lautenberg and McCarthy. Just prior to receiving this ammo for review I happened to place an order for a case of 9mm ammo. (Yep Senators, that's 1000 rounds.) Lucky Gunner ships orders the same or next day, depending on what time the order is placed. I submitted my order the evening of July 2, the ammo was shipped on July 3, and despite the July 4 holiday, it was delivered on July 6. You can't get much faster than that.

The "pocket pistol" chambered in .380 has been in the news recently, so this was a good time to dig out a few of the small pistols and try out this self defense ammo. I know the .380 ACP round has its limitations, but even a small pistol carried is better than any other pistol not carried. After our time at the range with the small pistols and this ammo, one member of our group remarked that they would probably start carrying the Walther again while wearing summer clothes. I expect the gun will soon be loaded with PMC Starfire rounds.

Notice: The ammo reviewed in this post was provided at no charge by Lucky Gunner. The content of the review was written with no compensation or influence from Lucky Gunner. In the interest of full disclosure, this blogger could possibly earn some extra  "ammo funds" if you click the associate links in this post.

Today's Lesson

I always usually carry a folding knife with me. I use it for everything from opening packages to cutting up a lunchtime apple. Today I received the package shown below. The envelope was wrapped in multiple layers of reinforced strapping tape. I wasn't going to be tearing this one open by hand. After registering my amazement at the packaging method, I reached for the knife that should be in my pocket, and it was not there. I somehow forgot to load it up this morning when I left for work.

This wasn't an emergency, but it made me think. You can't predict when you'll need a tool, be it your knife, a flashlight, or even a gun. It's easy to be complacent and head out unprepared for an emergency. In my case I didn't check that I had everything I usually carry before I left the house. The knife is something I use frequently, and this time when I needed it, my carelessness caught up and it wasn't there. I didn't even realize I didn't have it until I needed it. It certainly wasn't a crises that I couldn't get into the package right then. But it was a reminder. Be prepared. Carry your tools.

The Tavern

I've written previously about a local pub called The Pub. I've told you about a local indoor shooting range named The Range. Now I'm here to tell you about a local tavern, yep you guessed it, The Tavern. We like to keep things simple around here.

The Tavern (also on Facebook) is a standalone, nondescript building in the Lee's Hill shopping center. Once inside we found a comfortable pub atmosphere with dark wood and a large stone fireplace. There's a small seating area with tables and a bar area separated by a windowed wall. There is also a small outdoor seating area. The beer menu on the table listed 15 selections, and the waitress named off a couple more that I don't recall. They had the usual factory beers, and the expected Irish selections of Guinness and Smithwick's. There were some good craft selections such as Blue & Gray Fred Red, Fat Tire and Yeungling. In a surprising twist, the draft selection also included Goose Island IPA and Heavy Seas Small Craft Warning. I was especially surprised to see the "Über Pils" from Heavy Seas on draft. That's an off-the-wall selection for a non-specialty pub.

I opted for the Small Craft Warning to enjoy with our Tavern Sampler appetizer, which consisted of buffalo wings, fried shrimp, mozzarella sticks and jalapeño poppers — a fried pub food delight. The wings were the best part of the platter and we'll definitely be ordering more of those in the future. Small Craft Warning is a malt-rich, sweet and toasted brew with some piney hops to balance. For our meal, our group all opted for burgers. The burgers are hand-formed, juicy, and surely check in around 1/2 pound. Ordered cooked "medium," the centers were hot but still bright pink. These are indeed multiple napkin meals. Add thick streak fries drenched in malt vinegar and you have a robust and tasty meal. I selected a Goose Island IPA to enjoy with my "Lee's Hill Burger" topped with green peppers, onions, mushrooms and provolone. The IPA was a malty English IPA with a rich dose of citrus hops mixed in.

I admit to being ignorant of the existence of The Tavern until very recently. It's not a new place, they celebrated 7 years in business earlier this year. The food was good, the beer selection interesting, and the service excellent. I understand the spicy tavern shrimp are quite popular. I expect we'll be back to try them out, along with more of those wings.

A Day To Remember The Constitution

We participated in two activities today that remind us of the widespread attacks on the Constitution currently underway in our country.

In 1777, a committee, which included Thomas Jefferson, met in Fredericksburg to revise and rewrite Virginia’s laws. They produced a document, known as the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which later served as the basis for the guarantee of religious freedom in the Bill of Rights. In 1932, the monument was erected to recognize this great achievement. The monument is located near Washington Ave. and Pitt St. in Fredericksburg.

Today, August 1, marks the day that the HHS Mandate takes effect, demanding that Catholics and others must now violate their deeply held religious beliefs or face persecution, and prosecution. This morning members of local Knights of Columbus councils and others gathered at the monument to bear witness to their faith and to mark this egregious attack on the Constitution by the Obama administration. I was excited to speak with folks at the gathering who were not Catholic, but who were there to protest the president's attack on First Amendment rights.

Later in the day, we ventured over to Chic-fil-A for a meal to show support once again for the Constitution and the First Amendment. Leftist activists are attacking the fast food chain because the company's president stated his personal support of "traditional marriage," based on his Christian faith. For that, the mayors of Chicago, Boston, Washington, DC, and other cities stated that they would work to ban the restaurant from doing business in those cities, despite the illegality of doing so. The attackers ignore the fact that Chi-fil-A does not discriminate in its hiring or service.

It's interesting to note that the mayor of Chicago welcomed the rabid anti-gay leader of the Nation of Islam to the city with open arms. This belies his claim that the indignation towards Chic-fil-A is a "gay rights" issue, when in fact we are facing an anti-Christian and anti-Constitution issue.

I'm reminded of how the Nazis in 1930s Germany ordered a boycott of Jewish owned stores. Now in 2012 Democrats are calling for a ban on a Christian-owned business. A government entity attacking a private business for the personal beliefs of the owner was a scary proposition in Germany, and it's just as offensive today. I even saw a call on Facebook for slashing customer tires at Chic-fil-A today from the "tolerant" left.

Both of these events bring a focus on the First Amendment to the Constitution. These are not specifically issues for Catholics, nor are they "gay rights" or partisan issues. What we are facing today are direct attacks on the freedom of religion and the freedom of speech, the very foundations of our way of life. There's a reason our founding fathers placed these rights first. When the First Amendment falls, the rest will go easily. The forces behind these attacks won't stop with just some our natural, God-given rights, they'll deny more and more until we are nothing more than slaves of the state.

We must be resolute in standing up against these assaults with every fiber of our being. The government is not the grantor of these rights. Government is supposed to be the protector of rights. When the government begins taking away what is not its to grant, then freedom is lost. Freedom lost is not easily regained.

August Is Virginia Craft Beer Month

The Virginia General Assembly has declared August to be Virginia Craft Beer Month.


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 522 Offered March 5, 2012 Commending the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild. ----------
Patrons-- Carr, Bell, Richard P., Bell, Robert B., Cline, Crockett-Stark, Greason, Landes, Loupassi, McQuinn and Tyler; Senators: Barker, Deeds, and McEachin 
----------

WHEREAS, the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild works to promote the interests of small, independent, and traditional brewers of beer and currently 40 craft breweries operate in the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild was established in 2010 to promote economic development, streamline business processes, develop good relationships with business partners, and encourage tourism efforts; and

WHEREAS, Virginia’s craft breweries already are an economic engine in the Commonwealth; most sell their beverages only in Virginia, thus the money raised from sales of craft beers and the revenue from tourists visiting the breweries remains largely within the local economy; and

WHEREAS, the members of the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild also contribute to the state’s economic growth through job creation, the purchase of locally grown barley and hops, and the donation of spent brewing grains to local farms to be used as animal feed; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild has designated August as Virginia Craft Beer Month, encouraging residents and visitors alike to patronize the dozens of traditional craft breweries in the state; a festival will be held August 18, 2012, in Nelson County, which will feature the Virginia Beer Cup competition to determine the best craft beer in the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the good work of the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild to promote Virginia’s small breweries; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Mike Killelea, chairman of the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild, as an expression of the General Assembly’s appreciation for its efforts on behalf of economic development in the Commonwealth.

----------

Many Virginia breweries are planning events to celebrate the first ever Virginia Craft Beer Month. Visit the Virginia Tourism web site, www.Virginia.org/CraftBeer/ to find events near you.

The month long celebration will culminate with a Craft Beer Festival at Devils Backbone Brewery in Nelson County on August 25.