A Sign of Not Practicing Enough

How can I tell I'm not getting to the range enough? It's not only by reviewing my match scores. It's made quite apparent by the spider that's built a web against my range box.

That green box holds the pasters, staplers and other supplies I take to the range. Obviously it's not been moved recently.

Finally, A Useful Language Lesson

A fortune cookie slip sent by a friend.

Feast of the Archangels

September 29 is the Feast of the Archangels — St. Gabriel, St. Raphael and St. Michael. These are trying times for Christianity. Governments around the world, our own included, our creating laws to restrict the free practice of religion. The satanic forces of islam are attacking and killing Christians around the world, including right here at home. There's no more important time implore the intercession of these powerful warriors. We should asked especially for the protection of St. Michael the Archangel.

St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
cast into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.

St. Wenceslaus, Patron Saint of Brewers

Reprinted from September, 28, 2012

Today is the feast day of St. Wenceslaus, who is regarded as a patron Saint of Czech brewers.

St. Wenceslaus, duke of Bohemia, was born about the year 907 at Prague, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). His father was killed in battle when he was young, leaving the kingdom to be ruled by his pagan mother. Wenceslaus was educated by his grandmother, Ludmilla, also a saint. She taught him to be a Christian and to be a good king. She was killed by pagan nobles before she saw him king, but she left him with a deep committment to the Christian faith. 

Throughout his life he preserved his virginity unblemished. As duke he was a father to his subjects, generous toward orphans, widows, and the poor. On his own shoulders he frequently carried wood to the houses of the needy. He often attended the funerals of the poor, ransomed captives, and visited those suffering in prison. He was filled with a deep reverence toward the clergy; with his own hands he sowed the wheat for making altar breads and pressed the grapes for the wine used in the Mass. During winter he would visit the churches barefoot through snow and ice, frequently leaving behind bloody footprints. 

Wenceslaus was eighteen years old when he succeeded his father to the throne. Without regard for the opposition, he worked in close cooperation with the Church to convert his pagan country. He ended the persecution of Christians, built churches and brought back exiled priests. As king he gave an example of a devout life and of great Christian charity, with his people calling him "Good King" of Bohemia. 

His brother Boleslaus, however, turned to paganism. One day he invited Wenceslaus to his house for a banquet. The next morning, on September 28, 929, as Wenceslaus was on the way to Mass, Boleslaus struck him down at the door of the church. Before he died, Wenceslaus forgave his brother and asked God's mercy for his soul. Although he was killed for political reasons, he is listed as a martyr since the dispute arose over his faith. This king, martyred at the age of twenty-two, is the national hero and patron of the Czech Republic. He is the first Slav to be canonized.

According to BeerHistory.com, the Saint's protection of local hops earned him much regard.

Because Bohemian hops were so valued, Wenceslas ordered the death penalty for anyone caught exporting the cuttings and obviously endeared himself to the local hop growers and brewers. He became the patron saint of Bohemia and Czechoslovakia and his crown became the symbol of nationalism for the Czechs. By extension he became a patron saint of Czech brewers.

King Wenceslaus is the inspiration for the Christmas carol, Good King Wenceslas.

So let's raise a glass of fine beer to the Good King, Saint Wenceslaus.

Mom

Today marks four years since my mother passed away. It's cliché sounding I know, but it really doesn't seem that long ago. Her smile and her extended bear hugs remain fresh in my memory. I still get the brief thought to tell her about something exciting happening, especially in her grandson's life, before it hits me that I cannot. So I pray, and I am sure she knows. Frankly I hope the memories and those thoughts that turn to her never fade.

I love you and miss you everyday mom.

Requiescat In Pace

Changes at Blue & Gray

We've long been fans of Blue & Gray Brewing, especially the brewpub. In fact, this post is the 103rd time I've posted about the local brewery. There's been so much Blue & Gray news here that the Musings have frequently been mistaken for a Blue & Gray blog — I've received requests for labels, tour info, and a few complaints. When they opened their brewpub, Lee's Retreat, in 2010, I happened to be working within walking distance. I've spent many a Friday and Saturday evening sitting at the bar since. In fact, I was getting ready to leave my office Friday to head to the brewpub for some Blue & Gray Oktoberfest beer, when this email arrived...

Lee's Retreat Brewpub always experiences it's greatest success during weekend festivals like the recent Oktoberfest, and when we host your family reunion, rehearsal dinners, retirement parties, etc. The focus and format of the brewpub as a venue is therefore adjusting to better serve the local community.

The brewpub will still be open to the general public for lunch every Saturday beginning October 4th in conjunction with the regularly scheduled Saturday tours, so bring your family and friends in for a free taste and tour and enjoy fresh and local pub grub.

We have several private events scheduled on Friday and Saturdays in the near future. The brewpub is therefore unavailable to the general public this weekend and every Friday and Saturday evening thereafter.  Brewpub diners are often overshadowed by large parties and large parties are sometimes out of place among walk in brewpub guests. Neither group leaves satisfied.

We are forced to follow market demands and cater to the larger groups.  We apologize for any inconvenience.  On the bright side, you can now have the brewery as your own personal playground for the evening with a private brewhouse tour and samples straight from the tanks.  Please consider us for your next party.

That's right, Lee's Retreat is converting to a private event venue. The public can enjoy lunch on Saturday only. I can't say I'm not disappointed but I must respect their business decision, and certainly wish Jeff well. On the other hand, if there's enough private party business to keep a brewpub open, that's a good thing. For the brewery that is, not so much for the long-time supporters and fans of the brewery, for us this is a closing.

Does Beer Improve Memory?

I was going to post this earlier, but I forgot.

A study at the  Linus Pauling Institute and College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University found that Xanthohumol, a type of flavonoid found in hops and beer, has been shown to improve cognitive function in young mice.

But don't get your hopes up, as the researchers also state,

It’s also important to note, Magnusson said, that the levels of xanthohumol used in this study were only possible with supplements. As a fairly rare micronutrient, the only normal dietary source of it would be through the hops used in making beer, and “a human would have to drink 2,000 liters of beer a day to reach the xanthohumol levels we used in this research.”

Well, that explains a lot.

See "Can beer help you remember things? Not exactly" for more.

"Street Encounter Skills" Class

After some fun competitive shooting on Saturday, Sunday brought a change of gears, and gear, when Colleen and I, along with "Checkered Flag" attended the "Street Encounter Skills" course put on by John Murphy of FPF Training. This ten hour defensive shooting course is a refresher of sorts for FPF alumni. I won't go into explicit detail on everything we did in the class, in fairness to John and future students, but I will share some general impressions of the class.

The morning is spent watching a multimedia presentation. This well-researched presentation delves into critical topics of pre-violence indicators, the impact of stress, and most importantly, principles of avoidance and deescalation. After all, a gun is really a last option tool, and no responsible person wants to get into a gun fight, with the resulting legal and physical trauma associated with such an encounter. The numerous videos of actual assaults, and accompanying analysis, serve to drive home the point of the predatory nature of the criminal element, as well as the swiftness and violent nature of many attacks.

We started the range portion of the day reviewing fundamentals of shooting from concealment, and on the move. Not all the participants had practiced with their handguns recently, much to our instructor's dismay. After John was satisfied the basic skills were in place, or sufficiently refreshed, we moved on to the real meat of the class.

All of John's classes emphasize observation and vocalization before, during, and after a violent encounter. He is quite adept at inducing stress while playing the "voice" of a possible attacker. The student is expected to respond appropriately in an attempt avoid or deescalate, before moving to the use of deadly force if appropriate. Even though the situations are simulated and adapted to fit the "square range," the stress can be quite real. Failing to perform appropriately earns some correctional "love" from John. There were 10 students in the class, and John and his assistant Ryan constantly walk the line providing individual correction, and compliment, as warranted. There was certainly no lack of individual attention. John is very observant and can find, and help fix, any deficiencies.

Throughout the day we worked repeatedly on tactics to defend ourselves from violent encounters. We worked in both large and small groups. We did some drills "on the clock" to learn how quickly we could draw from cover, or move and shoot. Shooting on the move was a major component of the course. Many times we found ourselves performing, or underperforming, in front of the entire class. If the situation called for the use of deadly force, the after action often involved a simulated conversation with "Johnny Law." Near the end of the day we were put into scenarios, in pairs or alone, and armed with blue guns, to put the topics we'd covered to use in a real-world situation. During these exercises brings home just how much your brain has to process, and how easy it is to become complacent. I won't spoil the scenarios for future students, but I will say I was happy to have detected and engaged the assailant, but admittedly only after he got a lot closer than I am comfortable with. The exercise provided a lot of food for thought.

At the end of the day, we were tired and a bit sunburned. I had also developed a renewed confidence in my defensive awareness and shooting skills, but at the same time, was reminded the importance of ongoing training and practice. We only fired around 200 rounds during the class, which is about the same as average afternoon at the range. However, the mindset focus combined with purposeful shooting drills gives maximum benefit without putting extraneous rounds down range. I found the class to be extremely beneficial and well-worth the reasonable tuition.

This was the fifth day of training we've had with John Murphy over the past few years. We've previously taken the two day "Conceal Carry for Self Defense" and "Advanced Conceal Carry Tactics" courses. We've also attended a Self Defense Legal Course and a Defensive Shotgun course hosted by FPF. All of the classes are valuable for developing a defensive mindset and the accompanying skills. Obviously we're fans of the training offered by FPF and highly recommend the classes. We also strongly believe that ongoing quality training related to civilian self defense is important, in fact required, for anyone who chooses to carry a weapon for personal protection.