I saw a version of this at Home on the Range and I had to steal the idea….and correct the Spanish spelling.  Sorry!

Yes, The Princess Bride is one of my guilty pleasures. Sue me.

IDPA can be as bad (or as good) as the Catholic Church about changing and adapting. It did take us Catholics some 1,960 years to make peace with the Jews!

Catholic Joke aside, IDPA now has what call the New Rule Addendum with some changes that are interesting. I will cover some, not all, and share my thoughts about it. I recommend that you pull the rulebook and compare in order to make sens of some of the stuff.

Addition to C 15. page 10
A. Pistols may only be loaded to below division capacity if stipulated by the written stage description.

I am guessing somewhere this became an issue? I thought that having capacity (as long as it does not go above division) could always be determined by the Course of Fire narrative. My bet this is to quell Range Lawyers who love to argue that the direction of the wind was unfavorable when it was their turn. I would call this the “Shut the Heck Up and Shoot” rule.

Additional language to CoF 4. page 12
Only one (1) non-threat target may be used per every three (3) threat targets in any string of fire. Stage designers may use one non-threat for 1 to 5 threats, 2 non-threats for 6 to 8 threats and 3 non-threats for 9 threats or more.

This addendum is just a clarification of the standing rule. From my first day at IDPA I always considered this No-Shoot to Shoot ratio silly.  Real world will have more No-Shoots available than stipulated by IDPA. A gaming enhancement IMHO.

These next two modifications:

Change of language to CoF 9. page 12

When cover is available, it MUST be used when shooting unless the competitor starts in the open and must engage targets while on the way to cover. If cover is available anywhere in the COF it must be used for reloading. Competitors may NOT cross any opening (doorways, windows, open spaces, etc) without engaging targets.

And…

Additional language to PP 1. page 15
B. There are two exceptions to the “one PE per infraction rule”. One is for cover violations. A competitor may incur more than one cover PE per string of fire. The number of cover PE’s may not exceed the number of positions of fire. Regardless of the number of rounds fired or targets engaged from any position, only 1 cover procedural may be issued at each position. The second exception is for reload violations as detailed on page 41.

Right on spot. Some gamers would examine a poorly designed CoF and determine they can stretch that cover a bit or take a procedural and still come ahead. FTDRs would be issue and all hell would come loose. This way you can collect several procedurals and pretty much ruin those carefully crafted plans.

Addition to rule PP 1. page 15
C. A Match Director may allow a handicapped or mobility-challenged shooter to take one or multiple PEs (at the MD’s discretion) rather than perform an act required by the CoF

I am guessing this is just adding to the rule book a well established practice. There might be some Range Nazis out there that would not bend and accommodate a shooter with special needs, but I haven’t heard about them. I know many clubs that were gladly applying this concept for a long while. Kudos on this to HQ.

Change of language to PP 3. page 17 (Failure to Neutralize)
A. Will add five (5) seconds per infraction. This penalty applies to any target that does not have at least one (1) down zero or one (1) down one hit

Clearing the language a bit about FTNs. But I don’t think it will help with my Score Keepers, short of whipping them they still manage to screw this one up. [sigh]

4. Ammunition Carrier Notes:
Modification of rule page 39
1. A three (3) second procedural penalty will be assessed any time a loaded ammunition feeding device (magazine, speedloader or full moon clip) is dislodged and falls out of the carrier during a course of fire. Dropping a loaded ammunition feeding device during a reload is not a procedural as long as the competitor does not leave ammunition behind retrieves and properly stows the device before the last shot of the string is fired. The prior sentence does not include devices dislodged from a carrier which ALWAYS receives a PE.

Another Gamer Killing ruling. Loosey mag and speedloader pouches may give you a bit of a headache instead of an unfair advantage. If you belong to the crowd that competes in IDPA not for the game but for the practice, this procedural reminder will emphasize the fact that your gear is a life saving kit that must work at all times.

7. One additional ammunition carrier may be worn behind the center line of the body for the purposes of loading at the start of a stage. This carrier must be empty before the “stand by” command.

Good call. This also eliminates Range Nazi problems and gives the shooter (and the SO) a bit more safety while manipulating and loading the gun. Anybody who has SOed a 1911 shooter knows what I am talking about.

3. Concealment Garments.
Additional language to rule page 40
visible when standing normally, artificial stiffeners of any material (other than standard laundry starch) used in any location, use of chest pockets,

Can you hear the pennies being dropped from the shirts yet? I know I am going to have troubles with this one if I use my regular-everyday vest during matches as i have been doing mostly this year (shoot what you carry and how you carry). In my right vest pocket I usually carry my smokes & lighter so they might be considered stiffeners. We’ll see.

Appendix TWO – Approved IDPA Reloads

Additional language to rule page 41
At no time is it permissible to fire while holding a magazine or speed loader/moon clip.

Ambivalent on this one. It is good practice to be able to re-engage the target ASAP and one handed, but I see the ruling as a safety measure to avoid unnecessary fumbles, safety issues or extra penalties for dropping mags.

Additional language to rule page 43
At no time should a competitor stand directly in a “window” or port to engage targets. Competitors must “slice the pie” around the edge of the “window” or port.

Another good call on its spirit but it will be a bitch to SO.  I foresee lotsa problems with this one. Range Lawyers will have a field day.

Additional language to E. Threat / Non-Threat Designation page 47

Painted hands or cutouts for non-threats must be of normal adult size. At least one full had must be visible from the shooting position.

Our club will have troubles with this rule. Our painted hands look like ET’s cousins were strolling by and a gang attacked them. Here is an example:

Blessed with graphic artists we are not!

I am gonna leave the rule changes for now.  Overall the changes are not earth-shattering or really bad.

And I have a match Saturday…. this is gonna be fun!

Mr. Morton Kurzweil’s published rant in the Sun Sentinel’s Letters to the Editor this morning caught my attention. I could not find it online so I offer you a pic of the original version.  Mr. Kurzweil’s interpretation of the Second Amendment baffles the hell out of me. Probably somebody will come back to me quoting Blackstones but I doubt much that The Second Amendment was part of English Common Law. Maybe something related about weapons for the defense, but not a Second Amendment that recognizes that the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is innate to the Citizen (not the subjects of a King) and in this United States, not England and nothing to do with a religious tiff between Protestants and Catholics.

However I do find Mr. Kurzweil last sentence revealing:

“Why this right has become a cause to insure personal security of person and property against government is irrational, except among those who believe in the divine right of kings and the superiority of religious beliefs over the equality of law in a democracy.”

I am guessing Mr. Kurzweil has not read the Federalist Papers, nor the tons of constitutional research on the Second Amendment. But irrationality and anger seem to be the realm of Mr. Kurzweil anyway. On another letter to the editor on July 3, 2008 Mr. Kurzweil complains of the use of fireworks and has no qualms on claiming the Bill Of Rights as his prerogativ.

If you wish, you may shoot fireworks at my house. Be assured that I will respond to such an act as a criminal threat to my security and will respond with all necessary force to defend myself and my property.

Damn! How come Anti Gunners are so violent?

The Jackson County district attorney says it’s now OK to carry a concealed weapon in his county. But, the sheriff and Black River Falls police chief say they’ll continue to arrest people for breaking the law…..

“Ten minutes after publication of the district attorney’s decision, every wannabe Wyatt Earp in this county will strap on their hog leg and strut about town not because they need to protect themselves, but simply because they now feel they can,” Gilberg says. “This will have a chilling effect on the community and I believe an adverse effect on gun ownership rights in the long term as people sitting on the fence about this issue may have a different view after they have stopped by their local watering hole only to find it packed with people carrying guns.”
Black River Falls Police Chief Donald Gilberg.

Yikes! Are we a bit too much full of power and don’t feel like respecting the law? Somebody needs a spanking and removal from office.  A couple of major lawsuits for unlawful arrest could not hurt either.

Hat Tip to Maddened Fowl.

Dear Julio-Shaqueen:

Once again I do apologize for the incident yesterday. But I feel that you totally went overboard because of a small fender bender and I am pretty sure that damage to you “Low Rider” was not done by my truck since your ride showed plenty rust already and was smoking more than my grandmother at the bar.

Yes, I agree with you that the police officer driving by was unfortunate and that we could not finish business right there but as i told you in my last email, I kindly accept your invitation to you “turf” and “settle da shit” once for all. I also wanna thank you for allowing me to bring some of my “homies” as companions during our deliberations. I asked several members of my Gun Club and, what do you know? They all are thrilled to come along and share in this multicultural experience. However, such a level of excitement has brought some small discussions that I hope they will be solved shortly and nothing you should worry about. Allow me to explain: The Long Range Shooters in our club come mostly in two flavors, Snipers and Varminters. Both groups are discussing the best locations to set up their gear after one of our club members who works for a undisclosed government agency that deals with satellites provided us with detailed aerial photographs of your “hood.” The discussion centers on how far they want to set shop so it is sporty to use their rifles and I think they are now pretty much decided in a range between 400 and 600 yards and the Snipers agreed for the sake of peace between both groups to leave the suppressors at home, something about unfair advantage over the Varminters. Then we were having an issue between the shooters of Tactical Rifles (I think you call those rifles “choppers”) versus the Tactical Shotgun Aficionados. The Tactical Shotgun people felt that the Rifle guys have the upper hand with their new green lasers and greater range with their ammunition. The Tactical Rifle People say that it is not their problem because they can do medium and short range engagements with the same ease and if the Shotgunners can’t, it is not their problem. A happy resolution was found when it was agreed that half the Tactical Rifle People would stay outside your Clubhouse and cover against any drive-bys while the other half would support the Tactical Shotgun and the Pistol Shooters doing the dynamic entry.

That bring us to the last and most difficult disagreement to settle wich was among the Pistol Shooters. Do you know how hard is to get IDPA, IPSC, Steel, Cowboy, Bowling, Bullseye, Metallic silhouette, PPC, etc to agree on anything? We are still ironing a few details but I can promise that we will bring a balanced sample of every discipline while keeping the numbers to a reasonable 50 or so pistol shooters. Than God we managed to get a good deal on the latest hollow point ammunition for pistol because the funding was a bit tight at the moment with all the economic problems we are having and such.

One question. Can we use that abandoned lot next to your clubhouse to park our armored vehicles? Our sources say that you guys use the lot for your unlicensed pharmacological transactions and imposed sexual therapy on unsuspecting females, but I feel we shouldn’t be blocking the free access of the streets while we visit you. You never know when emergency vehicles such as paramedics and ambulances might need to use those streets. Also the owners of the armored vehicles are quite prissy about their babies, after all they are classics from WWII, Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf War capable of withstanding direct RPG hits but a military-type paint job is expensive and hard to come by. Don’t worry about security for the vehicles, the Class III folks will come along and mount crew served weapon of their choice on the APCs, Bradleys and such.

And last, we decided that those holding DD licenses were not going to come unless they leave their toys home. A couple of WWII reenactors were already taking out and preparing their flamethrowers, but unless we were sure you guys had enough fire extinguishers and/or sprinkler systems the danger to spreading fires to nearby dwellings was too much. The guys with the artillery pieces are out of town at Knob Creek and I am sure they are gonna be mighty pissed they missed this encounter.

That’s all for know. If there is anything you want us to know, please feel free to contact me. If not, we will be dropping by when you least expect us. We are a bunch of pranksters and we love to go BOO! when you are looking the other way.

See ya soon!

Forty Million doses of the swine vaccine have expired and they are to be incinerated. Cost to the taxpayer: $260 million.  And there are 30 million more that will also go to waste later this year for a great total of 43% of all the vaccines produced for another Chicken Little Epidemic.

And, of course I must trust the Government taking care of the whole Health Care thingy.

<sigh>