Hello, ILP. How are you? I am fine. Just dropping in to see how the place has been. I see things have been eventful. ILO seems to be defunct…shame, that. I see some familiar faces, and lots of new ones.
Life has kept me busy, as I suppose it should be.
I see Tab is still here. Does Gamer ever pop in? Is Xunzian still about? Is liquidangel on permanent walkabout? Has Future Man shown his face? It appears Pav has settled in here after ILO tanked. Uccisore seems to have attained forum demigod status. Is Dunamis still banned? Is DeTrop still in jail?
Amazing to see who pops up now and then… So is life treating you well? Lessee… Do you own a string of restaurants yet? Or maybe that was someone else. Can’t remember… To answer your questions: Tab bounces in once in awhile, Gamer does as well although less frequently, Xunz hasn’t posted for a year or so, I think Future Man’s last post was a couple of years ago, Pav and Uccisore bounce in and out - mostly out, and the rest of 'em? They seem to have disappeared along with ILO.
That’s the interesting thing about the internet. The people are only “real” when you see a post. But one click of the mouse and… I suppose the only way to find most of the folks is to check in with Marvel Comics. I haven’t been invited yet, but I keep hoping.
If you have a few minutes, give us some catch up. You’ve obviously been busy elsewhere - busy doing what?
Nothing too dramatic for me. I’ve been working and still working on that ol’ Bachelor’s degree. No chain of restaurants yet, although I’m still plugging away in the kitchen. I’ve been spending a little less time online but a lot of that time is spent on shooting & firearms forums. I’ve been a gun nut all my life but recent events have really strike a chord with me. I’ve been spending as much time as I can at the range the last couple of years, training and practicing. If I can find a place around here I’d like to get back into competitive shooting. Back in the day I enjoyed metallic silhouette shooting (offhand rifle, 100m out to 500m) but now I want to try my hand at handgun competition; IDPA is my first choice since IPSC is focused too much on gamesmanship and fancy “race guns” and not on practical pistol skills.
On the personal front, I think I posted it here but my dad passed away a couple years ago. Mom had a scare a few weeks ago when docs found a tumor in her colon. Luckily it was removed without incident and they say she won’t need chemo, just regular checkups.
I guess I’m getting older. So long as both your parents are alive you can still think of yourself as “a kid.” But obviously rust never sleeps.
I still enjoy philosophy, especially existential writers, but I’m dabbling a little more in the realm of political philosophy. Getting tired of the top 1/3 of one percent owning most of the planet. You know, the kind of thing Old Gobbo would have blamed on the reptiloids. Wonder if he’s still “gifting” Organite somewhere as we speak?
In all seriousness, I’m reading more Camus and looking back at some of the foundational stuff that the founders of the US were influenced by. Stuff from the Scottish Enlightenment. If nothing else it’s a reminder of how we got to this point. Republicans in America seem to have taken Hobbes very seriously. They don’t read him obviously, but they don’t read much. Ayn Rand I guess they read…it’s simple enough for them to understand.
The right choice. I shot IDPA for about 8 years. Started with a 1911 Colt that I had brought up to reliable shooting status (don’t ask me what that cost) and bought the first S&W 645 I could get in '85. I was a bit of a maverick in that I didn’t join any club, I would just show up at a meet to compete against myself. I built a 5 station moving target lash up and practiced 3 or 4 days a week until I could reliably hit a target the size of a grapefruit at 50 feet. It was 100-300 rounds a week until I could handle the weapon just like breathing. Finally, the fun part wore off and I stopped shooting except maybe once or twice a year. My accuracy today means something the size of a basket ball (lost my edge) but since most intended targets are larger than a basket ball… :-" Hope to hell I never have to use my learned skills in a real life confrontation. Anyway, if you’re going to carry for protection, it’s good to get to the point that handling the weapon is reflexive. Stopping to think about how to get the safety off means you’re dead. IDPA is a fun way to acquire those skills.Sorry to hear about dad, but the inevitable creeps up on us - all of us.
I’m trying to get away from the political crap. American politics just pisses me off. I don’t enjoy being confronted with abject stupidity as a daily diet. I’d rather have milk and cookies…
So come around a little more often… / There is still a bit of philosophy discussed here - even if by accident.
Indeed, gotta be sure to remember the safety! I’ve had my CCW (permit) for around 25 years. In that time, when I’m armed I’ve mostly carried a Browning Hi-Power in Condition One (aka “cocked and locked”). These days it’s often an HK USP9, also Condition One. Both of my USPs have the detent plates swapped out for V9; this removes the decocking function from the safety lever, allowing it to serve only as a safety as the 1911 or BHP does. I reload and am a range member so I shoot a lot, but between range sessions I practice draw and presentation. My standard practice is 100 presentations from concealment per day, so draw, safety off, present…that’s one cycle. Then assess and apply the safety before reholstering. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast, so I don’t hurry when I practice.
IDPA is pretty cool. If I do any competition now I want something geared towards the practical skills end of the spectrum. No point practicing to run a highly tuned $4500 STI 1911 in 9x23 since that’s not what I’ll have on me if I ever need to utilize my sidearm. Most of my guns are stock, the only tuning being reliability and better sights. The HKs generally require no tweaking to run 100% well. My main “zombie gun” for residential social work is an FNP45 Tactical. That one wears a Surefire X300 Ultra. Eventually, when I get around to swapping out the forearm on my Remington 870 for one with a rail, the light will move to the shottie.
I’m not really interested in politics per se, and I agree our system has grown tedious. My concern is primarily for the welfare of the common people, and doing what I can to improve my community.
I imagine I’ll pop in pretty regularly. As I said, philosophy is still a passion of mine but I’m trying to come to terms with the futility of wisdom and what that means for me. Perhaps that’s ultimately what philosophy actually is.
So is life treating you well? Lessee… Do you own a string of restaurants yet? Or maybe that was someone else. 
Can’t remember… To answer your questions: Tab bounces in once in awhile, Gamer does as well although less frequently, Xunz hasn’t posted for a year or so, I think Future Man’s last post was a couple of years ago, Pav and Uccisore bounce in and out - mostly out, and the rest of 'em? They seem to have disappeared along with ILO.
Wonder if he’s still “gifting” Organite somewhere as we speak?
It can at least serve as a bad example.
/ There is still a bit of philosophy discussed here - even if by accident.