Slingshot Junkie 101

 Nobody tells you when you decide you want to play with a slingshot that you're doomed. Before you know it, you're collecting them, tweaking them, building catchboxes, learning wrap and tuck, tying and cutting your own bands, and with the singlemindedness of an Amway salesman telling the whole world how great the whole thing is. And, you can do all of this and still not be able to shoot consistently worth a F! Yay, go me!

I wish I'd had a mentor, besides YouTube, at the start of all this, before the bug bit me, that told me to buy one decent slingshot, like the SimpleShot Scout LT2, Scout X, or Axiom or one of Simon Wasp's great frames, tune your bands, and don't shoot or buy any other slingshots or switch ammo size and type until you've gained some proficiency and consistency, say three months if you're really dedicated. When you're constantly changing frames, fork widths, grips, bands, ammo, shooting styles, etc, those changes all greatly affect your ability to monitor and evaluate what you're doing right and what needs attention.

A homemade catchbox (to reuse ammo) and a cheapo from TEMU.

Stay away from expensive Pro or custom frames until you get where fork strikes are the exception rather than the norm.

There is no Holy Grail slingshot frame out there that will suddenly turn you into Nathan Masters, Mone Waller, or any of the other well-known shooters. Only diligent, consistent practice might do that.

The SimpleShot Axiom Ocularis and the Snipersling S-Axe G10

Some of my twenty-five or so slingshots. (I only have a kitchen because the house came with one!) A $20.00 Catch&Hunt Slingshot from Amazon and a SimpleShot Axiom

Wasp Slingshots Enzo, Wendigo, and Apex +

My custom Slingshot from Harlay Davison with a custom paracord lanyard from Squatchshot.

Let the adventure begin!

Tattered cans from being shot with clay ammo.

Carolina Slingshot Brigade

Keep shooting and remember it's supposed to be fun! All artwork ©2025, Kowulz Design. All rights reserved.

Stop Whacking Me in the Nuts, Bro!

Okay, in case you hadn't noticed, I can be a little bit warped.

Google has a new AI named Bart that will try to do whatever you ask. I asked Bart to write a children's story called Mr. Sloth and Baby Giraffe Are Friends. It pretty much sucked, all three crybaby whiney-ass versions, so we tried this instead. I really, truly LOLed.

https://bard.google.com/

Stop Whacking Me in the Nuts, Bro!

Once upon a time, there were two brothers named Billy and Bobby. Billy was the older brother, and Bobby was the younger brother. Billy was always picking on Bobby, and Bobby always got mad.

One day, Billy was picking on Bobby again. He was whacking him in the nuts with a stick. Bobby was yelling and screaming, and Billy was laughing.

Finally, Bobby had enough. He picked up a stick and whacked Billy in the nuts. Billy fell to the ground, holding his nuts.

"Ow!" Billy cried. "That hurt!"

"That's what you get for whacking me in the nuts!" Bobby said.

Billy and Bobby stopped picking on each other after that. They learned that it's not nice to whack someone in the nuts.

Moral of the story: Don't whack someone in the nuts, unless you want them to whack you in the nuts back.

Don't Poop Where You Eat

 

Don't Poop Where You Eat

The modern day mature single adult might find dating in Today's savage times of social media, political correctness, catfishing, scammers, and cancel culture to be a bit more daunting than, say, Calculus or self-circumcision. There is little privacy, no quarter given, and plenty of opportunities to fall on one's noggin.

I recently asked on a local facebook group in the small Southern town I bought my house in where one can go to meet single people other than church or bars. The response was "other churches and bars". Neither is my cup of java nor are coffee houses.

I started a facebook group for local mature single adults with the focus being socializing and building community, rather than dating or finding one's soulmate. Part of that is a residency requirement of living in the town or within 25 miles of it because it is to meet local people offline, not make new pen pals or get stuck in long distance relationships. On our group is posted the reminder: Single doesn't always mean interested or available. Some folks actually love being single, but miss regular companionship. Others like to see relationships develop more organically.

We have had about a half dozen meetups for food as well as one to see a local band and the turnout has been good with some great people. Many of us have been exposed to new activities or local events and there is talk of doing much more.

Sometimes there is a connection without sexual chemistry or all of your "must haves" for a potential partner. It'ss been nice being able to make new local friends and get offline and out into society to do things platonically. Kind of like how life used to be. It does require good communication, a little faith, clarity, transparency, and honesty with yourself and the other people. Invitations should start with a clear statement like, "I am excited about making new local friends from the group and doing more things without the pressure of dating. How would you like to join me for_____?"

Some people don't do well with platonic relationships with the opposite (or desired) sex. One person can develop stronger feelings without the other realizing it and end up getting trapped in the dreaded Friend Zone, so some caution and situational awareness is prudent.

If one is honest with oneself, they know their reasoning for joining such a group. Whether it is to make new friends in this post-COVID 19 era or to scope out the hotties. Some are here to find a partner or spouse regardless of what they say. Playing the field will not be a viable option because very quickly almost everyone will know everyone else in the small but growing community and if you're playing games, looking for hook-ups, notches in your bedpost, or being less than honest, word will spread quickly and you will be called out and probably cast out.

I remind myself that I value these people as friends. Of course, like most anyone else, I would prefer to socialize with some more than others, and some people might not like that very much. Or me very much.

There is an old adage, "Don't Poop Where You Eat." If you decide to date a coworker, neighbor, or a fellow member of any group or organization that you are active in, there is the potential for things to not work out or even get bad or ugly and then one or both of you wind up very uncomfortable and end up losing the group as well as each other. 

I like with our group that I am able to see how people interact with others without being stuck on a date with a "virtual" stranger. It pays to do so and not be in a hurry for an instant relationship or to risk losing some of the new friends or potential new friends by jumping the gun and treating it like a dating site. There are a lot of lonely people who have gotten divorced, became widowed, relocated, or found themselves empty-nesters who just want to belong someplace local and to feel a part of society again or maybe even for the first time without any false pretense. 

I recommend starting a group like this. So far it has been a great experience and experiment. Remember to take your time.

Inked Up

I have a few dozen tattoos. Nothing on my hands, neck, face, or head, but they still close a lot of doors and people look at me like I got them yesterday. Most of the doors they open aren't ones I want to go through anymore. Tattoos = social filters.

When I was growing up men were stereotyped as criminals, bikers, skinheads/racists, anarchists, gangbangers, drug addicts, and on good days veterans or military members. It was much harsher for women. They were lesbians, scooter trash, drug addicts, and criminals. Most people didn't even think about women being in the military back then. Sadly, many of those prejudices are still integrated even among those of us with tattoos. It can be a beautiful art form, but as we age, many of our beliefs, tastes, and interests change, but our tattoos don't without getting cover-ups, laser, or surgery.

Scientists say the human brain doesn't finish developing until we are around twenty-five years old. Most of us get inked the first time long before then and get to live with our choices, good and bad, long after that.

I knew from the time I could think that I was going to get tattoos. That's probably because my dad and uncle had them. If I woke up and they were all gone, I would very likely get more, but almost all different choices and perhaps locations. They aren't me, but they are a part of me. I used to say, "I am not fat, I have fat." Tattoos, like beauty, are only skin deep, and rarely scratch the surface of who a person really is.

The End

Roe vs. Wade Overturned

SCOTUS overturned Roe vs. Wade. They said the legality of abortion should be left up to the individual state governments and not the federal government. Horse-fucking-shit. Abortion shouldn't be a state or federal right, it should be an individual right. I am Pro-choice. That doesn't mean that I am Pro-abortion. It means abortions will continue to happen as long as people tread this earth and they should be safe and survivable for the mother. 

How many of the good Pro-life people patting themselves on the back on the news today have adopted or fostered any of the world's damaged or unwanted children? How many volunteer regularly at Big Brother/Big Sister, Rape crisis centers, battered women shelters, or provide regular meals for the millions of children that go hungry every day? Are the children who are already born and suffering less precious than the unborn? 

If all life is precious, why do we still have homeless people and so many that are institutionalized forever? Why are America's veterans still committing suicide in record numbers because they feel damaged, alone, and alienated? Let's take care of the people who are here FIRST before forcing other people to bring in unwanted ones that you personally are not 100% willing and able to care for without any government aid.

I think abortion is tragic, but any government, state or otherwise, that bans it is short-sighted, cruel, and not representing its most vulnerable population or respecting individual rights.

How would I feel if I had been aborted? I wouldn't feel and I wouldn't know what I was missing if I hadn't been born. Why bring a child into a life where they are unwanted, unloved, or unable to be cared for? If it's a matter of pleasing an omnipotent deity, they should be able to handle it if it was, after all, part of their grand plan.

https://www.lp.org/libertarians-abortion-is-a-matter-for-individual-conscience-not-public-decree/


#RoeVsWade #SCOTUS #Abortion #naturalrights #Libertarian #supremecourt #hypocrites  #rockcowles #kowulz #acunninglinguist

Single AF

 I'm single and looking.

This is the text part of my Internet dating profile:

Smile! Profile pictures shouldn't be terrifying! If your facial expression looks like a bulldog that just inhaled a box of kitty litter, you're probably not going to get good results here or in life.

I'm not starting over, I'm continuing the journey. I like myself, flaws and all.

Papa. Veteran. Designer. Cancer Survivor. Gadfly. Apprentice Polymath. Advocate. Cynophilist. Stoic. Artist. Ignostic. Minarchist. Autodidact. Pastafarian. Ambivert. Patriot. Contrarian. Bibliophile. Occasional Mensan. Former police officer, sailor, and soldier. INTJ. 

I'm Dave, but my nickname has been Rock since I was a young sailor. Either one works. 

I value honesty, kindness, courtesy, intelligence, integrity, dependability, playfulness, positive attitudes, resilience, empathy, spontaneity, punctuality, great communication, a rowdy sense of humor, an open mind, and common sense. I'd like to believe I bring each of those traits to the table. I am looking for a local lady who has time for a relationship and the inclination to build one with the right person (Me!). I am a night owl, unvaccinated, and an Ignostic Minarchist. 

I've lost 115 pounds and enjoy recreational cycling and the gym.

Life is a mosaic. I have many varied interests. Some are phases and others are enduring. Family, dogs, laughter, reading, music, bicycles, movies, playing the ukulele, singing, graphic design, fitness, health, yoga, walks, flea markets, window shopping, travel, Stoicism, improv, photography, Mensa, Rubik's Cube, blogging, advocacy, people watching, meandering. I started Spartanburg Ukuleles (Ukulele Club) in late 2018 and I'm enjoying my mediocre progress immensely. My musical tastes are extremely eclectic. 

Your mother was a hamster and your father smells of elderberries. Go away before I taunt you a second time. 

We have to be attracted to each other, but I care more about your heart and character than your looks, job, income, home, or possessions. I'm not materialistic and prefer to be comfortable rather than GQ or Better Homes and Gardens. I could honestly not care less what the Joneses are up to. 

I share my home with my two rescue dogs; Girly and Darnell. They're family. 

As I am looking for someone with the potential to form a happy, long-term relationship, I prefer to meet someone in or neighboring Spartanburg County.

We could be the best thing to ever happen to each other, but unless we talk and meet, neither of us will ever know. Please send me a message, not a Like, if you're genuinely interested.

Fattitude No More

 Fattitude No More 

(Fattitude 2003)

1996               2020                  Dec. 2021

As a young man, I was ten feet tall and bulletproof, or so I thought. Life has a way of catching up with us and sometimes bringing us to our knees in ways the Navy and Army never did for me. I developed bulging disks, Degenerative Disk Disease, Heart disease, a host of urological issues, Fibromyalgia, chronic kidney stones, arthritis, depression, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Neuropathy, and chronic pain. I went from being a very physical and active 180-pound man, often riding a bicycle thirty plus miles a day and playing volleyball three or four evenings a week, to weighing 327 pounds, having had a heart attack, heart stents, and over three dozen surgeries, Yo-yo dieting, depressed, lethargic, and in chronic pain, and feeling like there was no way out. I locked onto the Vicious Circle Argument that I couldn't get fit because of all of my pain and issues and I couldn't reduce all of my pain and issues because I wasn't fit. Sadly, this is not uncommon.

In the midst of COVID-19, I felt I'd had enough. I had lost thirty pounds by starting smoking again and stalled there. I had used the free version of the My Fitness Pal app to lose seventy pounds before, but gained it all back and more when I quit using it. I was tired of feeling like my health was nickel and diming me to death and I was just waiting around in storage for the relief of a permanent dirt nap. I took stock of my life and the things I had to be grateful for and to look forward to and decided it was worth the effort as was I. I know plenty of morbidly obese people who live active lifestyles and that doesn't guarantee fitness. "Weight is lost in the kitchen, not the gym."

If you don't control your caloric intake, little else makes a significant lasting difference. I resumed using the free version of the My Fitness Pal app, only this time it wasn't a diet, it was an investment in myself and my family and a healthy lifestyle change. With the app, which you download onto your smartphone, you enter your age, height, weight, goal weight, and how much weight you want to lose a week. It then tells you how many calories a day you have. You can "earn" more by entering any exercising you do. It is essentially following a budget. It will give you suggestions on fat and sugar content and more, but it is your choice which, if any, to follow.

A banana is about thirty cents and a hundred and ten calories versus a Snickers bar that is about a buck and a half and 250 calories. The banana is healthier, more filling, and doesn't have the sugar crash a candy bar does. A half-pound of imitation crab legs (Pollak and other fish) is 220 calories, sweet, has no prep out of the package other than plating it, and it takes a while to eat and is thus more physically and psychologically filling.

I joined a local health club called Inman Health and Fitness. I've gotten where I hate working out just to work out, especially by myself, but they had an Over Fifties Class two days a week and Yoga on Fridays. This gave me socialization, support, cardio, increased muscle tone, flexibility, and a strong progress gauge. It helped me look and feel better. I went from 3XL T-shirts to Large or XL, from 3XL gym shorts to Large, and from a 48' waist to having 36' shorts falling off. I had a lot of support from the class and the gym owner, Gary Painter, who is a great guy and a specimen for any age.

I got where I rarely overeat and quickly learned to prepare for dining events that made tracking my intake difficult due to having no nutrition guides. I tend to eat less beforehand and guesstimate conservatively in those scenarios when making my entries. When you eat until you feel stuffed, your stomach stretches. A half hour or so later it shrinks and leaves you feeling famished and feral. I've learned to avoid this as much as possible and actually enjoy eating more.

After losing the weight, I continued to have several health issues including failure to heal from previous surgeries and was diagnosed with cancer and my activity level had to drop significantly as I had more surgeries with some serious downtime. I've kept the weight off, but look forward to returning to classes and riding my new Trek hybrid bicycle as the weather improves. I couldn't ride a bicycle to the end of my driveway before due to my weight making my knees feel like they'd explode.

I'm 57 years old now and I am here to say that you can teach an old dog new tricks and it's not over until it's over! 

Memento Vivere! (Remember that you must live!)

Iman Health & Fitness Over 50 Class May 2021

Visions of Generalizations

When I look I rarely see you, I see history. Not your history, but the cumulative acquired experiences and perceptions of my lifetime. Tattoos? Your poor parents! A Bible? Oh God, don't get me started! A middle-aged dude in a 'Vette? BWA HA HA HA HA HA! Brown skin, pink skin, yellow skin, black skin, who did who in the what with a huh in the here?

As we do so, we recognize patterns and lean on them rather than having to rediscover each concept every time we want a Klondike Bar or a slug of Pepto Bismal. Expediency counts and generalizations make it easier.

While passing through The Now (rather than being in it), we paint pictures and tell stories in our heads to give meaning and warnings if needed and to retain our momentum; the last time you made that face, wore that dress, had that twinkle in your eye, scowled like my grandmother... nice legs, close-set eyes, big flabby meat wings, grimy fingernails, shiny watch, mesh-back truckers' hat, overbite, bed head, designer label, big tiny penis truck, luxury automobile, screaming kids, Trumper sticker, Biden decal, dirty feet, extra-humungous Yoga pants, everything we see we judge. It is an intrinsic survival skill of human beings; The Law of Generalizations. It kept us safe as we evolved. It continues to do so, but it also keeps us fearful, arrogant, and isolated. We don't really see too often, at least not with the eyes of a child, the wonder of a new heart, or a truly open mind. Plato said, "The unexamined life is not worth living."


"It's a flower."

"Yes, but tell me about this flower."


Prejudice is Generalization's ugly cousin.

generalize

[ jen-er-uh-lahyz ]

verb (used with object), gen·er·al·ized, gen·er·al·iz·ing.

to infer (a general principle, trend, etc.) from particular facts, statistics, or the like.

to infer or form (a general principle, opinion, conclusion, etc.) from only a few facts, examples, or the like.

to give a general rather than a specific or special character or form to.

to make general; bring into general use or knowledge.

verb (used without object), gen·er·al·ized, gen·er·al·iz·ing.

to form general principles, opinions, etc.

to deal, think, or speak in generalities.

to make general inferences.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/generalize

Generalization is the foundation of learning. It builds great wisdom and entrenches ponderous ignorance. We have to comprehend a hundred gazillion things to be able to even conceive, for instance, leaving a room, such as;

self

room

in

out

enter

exit

motion

rising

walking

reaching

twisting

pushing

pulling

door

doorknob

etc

ad nauseum


Remember: No generalization is worth a damn, including this one.

"Ohm"

#generalizations #visions 

Shibby Dibby Dow Bow Mow Mow Mow (Mayo Rap)

I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues ukulele cover by Nefarious Rock

Why I Will Not Deliberately #BuyBlack on this Black Friday, Facebook.

Facebook had the above ad on my newsfeed on October 30, 2020. I found it disturbing. I've have a facebook account since 2008 to keep up with family, friends, and business acquaintances, and to share common interests. We do not need Social Media taking on the roles of Big Brother and The Nanny State. When you seek special treatment for any group of people it is done at the expense of every person not contained in that group. It is the opposite of equality. Many small businesses have closed their doors permanently due to the pandemic and gross government overreach. When I heard that Goorin Brothers Hat Company, America's oldest hat manufacturer, which was founded in 1868, had closed eleven of their twenty-seven neighborhood shops I was saddened by the loss of jobs, communities, opportunities, and another piece of Americana gone. I didn't think it was sad that White jobs, Black jobs, Hispanic jobs, or any other kind of race jobs or businesses were lost. We need to learn to embrace what makes people unique, rather than fear or distrust it.

Yes, Black Lives do matter. No, I will not support a business just because it is owned or not owned by people of any race, religion, color, creed, gender, sexual preference or identity, or national origin. I patronize businesses on my interest in their goods or services, recommendations, perceived value, and past experience. I do make an extra effort to give small local businesses my business if they are reasonably competitive because I like supporting my community and neighbors. I don't worry about anyone's race, color, nationality, etc when I do so.

All lives matter. The Black Lives Matter movement has not only been hijacked by Socialists, but it has also inflamed America, built hatred and distrust, and severely set back race relations in the once Land of the Free. The people behind the organization are blatantly evil. Their agenda does not include the betterment of people of color no matter what their words say. They are dividing America.

I once read that racism was when someone was denied trial treatment or rights solely based on their race and that racialism was whenever someone doesn't get things their way then they blame it on racism. In an age of political correction and Newspeak racialism had become rampant and actually contributes to creating more racism.

The brilliant Black economist, Thomas Sowell talks about race hustlers like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, Jr who make everything about race. Sowell wrote an incredible piece called Black Rednecks and White Liberals. It's well worth reading and contained in a book of essays by the same name.

We have forgotten how to not only think about others but how to be responsible for our own happiness and well-being. It is not the government, Hollywood, or social media's place or duty to do either. We need to take back our future by walking in love, taking personal responsibility, and building communities. How many people reading this know most of their neighbors, have a diverse mixture of friends, and volunteer outside of the home?

I challenge you to spend one fourth of the recreational time you spend online including social media, for the next month, volunteering at two or more local groups outside of your church or normal functions. Meet some new people, make some friends, expand your horizons, experience paradigm shifts, be a better, bigger person, grow, and see if the world doesn't become a better place. Walk in love.


#BigBrotherAndThenannyState #facebook #BuyBlack #kowulz #ACunningLinguist #RockCowles #StopTheHate #walkinlove #ThomasSowell #BlackRednecksAndWhiteLiberals #Socialists #Orwellian

I Have Fat.

 

I'm not fat. I have fat. It's not me, it's extra me. It's not who or what I am. It doesn't define me. It doesn't show you my heart, my history, my intelligence, my kindness, integrity, compassion, sense of humor, courage, adventurousness, creativity, or the love that I have for people or that people have for me.

It doesn't tell you how it got there, what it has cost me, or who I may have been before it came to be. It's just there. It's not healthy. It's rarely fashionable. It takes a lot of energy and it still takes its toll on the rest of me. I don't embrace it, but I accept it. It doesn't define me.

I may have lost hundreds of pounds over my life through hard work, perseverance, and sacrifice, but they never put that on my pants size. I may be eating healthier than anyone you know and exercising several hours a day and if all you see is fat, you'll never see who I am or who I may become. 

Chubby face, meat wings, pudgy thighs, loose skin, beer belly, muffin top, wide load, cankles; swipe left. Not seen and yet gone. It's amazing and often disheartening that as big as I am, so few people can see me. Really see me beyond the blinders of social judgment. I didn't start off with fat. Few people do. Few people make a conscious decision to pack on the pounds or even double or triple their body weight as adults. Sometimes it is poor choices. Other times its circumstances, nurturing, genetics, accidents, injuries, emotional issues, disease, or other health problems. We hate Adipocytes, also known as lipocytes and fat cells, but without them, each and every one of us would die.

It's still socially acceptable to mock, ridicule, and condemn the obese so long as you don't do it at work or school. I've never heard anyone proclaim "Fat Lives Matter!". For that, I'm glad.  I'm not fat. I have fat. It's not me, it's extra me. It's not who or what I am. It doesn't define me. 

Brother, can you spare a fat cell?

#RockCowles #ACunningLinguist #Kowulz #Fattitude #fat #IHaveFat #FatLivesMatter