I'm watching the Twilight Zone episode with Dan Duryea as the town drunk who was once real good with a gun. I like this episode. But it got me to thinking beyond the story itself. It got me to wondering (again) if fast draw gunfights are really as prevalent as shown in Westerns. I know there were gun fights and duels and ambushes and other stuff back then, probably nothing compared to today - but I have always doubted the authenticity of fast gun challenges. It takes enough guts to walk into a strange poolrool looking to play their best for money, let alone a strange town to fight their best for temporary top gun honors as well as the right to become the biggest target in the West with every young gunny in the territory and beyond looking to take you down. I'll bet fast draw death matches were rare. Really rare. But the motif had spawned a lot of good stories over the years so I'm not griping.

On Friday, June 4, 2021 at 6:16:33 PM UTC-4, jazee...@gmail.com wrote:
> I'm watching the Twilight Zone episode with Dan Duryea as the town drunk who was once real good with a gun. I like this episode. But it got me to thinking beyond the story itself. It got me to wondering (again) if fast draw gunfights are really as prevalent as shown in Westerns. I know there were gun fights and duels and ambushes and other stuff back then, probably nothing compared to today - but I have always doubted the authenticity of fast gun challenges. It takes enough guts to walk into a strange poolrool looking to play their best for money, let alone a strange town to fight their best for temporary top gun honors as well as the right to become the biggest target in the West with every young gunny in the territory and beyond looking to take you down. I'll bet fast draw death matches were rare. Really rare. But the motif had spawned a lot of good stories over the years so I'm not griping.

It is not how fast you are but how accurate that first shot is. Best to pull steady make sure of aim and then fire. Apparently a lot of gunfights were shoot them in the back types.

> It is not how fast you are but how accurate that first shot is. Best to pull steady make sure of aim and then fire. Apparently a lot of gunfights were shoot them in the back types.

Yes, those make sense. And they were mostly duels based on dislike or someone feeling wronged, not just to see who the fastest or best gun is. I'm sure some guys who were good with a gun started shit in small towns where they knew they had the edge. But going town to town to try their best - I don't see that happening, not ever - pure cinema stuff. Yes, of course back in those times aim and accuracy were of utmost importance. There was story written by a Russian back in the 1800s I believe about a duel whose rules stipulated that if one guys shoots and misses the other guy can take his shot anytime, even 20 years down the road. The story goes on beyond the duel.. The loser's life is chronicled. His marriage, his financial gains, etc. Then one day about 25 years later his adversary shows up to seal the deal.. I like those Westerns were arguments break out at the card table and one guy pulls a gun and just gently places it on another guy's back and calmly pulls the trigger. No hot shot bullshit - who's the fastest, who's the most accurate - just "Here, take this", and that's it.

On Saturday, June 5, 2021 at 2:36:00 AM UTC-4, jazee...@gmail.com wrote:
> > It is not how fast you are but how accurate that first shot is. Best to pull steady make sure of aim and then fire. Apparently a lot of gunfights were shoot them in the back types.
> Yes, those make sense. And they were mostly duels based on dislike or someone feeling wronged, not just to see who the fastest or best gun is. I'm sure some guys who were good with a gun started shit in small towns where they knew they had the edge. But going town to town to try their best - I don't see that happening, not ever - pure cinema stuff. Yes, of course back in those times aim and accuracy were of utmost importance. There was story written by a Russian back in the 1800s I believe about a duel whose rules stipulated that if one guys shoots and misses the other guy can take his shot anytime, even 20 years down the road. The story goes on beyond the duel. The loser's life is chronicled. His marriage, his financial gains, etc. Then one day about 25 years later his adversary shows up to seal the deal. I like those Westerns were arguments break out at the card table and one guy pulls a gun and just gently places it on another guy's back and calmly pulls the trigger. No hot shot bullshit - who's the fastest, who's the most accurate - just "Here, take this", and that's it.

Who would get into a card game where everyone has a gun? Even a bingo game would get hairy if all the people were armed.

> Who would get into a card game where everyone has a gun? Even a bingo game would get hairy if all the people were armed.

I was with a guy named Jerry in L.A. He backed me a few times in pool. He was nuts in an odd way. He always carried a gun. He liked when people knew it. One time he asked me to hold it and I said I'd rather not. Later he was arrested for killing a Black guy in an argument and got off. I did not see him as a cold blooded killer. But he was impulsive.

One time he took me and some other guys to a scary place in south L.A. somewhere and backed me in a pool game. While I was playing he got into a poker game. He won. I was already done losing at pool when I arrived at the poker table and he was just getting up to leave. I could tell things were hairy. I could feel it. He exposed his gun for the players to see. Then he got up and walked backwards out the door with me tagging along.

Another time at an equally sleazy and frightening place in L.A. I got backed by a guy I liked name Jack Moussa. He dropped me off in front of the place and said he'd be right in. When he walked in he was wearing a fake cast on his arm. I could take a few guesses as to why but I never asked him. Funny though. Nothing special happened with us. But there was a game going down on the table next to mine and I could tell it was serious. When the winner was ready to walk out the other guy and several of his friends started to follow the guy out the door. The guy turned around with the butt end of his cue in his hand, raised slightly, then walked out backwards, never taking his eyes off the predators. He had guts. What a way to make a living. I have gone into some places where the vibe was so creepy that I would actually lose a small amount on purpose just to get out with my skin intact. It was not the life for me. I liked the game though - the action, the stories. But some of those places the backers took me to, I never would have gone there on my own choice.

On Sunday, June 6, 2021 at 12:40:57 AM UTC-4, jazee...@gmail.com wrote:
> > Who would get into a card game where everyone has a gun? Even a bingo game would get hairy if all the people were armed.
> I was with a guy named Jerry in L.A. He backed me a few times in pool. He was nuts in an odd way. He always carried a gun. He liked when people knew it. One time he asked me to hold it and I said I'd rather not. Later he was arrested for killing a Black guy in an argument and got off. I did not see him as a cold blooded killer. But he was impulsive.
>
> One time he took me and some other guys to a scary place in south L.A. somewhere and backed me in a pool game. While I was playing he got into a poker game. He won. I was already done losing at pool when I arrived at the poker table and he was just getting up to leave. I could tell things were hairy. I could feel it. He exposed his gun for the players to see. Then he got up and walked backwards out the door with me tagging along.
>
> Another time at an equally sleazy and frightening place in L.A. I got backed by a guy I liked name Jack Moussa. He dropped me off in front of the place and said he'd be right in. When he walked in he was wearing a fake cast on his arm. I could take a few guesses as to why but I never asked him. Funny though. Nothing special happened with us. But there was a game going down on the table next to mine and I could tell it was serious. When the winner was ready to walk out the other guy and several of his friends started to follow the guy out the door. The guy turned around with the butt end of his cue in his hand, raised slightly, then walked out backwards, never taking his eyes off the predators. He had guts. What a way to make a living. I have gone into some places where the vibe was so creepy that I would actually lose a small amount on purpose just to get out with my skin intact. It was not the life for me. I liked the game though - the action, the stories. But some of those places the backers took me to, I never would have gone there on my own choice.

The whole Hustler thing is so dumb. If a guy is playing lousy to sucker you into a bigger bet you should take it like a man. After all it is a greedy move and why are they not suspicious when a guy playing lousy wants to play for a lot of money?

> The whole Hustler thing is so dumb. If a guy is playing lousy to sucker you into a bigger bet you should take it like a man. After all it is a greedy move and why are they not suspicious when a guy playing lousy wants to play for a lot of money?

Only three posts to go - sounds like a job or being in the classroom watching the clock. But that is not the case. I'm thinking about it because I'm betting I get the over the limit message before I clean the board.

I agree. At the same time I don't like hustling. I was not a good hustler and did not want to be. It's a lousy job. I meant it before when I said I wish I had enough money to be someone's sucker every day. I'd rather be the sucker than the hustler. Really. I agree with a lot of what you're saying but don't know whether you really believe it or not. I don't know what you're up to. Not really.

"Are you hustling me!!!????"

On Sunday, June 6, 2021 at 6:06:13 PM UTC-4, jazee...@gmail.com wrote:
> > The whole Hustler thing is so dumb. If a guy is playing lousy to sucker you into a bigger bet you should take it like a man. After all it is a greedy move and why are they not suspicious when a guy playing lousy wants to play for a lot of money?
> Only three posts to go - sounds like a job or being in the classroom watching the clock. But that is not the case. I'm thinking about it because I'm betting I get the over the limit message before I clean the board.
>
> I agree. At the same time I don't like hustling. I was not a good hustler and did not want to be. It's a lousy job. I meant it before when I said I wish I had enough money to be someone's sucker every day. I'd rather be the sucker than the hustler. Really. I agree with a lot of what you're saying but don't know whether you really believe it or not. I don't know what you're up to. Not really.
>
> "Are you hustling me!!!????"

My athletic ability is hit or miss. Mostly miss. Once while in the Navy Reserves I was in Long Beach. I went with a couple of guys to a gym where people were playing basketball. We were shooting around and I was missing every shot. The next day we were there and we had a game. No one wanted me because I had shot so poorly. Well while playing I couldn't miss. I was making every basket. They were confused and thought I had hustled them but we were not playing for money so it was just funny.

> My athletic ability is hit or miss. Mostly miss. Once while in the Navy Reserves I was in Long Beach. I went with a couple of guys to a gym where people were playing basketball. We were shooting around and I was missing every shot. The next day we were there and we had a game. No one wanted me because I had shot so poorly. Well while playing I couldn't miss. I was making every basket. They were confused and thought I had hustled them but we were not playing for money so it was just funny.

By the time I was 13 I was smoking 3 packs of cigarets a day. If I ran someone a hundred yards, win or lose I would be on the ground gulping for air literally for minutes afterwards. I'm good at aiming. Decent hand to eye coordination. I call myself a natural athlete but I could be kidding myself. I did not like athletes in school I also did not like the academic types. I did not like school period.

I find the topic of handling pressure interesting. I read the original Hustler. The movie was not so good. Every time I see it it seems worse. No real story. In the book, which was short, it's more about the psychology of behind the play, how Fast Eddie was a loser at heart, how he was always looking for excuses to lose. I find that interesting because I can identity, not that I'm on Fast Eddie's level.

Anyone, one night at the poolroom someone suggested we go bowling. I was in my early 20s and had not bowled in 10 years. I said yeah let's go. Hollywood Bowling lanes were only 3 blocks away. A bunch of us went. I was amazed at how well I did. I was not expecting to do so well. We spent a few hours at it then called it a night. One guy said, "Hey, let's do this again tomorrow." I said sure, why not. I was thinking, "Man, I was way better than I thought I'd be tonight - just wait till tomorrow, I'll be even better." The next night we went again and I couldn't keep the ball out of the gutter. It's funny how it comes down to expectations. Not expecting to do well the first night I was loose. I did not care. The next night I was expecting improvement with the complete opposite being the result. I know pros are on a different level, but they are human too. Everyone is affected by pressure on some level. Some days golfers and pool players feel like they can't miss. They don't know why. They are relaxed and focused. Other days making the easiest shot in the world seems like a chore. When athletes and others go into the zone they often say, 'Man I wish I could bottle it", because they don't know why on any given day things look easy and other days tough. I find it interesting. But not interesting to go any further with it or my essay will deteriorate as surely as my ability to toss the bowling ball that night at the Hollywood Lanes.

On Tuesday, June 8, 2021 at 12:28:44 AM UTC-4, jazee...@gmail.com wrote:
> > My athletic ability is hit or miss. Mostly miss. Once while in the Navy Reserves I was in Long Beach. I went with a couple of guys to a gym where people were playing basketball. We were shooting around and I was missing every shot. The next day we were there and we had a game. No one wanted me because I had shot so poorly. Well while playing I couldn't miss. I was making every basket. They were confused and thought I had hustled them but we were not playing for money so it was just funny.
> By the time I was 13 I was smoking 3 packs of cigarets a day. If I ran someone a hundred yards, win or lose I would be on the ground gulping for air literally for minutes afterwards. I'm good at aiming. Decent hand to eye coordination. I call myself a natural athlete but I could be kidding myself. I did not like athletes in school I also did not like the academic types. I did not like school period.
>
> I find the topic of handling pressure interesting. I read the original Hustler. The movie was not so good. Every time I see it it seems worse. No real story. In the book, which was short, it's more about the psychology of behind the play, how Fast Eddie was a loser at heart, how he was always looking for excuses to lose. I find that interesting because I can identity, not that I'm on Fast Eddie's level.
>
> Anyone, one night at the poolroom someone suggested we go bowling. I was in my early 20s and had not bowled in 10 years. I said yeah let's go. Hollywood Bowling lanes were only 3 blocks away. A bunch of us went. I was amazed at how well I did. I was not expecting to do so well. We spent a few hours at it then called it a night. One guy said, "Hey, let's do this again tomorrow." I said sure, why not. I was thinking, "Man, I was way better than I thought I'd be tonight - just wait till tomorrow, I'll be even better." The next night we went again and I couldn't keep the ball out of the gutter. It's funny how it comes down to expectations. Not expecting to do well the first night I was loose. I did not care. The next night I was expecting improvement with the complete opposite being the result. I know pros are on a different level, but they are human too. Everyone is affected by pressure on some level. Some days golfers and pool players feel like they can't miss. They don't know why. They are relaxed and focused. Other days making the easiest shot in the world seems like a chore. When athletes and others go into the zone they often say, 'Man I wish I could bottle it", because they don't know why on any given day things look easy and other days tough. I find it interesting. But not interesting to go any further with it or my essay will deteriorate as surely as my ability to toss the bowling ball that night at the Hollywood Lanes.

You should have killed your father before you went bowling.

> You should have killed your father before you went bowling.

You have a good memory. Remember I told you I went bowling the night my father died and bowled the best game of my life up to that point. I was 13. I hung out at a bowling alley mainly for the pinball machines. I was a good player. Big fish in a very small pond.

In L.A. at the poolroom they had several machines. I was the King of the Penthouse Billiards. I was in my early 20s. A guy told me there was a pinball tournament at the Palladium and I ought to go sign up. The entry was cheap. Had to be or I wouldn't have signed up.

The day of the tournament - I had never been to one before, not as a player, not as a spectator - I went in and they assigned me a machine. It had ultra tiny flippers. I hated those kind. Because I hated them I never played them. The machines were on a very severe grade. The ball moved fast. It was a 3 ball game, not the 5 I was used to. I drained all 3 balls in less than 10 seconds. I was lost. I was not ready for this. This was pro level pinball. I had no idea. I was not pissed off. I was too stunned for that. I didn't hang around, never got to see the best play - didn't want to because for years I had thought I was the best. Whoever won that tournament had to be pretty good. Just as with pool with the top players wanting tough tables with tight pockets, not slop buckets, these guys were playing the toughest machines - machines I had no idea even existed. It was funny.. A real eye opener, one of many in my life where I thought I was good at something only to find the world is a truly competitive place.

I see what you mean though. You're talking about the Favre thread, the night he played lights out because his father had died. What a defense that would be for a guy charged with killing his father. "Well you see Your Honor, I was scheduled for a really tough match that night and I had just read a book by a famed sports psychologist named Thomas Joseph who said sportsmen play better following the death of the person they love most. Well, I loved my father more than anybody - but I really wanted to win that match. I was hoping he would die naturally - he was a sick man and was going to die soon anyway - but he was tougher than I thought and kept hanging in - and I was really patient about it, waiting till only minutes before the match to do what I was hoping I wouldn't have to do - I had to kill my own father. You understand, don't you Your Honor?"

"But you lost the match", says the Judge. "What do you have to say about that?

"Yes I lost. I was angry when I lost because the book said I would win if someone close to me died. So after the match I ran home to speed-read the book for verification and that's when I saw it - something I did not see the first time - that the death must be natural and preferably unexpected and that murder does not count."

"In that case I sentence you to life in prison for reading too fast."

Get him out of here. Get him out of my courtroom.

On Tuesday, June 8, 2021 at 11:19:11 PM UTC-4, jazee...@gmail.com wrote:
> > You should have killed your father before you went bowling.
> You have a good memory. Remember I told you I went bowling the night my father died and bowled the best game of my life up to that point. I was 13. I hung out at a bowling alley mainly for the pinball machines. I was a good player. Big fish in a very small pond.
>
> In L.A. at the poolroom they had several machines. I was the King of the Penthouse Billiards. I was in my early 20s. A guy told me there was a pinball tournament at the Palladium and I ought to go sign up. The entry was cheap. Had to be or I wouldn't have signed up.
>
> The day of the tournament - I had never been to one before, not as a player, not as a spectator - I went in and they assigned me a machine. It had ultra tiny flippers. I hated those kind. Because I hated them I never played them. The machines were on a very severe grade. The ball moved fast. It was a 3 ball game, not the 5 I was used to. I drained all 3 balls in less than 10 seconds. I was lost. I was not ready for this. This was pro level pinball. I had no idea. I was not pissed off. I was too stunned for that. I didn't hang around, never got to see the best play - didn't want to because for years I had thought I was the best. Whoever won that tournament had to be pretty good. Just as with pool with the top players wanting tough tables with tight pockets, not slop buckets, these guys were playing the toughest machines - machines I had no idea even existed. It was funny. A real eye opener, one of many in my life where I thought I was good at something only to find the world is a truly competitive place.
>
> I see what you mean though. You're talking about the Favre thread, the night he played lights out because his father had died. What a defense that would be for a guy charged with killing his father. "Well you see Your Honor, I was scheduled for a really tough match that night and I had just read a book by a famed sports psychologist named Thomas Joseph who said sportsmen play better following the death of the person they love most. Well, I loved my father more than anybody - but I really wanted to win that match. I was hoping he would die naturally - he was a sick man and was going to die soon anyway - but he was tougher than I thought and kept hanging in - and I was really patient about it, waiting till only minutes before the match to do what I was hoping I wouldn't have to do - I had to kill my own father. You understand, don't you Your Honor?"
>
> "But you lost the match", says the Judge. "What do you have to say about that?
>
> "Yes I lost. I was angry when I lost because the book said I would win if someone close to me died. So after the match I ran home to speed-read the book for verification and that's when I saw it - something I did not see the first time - that the death must be natural and preferably unexpected and that murder does not count."
>
> "In that case I sentence you to life in prison for reading too fast."
>
> Get him out of here. Get him out of my courtroom.

That is my biggest crime, reading too fast and missing the gotchas.

> That is my biggest crime, reading too fast and missing the gotchas.

Thanks for your confession. However, because I too speed past things I want to see the positive side of it. And there is a positive side to everything. I know what it is in this case. The more we realize that most people are sloppy readers the better we must be as writers to keep their attention. So if you speed over pertinent stuff it could be the fault of the writer for making the overall read too dull. The writer must go beyond hit and miss and stop relying on the reader to wade through his bullshit. Even if he has to resort to phony promises to keep people's attention - sort of like an advertisement, the kind that never gets to the point - it is the job of the writer to make sure his readers take in the whole thing. Therefore, while it is your fault that you read too fast it is the writer's fault for not slowing you down.

On Wednesday, June 9, 2021 at 4:55:48 PM UTC-4, jazee...@gmail.com wrote:
> > That is my biggest crime, reading too fast and missing the gotchas.
> Thanks for your confession. However, because I too speed past things I want to see the positive side of it. And there is a positive side to everything. I know what it is in this case. The more we realize that most people are sloppy readers the better we must be as writers to keep their attention. So if you speed over pertinent stuff it could be the fault of the writer for making the overall read too dull. The writer must go beyond hit and miss and stop relying on the reader to wade through his bullshit. Even if he has to resort to phony promises to keep people's attention - sort of like an advertisement, the kind that never gets to the point - it is the job of the writer to make sure his readers take in the whole thing. Therefore, while it is your fault that you read too fast it is the writer's fault for not slowing you down.

I only made it halfway through your post. Was it worth reading the whole thing?

> I only made it halfway through your post. Was it worth reading the whole thing?

It was one of my greatest posts ever. Also one of my shortest. I guess the other long ones just build up on you and you finally snapped at the wrong time. Now I don't know if you're joking or not about not reading the whole post. But if you didn't read it I don't blame you. However, just in case you didn't read it I copied the post's best line and am pasting it below. I should do that with all my posts - read them first and clean them up. But as you know I am a lazy (and inconsiderate) piece of shit.

The topic was reading too fast and maybe missing something, how we both admit to doing the same thing. I was trying to tell you (and myself) not to feel bad when you misread or overlook something someone has written - because:

"It is the job of the writer to make sure the reader takes in the whole thing. Therefore, while it's true we read too fast, it is the writer's fault for failing to slow us down."

> I only made it halfway through your post. Was it worth reading the whole thing?

I read your post 20 times to make sure I got it right. From now on that is my motif. Word by word. First "I", then, "I only", then, "I only made", then, "I only made it", and so on. I abzzzzzorb your words in every way, sometimes even reading the post backwards. Sometimes the backwards reading produces some really deep insightful small-time Ollie truths that emerge in a big time way. Dig?

On Thursday, June 10, 2021 at 5:12:50 PM UTC-4, jazee...@gmail.com wrote:
> > I only made it halfway through your post. Was it worth reading the whole thing?
> I read your post 20 times to make sure I got it right. From now on that is my motif. Word by word. First "I", then, "I only", then, "I only made", then, "I only made it", and so on. I abzzzzzorb your words in every way, sometimes even reading the post backwards. Sometimes the backwards reading produces some really deep insightful small-time Ollie truths that emerge in a big time way. Dig?

I am the opposite of a speed reader. I go slow. On purpose. I can read fast but why would I? Reading is like drinking fine wine. Must be savored. I will sniff the words, then take a sip of them, swirl in my mouth, then spit them out. I will read no book before it's time.

Ollie the Welles.

> I am the opposite of a speed reader. I go slow. On purpose. I can read fast but why would I? Reading is like drinking fine wine. Must be savored. I will sniff the words, then take a sip of them, swirl in my mouth, then spit them out. I will read no book before it's time.
>
>
> Ollie the Welles.

I think I read better when I read out loud. I think reading someone else's work into a microphone then playing it back and listening to it is a good idea for full abbbbzzzzortion. I remember a few times calling Kip Addotta and he'd comment on something I sent him, then read it to me. He read with no emotion. Like a robot. No emphasis. I really enjoyed it. It allowed me to abbbzzzorbBBB my words in a new way. Really though, it's a good way to read. I am not a good reader. I read in chunks. I guess that's where misreading headlines comes from. Each new line is a headline of sorts. I don't know if I'm a fast reader or if I'm slow. I do know this though: I have seen many movies that start out with text on the screen setting the scene. It never stays up there long enough for me. All of a sudden it's gone and I'm going, "Are you kidding me, are you telling me all the other assholes in this theater were able to read that and I wasn't?" Hard to believe. Maybe they don't care if people read it. Maybe there are others wanting to complain about how fast they remove the prologue from the screen but don't want to admit they can't read fast. Has that ever happened to you - reading something the prologue to a movie or whatever and they take it away before you're done?

On Saturday, June 12, 2021 at 3:22:10 PM UTC-4, jazee...@gmail.com wrote:
> > I am the opposite of a speed reader. I go slow. On purpose. I can read fast but why would I? Reading is like drinking fine wine. Must be savored. I will sniff the words, then take a sip of them, swirl in my mouth, then spit them out. I will read no book before it's time.
> >
> >
> > Ollie the Welles.
> I think I read better when I read out loud. I think reading someone else's work into a microphone then playing it back and listening to it is a good idea for full abbbbzzzzortion. I remember a few times calling Kip Addotta and he'd comment on something I sent him, then read it to me. He read with no emotion. Like a robot. No emphasis. I really enjoyed it. It allowed me to abbbzzzorbBBB my words in a new way. Really though, it's a good way to read. I am not a good reader. I read in chunks. I guess that's where misreading headlines comes from. Each new line is a headline of sorts. I don't know if I'm a fast reader or if I'm slow. I do know this though: I have seen many movies that start out with text on the screen setting the scene. It never stays up there long enough for me. All of a sudden it's gone and I'm going, "Are you kidding me, are you telling me all the other assholes in this theater were able to read that and I wasn't?" Hard to believe. Maybe they don't care if people read it. Maybe there are others wanting to complain about how fast they remove the prologue from the screen but don't want to admit they can't read fast. Has that ever happened to you - reading something the prologue to a movie or whatever and they take it away before you're done?

Halfway through you post the computer went to the next one. I wonder if it said anything that is now pertinant? Well did it punk?

> Halfway through you post the computer went to the next one. I wonder if it said anything that is now pertinant? Well did it punk?

Everything I say is pertinent, especially this my final comment on the matter.

El Finito

On Saturday, June 12, 2021 at 8:54:32 PM UTC-4, jazee...@gmail.com wrote:
> > Halfway through you post the computer went to the next one. I wonder if it said anything that is now pertinant? Well did it punk?
> Everything I say is pertinent, especially this my final comment on the matter.
>
> El Finito

El Ditto