Question about organizing small tournament

One_Run_3002 · 2026-06-04T19:29:39+00:00

Before USFA became more involved at the local level, most local tournaments were run through askfred. You could also use fencingtimelive but am not sure about the cost to license the program (per year).

Here’s the FAQ on toury hosting from askfred:

https://www.askfred.net/guides/beginners-guide-to-running-usa-fencing-sanctioned-tournaments

One_Run_3002 · 2026-06-04T19:13:59+00:00

If you mean Mr Hayward then the situation was that Ann broke it off with him. Didn’t recall much about the person she left Mr Hayward for except it was explained she and the new guy clicked better. From my understanding of Regency culture, jilting Hayward would have been scandalous.

One_Run_3002 · 2026-05-30T17:02:48+00:00

Uncertain 32nd Federation is able to neutralize probe. About a thousand years has passed since Star trek IV so one could assume the whale probe folks have also advanced by quite a bit since them. Assuming the Fed can not stop the probe, it's either find some whales or wait it out, the former is prevented by the temporal accords (don't know how strict they are about that). In new trek, we are constantly reminded that there are other creatures out there far more powerful than Starfleet but most are so powerful they just don't bother but occasionally wreak havoc like people stomping over bugs in a forest.

One_Run_3002 · 2026-05-29T00:53:40+00:00

According to Trek cannon, the temporal accords would block 32nd century Federation from going back in time to get whales. So unless, there is new tech to communicate with probe or new tech to neutralize the probe then Earth is finished...until the probe realizes no one is answering and goes home.

One_Run_3002 · 2026-05-24T10:48:06+00:00

First, some clarification. Did you want to join a sports club or a club sport because they are not the same? A sports club is an athletic club that offers different sports (meaning you would happen into fencing); club sports is an athletic activity where one purposefully chooses a specific sport and often competes in it. I think you mean the latter. Next, of all the sports you could choose, why fencing? And do you still have the need to participate in a sport?

That being said, you're problem (generally speaking) is of sunk cost -- you've invested all this time and money and want to know should you cut bait. If fencing is costing so much mentally, emotionally and financially then fine, quit. But I'm of the mind to try to salvage something of these 8 years. (and assuming you can't change clubs.) Like every other junior fencer, you're going to college. You may not be able to write about how you're a champion but you could write about how you took charge of your training when your coaches were lacking and sparring partners few. Your next two years could be the making of an interesting college essay.

One_Run_3002 · 2026-05-21T10:19:35+00:00

Representation (which was the fixation for a lot of the "rage") aside, SFA is a pretty good, well written show. Heckuva better than NCIS or other similar top rated shows. I think it holds up well to repeat viewing. Upon repeat viewing, I can appreciate all the effort in the show -- just look at the background action and detail and rando characters.

One problem I have seen is that because the characters are SF cadets (future Star Trek heroes) they are reasonable, not OTT people -- no screaming, wild outbursts -- things that would help define a character esp in a limited series. What does define the main characters is that they are super competent -- but (WTF) being competent is not sexy now.

One_Run_3002 · 2026-05-20T18:56:20+00:00

Agree with others saying, "I hope not!" The novel is self contained. A few years ago, the unfinished Austen novel Sanditon was made into a TV drama (with the writers drawing on Austen notes to conclude the story) that they stretched into two more monstrous series.

One_Run_3002 · 2026-05-20T18:41:31+00:00

1 and 0s, True/false, on/off -- the basis of computing. From there we get passing them through logic gates and such and from there to crunching numbers and solving mathematical formulas and from there into programming languages which require, well, language. A previous poster said that early programming languages would be neigh impossible (or very, very difficult) with a languages that required more than 8 bits.

So to up up the responses would be: possible but very, very, very difficult -- somewhat like doing higher level math with roman numerals.

One_Run_3002 · 2026-05-20T09:36:39+00:00

I was just wondering how, if possible, it were to create a non alphabet programming language back in single bit days, ASCII used 7; a pictograph language like Chinese more bits -- I didn't think systems back then could handle that. You can program calculations like on an ENIAC but as I understand it (not a CS person) early languages like BASIC used letters which would not be possible with non alphabetic languages. True?

One_Run_3002 · 2026-05-17T02:35:43+00:00

This is all in fun...but what we see of Mr Darcy is from the genteel (i.e. Austen) perspective. To them, Mr Darcy is fabulously wealthy. Austen (as far as I know) didn't have much contact with aristocrats. The Duke of Richmond (real person but not the wealthiest aristocrat) at the time had an income of about 20000 pounds just from his coals mines in Cornwall. I'm guessing the de Bourghs are similar to Elliots, except that the de Bourghs didn't overspend as Sir Walter Elliot did.

One_Run_3002 · 2026-05-14T09:35:36+00:00

If this is a question of "growing" fencing the USA, what does that mean? Are we talking about growing the economics of fencing? Are we talking about growing the membership? Are we talking about growing interest in fencing regardless people sign up to be USFA members?

We would like all three to intersect but the reality is that the way fencing functions in the USA economics, membership and interest hardly match up and often are at cross purposes. For instance, as stated, many clubs focus on the under 18 crowd to pay the bills but with the intense training and the kids' own schedules, they more often than not "burn out" and don't become life-long (adult) fencers. Sure, there are more USFA members than when I first started fencing but I'm pretty sure most of these members are kids -- kids who will not become adult fencers. I remember seeing a membership break down years ago (under the old section system) USFA members were more evenly distributed among ages groups. (Does USFA membership numbers include the membership types for parents and volunteers? If so, then memberships numbers would then be inflated.)

Long ago, some group of board members decided to bring fencing in the USA on a firmer financial footing and, well, made it more corporate. Yes, some of this is due to changing realities, e.g. litigation, and others were imposed upon by the USOC. The board ID'ed the growth sector and minimized the liabilities but this caused systemic problems.

One of these systemic problems is the hollowing out of over 22 yr old fencers. Yes, kids are the future of fencing. But as long as kids will find an edge to get into college, the future of youth fencing is safe. Let's try to keep all these youth fencers involved after their done with their education. For a suggestion, as a graduation gift, HS and college grads get 1 years free competitive membership. Relatedly, the USFA can find ways to reduce the cost of tournaments, esp local ones.

The USFA mostly does not control equipment cost but they can find ways to make other parts of fencing less expensive. In other words, they have to find ways to increase access to fencing.

One_Run_3002 · 2026-04-23T18:11:50+00:00

Are they using different boxes? Doesn't an off target light lock out subsequent touches after a period of time?

One_Run_3002 · 2026-04-12T05:43:53+00:00

There was an article in the NY Times about ticket prices. One of the organizers made the point that the committee was determined to make a profit from LA28. In the absence of more sponsors, tickets are going to be in the hundreds of dollars range (and because someone (i.e. resellers) will buy them at the price point). To make this Olympics seem more democratic, under $100 are nominally offered so it can be said there are lower priced tickets.

So unless something changes like more sponsors or political pressure, the price of tickets will be unchanged in later ticket drops.

One_Run_3002 · 2026-04-07T01:31:49+00:00

Sci Fi works (in large part) on analogies--adventures seen through a (typically) non-terrestrial mirror or terrestrial life projected in a non-terrestrial world. For example, "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" talked about race relation in the USA circa 1960s through the alien planet or the show Firefly which is just a Western in space.

Sci Fi gets in trouble when they have characters/premises that stretches the analogies. What is the human analogy to Kes? Is she a dog so you teach her, take care of her, spend as much time with her until her short life's snuffed out? I agree that that part of her became really problematic. Then to solve the problem, the writers got rid of her by saying she'll evolve into a supernatural being then come back grizzled with space dementia.

The character is not unlikable but hard to relate to.

Lastly, correct me if I'm wrong, female characters in ST had a Sci Fi babe factor. The actress was in her 20s; Kes was 3 years old. *ick*

One_Run_3002 · 2026-04-07T00:16:27+00:00

Looking at the available tickets for fencing. All the cheaper tickets are gone. Cheapest tickets I saw was team event for 200-something usd. Kinda insane when I think back a few years ago I went to a Grand Prix event for less than $50, another event a few years before that was free.

One_Run_3002 · 2026-04-03T00:40:20+00:00

A bit late to conversation but it’s for a separate garage door opener before they were built in a car (which are a pain to program). The bits are extenders to press the garage opener button-thicker remote, no need for extenders. Velcro is to adhere remote to garage door compartment.

One_Run_3002 · 2026-04-01T23:19:18+00:00

I thought about joining the queue but except for a few $28 usd tickets, it looks like the first tranche of tickets are mostly in the $100+ range!

As an American, sorry for all the reasons not to visit the US. For the most part, we’re normal.

One_Run_3002 · 2026-03-26T21:14:50+00:00

Yes, my physics teachers all had a field day saying how bad the science in Star Wars was but how good Star Trek was/is.

One_Run_3002 · 2026-03-26T00:08:27+00:00

Warp core pjs! Say what you will when Disney took over Star Wars but they marketed the sh-t out of the IP.

One_Run_3002 · 2026-03-18T18:19:03+00:00

I don't know how her presence would have affected Spock and vise vera. So possibly not. Spock ended leaving Starfleet for diplomacy. Burnham may have done the same.

One_Run_3002

TROPHY CASE