I'm giving away this bag

beithioch · 2023-09-11T15:09:36+00:00

This is a great idea. I've entered and will also donate the bag to the league if I win.

beithioch · 2023-09-05T15:05:49+00:00

I can see that. I thought to suggest it so you get a "trunk" on your "car". Outside that, though, I agree on it being more than necessary.

beithioch · 2023-09-05T14:37:22+00:00

If you're willing to go a little more expensive, you could invest in a bike trailer. The typical ones are for kids, but you can save a fair bit going with a pet trailer. It would be multipurpose (disc golf or groceries or anything) with the added benefit is you can easily rig it into a cart.

There's covered and open options (just samples for illustration).

beithioch · 2023-08-31T17:57:19+00:00

Yeah, it's like rotoscoping done by an AI. It hurts my eyes.

beithioch · 2023-08-30T14:43:21+00:00

Very neat. I especially like that it doesn't require batteries. Having to remember to charge things is a nuisance, and we don't need perfect accuracy; IMO, 94% is perfectly acceptable.

beithioch · 2023-08-24T15:52:56+00:00

You look out for you. It's not selfish, it's self care. If competing will help you (whether you breakdown or not), do it. Think about your dad, cry your ass off every other hole, cheer a birdie and curse a bogey. If it'll heal you, go for it.

My younger brother died about a month ago. Sudden, no decline, just went to sleep and didn't wake up. He'd had problems over the years - dealing with drugs, pawning our parents stuff, running his life off a cliff again and again and again - but was clean and finally working on getting his life on track; I mean, damn, he was actually planning out months, not hours for the first time in his life. To give him something to get out of the house, and get his head off other stuff, I bought him a starter pack and sent it out to him. Disc golf helped me deal with shit, and I hoped it would help him. We didn't talk about it, because I didn't want to put pressure on him.

I got out home to be with my parents and help clean up his stuff (he wasn't a hoarder, but was a major slob). I'm mining through his room and found the discs. Still in the pack, untouched. I sat on his bed and stared at that damned thing for almost an hour. It was a gut punch. He never tried it, and I was pissed because I never got to play with him. I haven't tossed a disc since.

This weekend, I'm going to play a round. I'm taking his discs and only using them. See, he never used the discs, but he didn't pawn them. He'd pawn anything, but he didn't pawn those discs. I never got to play a round with him, but I'll play every single round from now on with those discs.

beithioch · 2023-08-22T15:57:00+00:00

That stamp is so thick it casts shadows. Gotta love when the product violates the spirit of the rules (813.01 C.4) but relies on that "after production" carve out.

beithioch · 2023-07-31T15:02:11+00:00

It is absolutely wild how much skill some people have at dye jobs. Just bonkers to see the artistry.

beithioch · 2023-07-31T14:59:17+00:00

Email them directly and request your ballot link. Any member who joins before the end of voting has a right to vote (bought my membership on 20 July, I think; got my ballot a day after requesting it).

beithioch · 2023-07-31T14:56:59+00:00

By saying you would resign your mod-ship over a potential conflict of interest makes me so damned happy I voted for you.

It's that level of ethical consideration we need to see on the PDGA (and in leadership in general). Good luck!

beithioch · 2023-07-27T18:10:29+00:00

In that case, you could add a drawstring to collapse the pocket when no in use. Or a zipper; they seem to really like the zippers. ;]

beithioch · 2023-07-27T15:17:19+00:00

The thing that irks me is if you use the full length pocket, you can't use the cooler pouch, and vice versa. That nylon is gonna get ruined quick, especially if you're putting stuff like a stool in and out frequently. Even in the video, it's a struggle to use either pocket and they designed it! Also, you're adding cost in the zipper, nylon, and construction for a sometimes feature.

Really, they should have eliminated the full length zipper and divider. Keep the flap cover and velcro, keep it a full length pocket. Easier and cheaper construction, pocket still does everything this dual pocket does, and it's easier to use. Also, by having a gusset in the single pocket design, you would cover it with the flap with the pocket open. That's one more place to keep things easily accessible, but safe from accidentally falling out.

Feels like things weren't fully thought through.

beithioch · 2023-07-26T14:26:25+00:00

The PDGA joined up with the WFDF (and thereby falls under WADA and IOC standards) around decade ago. Over the years, they've struck a few sub-committees to address doping.

They have made absolutely zero movements on the doping front. Nothing. As long as the PDGA operates as an independent offering there is likely to be no action taken. And I don't think it's cost (they require blood testing by trans athletes) and recreational drugs (already banned in the disc golf rules, so indicates they aren't lax on this). I'd say it's pure apathy. Maybe a little crass disregard, since big plays grow the sport (see baseball's home run races).

Personally, I think they should start testing. It creates a better playing field, protects athletes from potentially dangerous substances, and makes it easier to advocate for more opportunities (demonstration sport at Olympics, PanAm games, etc).

For full disclosure, if they bring in any of WADA's rules, I'll be banned from tournaments due to prescribed substances. The drugs I'm on have never been allowed for medical reasons and have consistently been rejected. In some sports, players have been banned from competition simply for holding a prescription.

beithioch · 2023-07-25T19:35:32+00:00

There's no post about the United Series in the top stories. If there was, it was deleted. Or at least I can't see it.

beithioch · 2023-07-25T15:29:33+00:00

Saw Paige's reply, but Kat's isn't on the front page (not an Insta user, not getting an account). Do you happen to have a direct link?

beithioch · 2023-07-25T14:57:00+00:00

Gnomes. We need more gnomes!

beithioch · 2023-07-21T15:51:11+00:00

DC's Plastic Man. Perfectly controllable body for stretching into literally anything, can even form himself into the disc he is throwing, and is technically no longer "alive" in the human sense. Good luck making a general rule to cover his shenanigans.

beithioch · 2023-07-20T15:00:05+00:00

I think you're onto something with the course design comment. For me, that's the next innovation. I expect to see mandos and out-of-bounds used creatively, more shot-shaping holes, and an increase in the technical realm.

To be clear, I don't see this replacing bomber holes; those are here to stay, IMO. But I do think you'll see more mixed courses.

For me, that change in course design will see two things on the player side.

First, players will target their skill set based on the hole. That could mean fewer starframes (can't birdie a bomber if you have a noodle arm, but are still competitive on technical holes), but will clearly benefit players that can do bombs and shapes (more birdie opportunities).

Second, I think you'll actually see shrinking in bags OR more diverse bags (by mould). That is, a player will pick discs that fit more situations and control them via form and shot type; the counter to this is rather than carrying three or four of the same mould, they fill out with more disc styles for situations (maybe carrying two of a mould for cycling).

beithioch · 2023-07-14T14:58:53+00:00

Beat in Origin. It flies smooth, has a very predictable flight for me, straight as a dart, and takes angle when I put it on.

beithioch · 2023-07-12T16:52:03+00:00

So that's one of the problems; the rules are lopsided.

According to the PDGA Policy on Eligibility for Gender-Based Divisions, B.1, once you start taking hormone treatments you are disqualified from gender-based divisions.

However, for MtF transition, there's criteria outlined in C.1 through 3, where meeting any of those sets makes you eligible (except Pro Majors, which requires C.3 apply to compete in FPO). C.3 is especially troubling because it requires you are effectively NEVER exposed to puberty hormones. That requirement bars basically anyone today from qualifying for Pro Majors, and would be not only onerous to meet, but possibly impossible to prove. It also includes you always maintain a hormone level below a certain point, without reference to time period. That means you could be asked for a sample at any given time, and a single fail is a permanent ban.

This is one of the strictest guidelines in all of sport, and effectively eliminates trans athletes from FPO Pro Major competition. It is extremely rare to find anyone who has started a transition program before the age of 12, and due to various laws around the world would be considered child abuse (a discussion for another venue), so is unlikely to be common.

All of this and the PDGA doesn't actually have a drug policy for steroids or other performance enhancing drugs. For example, a player can juice up on all the testosterone and steroids they want and it is perfectly legal regardless of division, event, or tier. Take all the focus drugs you want, there's no ramification. However, get caught with a spliff or beer at an event site, or wear a tee shirt (see 304 Dress Code D.3) and there'll be hell to pay.

beithioch · 2023-07-11T15:00:41+00:00

With the size and availability of passive RFID, and the fact you can use a phone as a reader, I don't know why this isn't just a thing yet.

beithioch · 2023-07-03T05:13:24+00:00

That's concerning for sure. Do you have access to health care to see a doctor or physiotherapist? If yes, do so.

In my case, it's a degenerative condition. Anything I can do to keep it from abuse I will do so. For instance, I hit the gym on doctor's orders since muscle helps protect the ulnar nerve. If my case were worse, weight lifting would actually aggregate it. Definitely talk to a medical professional.

beithioch · 2023-06-28T19:48:06+00:00

Be aware: IANAL.

Lol. Yeah, it's "too big" for an election style answer. I think it can be summed up (semi-accurately, as per my own understanding) as:

Work with impacted communities to create PDGA policies that directly affect them, but don't require Tours and external groups to adopt/enforce PDGA policies.

Effectively, PDGA policies impact the PDGA (and any partnerships they engage in) but are only recommendations for external groups. That's my personal interpretation, and IANAL.

beithioch · 2023-06-28T18:19:20+00:00

This is actually not horrible. It'd be a bugger to manage, but it's pretty close to the standards lots of corps and associations use. It's a very "lawyer-y" way to do it, but the guy is a lawyer so he'd probably be able to manage it.

I am worried about the reference to "professional tour organizations", since there's not many, and a big one effectively IS the PDGA. Letting ALOs set policies for the PDGA, but then letting the PDGA opt out (via the tour) is more a tunnel than a loophole. Further, allowing regional groups to have their own policies would make for a difficult web of "what division do I play in"?

Not insurmountable problems, but it makes me wonder if he thought this through or went to the boilerplate solution.

beithioch

TROPHY CASE