More new stuff...

This isn't real new. It's been around awhile. I just couldn't pass up posting this picture here. Amazing.

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Do unto others...

There is an idea, I suppose it could be called a philosophy, that circulates among what I consider the more reputable paintball field owners.

“Make sure the player getting shot at is having as much fun as the player shooting at him.”

It came from a field in Texas. From exactly who is a matter of debate. At any rate, I believe it is an ideal every paintball field owner should strive for.

It’s beyond me to think there are players that come to a field to purposely hurt someone. I hear about it. “Let’s waste the noobies.” “Let’s lay waste to this target rich environment.” “Let’s put the beat down on those players with the Wallyworld guns.”

I just write it off as testosterone driven puffery. I don’t see a lot of overly aggressive players here at T-Square. Maybe it’s because by the time players get to the field and have been through the Pro-Shop where I listen for and reprimand such attitudes, have heard the safety briefing that promotes fair play, and have heard the repeated “Let’s have fun” pleas of the referees they get the idea.

Or maybe they just know I have my eye on them.

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Links...

I've added a couple more links on the side bar to a couple more sites. Though I don't feel Paintball is Doomed "p8ntblogger" does offer some interesting perspective.

VintageRex is very cool. It's a collection site of information on older model paintball guns. For those complaining about today's high cost of paintball notice the price tags on some of the 20+ year old pump markers.

Peace. Out.
(Bring 'em home)

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New stuff...

The Q-Loader was a good idea that never really caught on. Among many reasons was the hit or miss way it mounted to different guns. So look what the folks at Q-Loader did. They designed a gun called the Q-Marker to fit the Q-Loader. God Bless American ingenuity!

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Wanderings...

I went to a tournament this weekend and, well... I had a good time. Now don't get the wrong idea. It was more the company than the actual tournament. It's always good to get out of my little hole in the wall office and get out and socialize. The side trip to the Bass Pro Shop didn't hurt either.

A problem I have that perplexes me is my inability to put names and faces together. All weekend I heard, "Hey Mick," and "How ya doin Mick," or "What's up Mick?" In all but a few occasions all I was able to offer was a blank look and a feeble "Hi".

It's no wonder some people think I'm mean and grumpy.

Part of what aggravates the situation is our use of nick names and screen names. I follow some of the Arkansas Forums and half the time I have no idea who is responding to who (whom). On top of that paintball teams are very fluid. Players come and go and change teams and change lives on a daily basis so trying to tag a name to a face and a team is, for my cell damaged brain, a special challenge.

Blame it on old age, senility, ADD, a general deficiency of ginko biloba - whatever. Just give the old man a break. When we cross paths assume I know you but would like to know you better. I do enjoy being in the company of the paintball community.

Peace. Out.

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New stuff...

This should hit the streets soon. It's a remodeled VS from Kingman. After all the complaining I had done about "sear trippers" I had to finally admit someone got it right when Kingman introduced the VS series of markers. Yet I still had to have something to complain about so I targeted the regulator and called it a joke.

So what did they do. Yup, this one has a better looking inline reg mounted in a more traditional position. So all is good right?

Hmmmm. A Tadao board? On a spyder?

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Sure things...

Taxes. It's that time of year again.

For some of us, those that insanely think they can go it alone with their own business, taxes are an all year long chore.

Each month there's federal payroll tax and state payroll tax. Quarterly there's federal unemployment tax as well as state unemployment tax. Like every one else I pay personal property tax. That's a good one. The more pleasure we seek from life, 650 cc 4 wheeler, bass boat, bigger house, etc (or in my case a 250, canoe and small apartment) the more we pay. And I own the property the field is on so I pay real estate property tax, which includes a timber tax and something added on the bottom called "specials". Make improvements and that tax goes up.

And another good one - business personal property tax. I'm taxed on the stuff I own that helps me make money so I can pay my taxes.

Each month I pay sales tax, 6 percent to the state and another 1 percent to the county. I'm about a half mile outside the town border so I miss out on that sales tax. I imagine if they ever find out I make a dollar of profit here they will start talking annexation.

(edit: some will point out that my customers pay the sales taxes and I just pass them on to the appropriate coffers. But hey, a couple thousand dollars a month is a couple thousand dollars!)

(edit: Also, sales taxes go to fund our schools, roads and prisons. I'm sure you'll agree we are getting our monies worth there. It also goes to libraries, firemen, police and Arkansas' Children Hospital - all of which I would gladly pay double.

At the local Wally-world, depending on the purchase and phase of the moon there is a 9 percent sales tax, a 6 percent sales tax and a 2 percent sales tax. I love walking out of there with a winning trifecta receipt. I use my "sales tax exempt card" when I purchase food and drink for the concession. I feel like Robin Hood using the card to steal from the rich and give to the poor, until I get back to the proshop where I have to collect from my customers the sales tax I didn't have to pay Wallyworld.

There's a hazardous material tax added to my CO2 delivery. There's also a fuel surcharge. That's their way of charging me for the tax they have to pay for their gas. Oh, and of course that reminds me. Gasoline tax.

Electricity is taxed as well as water and trash. And then there is the phone. Arkansas sales tax, state deaf tax surcharge, state telecommunications relay service surcharge, state universal service fund surcharge, federal excise tax, county 911 tax, national access fee, county sales tax and, of course, the universal service fund surcharge.

There's more but I don't want to give anyone the idea I'm whining. It's all so complicated I have to pay a bookkeeper to keep it straight. Yes, that fee is taxed, too.

There may even be a couple I don't know about. I hope neither the IRS or county assessors read this.

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Twang. Splat...

This item has been out for awhile. It's taken me some time to get up enough nerve to show it here. Yes. It shoots paintballs.

Paintball started out in the woods. Camo. Stealth. Acres of woods.

Then it went mainstream. Bright team jerseys. Run throughs. Arenas.

They say paintball is returning to the woods. Maybe this paintball bow is just a natural result of this move.

I'm trying very hard not to say something mean and grumpy.

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Frankenstein...

About ten years ago, one cold, quiet night, I got bored. This was the result. Under the bondo (yes, the stuff you use to patch car fenders) and paint and hoses and adaptors is a Brass Eagle Stingray. Field strip knobs (to replace the pins), rear cocking, bottom line set up with expansion chamber, ported barrel, trigger adjust (ahead of its time!), polished and ported! When I think back to those early field owner days, when I had 75 Stingray rentals, I shudder and shake my head. I've often considered entering this one in an ugly gun contest.

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Lost innocense...

Fights. Wiping. Overshooting. Foul Language.

Happenings at a paintball tournament?

No. Not this time.

Actually it was at a recent scenario game in Texas.

Now, in case there is someone here just checking paintball out, let me point out that paintball is a great game, lots of fun, a family sport if the field owner or game promoter leads it that way. I do a bit of grumping and ranting here but I really do enjoy the game from the playing side as well as the business side.

Like most every endeavor paintball has its many levels and forms. At a tournament you expect a high level of intensity. In a perfect world every team would tie for the Sportsmanship Award. But as we know paintball, at the tournament level, is an aggressive, testosterone laden event that can test the patience of a Saint.

I can be aggressive. I'm pretty sure my testosterone level is ok but I'm no Saint and I have no patience for tournament play or promoting. So I get my paintball buzz promoting "rec" ball. Fun. Safer. Less stressful. And If I want to kick it up a notch I always have Scenario Games to fall back on.

Scenario games are a chance for players to come together and play extended games - some lasting all weekend. Often, entire families participate. Its a rec ball party.

Till now.

Now it's recball on steroids. Recball on crack. It's an aggressive, testosterone laden event that can test the patients of a Saint. It's fighting and wiping and overshooting and foul language and I blame it on mil-sim and the rise of "Scenario Teams" and the image being shoved on the game. I blame it on players described here by a fellow paintball blogger:

"They normally wear matching camouflage, usually either a tiger stripe or some other 'high speed' camo type. They normally have 'hooah' sounding names like Death Eater, Dark Walker and such as that, which they use to address each other. They have ninety pound Tippmann's with response triggers that shoot more paint then any ripped up ION, MARQ or any other tourney gun out there. They are primarily white males and they appear to be quite angry all the time about the fact that they have small p****s and even smaller skills on the paintball field, no matter how 'elite' they paint themselves. Know anyone like that? I am sure that you do."

Scenario games have become WAR GAMES. Paintball magazines look like "Soldier of Fortune". Paintball markers look like assault rifles.

I don't like it.

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A new attitude...

Remember when paintball was fun?

I've asked that question a number of times in the past week. One response was, "When was that?"

How sad.

I'm going to ask it more. In fact, I think I'll make it my mantra for 2008.

Fair warning!

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