Wow!

I have 15 Proto masks, brand new, in the box and ready for sale. Only thing is, all 15 have defective lenses. I'm always amazed when things like this happen. My first year in the business I was having trouble with JT lenses cracking at the edges. Every now and then I will get a bad batch of paint - too brittle, poor fill, typical stuff.

What absolutely floors me, every single time, is when I call the distributor or manufacturer to point out the problem I get the same reply - "Wow. That's odd. No one else has called with that problem."

How can this be possible? When I was having a re-cocking problem with six, brand new Piranhas I was the only one. Another time it was Tippmanns. I had to call Viewloader recently. I was having trouble with a batch of loaders. The same part kept breaking in all of them. When the "improved" replacement part started breaking I called them again.

"Wow. That's odd. No one else has called with that problem."

I'm so special!

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Economics...

I'm well aware, as a person in the business of paintball, of my position and responsibility in the food chain. People are worried about their jobs, about losing their homes and are concerned with paying for simple necessities like food and transportation. I'm certainly one of those people. I can't remember a time in my lifetime where I have had to so closely scrutinize and prioritize every want and need.

I need to pay the electric bill - I want to go fishing. I need to eat - I want to go out every night. I need transportation - I want that 'vette. In the end I pay the bills, eat my veggies and consider cheaper transportation because I have to while I don't fish as often as I want, eat out less and trade the gas guzzler for higher MPG's.

I know you do not have to play paintball. I'm grateful you still want to and do even though you can't play as often as you might like. It's important to take a break from real life and pursue a hobby now and then . I take very seriously my responsibility to make your visit as safe and as fun as possible. Let me remind you all that even though I have the COMMENTS option shut down on this blog I do invite you to hit the "e-mail" link found in the sidebar and let me know what you think and what I should know.

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The Big Splat

Scientists believe it was just over 13 billion years ago that our creator kick started us toward what we are today. It all started in a total void. I'm talking total here folks. Nothing, nada, zip. Time didn't exist. Not even a warped Twilight Zone version. There was no light but it wasn't dark. Dark is the result of an absent of light but in this particular area of nothing there was no light to declare absent. Which is not to say it was bright white since white is an absent of color, non of which existed there, either.

Anyway, something about the size of a walnut was tossed into this nothing and since nature abhors a vacuum (not really a vacuum because a vacuum is the result of... never-mind) this walnut exploded in an attempt to fill this nothing.

The "Big Bang."

What got me thinking about all of this was a story I read a few days ago about what might be beyond our own universe. For thirteen billion years all around us all we can see is the light from objects that resulted from our own Big Bang. The light, if there is any, from anything "out there", if there is anything, hasn't reached us yet. Even with a telescope millions of times more sensitive than the Hubble we still can not see what is beyond our own tiny existence.

And what does this all have to do with paintball?

Thirteen billion years ago the possibility of paintball was created.

Happy Birthday.

What's out "there"?
	Something
	Nothing
	Fig Newtons
	Time will tell.
pollcode.com free polls

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Why it's best I leave it to my employees...

The first thing anyone who works here at T-Square learns is SAFETY is the first priority - followed by CUSTOMER SERVICE. My employees seem to have no problem making the two work together.

I, on the other hand, am not always such a patient person.

Recently, when one young player decided he didn't need to watch our "stupid" safety video and then started cutting up while it was playing my Field Manager stepped in to reprimand him. Mom felt she had to say, "We are paying customers and I don't think you need to be so stern."

My Field Manager tactfully handled the situation, the young player watched the briefing and all went well.

I would have told Mom he either sits down, shuts up and watches the safety video or you can take him home!

Safety first.

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Thank you, Big Daddy. Can I have another?

Tippmann will allow me the privileged of becoming a "certified" Tippmann tech if I pay $500 to attend their class at World Cup. Advertising has begun for another event - The "Extravaganza". This is a yearly event for field and pro-shop owners where we are also provided the opportunity to pay for certification classes.

Donkey doo doo!

When I fix a gun for Tippmann or Kingman or Kee or anyone (which I taught myself to do, thank you very much) I am doing them a favor. I'm saving them money in warranty service and I'm acting as a buffer between a (sometimes) pissed customer and a (sometimes) shoddy product. THEY SHOULD BE PAYING ME!

At the very least they should offer tech courses for free.

Tippmann says they will make it worth my while by sending me home with $500 (retail) worth of maintenance parts. I've seen pre-packaged parts kits - 99% of the contents are always useless junk. It's the same for every pre-packaged parts kit I've every seen.

Back before the manufacturers found out people would actually bend over for this doo doo they use to give free classes and let you keep the hopper or cheap blow back. Now they offer the item (used now because you tore it apart and put it back together) for a "nominal" fee - usually full wholesale price.

I take days off from work. I pay to get there. I pay for the hotel and food. And I get to go home with a piece of paper that says I'm certified to take time out of my day to do their warranty work.

Yeah, I'd be certified all right!

One of the arguements they throw out is "Now you can charge more for your repairs."

More doo doo.

At every major event you will see THEIR compensated techs working on guns for free. They do it for the same reason I do it. It's good for customer relations. It makes them look good.

Only, they want me to pay for their customer relations and to make them look good.

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Heads in the sand...

I'm a little disappointing with some of my poll participants. I put "Who cares" as an option in the last poll and it was picked (as of this moment) by nearly half the voters. Now it's true this might just mean you don't care about the question or you don't care for polls but I have a feeling it means you just don't care.

I assume you stop by here from time to time because of an interest in the sport of paintball. I make a living at paintball so I don't expect everyone to be as passionate or concerned about the issues as I but it would be good to know you have an opinion one way or the other.

Maybe I should not ask questions that I don't want answers to.

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No paintball here...

I mentioned a few posts back that paintball is not the only thing that makes me mean and grumpy. Commercials can really get me cranked at times. There's one running now about some cheap Hyundai that "handles better than a BMW 550i." What makes them think I have any idea how a BMW 550i handles?

And those commercials about products that destroy 99.99 percent of germs. Studies show the average toilet has 30 million germs per square inch crawling around on it. Kill 99.99 percent of them and you are left with 300,000 per square inch. Conservatively figure just the toilet seat ring has 30 square inches and you still have 9 million germs. Just how many does it take?

And don't get me started on the number of commercials that emasculate men. Pay attention some evening, to the number of commercials that make boyfriends and husbands and fathers look like complete idiots. What do these caricatures tell our young children who are not aware enough to understand the concept of sarcasm and satire?

And don't worry about being materialistic. The credit card people at Discover say it's because "there is so much out there." Leave it to them, they say, and they will "take care of you" and help you get everything you want.

"STOP WATCHING T.V." I hear you shouting. Head in the Sand will be my next subject.

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Another Tin Hat Award...

"Player. Why did you shoot my ref?"

"I was trying to get his attention."

"Why didn't you just yell at him?"

"I didn't want to give away my position."

Here's your hat.

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I slept holding a pillow over my head last night trying to block out the sound of the howling wind. There is a lot of potential for damage out here. You can only batten down so many hatches. At some point you just go to bed and hope for the best. The first surprise this morning was waking to sunshine. The biggest was opening the front door and finding everything, nets, table cover, trees, intact. All I could think to do was look up, say thank you and go back inside to try and catch another hour of sleep.

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Ring! Ring!

Many paintballers get up early on Saturday and play in their backyard or on Uncle Billy Bob's back forty. Calls to the Pro-shop start early...

"Good morning. T-Square Paintball."

"Ummmmm, yeah. What time does the Pro-shop open?"

"Twelve, noon."

"Oh, ummmmm. Can I come in early and get some CO2 tanks filled?"

"Yes, you can come in on Friday."

--------

Okay, so I didn't say that. And yes, yes, yes I am already at the field/pro-shop setting up and getting ready for the 100 paying players expected in a few hours. I should tell him to come now and I'll drop what I am doing to provide him CO2 so he can play using Wallyworld paint on a renegade field with unchronoed guns and his 12 friends who have 8 masks between them.

Maybe I need to re-evaluate my priorities.

Maybe.

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Good night all and God Bless.
9-11-01

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Paintball. And paintball related stuff...

I love rousing rabble. I think it's called being a rabble rouser.

Here's the situation:

Print advertisement for a high end marker, complete with a pic of one of the latest pretty boy pro players. The quote above his picture reads, "It's not the winning. It's the taking opponents apart!" (To be fair I have no idea if it is a direct quote or maybe some ad writer's.)

Here's the poll, with absolutely no pre-editorializing or comments from me:

What is your opinion of the quote?
	Good quote
	Bad quote (as in not good)
	Who cares
	I don't get it
pollcode.com free polls

Yeah, it's a cool quote but that's not one of the poll choices.

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More Gustav...

As predicted the water came in over the top of the concrete floor.

The top pic shows the water working its way across the
floor of my back apartment while the bottom one
shows it working across the office floor.

Here the water has made it across both rooms, out into the
hallway and is making its way toward the pro-shop.

Fortunately things turned out OK in this building. I'm hoping the seven fans I have blowing will dry the paneling and keep it from warping and turning to mold.

The Gun Shed got hit the hardest. I was pretty sure I poured that slab at the same height as the Pro-Shop but of course I had no surveying gear- just a framing square and a string level. Turns out it's poured around 4 inches lower than the Pro-shop so, yeah, 4 inches of water came running into one end and out the other. The worst hit was Team 120's team room. My thanks to Kevin and Zach for showing up this evening to help carry out the rug that must have been 400 lbs soaking wet. There is lots and lots of drywall needing to be dried.

Like I said earlier, it could have been worse. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families that lost loved ones and are digging their way out of some way tougher spots. Life goes on. The main fields are still under water but we will be playing paintball come Saturday.

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Gustav...

I'm a firm believer in the idea that "things could be worse." I still have a roof and the electric is on. Still, when the water is lapping at the door with no signs of letting up it's hard not to go into "woe is me" mode. I knew when I built here that it was a flood area.

After tons and tons and more tons of fill I managed to get a good piece of the property up out of the mud. In 10 years the water has not breached the top of the Gun Shed or Pro-shop concrete floor. It most likely will this time with lots of sheet rock and wood panel soaking. It's hard to tell from the picture but that's about 3 3/4 inches of water working it's way toward the building walls and the 4 inch high concrete floor. And it's not a big puddle. It's running water pouring in from the flooded fields and over flowing creek.

This is about 18 inches of water covering the Air Ball Field.

Some of you might remember the tires under the tires on the low end
of the Speedball course are about 3 feet tall.

Here I am standing on the Air Ball field.

It was later, when I was downloading, that I noticed the pattern
in the water. I figure it must be water dropping on a fine sheen
of floating paintball fill. Kinda cool.

So maybe it will stop soon. The Shooting range shed floated off it's foundation and is leaning precariously into the ditch. I haven't been out on the main field yet. I might get the canoe out (seriously) and go make sure the tank and helicopter have not floated away. Every now and then I need to be reminded that everything has to be tied down out here.

Hope to see you all this week-end. Bring your waders. Or flippers.

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