The Wild World of TB!

"Bitches be crazy yo." -a friend of mine

Bob Gurnsey, despite being beyond elderly and into old age, is a petulant child.

Want to be a "hater"? It's very simple, just point out a simple fact to somebodies sycophantic follower. People can't deal with it, they reply in barely comprehensible form, and then block you from seeing the reply or making a retort. I don't think I will ever understand the logic behind that, but at least WoTB exists. Retorts can be posted in public, and the people who hide behind artificial conversation controls are too timid to speak their mind.

It starts off with a sycophant named Rick Bailey giving Bob a virtual blow job. When a small taste of reality is injected, it is downhill from there.

Rick Bailey:

If I could have my way, I'd like to make Bob's Splat the most recognizable Logo in the Universe! Pretty cool Bob! Well done.

This is quite obviously impossible. Am I really a hater if I laugh at the notion of an obscure 1980s logo eclipsing Coca-Cola? I don't believe so, I live on planet Earth instead of living up Bob's ass.

I made a more direct comparison to another splat logo, the iconic Nickelodeon splat logos used for over a decade. There were over 64 variations of it in use for 19 years. Because I think it's funny, a more direct Bob to Bob comparison is one of Nickelodeon's signature products, SpongeBob. Squarepants has 42,000,000 Facebook likes. Bob Gurnsey has 2000. It's a ratio of 21,000 to 1, and that's just 1 social media platform. Go deeper into the numbers, and you'll find more households tuned into 1 Spongebob special than there are paintball players in the entire world. Let that sink in for a moment. It is very, very likely that an animated homosexual sea sponge is more valuable than the entire worldwide paintball industry.

Bobs response: Nickelodeon illegally used his logos.

There was NO way it was possibler to even defend it as there were THOUSANDS of MIS-USERS. By the Way Sponge bob was illegal in using it in any clothing.

^^ sic.

Viacom owns Nickelodeon. Viacom has a market value of $25,000,000,000. Estimates put Nickelodeon as worth 18% of Viacom, it is more valuable than MTV. MTV also has featured "splat" logos, but we're not going into their numbers too. That puts Nickelodeon's value at around $4,500,000,000.00 Per Bob G., they have been infringing on Bob's trademark every time they put a splat logo on clothing. He's the victim unable to defend what is obviously his from "THOUSANDS of MIS-USERS". That's in Bob's world. The poor victim was just unable to defend himself.

Infringement:

Infringement may occur when one party, the "infringer", uses a trademark which is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark owned by another party, in relation to products or services which are identical or similar to the products or services which the registration covers

In our objective reality, he is full of shit. He is upset that somebody would have the nerve to mention reality in the middle of his virtual suck-fest. All of Nickelodeon's "splats" are trademarked. The trademark office does a search for conflicting marks as part of the filing process. You also must accurately describe your goods/services provided. Not exactly what I'd call "commonality" between a paintball equipment supplier and a kids cable TV content provider. The US Patent and Trademark Office was cool with the differences enough to register them both. Thankfully there are laws in place to protect businesses from people like Bob Gurnsey making such frivolous claims in court.

I had to ask if Bob honestly believe he was being stolen from out of sheer incredulousness.

This is the Internet. When you get offended by reality and don't have an intelligent response, or are senile, attack the person and turn it into a proverbial dick measuring contest, then block them. Somebody named Drum Taylor jumps in, no clue who this person is. He needs to make sure he gives Bob's ego a well manicured hand-job.

The only innovation to come out of Nickelodeon was dumping buckets of colored "slime" on kids. Will take my "slime" and 300fps and eschew all other pretenders to your splatty legacy. Hey Allen, what did YOU ever invent? (Methinks you are jealous of all SPongeBob's likes, lol)

I really have no clue what makes children programming innovative or not. I'm certain this Drum person is not an expert either. For a company with only "1" innovation, they sure make a lot of money and have managed to keep generation after generation of kid tuned through evolving content.

Am I jealous of SpongeBob's likes? No, not the "likes". I'm not a senior citizen trying to build a legacy on rapidly obsoleted equipment from 30 years ago. Am I jealous of SpongeBob's value as IP? Fuck yeah. It's the most recognizable character of a $4.5 billion dollar company. All small business owners want to have a revenue stream that enormous.

We'll get back to the "inventions" part in a bit.

Somebody named Jason Reid is a brave soul, stepping in to agree with the very obvious.

Yeah that Nickelodeon splat is iconic. People might not like hearing it, but it is the truth. Statements to the contrary are laughable.

At this point the senility, "Otherism", and ad hominem attacks begin.

Bob:

Well Allen so typical of people like you. Whoever said it They Stole fom me.? You have tottally missed my point. All I trie to do was to show and display a Registered Tm for a Splat I created asnd registered in many catagories. JUST for fun!

LOL Drum... just another hater and naysayer... who tries to elevate his own stature making worthless MOOT points about little nothings.

That's what he just did. See above where he claimed Nickelodeon infringed his trademarks putting splat logos on clothing. Trademark infringement is IP theft. This is a very basic tenet of IP protections. Everybody knows this, even the US Senate, and it's filled with power crazed, sub-human morons.

Now observe the cognitive dissonance and early alzheimer's in full force. He can't even remember making a claim not 2 hours before, automatically assumes he's under some sort of attack for as 2 people saying his splat won't be as popular as Nickelodeon's iconic logos, and lumps me in with "people like you". lol.

What's a "moot point"? Here's the definition that fits here:

An issue regarded as potentially debatable, but no longer practically applicable

Is pointing the reality of a current idea out a moot point? Doesn't sound like it to me.

Posting a simplistic logo from 30 years ago and subsequently claiming it was abused and stolen, but then claiming you didn't claim that and you only even trademarked it "for fun" so it doesn't matter in the first place... that's the definition of a "moot point".

What's this doing to "elevate my stature"? I'm not selling anything on Facebook, nor trying to build some legacy or reputation in a paintball related community. I'm just some guy who's really, really picky about scenario games. It's in my interest for people to NOT know who I am.

So lets move on to the grand finale, the good old ban-and-post.

Drum , at 70 now, I have reached an age where such insecure ,small ,irrelevant people like this tend to cite anything that sounds good as their achievement. They try to package it and wrap it in all sorts of cute ,little ,spangly bows of ribbon and then Claim "well i invented the frisbee because I scaled my MOMS records". It is NEVER good enough to "create,invent something but rather to know HOW to market it and bring it to a fruition on a large scale. I have invented a few things as you know including.. bringing to the market Acupressure bands for Nausea in 1981,, Headache bands and now a kitchen product,, yeah small but just another million dollar idea like all odf Allen's. LOL... return to your small world where all you seem to have is a desire to dump oon others in an obscure warped sophomoric attemt at elevating your own importance. Ciao. AH

...again, sic. Read it. Read it again. Revel in it. Marinate.

Bob's million dollar idea he is proud to bring to market in 1981 is an Acupressure band. Pseudo-medicine. That's like being proud you figured out how to sell Negative Ion Bracelets. It's called "alternative medicine" because it's the exact opposite of evidence-based medicine. It's "Ancient Chinese Medicine" because it was crap people made up before the scientific method existed. You never learned about "Principal Meridians" in any science class because it is bullshit. In Texas it would be illegal to teach this quackery in a science class because texts must be fact based.

Quackery is the promotion[1] of unproven or fraudulent medical practices. Random House Dictionary describes a "quack" as a "fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill" or "a person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to have skill, knowledge, or qualifications he or she does not possess; a charlatan".[2]
The word "quack" derives from the archaic word "quacksalver", of Dutch origin (spelled kwakzalver in contemporary Dutch), literally meaning "hawker of salve".[3] In the Middle Ages the word quack meant "shouting". The quacksalvers sold their wares on the market shouting in a loud voice.[4]
"Health fraud" is often used as a synonym for quackery, but quackery's salient characteristic is aggressive promotion ("quacks quack!") rather than fraud, greed or misinformation.[1] "Pseudo-medicine" is a term for treatments known to be ineffective, regardless of whether their advocates themselves believe in their effectiveness.

He took this long established quackery, packaged it up in the form of a head band, and sold this placebo to naive shills in pain looking for relief. Holy. Fucking. Shit. That's abhorrent. This is the same fraud that for decades been sold to people promising weight loss, appetite suppression, smoking cessation, "unblock blockages", "promote the flow of Qi", "health balancing", "energy balancing", and a terrifyingly long list of bullshit.

I want to close out this article right here. The the above travesty should suffice. We must keep going though. We must move on to "market talk" and "inventions".

Prototyping things is a hobby of mine. I've made things with such specific purposes there is no worthwhile market opportunity. I've made some things that could probably do okay on the market if they were funded. I've made some things that are completely useless. Right now I'm working on 3D printed RC planes and will distribute the plans so anybody that wants one can have it to. Who knows, next I may do a 3D printed paintball marker if it hasn't been done already and give that away too. Making shit is fun. So if somebody asks for some inventions in a paintball related thread I'll toss out some shit I cobbled together for scenario play.

Not good enough for Bob. First it was medical quackery, now just wait till his million dollar idea kitchen gadget comes out! Unless your shit has gone to market it's nothing. Open Source is all fancy ribbons. You've never taken products to market, more insults and self congratulatory sickness.

This is why you shouldn't make assumptions. For example, I don't assume that his kitchen product will be made with Chinese slave labor, we'll find out if it ever goes to market. I'm not selling quackery or trying to slap chop things. With $70 million gross in the last 5 years I'm doing pretty okay. Don't worry about me, just keep voting for lower taxes.

Since we're talking markets, lets look at the actual scenario market for a moment. The scenario market sucks. Since it's become watered down to being essentially big games with a few bright points and proliferated into a heavily saturated market with something going on in virtually every state every weekend. The quality has plummeted. Most producers could put on higher quality games, but they do not have the tools to do it. The willingness of players to swallow the same low standards and recycled play non-stop, year-round, has created an environment where there is really no pressure on producers to make better events. Business is built through social connections and establishing brand loyalists. Distributors want players to act on their barbie doll dressing instincts to get the latest in this years hard and soft goods, and shoot more paint. It's not their job to know about game mechanics and how that influences end user interaction or provide event producers with tools.

Here's the catch. Only the distributors can actually afford to create the tools for the producers, but the producers can't afford to pay for the tools. You'd have to release it in a totally comprehensive manner with hard goods, soft goods, software development, infrastructure, marketing campaign, training, sponsorships, events, etc. It would cost $750k to a million to fully implement it and there are very, very few people capable of directing this type of project due to the many different disciplines of knowledge required.

I'm not making that investment. I don't have anything to do with paintball. I like scenario so I built some tools in case I want to run a scenario game. They are certainly not refined, commercial ready products, just prototypes.

Most likely the tools will come from the airsoft world and not paintball. It's basically the same market, except without the emphasis on paint. That allows airsoft players to regularly pay more for the game itself and demand well developed game play. They're more willingly to experiment with content delivery and gear to enhance that end of game play. It's safer to do so because paintballs are quite destructive. The distributors and promoters are largely in the same boat as paintball, and some like Valken active in both markets. The costs of development don't just go away.

So that's why open source. The tools, in my view, will likely come from a small group of dedicated gamers who happen to have the correct mix of skills sets needed to accomplish the project. I've already given some of them code. The smart paintball producers will adopt that technology. It'll grow from a grass roots level and the early adopters will run roughshod over everybody else. Once the grass roots level builds up one of the distributors will eventually jump on board with their own solution. If they're smart it'll be good, if not it'll be like the latest SimCity launch.

Isn't the scenario market fun? :) Of course not, but entertainment is a tough business.

So in conclusion, fuck Bob Gurnsey. If he comes around you, hold on to your wallet tightly and exit the area as quickly as possible.

See you get a couple of the older guys around each other for more than a few minutes, and things start happening. Such as this tome right here.....

A very interesting point was brought up this past weekend, with me being in earshot of it about how "easy" the players to day have it. Now, I didnt know if this was meant about gear, or rules or what have you so I stuck around and listened.

For the most part, this is about the speedballers, and how "easy" they do have it.

Field walking....

Yep, walking the field on the day of the games. Having the bunker type and layout available. Just walk in, and start looking. Field layout was kept supah-squirrel secret until the day of. No one knew lanes, or bunker sizes until the staff started inflating them.

So yeah, THIS I have questions with. I know it's done to "equal" the playing field out. Equal to what?? If you suck, having a known entity isn't going to make you THAT much better. Honestly, I believe it takes away alot of what us old bastards used when we played ball. Our brains, and a generous helping of savvy. The PSP and whatever the hell the NPPL is anymore publish field layouts MONTHS in advance.

Why?

I dont know about the rest of you, but I find it weak. Lazy even. Takes away from actually having to use your brain for more then pulling a trigger. Is it really making it more "equal" for the teams participating in the tourny? Or, is it for seating arrangments in the stands....like having a seat on the 50, or center court?

I hate hearing about how "This layout sucks!". You all had MONTHS to prepare on it! NO Excuse!! You all practiced and drilled on it, so you just got beat. End of story....

Couldnt afford the field layout? Didnt have a practice area that had the set up?

C'mon! You video game kids out there should be smart enough to figure it out. I mean they WROTE everything down for you!! Hell, they even have the layouts posted!

Don't think Im letting the scenario players go on this either. Google Earth and other programs out there give you all the info you can have. Sure, you dont know where EVERY bunker or hollow log is out there, but its way better than even 5 years ago! Every damn game anymore has map maps and more maps. With all points of interest printed on it. Where the hell is the fun there?? Im all about the gunfight, but finding a surprise on the field, be it prop or cool little hidey hole makes it all more.......dare I say? FUN!!!!

Gods help these kids if they have to ise a bit more brain power. Not just the kids either! Some of you adults need a good English Nanny shaking too.

Wanna impress me Pro leagues? Do one or two events old style. NO prearranged layouts. No one gets a peek at the fields until game day. Finals fields are put up day of, and teams are given an hour to get their defication coagulated. One HOUR!! No bullshit! 60 minutes, then you throw it down.....

I am not even going to get into scenario...........

Not today!

Remember what good customer service looked like? It was when a promoter said, to paraphrase it, "hey, don't bring your BS in my house".

Now it's time to look at some more customer service.

Before you get started reading, remember this all goes back to 1 simple facebook post made by Delta. Is somebody who never actually plays paintball a paintball player? As that evolved, a post was made, paraphrasing again, "Hey people talking shit behind our back, are you willing to talk to us in person?"

Now, here comes a PM, because for some reason that will never resonate with me, obfuscation and hidden conversations are "the right way" to do things. Now, lets ignore the fact that this attitude is the source of many ills in the world and why politics are often a terrible, violent thing that have left billions dead. Let us just look at it as customer service for the time being.

-Steve Stacker Harrison

gonna do this as a private message...I honestly didnt have a problem with you guys coming up to our game on sunday. but after a status update like that it just looks like you are asking for trouble. So im going to ask you nicely not to come. I dont need the aggravation or the bullshit that goes along with it. this is our first game we are producing and I refuse to let you fuck it up. Dont come, you will be asked to leave.

Okay, so Delta, you are bad bad people and must stay home.

-Delta Paintball Team

What aggravation? There is going to be no issues, however if everyone who posted in that previous topic wants to come up and have a mature discussion, we'd welcome it.

We are tired of people talking shit and not sayin it in person.

Awfully polite response and request for a mature discussion for a bunch of dickheads.

Look, I was one of those ppl, your team thread instigated all that bull shit. At some point in time YOU should have taken the high road and squashed it out if respect for another team... MINE! And I really had no prob with you coming, ask BGR, I told him that just today. Then you post that horse shit update...really? That just shows the that you are looking for a fight or altercation. I don't have time for your bullshit, I'm 42 yrs old, I left high school a long time ago. Now, I did this as a pm because its the right way to handle things. Your guys are gonna show and my guys are gonna confront and it's gonna get ugly. Bottom line is this, I don't want you there. So this will be the last time I ask you nicely. Please don't come. I will be at OXCC in October and we can discuss this further when cooler heads are available.

Woahwaitwhat? The event promoter is one of the people talking shit about them. No wonder he refused to talk in public. Not only that, his teammates, people involved in game production, are admittedly uncontrollably violent. They are violent only at games they are putting on, when they travel elsewhere, they are no longer violent apparently and can then have a conversation.

-Delta Paintball Team

I hope you will refund the team members that have already paid for entry and paint then. If so, I'll supply you with a list now and their cards can be refunded first thing tomorrow morning.

Craziest fuckin' customer service I've ever seen. Let me do one last paraphrase... "My employees are uncontrollably violent against people who state opinions we dislike."

They did get their refunds, at least there is that.

I don't say this about any games, even Vipers... but don't go to this team's game. They are wildly unprofessional and willfully violent by their own admission. First and last I hope, threatening the safety of customers who've put money down is no way to run a business. The rule of law does exist for a reason you fuckin' nutcases.

Guest blog by Jerime "Coach" Wargo, a long time scenario player. Enjoy! - TB

I’ve got little use for hypocrites who preach respect yet offer none. They speak publicly of respecting the players but block any sort of dissenting opinions. They create a private group so that they can spout their true feelings without ruining their public personas. They speak of promoting the game and create a group dedicated to that cause, yet they make the group private. How can they promote the game behind closed doors?

True respect isn't shown by blocking dissent; it comes through open and honest discussion. In politics formal debates are a sign of respect. The candidates stand before the public and voice their opinions. They disagree with each other, but do it in a respectful manner. In paintball when there is a disagreement the solution is said to be a simple “fuck you” and then ignore the other person. How respectful is that?

For those who have been in the game for years this whole discussion is frustrating. The battles are always the same, but the players keep changing. Every few years some new saviour comes around preaching that they want to “respect the game” or “grow the sport.” I call these people born again ballers. They disagree with the old teachings and want to convert you to their way. They want everyone to get along and don’t like the hard-nosed, stick it to the other guy style of play. They don’t agree that coming at you with everything I have on the field is the truest sign of respect. They feel that respect should be given not earned. After a few years of preaching their message grows old and they fade back into the abyss that they came out of. Then someone new pops up and the cycle repeats itself.

But here’s the cold hard truth of the matter: No one really cares! Next time you’re at the field start asking players if the know of Dale Ford, or the Golden Girl, or TB, or A-Train. Don’t ask the people in your inner circle, ask the other 80 - 90% of the people at the game. Unless one of these people has ever commanded a game at that field chances are none of the players know these names. The 80% are the ones who pay the bills for the fields and the promoters, the rest of it is just noise.

I prefer open forums. Did you know that you can reply to any post here with whatever you want to say about it? You can, just provide a legit email address. It's that simple. Don't like information posted? Feel free to retort.

Now it's time to compare and contrast it with the echo chamber effect. This is an effect in mass media which results when people create closed communities that constantly reinforce their own opinions, rendering them less capable of critical thinking and reason.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echo_chamber_%28media%29

Participants in online communities may find their own opinions constantly echoed back to them, which reinforces their individual belief systems. This can create significant barriers to critical discourse within an online medium. The echo chamber effect may also impact a lack of recognition to large demographic changes in language and culture on the Internet if individuals only create, experience and navigate those online spaces that reinforce their world view.

How silly has it gotten? People are writing open letters to TB, because he's the ultimate evil, despite the fact that they've never met him or even been on the same field..

Jonathan Staaz shared a link.

Please read this and share it if you have a love and affection for paintball. We have flies in the soup and they aren’t back stroking!
Mr. TB I am immensely disturbed with your rant about Bob Gurnsey and even more so the efforts you seem to be taking to try and ruin the sport, the lifestyle of painting of the balls. My initial intent was to speak to you in the same vulgarities which you choose to speak about others in BUT, as an upstanding member of a community which takes pride in its family friendly nature I will address you so that our particular audience

and then post it in a place TB can't even see it.

Lawrence Wright - Whats funny is he wrote this to me and I have no way to see it. It aint like it was emailed to me.

That is the echo chamber effect in action. This guy just scored a lot of what in online gaming is known as "e-peen" amongst his closed community.

So, I'm going to veer off a bit from the puppyrainbow dogs and get to the heart of it, so to speak....

It's all about the gear baby!!!

 

I love the toys.  That new smell when you crack open the box or case or package.  The free monomers floating into your olfactory sensors.  The tested by stickers and new handbooks eager to be tossed aside.  The sheen of fresh anno, the polished bonnet of a new tank. Blinking lights and a sctratchless readout screen! Whirring gears and the thunk of air hitting the new regulator!  Ahhhh, for some it's better than a bottle of Dom (1986), or a good bourbon.

We look at these pieces of engineering as if it's a new Ferrari or BMW. We name them, put them above almost everything (especially ex-wives), dote and care for them.  We want that performance, that thrill and tactile sensation of just running the hell out of it.  Doing the flying mile, or the quarter even.  Pushing the gear to its limits........

In this day and age, sometimes you have to buy a Yugo before you dance with 'Vettes.  Looking at the AMAZING amount of gear out there that is available for your consumer disease is almost like having vertigo.  I mean, it's just so much!  TOO MUCH!

 What do you want?  What style of play? How big/small? Short? Long? Poppet? Spool? Pump? Bolt? Fast? ....slow.......?

What's the cost?  Performance? Resale (because the little bastards at PBN ruined all that), how does it shoot?

I have realised years ago why women buy so many shoes.

 

Yeah, I'm so guilty of it.  I want that gear, almost to the point of it being a dangerous obsession.  At one point, having over 60 working guns in my collection. It took up most of my house .  I would've made great copy on the Hoarders show.  Also worth mentioning are the loader, goggles, tanks, tools and other sundries of our sport that once inhabited my abode.  Keep in mind I am NOT talking about jerseys or pants or soft goods.  We're talkin the HARD stuff here!

 Be aware, if you will, that I have also throughout the years amassed quite the knowledge of how to work on these things.  All of them.  Pump, spool, poppet, tank loader, goggles.....ALL the junk.  So you might say I have a working, and considerable base of knowledge for the equipment, and a good understanding of what works, and what dosen't.

Out there, right now, are companies that, in brutal honesty....don't give a shit about the gear.  Oh maybe they once did...back when they, y'know, they had to shoot their own stuff. Now, it's about massing the cash.

I have heard from many different sources about leaking tanks, BRAND new from the factory.  Tech support?  Pfft, whatev.  They got your cash.  Oh?  Paid for it?  When?  4 months?  To bad asshat, gotcher money....shouldna taken the A-Train....

Gun dosen't work?  Aww, shouldn't have broken it.....

Lots of people blame the Chinese for making the stuff.  Here's a hint: ALL companies have quality control.  Some of the larger companies have physical offices with staff in country just to HAVE quality control.  I don't blame China, I DO blame the company for not doing it's due diligence and making sure the product works!  Sure, you get a lemon, no one is perfect.  I'm talking about 1 out of 4 that come out choking and sputtering, that is a common problem throughout the equipment production run.

 

This seems to the trend the seems to be more and more prevalent in today's paintball world.  From some of the more established companies too!  I also understand it from the gear companies perspective, having worked for a few of them over the course of time.  The consumers WILL lie to you, want everything for free, and will take no responsibility for anything as far as the gear being busted.  But, my all time fav statement is..."I dunno, it's not my gear."  

Oh no?  Did ya steal it? 

Or that always popular, "I got it off PBNation."  You FOOL!

Not saying there aren't honest people out there, just saying that we need a better way to weed the nasties out.

 

Look, it's YOUR money.  YOU control what is and isn't sold.  From low end to top shelf, we as adults, and consumers, need to be careful about where our cash goes to.  This isn't about food, or housing.  This is in all actuality just some stupid capture the flag game with overbuilt dart guns.  Looking at the state of the culture around us, it seems that we just buy it.....because.  New IPhone?  SURE! GIMME three! Screw the "old" one that works perfectly.  I dont need to eat for this month anyway!  Gotta fit into mah new (insert brand name) pants that cost $$$ and are NEW I say...NEW! The Whajamajigger 5000 gun iz out?!?!?  NEED IT!!  Its has...uh...NEW stuff innit!! Gotta sell mah old gat, yo!

And before you all start yellin "Oh Mr. Da Mole, you already SAID your a gun whore!".  Yes, this is true, but I am also a gun tech.  One who has to stay on top of current technology.  I am addicted to the gear, but I still have to eat.  Also, I KNOW the difference between "New" and "Refined".

 

Dosen't mean I ain't gonna run the hell out of it when I get my greedy little Mole paws on one!!

Sitting back watching Game of Thrones premier last night. One of the scenes that stuck with me was the new Queen immediately setting about building a power base in the city amongst the poor. Cersie looked pissed off about it. You can't have two queen bees, it's not going to end well.

So once you have this cult of personality, what do you do with it?

In scenario paintball you use it as leverage to force your social demands onto event producers. Sometimes it works. When you have enough cultists to financially impact a producer you can bend them to your will. In this case the demand is to essentially blacklist Jester's Court and Dale Ford.

What happens to this when you can't actually leverage the producer? You get what amounts to a response from Customer Service.

On Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 4:27 PM, Tina Ruzzo < > wrote:
I will be pulling myself from any game that Jester or Dale Ford attends.. As they have forwarded this info to TB Lawrence the most negative person in paintball... I find it appalling. I have always supported your fields and games and have tried to help in every way possible but to see the support from Jester in this matter. I am out.. You also have a picture in the attachment... I do not call this fun, respectful nor honorable. No thanks I would rather have fun playing than to be hunted. Ashley Ford is Dale Fords wife and Jesters XO at the May game.. I do not support this behavior and never will.
With best regards,
Tina

In case you were wondering, because I was, this Tina person has never actually met TB, been on the same field, anything like that.

What this latest crusade about is Jester's Court clicking a Like button Facebook.

ORLY?! Yes, really.

Behold how awesomely polite this rejection of her demand is.

Tina,

I did see some of the posts but not all of them. You are correct that this has spun out of control. I am not sure what is trying to be achieved with all the banter and neg posts.

I wish I could make a statement to make the hurt go away or even better make the negativity go away but I have nothing other than I am sorry you have been drawn into this situation.

Your support and friendship has always and will always been important to me.

I have watched the posts and feel strongly that to make ANY post would just keep it going longer. I will watch and hope it will die down. I will not be drawn into it and make it worse.

You have worked hard and I hope you are able to continue the your work. I know it is a very difficult time and am sorry you have been put it this situation.

You have been in my thoughts. Even if you feel unable to come to the game, please know you will be missed.

[Name Redacted]

Now, when I peel back that layer of customer service politeness, and it's oh so polite, I see somebody saying "I liked your money, but fuck your politics and demands, I don't need your money that badly." As it should be. That excites me. If I were closer, I'd play this promoter's game precisely because of that response.

Now, it can't just die, that would be impossible. Tina has to justify her position to herself all over again, because if you don't agree, and aren't willing to blacklist people from events, you are not being fair, nor positive.

On Mar 26, 2013, at 11:37 AM, Tina <> wrote:
Thanks but I have to say that there comes a point where someone should make a stance for the positive people. To allow these people to walk on your field and push others away is not fair. It actually supports their behavior. To me money is not the important factor here. Yes I am very hurt, and yes I was pulled into the world of the most negative people I have ever seen in my life.. I am lost for words... If nothing public than a phone call should be made since the next two games are at your field. This started at a game I was never at. My name was used in Respecting Paintball and Lawrence TB Wrights page to start a bully session.
Yes BULLIES!

Tina Ruzzo
Respecting Paintball
The Catshack Reports

There's a technical definition for what's going on here, it's not Bullying per say, it's actually called Rankism. Tina is the one doing it. Here's two of the keys behaviors:

exporting the rank achieved in one sphere of activity to claim superior value as a person;

exploiting rank that is illegitimately acquired or held (as in situations resting on specious distinctions of social rank, such as racism, sexism, or classism).

Now here's Jester's response:

I do not understand who I as a player am pushing away from any games. for someone who got dragged into this (your own words) you are awfully defensive and demanding. Why should a field be given an ultimatum "them or me"? What does this have to do with any field?
Furthermore, Ms. Ruzzo is getting basic facts wrong. Ashley Ford isn't the XO for the game coming up in May. She's going to be the XO for a game that's happening in April, but will not be in a command position for the May game. If she can't get basic facts like this right, doesn't it call into question the rest of her allegations?
Honestly, I would like to know what this had to do with you at all? I did not bring your name into anything, yet I am being made a scapegoat that "can be dealt with to let everyone know who is boss". That I will not allow. I will continue to attend games, I will continue to play the way I do, and promote and produce the best quality games I can provide. Ms. Ruzzo, you are a fanatic, and by definition fanatics cannot be reasoned with. Speaking for myself, I neither need nor want your support or involvement with my business or my enjoyment of the game as a player. As always, any questions please contact me.

You can find the ongoing thread here:
https://www.facebook.com/jesters.court.1/posts/446446288774761

So what am I talking about now? Well it appears the RPA and its self style leader Tina Russo has decided to paint me as some evil monster now that is some pathetic poor shell of a man who needs all of you to prop up my self worth. And well to that I say....humbug. Fucking humbug, in fact since well none of that is true. I mean I am sure you can look at some things I say and do and find some psychosis there, but who isn't fucked up on some level. But to classify me as Evil and a Monster? Wow, those are pretty strong words from someone who has set themselves up as the positive force in paintball and the mother to us all and the future of the sport. What have I done to deserve such a title? Have I cheated in the game? Have I hurt people intentionally and physically? Have I cheated people out of money or fucked people over? Am I a nazi that believes in genocide? Or am I a haji who believes that the West is the Great Satan and should be destroyed? Do I pick up little black boys and rape and kill them and bury them under my house? Do I show up and schools and shoot little kids with assault weapons? I mean what the hell really makes me a monster?

Here is something to ponder, if you are going to ignore someone and you are going to tell others to ignore them and then talk about those people behind closed doors, someone in your group is going to go tell others. It is what people do, it is what people are. People as a baseline, love drama even more so when they feel they are on the right side of the drama. The feeling of self satisfaction as you gird up your sword and grab your shield is quite appealing to a lot of people on a emotional level. But see, that doesn't phase me. I don't need to be the hero or the villian. I don't see the world as dramatic as that. You have givers and you have takers. And well Tina is a taker. And if you are in the RPA and you see the justification and support that she needs on a hourly basis to keep her self worth at the elevated state she needs it, is nauseating. But TB, you say you talk shit to. Well yeah, but my shit is never look at how cool I am, or look at how smart I am, or how pretty I am or how positive I am. It is a this is what I think, this is what I know and this is my opinion take it or leave it and if you want to debate it then fine, let's do it. But you people come to a website that has been up since 2006, you read whatever one little story you been sent and then you make some snap judgment based on who you like and don't like vs the content of the message and then you utter shit like pathetic, sad, miserable soul, rude, attacking, no worth, no value, no ambition, and then it's TB is a turd and a fat turd at that. Why is that these people think that is A, supposed to hurt me, and B they always go for the most personal, hurtful remarks possible for someone they if they were as positive as they say they are, should be reaching out to and providing pity for. Not that I want it, but if you are truly as understanding and the future of the sport as you claim to be, then shouldn't your behaviour be above mine?

Shouldn't you be the shining example to others that you don't have to agree with someone or even the tone that they use but if I am truly as bad as you say, shouldn't you reach out? Isn't that what respect is? You say respect has to be earned and not given, I submit that is at odds with your very nature that you claim to have. As someone who used to be in the clergy, I can tell you that is not the very respectful thing to do. And what you do, is show the people in your circle that you really have no respect for anyone but those that agree with you and as soon as they don't you are done with them and they get the same degrading hurtful remarks that you reserved for me. You took your group private, you kicked out anybody you thought was telling me shit you talked about in your group. The group you named respecting paintball and the view is that you are trying to bring back the old days of camaradiere and such. Well let me tell you again, you are not. You are simply another speed bump in the history of this game, one that outside of your clinging to Bob Gurnsey, no one would know who the fuck you are. And you are cute and you like to shake your ass and flirt. That is why anyone pays any attention to you, you act like you are in charge and so many people will defer to anyone like that. How do I know? Well look around you! ;)

This is my website, there are no ads, there are no SEO and no attempts to get you to buy some shit from a sponsor. No contests, no patch giveaways none of that. It is just a place to voice my opinion about whatever. Mostly paintball but sometimes other shit. And one thing that anyone can say about me, other than I am a asshole when I want to be, is that I try to make people think and own their own stances and opinions. You don't have to agree with me, hell half my team doesn't agree with me sometimes, but I do respect them and listen and even take their feelings into consideration. I have been married 20 years, I have 3 beautiful children who live a good life. We are not drug addicts, drunks, abusers and things such as that. I do not wear my ego around people who are not in paintball, TB is a fucking personae you jackasses. That means playing a role...... you know pretend and shit. It is the very irony of the name TB if you know what it stands for. You people make me sick with your silly bantering, it is the same old shit that I have dealt with before. I say something you don't like and you go after the people associated with me. The funny thing is you are now going after people who even talk to me based on shit your 'insider' is feeding you. Your insider aint that damn far inside silly one, you are seeing what I want you to see, don't you understand? And the people are starting to wonder why? They reach out and talk and they say things like this: QUOTE:"I been talking to TB wow cool fucking dude. ROFL. He's a good guy, just has his own way of expressing his opinion. Severely underrated as a writer. Im a little pissed at the haters because he says it how it is, sorry i gtg get my son ready for bed. ttyl" That was sent to someone who knows me and talks to me pretty regularly by someone who thought I would be a dick to him simply because of his associations with people I talk shit about. As I told him, wrong man dude, I don't play that high school recess shit.

So for you and your minions this is all I have to say; You closed the walls of communication, you blocked me on Facebook and everywhere else. You led the charge against people that talk to me or hang out with me or even in my little group. I don't need to sneak people in your private group, the people there are the ones that are on edge with your incredulous ego that has become more and more inflated do to some of the successes you have been having in getting people to agree with your stances on shit. Well I am not those people, and everyone of them can walk away and I will still show up and play paintball. And you cannot stop me, Tina. Not you, not Bob, Not Viper, Not Sean Scott, not any of you bitches. You can go suck every dick of every man on every team who "supports" you and it still will not change me, my opinion or my fucking website. You got NO COIN with me bitch, you got NO LEVERAGE to make me shut up. You can sit in your little group and bitch about evil monsters all the fuck you want. Let me sum up with this, people like you need "monsters" like me, we give you the fucking cross that you can climb up on and nail yourself too. But to think I am concerned with you or your ilk is short sighted at worst and simply laughable at best. There are hundreds of articles on this website, look deeper. There are not near as many rants as there are other things. So you and your kind will fall by the wayside here soon enough and you will fade back into obscurity and then your dirty laundry will really come forth. And that will be a funny ass day for me, when your closest friends send me a message like this one; Quote:"TB, you are so right. She is just a crazy chick who picks and chooses who to fight with. She keeps everyone in a tizzy about this person and that field being negative. She spends more time finding negativity to then discuss and point out how she and the people that speak in her group are above all that and are better people. I am sick of it, to be as much about drama as you supposedly are. I see very little from you, you don't post in forums, you only post on website and then you have your private little group where you rant about all kinds of crazy stuff. The environments in the places are world's apart. I have to say having seen both, I prefer the company of you and those you keep than hers and the people who obviously suck up to her. You are still a dick and a asshole but at least you are predicitable and prone to go off on some estrogen fueled tangent screaming that everyone deserves a trophy and any who does anything I don't like is negative and negative is bad. I just don't buy into it anymore."

And that person, you will never find you stupid twat. See I can use strong and scary words too. ;) Besides I wouldn't want to disappoint your minions who are coming here by the droves to read the madness of the mean ole TB. Not that I care, I don't make anything on any clicks. ;) But I will leave you with this quote. You should maybe look for the sermon hidden amongst my storytelling, it might just save you and your movement. But I predict you won't, you will dismiss this article and me just like you have in the past. But for the ones on the fence, take a look at the quote and then look at the drama Tina has wrought. As the quote below shows, there is nothing wrong with being the monster as Tina has defined it.

“Oh," the girl said, shaking her head. "Don't be so simple. People adore monsters. They fill their songs and stories with them. They define themselves in relation to them. You know what a monster is, young shade? Power. Power and choice. Monsters make choices. Monsters shape the world. Monsters force us to become stronger, smarter, better. They sift the weak from the strong and provide a forge for the steeling of souls. Even as we curse monsters, we admire them. Seek to become them, in some ways." Her eyes became distant. "There are far, far worse things to be than a monster.”
― Jim Butcher, Ghost Story

So let's see....

E-celebs, check that off. Maybe a bit of a youth movement? Hammer down, hold on........

Many many manymany moons ago when I started playing, I was considered one of the "youngsters" in my early 20's. That being said, I didn't complain since most of the players I was running against were, at least 4-6 years older than myself, and playing for what seemed an eternity. The gear at that time (and yeah, they were known as "guns") was simple. Pumps, all pumps. One or two had something called an autotrigger, which was looked upon as Dark Magic from some players. All were driven by CO2, either 12gram or 7oz bottles. Life was simple: Shoot him/her/them, before they shot you. Get flag! Drink copious amounts of adult beverages!.

Ahhhh......the simple life.

Man I got my ASS handed to me for the first few years. Yes, YEARS! Other players would come in with different ways of playing and different styles and I'd get trounced. Teams would drop on the field and just school us with different tactics and levels of agression. Trash talking was a high level art form, and added personality! I had one thing happen while I was being molested,accosted and thoughly ripped apart. I learned how to play the game.

Skip ahead to...NOW.

Some little 12 year old turd with more gear then an F1 garage throwing tantrums on and off the field because he dosen't get a 10 dollar trophy. Widdle Arthur gots bunkered, and no one apologised! Mommy, who is also his pit crew ('cause, you know he's just SO talented)looks for someone to go and complain to. Which leads us to a field owner/tourney promoter getting TOTALLY bitched at because someones little Prince got all smashed up during a game. Do you KNOW how MUCH she PAID for HIM to be HERE!!??! He's been playing for 14 months! On the other side, we have some 20something hipster describing how this "game" isn't PURE unless it's a pump game. He also starts all of his tales with "Back in the day...."

Yeah.....OLD SKOOL! Idiot....

Of course I'm bitchy about this. Back "in the day", we as adults had half a brain and used judgement. Yes, I have children. NO, I didn't make them play, if they wanted to they could. NO, I didn't run out and buy them crazy amounts of gear (the guitar lessons, or rather, the lacking interest in them 6 months later taught me that) they used my older back-up stuff. If one of my kids said they didn't like it, I said hokey dokey and left it at that. If one of my kids got shot and griped, as long as they were healthy and okay, I'd laugh and tell them you have to lose to win you know. If they needed paint, they got it themselves. Nothing was "given" to them. They wanted to go get the flag, they had to fight for it. The played with honor and honesty (my boy thought it funny to try and wipe when I was standing behind him. His back looked like a pepperoni pizza 5 seconds later)and they played to win. Not to bitch, not to whine.....they played to have fun and win. Both were NOT allowed to play until they were 12. EVERYONE had to have good grades, do chores and generally behave. This was not something entitled, but earned and deserved.

Every time I hear someone under 30 talk about old school, I usually ask if the have ever heard of Marty Bush. Oh Pawlak? Here, I'll make it easy...Tom Cole...

You know, the people who taught us old people how it was done. The guys who put shit on the map. Those crazy bastards who tried to make a buck AND play some paintball! Yeah...them!

The blank stares that follow my inquiries are almost an after thought. I know that it's coming, and yet....it STILL makes me giggle.

These scholars seem to think everything started with LaSoya, or, well....someone famous in Scenario....whos name escapes me....at the moment.....

Anyway, I did not play in the first ever game, but I was around guys who set the field for all that we know with paintball today. Cole, Braun, Blue, Fogal and Bush. Yeah we're old, and mean and nasty. I'll bunker the shit outta your kids if they think they can hang. I'll out manuver you on scenario and just generally out play you in recball. It's not your gun, or your kewl signed jersey. Your goggles are there for protection, not to be on the cover of Vogue.

Money dosen't buy you skill in this game young man or lady.....

Time and a few good beatings do.

Remember that post from not too long ago where Respecting Paintball pundits thought it was all good to spam without permission? If you don't allow the spam, you are evil, hate paintball, and have your sponsors attacked (even when they are not sponsors oddly).

Who else hates spam? Somebody who makes their living off of the RPA clowns.

Kerry Viper-Rosenberry

Just FYI...tagging someone in a post or picture that they have nothing to do with just to gain access to their friends list is sort of like running up and sticking your bumper sticker on other peoples' cars without their permission. It is simply bad form. Please don't use people that way. If you want them to help you blast something to their friends CONTACT them and ASK them if they WANT to help you promote.

Pamela Robertson It's a lost cause...once they do it it's like the old saying goes, better to ask forgiveness than permission....I delete them from my friends list, since it's not my friendship they want.

Pamela Robertson John, those types of mistakes are obvious and not what Viper is talking about people with large friendslist get used to spam all the time. It sad and a lack of respect for other people for selfish motives and everybody knows it. They don't care either..lets just call it what it is.

Pamela Robertson Richard that is not what he is talking about either..shhhhh. Viper gets tagged in other events and paintball products people are trying to sell that he has no relation too...IS that ABC enough for you guys LOL!

Kerry Viper-Rosenberry John you have 74 friends on your list so no one does this to you. When you have 3,000 you will understand what Greg and I go through, and what people are doing.

John Strain Viper, I have 74 friends because I've purged all but my closest friends and family from this profile. Don't assume.

Kerry Viper-Rosenberry That was why I said "on your list" I wasn't implying you don't have friends. Sorry if I offended you.

People in business for themselves and use Facebook for marketing simply face different issues. That was all I was saying.

Here's the part I like most

sticking your bumper sticker on other peoples' cars without their permission. It is simply bad form.

Now, apply this quote to this line right here.

Tina GoldenGirl Ruzzo
Here is a great question. Can someone explain why a group that's called "First Strike Group" would be so opposed to my post with Regards to a "Good old fashion" Capture the flag game?

I believe Viper's quote provides a very concise answer to that question.