Dragonsweyr

Went to the Walkonzone Xmas bash at the skirmish site in High Wycombe a couple of weeks ago.

Had a cracking time and a great start to the day, however you should of seen me in the later games!!!
hope you enjoy the video

Well I have, this year, just got back into paintball after a fifteen year hiatus, And man was I shocked to find out about all the changes.

The major change that I have seen is that everyone, and I mean everyone, uses semi-automatic markers now a days. Add to that electronic markers, electric hoppers, eyes, and a thriving Pro tour and I wonder what I have let myself in for.

To put this into perspective when I was playing we had just started to move away from 12 gram cartridges and into 7 and 12 oz CO2 bottles and the first generation of semi autos where coming onto the market. Hell the competition scene still used pump guns.

Nowadays you can walk into your local Walmart and pick up an entry level electronic marker for less than $140. It’s what I did, and I brought it back to the UK in my luggage.

I have now started to film myself playing, and have had a good laugh whilst doing so. I have learnt a few things, a lot of them big surprises, and I hope that my films get better.

I shall let you all know how I get on at Time Wars, a scenario game to be hosted at a site I used to play at years ago.

I haven’t written anything here in a while because not a lot has happened to me over the last few months. That all changed last Monday when i got home from dropping the wife into work and collapsing with Appendicitis. The best way of describing the pain you have is a sharp pain which never lets up in the area of your belly button.

Now my trip to hospital went from my house, to my local doctors, to A & E. A bit of a long way round but my wife, bless her, thought I had trapped wind!

I eventually was admitted onto Loddon ward at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, at 4 pm and eventually had an operation scheduled at “sometime before midnight or tomorrow”. As it turned out it ended up on Tuesday.

What this post is about is to say thank you to the nurses, and doctors, and the paramedic who took me to hospital, for all the care and dedication that you give your jobs.

And thanks Nicola for putting on my socks so that I could go home

Whilst at Animal Kingdom we found these street performers

Just uploaded a quick video of dolphin feeding at Seaworld. Quite excitable animals I am sure you agree.

I have been in Florida since last Friday and what can I say but, OMG theres just 10 days of my Holiday left. . It really has been fun, so heres a quick run down on whats happened.

Thursday 31st May

Got on plane and flew to the states in some 9 hours, got hire car and drove to villa. all exhausted had early night. coughed my guts up due to bronchitis didnt sleep very well.

Friday 1st June

Went to meet and greet payed for Pirate adventure dinner thing then went to Seaworld had great time feeding dolphins and , other wildlife saw sharks and rays, watched a very well produced dolphin and whale show, watched as tropical depresion Barry came over. Heavens opened. Coughed my guts up and didnt sleep well.

Saturday 2nd June

Magic Kingdom, visited. Full of Gays on a gay pride holiday taken over the park ruined the day left early but managed to get on space mountain and a few other rides. Coughed my guts up and didnt sleep well.

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Extreme bravery, or complete stupidity? This is the question I am asking myself about Adam “Choronzon” Mapleson. This is the guy who tried to intervene in an armed robbery in Essex last week.

Apparently He was on his way to work and came across a Male and Female security guard who where being robbed whilst topping up an ATM at Rayleigh station, and he jumped in but was unfortunately shot in the chest by one of the assailants.

He is apparently stable in an Essex hospital and the prognosis is good for him to make a full recovery

Though fool hardy I tip my hat at you Adam, for the way you where willing to put your life on the line for 2 complete strangers, and I wish you a speedy recovery from your injuries.

From the BBC News site, 30 things you didn’t know about Star Wars

THE MAKING OF STAR WARS

1. The first trailer for the film hit cinemas six months before it was to open - with tag lines such as “the story of a boy, a girl and a universe” and “a billion years in the making” - as executives hoped to drum up some interest in a film they had little faith in.

2. Made on a budget of $11m (£5.5m) it made $215m (£108m) in the US during its original release, and $337m (£170m) overseas. The final film in the franchise - Revenge of the Sith - cost about $113m (£57m) to make.

3. It was originally called The Star Wars, but “the” was dropped fairly early on in the creative process.

4. The full title Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope first appeared when the film was re-released in 1981.

5. Director George Lucas originally had a contract with Fox for $150,000 (£75,941) for writing and directing Star Wars. But he cannily insisted on total control and 40% of merchandising - something the studio agreed to because they had no idea of what a phenomenon Star Wars would become.

6. The famous - and often imitated - opening crawl for Star Wars was co-written by Brian De Palma, the director of Scarface. It begins “It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.”

7. Sir Alec Guinness made a ton of money from the film having recognised its potential success and negotiating a deal for two per cent of box office takings. He also refused to do any promotional work for the film.

8. Anthony Daniels as C-3PO and Kenny Baker, who played R2-D2, are the only actors credited with being in all six Star Wars films.

9. Harrison Ford was far from George Lucas’ first choice to play Han Solo as the director had wanted completely new faces for Star Wars. Ford had already starred in Lucas’ American Graffiti.

10. The original release date was set for Christmas 1976 but major delays in filming saw it pushed back. The Fox studio had threatened to close down production when filming over-ran by more than two weeks. (more…)

I play Texas Hold ‘em poker at my local pub, run by 3 Seasons Poker, and have a great time whilst doing so.

However tonight an interesting situation came up where by a miss deal was made but not spotted till the river card was placed on the table. With one of the players all in and the other player calling, the caller turned his cards up to reveal three cards in his hand. The event manager was called and he pointed out that the callers hand was mucked (invalid) and he had lost the hand automatically. An argument ensued, where the players at the the table had come to a gentlemans agreement to replay the hand. The event manager catagorically played the rules as written.

From the three seasons poker rules

Cards are to be dealt in a clockwise direction starting with the player to the left of the dealer. Cards will be dealt one at a time. Players may only play with the correct number of cards in their hand. The hand will be void and mucked along with any blind or bets placed, unless the player announces to the dealer prior to any action being taken that a misdeal has occurred and all cards are returned, reshuffled and dealt again. Action is deemed to have taken place when 3 or more players have checked or when a player has placed a bet.

Now my question is should the Players have gone on and replayed the hand, or was the the event manager correct in sticking to his guns?

My own personal feeling is the rules are there for a reason and they should of been followed. What do you think?

Ali Signing off from the card table

WTF I here you say, and yes its a bit of a confusing tittle but thats exactly how I am feeling right now. Do you know why? because in just 8 days I will be on my way to Gatwick airport, and from there I shall be Flying to the good ol’ US of A and visiting Mickey Mouse.

All this with a Wife, Daughter, and 2 Grand-kids in tow. We will be gone for a litte over two weeks, and its cost a bloody fortune to get the holiday but man did I already say that I am really excited?

The plan is to go down to Gatport airwick check in for the flight the night before and stay over at an airport hotel and then have a leisurely breakfast then bimble over to the terminal and catch our flight.

However before all that can happen I have to go through 8 very slow days, 4 of which I am actually off for, and 4 of which I have to work. The excitment is almost killing me