I had fun paintballing on Saturday, 9/22/01.  Lots of fun.

   However, this day an event occurred that broke this camel's back.

   Basically, the background to this story all comes on the paintball page, the Day 2 stories.  Some speedball game where I was on the right flank.

   Here's something that annoys me; you get shot.  Big deal, you're out.  But some cocky loudmouth screams "Check him now!!" or "Get him out, ref!!"  Give the guy a chance to stand up and call the obvious hit, or give the ref a chance to react.  So I, in my neverending attempt to avoid hypocrisy, try to play aggressively, fairly, and even politely.  I always called my hits to my team, both as a personal victory as well as to inform them the opponent's were a number down.  And I call hits matter-of-factly.

   So here's the story.  I took the flank and eliminated about three guys.  Just kept moving up and taking guys out.  Honestly, I knew the game was going to end with a victory, but not before I got this sorta' young guy in the middle and his two or three friends.

   Guy doesn't tuck his foot right as I was flanking him (rather well, I might say).  So I shoot his foot.  It was a clean hit, and I swear I saw the paint spray from it, so I say "Hit hit!  Got the foot!"

   And then I heard a small "No, I'm clean."

   Doesn't bother me much.  It's hard to tell a clean hit, and I had to get these two other guys first.  So I did.

   And Guy doesn't remember to watch me, gets tunnel-vision, and looks away from me.  So he's showing again.

   So, I snapshoot his back, and this time the spray flies up.  I'm absolutely sure I got him.

   "Got him!  He's gone."

   "No..."

   At this point, I was getting annoyed at this guy and was very tempted to say something naughty, but I didn't.  I did say "No, you're out" rather calmly and loudly.

   Thankfully, before I decided to charge and light this sucker up, the judge, who obviously was annoyed at this fellow as much as I, said "You're out.  I could see the hit from here."

   "No, I'm not."

   Ahhhh!  Lying to me, The Nick, is foolish enough, but why lie to the guys in charge who can quite clearly see the truth?  Idiocy.  A quick argument ensued, but the judge won in this case with the fool.  Anyway, Guy tries to make it sound like he's not a dirty liar but walking off the field with the winning phrase "Oh... do gun hits count?"

   This guy's getting an honorary IotW Award.
 
 

   Then I shot Scottie again.

   Anyway, my point here is that people shouldn't lie.  It makes me cry.  Have some honor.  In whatever you do.  I don't understand liars in general.  If people behave, they shouldn't have to lie.

   But the specific thing that bothers me is idiotic lying.  I don't really know how to say it.  If your hand is in the cookie jar, now's not the time to say "No.... I didn't eat no cookies."  I always cringe inwardly when I watch someone spreading falsehoods that have no credibility.  People like O.J. or my coworkers (you know who you are!).  Foolish people.

   So, if my little story doesn't show you how much of an idiot being a liar makes you, then nothing will.  Be honest!  Like me.