Paint Ball

Reading and replying about games that are fun to play in our leisure time, but just don't seem like a good idea to take professionally. On this topic I feel paintball should be included. I have enjoyed going out with a group of friends and playing paintball. Granted I came home with some nasty bruises, scrapes and bruises; but we did enjoy ourselves and have some bonding time. Paintball has become a professional sport to some people. The website http://www.nppl.com/ will help someone be introduced into the sport paintball. There are other sites as well. There are those who spend their weekends practicing and playing in tournaments around there area and traveling to the nationals which was held in Las Vegas this past year. There is the time aspect of the game, but there is also the cost associated with buying the equipment, registration fees, and travel expenses. A person can buy a paintball gun at their local sporting goods store, such as Wal-Mart; or the person can spend some money and get a high powered one from a paint ball store. These high end guns are no laughing matter, the tanks can cost around $185, the guns in the $600s, paint balls, hoppers, and the list goes on. So what makes seemingly normal friends and family want to take a leisure activity to this extreme?  Years ago there were two different paintball fields in the Stillwater area and at least two different paintball shops. If there seems to be a desire for people to play paintball to this extreme, why are there not more places to play?

Open Carry

In the state of Oklahoma, currently a person is allowed to carry a concealed gun with a permit. There is legislation proposed to allow Oklahomans to carry a firearm openly if this new legislation goes through and is signed in by the governor.  A same type bill was passed in April of 2010, but the governor at the time, Governor Henry, vetoed the bill. Proponents of the bill say that it will detour crime. With the thought being that if someone is going into a public place to rob it and there are people in line with a firearm in the open, will the person rob the store or continue on down the road.  The opponents of the bill say that will put all officers on edge when seeing a gun and when they come onto a scene how will the officer(s) know who is the "good guy" and who is the "bad guy".  As far as which side each person is on depends on their upbringing around firearms among other items. But the idea that guns would be allowed in all public places is an interesting idea. Currently businesses can put up stickers letting patrons know if guns are allowed or not in the business. Other places such as banks and state agencies are no guns allowed. Such as the campus of OSU (among others). With this new legislation, if it were to pass and I had the proper paperwork I could walk into a bank or to class with my Ruger P95 on my hip and it would be legal. Would that cause some disturbance in class? Would the teacher/professor be on edge (unless he or she was carrying as well)? This legislation open a whole can of worms into what if type questions for our campuses and other businesses.
What about firearm sales? Would people buy more firearms if they could carry any gun openly? As in Arizona where open carry is legal. The website says:  "Arizona is an "open carry" state, which means that anyone can legally carry any (legal) weapon in the open, without any permits, as long as the weapon is:

• Kept in a holster or scabbard
• At least partially visible on your person, or;
• Kept in a container or the glove compartment of a vehicle (still must be holstered, however)

This means that it is perfectly legal to carry a loaded handgun or revolver on a belt holster, out in the open, while you walk down the street, and no special permits are required. You CANNOT, however, unholster that weapon without a very good reason, nor can you walk around holding a gun in your hand or tucked into your pants. You must have a bona fide holster or case to keep it in, and both the gun AND holster must be openly visible. (http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/arizona-gun-laws.html)" So with this in mind will gun sales increase to all kinds, not just small hand guns for concealed carry? Does this idea make anyone want to put an assault rifle and carry it legal on their back anywhere? How about to a political rally? Sounds crazy, but this did happen in Phoenix in August of 2009, (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1207329/Anti-Obama-protesters-toting-ASSAULT-rifles-turn-presidential-rally--did-break-law.html). There is was legal for the men to carry the assault rifles without permits.
As for myself, open carry or concealed carry, I will follow the law. I will still continue to purchase firearms as funds become available and go to the local range to make sure I can use them if the need arises and of course to have alot of fun.

Park Rangers

With many new shows concerning state parks and national parks and the problems they face with crime such as Alaska State Troopers on National Geographic channel, is this a new way the parks have found to help with funding?? The Alaska State Troopers show says that: "hey are the first line of defense on the last frontier, the roughly 400 state troopers who patrol the rugged and unforgiving terrain of America’s largest state — Alaska. One of the toughest law enforcement agencies in the nation, these officers often travel hundreds of miles in piercing subzero temperatures to uphold the law. Responding by land, air and sea — with backup sometimes days away — they face danger to protect the people and wildlife of Alaska."A portion of the show also deals problems at the state and national parks in Alaska. Do the producers hope to bring awareness for the lack of funding that has become an issue for many parks across America? This isn't the only show that details crime in parks. There is also shows on the California troopers/rangers that deal with cartels growing drugs in remote parts of parks. What other shows have you all seen that deal with these types of problems?

Project Appleseed

After attending the local shooting range one weekend, the range instructor told us about a grass roots group promoting learning rifling techniques. After he helped my son and me with shooting.  The website is: http://www.appleseedusa.org/ The website states, "Through Project Appleseed, the Revolutionary War Veterans Association is committed to teaching two things: rifle marksmanship and our early American heritage. We do this for one simple reason, the skill and knowledge of what our founding fathers left to us is eroding in modern America and without deliberate action, they will be lost to ignorance and apathy.

Is there a direct relationship between understanding our country's founding and civic virtue? The answer should anecdotally be quite clear. As our citizens' knowledge of founding principles has declined, so too has our involvement in this government 'of, by and for The People.' Instead, our citizens seem all too content to relegate governmental decisions and knowledge to those that have been elected, all the while assuming these officials' abilities and agendas are working on their behalf. We believe that if this trend continues, our country will be left with an expansive gulf between the populace and the government." So with this type of grass roots movement wanting to teach parents and their children the history of America and how to shoot rifles, is their an alternative motive? Should I take my son out one weekend this summer and get the instructions they claim to teach? The group claims to "renewing civic virtue - prioritizing civic responsibility over personal interests and indulgence. We are wholly comprised of volunteers who commit time, resources and passion toward achieving the RWVA mission." This is what some people wish to do with their leisure time, should the rest of Americans take note?

Fighting Childhood Obesity

During Spring Break Michelle Obama was on Letterman and she was plugged her health incentive to end child obesity among other things.  But it got me thinking. Why did it take so long for a public figure to come out and say this isn't good and it needs to stop? The media has been telling the stats for many years about obesity in America and how it needs to change. But not many have done much about it. Are the stats not scary enough to change the way Americans live? The stats in class are enough for me to want to get healthy. Such as tonight's stats: 1/3 of Americans are overweight or obese, since 1980 obesity rates have doubled in America.

Technology Driven Leisure

As mentioned in class, Technology Drives our Leisure.
I have been sort of dwelling on this idea. It has been in the back of my mind while at work. Not much to usually focus on while cutting onions (other than not chopping of pieces of my fingers). My mind tends to wander. This week it has wandered on this idea.
So does technology drive our leisure? Any leisure really.
If it was one hundred years ago and our leisure habits were the same, would technology have changed what we would have been doing from the hundred year prior? I will focus on my habits, so in my leisure time I enjoy volunteering, fishing, shooting (firearms), and playing games/watching tv. So its 1912, and we live in the Stillwater area. We are college aged people enrolled at OSU at the time would be Oklahoma A&M College, and have leisure time. Granted their would be just a few of us since Oklahoma A&M held the first graduating with 6 men fourteen years earlier. I could attend one of the area lakes or ponds to fish, could go shooting, or play card games with my fellow friends. Technically in 1907 a Russian scientist and English Inventor created a mechanical version of the TV in 1907, but the first public demonstration was on March 25, 1925.  No video games during this time  frame (1958 was the first video game of table tennis on the oscilloscope, 1975  Pong is released on the Atari, 1986 Nintendo's NES is released in America, 1989 Nintendo releases Gameboy, 1991 Nintendo releases Super NES, 1995 Sony releases PlayStation, 2000 Sony's PlayStation 2, 2001 Xbox and Nintendo's GameCube, 2004 Nintendo DS, 2005 PSP and Xbox 360, 2006 Wii, PS3: from http://www.infoplease.com/spot/gamestimeline4.html). Fishing equipment is rather different, with hand made wooden lures and wooden rods. Shooting at local range would be rather hard to do too.  So I think its easy to say that technology has driven our leisure.Still able to volunteer, even though the group I volunteer with won't be founded for 13 years.
So take today for instance, its 2012. I have leisure time. I can drive to Stillwater Armory and shoot at their range with my personal firearm or rent one of theirs. I can play a video game on my computer or PS3, or with the download about any game from the early years of video games and play one of them. Plenty of places to volunteer, and OSU is having the Big Event on campus tomorrow morning. I could fish, the weather is a little better than its been the last few days. I own a license, so I could go to an area lake or pond and cast my non-wood lure on my non-wooden rod. I can still play board or card games too. I firmly believe that technology drives our leisure. But what do you think? Has the leisure you participate changed in due to technology in the last 100 years? Where will it go in the next 100 years?

Serious Leisure Participation

After searching high and low for something to blog about, I came across a  dissertation from May 2011 by Douglas W. Murray tilted "Home Brewing and Serious Leisure: A Mixed Methods Examination".  After reading some of it, it got me thinking about home brewing. I haven't gone out and tried to make my own beer or anything, but I did do some research on the subject. Home brewing has increased dramatically since the 1980s being linked to Jimmy Carter signing in 1976 of legislation allowing home brewing nationally. As home brewers increases, so does commercial brewers. In 1997, the United States passed Germany with number of breweries. Currently, craft beer is projected to exceed $7 billion annually, capturing over 6% of the commercial dollar volume market share with 1,625 brewing operations producing 8.5 million barrels of beer annually. In the first two quarters of 2010, overall beer consumption fell by 2.7%, with domestic brands down 2.9% and imports down 9%.  Craft beer sales by contrast increased 9% by volume and over 12% by revenue. (thanks to Dr. Murray for doing most of the research)

What is serious leisure and how does it differ from normal leisure? Looking at Mr. Murray's dissertation, serious leisure is the systematic pursuit of an amateur, hobbyist, or volunteer activity that is sufficiently substantial and interesting for a participant to find a career there in the acquisition and expression of special skills and knowledge.  The serious leisure construct has served to bridge the leisure gulf between the traditional worldview of leisure and the demands represented by the changing society. 


One would think that home brewers would not want to share their secrets with anyone else to protect their recipes.  But this would be wrong, as a whole. I am sure that some home brewers want to keep their ideas to themselves. There are many websites devoted to teaching and explaining how to brew your own beer and make wine. One website, http://www.homebrewschool.com/ tells how to brew beer and even provides videos. There are many websites written for the some purpose of providing home brewers with supplies, and ideas for their home brewing.  The American Home Brewers Association (AHA) is the national organization which supports individual members in their pursuit of the non-commercial (home) production of craft beers.  The organization is a clearing house for supplier information, brewing education, and governmental lobbying efforts on behalf of the craft.  The organization also promotes the important social aspects of fellowship and conviviality with fellow craft people; such as brewing competitions, exhibitions, and events which add the aspects of learning, challenge, and competition long defined as important serious leisure dimensions.  With a membership of approximately 25,000 individuals brewing throughout the United States, home brewery is on the rise. 

Does this niche market wish to expand by getting more people interested by providing help for free? Does the home brewer wish to gain notoriety such as Jim Koch, Samuel Adams founder?  Or Jeff Lebesch, founder of New Belgium Brewery? (If you are ever in Fort Collins, CO I recommend going on a tour of their facility.) These brewers have transferred out of the home brewer market and into commercial brewers. But the idea is still there for home brewers to gain this type of notoriety. 

So why do so many home brewers take up this leisure activity? With so many craft beers all ready in the market place, does the market need more? I think any of us who take up any kind of leisure activity can answer this..... 

Fish Viewing

In the Journal of Ecotourism 2009; Stroll, Ditton, and Stokes have published an article about sturgeon viewing as nature tourism.  It is an interesting read and is my first look at fish viewing. Any time I have viewed fish as either been from a boat while fishing or at a zoo or aquarium. As the paper states in recent years there has been a decline in the participation in consumptive leisure activities such as fishing and hunting and increased rates of participation in non-consumptive activities such as bird watching, watchable wildlife, and even fish viewing. Some reasons for this include people being less interested in wildlife as harvestable products or that the baby boomer generation is getting older.  But the numbers are up on the amount of time people spend viewing animals in their natural habitat outside of going to zoos or aquariums. Since fish viewing is a relatively new non-consumptive leisure activity it may be a good idea to look at what it is first. Fish viewing can be done in both freshwater and saltwater.  With freshwater it mostly takes place around streams and rivers like watching sockeye salmon along the banks of the Adams River in British Columbia. Usually viewing takes place along the banks, from towers set up for viewing, or from viewing windows built into the bank. Where as saltwater usually involves scuba equipment.

As stated earlier I was unaware of this type of leisure activity, I have heard and participated in bird watching and gone to zoos and aquariums.  But if I want to see a fish, I want to be more involved than just looking. I want to catch the fish. Not necessarily to harvest my catch for food. Sometime I just like to take a picture of the fish and release it back into the wild.  This is where I differ from most of the people in the above study. Those polled were found to be mostly views of fish. Only 14% went spear fishing (done in Wisconsin during certain seasons while fishing for sturgeon) and 8% to be rod and reel gear (Stroll, 2009).

As far as the decline of fishing and hunting among people in US, I would have to say that I would not fit in this particular group. If anything, I have actually gone fishing more than less. Granted this statistical data was from 2002.  This may have changed in the last ten years. But why would fishing and hunting be on the decline? There has been an influx of new fishing and hunting shows on TV. There are a number of fishing/hunting retailers that have a big investment on people going hunting and fishing, such as Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's. Along with the many other websites you can go to buy fishing lures from.  Vasts magazines on fishing techniques, fishing equipment, and the like.  As well as hunting magazines.  Many resorts and lodges have been set up for travelers to stay and rent/buy equipment, a guide, and other services to find the type of animal one is looking to hunt or fish.

The money spent associated with fishing and hunting may be why the sport is on the decline. Just purchasing a rod, reel, line and lures can get costly. Then there are storage devices for all the above. Most anglers don't just take one of each either. So the costs go up.If anyone has seen the costs associated with the newest lures on the market, they can tell you they are not cheap. Then you look at if you need a boat. And you need a license for each state that you are participating in fishing. The same goes for hunting I would think as well.

With the decline of fishing in America and the rise of nature-based travel and tourism, fish viewing may be the new way to see fish in their natural habitat. This goes along with the governments requirements and regulations on fishing in public bodies of water. Making the catch and release a good thing for most anglers. Size restrictions, total number of certain number of fish, and the time of year you can fish for certain fish has been set in motion of some time now.  This can make some anglers upset, and want to stop fishing. Now a new path can be taken for those still wanting to see the fish. As for me, I will continue to fish and not over harvest. 

Idolizing Chefs

A recent contestant on Top Chef on Bravo is having success opening up restaurants in the San Diego area. His newest venture is a $15 Million gamble. As reported today on  Inc. Brain Malarkery was a Top Chef contestant and finished in the top 4 of Top Chef: Miami and since July 2010 he has opened three restaurants and has a goal to open 15 more eateries nationwide over the next five years, each with an initial $15 million investment.

This is just another example of how the media and the masses are making Chefs the next big thing. There are many TV shows about Chefs and cooking in general, Top Chef on Bravo, Hell's Kitchen on Fox, as well as entire channels devoted to teaching those watching how to cook.  Such as Food Network and The Cooking Channel.  But why the big rush in seeing how to cook and personifying Chefs in such a way? I have a theory on the topic. Before stating it though I need to put a short disclaimer here saying that I have no problem with women in the workforce and happily enjoy it.

Prior to World War II the family unit was a whole. Families were together much more and the men left for work and the women tended to the house and children teaching them life lessons and cooking.   The US enters the war after Pearl Harbor and most all the men in America leave to fight. So most jobs are left vacant. Women  now enter the workforce in mass numbers to fill the void.  After WW II is over in 1945, the men return home and continue to work.  The women are also working.  So no one is home to raise the children and teach them life lessons, and basic cooking and cleaning methods. So a generation is developing that has not learned the basic cleaning and cooking skills that their parents and grandparents have known.This keeps happening, generation after generation.  Fast forward sixty plus years to the present and people aren't cooking at home.  Families are eating out more and more. So where does the family turn to learn the lessons of cooking, the television.

There has been cooking shows on since I was little and prior to that I am willing to bet. But only recently has the personification of Chefs hit mainstream TV.  This gives people a false sense of what Chefs really are.  As posted on Yahoo! answers about how much chefs make and their daily job duties, we learn that for every 3-4 big wig chefs making $75,000+ a year in the top US resorts and restaurants there are thousands working 80+ hours a week making less than $30,000 a year.  The media has blown the image way out of control.  Seeing a cooking show on TV where the celebrity Chef has a nice enjoyable atmosphere to work and looks to be clean gives people a false sense of what really goes on in a kitchen.  According to the dept of labor their description of a chefs work environment is different. Restaurants and other food service facilities where these workers are employed are required to be clean and sanitary. Although the seating areas of eating places are often attractive, kitchens can be crowded and hot and filled with potential dangers, such as hot ovens and slippery floors. Job hazards for those working in kitchens include slips and falls, cuts, and burns, but these injuries are seldom serious. Chefs, head cooks, and supervisors are under constant pressure to get meals prepared quickly, while ensuring quality is maintained and safety and sanitation guidelines are observed. Because the pace can be hectic during peak dining times, workers must be able to communicate clearly so that food orders and service are done correctly.Work hours in restaurants may include early mornings, late evenings, holidays, and weekends. Schedules for those working in offices, factories and school cafeterias may be more regular. In fine-dining restaurants, work schedules tend to be longer because of the time required to prepare ingredients in advance. Many executive chefs regularly work 12-hour days because they oversee the delivery of foodstuffs early in the day, plan the menu, and prepare those menu items that require the most skill.

If this sounds like something you would like to do, just go to your favorite eater. I bet they are hiring. Maybe you will get lucky and find yourself opening up a restaurant with a $15 million investment.