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Paper Darts

Something for ben.

I'm assuming he checks this site from time to time, because I was just reading his blog and see that he has a less-than-interesting job at a place I know to be a godforsaken patch of earth, and at times he gets bored. The thrill of looking for scorpions and camel spiders must wear off after a while.

I think I have just the thing.

I met a man over the weekend by the name of Charles Shapiro. He's one of those overgrown boys who gets thrills out of silly stuff like...paper darts. His is a unique hobby, I think. And now that I've been infected, I thought I'd share the joy.

For everything you need to know to get into mischief, go to http://www.tomshiro.org/pdart/. (Or just Google "paper darts," and he's at the top of the list.)

(For some reason, my blog won't let me in-line link that. It says it's an unallowed URL. Anyone with a clue here, please give me one.)

Keep in mind that he says it takes about three hours to get the hang of making the darts, so don't give up after your first few attempts because the darn thing still won't stay stuck together. Hang in there...the payoff is great.

This is a hobby with possibilities, as you might imagine. It's cheap (or free, if you get castoff magazines), and practically risk-free, provided your target is wearing eye protection.

I had the benefit of watching him make his darts, so I've had a bit of instruction. I'm still not really good at it, but I see the possibilities.

Made properly, the darts don't require anything besides a slip of paper, a bit of spit and skill to craft (it takes him ~30 seconds to make one, start to finish), and they fly remarkably straight for surprisingly long distances. Just shooting random stuff with paper yourself is entertaining, but if you have a friend who is also infected with the paper darts virus, you have something better than paintball.

Think about it. Get a bit of copper tubing and give it a go. You'll thank me.

d

This entry was posted by diana and filed under home.

2 comments

Comment from:

Aw now. They’re supposed to be (relatively) harmless (except for the “warhead” section of his site, I mean).

I was under the impression that you were mid-tour. Welcome back home. Isn’t it amazing, after four months (?) at Balad, how even normal air–air that doesn’t smell like a burning garbage pile tempered with parfum de l’outhouse, I mean–is a thing of joy? :)

d

07/09/05 @ 14:16
Comment from:

ben,

Welcome. And thanks for the compliment. That means I accomplished at least one of my goals.

I know what you mean about everything seeming so incredibly precious when you first get back to civilization. I swear…each crust of bread I ate in freedom, each time I pulled on a pair of blue jeans, and when my dog nosed me because he wanted attention…it was all very special and very intense for me for quite some time. It’s rather like graduating boot camp, isn’t it? Only far more intense.

I still jump/jerk when I hear a muffled thud of that just-right intensity, though. I’m not sure if that will ever go away. How frequent/intense are the nightmares?

My GAL address is under Phylis. It’s my AF name. ;) But you’ve thanked me enough. I’m pleased to have provided some needed help.

d

07/09/05 @ 20:43