Fat Ninja

So we went out to Jantzen Beach Center for the first time last night. While heading over to Target to meet Marco and get cash to purchase carousel tokens for the kids, we stopped at a Cingular kiosk to look at all the phones that are better than ours. As we were turning away, that’s when I saw it: Highlander Knives and Swords.

This is the kind of store you’ll find at any reputable mall, replete with broadswords, nunchaku, throwing stars, butterfly knives, samurai swords, and things of that ilk. It’s the kind of store that every man walks into with absolutely no intention of purchasing anything. We gravitate to these venues simply to look upon the tools that our forefathers employed in the impaling, maiming, and disemboweling of one another.

But Highlander was unique as far as these sorts of establishments go. Only one half of the store was devoted to melee weapons of all shapes and sizes, which were all very cool. It was what stocked the shelves of the store’s other half that really had me intrigued: Airsoft guns. For those who don’t know, airsoft guns are scale replicas of real firearms. Some are spring-loaded, meaning you have to cock it each time. Then you have gas operated and electric airsoft guns. All of them fire small, plastic bb’s.

Now, most people who know me are aware of my penchant for all things military. If you’ve seen my game collection or my cube at work, you’ll know that I’m obssessed with the modern military in particular. I’m a vicarious Spec Ops operative; a lethal weapon in my own mind. Anything that enables me to play that role, short of enlisting, is immediately set upon by my imagination.

That said, I’m looking to pick one of these up in the near future. The local airsoft groups I’ve found online all seem pretty hardcore; meaning that they have a complete set of camo fatigues, knee pads, communicators, tactical vests and the like. I haven’t really found an entry level group, so that leaves me to recruit friends and co-workers. Our room-mate’s on board, as is Dean. It’ll take some work, but I think we can get a group together.