cragspider

I thought that I would post up that I just got a XD45 bi tone stainless from Budspolicesupply.com for Fathers Day. M2 maybe you can send some of your 45 my way. They offer a good discount to Military/LE. I will post up pics once get it in.

I just went to the gun show here in Abilene, saw this its a 10/22 converted to look like a Tommy gun. You can order the kit here. I was going to make my 10/22 a target gun but I think that I may just have to do this instead. No body would even budge on their prices for guns and they wanted at least a 1 a round for 380, and were selling the WWB 45 for 60. However they did have some good deals on some mags and other stuff. It's interesting how last summer it was gas was really bad, now ever since Nov 2 and even worse since Jan 30 you just can't find ammo unless your there when it gets unloaded, and the prices are high. I just wonder when the prices will come back down on everything. I know its all Fear and demand at this point, but seriously now.

I know that they have had other wieght lifting comps before but this is just utterly retarted.

I will second the BBQ places minus Joe Allen's. I have been there a couple of times now and the food wasn't the greatest. I would hit up Sharron's though. Once Joe and Sharron split the quality went down at Joe's and Sharron has started her own BBQ joint along with Lyttle Land and Cattle. Famous Dave's for chain BBQ is ok, but I would hit up the local places before I would hit up a chain BBQ place in Tx.

I will put in my .02 on living here in Abilene. Over all its a great town, like SuperWSO said it has a good amount of restaurants and shopping. However the only major electronics store is Best Buy now. But oh well. Alot of people buy out onthe southwest side of town, but there are some good places up on the northeast side past ACU, the largest of the 3 colleges. Plus the northeast side past I-20 isn't as developed/built up like the southwest side around the mall area. So the traffic isn't as bad out here. There is the newer super wally world here, has some of the best gas prices in town, a Lowes, a Cracker Barrel, and other small shops that are popping up. Plus their is a new commercial development that is going up soon out here. There is one neighborhood that is out past I-20, which is a nice place, a lot of military lives out here, one because is a little farther away from base so you don't hear the Bones at all hours of the day taking off, traffic isn't bad, really quiet place. Im a 15 min drive to base, so I like it cause it gives me some decompression time on the drive home. Oh its also 15 min drive to anywhere in town. Most of the people selling houses in this town are mil, plus like others have said the housing market didn't really see the bubble grow so houses are decently priced for the size and the age of the house. You make the best of every location that your at, the people who talk bad about Dyess/Abilene haven't been here yet or were single and didn't get out much. I know a lot of people who like it here, sure its not some other locations but I wasn't really thrilled with Little Rock when I was there for school. I hope that this helps.

Ok one question. After seeing the Blues monday poll, how can somebody get away with mission planning on a monday to get out of wearing blues? Correct me if Im wrong but normally mission planning doesn't involve going out to the jet, or doing anything that could be doen in blues? So how are you people getting away with this? I understand for the E's if they have you come out and taxi preflight the jet but for the O's I don't understand. I hate this as much as everybody else, but it comes to a point to shut up and color at some point.

The Nuge Rocks. If you haven't already read Ted, White, and Blue go read it. He has some great ideas for the gun control issue along with protecting our boarders.

Yep, the funny thing is that I don't have a pistol that shoots .45 yet. Just stocking up. I will be getting one in the next few weeks just checked with a local store on the transfer fee price. Walmart said that when they get it in, they don't know what they are going to be getting in. I will defiantly be keeping an eye out for more. Especially in the .380 and .45. It seems that 9mm at Academy right now is easy to get, but in a couple of days who knows.

They were the 100 count box's.

Ammo update. I was out at Academy here in Abilene and they were out of just about everything in the handgun ammo. Had a few boxes of 9mm and some 45 but nothing else. Checked at Walmart and all they had in was 2 box's of WWB 45, which I got both, and about 6 boxes of the WWB in .38 Special. Both places said that they are having a hard time getting in anything in the hand gun ammo. I don't know if this is just in TX but they couldn't tell me when they were going to be getting in different kinds of ammo in. Is anybody else seeing this kind of ammo shortage in other states as well? But on to the PMAG's mag's for the -15 they had 4 or 5 in for 30.

I price checked at Academy on fri so that I had an idea of a new price and they had the XD-45 service model for 529, or 520. At the gun show the lowest that I saw the XD45 for was 570, high as 650+ and those looked to be brand new. There were a few XD-M's and they were all 640+. But for 530 for a new XD-45 its not to bad. M2, what do you think of the compact version of the XD-45? I know that it only carries 10+1, but you can put the mag extension on it and use the full size 45 mag's. I am torn between the compact and the full service models.

Ok I have figured out that I want the XD. I know that Glock and Sig offer mil discounts, but didn't know that SA did. How do you go about getting the discount applied? Just show them your mil id? or ask about the mil discount? Sorry if this sounds alittle newbie but just trying to get the best deal when I get the gun. By the way went to the gun show in Abilene today and most if not all the XD's were a little or way over priced.

In my time over there, I have seen a lot of guys taking all kinds of performance enhancing products. I had a flight doc fly with us a couple of times and some of my crew was taking NO explode and other stuff like it. They asked him about it and he preaty much told them that it was just motivation in a bottle. I could get just about the same thing from the Rip It's that are at Salem, or drink Red Bull or some other kind of energy drink. But if you want to spend the money go ahead. But as for me on the loosing weight and getting into shape. The food was so bad that I just ate grilled cheese and lost weight. But just getting your ass to the gym to do some activity. Plus having to walk every where helps.

I duno if any of you all have seen the newest commercial for Gutiar Hero world tour or not. But here is it in all of Hedi's goodness. edit - video link fixed.

If I were you, I would just wear the BDU's that you got when you were in ROTC. As long as you have a set of BDU's for now, I would wait on getting the ABU's untill 2011. But if you feel so inclined to get some ABU's I would just go ahead and get the green boots. Cause you will get the tan boots issued from your flying squadron along with your dessert flight suits. But by the time you get MR we might not be over there much longer.

Out of those, I would recomend the Bersa. For the price its the cheaper one. I have it and love it. Very easy to take apart, light, and you can get it with 9 rounds if you get the right model. Plus all the reviews that I have read on it are great.

From Foxnews.com - The jet, which was headed for Van Nuys, Calif., is owned by Global Exec Aviation, a California-based charter company, and was certified to operate last year, Hersman said.

Well I can only speak from one base point of view. So here is my info/advice. It still is 4 on 4 off for Dyess, but that's cause there is only 2 squadrons here. I know that they have reduced the # of different models flying over there so they don't need as many crews out there. Some base's have been sent home completely but those are the ones that are getting the J's so they are sending all the old birds other places. Just from what I know talking to my buds that are at the Rock they still go for the 4 months but they are going out about once a year now. But if you like the idea of being on a great plane working with 4-5 other crew dogs flying around then its a great plane. I love the mission, wouldn't trade it for the world, being able to drop 64 dudes or a 42000 lb piece of equipment is pretty freaking cool.

So I guess thats why we let some of the good people VSP and keep the ones we shouldn't huh? Don't get me wrong I love being in the AF but its heritage is where I see stuff lacking, its nothing compared to the Marines or hell even the Army. If the leaders say we want to go back to our heritage then why don't we bring out the uniforms form the good old days. Hell besides the Marines getting new BDU's I don't think that they have changed their dress uniform in a long time, or even their slogan.

That is a great pic. But as most of you all have heard that pic caught a lot of flack for it. From what I was told by the Group CC at Salem in June that because of that pic a lot of shit rolled down hill at said location for it. I don't know the specifics, but its just sad that we can't have any fun at all. I think we need to get the PC out of the military and bring back some of the good old traditions of pre PC years since thats the way that the Air Force is wanting to go, back to our heritage.

Well here is some more info on the supposed "Chemtrails" that was in the Abilene Reporter newpaper today. I am sad to say that this guy even lives in the same area and they out this crap in the local paper. Oh well I guess that it was a slow news day yesterday to let them put this in. On with the article. Abilene man wants to warn you about the dangers of 'chemtrails' Darrin McBreen wants people to look up in the sky -- and contemplate what might be happening up there that might be affecting us down here. McBreen, 41, has created a popular YouTube video, featuring footage shot in Abilene, examining "chemtrails," a term derived from the belief of some researchers that certain jet plane contrails dump chemicals on an unsuspecting populace below. The reasons given for such alleged activity vary. Some advocates link it to weather control experimentation, while other researchers tie in more dire effects, ranging from ill health to (at the extreme end) a program of mind control, echoing other historical examples of overt experimentation on mass human populations. McBreen, who is an Abilene Reporter-News Internet media consultant, said the response to his roughly nine-minute video was both surprising and pleasing. "The response has been incredible," he said. "About 30,000 people have seen it in a week's time. ... I've received responses from all over the world." Feedback has ranged from confirmation and personal anecdote to overt snark -- along the lines of "Are you wearing your tinfoil helmet?" he joked. But his video, "Danger In the Sky -- The Chemtrail Phenomenon," has maintained a five-star rating on YouTube and garnered more than 600 comments, features interviews with figures such as Austin-based radio personality Alex Jones, speaking over footage of planes flying among familiar Abilene landmarks. A contrail, short for condensation trail, is a line-shaped cloud sometimes produced by aircraft engine exhaust, according to a U.S. Air Force online document "Contrails Facts." The combination of high humidity and low temperatures that often exist at aircraft cruise altitudes allows for their formation. Such contrails are composed primarily of water, in the form of ice crystals, and "do not pose health risks to humans," according to the Air Force site. But advocates of chemtrail and other related theories argue that isn't always the case, although their reasons differ -- often wildly. McBreen said chemtrails appealed to him as a video subject because he believes the concept has credibility. "It started out with an article by Devvy Kidd," he said. Kidd, a journalist who lives in Big Spring, is sometimes featured on the Web site of Jeff Rense, a radio talk-show host who often deals with controversial topics such as chemtrails. "I thought that was kind of interesting that (Kidd) was from the Big Country," he said. According to Rense's Web site, chemtrails "look like contrails initially but are much thicker, extend across the sky and are often laid down in varying patterns of Xs, tic-tac-toe grids, cross-hatched and parallel lines." Such trails, according to a Frequently Asked Questions file on Rense's site, "expand and drop feathers and mares' tails. In 30 minutes or less, they open into wispy formations which join together, forming a thick white veil or a 'fake cirrus-type cloud' that persists for hours." A normal contrail "is supposed to dissipate over 30 seconds to three minutes," McBreen said. Many researchers also report a sort of cross-hatching effect of interspersed contrails, which some take to be sky-based markers, and unusual behavior of the planes themselves, circling and looping to cover and recover an area in ways they find to be anomalous. Like many, McBreen believes some chemtrail sightings can be tied to weather experimentation, with side effects such as spikes in elements such as "aluminum and barium in drinking water supplies and in the air," he said. Some who have communicated with him because of the video have agreed, even going so far as to say they can "taste the aluminum" in their mouths from chemtrails in their area, he said. "Some of the more hard-core researchers wonder if it isn't a type of population control, with the intent to wear down your immune system," he said. "When I first heard that, I found that to be pretty extreme. But the United States has a long history of chemical and biological testing on its own personnel." McBreen mentioned a 1994 "Rockefeller Report," often quoted on conspiracy and chemtrail Web sites, detailing alleged experiments performed on U.S. soldiers. The report, "Is Military Research Hazardous to Veterans' Health? Lessons Spanning Half a Century," indicates it was prepared for the U.S. Senate's Committee on Veterans' Affairs in December 1994. Among the report's conclusions are that "for at least 50 years, (the Department of Defense) has intentionally exposed military personnel to potentially dangerous substances, often in secret." That said, the U.S. Air Force's Web site describes the entire chemtrail theory as a hoax, which it claims has been investigated and refuted by established and accredited universities, scientific organizations, etc. Specifically, the Air Force notes that a contrail can remain visible for long periods of time with its lifetime a function of temperature, humidity, winds and aircraft exhaust characteristics -- and that such contrails can form many shapes as they are dispersed by horizontal and vertical wind shear. Similarly, skeptics assert the changeover from turbojet to turbofan engines results in a different appearance than what some chemtrail theorists remember contrails used to look like. Requests for a comment from Dyess Air Force Base on Tuesday were met with referrals to the Air Force's official position on the phenomenon. McBreen said that while chemtrail research is thriving on the Internet, it is important for people to understand that the evidence is "not limited to photos and videos posted on the Web." There are military reports, government studies, U.S. patents and U.S. legislation that back up claims by researchers," he said. "The Space Preservation Act of 2001 mentions chemtrails by name, for example." In the Act, which seeks to "preserve the cooperative, peaceful uses of space for the benefit of all humankind by permanently prohibiting the basing of weapons in space by the United States," chemtrails are described, along with lasers, plasma, electromagnetic, sonic, ultrasonic weapons, and others as "exotic weapons systems." Mainstream media reports are included in McBreen's video, most notably television news reports from KSLA News in Louisiana (which McBreen said "confirms barium in Chemtrails") and a "report from NBC News 4 in Los Angeles where residents reported getting ill from chemtrail activity," he said. McBreen said he would simply like to see more open debate on the topic. "Not every contrail you see that stays up there might be a chemtrail," he said. "But we do know that there are weather modification programs. We do know that they are cloud seeding. And we do know that they have experimented on their own people in the past." It isn't the end of McBreen's video-making. Next, he plans to tackle the topic of depleted uranium, used in munitions and considered controversial because of what some believe could be potential long-term health effects.

Or they could do what the Kuwati's do with the wi-fi here at Salem, just filter out the porn/sexual content sites. Granted the wi-fi is slow and not really worth the pirce you pay but at least we can us a web cam and chat with our familys back home. I don't even want to know how slow it is going to be at the died.

Each room should have a converter in it so that you can plug in your good old US electronic stuff, plus it steps down the voltage as well. The internet access that they have isn't as restrictive as we have back here in the states but you can't use chat programs or visit sites like myspace and other personal pages. If you want to you can have the com guys wipe your personal laptop so you can plug it up to the network there unless you happen to get a room with a computer in it. I know that my squadron when I was there we each had a computer in the room that we could check our work email as well as check most web based email sites. Hope that this helps.

I know some buddies of mine who were CFI's and they were 6'4" or taller and had no problem sitting in it. The key was that the seats are reclined back some so that helped out. But it was funny to watch them get in it.

From what I was told about the "grey" paint jobs on the t-1's and the t-6's was that they had money left over and needed to spend it, but they only painted a handful of them. Also some Gen. wanted to make the pilot's/students feel like in an operational jet and not in trainer. However it just makes them even harder to see. But what do I know that was what they told a lowly Lt. [ 22. December 2006, 10:50: Message edited by: cragspider ]