M2

Good analogy! I love V-twin sportbikes, and the Ducatis much like every other Italian marque make great-looking machines, but mechanically they are a nightmare and expensive to own. The SV gives you all the characteristics of a Duc without the ass pain! Cheers! M2

I've had my bike rolled into the same crate as my couch, but usually they will pack it in its own separate container. But if you are hauling yourself, it can easily be put into a U-haul. Probably better off being inside a truck instead of on a trailer, unless you are planning to drive straight through... Cheers! M2

I am sitting in Atlanta-Hartsfield during a six-hour layover, and I am amazed at all the Army bubbas running around here in their ACUs. There has to be at least a dozen of them in the food court where I am sitting. I know the USAF policy was blues-only if flying commercially, with exceptions of course. But if I had to guess I would say the Army seems to be encouraging its troops to travel on commercial air in ACUs. Is this the result of yet another clever Army recruiting campaign? Or is the Army so anal that it doesn’t allow its troops one set of civilian clothes to wear while traveling on commercial flights? To be honest, it reeks of that beer commercial a while back, where everyone in the airport terminal starts clapping when some troops walk through it… Well, back to my $4 cup of coffee! Cheers! M2

Hard to say, I am no expert on the CJ5. But from the pics, it is a little banged up and I would think anything with 200K on it would go cheaper. Go check out this web site to find out if you got your money's worth. Are you out at Randolph? Cheers! M2

No doubt, Budvar is quite enjoyable, Bud is not... But like many great European brews, I fear Budvar would be wasted on most Americans. Nothing personal, but your average American beer drinker prefers mass-brewed pisswater. Cheers! M2

Actually, Budwar, the Czech beer that Budweiser gets its name from, isn't that bad. I drank a lot of it when I was in the Slovak Republic many years ago. What is interesting is that it's called The Beer of Kings! They just reversed it for Bud... Cheers! M2

Nothing creepy about it, just wanted to know what all the commotion is about. Hell, you could've posted a pic of any old tart off the Internet, how in the hell would any of us know? Anyhow, I guess a lot has changed in the last 20+ years since I was an AFROTC cadet. Shit, no one ever gave us ID cards (had one from the Reserves); and no one in our cadre gave a rat's ass as to who we were banging, as long as said action took place outside the Det (and it didn't always). But as you said, you're not breaking up with her, so you will learn a very valuable lesson that will serve you well in your career--how to get past dumbfuck policies and shoeclerks and focus on what's important. Just don't get caught. Cheers! M2

Congrats, you have earned it! You've done more for this country than approximately 90% of its citizens (Nearly 26 million Americans living today have served in the military--24 million of these veterans are men, and nearly half are over age 60. There are 301 million people in the US [Source]). I did some quick research on noncitizens serving in the military, and found some interesting facts... Be proud, this is a major milestone in your life. Good on ya! Cheers! M2

Dude, you've just absolutely, positively guaranteed you are going to Barksdale... Cheers! M2

Trogdor I am debating the lift/tires dilemma myself; but check out this web site. it will help you make up your mind... And don't forget you need a Texas OHV Decal to ride in the places MacGyver listed, you can buy them at the places listed here... Cheers! M2

The USAF V-22s arrived at Hurlburt back on 16 Nov, I was at JSOU at the time and posted a video in this thread. Honestly, it was interesting to finally see one up close. Cheers! M2

Very nice CJ, skibum! I almost wouldn't want to take that beauty offroad, as she is in excellent shape! And I am beginning to think I need a lift kit and some 33's soon to keep up with you guys! Cheers! M2

USMCAirWinger The Unlimited has the Dana 44 in the rear. I like your rig, I would've preferred a Rubicon but they are harder to find in the Unlimited and my desire for an auto transmission narrows the field even more. Still, I was mucking about with my Unlimited this afternoon in Culebra Creek and it did alright in stock form. I also filled the tank for the second time, so now I have good idea of my gas consumption, around 16-17 MPG with mostly highway commuting but some 4WD fun thrown in. I also rigged up some auxillary lights on the front bumper, and circumvented the fog light relay to allow them to be on with my high beams. Here are some pics of my Unlimited looking a little bit more like a Jeep (i.e. dirty)... (Click on thumbs for man-sized pic) Cheers! M2

Not all that clever, funny or original; but still gave us a chuckle--in Bosnia we used to tape pictures of PIFWCs (Persons Indicted For War Crimes, such as Ratko Mladić and Radovan Karadžić) on unsupected twerp's NATO badges. The were 'wanted' posters of them all over the headquarters, but usually no one noticed (including the cops). Cheers! M2

I can give you some of the S.A. gouge, but remember I am on the other side of town at Lackland. Still, this is a great place for several reasons. I won't rehash them as it has been discuss ad naseum already; but feel free to PM me if there are any specifics. Plus, I work with a guy who was at Randolph so I can get good info from him. Also, there are some good online grad programs out there, I am working on my second one, this time through American Military University, might want to give them a look. There are other programs out there, also discussed ad nasuem on this forum. Cheers! M2

She needs to start crayola'ing some pictures of herself nude so her boyfriend/ex/some other bozo can sell them on eBay if she ever OD's on dietary drugs, ala Anna Nicole Smith... Cheers! M2

Slacker Thanks, I saw the 4WD Hardware catalog at the Jeep dealership when I was buying my TJ (technically, I think it is an LJ), and I subscribed to their forum last night. And I was already familiar with the "Jeep wave"...matter of fact, a fellow Wrangler did so as I was pulling out of the dealership on Saturday. I am going to try and contain my spending on the Jeep, as I already have a long list of items I want to buy for my two motorcycles as well as several more guns that I would like to add to the collection. But I do have a few items I wouldn't mind getting...some auxillary lights for the front bumper and a bikini top (the VDP KoolBreeze Brief Top looks interesting). I have a bud with an Unlimited up in the Springs who has a bikini top that I might borrow, just to see how it works. But all in all, I am digging the new Jeep! I hope we get some decent weather here soon so I can really enjoy it. Cheers! M2

I gotta disagree, I made the jump from dirt bikes to a 700cc street bike without problem. I think you will tire of the smaller twin quicker, and if you keep a healthy respect for the bike and remember that everybody is trying to kill you, you shoudl survive on the street. But as I said, get proper gear and I don't just mean a helmet. Hell, I don't even recommend the lighter mesh jackets that are so popular. Get leather with body armor, and if you can't stand the heat then don't ride. And if you ride seriously, jeans and sneakers don't cut it. Get real motorcycle boots and leathers, and don't skimp on gloves as the first thing that usually hits the ground are your hands (natural habit of trying to break your fall). Personally, I would go for the SV650, especially with the aftermarket pipes. V-twin sportbikes have more "soul" (e.g. Ducatis and Honda RC51), but my litre-class inline four kicks ass. I am amazed at how much torque it has, especially compared to the inline fours I have ridden in the past. But it is still shy of what a V-configured engine will put out. Cheers! M2

Tough call, it is all a matter of which engine you prefer, a V-twin or an inline four? Personally, although I ride an inline four mostly, I love the torque of V-configured engine (I also have a V4 ST1100). But as I have stated, I would be wary of a streetfighter, as most are created as a result of a sportbike being wrecked... Cheers! M2

Tertle Just be aware that in most cases streetfighter = pre-crashed sportbike. Check the frame, forks and wheel alignment closely. Also look for replaced cases on the engine, and any "bondo" work in places where people usually don't look, e.g. under the bike. If you aren't familiar with bikes, or just want a second opinion, try and find someone who knows bikes to go with you. It always helps to have a second opinion, especially someone who isn't buying the bike. I know that seems like a lot, but if you are going to drop some dosh on a used bike, you might as well get your money's worth! Cheers! M2

I was at SHAPE for three years and unfortunately, I found the Belgians violate Beaver's #1 rule of not fruiting the beer too often. But I also did four years in Germany and two in the UK, so maybe I was spoiled... Cheers! M2

Beaver Too late, pulled the trigger early this afternoon... Paid $19K and change out the door, with tax, title and all that bullshit. It's almost the same color as the old USAF staff cars, I wonder if there is some kind of Freudian connection there? Got some rubber floormats and a locking gas cap on the way home. Dropped a few basic necessities in it once I got to the house and now it is sitting out getting rained on. Weather in San Antonio sucks this weekend, upper 30s and rain. But next week will be nice, and I am sure we are in for another long, hot summer. It'll be more fun then... Cheers! M2

Mike I'm with ya! I wish I could find a late model Rubicon Unlimited in an auto is tough. Nothing locally, and I really don't have time to drive one back from Cleveland. Plus they run about $3-4K more. There is one up south of Dallas, but it has almost double the mileage on it (35K vs 21K) and it is still $2K more. Plus it has the hard top, and I am not really interested in that. I am waiting to hear back from that seller, but I have already transferred the money into checking so I could buy the Unlimited I drove yesterday outright. I hate car payments, I'd rather save the money I would pay on interest. Cheers! M2

OK, went out and drove a couple of used Unlimiteds today. They were basically the same, both had between 21-22K on them, almost the same color (blue versus dark blue), and about the same price ~$18K. Here's my impressions... First, call me old whatever but the auto drove a heckuva lot better than the manual. I don't know, but it seemed like I was constantly shifting the 6-speed. We took the auto off road a little and it was a lot easier to drive. Second, the Unlimiteds drive better than I expected them to! The longer wheelbase makes a difference. Thirdly, taking the windows off was pretty easy, as we folding back the top (the "suncatcher" option). We didn't fold the top all the way back but I took all the windows off and lowered the back window, and that took about 5-10 minutes for someone who never did that before. Fourthly, if you want something that gets good gas mileage, don't get a Jeep! I wish these things came in turbo diesels like you can get in Europe, that would help somewhat. Fifthly, yes, they are not cars, but they are still fun. About all I would need is a bikini top for it, and possibly those big lights for the top of the bumper. But I can see this might get expensive, as there is a lot you can do to customize a Jeep! I am about 85% sure I am gonna pull the trigger on one. I probably won't get rid of my other car right away, I won't get much for it and I might as well get my money out of it. Cheers! M2

Depends on when you took the MSF course. Back in "the day," you only had to take it once but I think the rules have changed and now it is required every couple of years. But as it is taught for free on most bases, that isn't a problem. But the USAF uses the MSF courses (either basic or experienced rider, it doesn't matter), so if you already have one and it is current, you have the exact same training as you would have gotten on base. And for anyone who hasn't taken the MSF courses, if you have ridden a motorcycle before than I suggest you go for the experienced rider course. The basic one is way too basic for most people who already know how to ride a bike. Cheers! M2