Looks like the boys had fun last week...

The US Interplanetary Marine Corps at Origins 2010.

Update: Propper Genuine Gear

I have been adding Propper's full line of products to our Web site, one by one, and the latest additions are the Genuine Gear BDU 4-Pocket Coat and Zipper-Fly Trouser, now available in Digital Subdued Urban.

Genuine Gear BDUs are manufactured to the same standards as Propper's regular BDUs and are available at a lower price. The coat features drain holes in Bellows pockets, fused pocket flaps and collar, chest pencil pocket, two-piece double-reinforced elbow and adjustable sleeve buttons.

The BDU trousers feature a zipper fly, six pockets (four with button flaps), double reinforced seat and knees, adjustable waist tabs, nylon drawstring leg closures and felled outseam, inseam and seat seam.

The 60% cotton / 40% polyester, heavy weight cloth is also a very sturdy and long-life performer in the Public Safety community. Manufactured in a ripstop weave, this cloth promotes good color integrity and easy care.

More Photos from Origins 2010

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mirvana/tags/darkthreadsorigins2010/

Dark Threads and Skirmisher @ Origins 2010

Our booth #332 at Origins 2010:

Skirmisher Publishing LLC: purveyor of fine roleplaying, miniatures, board, and live-action games, such as Nuisances Products, H.G Wells, d20 Materials, Cthulhu Live, and other standalone games.

I snagged a copy for myself of Muerte Al Chupacabras! - A Script for Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition, signed by the author, Will Thrasher. You can also get a free preview of d-Infinity - a multi-platform gaming supplement that looks like it's going to be very cool. Each issue will include it's on standalone game, free paper miniatures, articles by game designers, and other cool stuff.

US Interplanetary Marine Corps, making funny faces:-P, but don't they otherwise look sharp in their digital urban uniforms from DarkThreads.com?

You will find them in the TerrorWerks live action airsoft role-playing game - probably the most excitement to be had at Origins.

d-Infinity (d-∞) on facebook

d-Infinity now has a facebook page! Please "Like" us. Thanks.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/d-Infinity-d-/133120306712786

d∞ (“d-Infinity”) is a new multi-platform gaming supplement that will cover a wide variety of rules systems and include content that can be universally applied to many different sorts of table-top, live-action, and role-playing games.

Upcoming MGP event: OP Crystal Razor

Operation: Crystal Razor

July 10, 2010
Waynes World of Paintball
Ocala, FL
$35 Advance Registration / $40 Walk-On Reg

Register Online at www.mindgame-productions.com/store

Download Players Pack at http://mindgame-productions.com/nuke/files/CrystalRazorPlayersPack.pdf

"The days of drug cartels are over. I am not a drug dealer, and what I command is not a cartel. What I have can only be refered to an empire....and I am it's emperor"
Alberto Villa Lobos, head of the Mano del Dios drug cartel

As the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) reel under the increasingly effective counter-insurgency operations of the Colombian government, their need for financial support and channels for smuggling weapons into the country have grown more desperate. To keep the revolution alive, FARC leadership has grown increasingly reliant on the drug cartels that fund their operation in exchange for protection of drug operations and heavy fire-power to use against US and Colombian counter-narcotic forces.

Alberto Villa Lobos is now the most powerful drug lord in Colombia, after ruthlessly eliminating his competition and building considerable popular support among the local population. Now he leads one of the largest and most heavily armed drug cartels in the history of south America, with production spanning from Venezuela to Peru. They call themselves Mano del Dios (the hand of god) and now run FARC as a private army.

In April a group of D.E.A agents stopped a truckload of fruit crossing the border between Bolivia and Peru. Search of the vehicle revealed over 6 million dollars in cash and five hundred kilos of cocaine. One Cartel member was killed in the seizure. Two days later, cartel commandos firebombed a D.E.A safe house in Venezuela. 14 agents and 5 civilians were killed. Survivors fleeing the fire were executed. Violence between government troops, revolutionaries and cartel members spiked across Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru. In an attempt to stop the bloodshed a small United Nations task force was sent to Colombia to start negotiations. Alberto ignored the UN personnel until his son, Miguel, was gunned down in Mexico. Alberto ordered the diplomats captured and released a video on the Internet showing their torture and murder.

American response was clear. Alberto had gone too far. Federal Agents and combat troops gather in Brazil while surgical airstrikes pound into known cartel factories and FARC training camps. As the drug war escalates, the combatants ready themselves for the worst, while the next drug-lords wait like packs of wild dogs in anticipation of scavenging the ruins of the Mano del Dios empire.

JTF Dagger
Drug Enforcement Agency - Khaki
ACU / MultiCam - 2/75th Rangers
MARPAT - 1st Marine Division

Cartel Members
Civilian Clothing

FARC
Woodland, Olive Drab, Black or
another other uniform other than
ACU, Multicam and Khaki

Gaming: d∞ (“d-Infinity”)

Clipped from our partners at Skirmisher Publishing:

"d∞ (“d-Infinity”) is a new multi-platform gaming supplement that will cover a wide variety of rules systems and include content that can be universally applied to many different sorts of table-top, live-action, and role-playing games. It is jointly published by Armorcast (www.Armorcast.com), Dark Threads (www.DarkThreads.com), Flying Buffalo Inc. (www.FlyingBuffalo.com), Mindgame Productions (www.Mindgame-Productions.com), OffWorld Designs Inc. (www.OffworldDesigns.com), Skirmisher Publishing LLC (www.Skirmisher.com), and the United States Interplanetary Marine Corps (www.USSMC.net)."

Features of each issue will include free paper miniatures, tips on practical modeling, interviews with the luminaries of the gaming industry, new rules, stats, previews of upcoming product, and all sorts of other bonus content.

Look for a free preview of the publication, which will include a self-standing game, at a game store near you that is participating in Free RPG Day. Plus, subscribe now and get five issues instead of four, along with a free book from sponsor Skirmisher Publishing!

To subscribe or for more information, go to http://Skirmisher.Cerizmo.com.

Our adventures in Ft. Meade/Washington, D.C. this week

Of course, D.I. has been on military bases before, but it was my first time on a real army base (Ft. Meade).

I got to shake hands with a two-star general, who also happens to be a woman. That's pretty cool.

Talked with a bunch of retired army colonels (most of which still work for the army as contractors).

Watched one of our dear friends and associates, who also happens to be a colonel in the army, accept command of the newly christened AOG - Army Operations Group (formerly known as the AOA -army Operations Activity), in a formal ceremony in which he was presented with the colors, speeches were given, &etc. From what I gather, AOG is a very specialized group that conducts human intelligence operations. Yeah, that's who we roll with.

Looked at airplanes and stuff at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. Prolly the coolest thing in there, besides the vehicles that actually went into space and came back, is the scale model of the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier. The model builder put 1000+ hours into it.

Looked at a lot of military uniforms in the military history section. I took some photos, but will post those up later.

Also saw THE Star Spangled Banner - the original flag that inspired the words to the song. It's huge, kept in a dark room (for preservation purposes), and awe-inspiring. The flag-maker, Mary Pickersgill, was paid $405.90 - more than most people made in a year at the time - a good living for a seamstress. Good story on: How the Star-Spangled Banner was Made>.

A fun-filled 24 hours, and it couldn't have been a more beautiful day to walk around our nations capital.

Origins Game Fair 2010, Columbus, OH

Dark Threads, along with Skirmisher Publishing LLC, will be vending at Origins Game Fair, booth 332, Greater Columbus Convention Center, June 23-27. If you are planning on going to this event, please stop by and say hello! We'll have lots of cool military and tactical gear, t-shirts, and morale patches. Skirmisher Publishing is a purveyor of fine roleplaying, miniatures, board, and live-action games, such as Nuisances Products, H.G Wells, d20 Materials, Cthulhu Live, and other standalone games.

You also want to check out the TerrorWerks LARP there - always a fun time.

Photos: OP Vanguard, Battlefront, Ohio

Just posted up photos from another event we did last month at Battlefront Paintball in Hubbard, OH.

I had lots of fun that day playing with my airsoft sniper rifle;-) The field has an interesting history, too:

"In 1954, an explosion destroyed a gunpowder production facility located near Hubbard, Ohio. The Plant, which had been in production since the 1800's, was abandoned, and over the years the remaining buildings, bridges and rail lines became reforested and reclaimed by nature."

Save your face with a Save Phace Tactical Mask

As much as I love my sunglasses and goggles, some situations just call for a full-face mask, such as paintball, airsoft, or CQB training.

I always hated wearing full face masks until...I found Save Phace - the best mask that I personally have ever used, because of it's sleek low profile, it's resistance to fogging up on my extremely sweaty head*, and they are actually very comfortable to wear. That's why we carry the full line of Save Phace tactical masks, and I just updated our Web store to make sure that we have all of the different styles listed. I should probably also mention that these masks sport some really, really cool graphics:

There is a Save Phace mask for every budget. Prices range from $49.99 for the Diss Series, to the really radical Tagged Series, which features a custom paint job. You would normally pay around $350 for something on that level, but these are going for a cool $129.99, while supplies last. We have lots of masks in stock right now, even some limited editions that are becoming harder to find, and all the extras you might need, like spare lenses and cleaning kits. Please check them out in our store! Thanks.

*Being descended from a people that lived on a cold wet island, my head will perspire if either the temperature or humidity cracks 70.

Gear Spotting...

Sometimes, when watching TV or movies, I can't help but spot the gear. For example, remember when I posted an entry a while back about the WileyX specs showing up prominently in a certain episode of Stargate Universe?  Well this one is a bit more subtle, but I think I just saw a character on Burn Notice wearing a Vietnam Tiger Stripe T-Shirt -  which is very cool, and also available in our Web store, along with every other camo pattern you could want in a t-shirt. Jus' sayin'. Please check them out in our Web store! Thanks. 

Tacti-coolness: Woolrich Elite Lightweight Operator Shirts

More "cool" shirts for your summer wardrobe: the Woolrich Elite Lightweight Operator Long-Sleeve Shirt or Short-Sleeve Shirt are both made from a lightweight 100% cotton ripstop treated with DuPont Teflon® Fabric Protector to create a breathable, durable barrier to repel water and oil-based spills. They also feature:

• 2 chest pockets with hook-and-loop flap closures and an expansion pleat.
• Large zippered utility pockets located behind the chest pockets are ideal for documents or concealed carry. Pockets extend from below the chest to the top of the shoulder.
• Long-sleeve version offers adaptability: sleeve down for full sun protection and increased warmth, or roll the sleeves up and hold them in place with sewn-in sleeve tab.
• Underarm gussets on Long-sleeve version for comfort and vent hold for maximum airflow.
• Easy care: machine wash, tumble dry and cool iron as needed.

Making them very tacticool shirts, indeed. Available now in four colors: Black, Khaki, Sage, Navy and sizes  S-3XL. Please check them out in our Web store! Thanks. 

Remembering D-Day; links to photos and articles

"June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the operation a crusade in which “we will accept nothing less than full victory.” More than 5,000 Ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day’s end on June 6, the Allies gained a foot- hold in Normandy. The D-Day cost was high -more than 9,000 Allied Soldiers were killed or wounded -- but more than 100,000 Soldiers began the march across Europe to defeat Hitler." Learn more here.

See also:

D-Day on the American Experience, PBS

The National D-Day Memorial Foundation

World War II History: D-Day

The National World War II Museum

D-Day, UK site

Military.com, article "Time Can't Erase D-Day Memories" and D-Day as it Happened

Books:
D-Day: The Liberation of Europe Begins - Doug Murray - 2008
D-day: piercing the Atlantic wall - Robert J. Kershaw - 1994
D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy, June 6, 1944 - Randy Holderfield, Michael J. Varhola - 2001

Stay Cool this season in a Propper ICE Performance Polo

The new I.C.E. Performance Polo shirt from PROPPER is now available in our Web store! This tactical polo shirt is designed to dry fast and keep you cool, and has many great features that make it the on- or off-duty polo shirt. It features two pen pockets, two shoulder mic clips and a sunglass holder under the placket. Available in five colors, and sizes XS-5XL. Please check it out!

New: Revision Wolfspider Goggle

One of the new products that Revision rolled out this year, the Wolfspider is designed to be the most streamlined, low-profile goggle yet, providing the utmost in ballistic protection and performance. They feature an anti-fog coating, exceed military standards, they are comfortable and also look incredibly cool. They are the "It" goggle for military and tactical applications.

We have them in stock and ready to ship, and shipping is included in our already low-as-can-be price. The Deluxe package comes with three interchangeable lenses and lots of useful stuff like a carrying case, sleeve, re-usable anti-fog cloth. The Essential kit comes with two interchangeable lenses and the extra goodies. Please check them out in our Web store! And thanks for watching.

Photo: Dark Threads @ MAAPR event in MD

Photos: MAAPR Shattered Union event in MD

Photo albums:

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v415/decayd18/Shattered%20Union%202010/?start=all

http://s789.photobucket.com/albums/yy179/BoxxyLuvNTroll/Shatted%20Union%201/?start=all

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=180070&id=259180445687&l=0e46455e9d - even includes a pic of us!

Videos:

Raffle and recognitions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvoSCAyA1xU

http://vholdr.com/node/88672 -Grenades and Humvees

http://vholdr.com/node/88674 -Close Call

Office Take Down - http://vholdr.com/node/88679

Friendly Fire - http://vholdr.com/node/88682

Taking the Field - http://vholdr.com/node/88693

End Game - http://vholdr.com/node/88684

All - http://vholdr.com/users/WhiteWhale

Another office assault - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfsI0cKpSM8