text:
NOTE: Quick-Release Mount Kit (sold separately) required for this product. Go to the PRODUCTS BY BIKE menu and select your exact year/make/model to see which Mount Kit is required to fit your bike. All Mount Kits are model-specific.
The Spartan® Windshield's stainless steel frame, finished in stealth black powdercoat, puts this full size windshield in a category of its own.
Spartan leads the way in high value/low cost, Quantum® hardcoated polycarbonate, quick release windshields!
The Spartan Windshield mounts to National Cycle's SwitchBlade® Quick Release Mount Kit. You can install or remove this windshield in less than 5 seconds – with NO TOOLS!
To top it off, Spartan Windshields are covered by National Cycle's exclusive 3-Year Warranty against breakage!
Additional Information
|Material Finish
|Quantum® Hardcoated
|Secondary Material
|Stainless Steel
|Secondary Material Finish
|Mount Type
|SwitchBlade® Quick Release Mount Kit Required
Write Your Own Review
Customer Reviews
- Spartan® Windshield Review by Nichole Cheza, Professional Flat Track Racer
- The Spartan® is by far the nicest quality windshield I've ever used. It goes on and off very easily, it's extremely scratch resistant, and it blocks the wind just great. (Posted on 10/22/2014)
Headlight Cutout to Top of Screen: 16.25" (41.3cm)
Width Across Back at Widest Point: 18.00" (45.7cm)


text:
Requests of this size will be slow to render in the selected HTML format.
Consider CSV output for data delivery up to 30x faster than HTML.
Proceed with HTML or CSV?
Report Interval/Duration must be greater than Function Base Data Interval/Duration.
Otherwise, computed functions will be calculated from a single base data value.
The input field for selecting a station is an auto-suggest input field. You can select
stations by first selecting a network in the "Select network" pull-down and then
typing some or all of a station id or station name in the "Enter station(s)" box.
Once a search string is entered, a list of the first 10 matches will be provided.
If the first character entered is a digit, it will look for station ids that match,
otherwise it will look for station names that match. Click on a station to add
it to the list of selected stations.
The wildcard characters '*' (match any zero or more characters) and '?' (match against any one character)
can be used.
As you type more characters, the list of suggestions will change to match the current
search pattern.
You can limit the stations suggested to a particular state by adding ":" followed
by the 2-character state code of the state to the end of the search string.
If you already know the station ids of the stations to add, just type the id in the "Enter station(s)"
input field and click on the "Add" button (or press "Enter" twice). You don't have to wait for the
suggestions to appear and to click on the suggestion. (Note: if the selected network is
COOP, then you must enter the station id followed by ":" and followed by the 2-character state code
of the station, because COOP station ids are not unique).

subset: commoncrawl


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Royalty free music for videos looping hybrid cinematic score, designed as an underscore or a theme for action-adventure films or games. It contains both orchestral elements, as atmospheric strings or pizzi cellos, and electronic elements and effects, like distorted basses and sequences, to add a more modern or futuristic feel.
The structure is based on an evolving mood of suspense and tension. There are four parts: the intro (composed of steady percussion and deep, dark, ominous strings and brass, as well several tension building effects); the electro sequence coming in on the second part suggests an advancement in the mission, as well as an increase of the potential danger; while the last part is suitable for the moment when the mission has taken a turn for the good and the goal is close to being achieved, which we can assume happened only during the resolved sounding outro. Loops are provided so that these levels of tension can be edited to suit numerous projects:
- Full version (2:08) – it loops seamlessly for increased background usability
- Loop 1 (0:24) – first level of tension, heard on the preview 2:08-2:32
- Loop 2 (0:24) – second level of tension, heard on the preview 2:33-2:57
This is most suitable for stealth video games, be it a first-person (or third-person) shooter or even a platform game. It's the perfect soundtrack for those levels when the hero must infiltrate an enemy military compound and he must remain undetected for the course of the mission, similar also to a hacker (think Mac Quayle scores). All killings must be performed with mêlée weapons, like a knife, a garotte, brass knuckles, a stun gun or a tranquilizer and maybe a pistol with a silencer. The constant tension of the music suggests the ever present armed guards or surveillance cameras, which must be avoided at all cost. The same applies to dynamic action movies, about spies and special agents, who must extract top secret papers from buildings with state of the art security.


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What in the world could a person do with a bottomless glass? Well, a doctor or lawyer wouldn't have much use for one, but in the hands of a magician, the glass works miracles. Make items change, vanish and appear. You can even make silks penetrate through this seemingly solid glass.
Do you own this product? Write a review.


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The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has released a new definition of addiction highlighting that addiction is a chronic brain disorder and not simply a behavioral problem involving too much alcohol, drugs, gambling or sex. This the first time ASAM has taken an official position that addiction is not solely related to problematic substance use.
When people see compulsive and damaging behaviors in friends or family members -- or public figures such as celebrities or politicians -- they often focus only on the substance use or behaviors as the problem. However, these outward behaviors are actually manifestations of an underlying disease that involves various areas of the brain, according to the new definition by ASAM, the nation's largest professional society of physicians dedicated to treating and preventing addiction.
"At its core, addiction isn't just a social problem or a moral problem or a criminal problem. It's a brain problem whose behaviors manifest in all these other areas," said Dr. Michael Miller, past president of ASAM who oversaw the development of the new definition. "Many behaviors driven by addiction are real problems and sometimes criminal acts. But the disease is about brains, not drugs. It's about underlying neurology, not outward actions."
The new definition resulted from an intensive, four-year process with more than 80 experts actively working on it, including top addiction authorities, addiction medicine clinicians and leading neuroscience researchers from across the country. The full governing board of ASAM and chapter presidents from many states took part, and there was extensive dialogue with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
The new definition also describes addiction as a primary disease, meaning that it's not the result of other causes such as emotional or psychiatric problems. Addiction is also recognized as a chronic disease, like cardiovascular disease or diabetes, so it must be treated, managed and monitored over a life-time.
Two decades of advancements in neurosciences convinced ASAM that addiction needed to be redefined by what's going on in the brain. Research shows that the disease of addiction affects neurotransmission and interactions within reward circuitry of the brain, leading to addictive behaviors that supplant healthy behaviors, while memories of previous experiences with food, sex, alcohol and other drugs trigger craving and renewal of addictive behaviors. Meanwhile, brain circuitry that governs impulse control and judgment is also altered in this disease, resulting in the dysfunctional pursuit of rewards such as alcohol and other drugs. This area of the brain is still developing during teen-age years, which may be why early exposure to alcohol and drugs is related to greater likelihood of addiction later in life.
There is longstanding controversy over whether people with addiction have choice over anti-social and dangerous behaviors, said Dr. Raju Hajela, past president of the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine and chair of the ASAM committee on the new definition. He stated that "the disease creates distortions in thinking, feelings and perceptions, which drive people to behave in ways that are not understandable to others around them. Simply put, addiction is not a choice. Addictive behaviors are a manifestation of the disease, not a cause."
"Choice still plays an important role in getting help. While the neurobiology of choice may not be fully understood, a person with addiction must make choices for a healthier life in order to enter treatment and recovery. Because there is no pill which alone can cure addiction, choosing recovery over unhealthy behaviors is necessary," Hajela said.
"Many chronic diseases require behavioral choices, such as people with heart disease choosing to eat healthier or begin exercising, in addition to medical or surgical interventions," said Dr. Miller. "So, we have to stop moralizing, blaming, controlling or smirking at the person with the disease of addiction, and start creating opportunities for individuals and families to get help and providing assistance in choosing proper treatment."
To read the full Definition of Addiction, visit: http://www.asam.org/DefinitionofAddiction-LongVersion.html
Story Source:
Materials provided by American Society of Addiction Medicine. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Cite This Page:


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Skittles shoes cost Marshawn Lynch 10K
Marshawn Lynch's love of Skittles paid off in the form of free candy earlier this season, but now it is costing him some cash.
Lynch wore cleats with a Skittles pattern for last Sunday's game against the 49ers, which likely made the candy makers very happy. It wasn't as warmly received by the folks at the league office, though. A league spokesman confirmed to Brian McIntyre that the running back was fined $10,000 for wearing the shoes in violation of the league's uniform policy.
We imagine he'll wind up making that back when the inevitable Skittles commercial featuring Lynch drops. If that doesn't materialize, the contract he's in line to get as unrestricted free agent off a big year that includes the only rushing touchdown and 100-yard rushing game against the 49ers all year should cover the shortfall.
Two of Lynch's teammates were also slapped with fines this week. Cornerback Richard Sherman owes the league $15,000 for a horse collar tackle and linebacker Adrian Moten needs to cough up $7,500 for a late hit on 49ers kick returner Kyle Williams.


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If independent-minded Web sites, like WikiLeaks or, say, Consortiumnews.com, existed 43 years ago, I might have risen to the occasion and helped save the lives of some 25,000 U.S. soldiers, and a million Vietnamese, by exposing the lies contained in just one SECRET/EYES ONLY cable from Saigon.
I need to speak out now because I have been sickened watching the herculean effort by Official Washington and our Fawning Corporate Media (FCM) to divert attention from the violence and deceit in Afghanistan, reflected in thousands of U.S. Army documents, by shooting the messenger(s) — WikiLeaks and Pvt. Bradley Manning.
After all the indiscriminate death and destruction from nearly nine years of war, the hypocrisy is all too transparent when WikiLeaks and suspected leaker Manning are accused of risking lives by exposing too much truth.
Besides, I still have a guilty conscience for what I chose NOT to do in exposing facts about the Vietnam War that might have saved lives.
The sad-but-true story recounted below is offered in the hope that those in similar circumstances today might show more courage than I was able to muster in 1967, and take full advantage of the incredible advancements in technology since then.
Many of my Junior Officer Trainee Program colleagues at CIA came to Washington in the early Sixties inspired by President John Kennedy's Inaugural speech in which he asked us to ask ourselves what we might do for our country.
(Sounds corny nowadays, I suppose; I guess I'll just have to ask you to take it on faith. It may not have been Camelot exactly, but the spirit and ambience were fresh — and good.)
Among those who found Kennedy's summons compelling was Sam Adams, a young former naval officer out of Harvard College. After the Navy, Sam tried Harvard Law School, but found it boring.
Instead, he decided to go to Washington, join the CIA as an officer trainee, and do something more adventurous. He got more than his share of adventure.
Sam was one of the brightest and most dedicated among us. Quite early in his career, he acquired a very lively and important account — that of assessing Vietnamese Communist strength early in the war. He took to the task with uncommon resourcefulness and quickly proved himself the consummate analyst.
Relying largely on captured documents, buttressed by reporting from all manner of other sources, Adams concluded in 1967 that there were twice as many Communists (about 600,000) under arms in South Vietnam as the U.S. military there would admit.
Dissembling in Saigon
Visiting Saigon during 1967, Adams learned from Army analysts that their commanding general, William Westmoreland, had placed an artificial cap on the official Army count rather than risk questions regarding "progress" in the war (sound familiar?).
It was a clash of cultures; with Army intelligence analysts saluting generals following politically dictated orders, and Sam Adams aghast at the dishonesty — consequential dishonesty.
From time to time I would have lunch with Sam and learn of the formidable opposition he encountered in trying to get out the truth.
Commiserating with Sam over lunch one day in late August 1967, I asked what could possibly be Gen. Westmoreland's incentive to make the enemy strength appear to be half what it actually was. Sam gave me the answer he had from the horse's mouth in Saigon.
Adams told me that in a cable dated Aug. 20, 1967, Westmoreland's deputy, Gen. Creighton Abrams, set forth the rationale for the deception.
Abrams wrote that the new, higher numbers (reflecting Sam's count, which was supported by all intelligence agencies except Army intelligence, which reflected the "command position") "were in sharp contrast to the current overall strength figure of about 299,000 given to the press."
Abrams emphasized, "We have been projecting an image of success over recent months" and cautioned that if the higher figures became public, "all available caveats and explanations will not prevent the press from drawing an erroneous and gloomy conclusion."
No further proof was needed that the most senior U.S. Army commanders were lying, so that they could continue to feign "progress" in the war.
Equally unfortunate, the crassness and callousness of Abrams's cable notwithstanding, it had become increasingly clear that rather than stand up for Sam, his superiors would probably acquiesce in the Army's bogus figures. Sadly, that's what they did.
CIA Director Richard Helms, who saw his primary duty quite narrowly as "protecting" the agency, set the tone. He told subordinates that he could not discharge that duty if he let the agency get involved in a heated argument with the U.S. Army on such a key issue in wartime.
This cut across the grain of what we had been led to believe was the prime duty of CIA analysts — to speak truth to power without fear or favor. And our experience thus far had shown both of us that this ethos amounted to much more than just slogans. We had, so far, been able to "tell it like it is."
After lunch with Sam, for the first time ever, I had no appetite for dessert. Sam and I had not come to Washington to "protect the agency."
And, having served in Vietnam, Sam knew first hand that thousands upon thousands were being killed in a feckless war.
What to Do?
I have an all-too-distinct memory of a long silence over coffee, as each of us ruminated on what might be done. I recall thinking to myself; someone should take the Abrams cable down to the New York Times (at the time an independent-minded newspaper).
Clearly, the only reason for the cable's SECRET/EYES ONLY classification was to hide deliberate deception of our most senior generals regarding "progress" in the war and deprive the American people of the chance to know the truth.
Going to the press was, of course, antithetical to the culture of secrecy in which we had been trained. Besides, you would likely be caught at your next polygraph examination. Better not to stick your neck out.
I pondered all this in the days after that lunch with Adams. And I succeeded in coming up with a slew of reasons why I ought to keep silent: a mortgage; a plum overseas assignment for which I was in the final stages of language training; and, not least, the analytic work — important, exciting work on which Sam and I thrived.
Better to keep quiet for now, grow in gravitas, and live on to slay other dragons. Right?
One can, I suppose, always find excuses for not sticking one's neck out. The neck, after all, is a convenient connection between head and torso, albeit the "neck" that was the focus of my concern was a figurative one, suggesting possible loss of career, money and status – not the literal "necks" of both Americans and Vietnamese that were on the line daily in the war.
But if there is nothing for which you would risk your career "neck" – like, say, saving the lives of soldiers and civilians in a war zone – your "neck" has become your idol, and your career is not worthy of that. I now regret giving such worship to my own neck.
Not only did I fail the neck test. I had not thought things through very rigorously from a moral point of view.
Promises to Keep?
As a condition of employment, I had signed a promise not to divulge classified information so as not to endanger sources, methods or national security. Promises are important, and one should not lightly violate them. Plus, there are legitimate reasons for protecting some secrets.
But were any of those legitimate concerns the real reasons why Abrams's cable was stamped SECRET/EYES ONLY? I think not.
It is not good to operate in a moral vacuum, oblivious to the reality that there exists a hierarchy of values and that circumstances often determine the morality of a course of action.
How does a written promise to keep secret everything with a classified stamp on it square with one's moral responsibility to stop a war based on lies? Does stopping a misbegotten war not supersede a secrecy promise?
Ethicists use the words "supervening value" for this; the concept makes sense to me.
And is there yet another value? As an Army officer, I had taken a solemn oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic.
How did the lying by the Army command in Saigon fit in with that? Were/are generals exempt? Should we not call them out when we learn of deliberate deception that subverts the democratic process? Can the American people make good decisions if they are lied to?
Would I have helped stop unnecessary killing by giving the New York Times the not-really-secret, SECRET/EYES ONLY cable from Gen. Abrams? We'll never know, will we? And I live with that.
I could not take the easy way out, saying Let Sam Do It. Because I knew he wouldn't.
Sam chose to go through the established grievance channels and got the royal run-around, even after the Communist countrywide offensive at Tet in January-February 1968 proved beyond any doubt that his count of Communist forces was correct.
When the Tet offensive began, as a way of keeping his sanity, Adams drafted a caustic cable to Saigon saying, "It is something of an anomaly to be taking so much punishment from Communist soldiers whose existence is not officially acknowledged." But he did not think the situation at all funny.
Dan Ellsberg Steps In
Sam kept playing by the rules, but it happened that – unbeknown to Sam – Dan Ellsberg gave Sam's figures on enemy strength to the New York Times, which published them on March 19, 1968.
Dan had learned that President Lyndon Johnson was about to bow to Pentagon pressure to widen the war into Cambodia, Laos and up to the Chinese border – perhaps even beyond.
Later, it became clear that his timely leak – together with another unauthorized disclosure to the Times that the Pentagon had requested 206,000 more troops – prevented a wider war.
On March 25, Johnson complained to a small gathering, "The leaks to the New York Times hurt us. … We have no support for the war. … I would have given Westy the 206,000 men."
Ellsberg also copied the Pentagon Papers – the 7,000-page top-secret history of U.S. decision-making on Vietnam from 1945 to 1967 – and, in 1971, he gave copies to the New York Times, Washington Post and other news organizations.
In the years since, Ellsberg has had difficulty shaking off the thought that, had he released the Pentagon Papers sooner, the war might have ended years earlier with untold lives saved. Ellsberg has put it this way:
"Like so many others, I put personal loyalty to the president above all else – above loyalty to the Constitution and above obligation to the law, to truth, to Americans, and to humankind. I was wrong."
And so was I wrong in not asking Sam for a copy of that cable from Gen. Abrams. Sam, too, eventually had strong regrets.
Sam had continued to pursue the matter within CIA, until he learned that Dan Ellsberg was on trial in 1973 for releasing the Pentagon Papers and was being accused of endangering national security by revealing figures on enemy strength.
Which figures? The same old faked numbers from 1967! "Imagine," said Adams, "hanging a man for leaking faked numbers," as he hustled off to testify on Dan's behalf. (The case against Ellsberg was ultimately thrown out of court because of prosecutorial abuses committed by the Nixon adminitration.)
After the war drew down, Adams was tormented by the thought that, had he not let himself be diddled by the system, the entire left half of the Vietnam Memorial wall would not be there. There would have been no new names to chisel into such a wall.
Sam Adams died prematurely at age 55 with nagging remorse that he had not done enough.
In a letter appearing in the (then independent-minded) New York Times on Oct. 18, 1975, John T. Moore, a CIA analyst who worked in Saigon and the Pentagon from 1965 to 1970, confirmed Adams's story after Sam told it in detail in the May 1975 issue of Harper's magazine. Moore wrote:
"My only regret is that I did not have Sam's courage. … The record is clear. It speaks of misfeasance, nonfeasance and malfeasance, of outright dishonesty and professional cowardice.
"It reflects an intelligence community captured by an aging bureaucracy, which too often placed institutional self-interest or personal advancement before the national interest. It is a page of shame in the history of American intelligence."
Tanks But No Thanks, Abrams
What about Gen. Creighton Abrams? Not every general gets the Army's main battle tank named after him. The honor, though, came not from his service in Vietnam, but rather from his courage in the early day of his military career, leading his tanks through German lines to relieve Bastogne during World War II's Battle of the Bulge.
Gen. George Patton praised Abrams as the only tank commander he considered his equal.
As things turned out, sadly, 23 years later Abrams became a poster child for old soldiers who, as Gen. Douglas McArthur suggested, should "just fade away," rather than hang on too long after their great military accomplishments.
In May 1967, Abrams was picked to be Westmoreland's deputy in Vietnam and succeeded him a year later. But Abrams could not succeed in the war, no matter how effectively "an image of success" his subordinates projected for the media.
The "erroneous and gloomy conclusions of the press" that Abrams had tried so hard to head off proved all too accurate.
Ironically, when reality hit home, it fell to Abrams to cut back U.S. forces in Vietnam from a peak of 543,000 in early 1969 to 49,000 in June 1972 — almost five years after Abrams's progress-defending cable from Saigon. By 1972, some 58,000 U.S. troops, not to mention two to three million Vietnamese, had been killed.
Both Westmoreland and Abrams had reasonably good reputations when they started out, but not so much when they finished.
And Petraeus?
Comparisons can be invidious, but Gen. David Petraeus is another Army commander who has wowed Congress with his ribbons, medals and merit badges. A pity he was not born early enough to have served in Vietnam where he might have learned some real-life hard lessons about the limitations of counterinsurgency theories.
Moreover, it appears that no one took the trouble to tell him that in the early Sixties we young infantry officers already had plenty of counterinsurgency manuals to study at Fort Bragg and Fort Benning.
There are many things one cannot learn from reading or writing manuals — as many of my Army colleagues learned too late in the jungles and mountains of South Vietnam.
Unless one is to believe, contrary to all indications, that Petraeus is not all that bright, one has to assume he knows that the Afghanistan expedition is a folly beyond repair.
So far, though, he has chosen the approach taken by Gen. Abrams in his August 1967 cable from Saigon. That is precisely why the ground-truth of the documents released by WikiLeaks is so important.
Whistleblowers Galore
And it's not just the WikiLeaks documents that have caused consternation inside the U.S. government. Investigators reportedly are rigorously pursuing the source that provided the New York Times with the texts of two cables (of 6 and 9 November 2009) from Ambassador Eikenberry in Kabul. [See Consortiumnews.com's "Obama Ignores Key Afghan Warning."]
To its credit, even today's far-less independent New York Times published a major story based on the information in those cables, while President Barack Obama was still trying to figure out what to do about Afghanistan.
Later the Times posted the entire texts of the cables, which were classified Top Secret and NODIS (meaning "no dissemination" to anyone but the most senior officials to whom the documents were addressed).
The cables conveyed Eikenberry's experienced, cogent views on the foolishness of the policy in place and, implicitly, of any eventual decision to double down on the Afghan War. (That, of course, is pretty much what the President ended up doing.)
Eikenberry provided chapter and verse to explain why, as he put it, "I cannot support [the Defense Department's] recommendation for an immediate Presidential decision to deploy another 40,000 here."
Such frank disclosures are anathema to self-serving bureaucrats and ideologues who would much prefer depriving the American people of information that might lead them to question the government's benighted policy toward Afghanistan, for example.
As the New York Times/Eikenberry cables show, even today's FCM may sometimes display the old spunk of American journalism and refuse to hide or fudge the truth, even if the facts might cause the people to draw "an erroneous and gloomy conclusion," to borrow Gen. Abrams's words of 43 years ago.
Polished Pentagon Spokesman
Remember "Baghdad Bob," the irrepressible and unreliable Iraqi Information Minister at the time of the U.S.-led invasion? He came to mind as I watched Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell's chaotic, quixotic press briefing on Aug. 5 regarding the WikiLeaks exposures.
The briefing was revealing in several respects. Clear from his prepared statement was what is bothering the Pentagon the most. Here's Morrell:
"WikiLeaks's webpage constitutes a brazen solicitation to U.S. government officials, including our military, to break the law. WikiLeaks's public assertion that submitting confidential material to WikiLeaks is safe, easy and protected by law is materially false and misleading. The Department of Defense therefore also demands that WikiLeaks discontinue any solicitation of this type."
Rest assured that the Defense Department will do all it can to make it unsafe for any government official to provide WikiLeaks with sensitive material. But it is contending with a clever group of hi-tech experts who have built in precautions to allow information to be submitted anonymously.
That the Pentagon will prevail anytime soon is far from certain.
Also, in a ludicrous attempt to close the barn door after tens of thousands of classified documents had already escaped, Morrell insisted that WikiLeaks give back all the documents and electronic media in its possession.
Even the normally docile Pentagon press corps could not suppress a collective laugh, irritating the Pentagon spokesman no end. The impression gained was one of a Pentagon Gulliver tied down by terabytes of Lilliputians.
Morrell's self-righteous appeal to the leaders of WikiLeaks to "do the right thing" was accompanied by an explicit threat that, otherwise, "We shall have to compel them to do the right thing." His attempt to assert Pentagon power in this regard fell flat, given the realities.
Morrell also chose the occasion to remind the Pentagon press corps to behave themselves or face rejection when applying to be embedded in units of U.S. armed forces. The correspondents were shown nodding docilely as Morrell reminded them that permission for embedding "is by no means a right. It is a privilege." The generals giveth and the generals taketh away.
It was a moment of arrogance — and press subservience — that would have sickened Thomas Jefferson or James Madison, not to mention the courageous war correspondents who did their duty in Vietnam.
Morrell and the generals can control the "embeds"; they cannot control the ether. Not yet, anyway.
And that was all too apparent beneath the strutting, preening, and finger waving by the Pentagon's fancy silk necktie to the world. Actually, the opportunities afforded by WikiLeaks and other Internet Web sites can serve to diminish what few advantages there are to being in bed with the Army.
What Would I Have Done
Would I have had the courage to whisk Gen. Abrams's cable into the ether in 1967, if WikiLeaks or other Web sites had been available to provide a major opportunity to expose the deceit of the top Army command in Saigon?
The Pentagon can argue that using the Internet this way is not "safe, easy, and protected by law." We shall see.
Meanwhile, this way of exposing information that people in a democracy should know will continue to be sorely tempting — and a lot easier than taking the risk of being photographed lunching with someone from the New York Times.
From what I have learned over these past 43 years, supervening moral values can, and should, trump lesser promises. Today, I would be determined to "do the right thing," if I had access to an Abrams-like cable from Petraeus in Kabul.
And I believe that Sam Adams, if he were alive today, would enthusiastically agree that this would be the morally correct decision.
Footnote: In the Tradition of Sam Adams
Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence (SAAII) is a group of former CIA colleagues and other associates of former intelligence analyst Sam Adams, who hold up his example as a model for those in intelligence who would aspire to the courage to speak truth to power.
Sam did precisely that, and in honoring his memory, SAAII confers an award each year to a lamp lighter exemplifying Sam Adam's courage, persistence, and devotion to truth — no matter the consequences. The Washington, DC, presentations are held in the fall, usually before a large university audience; Dan Ellsberg, a charter member, is usually with us.
Sam Adams Annual Award recipients:
–Coleen Rowley of the FBI, in Washington, DC
–Katharine Gun of British Intelligence; in Copenhagen, Denmark
–Sibel Edmonds of the FBI; in Washington, DC
–Craig Murray, former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan; in NY City
–Sam Provance, former Sgt, US Army, truth teller about Abu Ghraib; in Washington, DC
–Frank Grevil, Maj., Danish Army Intelligence, imprisoned for giving the Danish press documents showing that Denmark's Prime Minister (now NATO Secretary General) disregarded warnings that there was no authentic evidence of WMD in Iraq; in Copenhagen, Denmark
–Larry Wilkerson, Col., US Army (ret.), former chief of staff to Secretary Colin Powell at the State Department, who has exposed what he called the "Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal;" in Washington, DC
In April, the SAAII nominating committee decided unanimously to give this year's award to Julian Assange of WikiLeaks. Stay tuned for information on the time and place of the presentation.
Ray McGovern works with Tell the Word, the publishing arm of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour in inner-city Washington. After two years as an Army infantry/intelligence officer, he served as a CIA analyst for 27 years. He also serves on the SAAII nominating committee and the Steering Group of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS).
Briefly, we wanted to update you on where Truthout stands this month.
To be brutally honest, Truthout is behind on our fundraising goals for the year. There are a lot of reasons why. We're dealing with broad trends in our industry, trends that have led publications like Vice, BuzzFeed, and National Geographic to make painful cuts. Everyone is feeling the squeeze of inflation. And despite its lasting importance, news readership is declining.
To ensure we stay out of the red by the end of the year, we have a long way to go. Our future is threatened.
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Another Setback for the Reset
How Obama's wishful thinking and Putin's victory have deepend the fundamental dilemma of U.S.-Russian relations.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's March 4 victory in Russia's predictably flawed presidential election—and the Obama administration's so-far limited response—demonstrate critical shortcomings in the execution of the president's reset policy. Early missteps by the administration have exacerbated difficult dilemmas inherent in efforts to work with today's Russia and could ultimately undermine important U.S. national interests.
The Obama administration's biggest strategic mistake was in taking outgoing Russian president Dmitri Medvedev far too seriously. Administration officials would likely argue that the United States had little choice, in that Medvedev was Russia's president and therefore Mr. Obama's formal partner. However, while this is an argument for meeting Medvedev, which was indeed necessary, it did not require heavy emphasis on the Obama-Medvedev connection based on an apparent but questionable assessment that Medvedev was more committed to political reform than Putin and had a good chance at reelection.
In fact, Medvedev's annual addresses to Russia's parliament differed little in substance or tone from Putin's during his first two presidential terms. Broadly speaking, the two men pursued similar domestic policies; moreover, both "modernization" and "innovation"—usually credited to Medvedev as signs of his more liberal thinking—actually originated with Putin. More important than speeches, Medvedev's record in office demonstrated that he was more willing than Putin to meet with liberal opposition figures and took a gentler tone in addressing them publicly, but it provides little evidence of genuine political liberalism. At the same time, notwithstanding Medvedev's declarations and campaigns, Russia's corruption worsened, which strengthened one of the greatest practical obstacles to greater rule of law and democracy. And Medvedev did nothing to prepare the ground for a truly competitive presidential election. Nothing suggests that he would have run the election campaign any differently from Putin had he been the United Russia candidate.
In foreign policy, likewise, Medvedev distinguished himself from Putin primarily in tone rather than substance. This may have made him an easier interlocutor on some issues and may even have contributed to agreement in some areas, but it does not appear to have produced major accomplishments. To be more specific, the New START Treaty is valuable but not a major accomplishment, Medvedev's decree banning S-300 sales to Iran formalized something Russia was already doing and could be rapidly reversed, and Moscow's cooperation on Afghanistan could not occur without Putin's active consent. On the one foreign-policy issue where the two men publicly differed—Russia's decision to abstain in voting on the UN Security Council resolution on Libya—Medvedev eventually came around to Putin's view after the NATO intervention there.
Considering that President Obama is not known for warm personal relationships with foreign leaders and the mistakes of the Clinton administration in dealing with Boris Yeltsin, it is ironic that the White House would overpersonalize its approach to Medvedev (whether warm or not). The administration's fundamental mistake appears to have been in focusing on Medvedev rather than the political space that Medvedev was creating through his occasional symbolic differences with Putin. This seems to have produced what was clearly a risky bet on Medvedev that the administration need not have placed when Putin was obviously positioned to determine whether he or his protégé-turned-successor would be the next presidential candidate of the ruling elite. Like the Clinton administration, the Obama team appears to have overestimated America's capability to influence Russia's political evolution. The administration should have known that it was unlikely to have an alternative to dealing with Putin.
The Obama administration has been struggling with the costs of its excessive focus on Medvedev since Mr. Obama's brief and frosty meeting with Putin during his first visit to Moscow. While the administration eventually attempted to correct its course, the early damage to the Obama-Putin relationship has limited the administration's ability to take a harder line on the election now for fear of derailing the reset, which Obama claims as a major foreign-policy success. Thus, while Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was initially critical of Russia's December 4 parliamentary election—and received a sharp response from Moscow—U.S. comments on the presidential election have so far been limited to a statement from the State Department spokesperson. This inevitably makes the administration increasingly (and justifiably) vulnerable to criticism inside the United States.
The Obama administration's wishful thinking about Medvedev has ultimately deepened the fundamental dilemma of U.S.-Russian relations: how to balance cooperation to advance important American interests on issues like Afghanistan and Iran against concern over Russia's undemocratic governance. As a result, the administration has essentially undermined the sustainability of its own policy course, whether or not Mr. Obama is himself reelected. And it is hard to see Putin's reelection as anything but a setback for the reset.
Paul J. Saunders is executive director of The Center for the National Interest and associate publisher of The National Interest. He served in the State Department from 2003 to 2005.
Image: FOTOBANK.ER


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Prospective int. Students
At the following webpages you will find information about our degree programs.
You have your Abi behind you and university studies before you. Here you can find all the important information about the Application Process for a Bachelor
Informations regarding application for Master Degree Programs offered at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at RWTH Aachen University


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Line 6 Goes Acoustic
Imagine getting the great mic'd up acoustic sound you've always wanted without expensive microphones, EQs, compressors, preamps, and other technical whoo-ha. Imagine being able to plug directly into a PA and get the same unplugged tone you've always wanted at arena volume with no feedback. Imagine recording acoustic guitar in the studio without having to worry about ambient noise, exhaustive setup, and operating room sterility. Well, now you can give your imagination a rest.
Last week, Line 6 unveiled Variax Acoustic 700, the latest in the Variax line of guitars specifically designed for the guitarist looking to achieve the best acoustic sound for all live or recording applications. Up until now, it has been impossible to tackle all of the issues that the acoustic guitarist faces in the studio and in live situations. Variax Acoustic 700 solves them all in a beautifully crafted thinline guitar with a chambered mahogany body and glossy cedar top. Variax Acoustic 700 gives you access to 16 models of the world's greatest acoustic guitars, including exotic instruments like Mandocello, Sitar, and Shamisen, all with the twist of a knob. If that wasn't enough, Variax Acoustic 700 has alternate tunings on the fly and a virtual capo that can take your playing far below the nut. It will ship standard with a custom-fitted gig bag, XPS power supply, and TRS stereo cable.
Variax Acoustic 700 was recently previewed to dealers and press and evoked such quotes as, "Line 6 does it again," and "When can I get one?" and "This is unbelievable!"
Click here for more information on Variax Acoustic 700.
Click here to see video footage at Harmony Central.


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While looking toward the future with our comprehensive slate of current content, we'd also like to recognize our rich past by drawing upon our extensive (and mostly free) online archive of work dating back to 1997. In an effort to highlight the best of what's gone before, we'll be bringing you a weekly blast from BP's past, introducing or re-introducing you to some of the most informative and entertaining authors who have passed through our virtual halls. If you have fond recollections of a BP piece that you'd like to nominate for re-exposure to a wider audience, send us your suggestion.
Despite a fan campaign, Adam Greenberg won't be getting a call-up to the Cubs this September, but we remind you of his story by reprinting the interview below, which was originally published as a "Prospectus Q&A" column on March 11th, 2011.
Adam Greenberg doesn't see himself as a victim, but you couldn't blame him if he did. On July 9, 2005, Greenberg walked up to the plate in what is thus far his only big-league at-bat, and what happened next is nothing short of tragic. He saw just one pitch from Marlins left-hander Valerio de los Santos, and the next thing he knew he was sprawled in the batters' box fearing for his life.
David Laurila: For readers who aren't familiar with your story, what happened?
Adam Greenberg: It was a Sunday Night Baseball game on ESPN and it was my first major-league appearance. It was a dream come true and I was at the top of the world. The Cubs were giving me an opportunity of a lifetime.
Dusty Baker brought me up to pinch-hit in the ninth inning and I was really taking the moment in, because it was the culmination of a lot of hard work and all of highs and lows that come with working your way up. It was an opportunity that I felt ready for, but unfortunately, it didn't last too long. I only saw one pitch, which was 92 mph directly into the back of my head. That's where my story, in terms of the public, really starts. It's basically what I'm known for. I really haven't been able to move past that. To this point it's the pinnacle of my career, but I'm doing the best that I can to push forward. I'm working hard to make that be just a part of my story, instead of the story of who I am.
DL: What do you remember thinking when you stepped into the batters' box that night?
AG: I looked up and didn't even know who was pitching, to be honest. I just knew that it was a tall left-hander. I looked out to center field and saw Juan Pierre shifted over toward left field. I was basically getting into the zone and getting focused on what I wanted to do in that at-bat. My mindset was to get on base, so I was looking at the alignment of the guys on the field and thinking about how the pitcher was probably going to start me off.
It went beyond, "Oh my god, this is my first major-league at-bat." That feeling mostly happened when I was on the bench, getting my gloves, bat, and everything ready to go. When I got the call, it all happened so quickly. It was like, "Okay, it's game time."
There was nervous excitement prior to getting in the box, but I was more nervous to tell the umpire that I was pinch-hitting. That was something I wasn't really used to. After I did that, I pretty much just dug in and was ready. I absolutely felt ready. Once I was in there, I felt that I could control what was going on. Of course, the one thing I couldn't control was an errant pitch.
DL: Were you intending to take the first pitch, or swing away if it was in your zone?
AG: My mentality has always been to see a pitch and get comfortable, so usually I'll be taking. I've always drawn a lot of walks and seen a lot of pitches. That said, I learned a valuable lesson in a spring training game when I faced Tom Gordon, as a pinch-hitter. He threw me a first-pitch fastball, maybe 95 mph, which was a pretty good pitch to hit. I took it and thought to myself, "I'm ready to go." About five curveballs later I was walking back to the dugout after striking out. The fastball was the only pitch I saw that was anything worth hitting. From that point on, my approach when I'm pinch-hitting, or if it's a situation where I really need to work the count, is to be aggressive. So the first fastball I saw, if it was a pitch I could hit, I was going to be swinging.
DL: Did you remember seeing the ball come out of the pitcher's hand?
AG: Not so much. I was mostly thinking about getting started on time. I guess I can kind of remember it coming out of his hand, but I'm not sure if that's from the moment itself or from seeing it on video. I remember thinking to myself, "Don't bail out," because I didn't want to look foolish if it was a breaking ball.
It's not like I didn't see the pitch—I knew it was coming up and in—and the rotation seemed like a fastball, but at that level there are a lot of guys who throw hard sliders that start off looking like that and break over. At 92 mph, it's really… When you're locked in it's really hard to get out of the way, especially when you're not expecting it. That's kind of what happened, and it was lights out.
DL: What are your memories of the actual impact?
AG: I remember very, very vividly, thinking that my head was split open. If you've ever seen video of it, you saw that I took both hands and grasped the back of my head, because I thought it was split open and I was in big trouble. My eyes rolled back into my head. It was a very scary feeling, because I didn't know how bad it was. The thought running through my mind was that it didn't matter where I was, or what was going on, I was just telling myself to stay alive.
Paul Lo Duca was the catcher, and he stood over me, basically saying, "Stay down, you'll be all right." That helped to calm me down. I saw the umpire standing over me as well. Neither of them had an overwhelmingly scared look on their face, and that was also calming for me. I didn't hear anybody say, "Get a towel," or anything like that, which told me there wasn't a lot of blood. My batting gloves felt wet, but I don't know if that was just in my mind, or if it was sweat.
Dusty Baker came running over, as did a couple of trainers, and having them there made me feel like I was probably safe. It gave me an, "I'm going to be OK" feeling.
DL: You had family at the game. Did you think about them when you were on the ground?
AG: To be honest, it wasn't my family that I thought of first. When I sat up, I was thinking more about how crazy it was. I felt kind of dumb. I was going to get walked off the field after my first major-league at-bat, which was kind of a funny feeling.
My family was obviously alarmed and concerned. I thought about them once I got into the dugout, but I knew that I was OK and I remember that I kind of smirked when I was marched back. I think it was Kerry Wood and Mark Prior—I'm not even sure—who carried me back, and my family would have seen me smirk.
DL: What happened next?
AG: That night, after the game, I went back to the hotel. I slept upright in a recliner because if I tried laying down my eyes would shift uncontrollably side to side. It was very concerning, having never had a concussion before, I felt something else was going on. In the morning I remember going to the field. The sunlight gave me a splitting headache and a nauseous feeling. I spoke to the trainer and was brought to the local hospital for testing, including an MRI and a CT scan. I was back playing 21 days after the hit-by-pitch. I rushed back way too soon, because I was still experiencing ill effects.
For over a year and a half following the incident, I suffered with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, along with intense headaches. It wasn't until spring of 2007 that I was tested by a vision doctor, Dr. Barry Seiller, from Vizual Edge, where it was uncovered that my visual alignment was thrown off due to the incident and I needed to begin intense eye training.
DL: Were you gun shy when you first came back from the concussion?
AG: In the very beginning, I was actually comfortable against anybody. I don't know if that went as deep as my subconscious, or if I was just convincing myself, but I felt fine when I first came back. But then, after the season, I went down to play in Venezuela and that's when the mental thing started coming into play. In winter ball, it's a very different roster situation than here in the States. You have a lot of new guys coming in all the time, including lefties just to face lefties. They were mostly Latin guys that I had never seen before, and they threw hard. That got in my head a little bit.
I developed some bad habits against left-handed pitchers. I began to pull out early with my front shoulder, dip my back shoulder, and not stay on pitches. That left me very susceptible to pitches away. It was a very frustrating thing to go through. Even though I knew some of these habits were forming, I couldn't seem to get rid of them.
DL: Have there been any serious issues with hit-by-pitches or brush-backs since the beaning?
AG: There was one. A few years ago I was playing in a game where one of our pitchers threw a pitch that got away—I don't think there was any intent—and it sailed about five feet over the batter's head. I was playing center field and I looked in their dugout and noticed their catcher coming over to the pitcher who was going to be in the game for them. Right away I thought, "This better not have any implications, they better not throw at one of us." When I came into the dugout, I told the guys what I saw and said that if I'm thrown at, I would consider going out to the mound.
Sure enough, that's what happened. I came up with two outs and nobody on—it was a hard-throwing, three-quarters left-hander—and the first pitch was over my head and behind me. I didn't charge. I threw my bat down and pointed at him, yelling. That was the angriest I had ever been in my career, because it was thrown intentionally and it was thrown high. Especially with my situation, how I'd had my career set back by what happened, it kind of hit a nerve. The benches cleared, although there wasn't a brawl, just some yelling back and forth. I was saying, "Hey, if you're going to throw at me, throw at me low."
Things got settled down and the at-bat continued. We ended up having a good battle. The count got to 2-2, I fouled off a couple of pitches, and then he threw a fastball that rode in and caught me on the right elbow. I was still heated, so at that point I did charge the mound.
On the way out there, I actually veered off to the side, because I realized that my arm was completely numb and I couldn't use it. I didn't think that it was going to be a very fair fight if I'm out there with only one arm.
The benches cleared again, with everyone anticipating a brawl, but because I veered off, things didn't get out of hand. There was mostly just a bunch of yelling and screaming back and forth. It wasn't anything out of control.
Once everything clamed down, I went down to first base. By then I was getting sensation back in my elbow and I stole second on the first pitch. That was my payback for getting hit.
DL: Do you ever look back and feel that you were cheated out of a big-league career?
AG: Cheated is not the right word. I'm a believer that things happen for a reason, and that when things happen you have an opportunity to go one of two ways. You can sulk about what might have been, or you can make the best of it. I actually look at it as an opportunity of a lifetime. As BS as that might sound, I've had to push and persevere, and work my butt off, just to get back to having the feeling I did when I was 24 years old.
Who knows what my career, or my life, would have been? I'm in position where I'm happy with where my life is and I feel that the experience I went through has made me a stronger person. I still have a jersey on my back.
I have a deep-rooted passion for this game and I have perseverance. I'm trying to accomplish something that people around me, whether they say it publicly or in private, believe, which is that I can't do it. But maybe I can. Playing in the minor leagues, and even in an independent league, giving up has never been an option for me. So far I've had an opportunity to keep playing, and I feel I can make it back. [Editor's note: Greenberg was released by the Cubs in 2006 and has since played in the Dodgers, Royals and Angels systems. He spent last season with the Bridgeport Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League.]
DL: What comes next?
AG: I have a tryout with the Mets on March 1 and hopefully that will result in me at least staying with them for spring training. I'm getting an opportunity to showcase to the Mets organization what I can bring to the table and I'm fairly confident in my ability to do that.
If it doesn't work out, I've signed a contract to go back to Bridgeport to play another year of independent ball, but right now my mindset is 100 percent to make the best of my opportunity with the Mets. All I can do is take it one day at a time, but regardless of what happens, I'm not giving up on my dream to my make it back. I want to be known for more than what happened on one pitch.
Thank you for reading
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Harry Reid Vows to Break Filibuster Rule in This 'New Era'
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said today that he was not being hypocritical by pushing for a change in Senate filibuster rules that he strongly decried eight years ago, declaring, "It's a new era."
"It's a totally different world we live in," Reid said, accusing Republicans of being so entrenched in their obstruction to some of President Obama's top nominees that the Senate and other parts of the government have become paralyzed.
In a speech to the Center for American Progress, a liberal research organization in Washington, Reid said he was following the sentiment of fellow Democratic senators. The Nevada senator said the only thing to prevent invoking the so-called nuclear option by changing Senate rules to allow a simple majority to approve executive branch nominations would be Republicans' agreeing to vote on the president's nominees to the National Labor Relations Board and other top nominations that have been languishing.
"My efforts are directed to save the Senate from becoming obsolete," Reid said, dismissing suggestions that the fight was simply between him and his Republican counterpart, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
"This is not McConnell vs. Reid," he said.
The Senate will meet at 6 p.m. in the Old Senate Chamber, a rare bipartisan meeting, before moving forward to rule changes as early as Tuesday. In his remarks to a small audience and in a question-and-answer session after his speech, Reid made clear that he had moved beyond making threats about the rule change that some senators believe could signal the end of the filibuster.
He said he had simply run out of options.
"You can't reward bad behavior over and over and over again," Reid said.


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Review: Private Coaching with Kyle
by Roman aka jar
Hello jungle passengers,
it is about time to sit down with a cup of coffee and write down another review.
About two weeks ago we had another private coaching session. This time with Kyle from Canada, who lived in Turkey and now lives in the UK. He did travel from the UK to sit down with us in Augsburg in the MV headquarters.
Kyle is also known for his cool blog M R Lee's Painting Emporioum where he blogs about his personal experiences in the world of miniature painting. I can only recommend to you to check that blog of his as it is always a good read, a really kind person behind it and it is great to see how the man of the travelling brush grows in his painting experience. Massive Voodoo got to know Kyle personally since last years beginners class in early 2013 where he already travelled from Turkey to Augsburg. Kyle summed up "our" little history in one of his blogposts pretty cool with funny photos and even funnier text - click here to see it!
At this point there would be some personal thoughts of Kyle himself about the private coaching, but as he is so crazy about blogging he already wrote his own review - click here!
So it is up to Raffa and me to write our perspectives of the coaching and as Raffa is heading for a week of holiday this Thursday the task fell on me.
The private coaching started with several emails between us, talking about the topic Kyle wanted to conquer, deciding a miniature, talking about bases, talking about his travel plans and so on. Several Emails hit the road to have him with us. On a Tuesday Morning the private coaching started and we took the time to talk about the Bases Kyle brought with him. His homework was to create a base that would fit to Figone's new Apocalyptic Maulg version and he arrived with three bases in Augsburg.
Before we did start we took some time to have a look on Kyle's projects that he brought, had some talks about them and this helped us both to see from a teacher's perspective where Kyle's experience level is at the moment and which points were important to talk about and where we would like to put some improvement in later on.
One of Kyle's goals to learn via the private coaching was a better understanding and handling of the overall athmosphere of a miniature project and a base is pretty important when it comes to that. So we sat down and pushed Kyle out of his usual comfort zone, by asking him how he tackled the bases he brought, about their background ideas, about their stories and soon we discovered new ground that could be tackled and if understood could bring a base to bigger glory instead of being just a side product of a painted figure. After our talk and with a load of cool basing material Kyle improved his base and enjoyed adding more detail to it which later on, when the figure will be on top of it connects the figure even more to its environment. So we even gave the base some basic colours to have a clue where this road would lead before we did head for the main topic of the class: the miniature itself.
It was working time in the studio which was interrupted to get some food for lunch and Sanne's arrival as she sat down to paint figures on her own. We had some conversations about how to start with Maulg and soon the studio went quiet, just music playing in the background, everybody painting. Small breaks of explanations, in depth looks on how a specific topic is tackled and then painting time again.
Kyle's Maulg took big steps in the right direction on the first day and it was good to see that the talks about colour choices, area plans and overall athmosphere already took shape during the afternoon and the start of the evening. The evening break wasn't stealing us much time as we equipped ourselves with food and drinks at the supermarket during lunch break.
Tuesday was a long night and fun as Max arrived too to sit down with us and paint, chat, drink, plan on crazy base ideas, watching Sanne painting canvas, searching for cover because of flying colour drops from the other side of the room and well ... we catched some sleep in the end. The next day we started with facing other questions that Kyle had on different pieces than Maulg, for example on a big Alien bust and a Scuba Diver, before we focused on Maulg again.
Both of us, Raffa and I were proud to see Kyle's result after the two days of private coaching. While diving into the new Maulg version more deply the three of us found strange places on the sculpt, for example a belt that leads to nowhere and strange surface differences if you compare it to the original version of Maulg but all of those where conquered.
We are looking forward how all will come together after some more work by Kyle. How the base gets connected with the figure, how the small story that was found is told in the end and how "Fallout Outpost Maulg" is looking in the distance, dreaming of better days that once have been.
Thankful we are to Kyle that he took the private lesson with us. Thankful we are to Kyle that we learned also a lot during these two acute days of hard painting. We learned during this coaching that it is not easy to seperate friendship from work and we learned how to tackle this in the future in an even more professional way. Thanks for that, Kyle.
If you want to see more reviews or get information on private coaching with Massive Voodoo click here!
Well, nothing more to say from my side for the moment, but wait ... one important thing:
Keep on happy painting!
Best Wishes
Roman & Raffa


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By Joseph Farah– Ever since I wrote a column last October called "Myths of the Middle East," readers from around the world have asked me what is meant by the term "Palestinian."
The simple answer is that it means whatever Yasser Arafat wants it to mean.
Arafat himself was born in Egypt. He later moved to Jerusalem. Indeed, most of the Arabs living within the borders of Israel today have come from some other Arab country at some time in their life.
For instance, just since the beginning of the Oslo Accords, more than 400,000 Arabs have entered the West Bank or Gaza. They have come from Jordan, Egypt and, indirectly, from every other Arab country you can name.
The Arabs have built 261 settlements in the West Bank since 1967. We don't hear much about those settlements. We hear instead about the number of Jewish settlements that have been created. We hear how destabilizing they are — how provocative they are. Yet, by comparison, only 144 Jewish settlements have been built since 1967 — including those surrounding Jerusalem, in the West Bank and in Gaza.
The number of Arab settlers is based on statistics collected on the Allenby Bridge and other collection points between Israel and Jordan. It is based on the number of Arab day workers entering but not leaving Israel. The numbers were published by the Israel Central Bureau for Statistics during the administration of Binyamin Netanyahu and subsequently denied as "recording errors" by the Ehud Barak administration.
Of course, the Barak administration had incentives for denying the high illegal immigration numbers, given its heavy political reliance on Arab voters.
Is this a new phenomenon? Absolutely not. This has always been the case. Arabs have been flocking to Israel ever since it was created and even before, coinciding with the wave of Jewish immigration into Palestine prior to 1948.
Winston Churchill said in 1939: "So far from being persecuted, the Arabs have crowded into the country and multiplied till their population has increased more than even all world Jewry could lift up the Jewish population."
And that raises a question I never hear anyone ask: If Israel's policies make life so intolerable for Arabs, why do they continue to flock to the Jewish state?
This is an important question as we see the Palestinian debate now shift to the issue of "the right of return."
According to the most liberal claims by Arab sources, some 600,000 to 700,000 Arabs left Israel in and around 1948 when the Jewish state was created. Most were not forced out by Jews, but rather left at the urging of Arab leaders who had declared war on Israel.
Yet, there are far more Arabs living in these territories now than ever before. And many of those who left in 1948 and thereafter actually had roots in other Arab nations.
This is why it is so difficult to define the term "Palestinian." It always has been. What does it mean? Who is a "Palestinian"? Is it someone who came to work in Palestine because of a bustling economy and job opportunities? Is it someone who lived in the region for two years? Five years? Ten years? Is it someone who once visited the area? Is it any Arab who wants to live in the area?
Arabs outnumber Jews in the Middle East by a factor of about 100 to one. But how many of those hundreds of millions of Arabs are actually Palestinians? Not very many.
The Arab population of Palestine was historically extremely low — prior to the Jews' renewed interest in the area beginning in the early 1900s.
For instance, a travel guide to Palestine and Syria, published in 1906 by Karl Baedeker, illustrates the fact that, even when the Islamic Ottoman Empire ruled the region, the Muslim population in Jerusalem was minimal.
The book estimates the total population of the city at 60,000, of whom 7,000 were Muslims, 13,000 were Christians and 40,000 were Jews.
"The number of Jews has greatly risen in the last few decades, in spite of the fact that they are forbidden to immigrate or to possess landed property," the book states.
Even though the Jews were persecuted, still they came to Jerusalem and represented the overwhelming majority of the population as early as 1906.
Why was the Muslim population so low? After all, we're told that Jerusalem is the third holiest city in Islam. Surely, if this were a widely held belief in 1906, more of the devout would have settled there.
The truth is that the Jewish presence in Jerusalem and throughout the Holy Land persisted throughout its bloody history, as is documented in Joan Peters' milestone history on the origins of the Arab-Jewish conflict in the region, "From Time Immemorial."
It is also true that the Arab population increased following Jewish immigration into the region. The Arabs came because of economic activity. And, believe it or not, they came because there was more freedom and more opportunity in Israel than in their own homelands.
What is a Palestinian? If any Arabs have legitimate claims on property in Israel, it must be those who were illegally deprived of their land and homes after 1948. Arafat has no such claim. And few if any of those shooting, bombing and terrorizing Israelis today do either.


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Being injured in a drunk driving accident can be life-altering. You need to hire a professional personal injury attorney. Only he can educate you regarding the legal process and eventually help you win the case with the best possible compensation.
As per the Florida law, you are a victim of a drunk driving accident if the accident causes you loss of any form that demands compensation. Under Florida Statute for victims of DUI crashes, there are certain "allowances" provided for the victims. However, the victim or his lawyer often requires to pursue these allowances he is subjected to!
You must be aware about the multiple ways through which a victim can obtain benefits. A set of Qualification Requirements has been established by the Florida's Bureau of Victim Compensation for receipt of funds under its Crimes Compensation Act. Here are the requirements:
- The reporting of the crime to law enforcement needs to be done within 72 hours.
- It is necessary for the victim to have suffered some form of personal physical injury. There is an automatic reduction in the funds for those who have just suffered psychiatric or psychological injury due to the accident.
- Application needs to be filed within the time period of one year after the crime date. In case a valid cause is shown, the time period might be expanded up
- to 2 years.
- The victim must cooperate with law enforcement, State Attorney's Office, and the Attorney General's Office fully.
- The victim must not have been engaged in any form of unlawful activity at the time of the accident.
- The victim must not be responsible for the accident in any way.
- The victim must not have a record of felony conviction.
What are the benefits available to the victim?
- Loss of wage
- Loss of support such as the death of a close relative etc.
- Disability of any form
- Expenses related to funeral
- Expenses pertaining to medical treatments
- Mental health counseling
- Compensation for any kind of Property Loss
However, the truth is that you and your lawyer need to pursue your compensation actively in order to avail all the benefits available under the Florida Law. This specific statute helps to save you a good deal of your medical costs.
- Dial 911
When you find out you are the victim in the crash, dial 911. Make sure to receive treatment for your injuries instantly, if possible. Police officials soon test the other driver for the accident.
- Gather contact information
Collect important contact information. It includes the other driver's name, contact number, address, and details related to insurance. Also, gather relevant info from the witnesses on the scene. Gather their basic contact information as well since it might come handy later.
- Gather every possible piece of evidence
Click pictures of the crash scene, the vehicles or vehicles that were involved, and any injuries that you suffered. If there are other pieces of evidence like torn clothing, crashed debris etc., make sure you keep those handy as well.
- Hire a drunk driving accident attorney
Only the qualified drunk driving attorney has an absolute knowledge on law. At first, the case might seem to be simple but things might get tense with the progression of the case. So, be on the safe side and get yourself a proper attorney with specialization in this field.
- The accused person needs to be Under 21 years of age.
- The accused need to be someone who is "habitually addicted" to alcohol.
It is pretty difficult to put the blame or a part of blame on the third parties that might actually be liable for the drunk driving accidents.


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Automation 360(tm) is the leading cloud-native end-to-end intelligent automation platform used by the world's top enterprises to automate business processes across systems and applications. This course is designed to introduce Robotic Process Automation (RPA), how RPA can be used to identify business processes for automation, and how to use Automation Anywhere Robotic Interface (AARI) to automate back office and front office business processes. Experienced and novice RPA developers will learn how to build simple to complex RPA bots using Automation 360 action packages to automate repetitive and mundane work processes to reduce human errors and improve business outcomes.
Help others make their choice. Be the first one to leave a review


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Dilution Calculator
Calculate the dilution required to prepare a stock solution
The Adooq dilution calculator is a useful tool which allows you to calculate how to dilute a stock solution of known concentration. Enter C1, C2 & V2 to calculate V1.
The dilution calculator equation
The Adooq dilution calculator is based on the following equation:
Concentration(start) x Volume(start) = Concentration(final) x Volume(final)
This equation is commonly abbreviated as: C1V1 = C2V2
An example of a dilution calculation using the Adooq dilution calculator
What volume of a given 10 mM stock solution is required to make 20ml of a 50 μM solution?
Using the equation C1V1 = C2V2, where C1=10 mM, C2=50 μM, V2=20 ml and V1 is the unknown:
- Enter 10 into the Concentration (start) box and select the correct unit (millimolar)
- Enter 50 into the Concentration (final) box and select the correct unit (micromolar)
- Enter 20 into the Volume (final) box and select the correct unit (milliliter)
- Press calculate
- The answer of 100 microliter (0.1 ml) appears in the Volume (start) box


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Wednesday, 14 Aug 2019 7:00 PM
New York Nichiren Buddhist Temple.
Although not commonly known in western cultures, Buddhist meditation is not just a "silent sitting" practice. Chanting "Odaimoku" is also a form of Buddhist meditation. Our primary practice, in Nichiren Shu Buddhism, is known as Shodaigyo where we meditate and chant Namu Myoho Range Kyo. All are welcome, with Gassho.


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Emily Stud Earrings – Silver
Formation of Baguette and Round clear cubic stone into essential earring of your jewellery collection
Product Details
- Size Length : mm
- Stone : Cubic Zirconia
- 925 Sterling Silver
- Hypoallergenic – Suitable for sensitive skin.
- Plated with 14k/18k gold, rose gold or rhodium/ silver.
Care & Wear
Avoid bathing in jewellery, long term exposure to water and soap can cause plating to fade faster. Some stones are porous and water can cause discoloration.
Perfume, hair products and other elements such as perspiration can lead to tarnishing. Alcohol based products can tarnish gold and rose-gold plating irreparably.
Store jewellery away from sunlight and bathroom. Always store jewellery separately.
Before storing, rinse your jewellery with water and gently wipe each piece clean of make-up and skin oil with a cotton cloth. Air dry and then store.
Out of stock


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News release from IPFW:
IPFW to Host Site for International Survivors of Suicide Day
(November 13, 2013) — Losing a loved one to suicide can be one of the hardest things a family can go through. Harder still is the aftermath, which can leave a person with unanswered questions and feelings of guilt. International Survivors of Suicide Day is dedicated to those going through this struggle.
The Behavioral Health and Family Studies Institute at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW), in partnership with the Indiana Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), will be hosting a site to commemorate International Survivors of Suicide Day on Nov. 23, 2013.
The program will be held in the Rhinehart Music Center, Room 235, from 1 to 3 p.m. The doors will open at noon. IPFW is one of many locations hosting this event. To find more sites across Indiana, visit afsp.org.
At each of these community centered events around the world, organizers of the program will show a 90 minute video created by AFSP featuring personal stories from survivors, as well as advice on how to cope. Mental health professionals will also be included in the video.
All survivors of suicide loss are encouraged to attend. This event offers a rare opportunity for survivors to walk into a room and know that every person in it knows the hardship suicide can bring.
For more information or to R.S.V.P., contact Alice Jordan-Miles at 260-481-4184 or email@example.com, or visit the AFSP website.


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For your big ideas, inspirations, or to-do lists. Your very own personalised hardcover journal. Personalise the cover with your name and make it your own
Keep the ideas coming!
Available with blank pages or ruled!
Size: A5 5.83" x 8.27"
Paper Quality: 80 gsm
Number of pages: 72 leaves (144 front & back)
Estimated shipping time is 7 to 10 business days


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The greatest Shri Krishna pooja that a person can do is to read the Bhagavad Gita and contemplate. But many people feel the need to perform a puja when they feel they need to connect with the Supreme Being. A simple puja dedicated to Lord Krishna helps in keeping the mind calm and in concentrating. Some people exclusively perform Sri Krishna pooja during Shri Krishna Jayanti or Janmashtami or Gokulashtami.
Here is how to perform a simple puja dedicated to Lord Krishna.
- Select a calm and quite place.
- Clean the place and then take a bath.
- Place a photograph or idol or picture of Lord Krishna also of Lord Ganesha.
- Keep a lamp ready. Place some flowers and fruits or sweets ready in a plate.
- Pray to Ganesha.
- Meditate for a few minutes to clear the mind of unwanted thoughts.
- Now light the lamp.
- Meditate or pray to Lord Krishna.
- Offer flowers – Tulsi leaves is the best offering made to
Krishna. You can light incense or agarbathis. If needed you can ring the bell, while offering flowers.
- Chant the shloka – Om Namo Vasudevaya Namah.
- Now offer fruits or any sweet or usual food prepared for the deity. You can sprinkle some water after making the offering.
You can meditate for a few minutes or read some shlokas or prayers dedicated to
After the Krishna Puja remove the fruits and share it as 'prasad' with others.
After the puja, find some time to read the Bhagavad Gita and contemplate. You will find ideas and thoughts rushing in, which will help you in finding new meaning and direction in your life. Other spiritual books that can be read include Uddhava Gita and Srimad Bhagavad Purana.
Shri Krishna taught us to rise above rituals and to perform action. The best offering to Shri Krishna is to perform one's duty by realizing the Brahman within.


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Less than a month until the deadline for deposits to Anywherefit 2012, both Iceland and Munich trips. Below is a clip from the Wales trip last fall, just to remind everyone out there how incredible this experience can be.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Recovery WOD
Got out to what's left of Folsom Lake today for a quick soak. Water temperature somewhere in the mid 50's... felt amazing.
Posted by anywherefit at 12:27 AM
3 comments:
Again, thanks for the inspiring blog! In a previous post you asked for others' results on "death by 2-pood kb swings", and I just saw a 21 rds+14 result from a Swedish athlete. Must try it some time soon..!ReplyDelete
/Anders, Sweden
Love your blog..! Discovered it a couple of weeks back and started from page 1. When I need to get my head of things your blog does it. Thanks!ReplyDelete
Greeting from a dane in the states..
What song is this? I love it!ReplyDelete
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Candace Bushnell's Reign Of Terror Nearly Ended
Fear not, fans of rational portrayals of modern urban career women on television and film. Candace Bushnell's influence is almost gone from our lives. The Sex and the City authoress (or is she??) co-created a TV show last year called Lipstick Jungle that was basically a tired rehash of the SATC series but without all the fun swears and nudity and stuff. Well, that show was blessedly canceled yesterday, so we no longer have to deal with its particular brand of shoes-as-metaphor-for-longing ladybusiness. And now, oh my, Bushnell's satellite radio show has been euthanized as well. She was doing a show for Sirius XM radio called Sex, Success, and Sensibility, which was about how to make love like a perpetually neurotic and self-obsessed shopaholic. But then—in these horrible, ruined economic times!—she refused to take a 50% pay cut, so the station just out and out pulled the plug. So, that's sad for her I guess? But it's kind of a relief for us. Now if we could only stop those Sex and the City: For kids! books from coming out.


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WASHINGTON -- A Muslim convert from New York was sentenced on Friday to 11 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty to threatening the writers of the satirical "South Park" television show for their depiction of the Prophet Mohammad and to other criminal charges.
Jesse Curtis Morton, 33, who is also known as Younus Abdullah Muhammed, was put on three years of probation after he completes his prison term. The sentence was handed down in federal court in Alexandria, Va., the U.S. Justice Department said.
Morton, who ran a website that encouraged Muslims to engage in violence against enemies of Islam, pleaded guilty in February to making threatening communications, using the Internet to put others in fear and using his position as leader of the Revolution Muslim organization's Internet sites to conspire to commit murder.
"Jesse Morton sought to inspire Muslims to engage in terrorism by providing doctrinal justification for violence against civilians in the name of Islam," U.S. Attorney Neil MacBride said.
"His crimes not only put people's lives forever in danger, but they also chilled free expression out of fear of retaliation by violent terrorists," MacBride said in a statement.
He had worked on website postings with Zachary Chesser of Virginia, who pleaded guilty in October 2010 to sending threatening communications to the "South Park" writers and to other charges.
Morton was arrested in Rabat, Morocco, last year and brought back to the United States, where he pleaded guilty. He had faced a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
Morton admitted he helped Chesser in taking repeated steps in April 2010 to encourage violent extremists to attack the "South Park" writers for the episode on the cable channel Comedy Central that featured Mohammad in a bear suit.
Most Muslims consider any depiction of the founder of Islam as offensive. Morton and Chesser posted where the writers resided and encouraged online readers to "pay them a visit," according to court documents.
Morton worked with Chesser to draft a message for the website about the "South Park" threats and they posted a final version of the statement on various extremist online forums.
Morton also conspired with Chesser and others to solicit the murder of an artist tied to the "Everyone Draw Mohammad Day" movement in May 2010, including posting online a magazine that included the artist in a hit list for violent extremists. Chesser was sentenced to 25 years in prison last year.
The case is USA v. Morton, No. 12-cr-35, in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
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We have a suggestion for you: combine a hotel with your flights and enjoy our best packages prices.
The jewel of the 'Rías Baixas' occupies the majority of the well-known Galician coastline. Delicious fish, paradisiacal beaches and a vibrant nightlife will make your trip to Vigo a success, whichever way you look at it. Its…
When you land in Vigo you'll enjoy one of the world's best climates. Vigo is the only city in northern Spain that enjoys a privileged climate. In fact, for this reason it has been included on the list of the country's best places to live.
Although located in Galicia, "one of the wettest regions", it has a "microclimate" that makes it "unique in Galicia and nearly the whole of Spain". It is one of the cities with highest number of clear days and since it is influenced by a sub-tropical system the temperatures are milder than in other parts of Galicia. An average annual temperature of 14.7 ºC with mild summers and winter temperatures rarely falling below 7 ºC make this destination an ideal choice.
Iberia flies to Vigo International Airport (IATA code: VGO), also known as Peinador, which is situated 9 kilometres from Vigo and approximately 15 minutes from the city centre.
The airport is serviced by the AP9 and PO-8015 roads and has a car park where you can leave your vehicle
. If you prefer to use public transport, you can take a taxi or the L9A bus, with frequent departures all day long and a price of €1.35..
When you arrive in Vigo you will be submerged in a sea of unique flavours. The local cuisine is much more than a gourmet experience or opportunity to taste the finest shellfish from the Vigo estuary at reasonable prices: it is a ritual in itself. In Vigo the Galician food tradition is manifested in all the daily customs: from pre-lunch appetisers to tapas and after-work drinks, not to mention the barbecued steaks with family at the weekend
A visit to "Oyster Street" is a must. Calle Pescadería offers a unique spectacle: at stalls in the middle of the street, oystercatchers split open the legendary oysters from the Vigo estuary and prepare non-stop plate after plate of this delicious delicacy. The tradition is very simple: you buy the molluscs directly from the oystercatchers and taste them right there on the spot with a touch of lemon, washed down by a fine albariño, one of the famous white wines from South Galicia. Bon appetit!
Fair-style octopus… Master octopus cooks (known as pulpeiras and pulpeiros) choose the finest specimens, boil the octopus in their traditional copper pots and serve it hot on a typical wooden platter with salt, paprika and olive oil... This age-old recipe just doesn't taste the same anywhere else in the world.
The jewel of the 'Rías Baixas' occupies the majority of the well-known Galician coastline. Delicious fish, paradisiacal beaches and a vibrant nightlife will make your trip to Vigo a success, whichever way you look at it. Its old town, a small village in the middle of an industrial, bustling port city, allows visitors to stroll through a labyrinth of alleyways leading towards the sea, lined with bars and restaurants, where you can sample some of the best seafood in Spain.
The impressive and lively Constitution Square, the Ribera del Berbés, the A Pedra Market and fishmonger's Square (where you can sample the famous Vigo oysters), are just a few of the neighbourhood's attractions. Vigo's estuary, which further south meets the Rías Baixas, penetrates the earth and mixes with the river water, and is considered the city's finest feature, along with the Cíes Islands.
These islands provide a genuine oasis of vegetation, white sand and turquoise water. One of the beaches, Rodas, was voted the 'best beach in the world' by The Guardian in 2007. Declared a National Park, the archipelago has no buildings, and its only accommodation is the Cíes Islands Camp Site. To get there, you only have to take a short ferry ride from the port of Vigo. Don't miss out on this city's beaches and stunning, must-see views from its many lookout points.
Check the flight offer United Kingdom and book your plane ticket online. Iberia guarantees the best last-minute prices for our cheap flight offer United Kingdom.
Prices shown are for flights that customers have recently searched at United Kingdom. They are subject to change depending on seat availability, possible fare variations, charges and other supplements at the time you make the check. Prices per journey are applicable for return-flight tickets


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Polycraft World Levels
In Polycraft World, players are given a leveling system to track their progress within Polycraft World. The higher the level of the player, the more the player has access to the Polycraft World's unique items and features. This leveling system do not provide hard locks on the system, but rather acts as stepping stones for each step, with each level providing resources or machines that will help build up to the next level's machines and items. A player's Polycraft World's level can be located by logging into the Polycraft World website, as shown in figure 1.
Level Requirements
Level 1 - Craft (Level 1 - You will be a Level 1 Polycrafter when you make a crafting table )
- Craft and deploy a tree tap
- Smelt your first polyIsoprene block
- [Craft] a pogo stick
Level 2 - Smelt (Level 2 - You will be a Level 2 Polycrafter when you craft a furnace and tree tap )
- [Craft] a machining mill and mill your first metal mold
- [Craft] an injection molder and try molding your first running shoes, grips, etc.
- Craft an extruder and try extruding your first fibers, hoses, etc.
Level 3 - Mill, Mold, Extrude (Level 3 - You will be a Level 3 Polycrafter when you build a machining mill, extruder, and an injection molder)
- [Craft] a distillation column
- Distill your first bucket of crude oil
Level 4 Distill (Level 4 - You will be a Level 4 Polycrafter when you build a distillation column)
- Craft an industrial oven
- Craft your first fueled inventories: fueled lamps and spotlights
- Make PolyPropylene (PP) and Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)
- Craft a plastic chests to keep your chemicals straight
- Craft a steam cracker
- Cracking alkanes into alkenes: a guide to better plastics faster
- Manufacturing medium grade rubbers
Level 5 Crack (Level 5 - You will be a Level 5 Polycrafter when you build a steam cracker )
- Craft a merox treatment unit
- Sweeten fuels to extend life and to power jet packs and flamethrowers
Level 6 Treat (Level 6 - You will be a Level 6 Polycrafter when you build a merox treatment unit )
- Craft a chemical processor
- Process plastics to improve their properties: faster shoes, better gripped tools, bouncier blocks, etc.
Level 7 Process, Condense (Level 7 - You will be a Level 7 Polycrafter when you build a chemical processor )
- Craft a condenser
- Craft an oil derrick
Level 8 Frack (Level 8 - You will be a Level 8 Polycrafter when you build an oil derrick )
- video - petrochemical refining at scale
- Craft ABS and Plastic Bricks
- video - rapid construction with Plastic Bricks
Guides to Check Out Before Starting
For players new to Minecraft, read the First Two Days guide.
To learn about common commands, mod quirks, and other tidbits for Polycraft World, read the Starting Off Polycraft World
Level Guides
The following are short guides to assist the player in going up the leveling system
Level 0
Obtain Wood
You will need some wood in order to continue, which requires punching a tree. Hold left click on the logs of a tree until it breaks. Walk over to the wood to pick up the wood.
Craft planks
In order to get planks, you can put logs in your inventory's 2 by 2 crafting grid creating 4 planks per log.
Putting planks in a 2 by 2 formation, creates a crafting table. You can place this in the world by right clicking. Right clicking on it will open up at 3 by 3 crafting grid, allowing you to create more advanced items.
Once you craft a crafting table, you will become a Level 1 Polycrafter.
Level 1
Craft Furnace
To craft a furnace, you will need cobblestone, which can be harvested by mining rocks with pick axes. Create a wooden pickaxe by first crafting a stick. Crafting a stick can be done by putting two planks vertically in a crafting menu. This can be done via crafting table or through your smaller 2 by 2 crafting grid.
Once you have created sticks, go to the crafting table and place three planks along the top row as well as two sticks down what is open in the middle column. You should see a wooden pickaxe in the output.
Equip the pickaxe and begin to harvest cobblestone. Once you gather eight cobblestone, go to the crafting table and fill out the edges of the crafting grid, leaving the center open.
Furnaces can be used to smelt ores and cook food. The bottom square of a furnace will house the fuel while the upper box is the item that is cooked or smelted.


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I grew up on the wet side of Oregon, so when I moved to Bend 14 years ago, my goal was simple: GET OUT OF THE RAIN.
Mission accomplished! Bend's refreshing lack of the soggy stuff is so noticeable, I find myself enjoying the rare occasions it does rain.
But I can sympathize with those who flee the valley for a dry vacation and end up here during one of our rare rainy periods. With that in mind, here are some of my favorite rainy day activities in Bend:
Indoor recreation
Even when it's pouring outside, it's always dry underground! Wanderlust Tours is in high demand for snowshoe tours this time of year, but their Lava Cave Tour is the perfect option for drizzly afternoons. This half-day tour kicks off twice a day at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The caves are a constant 45-degrees, and each tour is led by an uber-knowledgeable naturalist guide.
Since Wanderlust is the only guide company permitted in these lava caves, you'll get glimpses of rock formations and landscapes you'd never see on your own. The tours are $55 for adults and $50 for kids under 12, and include your guide, gear, and instruction.
If underground exploration isn't your thing, consider a visit to Cascade Indoor Sports. They're offering special holiday hours for indoor skating, which means you can plan your skating for afternoon or evening. The $8 general admission includes skate rental, or skate for just $5 if you bring your own equipment. Kids 5-8 skate for $5, or it's free for those under 5.
For more good times with the family, check out Sun Mountain Fun Center. Choose from bowling, arcade games, billiards, or bumper cars. In between cloudbursts, you can even take a shot at mini-golf. I'm a big fan of the pizza they serve in the café, and they also serve beer and wine for the adults.
Be a little lazy
Few things feel better on a lazy, rainy day than a dip in the soaking pool at McMenamins Old St. Francis School. Semi-enclosed in shimmering turquoise tile work, this lovely, non-chlorinated saltwater pool makes for a lovely (and buoyant!) soak. You can admire the stained glass window or watch the rain fall through the open ceiling.
The pool is free for overnight guests, or just $5 for non-guests. It's open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the general public, with slightly different hours for minors or hotel guests. Don't forget to grab a pint of suds in the Fireside Bar before you leave, or make an evening of it by curling up on one of their theatre sofas and catching a movie.
When you've had your fill of McMenamins, it's time for a bit of shopping. Downtown Bend offers a fabulous mix of new architecture and restored buildings housing art galleries, boutiques, restaurants, gift and specialty stores. Bend's Old Mill District has an abundance of restaurants and an appealing blend of local shops and large chain stores. You can also check out the Bend Factory Outlets on the south end of town, or head north to shop 'til you drop at the Cascade Village Shopping Center.
Oh, and don't forget to fortify your lazy soul with comfort food and tasty beverages. The Goody's Ice Cream Factory Tours offer a great chance to see the inner-workings of this Central Oregon sweet-spot and sample some delicious treats. At $2 for anyone over 3, it's a pretty sweet deal! For the grown-ups in the group, a trip around the Bend Ale Trail offers a chance to sample some amazing craft beer and earn prizes for visiting all the local breweries.
See the sights without getting soaked
Rainy afternoons are the perfect time to scope out a museum, and Bend has some great ones. See a wide range of animals and artifacts at the High Desert Museum, where there's always a cool selection of new exhibits. I always time my visits around 2 p.m. when I'm sure to see the lynx and the bobcat wide awake and waiting for lunch.
The Des Chutes Historical Museum in downtown Bend offers history buffs a chance to connect with the region's heritage. Learn about Native American tribes, fur traders, homesteaders, and loggers, and learn why Bend was a great place to live even before every car had a kayak strapped to the top.
If you're interested in Bend's vibrant art scene, pick up a Roundabout Art Route map. The Roundabout Art Route is a collection of over 20 pieces of public art on display throughout the city at the center of Bend's traffic circles. It's sponsored by Art in Public Places, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing art to the community of Bend. In 2005, Americans for the Arts honored these sculptures as being among the most innovative approaches to public art in the country.
Some of the sculptures look especially lovely on drizzly days. My favorite is Orb I at the corner of Mt. Washington and Skyliner Road, and you're bound to see more detail when the piece is covered in dew or frost.
You can pick up the map at the Bend Visitor Center and do the route at your own pace, answering trivia questions to earn a fabulous prize. For a guided tour, The Bend Tour Company offers Roundabout Art Route tours like the Bend Art Safari and the Roundabout Art Rodeo daily. If you prefer your art with a glass of wine, The Well Traveled Fork's Roundabout Bend culinary and art tour is a delicious choice.
No matter how you opt to spend your rainy day in Bend, you're sure to have a great time. Now get out there—or in there—and have some fun!