Mark Mazzetti and Dexter Filkins expose very sensitive classified government secrets -- and not just routine secrets, but high-level, imminent planning for American covert military action in a foreign country:
The Salon
Senior American military commanders in Afghanistan are pushing for an expanded campaign of Special Operations ground raids across the border into Pakistan’s tribal areas, a risky strategy reflecting the growing frustration with Pakistan’s efforts to root out militants there.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Best Skateboard Longboard
Longboards for Cruising
Longboards are larger, obviously longer skateboards, used or cruising, bombing hills and sidewalk surfing. Longboarders love longboarding for various reasons - smooth ride, long runs, cruising, or carving hills. Read some reviews of some great longboards to get an idea of what you want in a longboard skateboard.
The Loaded Dervish
Loaded Dervish is a bamboo longboard designed to get you the most dynamic, all-around action possible. With the Dervish's flex and low center of gravity, combined with a clever truck mounting design, you can really dig in and bend this board to whatever it is you want to do. Bowls to hill bombing, and even tricks, the Loaded Dervish really does it all.
Flowboard Review
Original Longboard Skateboard
Original Skateboards is a maker of longboards and longboard trucks. Two brothers started the company in 2002, using their college money, and created a seriously impressive longboard brand! These aren't just recycled board designs with Randal trucks slapped on the bottoms - the boards are high quality and their trucks are ... well, they're very original. Man, what a lame pun. But it's true! Read the rest of this review of Original Skateboards.
The Flexdeck Pro 40 Longboard Skateboard is made speed, cruising and carving. The deck is a solid black material that they call “Gun Metal”, as opposed to the usual wood design of other longboards. Flexdeck Pro 40 longboard skateboards have a great flex (thus the name!), but are also ridiculously strong. In fact, Flexdeck brags that their boards are run-over-proof, bullet proof, elephant proof, and anything-else proof. Read more about the Flexdeck Pro 40 Longboard Skateboard in this review.
Longboards are larger, obviously longer skateboards, used or cruising, bombing hills and sidewalk surfing. Longboarders love longboarding for various reasons - smooth ride, long runs, cruising, or carving hills. Read some reviews of some great longboards to get an idea of what you want in a longboard skateboard.
The Loaded Dervish
Loaded Dervish is a bamboo longboard designed to get you the most dynamic, all-around action possible. With the Dervish's flex and low center of gravity, combined with a clever truck mounting design, you can really dig in and bend this board to whatever it is you want to do. Bowls to hill bombing, and even tricks, the Loaded Dervish really does it all.
Flowboard Review
The Flowboard by Flowlab is a large skateboard-style deck with two unique trucks that each hold seven wheels fixed in an arch. The result is a skateboard that turns and flows in a different way than more traditional pin trucks with two wheels each...
Flexdeck Pro 40 Longboard Skateboard Review
The Flexdeck Pro 40 Longboard Skateboard is made speed, cruising and carving. The deck is a solid black material that they call “Gun Metal”, as opposed to the usual wood design of other longboards. Flexdeck Pro 40 longboard skateboards have a great flex (thus the name!), but are also ridiculously strong. In fact, Flexdeck brags that their boards are run-over-proof, bullet proof, elephant proof, and anything-else proof. Read more about the Flexdeck Pro 40 Longboard Skateboard in this review.
Bustin Boards Custom Cruiser Skateboards Review
Bustin Boards are custom designed cruiser skateboards, perfect for anyone who enjoys the pure feel of carving, or who wants to cruise around in style. When I say custom designed, I mean that you, the buyer, get to set up your own custom cruiser board, from trucks and wheels and deck shape, to the actual combination of graphic and colors on the deck itself. Bustin Boards are a great, unique, new idea - and they ride well, too!
Arbor Fleetwood Longboard Cruiser Review
Arbor Fleetwood Longboard Cruiser Review - Arbor Fleetwood is one of the newest Arbor longboards on the market. Arbor Fleetwoods are made with all the personal attention and high grade materials and parts that Arbor is well known for. The Fleetwood is a mid sized carver made with a little wider shape, giving it a more relaxed ride.
Arbor Blunt Cruiser Longboard Review
The Arbor Blunt is a big, fat cruising longboard perfect for surfing down long hills and comfortably rolling around town. Featuring huge Randal 180 trucks, custom Krypto wheels and a strong, thick, wide deck covered in a ply of rich Koa wood, the Arbor Blunt has all you need for sidewalk surfing. Read this review for more.
Arbor Pocket Rocket Review
The Arbor Pocket Rocket has all of the features of an Arbor longboard, but is built to regular skateboard scale. The result is crazy little skate that rides super smooth, carves like no other, and makes hardly any sound. Tricks on the Arbor Pocket Rocket are a little difficult, but can be done. In short, the Arbor Pocket Rocket is a great hybrid mix between a longboard and a short skateboard. Read the review for more details.
Surf One Red Stripe Longboard Review
The Surf One Red Stripe complete is a balanced cruiser longboard. It’s long and narrow, complete with Independent trucks, Bones Reds bearings and black Surf One 65 mm wheels. The deck comes covered in black grip with a good size tail, flat nose, light concave and is built with Tough-Ply construction. The Surf One Red Stripe is a good, flexible longboard great for sidewalk surfing.
Original Skateboards is a maker of longboards and longboard trucks. Two brothers started the company in 2002, using their college money, and created a seriously impressive longboard brand! These aren't just recycled board designs with Randal trucks slapped on the bottoms - the boards are high quality and their trucks are ... well, they're very original. Man, what a lame pun. But it's true! Read the rest of this review of Original Skateboards.
Flexdeck Pro 40 Longboard Skateboard
The Flexdeck Pro 40 Longboard Skateboard is made speed, cruising and carving. The deck is a solid black material that they call “Gun Metal”, as opposed to the usual wood design of other longboards. Flexdeck Pro 40 longboard skateboards have a great flex (thus the name!), but are also ridiculously strong. In fact, Flexdeck brags that their boards are run-over-proof, bullet proof, elephant proof, and anything-else proof. Read more about the Flexdeck Pro 40 Longboard Skateboard in this review.
Arbor Pin Carver Longboard Review
The Arbor Pin is a carver longboard with a huge wheel base, a wide middle and tapered points - the shape allows for holding long, deep turns. The Arbor Pin longboard's deck is made with true Hawaiian Koa wood to add strength and beauty, and to reach back to the longboard's hawaiian roots in surfing. This is the longest board Arbor makes, with the widest wheel base. it's perfect for carving up the streets. Read the review for more.
Arbor Hybrid Longboard Review
The Arbor Hybrid longboard is built to give wide support and smooth ride for poolwork, cruising and even more technical tricks. The Arbor Hybrid longboard is shorter than the other Arbor cruiser boards, enabling you to cut and carve almost anything. Use Arbor's Koa wood finished stiff deck for that shape, and add Randal trucks and custom Kryptonics wheels, and you get a nice ride. However, being in the middle makes the Hybrid an oddly specialized longboard - read the review for more.
Arbor Rail Cruiser Longboard Review
The Arbor Rail longboard - I’d like to summarize what you are about to read in two words: fast and fun. The Arbor Rail longboard is on my list of the best longboards of all time. This skateboard has got so many good features, it is hard to list them all. The Arbor Rail longboard is made of Canadian HardRock Maple with a top ply layer of Hawaiian Koa. It also has Randal R-2 trucks, ABEC 3 bearings and sector 9 70mm wheels. Read the review to get more on how these specs work out.
Arbor Fish Carver Longboard Review
The Arbor Fish Longboard is the shortest in Arbor's "carver" series. Tester Ray Thomason talks about the board, what it felt like to ride the Arbor Fish longboard, and how it pulled him back to his early days of skateboarding. Read all about the Arbor Fish longboard carver in this review, and see what you think.
Arbor Bug Longboard Review
The Arbor Bug is a shorter longboard (36") specially designed by Arbor for female riders. The smaller size is more manageable, and the shape makes a great transition between regular skateboarding and longboarding. What we found, however, is that the Arbor Bug isn't just fun for girls - anyone will enjoy the maneuverability and style of this board. Tester Ian Taylor took the Bug and hit the streets for a couple of weeks. The following is Ian's reaction to the Arbor Bug.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Best MP3 Players
I think we will start with MP3 players. These mini-reviews will give you a quick idea of what's out there and what you might want to look at in the top MP3 players.
There's no one-size-fits-all MP3 player that's perfect for everybody. Some people need a small MP3 player for the gym, whereas others need tablet-size players with wide-screen video playback. Whatever your interests are, these five MP3 players broadly represent our current favorite portable music gadgets.
Apple iPod Touch 2010 (32GB)
Apple's iPod Touch offers so many features, it seems almost inappropriate to call it an MP3 player. From games, email, Web browsing, music, movies, and more, the fourth-generation iPod Touch runs rings around the competition, and the open-ended development of the App Store can bring nothing but improvements.
Price: $279.95 - $299.99
Zune HD (32GB - platinum)
The Zune HD delivers one of the best portable music and video experiences money can buy. At a time when many people have shifted their focus to games and applications, providing a killer media experience may not be enough for potential Zune buyers.
Price: $179.98 - $256.49
SanDisk Sansa Clip+ (4GB, red)
The SanDisk Sansa Clip+ is an excellent successor to the line, offering a fitness-friendly design with a built-in belt-clip, a simple interface, solid sound quality, and plenty of handy features--all for an ultralow price. It's an unbeatable value.
Price: $29.99 - $56.07
Sony X-Series Walkman (16GB)
The X-Series is a superb choice for audiophiles who want a luxury device with an excellent touch-screen interface and plenty of other bells and whistles.
Price: $249.99 - $299.95
Apple iPod Nano 2010 (8GB, orange)
The sixth-generation iPod Nano is easy on the eyes and the wallet. The design is nearly half the size as previous models, and includes unique features such as Genius Mixes, Genius playlists, an FM radio that can be paused and replayed, and a pedometer.
Price: $139.00 - $139.54 (check prices)
Hang tight!
Storme
There's no one-size-fits-all MP3 player that's perfect for everybody. Some people need a small MP3 player for the gym, whereas others need tablet-size players with wide-screen video playback. Whatever your interests are, these five MP3 players broadly represent our current favorite portable music gadgets.
Apple iPod Touch 2010 (32GB)
Apple's iPod Touch offers so many features, it seems almost inappropriate to call it an MP3 player. From games, email, Web browsing, music, movies, and more, the fourth-generation iPod Touch runs rings around the competition, and the open-ended development of the App Store can bring nothing but improvements.
Price: $279.95 - $299.99
Zune HD (32GB - platinum)
The Zune HD delivers one of the best portable music and video experiences money can buy. At a time when many people have shifted their focus to games and applications, providing a killer media experience may not be enough for potential Zune buyers.
Price: $179.98 - $256.49
SanDisk Sansa Clip+ (4GB, red)
The SanDisk Sansa Clip+ is an excellent successor to the line, offering a fitness-friendly design with a built-in belt-clip, a simple interface, solid sound quality, and plenty of handy features--all for an ultralow price. It's an unbeatable value.
Price: $29.99 - $56.07
Sony X-Series Walkman (16GB)
The X-Series is a superb choice for audiophiles who want a luxury device with an excellent touch-screen interface and plenty of other bells and whistles.
Price: $249.99 - $299.95
Apple iPod Nano 2010 (8GB, orange)
The sixth-generation iPod Nano is easy on the eyes and the wallet. The design is nearly half the size as previous models, and includes unique features such as Genius Mixes, Genius playlists, an FM radio that can be paused and replayed, and a pedometer.
Price: $139.00 - $139.54 (check prices)
Hang tight!
Storme
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)