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Town Square
Mary Hayashi Mailings
Original post made by Pro-Law, Another Pleasanton neighborhood, on Jul 22, 2012
To me it just looks like she is using her budget (provided by taxpayer) to attempt to make a "good" name for her. Every time I get one of those mailings it makes me lose more and more respect for her.
What a waste of taxpayers' money.
Comments (13)
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jul 22, 2012 at 3:56 pm
She knows no shame ! Appalling and unbelievable ! ! She's spending campaign funds from various Hayaski funds, to run for Alameda Co Supervisior, (now get this) to replace another unstable criminal,(both admitting to mental lapses) Nadia Lockyer !!
You couldn't write a novel like this ! ! Are the Dems that desperate??
I'm so glad to not be on eiither one's Dem mailing list! Front page of Sun Times article, said she has been 'sentenced'? to three years 'probation' !! and a whopping $180. fine !! It seems to me, the fine should have at least been equal to her theft....shoplifting of $2,400.oo worth of clothes !! Appears the judge travels in the same local political circle as the very poltical Hayashi couple.
$180.00 fine??? outrageous ! Probation and pocket change, is not even a slap on the hand. The Judge, for his own reputation, should have been a bit more realistic, and not quite as obvious in his political pandering.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jul 22, 2012 at 10:00 pm
I, for one, plan to vote for her. Her story sounds credible to me.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jul 22, 2012 at 11:11 pm
Surely you jest. Have you no shame?
a resident of Birdland
on Jul 23, 2012 at 8:16 am
liberalism is a disease is a registered user.
Good one, john. LOL. Maybe her husband, the judge, helped her dream up her story....
1) she was on the phone (nice ability to multitask---can she sign bills and chew gum at the same time?);
2) she had a brain tumor that made her do irrational things---but, don't worry, she still has enough functioning brain to perform at the level we've come to expect for Dems in California;
3) she thought she had paid for the items she stuffed in her bag, not realizing her mistake until trying to flee the store.
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on Jul 23, 2012 at 12:14 pm
Have you noticed that Mary never says anything? Her spokesperson always talks for her. Is the spokesperson running for office or Mary?
It will be interesting to see if she can hold her own against a challenger in a debate where she will actually have to think on her feet and talk in sentences that make sense.
When was the last time she even faced the public that wasn't a controlled environment (i.e. I am Mary, this is what I was told to say, goodbye).
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jul 24, 2012 at 9:11 am
Wasn't there another forum on here about Mary applying for the Alameda County Board of Supervisors? Where'd that one go?
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on Jul 24, 2012 at 12:50 pm
Crazy Mary wanted to fill the vacancy on the supervisor board left by the resigning of Crazy Nadia. She applied for the job but the county supervisors didn't want one crazy replaced by another crazy.
a resident of Downtown
on Jul 24, 2012 at 8:44 pm
I'm a Democrat who will not be voting for Ms. Hayashi. The fact that she is running for public office shows that she just doesn't get it.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jul 24, 2012 at 11:34 pm
Bill, do you think sombody told her she would not be ruuning for Supervisor, which is why the other Hayashi for Supervisor thread has been removed from this PW site ??
a resident of another community
on Jul 25, 2012 at 7:16 am
What Hayashi and most Dems don't realize is that there are ways to steal that aren't necessarily illegal. I've always found that it's easier to steal from the public (e.g., paying no taxes) than it is to steal at some middle class clothing store. Besides, my way is legal. Heh-heh-heh.
Mitt - Always standing tall for you people whoever you are.
a resident of Birdland
on Jul 25, 2012 at 8:34 am
liberalism is a disease is a registered user.
Mittens, you forgot to take your ADHD medication today...focus; this is a local issue. You really have to get over your obsession with Mitt.....I don't think he's your type anyway.
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on Jul 25, 2012 at 9:48 am
@She knows no shame!, Maybe her husband finally got some balls and told her to stay home and knit.
a resident of another community
on Jul 25, 2012 at 11:37 am
I agree, for golly sakes. When one is in front of the public, he or she needs to learn how to lie with impunity. Heh-heh-heh. Also, it is very important to steal in a way that is not obviously illegal. Such as stealing from the state. It's one thing to lie and cheat about tens of millions of dollars on your income tax form - heck, EVERYbody does that. But it's another thing to attempt pilfer a sweater at Marcus Nieman's. Sheeeeesh!
Mitt - Always looking out for all you people out there.
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Livermore trustees demonstrating wisdom
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2017 guide to summer camps
Looking for something for the kids to do this summer, learn something new and have fun? The 2017 Summer Camp Guide features local camps for all ages and interests.


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Last Modified: Friday, December 14, 2012 1:39 PM
By Natalie Stewart / American Press
A recent reported case of suspected tuberculosis in Lafayette poses no threat to the Lake Area, according to the Lafayette regional public health director.
Tuberculosis is a lung disease that can be transmitted by sharing the same space with an infected person for an extended period of time.
Dr. Tina Stefanski told the American Press on Thursday that there is one possible case of tuberculosis that is being investigated at Lafayette High School.
"All the steps that we are taking are out of an abundance of caution where we conduct contact investigations to identify any potential exposure," she said.
"As a result of our investigation we have identified approximately 200 individuals who need to be tested, but at this point none of it involves anyone in the Lake Charles area."
She said that as the investigation continues "things may change."
Stefanski said the exposure testing is a precaution and that tuberculosis has not been confirmed at this time.
"It could be months or years before someone exposed actually develops active tuberculosis," she said.
"The exposure test will identify whether someone was exposed to TB, so we can give medication and prevent them from developing active disease."
The Advocate reported the school system notified Lafayette High parents Tuesday of the suspected tuberculosis case and that those students identified as being at risk of exposure would be sent home with a letter Wednesday about testing to be conducted by the Office of Public Health on Monday and Tuesday.
Stefanski said the 200 people identified for testing include faculty, students and staff at the school.
She said TB is something that the Office of Public Health continues to see in communities and that contact investigations are done routinely.
Stefanski said there were nine cases of TB in the Lake Charles region in 2011.
• The Associated Press contributed to this report.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I live in the area where Tupelo honey is produced, but I am not sure what a Tupelo Gum Tree looks like. Putting a search in Google Images turns up ONE pic of the leaves and blossoms, and that's IT.
Searching the web just confuses the issue because all sorts of tupelo trees come up.
Anybody got any ideas ?? I know that I need to go down to the river and find some of those Tupelo honey producers and ask them to show me, and I will........ one day. :->
But in the mean time, jes thought I would ask.
It's Not The Destination, It's The Journey. We Cannot Change The Wind, But We CAN Trim The Sails.


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Commentary & Reply
From Parameters, Autumn 2005, pp. 132-43.
Detainee Operations and the Law of War
To the Editor:
Michael Hoffmans article, Rescuing the Law of War: A Way Forward in an Era of Global Terrorism (Parameters, Summer 2005), contains so many fundamental flaws in legal scholarship, errors of basic constitutional law, and factual fallacies that it verges on Administration propaganda.1
Allow me to provide three examples of significant distortions. First, Hoffman argues that Rasul v. Bush . . . establishes that unlawful belligerents have a right to challenge their detention in the federal court system. I was heavily involved in all of the Rasul litigation, and that is not what the case was about, nor is it what the Supreme Court decided. Rasul held that the prisoners (lawful and unlawful belligerents) at Guantanamo (GTMO) had the right to challenge their detention by way of habeas corpus since (a) US habeas corpus law applies at GTMO and (b) the petitioners (prisoners) were claiming that they were not unlawful belligerents in the first place. Indeed, Shafiq Rasul, the lead petitioner in the case, was released during the litigation without charges, information that should have at least been included in an endnote. That omission is seriously misleading, especially since most of your readers are not lawyers. By creating a penal colony at a place where US law applies, the Supreme Court in Rasul simply held, the President could not bar a prisoner from contesting his imprisonment the very purpose of habeas corpus.
Second, Lieutenant Colonel Hoffman states, There is no treaty that covers . . . situations where privately organized armed forces cross international borders, stalk international sea lanes, or strike at international aviation for their own ideological or political purposes. This is both inaccurate and highly misleading. There are multiple treaties and specific US criminal statutes that govern such conduct, whether by mercenaries or others, which a modicum of legal research would have shown, and criminal prosecutions under their provisions have been undertaken by US prosecutors for years.2
Third, and particularly problematic in the area of military law, is the authors premise regarding the courts interventione.g., four years ago, the notion that the judicial branch would assert a role in reviewing battlefield capture and detention would likewise have been impossible to imagine. Any serious student of US military history or military jurisprudence would know that such a claim simply is not true. Since virtually the founding of our republic, our judiciary has taken an active role, as it is constitutionally required to, in overseeing improper executive military actions. Indeed, President George Washington was so concerned about scrupulously protecting the rights of terrorists during the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 that he directed a US District Judge and a US Attorney to accompany the troops in quashing the rebellion. Those captured were criminally charged and brought before the judgejudicial intervention for sure, and at the express direction of the Commander in Chief.
A decade later, in Little v. Barreme, 6 U.S. 170 (1804), the Supreme Court was squarely confronted with the issue of Presidential wartime actions. In this case, Congress had passed a statute during a maritime war with France, specifically delegating to the President, as Commander in Chief, powers to seize (and forfeit) certain ships and cargoes. The President issued an order, ostensibly consistent with the statute. US Navy Captain Little seized a ship pursuant to the Commander in Chiefs order and was promptly sued by the ships owners for damages. Little defended on the ground that he was following an express order from the Commander in Chief, while the ships owners argued that the order was illegal, that it exceeded the scope of the congressional statutory authorization. The Court, speaking through Chief Justice Marshall, held that the Commander in Chiefs order was indeed illegal, and noted that such an order could never legalize an otherwise illegal act.
During and since the Civil War, there have been more than a dozen additional relevant instances of judicial involvement in cases of wartime captives.3 One wonders, then, if this is a case of poor scholarship, or if the article just devolves to a promotion of the Administrations policies. What caught my eye in
this regard were two phrases: the executive branch has taken a gradualist approach in adopting appropriate rules (emphasis added), and the executive branch is best equipped to devise rules for this emerging though not entirely unprecedented problem.
The claim that the Administration has taken a gradualist approach is one of the most disputed issues in all of the GTMO enemy combatant litigation. In my opinion, the consensus of the experts in this area, including two US Supreme Court decisions (Hamdi and Rasul), is that the US governments approach has been both unprecedented and extremist.
Last, from a US military perspective, there is a serious omission in the article. In the authors discussion of paradigms, there either should be three paradigms rather than two, or his litigation vs. law enforcement construct has a major unelaborated subcomponent. The missing componentone of special interest to a military audienceis the use of the UCMJ. For almost 100 years, Congress has given General Courts-Martial the jurisdiction to try persons suspected of violating the laws of war. So, to the extent that any rescuing is necessary, the failure to discuss this as a legitimate and available option is inexcusable. The very litigation that Colonel Hoffman bemoans could in large measure have been avoided by simply applying the UCMJs provisions to the GTMO prisoners cases. That was the holding in the recent case of Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, a habeas corpus action of a GTMO prisoner actually charged with offenses.
The issue is not whether we treat acts of terrorism as criminal acts or acts of war, but what do we do with the terrorist once he has been captured? The governments schizophrenic response, characterized by the criminal prosecutions of the 1993 World Trade Center bombers, the 1998 American Embassy bombers, John Walker Lindh, Zacarias Moussaoui, Richard Reid (the shoe bomber), and the Lackawana Six, versus creating an unprecedented enemy combatant status and a questionable military commission process, is the core reason that the litigation lamented by Colonel Hoffman is ongoing. The criminal trial modalitycriminally prosecuting terrorists for terrorist crimeshas worked effectively and efficiently. To the extent that perhaps lay jurors would not understand the laws of war, Congress has provided for prosecution under the UCMJ, a proven alternative.
The second principle postulated by Colonel Hoffman (p. 31), regarding the extent of executive branch discretion, is simply not accurate. The executive branchs discretion is limited by lawconstitutional law, treaty law, statutory law, international law (including customary international law), and the law of armed conflict. The unbridled executive discretion argument was advanced by the government and rejected by the Supreme Court in both the Rasul and Hamdi decisions.
Whether one is labeled an unlawful belligerent or an unlawful combatant, the results are the same. The American customary law of war is subject to both treaty law and our own US domestic law, and while such persons may not be entitled to Prisoner of War status, international law still governs and protects them. Furthermore, there is an overwhelming recognition that such persons, if
suspected of committing war crimes, will be tried consistent with the rights guaranteed under the UCMJ.
Donald G. Rehkopf,
Lt. Col., USAFR
Attorney at Law
Rochester, New York
1. My qualifications to comment include five years on active duty and 21 years in the active reserves with the US Air Force as a Judge Advocate General officer. I co-chair the Military Law Committee of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and am a member of that associations Committee on Military Tribunals. I have authored numerous friend of the Court briefs in all of the so-called enemy combatant cases and the major Guantanamo prisoner litigations, and I was listed as an expert in the law of war in an Amici Curiae brief at the US Supreme Court in the Hamdi case.
2. Applicable
treaties include the Convention on Offenses and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board
Aircraft (1969), the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft
(The Hague Convention, 1971), the Convention for the Suppression of
Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Civil Aviation (The Montreal
Convention, 1971), and the International Convention Against the Taking of
Hostages (1979). US statutes include Destruction of Aircraft or Aircraft
Facilities, 18 U.S. Code § 32; Violence at International Airports, 18
U.S.C. § 37; Use of Army and Air Force as Posse Comitatus, 18 U.S.C. § 1385; Piracy
Under Law of Nations, 18 U.S.C. § 1651; Citizens as Pirates, 18 U.S.C. §
1652; Aliens as Pirates, 18 U.S.C. § 1653; Terrorism Definitions, 18 U.S.C.
§ 2331; Acts of Terrorism Transcending National Boundaries, 18 U.S.C. § 2332b; Providing
Material Support to Terrorists, 18 U.S.C. § 2339A; and Aircraft Piracy, 49
These are just some of the legal weapons in the US arsenal. Also compare United States v. Yunis, 924 F.2d 1086 (DC Cir. 1991), regarding a Lebanese citizen hijacking Jordanian aircraft in Middle East, and United States v. Yousef, 927 F.Supp. 673 (S.D. NY 1996), jurisdiction based on the Montreal Convention.
3. A sampling includes: Ex parte Merryman, 17 Fed.Cas. 144 (C.C.D. Md. 1861) (civilian prisoner of state); Ex parte Vallandigham, 68 US 243 (1863) (civilian); Ex Parte Milligan, 71 US 2 (1866) (civilian); Ex Parte Quirin, 317 US 1 (1942) (German enemy combatants); Application of Yamashita, 327 US 1 (1946) (enemy combatant); Johnson v. Eisentrager, 339 US 763 (1950) (POWs); In re Territo, 156 F.2d 142 (9th Cir. 1946) (American citizen held as a US POW); Colepaugh v. Looney, 235 F.2d 429 (10th Cir. 1956) (enemy belligerent); Ex parte Benedict, 3 Fed.Cas. 159 (#1,292) (N.D. NY 1862) (civilian prisoner of state); Ex parte Field, 9 Fed.Cas. 1 (# 4,761) (D. Vt. 1862) (civilian prisoner of state); In re McDonald, 16 Fed.Cas. 18 (# 8,751) (E.D. Mo. 1861) (civilian prisoner of state); Ex parte Weitz, 256 Fed. 58 (D. Mass 1919) (civilian, habeas granted); In re Bartolo, 50 F.Supp 929 (S.D. NY 1943) (civilian); and Jones v. Seward, 40 Barb. 563 (NY Sup. Ct. 1863) (suit for false military imprisonment of civilian).
The Author Replies:
Along with his colleagues, the author of the letter preceding has achieved remarkable success in pushing back the law of war. Guantanamo detainees are the worlds only belligerentsand the very first belligerents in the history of the worldautomatically privileged to file writs of habeas corpus and secure assistance of counsel for that purpose. Arguments in his letter underscore the urgency in restoring a law-of-war paradigm.
Lieutenant Colonel Rehkopf gets to the heart of the matter in identifying Guantanamo as a penal colony. Its not. Its a military detention center for belligerents captured waging private warfare against the United States. In granting them a broad right of habeas corpus, the judicial branch upends centuries of pragmatic experience with the rules of war.
Colonel Rehkopfs letter cites treaties and statutes drafted for law enforcement efforts against terrorism and its criminal prosecutionbut of little value as legal guidance for warfighting. I agree with him on one point: the United States is bound by domestic and international law in determining rules for the protection of captured belligerents. My point is that were now starting to apply the wrong law, and this invites problems.
Our efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq plainly follow a military model, and the rules of war apply, not those of law enforcement, criminal procedure, or due process. From 1775 on, US forces have followed the rules of war in protecting and controlling captured members of opposing forces. Why shouldnt they continue to do so? In those few (earlier) cases involving judicial review of military practice and captured belligerents, the courts ultimately deferred to the executive branch. They didnt assert a de facto law-of-war oversight role then, but theyre developing an appetite for one now. Early results are disquieting. In contrast to these bold moves, the executive branch has moved with care, clearly recognizing there are circumstances where it has to draw legal distinctions between unlawful belligerency waged by a private foreign army, and alleged criminal conduct by sympathizers and members captured or arrested in the United States.1
The precedents cited in my article were carefully chosen. They represent sources offering a realistic handle on the law of war, and insight on why the judicial branch has played a minimal role in its development. State practice and oper-
ational application of public international law will help us identify and implement useful and reasonable rules for suppression of unlawful belligerency.
We have a limited corpus of US judicial opinion relevant to any facet of warfighting; it applies to entirely different circumstances and offers no useful insight on how to meet this challenge. For example, the Civil War detention caseswhich remain important today for other reasonsinvolved civilians. Soldiers and sailors in Confederate service were given de facto prisoner of war status upon capture, even while still considered to be citizens by the US government. They had no right of habeas corpus, suspended or otherwise. This should be the case even more so with unlawful belligerents in a private foreign army thats waging international warfare, who have little to no claim of protection under the Constitution of the United States, and who possess legal status and protection considerably more ambiguous even than that accorded members of a domestic insurgency under the modern rules of war.
Colonel Rehkopf focuses principally on issues relevant to judicial review when someone complains the state has deprived them of liberty without legal justificationwhich has almost without exception meant judicial review in cases involving someone, anyone, other than captured members of an opposing force. The courts are dismantling that distinction, and we can barely imagine where this is going. Barracks lawyering may assume an entirely new and improbable dimension, with every captured belligerent proclaiming mistaken identity and playing the system for judicial review. If the courts decide theyve hit their stride with oversight of belligerent detention, where do we go next? Is judicial review and second-guessing of command decisions on strategy, tactics, and weaponry also in the offing?
Where Colonel Rehkopf refers to criminal law and procedure, I note that such applies only if a detainee faces criminal prosecution. The United States can hold a belligerent, captured on the battlefield, for that reason alone and without a requirement to prosecute or offer the judicial branch any oversight role. The rules of war already provide for their protection and release (I point out the importance of those rules in my article), and the newfound judicial role is unique to the United States, gratuitous, and entirely experimental. Where the United States now leads in inventing new rights for opposing forces, few if any will ever follow, and our own forces will never benefit from anything remotely like them.
Colonel Rehkopf suggests that my article verges on Administration propaganda, contains significant distortions, and reflects poor scholarship. These assertions reflect a reality of ground rules in the present debate. Advocates of a due process, criminal procedure model have achieved almost total terrain dominance in a battle of ideas. Those favoring a law-of-war approach have been maneuvered to a point where its often assumed they have to accept a defensive posture, that their views are somehow antithetical to domestic and international law (not so), have no legal basis (they do, see my article), and are misleading or merely propaganda (a charge best refuted by retaking the initiative and assertively building up appropriate law-of-war based mechanisms). Proponents for the law of war are finding their voice and taking practical steps, but need to work quickly.
The focus should shift back to the executive and legislative branches, and Congress may take an active role in framing rules on the status and treatment of the Guantanamo detainees. Perhaps these will provide guidance on other unlawful belligerents as well. This could be a chance to disentangle the law of war from peacetime constitutional practice. It could provide a way forward that ensures effective and humane application of the customary rules of war, while avoiding long years of painful lessons that will, in the end, demonstrate the futility of any other approach.
Michael H. Hoffman
1. For any reader who may be curious, the author is a private citizen, has no ties to the Bush Administration, did not consult with anyone affiliated with the Administration while preparing the article, and at this writing doesnt know what view regarding his article prevails in the Administration.
On The Origins of al Qaedas Ideology
To the Editor:
Christopher Henzels article The Origins of al Qaedas Ideology: Implications for US Strategy (Parameters, Spring 2005) is thought-provoking, and his historical discussion appears mostly correct. There are two issues to be commented on, however. The first issue, though a minor aspect of Mr. Henzels overall essay, is still important to discuss because scholarship on Islam is rife with inaccuracy both from within and outside the religion. Because Westerners at all levels need to become correctly familiar with this religion due to its prominence on the international stage, it is important writers on Islam be as precise as possible when presenting even the minutest of points about the religion. Mr. Henzels references both to Egypt being Sunni Islams center of gravity and Al-Azhar University being the center of Sunni orthodoxy, subjects which are very much tied together, is the first issue to be addressed. The second is Mr. Henzels argument that the United States needs to focus less on a near-term democratic revolution throughout the Middle East and more on cooperating with that regions current regimes in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT).
Regarding the debate among Sunni Muslims in Egypt, which he refers to as Sunni Islams center of gravity, Mr. Henzel states, On one side, Cairos Al-Azhar has been the center of Sunni orthodoxy for a thousand years. On the other side, al Qaedas ideology has its origins in late-19th-century efforts in Egypt to reform and modernize faith and society. That statement is arguable, especially the notion of Al-Azhar being the center of Sunni orthodoxy. Despite the presence of Al-Azhar and its being the birthplace of thinkers who helped form al Qaedas theological and ideological positions, the idea that Egypt is the center of gravity for Sunni Islam is incorrect if that term is taken by the reader to mean that Egypt is the source of Sunni doctrine, spiritual guidance, and overall inspiration after the Koran, Hadith, and secondary commentary from the rightly guided. It is correct to say that Al-Azhar University is the largest and, in the eyes of many scholars, is and has been the most prestigious Islamic center of learning. However, when juridical rulings are issued from Al-Azhar, though such are taken seriously by many Sunnis, certainly not all Sunni ulama, even in the
Arab world (and not labeled as reformist as presented in the article), agree. Al-Azhar of late is seen by many to be in crisis. The intellectual battles within the university as well as its credibility-damaging political balancing are commented on in other forums. The existence of other prominent Sunni institutions makes Mr. Henzels assertion about Al-Azhar problematic as well.
Regarding the second issue, Mr. Henzel states, Only the existing Muslim regimes, in coordination with American investigators and spies, can defeat the cells of al Qaeda. This is a problematic assertion. Defeat of al Qaeda also requires efforts toward religious education of the masses away from traditionalist notions of Islam that uphold forms of Islamic law not in concert with increasingly accepted global norms. This will require efforts that transcend pure US government/regime cooperation. An important way to ensure the defeat of al Qaeda is through applying pressure for change in the existing regimes behaviors concurrent with supportive interaction with them. The idea that only existing Muslim regimes in coordination with the US investigators can defeat the enemy leaves out the role of nongovernment organizations, inter-faith dialogue, international law reform, modification of international systemic structures, and persistent finding and freezing or seizing of terrorist financial sources, along with other approaches to defeat the enemy.
Mr. Henzel would be correct in asserting that physical destruction of existing operational cells and the gaining of insight into current al Qaeda operating paradigms and structures require close coordination between existing regimes and the United States; however, he appears to imply that the strategic effort must be set aside or diminished to focus on the operational and tactical. This strategy of active separation of the levels of war in the GWOT can only lead to setbacks. The informational, economic, diplomatic, spiritual, and kinetic destruction efforts must be executed at all levels concurrently by governmental and nongovernmental means against terrorist cells, their immediate direct support networks, and those charities and other organizations that provide funds while also doing good works. Thus Mr. Henzels idea that Washington should set aside, for now, its ambitions for democratic revolution, at least until the Salafist revolution is contained, is one that will slow the process of defeating not only al Qaeda, but an interpretation of Islam that though at many levels is resisted by the Salafist reformers still at other levels provides them a basis for their actions.
Overall, Mr. Henzels article is beneficial in getting a reader to think about strategy to defeat the enemy. It is good that he wrote the article. However, writers should strive for precise correctness in discussing even seemingly small points regarding Islam. That is why multiple facets of what some might think a minor point, such as Egypts place in Sunni Islam, should be presented. Tactical defeat of al Qaeda cells does not mean new cells will not form. This is because the conditions that draw so many to the enemy must be alleviated and have not yet been. Such alleviation must begin now rather than later. Certainly encouragement of Islams moderation has to be done with great care so as not to enflame the masses, but it should not be set aside. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rices recent diplomatic snubbing of Egypt, when she canceled a visit because of that governments retrac-
tion of democratic procedure, was the right thing to do; it brought about positive results. Better public diplomacy through multiple mediums and intense efforts to present US intent combined with carefully modulated carrot-stick methods, further combined with steady yet varying types of support for the efforts of governments, religious organizations, and others acting against the extremists, will, in the long run, despite enemy efforts to the contrary, bring about positive results.
Captain Vincent
Littrell, USAF
Mons, Belgium
The Author Replies:
In my view, its entirely accurate to use the term center of gravity to describe Egypt in relation to the other components of the Sunni Arab world. In addition to the religious prominence of Al-Azhar, Egypt has long been an important regional factor culturally, politically, and demographically. Even today, a generation after the failure of Nasserism, Egyptian music, literature, and cinema are important forces in every Arab country. The Arab League is headquartered (again) in Cairo, and the Secretary General of the League remains, by tradition, an Egyptian. With 77 million people, Egypt is by far the most populous Arab state. It is at the center of the Sunni Arab world, and not just geographically.
This matters because
Salafism was born in Egypt, al Qaedas chief ideologist is Egyptian, and his fondest
hope is the overthrow of the current Egyptian regime. Without the contributions to
revolutionary Salafism of Egyptian ideologues and fighters, I suspect many of Bin
Ladens present-day admirers would have
dismissed al Qaedas ideology as a strange product of Sunnisms periphery. (Muhammed Abduh, who coined the term salafiah, and was Egypts Grand Mufti at the turn of the last century, regarded Wahabism as heterodox, as did most Sunni scholars.)
Im sorry I was unable to persuade Captain Littrell that there is a strategically significant distinction between what he calls traditionalist notions of Islam and revolutionary Salafism. I remain convinced that the divide is there. One recent example: At the July 2005 Islamic conference in Amman, an impressively wide range of traditional Muslim clerics (and even a few moderate Salafists) from across the Muslim world were able to agree on a communiqué denouncing takfir, the doctrine under which the revolutionary Salafists designate their Muslim enemies as apostates; it is a cornerstone of the revolutionaries ideology.
I of course agree with Captain Littrell that the United States should carefully employ all the appropriate instruments of national power to implement whatever strategy it chooses to pursue. However, I think a number of the steps proposed in his comment would be counterproductive in the situation the United States faces now. As for what the US strategy should be, Ill let my article speak for itself.
Christopher Henzel
The Trouble with History and the Schlieffen Plan
To the Editor:
note: The correspondent, Dr. Terence Zuber, is author of The Schlieffen Plan
Reconsidered, in War in History (July 1999), and Inventing the Schlieffen
Plan (Oxford 2003), which were alluded to in the article he comments upon.
In his article The Trouble with History in the Summer 2005 issue of Parameters, Dr. Antulio J. Echevarria II said that I contend that the Schlieffen plan was merely a ruse to dupe the German Parliament into increasing the budget for the Kaisers Army. I have never made such an assertion, or anything like it, and I have no idea how, if Dr. Echevarria has read any of my numerous works on the Schlieffen plan, he could have arrived at such a conclusion.
The real point of my work is to show that Schlieffen recognized that he was not going to have the mass army he desired and that, in compensation, he developed a counterattack doctrine based on surprise, interior lines, and mobility, in particular railroad mobility. The members of the German military establishment created the myth of the infallible Schlieffen plan after the war to explain their individual and collective failure to defeat France in August and September 1914.
Dr. Echevarria then complains that I have no evidence to support what he believes to be my thesis. This is not surprising. I never contend that Schlieffen was trying to dupe the German parliament. Therefore, I do not try to prove this point.
Dr. Echevarria then says that I claim to have special insight into German planning due to the three years I spent as the VII (US) Corps liaison officer to the German 12th Panzer Division, and that I use this insight in lieu of proof to support my ideas concerning Schlieffens planning. In fact, in the acknowledgment preceding Inventing the Schlieffen Plan I merely thank the 12th (GE) Panzer Division Chief of Staff and the G-3 for teaching me a great deal about operations, tactics, and leadership. I also thank four American officers as well as the soldiers in the two companies I commanded in the 3d (US) Infantry Division. At no point in any of my work on Schlieffens planning do I mention my experience in either the German or American armies.
My work on Schlieffens planning is based on extensive research in the German military archives at Freiburg, Dresden, Stuttgart, Munich, and Karlsruhe. In the process I discovered, or was the first to recognize the significance of, a large number of German General Staff rides, intelligence estimates, other planning documents, and Reichsarchiv documents, including Wilhelm Dieckmanns Der Schlieffenplan. Five pages of such documents are listed in the bibliography of Inventing the Schlieffen Plan. Dr. Echevarria evidently does not find the contents of these documents or my interpretation of them to be convincing. He does not state his reasoning. It would be valuable if Dr. Echevarria would support his position by providing his own experience with these documents. He could include his own archival research into German war planning and his
facility in reading old German Sütterlin script, which is used in most of Schlieffens documents.
Finally, Dr. Echevarria descends to egregious insult. He states (note 29) that Zubers book was, incidentally, published by Oxford University Press; even respected publishing houses make mistakes. Such a comment is not worthy of a serious historian, nor does it have a place in discussing the work of another Army officer in a professional US Army publication. In any case, it would seem likely that it was not Oxford, nor the authors of the many favorable reviews that Inventing the Schlieffen Plan has received, who have made the mistake, but rather Dr. Echevarria.
Dr. Terence Zuber
New Martinsville, West Virginia
The Author Replies:
To argue, as Dr. Zuber does, that the 1905/06 Denkschrift was merely a reflection of Schlieffens belief that Germanys conscription policies must change, and then to pretend that this concept paper would not have had implications for the Kaiserheers budget, and for the Reichstags many debates concerning the same, is simply untenable. The 1905/06 Denkschrift would not have been taken seriously as a case for increasing the size of the Kaiserheer unless it was presented as a war plan, or at least the basic concept for one. If it was not the real war plan, as Zuber maintains, but only masqueraded as one, then it was a ruse, a ploy, though one Schlieffen perhaps thought justified.
I am sympathetic to Dr. Zubers other main argument that the Schlieffen myth was to a large extent a deliberate invention of the postwar years, though that argument is not entirely new. And I particularly appreciate his deconstruction of Gerhard Ritters reconstruction of the Schlieffen plan; it was long overdue. However, Dr. Zuber simply goes too far in claiming that there never was a Schlieffen plan.
Concerning the special insight allusion, this observation has little to do with Dr. Zubers time in the 12th Panzer and everything to do with a tendency for rather tendentiously filling in historys gaps. His arguments have been challenged by many able historians in conference settings and in articles, as the running debate on the issue of the Schlieffen plan reveals. Some of those challenges have to do with the degree of significance Dr. Zuber ascribes to the general staffs war games and to the incomplete Dieckmann manuscript. A valid response requires further concrete evidence to support his claims, thereby possibly making an indelible contribution to history, not merely oversimplifying his opponents arguments and countering them by splitting hairs regarding his own remarks.
Regarding the German standard script, I should thank Dr. Zuber for reminding me of the pleasurable experience I had learning the script at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. I found the skill quite valuable for my dissertation research some years ago. But, I do not consider it a special skill, as most historians of the Wilhelminian period probably possess it.
As for the alleged insult, my intent was merely to show that even the publications of the most prestigious presses should not be above rigorous critical analysis. Prestige is, after all, something we as professionals consent to afford to someone or something; that consent should not necessarily be automatic.
Dr. Antulio J. Echevarria II
Demography, Recruiting, and Vigorous Veterans
To the Editor:
Dr. George H. Questers excellent article, Demographic Trends and Military Recruitment: Surprising Possibilities (Parameters, Spring 2005) covers many contemporary trends, and entertains many scenarios, in its effort to plot the shape of future recruitment based on todays patterns. His research is particularly valuable for an organization that has traditionally had real concerns about finding young men and women to replace experienced, but aging, warfighters. I was somewhat surprised then to find that he did not address one particularly significant trend that might also affect military recruitment, namely the ability to extend what he calls soldiers stamina of youth with increasingly sophisticated biotechnologies. As the baby-boomer population has aged, interest and research in age-management have only increased, and Dr. Questers point that retirement ages are increasing everywhere but in the military is important for this reason: people are retiring later, in part because they can perform longer.
As a culture, we tend to equate productivity with the extension of desktop work (or even just the ability to drive ones car to Bingo Night) into our 80s, but this should not distract us from the reasonable expectation that hormone optimization, anti-oxidant strategies, stem cell research, somatic gene therapies, and nutrigenomics will extend peak physical performance into our 50s and 60s in the very near future. Already we see this trend developing among elite athletes, many of whom are now benefiting from years of optimized nutrition and other interventions. It is not uncommon to find 40-year-old football players, triathletes, and swimmers who are able to physically compete, and mentally outperform, many younger athletes. Rather than viewing aging athletes as having no useful role, many teams are beginning to appreciate the benefits of keeping veterans on the field. Not only does it reduce the pressure to have to replace older generations (a pressure that could lead to drops in standards), but it means the newest recruits have excellent leaders and mentors alongside them at the moments when it matters mostno small advantage when teaching 20-year-olds how to behave like professionals.
One does not need to be a rogue scientist to anticipate that increased understanding of diet, genes, and other biological systems is going to help men and women be able to keep up (if not exceed) younger persons who do not avail themselves of similar age-management biotechnologies. Warfighter age-management may mean that we no longer have to choose, in Dr. Questers terms, between
physical vigor . . . and maturity, experience, and technological expertise. Further, this trend toward delaying age-related performance declines can only be expected to continue, especially in a nation whose general optimism leads its peopleas the British are fond of saying about Americansto believe that death is optional.
We must also consider the strategic consequences of having a veteran force. The capacity to keep large numbers of experienced warfighters operational is historically unprecedented, and while its effects are unpredictable, I would wager they can only benefit a high-tech, net-centric military, seeking to push decisionmaking further down the operational chain. Recent military operations also suggest that other qualities that come with experiencematurity, composure, and cultural awareness, to name just a fewwill be more important for a future US military, not less. The ability to keep veteran warfighters in their mental and physical peak for decades could give the US military the real ability to do more, with less, for longer, resulting in a force-multiplying effect that may be hard to neutralize or counter.
This would require, as Dr. Quester acknowledges, a radically new system of military promotion, organization, and even hierarchya system that would have to reconsider the up-or-out promotion tradition and entertain other scenarios, in which well-paid, elite, 50-year-old warfighters might reasonably be expected to lead squad- or platoon-sized units in urban operations or stability and support operations. Further, military age-management would also require a long-term strategy, something for which the military is not famous. Such is the nature of age-management that we would have to begin to apply biotechnologies to extend warfighters physical and mental performance years, and probably decades, before we have historically begun to think of them as aging. While we will be able to prevent aging, there is less chance of being able to reverse it once it begins. This means thinking ahead. However, in an era where the military must compete with other professionally attractive industries, it is worth considering the appeal of an organization that promises to use its significant resources to keep its personnel on the young side of old. Indeed, with appropriate investment in age-management, the adage old soldiers never die may have to be updated: Old soldiers may die, but they dont age .
Adam Russell, Ph.D.
Strategic Assessment Center, SAIC
McLean, Va.
The Author Replies:
Dr. Russells comments are a very provocative example of what is called for by the inexorable pressures of demographic trends, a willingness to think outside the box about military manning. And they are another illustration of the spin-offs by which the same research that allows us to enhance the duration and quality of life can reinforce our ability to deploy armed forces.
George Quester
Go to Autumn issue Table of Contents.
Go to Parameters home page.
Reviewed 16 August 2005. Please send comments or corrections to email@example.com


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Education Program Coordinator, 870-241-3373
Food chain
Food web
*See glossary for definations
Cook's Lake habitat descriptions
A food chain shows how energy can be passed from one organism to another. Food chains may be simple or become complex as more parts are added. A food web shows the interactions between all parts of a food chain.
Carnivore – any animal that consumes other animals that are living (predation) or dead (scavenging)
Consumer – in ecology, organism, usually an animal, that feeds on other organisms and their remains; classified as primary consumers (herbivores), secondary consumers (carnivores) and microconsumers (decomposers)
Decomposer – an organism that breaks down large chemicals from dead organisms into small chemicals and returns important materials to the soil and water
Food chain – feeding order in an ecological community that passes food energy from one organism to another as each consumes a lower member and in turn is preyed upon by a higher member
Food web – a network of interrelated food chains in an ecosystem
Fungus – small, often microscopic, organism that lacks chlorophyll and cellulose in its cell walls
Herbivore – a plant-eating animal
Omnivore – an animal that eats both animal and vegetable matter
Predator – an animal that hunts and kills other animals, usually for food
Prey – an animal that is killed and eaten by another animal
Producer – organism that creates its own food from inorganic substances through photosynthesis (by green plants) or chemosynthesis (by anaerobic bacteria) and serves as a source of food in the food chain
Scavenger – animal, such as a bird or insect, that feeds on decaying matter
*Note to teacher: Due to various presentation techniques by different staff, if you want to make sure a certain framework is discussed, or tie in one not mentioned, please make that request when reserving your program.


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UPDATE: Crews battling N. Colo. fire face gusty winds
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Gusty winds could hinder firefighters' efforts to contain a wildfire that has scorched up to 1,000 acres in the foothills west of Fort Collins.
Calm weather Saturday allowed crews to make significant progress, but the National Weather Service says Sunday could bring warmer temperatures and wind gusts of up to 44 mph.
The fire reported Friday morning forced hundreds of residents from their homes. All evacuees were allowed to return home Saturday night, but they have been told to remain prepared to leave again.
The blaze is burning west of Horsetooth Reservoir, near the scene of a large wildfire last summer that burned 259 homes and killed one person. No injuries have been reported and no structures have been damaged in the latest fire, which is 45 percent contained.


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Wow, this thread is a mixed blessing for the following reasons:
1. It makes me realize I haven't had sex since my better half passed away three and a half years ago.
2. It reminds me that I'm not really as dead "down there" as I thought I was.
3. I need a girlfriend. Bad...
Ain't really as bad as it reads, fellas. I'm starting to enjoy my life again.
Mike U,I think its time you got back in the game. My grandmother got remarried after my poppie passed. She was in her 80's when she tied the knot again.I think your wife would want you to be happy.Damn,I'm starting to get all emotional here. Back to the subject at hand,my wife would win hands down but its a mute point, as she would not pose(dammit!). But this should be interesting and I'll be watching tis thread with great antisapation.
Clan MacPherson
"A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.", Will Durant
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.", Edmund Burke
Which is your favorite,the one on the left or right?
SOON-We already lost the war. You are the resistance.
I hear ya on all counts. I'm working on that gf thing. I'm finding out it ain't as easy as it used to be. No worries, though.
Just kinda lookin' for likely candidates now.
Kudos on a unique and fascinating thread!


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Negative term used for black people. Similar to porche monkey.
Tyrone is such a yard ninja. All he does is lift weights in his front lawn but he never gets bigger.
Noun - A short ninja, around two feet tall, that reside in the yard in the night time. They continually stare into the windows of the residents house, as a voyeur, giggled in the background. If a person is vigilant enough, they can catch them in action. Yard Ninjas are weak against the common porcupine, but cannot be killed by one. Yard Ninjas originated around the 1300's AD, when they were discovered trampling on the grave of William Wallace
I caught me a Yard Ninja last night, bugger had 13 of my collectable Pez dispensers.... I'm gonna buy me some guard porcupines..
by The Dylanatron December 23, 2010


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Lauren Bruce
February 01, 2013 , 4:25 PM by Hayley Crane
Lauren Bruce is a Local singer/songwriter from Melbourne.
She recently released an album, Before the Dust Settles, and has been giving away tracks online for free each fortnight since.
She joins us on Afternoons to play her latest free track, Into My Garden.
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Recurring leg soreness may rob grand old trotter of a crack at riches across the Ditch.
The legs which have robbed Stig of his best days are now threatening his shot at the greatest month in the history of Australasian trotting.
The 10-year-old trotter has been one of the most phenomenal comeback stories of all time, clawing his way back to the top of the trotting tree after three years of retirement.
His two defeats of champion rival I Can Doosit in December, both in national record time, were a glimpse into what Stig might have been had he not been dogged by soreness most of his career.
Now with those problems flaring up, trainer Paul Nairn is considering pulling the pin on every trotting trainer's dream month.
Next month will see three rich races in as many weeks in Australia, starting with the A$200,000 Glenferrie Farms Challenge at Menangle on March 3.
That new race will run as part of a seven group-one day, highlighted by the Interdominion Pacing Final.
Two weeks later the elite trotters can head to a A$125,000 Australian Trotting Grand Prix in Melbourne with the biggest new thing in trotting on March 23.
That is the Great Southern Star series, which will consist of two A$50,000 heats and a A$250,000 final on the same day at Melton.
Horses have to be invited to both the Glenferrie Challenge and the Great Southern Star and Stig would of course be at the top of any invite list alongside I Can Doosit.
But Nairn says he is 50:50 at best to cross the Tasman because even though Stig won at Addington last Friday night he is not 100 per cent.
"He is good enough to race and beat the trotters just below the absolute best but he is having a few arthritis niggles," he told the Herald.
"That is nothing new for him because he has had arthritis most of his life and it has been a case of managing it. But when he beat I Can Doosit at Auckland his legs were as good as they ever get but he has had some niggle since he got home."
So Nairn will talk to owner Tim Butt and make a decision on whether to head overseas or stay home.
And he will need to make it quickly, as the five Kiwi invitations for the Glenferrie Challenge are likely to be issued in the next few days and if he isn't going he will need to give the emergency's connections time to get across to Sydney.
"I think I will know by the end of this week and a lot will depend on what Tim wants.
"If we stay here we have an $80,000 race at Addington on March 30, which would probably be a lot easier than anything in Aussie.
"And then we would have the Rowe Cup carnival and I'd love to win the Rowe Cup again. He thrives in Auckland.
"The money in Australia is huge and I'd also love the Aussies to see the best of him.
"But the bottom line is, I will do what is best for the horse."
While Nairn mulls over his options, Stig's arch-rival I Can Doosit was to trial at Melton last night.
Trainer Mark Purdon is pleased with his progress after fetlock problems dulled his best form in December and has the Menangle feature as his first goal at this stage.
"He is getting better all the time as we treat his fetlocks but I am probably only going to get one race into him before Sydney," said Purdon.
He looks certain to have three of his stable invited to the Challenge, with Escapee and Dr Hook, ironically formerly trained by Nairn, certainties to be among the five Kiwi entries.
With Stig to get one of the others the final automatic spot looks a contest between The Fiery Ginga and Sovereignty, with both having had rollercoaster seasons.


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Course Information feedback
We have all done course online and I had some question and want to get some feedback.
I think this be really useful for people who run security courses online and for anyone thinking maybe starting a good security course.
1) Why did you pick the course ? Price of it, Reputation, Material covered or Awesome EH Free course
2) What was your fav topic in the course?
3) What did you find was missing or lacking? how could it have been improved?
4)If you was creating a hacking course what subject do you think are must that should been covered?
I'm an InterN0T'er


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A nice looking truck: not mine
A nice looking truck: not mine
I am holding on to the hope I have inside... Kutless
Knowing nothing what so ever, isn't that a really long drive shaft? And wheel base? How many acres does one need to turn that truck around? Just my first impression.
Mark Berninghausen
My thought as well, Mark, though I have been told that they can be shortened for around $1000. Not seeing miles/hours though.
"People will generally accept facts as truth only if the facts agree with what they already believe."- Andy Rooney
the questions and all the answers are in dbest pics.


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Apartment in Historic City Centre (Met)
Size75 m²
Floor No.2(with elevator)
- Family/child friendly
- Kitchen
- Air conditioning
- Elevator in building
- Balcony/terrace
- Pets allowed
Accommodation summary
|Calle Regina, 41003 Sevilla, Spain
|Property type
|Property ID
|Acceptance rate
|Response time
|A few hours
|Calendar updated
The apartment consists in a living room with TV, kitchen with hob, oven, microwave, extractor hood, fridge freezer, dishwasher, washing machine and kitchenware, master bedroom with double bed 140 cm, cupboard with two bodies, secondary bedroom bunk wardrobe and finally two bathrooms with douche, toilet and bidet. It has hot and cold air conditioning. It is in very good condition, is 4 years old. Includes all linen, towels, linens and kitchenware and small appliances.Is located on the second floor with elevator.
The apartment is located in the geographical heart of historic Seville. A few meters from the Plaza de la Encarnación, where is the flagship project of the city in recent times, "Metropol Parasol" which is included in all the pedestrian shopping area of Seville, very close walk to the tourist resort the city that make up the Cathedral, the Giralda and the Santa Cruz. It is an ideal place to recognize your feet all the historic and commercial center, and integrated into the natural life of the city.
The main attraction of the city of Seville is a historical center of the world's largest in area, which also has the peculiarity that the mall is also not only for tourism but for Seville. Much of the festival is held in the middle of Eastern, the corpus until the April Fair of Seville is nearby. The streets reflect the holiday spirit according to the time season.
House rulesPets are allowed with an advance payment of deposit of 100 euros.
Possibility of garage (10 eurs / day) Confirm the garage option, by contacting the host, before booking.
|Weekly rate for up to 4 guests
|£ 495
|Monthly rate for up to 4 guests
|£ 1334
|Price for > 4 guests
|£ 9 per guest/night extra
|Check-in After
|On arrangement
|Check-in before
|On arrangement
|Check-out Before
|On arrangement
|Cancellation Policy
Reviews of this property
Very nice place to stay, well located, bright and spacious appartment. Everything we needed.
Nuria, the hostess was very friendly and helpful.
We enjoyed it a lot and hope to go back.
Great apartment. Fully equipped with nice location. Very friendly owner. One major problem we had was the elevator. Some of us got stuck in it for more than 40 minutes until we got rescued by local firefighters. Otherwise, it would have been a perfect stay.
The location of the apartment is ideal for visiting the city on foot everywhere. During the day the area is very commercial and very atmospheric. The floor is so nice and cozy as the photos show. We have been this weekend and surely repeat 5 girlfriends!
La localización del piso es ideal para poder visitar la ciudad a pie a todas partes. Durante el día la zona es muy comercial y con mucho ambiente. El piso es tan agradable y acogedor como muestran las fotos. Hemos estado este fin de semana 5 amigas y seguramente repetiremos!!
Nuria Thank you for all your facilities. It was a pleasure to meet you and enjoy your home. A hug from Salamanca. Susana
Muchísimas gracias Nuria por todas tus facilidades. Ha sido un placer conocerte y disfrutar de tu casa. Un abrazo desde Salamanca. Susana
very nice landlady, all went well, lovely apartment, perfect central location
sehr nette Vermieterin, hat alles gut geklappt, schöne Wohnung, perfekte zentrale Lage
Super Status floor. The flat is very well prepared and equipped. Despite being in a high traffic of people, we rested nicely. Nuria, the hostess, gave us all possible facilities to collect and leave the keys. Wishing repeat.
Situación estupenda del piso. El piso está muy bien acondicionado y equipado. A pesar de estar en una zona de mucho tránsito de personas, hemos descansado estupendamente. Nuria, la anfitriona, nos dio todas las facilidades posibles para recoger y dejar las llaves. Deseando repetir.
Perfect appartment in a beautiful, central location. Impeccable service and contact with the host.
Piso perfecto en un barrio central. Servicio y contacto con la anfitriona fue impecable.
Great location, good sized appartement for a family of 4 (2 kids), very nice host! Sleeping rooms are out to the back which was luckily quiet. The pedestrian street is out to the front which can get busy at night - adds to the atmosphere.
One missing star for the beds which were a little on the soft side for our taste.
The apartment is very well located and decorated, the owner is a delight, as is the town. Thank you very much and a kiss from Madrid.
El apartamento está muy bien ubicado y decorado, la dueña es un encanto, igual que la ciudad. Muchas gracias y un beso desde Madrid.
- Quality assured accommodation
- Every host is verified by telephone
- Secure payment via SSL encryption


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Trip Start Jun 29, 2005
235Trip End Nov 30, 2009
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Despite the hard work I'd enjoyed my time in Russia and was leaving some great places, beautiful women and new friends behind. All I will have for the time being is fond memories and a few invitations to return, which will come in handy whenever I want to visit again without the expense and restriction of formal tours - a handy thing indeed.
At least the bus ride to Estonia was far more interesting than most in my recent travels. The large fort at Ivangorod/Narva border post reminded me that this has been a long-defined boundary between two parent-child related nations (if you chose to believe the Soviet's line back then). The multitude of vapour trails streaking across the sky overhead as the sun set was evidence that this is a more important route than most give it credit for, even if the travel utilises airspace only. A number of large and intriguing hillocks dotting the landscape also caught my eye. It's a long-shot but I'd hazard a guess that they may be burial mounds, suggesting a richer and more complex local history than expected at first glance from the frozen expanse.
Tallinn was the main prize however. Eventually the slowest bus in the world did make it, covering 300km in seven hours and wasting a whole day (cheers Eurolines) but in the end it was well worth the wait. Because this is a magnificent little city, home to half a million educated and urbane residents (Estonia has a population of 1.5 million) and some stunning medieval cityscapes that blew my mind as I walked around town. I don't know the exact age of the place, but it is old, and it has the feel that apart from a few paint-jobs and a recent infusion of high technology, it hasn't changed much in all this time. There's goes my expectations out the window again...
Main attractions around the 'old town' are the town square, fortification walls, the churches and a variety of museums. A number of significant sections of defensive wall are still in place, the most extensive and accessible being those on the northern border (near a groovily-named lane called the 'Laboratorium'). For a small fee you can climb up onto the ramparts and into the conical towers guard towers, poke your head out of arrow slits and generally imagine yourself as a defender looking out over the barren land on the other side of the wall. Watch out that you don't come too close to the local pigeon population, they leave deposits everywhere as my leather glove can attest. On the other side of town the wall houses a market of wool stalls where some decent deals for very warm clothing can be found.
The churches are pretty noteworthy too. They seem to be based on a randomly diverse set of styles and designs, dating from 1410 onwards. The city takes a lot of pride in these structures, meticulously maintaining them despite the fact that I don't think I ever saw anyone actually enter one. They are scattered all over the town and each is worth a ponder as you pass on by.
St Olaf's was the tallest building in the world for a period of a hundred or so years to the mid 17th century. Another has a funky clock built into the side of it which may conspire to help parishioners of an opposing church miss their service, because it always shows the wrong time. Most are more gothic in appearance than the Russian orthodox churches further east and all feature complicated but beautiful stained glass windows which still seems to be a speciality of craftsmen in the town.
Other sights near the square include St Catherines walk, an enclosed walkway that leads by a Dominican monastery, and Europe's oldest working pharmacy. The Raeapleek was first mentioned in writings of 1422 and displays everything from old mortar and pestles to equally old ointment vials and cash registers. Oh well, beats an abacus and a dose of the plague.
The thing I most like about this place is the little details as you walk around town. Cobblestones but few cars on every windy street. Arched wooden doors with strange geometric patterns adorning them, vibrantly painted buildings, the liberal use of consonants and vowels in Estonian words and place names. All very north European and Scandinavian. Couple this with fine food, more beautiful women and a progressive 'move on from the recent past' attitude and you have a great little place for both work, rest and play. Come summer and the place would be awash with tourists I'd say.
Night descends early in winter and like many places the town lights up, leaving locals and visitors alike to ponder the architecture from new angles and find haven in their favourite restaurants and watering holes. I stayed at a hostel called Old Town which despite a strange layout and some very slipshod management seems to attract a reasonably hip young crowd of travellers at any time of the year. I was a little concerned that I'd get here and there would be no-one about, but I needn't have worried, there was plenty of people to enjoy the nightlife with.
Karen (another Sydneysider from the cultural group on the Trans-Mongolian rail journey) were amazed to find probably the world's first and only bar ('baar' in Estonian - I love these words) dedicated solely to the band Depeche Mode. Bit of a shocker for the barman having to listen to the same music every night and was no wonder the place was empty - more than a drink or two and it grates on you as well. Another night a bunch of young and zany Lithuanian psychology student joined us for a a few drinks around town which meant German beer-houses, hookah pipes (practicing for Egypt) and breakbeats at Popular Cafe and the strangely-named but great value Hell Hunt bar.
In the end, it is a small place so four days may be a little long for those with short attention spans or an aversion to history and architecture. I had no problem with it though, as it was a lovely (even if a little expensive) place to rest up before the storm that promises to be Sweden comes my way. Despite frigid conditions we even managed to get out of town for a day, so check the next entry for a short write up on the Estonian countryside. Until then, keep trekkin!
Next entry -> Ice panic in Haapsalu
Now that's service!
I'm quite sure they have this system elsewhere, but in all my travels free Wifi hasn't been as widespread or easily accessible as it has been in Tallinn, even in supposed technology hubs such as Singapore and now Stockholm. Many bars and cafes around town sport a sign like this, indicating where you can take your laptop and surf free over an excellent broadband while having a munch or a drink.
Absolutely brilliant for a technotrekker like me, just make sure you have a personal firewall running.
Where I stayed


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You're right, it's nothing to brag about. I'm not one of those fans. But they did win those games by a score of 79-3. That has to mean something.
and 21rst in offense. Can't wait, until Seattle womps your behind.
Welcome to divisional games. It's about time you guys were not
given a free ride in your own division (course you still have 2 gimme
games with st louis).
After they play against you guys they play Seattle @ home, thursday night. Another blowout. Niners @ home + Primetime = WIN!


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Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Gear (General) › Pyranet 3 in a BD Mega Light? Insight needed.
Jul 24, 2013 at 2:21 am #1305747
Calling all Pyranet and Mega Light users:
My goal is to put together a 2+ person all-weather, all season shelter for around 3-3.5 pounds (when i use trekking poles rather than the stock BD carbon pole). I finally broke down and ordered a Black Diamond Mega Light when i found one on sale and now am in the market for an inner net. I do have an e-mail out to BPWD, but want to gather more data points from anyone else who may be in-the-know:
1) Does anyone here have experience with such a set-up? Good/bad/indifferent?
2) The Mega Light measures 104" along the base. The stock Pyranet is 88" in length. I'm thinking I'd like to add between 4-6" extra length to the inner tent to make it better for winter/long bag use. For anyone who may have seen these set up together before, am I getting too greedy in terms of space? will it fit under the Mega Light with reasonable rain protection?
3) As this is intended to handle rough weather and since I may increase the size of the net tent (potentially exposing it to a bit more splashback), I like the idea of having nylon ripstop for about 24" up the sides rather than having the inner tent made completely from mesh. Anyone else done this?
I anticipate having a full size zipper, 30D sil floor, 1.1 oz uncoated ripstop nylon and 0.8 oz nanoseeum mesh in terms of raw materials.
Thanks in advance for any help.
MattJul 24, 2013 at 8:15 am #2009012
David ChenaultSpectator
@davecLocale: The West Slope
I have a Megalight, but not a Pyranet. I've thought about going the exact route you are contemplating with the Pyranet inner, though I don't think lengthening it would get you much more usable space. 24" fabric sides should help provide a bit more warmth in high winds as well.
Should provide for a good, functional setup.Jul 24, 2013 at 4:00 pm #2009135
Thanks, Dave. Your blog posts helped me pull the trigger on the 'mid. I previously had a Shangri-la 3 but sold it a couple years ago as I felt it was a bit undersized for 2 (particularly in winter) and I assume the square shape will be much quicker to set up.
FWIW, John from BPWD e-mailed back and said the Pyranet 3 is 90" long, not 88" as I stated in my post.
MattJul 24, 2013 at 4:16 pm #2009141
Franco DarioliBPL Member
@francoLocale: Tarptent
With shelter that have 45 degree inward sloping walls (or close to it)you lose about 1 foot of usable space at the edge.
By usable I mean over one foot in height …
(Black Diamond lists the usable space for the Mega Light as 86x86x57, also the size of their inner)
keep in mind also that if the inner is too close to the fly, when the fly sags the two will touch possibly causing the inner to drip on you.
Most likely they will touch half a way down therefore collecting there the condensation from above.Jul 25, 2013 at 12:27 am #2009275
Hmmm…I'm thinking I should just stick with the 90" length. Thanks for the visual, Franco. A marginally larger 'mid could also do the trick.
MattJul 29, 2013 at 12:24 am #2010465
I wound up ordering a Pyranet 3, 90" length with a sil floor, appx 30" ripstop up the sides and no-seeum mesh for the rest. Height is about 59". I've got some reservations about the length, but I won't know for sure until I get it. I figure I can find a way to attach the inner net to the mid-panels on the 'mid to increase the interior volume. I'll post some pics inside the Mega Light when it arrives.
Thanks for the help,
MattSep 24, 2013 at 9:19 am #2027685
My wife, myself and our 6 month-old pup just spent a few nights around Maroon Bells Wilderness in Colorado in our new set-up. Overall I'm quite happy: The Mega Light and Pyranet 3 each weigh in at just over 26 ounces per, leaving me with a very tough, roomy, modular shelter at 3 pounds 5 oz without stakes. My wife really likes having the inner net, but but solo trips and trips with buddies I anticipate using the pyramid with a ground sheet or light bivy.
Pyranet 3 initial impressions: Out of the box quality was mostly good, but I was unimpressed that for much of the length of the zipper there was excess ripstop that seemed to have been partially seared overlapping the zipper. This was an issue as the zipper would get caught on the ripstop frequently and began to fray the fabric. This still needs to be sewn back over itself but made it through our 4 day trip without being a major issue (aside from a bit of fraying). Also, there were a number of long loose threads hanging about which I felt should have been snipped/cleaned up before it was shipped to me. I contacted BPWD at this point and they offered to fix my concerns if I was willing to send it back, (but as it was a custom job there could be no refund). I was a little bemused by the lack of quality control, but I can sew and was in a time crunch. I decided just to fix things myself and go forward with my trip planning without having to worry about the shelter being shipped back in time. Second, I did some additional modifications: As initially set-up, the interior volume of the Pyranet 3 was not all that impressive. There were three mid-panel tie outs apparently meant to connect the Pyranet to whatever shelter was set up around it, but I also added four more along the corners about 24 inches up the seams. When attached to the Mega Light (with corresponding grosgrain loops via a bit of bungee cord), the differences was significant.
MegaLight Initial Impressions: Out of the box set up was easy. The very first pitch was taut, and I was reasonably impressed by the burly-appearing carbon pole which is included. I won't take the pole on backpacking trips, but it should work out great on paddling trips in the future. I did take a page out of Dave C's book and add some mid-panel guy-out points as well as extra corner guy-outs and replacing the perimeter stake-out points with LineLocs. During this process I also sewed in some loops of grosgrain on the interior to which to attach the Pyranet and bump up the livable space a bit. These were all re-inforced with patched of 30D sil laminated via flowable silicone.
In use:
It is reasonably easy to get a good pitch. I did replace the stock tie-outs with line-locs. (another tip of the hat to Dave C). This was very useful to keep things taut in wet weather.
The added guy-outs did prove useful in this semi-exposed site.
I do like being able to open the front completely with the full-left door option. There was plenty of interior room, even for this wet trip (this was the final day, when we actually had a clear morning).
Corner shot: looped the PyraNet corner pull out through the corner line-loc on the BDML. This made set-up easier and meant one less loose cord to stake out.
Millie, our 6 month old rescue pup (we thought she was mostly Aussie Shepherd, but she tips the scales at just 15 pounds so that is certainly up for debate :) She hikes like a champ, but each day commandeered by MYOG synthetic parka pretty much as soon as we got to camp.
Our trip took place during the days that Colorado was experiencing the flash flooding that was all over the national news. While we certainly didn't experience the volume of precipitation that other parts of the state did, our trip was still wet and chilly. Each day we had at least a few hours of rain. First and foremost, even in these challenging conditions my wife really liked the shelter, so that box is checked off. We had plenty of space for both of us to sleep next to each other in the rear of the tent, and we kept the front third free as an entry way and for wet gear storage. I'd tell you the pup slept there, but she typically snuck into my wife's sleeping bag where she happily spent the nights. I need to touch up my seam-sealing at the top of the zipper as this dripped a bit. Otherwise the set-up was quite waterproof even during extended periods of moderate rain. My concerns about length of the inner would have been founded had I not added some extra pull-outs to the Pyranet 3. After modifications, I feel I can use a long-winter bag in the tent just fine (though I'd probably brush up against the ends frequently). Also, I think the 3/4 inner may be superior to a 4-person version for wet trips just due to the fact that we actually had plenty of protected vestibule space and the more vertical front wall of the PN3 made dry entry/exit a possibility.
We didn't experience heavy winds, but I would say gusts of 20-25. With a couple extra guy-lines deployed the tent was quite stable. Two black diamond trekking poles lashed together worked great as the center pole. Without the extra guy-out points I'd hesitate to take it to exposed places. I don't have much experience to back this up, however. One thing I will say about the rip-stop inner: it is WARM. I noticed easily a 10 degree difference (maybe more) inside and out in the middle of the night. Also, the above-mentioned drips from the gap in seam-sealing easily ran down the side of the rip-stop without soaking through.
Finally, I worried that set-up would be finicky. After a couple of reps, we were able to hit camp and have it up and staked out in literally 2-3 minutes. Stake it out in 4 corners, open up the two doors a bit and insert the center pole. After this, we'd add additional stakes to the various stake-out/guy-out points and were done. One key is keeping the inner attached to the Mega Light at all of the mid-point connections as well as the apex and corners. One photo above illustrates how I connected the corners of the Pyranet to the Mega Light.
Ultimately I like this set-up a lot. There are lighter options out there, but based on my research there was nothing at this weight that is extremely spacious for 2 that I'd be comfortable using above tree-line or in very wet or winter conditions (Minnesota winter, anyway). Another perk is just how packable it is: no poles mean i can just shove it into a stuff sack and it conforms to whatever spot in my pack i place it. Also, I do anticipate using the Mega Light with just a bivy sack when i'm with friends: the modularity is a plus as without the inner I have a very-light multi-person shelter. That said, potential buyers need to know that I did a number of modifications myself to both the Mega Light and PN3, and the quality of the PN3 out of the box left a bit to be desired. In spite of my reservations, John at BPWD has always been very responsive and easy to work with. He fills a niche, I like his designs a lot and hopefully he can tweak his Quality Control process a bit.
Hope this is helpful,
mattSep 24, 2013 at 9:37 am #2027689
IanBPL Member
"Hope this is helpful"
That was tremendously helpful. I've had my eye on this shelter for a while for winter camping and for when I'm backpacking with the rest of my mob.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.


text:
Hi to all,
First of all can i say that i know in forums like this, especially witha case like mine alot of info can be found by searching forums and sites a little, and i wouldnt normally create a post but all the research ive done to into this subject is taking me in circles.
My girlfriend and I have just brought our i-to-i 100 hour online course with a weekend course and eight "specialist" certificates. and whilst we are only in our first week of the course we are really enjoying it and of course looking forward to the possobilities it may open for us.
We both looked into the TEFL world before purchasing our course and were hesitant enough to go for it as neither of us have degrees. However, our optimistic side took over and we agreed to go for it and pay more attention to the 'You can still get work' threads on forums.
Now,however, I am finding it hard not to be a little nervous. as im finding a mixed reaction to the quality of the course we have purchased. independent reviews by people who have done the course only seem to say they enjoyed it. Not will this get us jobs?
Obviously this is life change will be a big move and risk we are willing to take. we just want to get it right. Please guys what are your thoughts?
*Is our course any good in terms of enabling us to get a job?
*Is there anyone out there now living that dreamafter completing a i-to-i course?
thanks for taking the time to read this long post? All replies are greatly apprecited.
until next time i need to go figure what a past perfect continous is. lol


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A few months ago, I read an article from New York Magazine about disgraced memoirist James Frey. (You may recall the brewhaha with his book, A Million Little Pieces, and Oprah Winfrey.) The article detailed a new business venture Frey had started, which seemed to primarily consist of Frey trolling MFA programs to find naïve writers, then offering them scandalously lowball contracts to write high-concept, commercial novels — sometimes based on Frey's ideas — which Frey would then revise and pitch under a pseudonym. The first success Frey produced out of this enterprise was a book called I Am Number Four, which was snapped up for a major motion picture deal.
I Am Number Four is about nine children from an alien planet, survivors of their world's annihilation by another gang of aliens, the villainous Mogadorians. The nine kids were shuttled off to Earth with one warrior/protector each, and they've been hiding out there for years, making them all teenagers now. But the Mogs are catching up with them and hunting them down in order, one through nine, to eliminate them — and their elite fighting powers — before a planned invasion of Earth.
After reading the article, I felt torn. On the one hand, I was as put off as anyone by the crass nature of Frey's let's-slap-together-a-moneymaker enterprise, and I was disgusted by the way he seemed to be preying on the naïve ambitions of uninformed writers. (For more on this, see John Scalzi's astute take.) On the other hand, I Am Number Four actually sounded like a movie I might want to see. Hey, I like aliens with superpowers, I like run-for-your-life stories, and I found the movie's hook — targets being hunted down in sequence, with our protagonist as the next on the list — pretty compelling.
So I decided to see it for myself, to find out if a good hook and some cool story elements could suck me in despite my reservations about the movie's origins.
Verdict: They probably could have, but they didn't. Not when the execution of those elements is so unsurprising, so packed with clichés, so entirely paint-by-the-numbers. Not when our hero (alias, John Smith) spends the bulk of the movie brattily defying his protector — complete with lines like, "This is not my fight! I didn't choose this!" — somehow forgetting that what's at stake is not some esoteric war but, uh, his own survival. Not when the teen romance at the movie's core is a wilted echo of whatever people found compelling about Twilight. (Boy who is not what he seems still likes to hang out at high school — and finds his one true soulmate in the process). Not when the couple in question engages in completely uninspired romantic dialogue like, "You're all I think about." "You're all I think about, too!"
Plus, the villains do stupid things like leaving only one of their members behind to take care of the target they've been hunting for weeks, and the plot has holes you could pilot UFOs through, and in the end, the whole thing is so cardboard-thin that nobody watching it could possibly care about any of it for a minute. The movie's one bright spot — besides the lovely Timothy Olyphant (Tim, what were you thinking?) — is John's co-numberee, a kick-butt tough girl known only as Number 6. But she doesn't figure into the movie much until the last 30 minutes. Too bad; she's not very original, but at least she would've been more interesting to watch than our mopey hero.
Word is that the writer who did the bulk of the work on the novel was guaranteed only $500 for his trouble. I guess you get what you pay for.
Ellen Henderson is a novelist and web strategist. She lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband and son.


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Cosy Duplex In City Centre
Vendégek száma4
Hálószobák száma1
Méret30 m²
Floor No.0
- Légkondicionálás
- Alkalmas rendezvényekre
- Zárható szoba
- Törölköző
- Parkolási lehetőség
- Konyha
- Edzőterem
Accommodation summary
|via ponte all´asse, 50144 Firenze, Olaszország
|Ingatlan típusa
|Ingatlan azonosító
|Acceptance rate
|Response time
|A few hours
|Calendar updated
|A few months ago
Cosy and compact, the living area features a comfortable double sofa bed and a small dining table. The mezzanine contains a double bed - 1,65 mt high - and the bathroom includes a shower.
The apartament have only a big window in front of the street
Palazzo Strozzi Palace is only a 25-minute walk away, and provides artistic and historical exhibitions for guests to enjoy. Florence Horticultural Gardens are also a 25-minute walk away. The nearby area features many bars, restaurants and cafes, providing guests with entertainment during their stay.
Florence Train Station offers a large number of regular services. There are also many bus stops in the immediate vicinity that provide easy access to other parts of the city.
HázirendA security deposit of €150 is required at check-in.
The price for 1 night is: 40/60 euro.
Apartment suitable for adults. Children only over 12 years old.
No Smoking in the apartment.
|Weekly rate for up to 2 guests
|368 €
|Monthly rate for up to 2 guests
|684 €
|Ár >2 vendégre
|11 € /fő/éj extra
|Maximális tartózkodás
|3 hónap
|Érkezés legkorábbi időpontja
|Check-in before
|Távozás legkésőbbi időpontja
|Lemondási feltétel
Az ingatlan értékelései
Perfect place to visit Florence as a couple. If you don't mind walking a little, you don't need your vehicle. Claudia was available for us and we have been wonderfully welcomed by Michele. The house is situated in a quite and nice neighborhood.
We really made the most of our stay!
Nice place for a couple. 20 Minutes walk to downtown. We had a nice talk at the entrance to get information about the city and the surroundings.
We have been glad to visit Florence and stay at your department.
We had a very pleasant stay at the apartment - it was clean and had the perfect size for two guests. The location is also good, it takes only about 15 minutes to get to the city centre by bus. If we had some difficulties we could always count on the owners, they helped us immediately and were very nice.
Thank you for the great week!
I do NOT recommend this property and I am very disappointed with the experience I recently had here. I would have given a rating of ZERO but this site would not let me.
My biggest complaint is about the 250 Euro security deposit that must be paid in cash. We paid this deposit when we arrived at the property and had a very very hard time getting our deposit back. The owner believes a security deposit is used to fix anything that breaks in her home during your stay even if you did nothing to damage the property. If you are unlucky and the air conditioner or refrigerator or in our case, the bathroom pump breaks, you will be held responsible and she will try to keep your security deposit.
I was simply taking a shower when the electricity went out in the entire apartment. Because the toilet, sink and shower are all linked to an electrical pump we were unable to use the bathroom all night or the following morning.
We notified her "collaborator"/property manager as she calls him and he came to the house the following morning. He seemed to not have an understanding of the mechanics of the pump and against the advice of my partner who does understand, the property manager flushed the toilet causing the entire contents of the toilet to come up through the shower. Needless to say we were unable to shower that day.
We were told that the pump was broken and unless the plumber could prove we did nothing to break it we would loose all of our security deposit. We did NOTHING to break this pump, and believe it simply broke from normal wear and tear/usage or perhaps a previous renter had put something down the toilet that shouldn't have been. The sewage system in the house is pretty bad and is similar to what you would find in a boat. We were told that nothing but toilet paper may be put down the toilet, and we only put toilet paper down the toilet.
We tried to speak to the owner on the phone; however, she only speaks Italian (although she claims to speak many languages on her profile). My partner tried to speak English, French, and German with her but she did not understand. We had no choice but to leave the country without our 250 euros as we had a catch our ferry. We were very unhappy and had an unpleasant experience with the collaborator who actually cursed at me in Italian (my partner knows a little Italian and heard him call me a "stupid American") he said this in frustration that I did not understand Italian.
We received an email from the owner later that day saying she had to replace the pump and she would be keeping the deposit. She could show no proof that we did anything to break the pump and sent the following message:
"the technician/plumber for my special wc says just today that i have to pay 750 euro because the damnage need a change of motor. He says also that this come when someone put inside acid. So, what can i say than?"
We found it completely crazy we were accused of pouring acid down her toilet! We believe that if "acid" were to blame then someone could have used the wrong cleaning solution for the toilet and over time damaged the pump. Either way, this was no fault of ours.
We filed a complaint with Wimdu through their support email (email@example.com) and to this day the company has done absolutely nothing to help us solve the problem. We received this email from the company:
"Thank you for contacting Wimdu. My name is Sonia and I'm happy to take care of your request. We would like to inform you of the status of your claims report regarding your booking 7IQCMJLM. We regret to inform you that our possibilities to assist you are exhausted - host is asking to activate our insurance. We encourage you to contact your host directly, and if necessary, take legal action. We regret not being able to help you."
So be warned in general if you book with this company and there is an issues with the property you rent, they will do nothing to assist you. They claim your contract is with the owner. It makes me wonder what the service fee Wimdu charges really goes toward.
We spent the next 5 days of our vacation dealing with this drama, which cost us money in roaming fees to make calls and data charges for use of the internet to send emails. This experience very much affected our vacation in a negative way.
In the end we were able to get our security deposit back, but only after we threatened to go to the Italian Financial police. We did not get a refund for our last night's stay in which we had no toilet facility, which we feel we should not have to pay.
Additional complaints:
On the listing the owner advertises "parking available" but there is no assigned parking spot, you will have to park on the street.
We were given the option to check in before 18:00 or at 23:30. We could not get there by 18:00 so we had to check in at 23:30 which was pretty inconvenient.
I believe the owner to be a nice lady but just does not understand the rules of renting a property and how a security deposit is used. Additionally she seems to lack the mechanical understanding of her special sewage system.
The property shows nice in photos and is in a good location, but I would advice not to stay here if she requires you to pay the security deposit as if you are unlucky and anything in that property breaks you will be help responsible even if you are not at fault.
Everything was fine and as described on the wimdu site and the pictures. Claudia and Michele were very polite and forthcoming.
The apartment is about 10min walking distance from the center of Florence, but there are also 2 bus stops nearby.
Pizzeria, fruit shop, gaz station and tabacchi are within 100meters.
Internet is provided by a 3 G Stick.
Included: towels, kitchen ware, hair dryer, DVD player, fridge.
We can definitively recommand the apartment.
The apartment is at walking distance from downtown Firenze. Small apartment (perfect for 3 people) and really well furnished (bedroom, living room, and bathroom). We could park our car outside, in front of the apartment, without problems. Internet was slow. It is a good choice in Firenze.
We - me (30) and my girlfriend (28) from Germany - had a nice stay of 3 days in this very tidy and comfortable appartement with air conditioner! We loved it specially after a hot day in the city. We could park our car right along the road without any additional payment. Near there is a bit hided a cheap supermarket, to the city center it was only a 15min walk. At night it was calm.
In summary the appartement made a good basis to discover Firenze.
Thanks to Claudia!
Appartamento molto carino e equipaggiato di tutti i comfort. Ideale per 3 persone. A 2 passi da Piazza San Jacopino a Firenze e quindi con facile accesso a negozi e mezzi pubblici per raggiungere il centro. Ambiente pulito e ben tenuto. Il rapporto qualità/prezzo è ottimo.
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