text:
JJ Reads
7:00 pm 30 December 2013
Salt (Salt, #1)
Review to come
7:00 pm 27 December 2013
Review to come
7:00 pm 16 December 2013
Fracture Me (Shatter Me, #2.5)
Tahereh's much anticipated novella which gives Shatter Me fans a glimpse into Adam's mind is finally here. Much controversy has plagued the internet since Kindles and E-Book readers across the world downloaded the 68 page novel that was supposed to be the answer to Destroy Me, the other Shatter Me novella in Warner's point of view. It would be nearly impossible for me to review this short novella without spoilers, so SPOILER ALERT from this point on in my review.
As a Team Warner member I should be happy, really happy about the way this novel was written, but as a reviewer who values fairness, I can't help but be a bit disappointed about the way Fracture Me turned out. I went in thinking I was going to find what was finally going to make me question my loyalty to Warner, my undying love for this character, but instead what I found were more ways to convince myself that I had made the right choice all along.
The Adam that we met in the first book is not he same Adam we see in this novel. I had a thought that maybe the reason for the discrepancy was that Shatter Me was written from Juliette's point of view as opposed to Fracture Me which was written in Adam's own voice. Could Juliette be such a bad judge of character that she could be painting Adam in a completely different light than how he actually is? Or is that just a side effect of being in love and putting that person you love on a pedestal? Adam in his own voice lacked the feeling and devotion that Team Adam fans love him for. For the first time ever, I felt bad, really bad, for Adam and Juliette shippers because I honestly think that ship has sunk. Of course, there is no way of knowing this for sure unless you're Tahereh Mafi and you got something else up your sleeve.
I will say that I give Tahereh much credit for getting her fans as invested in a story as what I saw unfold yesterday when this book came out. Way to stir up the pot. I for one, am now even more curious to see how things wrap up when the last book, Ignite Me, comes out in February. These are my opinions though and you should definitely read the book to form your own. Besides, you get the first couple of chapters from Ignite Me included with this novella and that alone is worth whatever passionate reaction this book will bring out of you.
7:00 pm 8 December 2013
Review to come
7:00 pm 6 December 2013
Destroy Me (Shatter Me, #1.5)
This short e-novella is written from Warner's, the villain we love to hate in Shatter Me, point of view. We finally get a good look into his slightly disturbed, yet inexplicably adorable mind, and the extent of his obsession with Juliette as told in his own words. Since this is a very short novella, this review itself will be short as well.
The beauty of this novella, at least in my opinion, is that it gives Warner fans their icing on the cake. I must admit that I am among the horde of Warner fans out there. I don't know if it's that human instinct to see the good in even the more seemingly despicable people and that sense of duty to save him from himself. Warner tends to bring out those feelings on me and tons if other fans of the Shatter Me series. I don't want to make comparisons, but the Warner vs Adam conflict reminds me a lot of Team Edward vs Team Jacob in the Twilight series, which this series has nothing in common with other than having totally swoon-worthy leasing men.
I recommend reading this novella to anyone who is a fan of the series. Definitely after you've read Shatter Me, so that what is happening makes sense. It should be read by Warner and Adam fans alike because they both should be given their chance to present their case, and this novella gives that chance to Warner. Adam does get his turn in a few days when Fracture Me is released on December 17th. There's no way I can give this novella that I enjoyed so much less than 5 stars. It was simply brilliant, as all the books released by Mafi have been so far.
7:00 pm 3 December 2013
The Fault in Our Stars
Every once in a while I read a book that hits me so hard it knocks the breath out of me. This was one of those books. It took me some time to collect myself enough to sit down and write this review, because John Greene is simply a genius, and I can only hope to do his book justice with these few paragraphs.
Sixteen year old Hazel Grace, because of a miracle drug, has been able to fight cancer and live longer than anyone expected her to. She lives day in and day out with the knowledge and the fear that her condition could worsen and cut her life short. She's also not a regular teenager since her normal routine consists of medical treatments and attending a cancer support group. It is at this support group that she meets Augustus Waters. Augustus is immediately smitten with her and the two of them start a friendship that throughout the story blooms into a romance.
Augustus Waters also has cancer, although he has been "NEC" (No Evidence of Cancer) for a few years now. As a side effect of his ailment, he lost part of one leg and now walks with a prosthetic. As a former basketball player and as a result of his charismatic personality, Augustus has no trouble making friends and being liked. Although it's apparent that Hazel and Augustus very much like each other, Hazel is cautious about not starting a relationship with him. Since she considers herself to be sicker than him, she doesn't want to be the "grenade" that explodes and leaves shattered hearts on everyone that loves her. As a result of a chain of events in this story, Hazel and Augustus end up traveling together to Amsterdam to meet the author of a book that Hazel idolizes. During this trip their relationship begins to transform as the harsh reality of their condition begins to hit them head-on.
I recommend that you read this book with a box of tissues in hand, because not only will you will fall in love with the characters and will suffer with them through their hardships, but you will also fall in love with their love. The level of emotion that this book brings out is very deep. You do not have to be a cancer victim, survivor, or even to have known someone with cancer to understand and feel what they are going through. It is painfully realistic and delightfully uplifting at the same time. A combination that in this case is pure gold. 5 stars all the way.
7:00 pm 30 November 2013
Coming off a long reading hiatus, this book was the perfect one to bring me back to my bookish happy place. Not only did the descriptive title and fun cover scream out my name, but also the promising reviews and intriguing summary. "Fangirl" is a coming of age story that those of us who have a little geek in us can relate to.
Cath (Cather) and Wren are twin sisters embarking on that journey called College, only Wren is the only twin sister that is excited about it. Having always been together and sharing everything since their birth, Cath is a little distressed about the fact that her sister Wren wants to explore beyond twin-hood and doesn't want to room with her. Wren being the outgoing twin and Cath being the total opposite, made for some lonely and depressing days (and nights) for Cath. She no longer had her sister by her side to tell everything to or to be the one to depend on, and meanwhile Wren was having the time of her life with a social calendar that put any socialite to shame.
I felt especially connected to Cath in this story because she personified the geek in me who loves books and fangirls over things that others may find trivial. Cath is a fan fiction writer that enjoys a lot of popularity online, but unfortunately, her social skills lack when it comes to making connections outside of the web. Her obsession with "Simon Snow", the hero in the fictional books Cath writes fan fiction about, and "Baz", Simon Snow's archenemy and love interest, has taken over her life in such a way that she would rather live in this fictional world that the books' author created and that Cath so passionately has transformed via her fan fiction.
Cath is put in many situations where she has to decide between making her fan fiction fans happy, taking care of her mentally unstable father, talking sense into her borderline alcoholic sister, or snap her laptop shut and look at what's been waiting in front of her all along. I'd have to say that my second favorite character would have to be Levi, the boy who can't seem to stop being overly nice to everyone, because that's just his nature, and he's perfectly happy being that way.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves contemporary literature or just wants to plain indulge their inner geek. Rainbow Rowell's writing is amazing and has a way of making you fall in love with her characters. I will definitely be reading more from this author. In a rating scale of 1-5, I give this book 4 stars.
Review also posted at
Young Adult Hollywood
7:00 pm 23 November 2013
Unravel Me
As the much anticipated sequel to Shatter Me, Unravel Me picks up where its predecessor left off and takes us through the struggles Juliette faces now that she's a part of the resistance at Omega Point. Not feeling quite like she fits in, Juliette holds on to the fact that she can be with Adam, that is until Adam's supposed immunity to Juliette's lethal touch starts to fail and he begins experiencing the pain associated with coming in contact with her skin. This revelation prompts a breakup that is too much for Adam to accept, even knowing deep down that it's for his own protection.
Throughout the book we are taken through Juliette's emotional roller coaster. Her highs and lows as she learns more about the extent of her powers and how she has now become an integral part of the resistance. Our loyalties are put into doubt as we see a side or Warner that we had never seen before, a side that he only shows when he's around Juliette. He is truly in love with her and will do anything to be with her, but he's also the same evil guy we read about in Shatter Me who has done unspeakable things. I found myself thinking that maybe Warner was just a victim of his circumstances and that with the right motivation, maybe Juliette's love, he could change. On the flip side, I was brought back to Adam and what a wonderful guy he has been the whole time and I'm torn all over again.
A lot is revealed in this book about the different abilities and weaknesses the characters have. We find out why Adam all of a sudden is hurt by Juliette's touch, we find out why it is that Warner is able to touch her, and we find out what exactly is Kenji's power. We also find out that what we know so far about Juliette's powers is just barely touching the tip of iceberg and that there's a lot of work to be done on her part to explore these abilities, that is if Juliette can stop feeling sorry for herself and works up the courage. Like in Shatter Me, there's a lot of Juliette self-pity in this book. I'm hoping that by book #3, Juliette has found her worth and her voice.
As always, Tahereh Mafi's writing is deliciously poetic. She never fails to deliver a story that will tug at your heartstrings and make you fall deeply for not just the main characters, but all the supporting characters as well. There was a lot of buzz online regarding chapter 62 in the book, which I can confirm contains a very passionate love scene while still keeping it YA acceptable. This book is a very worthy sequel and set up for the conclusion of the trilogy. As with anything that Tahereh writes, this a must-read.
Review also posted at
Young Adult Hollywood
7:00 pm 10 June 2012
Gabriel's Rapture
The professor has done it again. He has managed to capture my heart and long for him again. After reading Gabriel's Inferno I was absolutely captivated with Professor Emerson, so much that I was pretty much pining after the sequel. It's finally here after months of waiting and I couldn't be happier. Sylvain Reynard has once again written a story that hit me on so many levels, it's hard to put into words, but I will at least try.
The sequel picks up right where the first book ended, with Julia and Gabriel in Italy right after they make love. Julia is no longer a virgin and she has fulfilled her dream of making Gabriel her first. Trouble is never far behind though when Julia's troubled past starts to catch up to her and she once again fears that her beloved professor will leave her, like he did once before long ago. Gabriel, being the seducer that he is, resolves to show Julia that will never happen in his own way. Gabriel's way. The sexy way if you get my meaning.
All is paradise until they return to Canada and the university, where trouble finds them once again as word gets out that Julia and Gabriel are in a relationship and an investigation ensues trying to prove that they were in such a relationship while Gabriel was Julia's professor. As a reader of the first book, I know how much care Gabriel took to not jeopardize either of their careers, so it greatly hurt me to see them go through so much to defend their love.
Julia's conflicted emotions, still being the shy little girl but also wanted to break out of her shell made me feel so much compassion for her. Gabriel's undying love for Julia is one that will make your heart melt. It was so refreshing to see how much Gabriel's love for Julia changed him in every way. The way he cared for her and how protective he was just made me melt inside. This is truly a love story for the ages and a book I would highly recommend to anyone who can handle a book with deep emotion, romance, and eroticism mixed in. A 5-star read for sure.
7:00 pm 10 June 2012
Caged Moon
Werewolf lovers rejoice because this book is that shifter/werewolf book you've been looking for. The story centers around Charlotte, a regular girl that is moving into a new town with her dad. All is good with the exception that long ago, when Charlotte was younger, she had been bitten by what she thought was a dog. While staying overnight at a campsite she gets lost and runs into Liam and is immediately attracted to him. His overwhelming scent and something else very mysterious drew her to him and she couldn't understand why. Soon after Liam just happened to show up everywhere Charlotte went. As well as being attracted to him, and unsure of his real intentions, Charlotte felt a distrust for Liam. A double-edged sword of passion and fear was present at all times in Charlotte as far as Liam was concerned, coupled with the fact that she felt she was always being followed and the feeling that something important was about to happen to her.
I loved all the characters in this book. My favorites of course were Charlotte and Ty. Charlotte was a very strong MC with just the right personality to deal with what was happening to her. Ty, Charlotte's friend, was that friend we wish we could all have. Another character that captured my attention was Aaron, Liam's brother, whose rivalry with his brother kept me interested the whole way. The relationship between Charlotte and Liam develops kind of slow, but it is understandable since Charlotte doesn't really trust him and is guarded to say the least. Liam is very secretive and mysterious and that just adds to the suspense.
I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommended it to any fans of paranormal and obviously, werewolves. I felt that the story moved kind of fast, but I don't necessarily find that a bad thing. I love when I can read a book in one sitting and end up thirsting for more. I personally can't wait until Alpha Moon, the next book in the series. 4 Stars.
(Originally Reviewed on 6/11/12 at JJiReads.blogspot.com)
7:00 pm 2 June 2012
I was very pleased when I found out that this will be yet another Mermaid/Merman book I'd be reading this year, but I was not prepared to be so enthralled with this particular story. While reading Undertow I felt like I was speaking to a normal girl, with real problems and frustrations. Unhappy with her life, parents that don't understand her, and the seemingly perfect boyfriend that ended up cheating on her, Marissa takes an unexpected trip to the beach where she is swept away by a rogue wave and dragged out to sea. Convinced that she is surely to die Marissa doesn't remember how she actually manage to survive and ended up back at home a few days later, hair matted and full of sand.
In order to get back into some kind of normalcy and to forget her cheating ex-boyfriend, Marissa moves away to college in Portland. Little by little Marissa starts to remember little things about the incident at the beach and starts to realize that what saved her was a mysterious merman. Marissa becomes convinced that her savior is real and that she will one day go back to the sea to be with him forever. Is Marissa's merman-savior real, or is Marissa losing touch with reality?
Callie Kingston does a great job of keeping you guessing the entire time what is real and what is not real. As a likable main character, I tended to side with Callie and believe that there had to be a real fantasy merman out there that saved her. This fact kept me passionately reading to find out if Callie was right or if she was just imagining the entire incident. I loved that about that book. This was a very fast read and a great book for those that like the mystery. 4 stars.
(Originally reviewed at JJiReads.blogspot.com)
7:00 pm 31 May 2012
Angel Eyes
First, let's talk about how gorgeous this cover is. I love everything about it, including the halo the girl is holding in her hands. I can be very picky when it comes to books about angels and demons, so when I started reading Angel Eyes I had very high expectations. I was not disappointed but I can't say either that I was blown away. The novel was well written and the plot was interesting. I did find some of it to be quite predictable and cliché, but the characters were interesting nonetheless.
Brielle, the main character, is dealing with the subject of grief over the death of her best friend, and in the process struggling to hold on to her faith. She moves back to her old hometown after this tragedy that has completely changed her and turned her into a self-loathing, depressed, person. Upon her return, she meets Jake who takes a liking to her and who Brielle immediately notices something different about. Warm to the touch, Jake is the sweet guy who makes Brielle see that there just might be light at the end of the tunnel after all. Brielle's spiritual doubts also makes her the target to some dark forces who zero in on her. They see her as one that can be easily enveloped and whose soul can be taken. I definitely have to say that the MC was my favorite character, even more than the love interest, which is usually my pick for most books.
I enjoyed the religious parts of the book since I am personally a fan of angels but I can see how it might be viewed that the religious aspects of this book border on a bit excessive. Not to say that it makes the book any more or less great, just that it is a matter of preference and not everyone's cup of tea. All in all I enjoyed this book and I think that those that enjoy reading about angels and don't mind some religion will enjoy it as well. 3 stars.
7:00 pm 26 May 2012
The Summer My Life Began
I love reading books about self discovery, food, and romance. The Summer My Life Began combines all three subjects in a very fun and entertaining way. I fell in love with many of the characters in this book, especially Em (the main character) whose journey to find herself in the midst of her father's controlling hand hit a very personal nerve. Em dreams of being a chef but her very serious father disapproves of anything that goes against his plans for his daughter, to go to Harvard and become a lawyer for his firm.
Desperate to escape her father's tight grip, Em takes advantage of an opportunity to visit a long lost aunt, her Aunt Tilly, at her island home. There she meets the people that will change her life forever, such as her aunt, her cousin Frederick, and Cade, the boy she never thought she would fall for. No longer being held back by her family, Em begins to explore life in the way she never had before, taking risks and just simply living it to the fullest. Trouble is of course not far behind as her father's strong disapproval of her new life choices haunt her.
The Summer My Life Began meets the criteria for a light, fluffy, summer read. However, it is much more than that. I felt that Em had a lot of issues to work through but was satisfied with the choices she made in the end. Aunt Tilly was the kind of aunt I wish I had, that free loving spirit who just lives now and asks questions later. It is often by throwing caution to the wind that we find what are real passions are, and that's what I felt with this book. It was a very fast read that I was able to get through in between breaks and found hard to put it down. I highly recommend this book, especially now with summer around the corner. A perfect book to pick up and take with you to the beach or the park this long weekend. 4-Stars.
(Originally reviewed at JJiReads.blogspot.com)
7:00 pm 21 May 2012
This Is Not a Test
Full review to come
7:00 pm 8 May 2012
Insurgent (Divergent)
What an ending! This book totally blew my mind. Full review coming up this weekend.
7:00 pm 28 April 2012
Saving You, Saving Me
As a fan of contemporaries and Kailin Gow alike, I was thrilled when I received a review copy of this book, and Saving You Saving Me did not disappoint. I think above being a romance, this book is about trust, trusting that special person in your life enough to let go of all that baggage we bring with us into relationships. Sam is a high school student who just turned 18, top of her class, and doing anything she can to get a scholarship to the college of her dreams. She is also a pastor's daughter and a very caring individual who struggles with always having to do what people think she should do, so as not to disappoint her very strict father. As part of her counselor's plan to improve her chances of getting into Stanford, Sam begins to volunteer at a teen helpline where she is to give advice to troubled anonymous callers.
Circumstances bring Sam and Collins McGregor, a 24 year old entrepreneur who built a fortune out of nothing, together. The chemistry between them is undeniable from the moment they meet. Collins becomes smitten with Sam and does anything he can to get her to go out with him, in spite of their age difference. As their friendship grows and a romance develops, Sam finds out some disturbing things about Collins that she is not sure she can live with, but because of how much she cares for him, she might be willing to try. Meanwhile, she starts talking to an anonymous caller at the teen hotline who calls himself "Daggers". Daggers and Collins are very much alike in that they both have deep dark secrets that are crippling their love lives, and Sam starts to develop feelings for him in spite of also having feelings for Collins.
There were moments while reading the book that I became frustrated and literally yelled "come on! It's so obvious!" at the book, but I'd like to think it's because I got so invested in the story. I found that I identified quite a bit with Sam, in that I was also a Psych major in college and was always preoccupied with proving my achievements to my father. I felt for her as she suffered through her father's indifference and her mother's alcoholism, not to mention the mess she was in romantically. I also loved the character of Derek, Sam's co-volunteer at the teen hotline, who also had romantic feelings for Sam. I want a friend like that too.
I enjoyed this book and I found that I was able to get through it very quickly. The story is compelling and will warm your heart. It tackles very real issues for teens nowadays (such as weight, self-esteem, cutting, depression) and through Sam's advice on the phone, you get to read some very good advice on how to handle it. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series which I believe will be called Finding You Finding Me. 4-stars.
(Originally reviewed at JJiReads.blogspot.com)
Number of books:
Reading Challenge 2022
Currently reading
Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky, #3)
Veronica Rossi
Recently added
Powered by
BookLikes © 2015


text:
June 11th 2018
Our latest 40th anniversary poll, posted on Global Running Day, drew a lot of responses. Our sport has seen some phenomenal runners over the years, many of whom could be competitive in an open marathon, let alone after "marathon" swim and bike rides. Gomez, Lange, Hauschildt, Frodeno, Allen, Bowden—we asked, you told.
Our two winners provided a bit of déjà vu from our Greatest Australian/New Zealand athlete (male and female) polls a few weeks ago. Three-time IRONMAN world champion, Australian Craig "Crowie" Alexander took the win for the men once again, with his compatriot and fellow three-time Kona darling Mirinda Carfrae sweeping the women's results. (Last year's Kona course record holder, Germany's Patrick Lange snuck into second in the men, with Switzerland's Daniela Ryf next in line behind Carfrae.) It kind of makes us want to ask what's in the water Down Under?
Crowie's consistency, both in Kona and in every other start line he toes—even well in to his 40s—is especially impressive on the run. A solid swimmer and strategic cyclist, Crowie was known for being able to run down the "German freight train" in the lava fields of Kona since his runner-up debut in 2007. His subsequent victories there (2008, 2009, and 2011) as well as his 2006 and 2011 wins at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, proved him to be one of the sport's most threatening runners to have running you down, even after a strong bike split.
Carfrae is widely considered one of the best runners in the sport—in both the women's and men's field. She has out-split much of the pro field at her races in Kona and elsewhere, even running down a seemingly impossible 14-minute deficit in Kona in 2014. On her debut in 2009, she set a new course record for the marathon of 2:56:51, beating Wellington's previous year's record of 2:57:44. She again set new course records for the marathon in 2010 (2:53:32); 2011 (2:52:09); 2013 (2:50:38, where only two men recorded a faster time); and 2014 (2:50:26). Her efficient, economical stride is often cited as a model by coaches.
Maybe our next poll should ask how many more of our polls these two will win!
As we collect the people, places, and moments that define our sport all year long, make sure to follow our Facebook and Instagram accounts for upcoming polls and your chance to make your voice heard.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
oregon ducks radio station
The Arizona Coyotes lost in overtime on Saturday, but the numbers for their offensive production have trended in the right direction.
Check out the Oregon Ducks schedule. See scores, results and the upcoming game schedule at FOX Sports. Menu.. OREST Oregon State Beavers (2-10) W 55-15: reser stadium box score.
But you were in luck, as local Oregon radio stations had a direct play-by-play live from Northwestern. Oregon threatened to outstrip Ohio State late in the first half when the Ducks glided to a.
tsunami oregon 1964 Destruction at Seaside, Oregon, due to the March 28, 1964, Alaska tsunami. Water lifted the car against the house, uprooted the tree, and washed in driftwood logs. Beach grass hanging. Oregon Geology Tsunami Hazards in Oregon Fact Sheet TSUNAMI.
Wilson was originally an Oregon Duck before deciding to transfer to Garden City. "The JUCO I went to, we had two gas stations for 30 miles, that was all we got," Hoskins. "It's as fun as you make.
2019 Oregon Ducks Football live stream, TV schedule, replays and guide on live streaming NCAA College Football games free online or watch with a subscription. Forums Blogs News. About Us Sign Up Login. Home > PAC 12 Conference > Football > Oregon Ducks > TV & Online. Oregon Ducks Football.
Get the latest news and information for the Oregon Ducks. 2018 season schedule, scores, stats, and highlights. Find out the latest on your favorite NCAAB teams on CBSSports.com.
For more information on Duck Insider, including how to tune in and when, visit the show's webpage. Oregon soccer, volleyball, lacrosse and softball games can be heard on the UO student radio station, KWVA, at 88.1 FM and kwva.uoregon.edu.
University of Oregon UO Home | Dept Index. KWVA 88.1 FM. Search. Main menu. Skip to primary content. KWVA: If you could have any artist, dead or. 2018, the FCC requires all radio stations to post links to their online public file held at the online FCC website. The KWVA public file is.
freedom center portland oregon Fitness Center; Basketball Court;. a lackadaisical dress code may be one of the negatives of living in Portland, Oregon. While Portland's population may not be the most diverse, they are very accepting of all cultures, and even have their own cultural contributions as well.. is your one.trump protests oregon memphis oregon Find airfare and ticket deals for cheap flights from Memphis, TN to Oregon (OR). search flight deals from various travel partners with one click at Cheapflights.com. Find airfare and ticket deals for cheap flights from Memphis, TN to Oregon (OR). Search flight deals from various travel partners.By Eder Campuzano | The Oregonian/OregonLive. Portland Police declared a riot Saturday after tensions between the right-wing Patriot Prayer.unemployment in oregon phone number Suzzane, I suggest you visit the Unemployment Office website to find out about other forms of benefits. You should also be able to take a course or attend a job fair sponsored by the state.university of oregon spring game The University of Oregon will take the field on Saturday for their annual Spring Football Game, once again wearing uniforms that honor the men and Nike co-founder and University of Oregon Track & field coach bill Bowerman's time in the 10th Mountain Division of the U.S. Army provided inspiration.
List of FCC Licensed AM, FM, and LPFM radio stations in Oregon, with streaming information – sortable by Call Sign, Frequency, Location, Format (Genre) and Licensee. Login (not required) Preferences.
Remember that this law does not banish Oregon's expert petrol professionals to New Jersey, but simply gives one the freedom to fuel their own car in a rural area, and you like freedom, don't you? In.


text:
Cold Cast Bronze Sculpture, an original design from Frith Sculpture. Lurcher in a lying position with paws crossed, and head down, a natural sculpture by Harriet Dunn.
A special 21st anniversary collectable from the world-renowned Frith Gallery. Hand-cast from the original by Harriet Dunn in a beautiful bronze finish, and complete with a certificate. A wonderful keepsake gift for any dog lover. Measures: 27cm long, 9cm high, 9cm wide.
Standard Delivery
Please allow 3-5 working days for delivery to UK mainland addresses. Other countries, Islands and the Highlands may take longer.
If you have a set deadline, we recommend using a Next Day Delivery option. Please note that Next Day Delivery is not available on personalised products or products with a postal surcharge.
Personalised Delivery
Personalised orders and some heavy and larger items with a postal surcharge can take significantly longer.
Please check the last Christmas delivery date when ordering your personalised item.
Next Day Delivery
This service is only available for UK mainland (excluding Scottish Highlands and the following postcodes: AB1-99, BT1-99, DD8-11, GY1-99, HS1-99, IM1-99, IV1-23, 25-27, 30-32, 36, 40-56, JE1-99, KA27-28, KW1-3, 5-17, PA20-49, 60-78, PH19-26, 30-44, 49-50, PO30-41, TR21-25, ZE1-99.)
Place your order before 2pm Monday - Friday and we will dispatch your parcel for delivery (next working day). Orders placed on Friday before 2pm will be delivered the following Monday.
Personalised items and those with a postage surcharge cannot be sent by Next Day Delivery. Items that are out of stock at the time of sending the Next Day Delivery order will follow, once back in stock, by Standard Delivery.
Please note that Next Day Delivery does not include deliveries on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Please note our offices are closed Saturday and Sunday.
UK Delivery Charges
Next Day Delivery is £8.99.
UK Mainland - £2.99 (orders over £25 qualify for FREE Standard Delivery)
Please see the Terms and Conditions for more returns information.
How do I arrange a return?
Please contact our Customer Service team on firstname.lastname@example.com
We will need to know your order number, the item you want to return and the reason for return. Upon receipt of these details we will provide you with a return's authorisation number and all the necessary information and labels to arrange the return.
You will need to obtain a proof of postage receipt when you send your item to us. Proof of postage does not cost anything but without it we may not be able to process your refund or replacement in the rare event that your item is lost in transit. If you request a replacement and the product is no longer available, we will offer an exchange for an alternative item, or a credit note to the original value excluding postage.


text:
Our colored pencil portraits are rapidly experiencing a whole next level of appreciation in the art world. Getting a better deal for colored pencil art drawings from the largest online selection @caveman studio. With delicate contours, lite shades and unique contrasts colors artists will create that look multidimensional and strikingly real.
Colored Pencil Art Portraits
Colored Pencil Art techniques are the perfect medium they are simple to use. In fact, a quality set of colored pencil art will open up a whole world of artistic potential. In fact, Simple and elegant color pencil drawing classes for kids. Step by step Pencil portrait sketch drawings for beginners.
Especially, learn all of the techniques you may need to create photorealistic drawings in colored pencil. Learn color pencil drawing with our expert artists. Also, we offer 100% realistic handmade color pencil drawings. Turn your photo into the awesome memory by our professional artist.
Show all 3 Result
Show all 3 Result


text:
A branding agency is the best option for companies that are located in Malaysia to make lasting impressions. Logos and websites are fantastic, however your company's identity and brand is what can make its mark. These are some suggestions to help you select an agency for branding. Keep reading to discover more. These are helpful suggestions to help you choose an Malaysian branding agency.
First, select one that provides a wide range of services. Branding agencies can assist build a brand image in Malaysia. But, they should be capable of creating an advertising campaign that reflects this image. The company will determine the most important markets and develop an effective marketing plan that caters to them. If you're working with a health-related company, you may want select a digital-based marketing company. They will ensure that the marketing materials you have created are accessible to potential clients within Malaysia.
A good branding agency will design innovative marketing solutions tailored for the needs of your business. If, for instance, you're trying to draw new customers using the use of mobile apps then you might want make use of the most recent technologies. If you require a web as a blog, an online store, or even a site, the help of a branding company can make your business memorable and successful. Your brand will stand out from the rest and create an identity that is distinctive.
A branding agency Malaysia can assist you in creating a brand that captures the attention of your customers and communicates the corporate image you want to portray. These agencies have a wide range of services to meet the requirements of every firm and can provide solutions tailored according to the specific requirements of your business. Walk Production is a Malaysian branding agency. Walk Production's team of writers and designers will help you create engaging brand identities.
A Malaysian branding agency must have a clearly defined brand identity. It helps establish an identity for the company and also draw clients. An effective brand is crucial for its success. A strong branding name is crucial for Malaysian branding agencies. A successful branding agency must possess a distinctive brand name that distinguishes it among the rest. To get a brand you should first be aware of it.
Technology has created a variety of innovations. Software and other devices provide two of the innovations. A reputable branding agency Malaysia is able to make use of these tools to create and build an appealing brand. A solid brand identity isn't just important for companies to build an identity. It must also be appealing to its target market. A great branding agency can do with an effective marketing strategy. Your goal is to make your brand's name unforgettable.


text:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Keyrenter's niche?
Keyrenter specializes in the management of single family homes. We also manage small multi-family properties such as condos, duplexes, fourplexes and small apartment buildings.
Are property management franchisees limited to managing only residential properties?
No. Specialization enables us to stay ahead of our competitors. Although the training we provide is geared to residential single family homes.
What are the duties and responsibilities of an off-site property manager?
Basic property management tasks include:
- Prospecting for potential clients
- Close deals
- Set rent rates
- Post property ads
- screen tenants
- Secure lease agreements
- Collect rent
- Move-in and move-out inspections
- Coordinate maintenance
- Disburse rental income and send monthly statements
How much money can a property manager make?
Keyrenter's business model offers numerous recurring revenue streams. Potential income depends on average rent values in your territory, market share, services offered, personal attributes and work ethic. Some Keyrenter franchise owners are content with an owner-operated business and zero employees. Skilled property managers dominate major market areas and are building a virtual empire.
Can I start a successful property management company from home, or do I need an office?
You must maintain a small office space, although technology and software enables you to access certain information from your smartphone.
What is the estimated capital investment?
It ranges from $66,430 to $136,514 depending on the size of your territory, your personal qualifications, and more. We're happy to discuss variables and review our FDD with you.
What is the initial franchise fee?
What if I already own a property management business?
What territories are available?
How are territories defined?
How many territories can I purchase?
Are master franchises available?
Does Keyrenter offer financing?
Does Keyrenter assist in third party financing?
Am I financially qualified?
What personal attributes should I have?
What business skills and experience is required?
What licenses and certifications must I have?
How soon can I open my business?
When will I start making money?
How do I get leads?
We'll show you how to get them.


text:
Design and innovation at the McDonald's Nachos Chicken Fiesta Sandwich (GC044)
The current particular report deals with the market design and innovation of the products. For having a comprehensive understanding and comparative study of product innovation and design, the researcher has selected McDonald's Nachos Chicken Fiesta Sandwich. Apart from that, the researcher has also focused much on different kinds of theories and models used in product innovation and market design.
McDonald's is one of the leading fast-food restaurants in the global market. The company was founded in 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonalds. Since 1940, the company is serving its customers with fresh fast foods with high quality and value of services in the global market. McDonald's makes innovation in products and services on regular interval as per analyzing the perception of customers and market trend (McDonald's UK, 2015)
1. Critical evaluation of the main characteristic of products innovation and design
According to Jaeger and MacFie (2010, pp-38), most of the new products of the organization failed upon introduction in the global market, but few products are received success in the market and gained innovation awards and other benchmarks of success. Kohlbacher and Herstatt (2010, pp-36) argued that one of the main and considerable characteristics of product innovation and design is to make a specific difference with its competitors in the market. It is noted that the company generally makes innovations in products and changes the design of products for increasing the brand value and attracting more and more customers in the market.
McDonald's makes innovation in its products as per the taste of the customers and market trend. The company has recently launched its innovative products named McDonald's Nacho Chicken Fiesta Sandwich after McDonald's Chicken Burgers in the market. McDonald's has mixed the taste of fiesta of flavors with crispy chicken, topped with a zingy salsa sauce, cool sour cream, crunchy nachos and iceberg lettuce in the particular product. It is also noted that McDonald's is one of the first fast-food restaurants that introduced such kinds of innovative products in the market in order to make a major difference with its competitor in the global market.
Our Recommended Resources:
Marketing Design and Innovation at the Windows Phone
Lockwood (2010, pp-37) opined that product innovation is also more or less connected with the market design. It is noted that customers are pretty much aware of the quality of products and services in the global market. Their demands along with expectations are very high. They always want to taste new products launched in the market. Halpern and Lubar (2010, pp-37) noticed that McDonald's generally innovates and designs products after the comprehensive analysis of market trends and the strength of competitors in the market. It is just because, innovation and design products are generally concerned with the competitive advantage.
On the other hand, Heifetz et al. (2009, pp-37) also commented that McDonald mainly focused on three things while making design and innovation in products and services. McDonald's Nacho Chicken Fiesta Sandwich received success in the market just because, the company has understood the taste of customers and how the market is designed in the contemporary business market environment………….


text:
Nebraskans Hail Gov. Ricketts' Transportation Initiative as "Historic"
Media Contacts:
Taylor Gage, 402-471-1970
Eric Maher, 402-471-1974
The Transportation Innovation Act accelerates expressway construction and bridge repair.
LINCOLN – Today, Governor Pete Ricketts signed LB960, also known as the Transportation Innovation Act (TIA), at a signing ceremony where he was joined by numerous Nebraskans who helped build support for the initiative over the past several months. The TIA targets $450 million towards accelerated expressway construction, county bridge repairs, and investments in infrastructure projects which will help Grow Nebraska. This legislation was one of the Governor's top priorities for the 2016 legislative session, and was passed with overwhelming support from the Legislature.
The Transportation Innovation Act was developed by the Governor's Office in conjunction with the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) and the Legislature's Transportation and Telecommunications Committee, which held hearings on potential infrastructure proposals during the interim last summer and fall.
"Across Nebraska, the Transportation Innovation Act will help to build the infrastructure that Nebraskans use to see their families, drive to work, and get to school every day," said Governor Ricketts. "Agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism, our state's three largest industries, depend on a 21st-century infrastructure to grow and expand. Accelerating work on our expressway systems and investing in projects that help grow and expand businesses, will help kick-start economic growth in these areas.
"I appreciate the work and support of the numerous legislative leaders and Nebraskans who worked on this legislation from concept to final passage and enactment. These investments will fund key infrastructure priorities for Nebraska for years to come."
The Transportation Innovation Act includes $450 million in targeted infrastructure funding in three key areas:
- Accelerated completion of Nebraska's expressway construction
- Repairs to bridges maintained by county governments
- Projects that connect new and expanding businesses to our infrastructure system
Additionally, the legislation creates a new design-build process, which will allow the state's largest and most complex projects to be completed 2-4 years more quickly.
"The cutting-edge concepts included in the Transportation Innovation Act will help Nebraska build on its reputation as a national leader in roads," said NDOR Director Kyle Schneweis. "The infrastructure bank fund in this bill targets investment in key infrastructure priorities with the help of the new design-build process, which will cut red tape and help accelerate our state's most complex infrastructure projects."
LB960 was introduced at the request of the Governor by Transportation & Telecommunications Committee Chairman Jim Smith of Papillion and was prioritized by Senator Lydia Brasch of Bancroft.
"Thank you to the countless organizations and individuals who helped make the Transportation Innovation Act a reality for Nebraskans," said Chairman Smith. "Last summer, our committee traveled the state to hear from Nebraskans, and their input and insights were an important part of making LB960 successful. It has truly been a pleasure working with Governor Ricketts and the entire Legislature to pass this remarkable initiative."
"Thanks to the leadership of Governor Ricketts, Nebraska will finally see significant progress towards completion of our state's expressway system," said Senator Brasch. "I designated this legislation as my priority for the session because infrastructure funding is one of the top concerns I hear. This bill builds on the work of Senator Deb Fischer's Build Nebraska Act, and together they will provide the resources Nebraska needs to work through our infrastructure priorities for years to come.
Numerous associations and organizations endorsed the Transportation Innovation Act and worked tirelessly to ensure its passage in this legislative session. These groups include the League of Nebraska Municipalities, Nebraska Association of County Officials, 4 Lanes 4 Nebraska, Nebraska Farm Bureau, Nebraska State Chamber, and Nebraska Cattlemen among countless others.
"This is a historic moment for our state, and it would not have happened without the vision and leadership of Governor Ricketts," said Marlene Johnson, Mayor of West Point and Past President of the League of Nebraska Municipalities. "The Transportation Innovation Act is the most important infrastructure initiative our state has passed since the creation of our expressway system in the 1980s. This is a major achievement and Nebraskans should be proud of the Governor and Legislature."
"Through the Transportation Innovation Act, the Governor has demonstrated a landmark commitment to assisting county governments with the momentous task of repairing our bridges," said Larry Dix, Executive Director of the Nebraska Association of County Officials. "With the funding for county bridges included in this bill, local governments across Nebraska can begin to work through a backlog of projects, and improve the integrity of the bridges Nebraska's families, farmers, businesses, schools, and communities depend on every day."
"Thank you to Governor Ricketts and Senator Jim Smith for championing the Transportation Innovation Act," said Dirk Petersen, 4 Lanes 4 Nebraska Board Member and incoming Nebraska State Chamber President. "Accelerating expressway construction is critical to helping our entire state grow and vital for Nebraska's businesses and families. This bill is a big win for all of Nebraska, and I applaud the Governor and Legislature for their work."
The Transportation Innovation Act funding begins later this year. NDOR will provide updates on the implementation of the TIA as funding comes online and the project selection occurs.


text:
TOKYO (Reuters) -Brazilians Laura Pigossi and Luisa Stefani saved four match points against Wimbledon runners-up Veronika Kudermetova and Elena Vesnina to snatch the Olympic women's doubles bronze medal on Saturday.
The Brazilians, with tears in their eyes at the end of the match, crowned a stellar week, coming from a set down and trailing 5-9 in the tiebreak to win six consecutive points and beat the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) pair 4-6 6-4 11-9.
It was Brazil's first Olympic tennis medal.
"We knew we had given it everything and we have all this emotion now," said Stefani, ranked 23rd in the world in doubles.
"From 0-0 in the tiebreak to when we were 9-5 behind we believed we could make it all the time."
"We had this feeling of confidence throughout and now there is this feeling of pure happiness of having reached a goal," she said.
"This medal is historic for Brazil. It is also a responsibility but also a motivation for us."
Vesnina, bidding to win her second Olympic medal after gold in the women's doubles in 2016, can make amends when she teams up with Aslan Karatsev against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Andrey Rublev in an all-ROC mixed doubles final on Sunday.
Russian athletes have been banned from using their flag or anthem over the country's doping scandals. They are identified as athletes of the Russian Olympic Committee.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed Osmond)


text:
If you're a hippy liberal like myself, you probably see the merits in most or all the variations of the game, but you will still prefer one over the rest.
So here's what your edition preference possibly says about your character and play style.
You're probably fond of history and have a large soft spot for nostalgia. The 70s were the days that roleplaying was at its purest and has since been sullied by mats, minis and far too many rules.
This was a little box with three small books in, so the likelihood is that you're more of a minimalist who enjoys the simple things that life has to offer.
Moldvay/Cook 'Classical D&D'
You're a breezy person with an easy-going outlook on life, content to add rules here and there for when it seems fitting. But you're also proud that you haven't strayed too far from Gygax's original vision and the popularity of Labyrinth Lord makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
1st Edition AD&D
You know what you like and you like what you know. When parents everywhere were rallying against these 'satanic' games, you were chilling with your friends rolling dice.
You have a great attention to detail as the rules grow more complex and the character roster larger. You're persistent enough to get your head around the rules and layout and your imagination is ignited by fantasy artwork.
Mapping and miniatures is your domain, but not at the cost of good roleplay. You prefer decisive mechanics with hard rules, than constant fiat.
2nd Edition AD&D
Oodles of rules don't deter you, but you prefer them tidy - which makes you a stickler for neatness.
You're a perfectionist who knows what is unnecessary in life and what is logical, since the stripping down of Monks, Assassins, Barbarians and Half-Orcs in this edition.
Other than this, you are very similar in character to 1st edition players, but could still write a long list as to why 2nd is obviously the superior version.
3rd Edition
You are a child of logic, preferring to shed Thac0 for a much simpler system called 'ascending AC'.
Miniatures and battlemats make your dungeon-crawling all the more fun and you revel in the smallest monster details.
You like options, plenty of options in order to play the best game you can. You laugh in the face of the mountains of splatbooks on the shelves. The more you can do with locations/characters/creatures the better.
4th Edition
You're a fighter, not a lover. You imagine brandishing mighty flaming weapons and inflicting hell upon your enemies. You won't settle for ordinary heroes - you want supercharged ones with tremendous power.
You have a tactical mind that's working at superspeed when surveying the battlefield. Optimising is your strong suit and you demand perfection from everything.
You're not one for fluff - preferring to get into the nitty-gritty of battle. Who cares how many eggs a certain creature lays per month? You just want to know how it can kill you and vice-versa.


text:
Group Booking Terms and Conditions
Because you are making a Group Booking, there are additional Terms and Conditions that apply. Please read them and click 'I Accept' below to continue with your booking
General Group Booking Terms
By making a group reservation through Hostelworld.com you agree to the following terms and conditions as set by Hostelworld.com and as set by the hostel in question.
- In order to make a group reservation on Hostelworld.com it is necessary to pay a deposit. The balance is due directly to the hostel according to their payment conditions.
- The booking deposit is non-refundable.
- Please note that any cancellations must be notified directly to the hostel at least 24 hours in advance of your scheduled arrival date, unless otherwise stated in the hostel's conditions.
- Hostelworld.com are not responsible for changes or amendments to your reservation once it has been processed. All correspondence with regard to changes to your booking need to be dealt with directly with the hostel.
- Cancellations for reservations must be made directly with the hostel and must conform with the individual hostels cancellation policy (see below)
- It is your responsibility to pay the balance of your accommodation cost to the hostel in accordance with their payment conditions (see below). Failure to do so may result in your reservation being cancelled by the hostel.
- Individual hostels may have special booking conditions relating to group stays, please read the hostel booking conditions carefully before making your reservation.
Hostel Specific Terms & Conditions
The remainder of the amount due will be charged to your credit card ???? Should numbers or room selection change, the per person deposit times the number of people who actually travelled will be deducted from the total accommodation charge levvied by the hostel.
The following group types are not accepted by this hostel: Holiday with Friends, Junior / Primary School, High / Secondary School, College / University, Business Trip, Stag/Hen/Bachelor Party, Sports Group, Cultural Group If you have misrepresented the type of group you are booking for, your booking may be cancelled by the hostel."
Any cancellations resulting from agreement to these terms and conditions under false pretences will result in loss of deposit.
Du måste godkänna våra villkor för att bekräfta din bokning.
Beskrivningen av objektet
The hotel has 27 elegantly well-appointed air-conditioned & non air-conditioned rooms which are all different from each other. The rooms have been divided into two categories deluxe and standard. These rooms are tastefully designed and created with classic and subtle colors, ambient lighting, attached neat and clean bathrooms with hot and cold water facilities.
***Property Policies & Conditions:
1. Cancellation policy: 1 day before arrival.
2. Check in from 12:00 to 23:00.
3. Check out before 11:30 noon.
4. Payment upon arrival by cash. Credit card is accepted.
5. Reception working hours: 24 hours.
6. No age restriction.
7. Taxes included.
8. Breakfast not included.
9. No pets. Visa regler för boendet
Kolla tillgänglighet
- Gratis bykort
- Gratis WiFi
- Flexible NRR
- Frukost ingår ej
- Hårtorkar
- Kabel TV
- Kemtvätt
- Luftkonditionering
- Strykjärn / strykbräda
- Varma duschar
- Bagageförvaring
- Dygnetruntöppen reception
- Fax
- Flygplatstransport
- Internetadgang
- Pendelpuss
- Postservice
- Rumservice (begränsade öppettider)
- Rundresa/Kundtjänst
- Skönhetssalong
- Städning
- Telefonväckning
- Tvättmöjligheter
- Valutaveksling
- Övervakning dygnet runt
- måltider finns
- Möjligheter till te och kaffe
- Restaurang
- Wi-Fi
Sessionen löpte
Sessionen löpte
Skriv in lösenordet för kontot <% email %>


text: Sports / Chad Johnson Courtroom Butt Slap Lands Chad Johnson in Jail Judge sentences former NFL star to 30 days for joking around in courtroom By Ruth Brown, Newser Staff Posted Jun 10, 2013 4:42 PM CDT Copied Chad Johnson, center, leaves Broward County Jail in Fort Lauderdale. Johnson will serve 30 days in jail after violating probation in a domestic violence case. (Photo by Jeff Daly/Invision/AP, File) (Newser) – Former NFL star Chad Johnson was so close to securing a no-jail plea for violating probation on his domestic violence charges he could almost touch it—until he did. Johnson playfully slapped his attorney on the butt in front of the courtroom, prompting the judge to reject the plea and sentence him to 30 days in jail, AP reports. "I don't know that you're taking this whole thing seriously. I just saw you slap your attorney on the backside," said the judge. "The whole courtroom was laughing. I'm not going to accept these plea negotiations. This isn't a joke." Watch video of the whole thing at TMZ. (Read more Chad Johnson stories.)


text:
Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about.
View information about the energy provider of the community.
Obtain information about the Pensacola International Airport.
The Port of Pensacola, owned and operated by the City of Pensacola, is one of the Gulf Coast's premier deepwater seaports.
Sanitation Services & Fleet Management


text: Most small children love messy fun. Most parents prefer neat fun. A simple DIY sensory table is the best of both worlds. Take a rectangular plastic container, such as an under-the-bed storage box, and place it on a low table. Fill it with a medium that children will enjoy playing in, such as pebbles, sand, water or rice. At this point, you can add a few toys and just let the kids go, or create a game with a bit more structure. You can add foam fish to water and give the kids small kitchen sieves and bowls. Using the sieves, the kids can scoop up the fish and deposit them in the bowls. If you assign colors, the kids can learn colors along with fine motor skills. Next time, you can let the kids use melon ball scoops to pluck up floating beads, or little pitchers to pour sand into colored bottle. If you keep the color, variety and encouragement coming, this is sure to be a favorite activity.


text:
Looking for a simple, yet effective natural remedy for the cold and flu? We love making this Mānuka Honey Lemon Ginger Elixir that is so easy to make, and the whole family can use it.
8 oz. ginger, peeled, chopped
½ cup fresh lemon juice
⅓ cup Activist Mānuka Honey
• Pulse ginger in a food processor to a coarse paste (or finely grate). Bring ginger and 6 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan; reduce heat and simmer until reduced to 3 cups, 30–40 minutes.
• Strain into a large jar and mix in lemon juice and Mānuka honey; add more lemon juice or Mānuka honey, if desired. Let cool; cover and chill.
• Brew can be made 2 weeks ahead. Keep chilled and dilute with warm water to desired potency when ready to drink.


text:
This New York Islanders long sleeve is made from super soft bi-blend terry, towel-like fabric, which is the perfect item for relaxing watching the hockey game. The large team graphic completes this shirt, making it great team apparel. Make sure to represent Long Island with this comfortable shirt.
Join our mailing list to stay in the loop for new promotions, products and more!


text:
Comparative Analysis of Political Institutions
Recent decades have seen a Renaissance of the systematic study of institutions as
elementary components of political and economic systems. Particularly with the rise of
the New Institutional Economics (NIE), institutions have been conceptually defined and a
huge body of empirical evidence has been amassed (cf. Acemoglu and Johnson 2003,
North 1991, Platteau 1994 I). Working largely with historical data, NIE has acted as a
crucial link between historical analysis and economic theory (cf. Selzer 2008, Williamson
2000) in particular within the methodological framework of comparative history (cf. Greif
1998). Institutional theory encompasses a sizable body of literature that is not solely
confined to NIE but also includes attempts by political and intellectual historians to integrate
institutional concepts into their historical narratives (cf. Peters 2005, Sally 1998,
Timberlake 1993). One result of this cross-disciplinary expansion has been the diversification
of institutional concepts.
In this session, we focus on the significance of political institutions for the long-term development of pre-modern societies. In a wider sense, we want to discuss to what extent NIE and comparative institutional analysis – generally seen as frameworks emerging from economics and economic history – can be applied in historical research more generally, specifically in the context of medieval polities. Since institutionalist approaches have been at the core of a great number of recent methodological debates in comparative history (e.g. divergence, the study of revolutions etc.), a thorough discussion of its advantages and shortcomings (highlighted in the critique of rational choice, cf. Field's 1981 response to North and Thomas 1995 [1977]; also Gorski 2000) may enable us to (re-)assess their conceptual validity.
Political institutions – rules and norms that mediate human interaction on a macro-social level, i.e. structures of governance, legal systems etc. – can be studied with the tools of economic analysis (in this case NIE) since the incentives underlying economic co-operation arise from ubiquitous patterns of social behaviour within groups (cf. Platteau 1994 II, Urpelainen 2011). Strayer's book, which was initially directed at political scientists with an interest in medieval structures of governance, is an early example of analytical political history that emphasises the importance of micro-structures for the development of political entities. Diermeier and Krehbiel's essay provides a comprehensive overview of the approaches and theories that have since been developed and applied in political science and history. Greif and Tabellini's article demonstrates comparative institutional analysis in the context of the developmental trajectories of pre-modern China and Europe.
Against this background, we ask:
- Do institutionalist approaches depart from unreasonable assumptions (e.g. rational choice)? Is there a lack of empirical rigour in institutional models that complicate their application to medieval contexts?
- How can behaviour, identified by Diermeir and Krehbiel as "the crucial link between institutions and outcomes", be analysed in medieval contexts given the general lack of reliable documentary evidence on individual sentiments and collective choices?
- Can political institutions be taken as endogenous factors in economic development even in cases in which there is little evidence on the historical processes from which they emerged in the first place (cf. Greif 1994)?
- From a historical perspective, how permissible are abstract categorisations of political institutions (for example, the Northian dualism of "formal" and "informal" institutions, cf. North 1991)? Can categories of this sort do justice to the complexity of medieval social institutions (e.g. the family) that are of critical significance to a multitude of social spheres (personal, economic, political)?
- Could there be a general theory of medieval political institutions? If so, what would be the role of (elite) kinship networks?
More generally, we are interested in the way social institutions – in the sense of norms, rules and mechanisms that mitigate individual behaviour – shaped networks of communication in medieval polities (cf. Dahl 1998, Wetterhall Thomas 2008, Wright 2000). Participants are invited to contribute relevant examples from their respective areas of study.
Core reading:
Diermeier, Daniel, Krehbiel, Keith: "Institutionalism as a Methodology", in: Journal of Theoretical Politics 15 (2003), No. 2, pp. 123-144.
Greif, Avner, Tabellini, Guido: "Cultural and Institutional Bifurcation: China and Europe Compared", in: American Economic Review 100 (May 2010), No. 2, pp. 135-140.
Strayer, Joseph R.: On the Medieval Origins of the Modern State, Princeton (N.J.): Princeton University Press, 2005 [1970], chapter I, pp. 3-56.
Recommended further reading:
Acemoglu, Daron, Johnson, Simon: "Unbundling Institutions", in: The Journal of Political Economy 113 (2005), No. 5, pp. 949-995.
Beck, Thorsten, Clarke, George, Groff, Alberto, Keefer, Philip, Walsh, Patrick: "New Tools in Comparative Political Economy: The Database of Political Institutions", in: The World Bank Economic Review 15 (2001), No. 1, pp. 165-176.
Dahl, Gunnar: Trade, Trust, and Networks: Commercial Culture in Late Medieval Italy, Lund: Nordic Academic Press, 1998.
Douglas, Mary: How Institutions Think, London: Routledge, 1987.
Harris, Ron: "The institutional dynamics of early modern Eurasian trade: The commenda and the corporation", in: Journal of Economic Behaviour & Organization 71 (2009), No. 3, pp. 606-622.
Field, Alexander J.: "The Problem with Neoclassical Institutional Economics: A Critique with Special Reference to the North/Thomas Model of Pre-1500 Europe", in: Explorations in Economic History 18 (1981), pp. 174-198.
Gorski, Philip S.: "Historicizing the Secularization Debate: Church, State, and Society in Late Medieval and Early Modern Europe, ca. 1300 to 1700", in: American Sociological Review 65 (Feb., 2000), No. 1, pp. 138-167.
Greif, Avner: "Historical and Comparative Institutional Analysis", in: The American Economic Review 88 (May, 1998), No. 2, pp. 80-84.
Greif, Avner: Institutions and the Path to the Modern Economy: Lessons from Medieval Trade, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. (Introduction)
Greif, Avner: "On the Political Foundations of the Late Medieval Commercial Revolution: Genoa During the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries", in: The Journal of Economic History 54 (Jun., 1994), No. 2, pp. 271-287.
Kingston, Christopher, Caballero, Gonzalo: "Comparing Theories of Institutional Change", in: Journal of Institutional Economics 5 (2009), No. 2, pp. 151-180.
North, Douglass C.: "Institutions", in: Journal of Economic Perspectives 5 (Winter 1991), No. 1, pp. 97-112.
North, Douglass C., Thomas, Robert Paul: The Rise of the Western World: a New Economic History, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Peters, B. Guy: Institutional Theory in Political Science - The 'New Institutionalism', London and New York: Continuum, 2005 (part. chapter 4: The legacy of the past: historical institutionalism)
Platteau, Jean-Philippe: "Behind the Market Stage Where Real Societies Exist - Part I: The Role of Public and Private Order Institutions", in: Journal of Development Studies 30 (1994), No. 3, pp. 533 – 577.
Platteau, Jean-Philippe: "Behind the Market Stage Where Real Societies Exist - Part II: The Role of Moral Norms", in: Journal of Development Studies 30 (1994), No. 4, pp. 753 – 817.
Sally, Razeen: Classical Liberalism and International Economic Order - Studies in theory and intellectual history, London and New York: Routledge, 1998 (esp. chapter 9: Classical liberalism and international economic order: a synthesis).
Selzer, Stephan: "Netzwerke im europäischen Handel des Mittelalters. Konzepte – Anwendungen – Fragestellungen", in: Fouquet, Gerhard, Gilomen, Hans-Jörg (eds.), Netzwerke im europäischen Handel des Mittelalters (Vorträge und Forschungen), Konstanz 2008.
Timberlake, Richard H.: Monetary policy in the United States: an intellectual and institutional history, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993.
Urpelainen, Johannes: "The origins of social institutions", in: Journal of Theoretical Politics 23 (2011), No. 2, pp. 215–240.
Wetterhall Thomas, Martha: "Medieval origins of corporate communication: Sampson of Oxford and the Method of Letter-writing", in: Corporate Communications: An International Journal 13 (2008), No. 1, pp. 112 - 123.
Williamson, Oliver E.: "The New Institutional Economics: Taking Stock, Looking Ahead", in: Journal of Economic Literature 38 (Sep., 2000), No. 3, pp. 595–613.
Wright, Laura: "Social context, structural categories and medieval business writing", in: Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 3 (August 2000), No. 2, pp. 124-125.
Recent blog posts
International Medieval Congress 2015 by mchu, July 30, 2015, 3:11 p.m.
Team members Hilde De Weerdt, Chu Mingkin and Julius Morche contributed to the panel "Historical Knowledge Networks in Global Perspective" ......read more
MARKUS update and new tools by hweerdt, March 12, 2015, 6:38 a.m.
The MARKUS tagging and reading platform has gone through a major update. New features are ......read more
Away day for the "State and society network" at LIAS by mchu, Dec. 5, 2014, 12:40 p.m.
Team members Hilde De Weerdt, Julius Morche and Chu Ming-kin participated in the Away Day of the "state and society ......read more
See all blog posts
Recent Tweets
@Hilde De Weerdt
1193 copy of al-Istakhrı's 10th C world #map, a maritime view of Afro-Eurasia as a world connected by seas--annotat… https://t.co/mZlZSIC0C41 year, 7 months ago
@Monica H Green
A reminder that all the essays in the 2014 volume, *Pandemic Disease in the Medieval World: Rethinking the Black De… https://t.co/RntQ3Gw0On1 year, 7 months ago
@Journal for the History of
We are pleased to announce the theme of the new @jhokjournal special issue: 'Histories of Ignorance', with guest ed… https://t.co/5RRYoEsxoe1 year, 7 months ago
@Hilde De Weerdt
CFP: Between Asia and Europe: Whither Comparative Cultural Studies? University of Ljubljana, May 2020 https://t.co/eyaWwNprEd1 year, 8 months ago
@Craig Clunas 柯律格
Honoured to join the editorial board of "The Court Historian" as an index of the journal's wish to publish more stu… https://t.co/dgxW1hIYQ41 year, 8 months ago
@Global History of Empires
"And yet there is so much more to African history than stale narratives of slavery and colonialism." https://t.co/F8M0KTgIsL1 year, 8 months ago


text:
Crystals from Croton penduliflorus seeds (CPC) were administered at weekly intervals in two doses (7 mg/kg and 21 mg/kg) by gastric intubation to mice over 12 weeks. CPC induced purgation in the treated mice, with the higher dose having a more profound effect. Mice treated with CPC developed skin lesions with swollen scrotums. There were significant changes in the PCV, Hb and plasma proteins of treated mice. Gangrene of the tail with subsequent sloughing was observed, particularly in the low dose group. Mice in the low dose group also experienced retarded growth. A significant clinical finding in the treated mice was abortion during late pregnancy and 100% fetal mortality. It was concluded that, apart from its purgative effect, CPC can cause toxic effects in chronic administration. Use in pregnant women should be discouraged.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology 10/1990; 30(2):135-43. DOI:10.1016/0378-8741(90)90002-B


text:
On the Gringo TrailOn 27 October 2010 from Arequipa, Peru , trackback
On Friday I took the bus from Lima to Ica together with together with Kath, Liz, Sarah & Natasha (all from the UK). From Ica we got taxis to Huacachina, a natural oasis in the middle of huge sand dunes. This place is now totally ruled by backpackers with lots of restaurant and nightlife (OK, 1 place).
Saturday morning the sand dunes needed to be conquered with a sand buggy, driven by Jesus. After driving across the dunes with speeds of up to 85km/h (as measured by my GPS), we stopped on a sand dune to make photos. When trying to depart, our buggy did not start anymore, but luckily Jesus had the skills to hotwire the buggy. The next stops were devoted to sandboarding down the dunes. As boarding down something has never been a skill of mine, I decided that laying on a board would be way more effective. It was, except that I got sand literally everywhere. Luckily the hostel had a swimming pool to cool down in. When resting at the side, I was offered a direct ride to Nazca. This turned out to be much faster than the bus, driving up to 155km/h on the Pan-American Highway (once again measured by GPS, the speedometer on the car stuck to zero).
In Nazca I went shopping for flights over the Nazca lines. Due to either fuel shortages (the story I was told) or safety reasons (the story I suspect) only 3 airlines were operating, boosting the prices. When I was certain I could not get a better deal, I booked a flight with Alas Peruanas. In the evening, I visited a show on the Nazca lines in the
Planetarium Maria Reiche, getting a cool photo of the full moon through a telescope.
Sunday morning I made the flight over the Nazca lines with a 6-seater Cessna (2 pilots + 4 passengers). Of course I totally forgot to take anti-motion sickness pills, and with a plane kept banking from left to right to show the lines, that was pretty hard on my stomach. But the lines were clearly visible from the sky, and it was very interesting to watch these man-made geoglyphs that have still not been explained exclusively by science.
In the afternoon I visited the Chauchilla Cemetery together with Jacqui (from New Zealand) who was also on the flight in the morning. Afterwards we went to the archeological museum (Didáctico Antonini).
Sunday evening an overnight bus from Cruz del Sur brought me to Arequipa, where I met Kath, Liz, Sarah & Natasha at the hostel again on Monday morning. Together with 2 guys we went into the centre and checked out the frozen Inca maiden in the Santury meseum.
Tuesday morning started at 03:00, because the bus to Cañón del Colca was picking us up at 03:30. Around 09:00 we arrived at the Cruz del Cóndor, from where we could see a number of condors fly through the canyon. At around 10:30 we started to trek down into the second-deepest canyon in the world. FYI: the deepest one is Cañón del Cotahuasi, but it would have take a 12-hour bus ride over unsealed roads to get there, and I could not be bothered for the extra 150 metres depth. After hiking down for 3 hours we reached the bottom, crossed the river and went back up for half an hour to have lunch. From there it was another 2,5 hour to get to Sangalle, an oasis at the bottom of the canyon, complete with swimming pool and bungalows.
Wednesday morning we started the climb out of the canyon at 05:50, and reached the top (1100m higher) after an exhausting 3 hours. We had breakfast in Cabanaconde and drove to Chivay to relax in the 39-degree thermal pools and have lunch there as well. After lunch we drove to 4910m altitude and back to Arequipa. Funny thing is that during this tour I have been alternating in speaking English, Dutch, German and my few words of Spanish. If my French had been any better I would have used that too.
I called this post "On the Gringo Trail" because that is what it feels like. Most backpackers travelling from Lima to Cuzco stop in these places and do these activities (perhaps except the Nazca lines flight). I actually looked into going to Cañón del Colca by myself using public transport, but it would take at least a day longer and only be marginally cheaper. So the Gringo Trail it is, at least up until Cuzco.
- 1. Khalid - 5 November 2010
guido. what about latest photos? cant see them yet.. enjoying ur trip so far ? 🙂
- 2. Guido - 17 November 2010
Khaled: I'm too busy travelling to upload photos, but that's also because of my rather elaborate photo workflow (rotate, geotag, rename, sort)…
Don't worry, there will be photos 🙂


text:
Diet soda side effects
Although diet soda is not an ideal beverage, but it is definitely considered a better choice as compared to other regular soda. Mostly because it contains fewer calories, sugar or carbohydrates but unexpectedly it does contain some ingredients that make it a lot worse for your body, if consumed in large quantities. Here are some negative effects of drinking diet soda.
Kidney problems
Did you know that drinking diet soda could give you kidney problems? Yes, according to a study conducted on more than 3000 women at Harvard Medical School showed that diet soda is associated with two-fold increased risk for kidney decline. The study reported that their kidney started declining when they consumed more than 2 sodas in a day. So, if you have been drinking a lot of diet soda lately thinking it is actually good, you are more likely to get kidney problems in future unless you reduce its consumption or completely stop drinking it.
Messes up your metabolism
A University of Minnesota conducted a study on around 10,000 adults and highlighted another one of the major side effects of diet soda on your health. According to the study, drinking even just one diet soda puts you at 34 percent higher risk of metabolic syndrome along with increased risk of heart disease. However, what's still unclear is whether this happens due to some specific ingredient in diet soda or is it associated with drinkers eating habits.
Makes you obese
It may come as a surprise to you but it's true that diet soda does not help lose weight. According to a study done by University of Texas Health Science Center, the more diet soda you consume, the more likely you are to become overweight. Drinking 2 or more cans of diet soda everyday can increase your waistline. Yes, that's right, the artificial sweeteners present in diet soda can disrupt your body's natural ability to regulate calorie intake. So, consumption of diet foods make you overeat and you don't even realize it because you are being tricked into thinking that you are eating sugar, you crave more for it. So, obesity is another one of the common negative side effects of diet soda.
Damages teeth
Diet soda is very acidic in nature as it has a pH of 3.2. So, when you consume any kind of soda even diet soda, the acid present in it dissolves enamel and worsens your dental health. Image Source: Getty


text:
What's in a domain? Ask Housing.com
Remember JustDial's 8888888888? Well, Housing.co.in has launched a similar number on which they can be accessed - 3333333333. Along with this, they've also recently bought the Housing.com domain. And this has come at a total price of $1 million.
Now, that's a lot of money, and you've got to wonder if it's really worth it. Well, Housing.com (we've got to get used to that now) founder, Advitiya Sharma, sure thinks so. I spoke to him on the motivations behind this recent cash splurge, and some interesting plans surfaced -
International Expansion
Given the amount of ad money that has been spent on the Housing.co.in name, Housing.com might actually be a turbulent transition. But Advitiya shared that this is in view of international expansion. He says, "We will be looking to expand international geographies in the next 6 months. We've always believed that Housing was meant to be an international product, and we are finally at a place where we can realize that belief. We're looking for the right partner, with whom our synergies match."
With respect to branding, Advitiya believes that Housing.com strengthens them. He says, "When you talk to people, the .com has an effect of authority on people's psychology. And of course, the SEO value of a .com is much greater than what we had. The merits of the .com domain are many, of which, the mindset with which people look at it and the SEO value are it's greatest."
As far as the investment concerned, Advitiya says, "I think of it as a one-time investment. We're not building this company for 5 - 6 years. We're building a company for many decades to come, and one which is worldwide. We've got great people backing us, and I personally believe that the benefits will outshine this spend in a few years time."
Given India's internet penetration, the phone number comes as a logical decision. Advitiya says, "When you're an internet company, it's somewhat discriminatory that it is a service that is restricted to internet users. We've had a lot of requests from people who don't have access to the internet for a phone-line service," says Advitiya.
"And when it came to numbers, Justdial's all 8s was epic. The only thing that can beat it is all 3s, and we have that," Advitiya joked, "But we want to take housing to the villages of India and especially with the land listing that we have, the phone number will be all the more relevant."
Overall, Advitiya believes that there's huge value to the two recent additions to the company.Going forward
With international expansion on the horizon, Housing.com is redefining what rapid growth means for a company. The rate at which this company is growing is impressive; and, the company has maintained its enthusiasm towards solving the problem. Advitiya says, "Everyone in the company truly believes that real estate is a really important space, not only because it's the space we operate in, but also because it is really good for the industry. And given how poorly our competitors are solving this problem, it only drives us more to make sure that we give it our all."
Funds have been key in the growth of Housing.com, and when asked if there's another fundraising round in the making, Advitiya said, "We've done the math and we're doing a healthy run rate, and we won't deny that there's investor interest. Let's see what happens."
Well, let's see how that turns out. Join us at TechSparks to meet more people like Advitiya.


text: The Avatar was a Zorro III only graphics card, however it is not known whether it was ever released to the public. It supports 24bit, and resolutions up to 1600x1200. It contained Composite (PAL, NTSC, Y/C, YUV) connectors with support for MPEG compression to hard disk with image capture. The card also supports EGS as well as Opalvision and Harlequin emulation. It also contained a built in genlock


text:
Windows 10 Build 10130 released to the Slow Ring of Insiders
Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 Build 10130 has been released to the Slow ring.
This is the first new build for the Slow Ring user in over a month and a half, since the launch of Windows 10 Build 10074, which was released at the end of April.
Build 10130 was released to the Fast Ring of Insiders a fortnight ago. However it had multiple issues. You can read about the Known Issues in Build 10130 from our previous coverage. We have reported some other issues, in our hands on review of Build 10130.
Microsoft revealed later that Build 10130 had critical bugs, and that it would not release the build to the Slow Ring, at least until the bugs were fixed. The Redmond company refrains from releasing Windows 10 ISOs for the Insider Preview Builds, unless the build is available for the slow ring.
But apparently, some Fast Ring users were unable to upgrade to the new build to a 0x80246017 error. So, Microsoft released the Windows 10 Build 10130 ISO, to allow affected Fast Ring users to upgrade to the build using the ISO. But it still advised Slow Ring users not to upgrade to the build yet.
Microsoft recently fixed an issue related to Flyouts ( app shortcuts not working in the Taskbar, Start) with a Windows Update. The Redmond company has also fixed issues related to WiFi connectivity.
A couple of days ago, the company rolled out several more Windows Updates which included security patches and bug fixes for audio playback, loss of audio, upgrade issues on Core Editions. It is these bug fixes which have convinced Microsoft to roll out the build to the Slow Ring.
These updates will be available during the set up process, as Dynamic Updates. You can manually check for updates from the Settings App > Update and Security, to make sure you have all the updates.
Should you upgrade to Windows 10 Build 10130?
Yes, you can safely do so. I have been using ever since it was rolled out to the Fast Ring, and can confirm that its performance is impressive and the operating system is generally stable than any previous build.
Microsoft has confirmed that it will roll out new Insider Preview Builds soon. New features are unlikely to be included in upcoming builds, as the company is working to fix more bugs to ensure that the operating system is shipped on the promised date. Previously announced features like support for extensions in Microsoft Edge will be included in the final version of Windows 10.
Windows 10 will be launched on July 29th.


text:
It's always fun to fly with really good pilots, especially those who are better than you. (In my case, that's practically everyone.)
Greg Koontz is certainly one of those. An air show aviator for most of his life, Greg rebuilt a Cub when he was 18 and has been in the air show business ever since—nearly 40 years. Currently, he flies his signature American Champion Super Decathlon as practically an extension of his thoughts.
For those of us who have spent our share of time in the agile, little 8KCAB, flying with Koontz in his chosen air show mount is a revelation. He does maneuvers in the airplane with a precision that most of us will probably never be able to duplicate.
Operating out of Sky Country Lodge (www.skycountrylodge.com) in Ashville, Ala., Greg and his wife, Cora, run an unusual bed-and-breakfast flight school, which specializes in aerobatics, strangely enough. A Master CFI-Aerobatics, Koontz can take students as far as they wish to go, from a simple tailwheel checkout to a full-on aerobatic course including most of the maneuvers the Super Decathlon can perform.
I caught up with Koontz at 2008 Sun 'n Fun in Lakeland, Fla., where I asked him first about his choice of air show airplane, the Super Decathlon.
"It's a great teaching machine, and the economics make it a viable air show airplane as well," says Koontz. "Not everyone appreciates that. It's a little larger than the Pitts or Extra, and that makes it easy to see. It doesn't have the power or the horizontal or vertical agility of the others, but I like it because it does most of the same maneuvers at a slower speed. This allows me to solve one of the biggest problems at air shows—keeping the act in front of the crowd.
"It's also important to remember that many people at air shows aren't pilots, and they may have a tough time appreciating a triple snap to a Lomcevak in an S2C. The Super doesn't really do even a double snap, and I confine my air show routine to fairly conventional maneuvers that happen slowly enough that everyone can appreciate them."
Last year, Koontz flew some 20 air shows, but he also instructed some 111 students in the ways of the Super, many through full tailwheel checkouts and on through his standard acro course—loops, rolls, hammerheads and spins. "I'm one of those instructors who's bullish on tailwheel training," says Koontz. "I'm convinced that familiarity with tailwheels produces a better pilot than just nosedraggers. A tailwheel checkout helps a pilot land any airplane well—conventional or tricycle gear."
Koontz should know. He has more than 7,000 hours of instructing, most of it in tailwheels. He got his air show start in 1974, joining Colonel Ernie Moser's Flying Circus out of St. Augustine, Fla. Koontz has flown a variety of air show acts over the years; most recently, he has become renowned for his Super Decathlon aerobatics and for his "World's Smallest Airport" stunt in which he lands a Piper J-3 Cub on an iron grating atop a moving pickup truck.
|Koontz views the Super Decathlon as ideal for air show crowds because it's larger, and thus more visible than other airplanes, and it performs maneuvers at slightly slower speeds, keeping the act in front of the crowd
In the real world, Koontz has worked as a corporate jet pilot and has accumulated some 22,000 hours of flight time, much of it teaching pilots the ways of the Super Decathlon. He's sponsored by American Champion, and the manufacturer is predictably enthusiastic about Koontz's air show work, exposing the Super's talents to thousands of pilots each year. There might be other pilots doing air shows in Super Decathlons, but I can't think of one.
Unlike some other aerobatic airplanes, the 8KCAB is a supremely comfortable machine, 30 inches wide at the hips. For one thing, the airplane is well laid-out. All flight and system controls fall readily to hand, with all electrical switches mounted on a panel above the pilot's left shoulder. Visibility from the front seat, with the overhead "eyebrow" windows, allows a view in practically every direction during acro. Trim is confined to the elevator, and it's ridiculously uncomplicated, a direct connection to the stick. If you're so inclined, you can easily control the airplane's pitch with the trim control.
According to Koontz, the Super makes a great classroom for aerobatics, partially because its comparative lack of power demands that you learn good coordination and proper energy management. The Super sports an extremely comfortable tandem cabin, wide and tall, and easy to mount in either seat.
In addition, it's capable of pretty much any maneuver students are willing to try (provided they're not into Lomcevaks). Aileron spades provide a kind of power steering to lighten roll rate, and the airplane's quick elevator response makes it easy to pitch to vertical entries.
The 8KCAB will neither snap with a Pitts nor roll with an Extra, but it makes for a comfortable trainer for students, or a confident air show vehicle. In the hands of an expert like Koontz, it can pull off a double snap on a downline or a half vertical roll up with a hammerhead off the top.
|The 8KCAB is well laid-out: All flight and system controls fall readily to hand, and the overhead "eyebrow" windows allow for visibility in practically all directions
The inverted oil and fuel systems also allow limited outside maneuvers. A small header tank holds enough fuel for two minutes of inverted flight, and Koontz uses the time to fly a variety of negative maneuvers, including an outside loop with an outside snap on top. Having done enough outside loops to know just how much they hurt, I have great respect for Koontz's precision and stamina.
For those masochists who enjoy pushing the limits, the Super will endure +6/-5 G's, enough to challenge anyone's gastrointestinal tract.
One of the joys of the Super, however, is that it's not limited to gut-wrenching aerobatics. It's an easy machine to climb in and out of, even for bulky pilots, and there's a small baggage compartment behind the rear seat (though all baggage must be loaded through the single, right-side cabin door).
The big, semi-symmetrical wing is designed more for lift than for speed, and that results in impressive climb for only 180 hp—adequate to levitate above the desert heat in summer or handle the high-density altitudes of Denver, Colo., or Cheyenne, Wyo. Despite the birdcage of struts on each wing, the Super also turns in respectable cruise numbers. Max cruise is listed at 128 knots, but even if you accept 125 knots, that's a reasonable number considering the airplane's considerable drag.
Better still, if you're willing to wear your parachute during cross-country travel, you can throw in an occasional loop or roll just to liven things up.
With 39 gallons aboard and a burn rate of 9.5 to 10 gph, the Super makes a decent cross-country cruiser, capable of three hours of endurance plus reserve, or almost a 400 nm range. If you're into off-airport operations where bush missions are often out-and-back, that means an operation radius of 200 nm.
As you might expect of an airplane with the lineage of an Aeronca, the Super also sports the ability to handle short, relatively rough strips with ease. An unobstructed, 1,000-foot slice of grass or turf is usually plenty to ground the Super or lift it back off. Not bad for an airplane with a wing bereft of flaps.
It's almost a cliché to call any tailwheel airplane easy to land, but if any taildragger deserves that accolade, it's the Super Decathlon. Of all the conventional-gear airplanes I've flown, I can't think of any that are as universally forgiving as the top American Champion model.
Back in the days when the Bellanca Champion line was built in Osceola, Wis., hard by the Minnesota border, I picked up a dozen or more Scouts and Super Decathlons, ferrying them to the West Coast, and on those airplanes without wheel pants, it was always fun to look for interesting, unpaved places to land. I remember plunking into dirt and grass strips all over the Midwest and Southwest on the 1,500 nm trips to California.
|Veteran air show pilot Greg Koontz is among the few aerobatic performers flying a Super Decathlon at shows.
The Super is imminently controllable in crosswinds, allowing hard slips to maintain centerline or bleed-off altitude. In short-field mode, it can fly approaches as slow as 60 knots, 55 knots in smooth air if you're on top of it. Stall speed is a slow 46 knots, so even 55 knots provides the 1.2 Vs buffer.
Normal-category gross is 1,950 pounds against a typical 1,400-pound empty. In other words, add 39 gallons of fuel and you'll have just over 310 pounds for people and things in nonacro mode. Predictably, the aerobatic weight limit is slightly lower: 1,800 pounds. With full fuel, a typical Super Decathlon will have allowance for a single pilot. In order to fly hard aerobatics, you'll need to download fuel to half that or less.
As alluded to above, the Super Decathlon has a nonaerobatic brother, the Scout, that's designed more specifically for bush work and is adaptable to floats, skis or balloon tires. I've seen numerous Scouts serving in the outback of Alaska and Canada. The Scout features a gross weight of 2,150 pounds, boosting payload by 200 pounds.
In standard trim, adequate for basic VFR, a Super Decathlon is priced at $146,900. This makes the top American Champion a reasonable trainer, especially in contrast to the two other dedicated trainers: the Liberty XL2 and the Diamond DA20 Eclipse. If you're a believer that a tailwheel design turns out a better pilot, the Super might make an interesting trainer choice. [Access both "Liberty XL2: A Trainer With A Difference (P&P March 2007) and "Diamond DA20: A Trainer With Attitude" (P&P August 2008) at our online home.]
According to Koontz, the Super Decathlon's greatest talent is simply that it's the most forgiving airplane he could possibly imagine for aerobatic instruction. "I spend about 300 hours instructing in the 8KCAB each year," Koontz comments, "and I can tell you that students universally love the airplane. They quickly discover that it has more talent than they ever imagined and that flying it is easier than they could have hoped."
Koontz spends another 200 hours flying the Decathlon and other types in air shows and in cross-country travel between shows around the southwestern states.
When I asked Koontz if he had any desire to step up to an Edge or an Extra, he said, "Those are great airplanes, and I have nothing but admiration for the pilots who fly them to the limits in air shows. For my purposes, however, the Super Decathlon offers me more than enough performance and versatility at a price that makes it easy to turn a profit, and that's a big part of the bottom line."


text:
- Home
- About us
- Current Issue
- Archive
- Submit Article
- Certificate
- Reviewers Form
- Contact Us
One of the most unusual, illogical, and inexplicable phenomena in the history of thousands of years of Mongolian literature and culture is a unique (but rare) genre of oral and written literature called riddles. The riddle is based entirely on lateral thinking, in other words it is a manifestation of the lateral chaos of language as a result of lateral thinking. The most obvious linguistic and mental evidence for this pattern is the riddle. For this reason, we have tried to clarify the custom of honoring knucklebone from a nomadic ethnographic point of view what puzzled the knucklebone and what is puzzled with the knucklebone, and how knucklebone divination is practiced in the Mongolian folk riddles. In the study of the knucklebone riddles, the knucklebones were expressed anonymously and figuratively without using their names directly, and in addition to hiding and allegorizing the name of something else in the name of knucklebone, riddles also puzzled about games, divination, and symbols of knucklebone.