text:
Hi Jackie,
Welcome!! You'll love visiting GDS! I'm also from Sa- Pretoria actually, where do you stay?
Type: Posts; User: Veronica; Keyword(s):
Hi Jackie,
Welcome!! You'll love visiting GDS! I'm also from Sa- Pretoria actually, where do you stay?
It's our Summer holidays now in South Africa. While the Northern Hemisphere is transformed into a Winter Wonderland, we're bathed in glorious hot sunshine. So I'm off for few days to visit a friend...
It's our Summer holidays now in South Africa. While the Northern Hemisphere is transformed into a Winter Wonderland, we're bathed in glorious hot sunshine. So I'm off for few days to visit a friend...
Eek- will have to miss this- it'll be 4am on Friday here and we're leaving to go away for the weekend later on Friday. {sob}
Love your challenge! I also love using multiple photos & BIG ones too - like in your 2nd template!
Oh she is gorgeous!!! Congratulations!!! So special - just in time for her to spend Christmas with you~!
Love those cluster frames and your new kit is gorgeous Helen!
Jean- check out Andrea Gold's class for PS Elements here at GDS - so helpful! Go to the store and click on Classes.
LOL! Sounds like you had loads of trouble. If you girls could see my paper scrapbooking stash you'd faint! I have so much stuff that i could start a store! I have been trying to sort through it for...
LOL! My mom also inherited a "Sammy", Andrea! The cat turned up, my mom put notices everywhere, turned out he belonged to the house right next door! When they emmigrated to New Zealand about 2 months...
Oh this sounds fabulous- wish we had sales like that here!! In fact - I wish we had Walmart..and Target...and Michael's...and...and...and... (sigh).
Can someone tell me what is "Black Friday"? I...
Welcome Chanin! Gorgeous kit!! Hope you enjoy being here!
Wow Holly, this is a gorgeous kit!! Love the colours! Thanks for the bonus! Love the products!!!
Just thought I's say a HUGE thank you for the beautiful pages you have all created with PLUMBAGO. And thanks for all the kind comments about the kit-so glad you like it! This QP Album is going to be...
Thanks Holly- this was loads of fun to do! - And yes that's your Christmas Tree I used over the photo!
Here's my layout : http://www.godigitalscrapbooking.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=42294
I have the 300D and I still love it even though it's now 3 years old. A friend of mine has the 450D and she swears by it! Lucky you! I'm sure you'll enjoy it!
Yip, mines there! What a cute idea this is Holly, I love the mini kit- amazing how it all works so well together.
Can I also play? I love the green foliage from your Lakehouse kit.
I'm goign to try and make it- 16h00 our time here- so that should be ok for me! Off to submit my card....
Sounds like such fun! I won't make it as we're going to friends for dinner at that time!
Gorgeous Kit Andrea- love the distressed feel it has! Thanks for he template!
I am no where near a professional photographer, but I'll give you my 2 cents worth....
I personally, have a CANON 350D - And I LOVE it!! I bought mine when this model came out, but there are 2...
What a cute idea! Love the layout!


text:
THURSDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- When it comes to ridding
yourself of common warts, freezing -- also known as cryotherapy --
works better than applying salicylic acid, another common
treatment, a new Dutch study finds.
No one treatment cured more than half of cases, however, and
better treatments for the stubborn skin malady are needed, experts
The new finding is a bit of an about-face, according to Dr.
Sjoerd Bruggink of Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, who
led the research. That's because an earlier review done by another
team found that salicylic acid was the preferred treatment.
But for common warts, Bruggink's group found otherwise. He and
his colleagues looked at common warts, found on the fingers, around
the nails and on the backs of hands, and at plantar warts, which
grow on the soles of the feet.
"Our trial is the first to show that for patients with common warts cryotherapy is most effective," Bruggink said. However, "for patients with plantar warts, the active treatments [freezing or salicylic acid] are not more effective than a wait-and-see approach.''
The study, funded by the Netherlands Organization for Health
Research and Development, is published Sept. 13 in the
Canadian Medical Association Journal.
Warts are non-cancerous skin growths triggered by a viral
infection in the skin's top layer, according to the American
Academy of Dermatology. Up to a third of school-age children will
develop warts, according to Bruggink, although two-thirds of the
growths will go away on their own in two years or less.
Two common treatments for warts are the topical application of
salicyclic acid, or cryotherapy, where the wart is frozen away
using liquid nitrogen.
For the study, Bruggink tracked outcomes for 250 children and
adults, ages 4 to 79, with warts, for 13 weeks. The participants
were assigned to either the freezing group, the salicylic acid
group or a "wait-and-see" group that got no active treatment.
At 13 weeks, 240 people remained in the trial. The cure rates
for common warts (treated in 116 people) was 49 percent for
freezing, 15 percent for those receiving salicylic acid and 8
percent for the wait-and-see group.
For the 124 people treated for plantar warts, the cure rate was
similar whether they got freezing or salicylic acid. Eleven of 37
people who underwent cryotherapy experienced a "cure" --
disappearance of the wart for 13 weeks -- compared to 14 of 43
people treated with salicylic acid. Plantar warts resolved on their
own in 10 of the 44 patients in the wait-and-see group.
Bruggink said his team will next look at combination treatments
for plantar warts.
The Dutch results didn't impress Dr. Steven Feldman, professor
of dermatology, pathology and public health sciences at Wake Forest
University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, N.C., who
reviewed the study.
"Well, there's clearly one thing they proved: We still need a good treatment for warts," Feldman said. "Most patients did not respond to any of these treatments."
And side effects, including pain, blisters and scarring, were
reported, he noted, especially for those who got the freezing
Another issue, Feldman said, is that salicylic acid, used at
home, may not have been used as often as recommended, potentially
limiting its effectiveness. On the other hand, people in the
freezing treatment group had to return to the office every two
weeks, he said, an inconvenience.
There's cost to consider, too: While freezing can cost patients
hundreds of dollars, salicylic acid runs to the "tens of dollars"
only, Feldman said.
And while the cure rates for freezing were better at 13 weeks,
Feldman wonders if the warts might still come back later.
More information
To learn more about common warts, head to the
American Academy of Dermatology.
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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by James Slater - Former WBO heavyweight champion Lamon Brewster picked up his second comeback win this past Saturday, as he clearly out-pointed useful Brit Michael Sprott in Germany. Now a member of the Sauerland Event stable, the 35-year-old warrior is looking to get back to the top of the tree in his division.
Now sporting a record of 35-4(30), "Relentless" is planning to have one or two more tune-up type bouts, before getting what he hopes will be a title shot - hopefully one against the man he has both defeated and lost to, in Wladimir Klitschko. Now healthy again after having undergone retinal surgery, Brewster is feeling better than ever - as he told me earlier today in a telephone interview..
Very kindly taking time out, Lamon gave the following answers to my questions.
James Slater: It's great that you have taken the time to speak with me, Lamon. Firstly, I know you gave yourself a one-to-ten rating after your last fight, against Danny Batchelder. How would you rate your win over Michael Sprott on Saturday?
Lamon Brewster: Well, I got the W, which is the most important thing. I'd probably give myself a five. Something that I did, which I probably shouldn't have done, affected me in the fight. I'm not taking anything away from the fight my man [Sprott] gave me, because he fought a tremendously smart fight. He was faster than I thought, and he was smart enough not to mix it with me and go toe-to-toe. What happened was, I took some Benadryl to help me sleep - because of the time difference in America and Germany I was having trouble. I took it all week and the day of the fight I slept for like sixteen hours. I was in the fight, don't get me wrong, but it was like my mind and my body were on two different pages.
J.S: It was a good, rust-removing win for you. At one point, though, it looked like it might be a short fight. Were you surprised when he got back up from that sweet left hook you put him down with in the 3rd round?
L.B: Not really. He's been around the block and he's no walk in the park for any fighter. He was using all his experience so as not to get caught with my power shots. You know, he's a veteran and I commend him on a good fight. I didn't want a quick KO in the fight anyway. I wanted some rounds to get some more rust off me. In fact, I'd say I need two more fights like that. I don't want to score KO's, unless they're late in the fight. I felt good on Saturday, but at the same time I think I could've done better. I was sparring with the great James Toney beforehand and he got me real sharp. James Toney don't take it easy on anybody in sparring (laughs). If you make a mistake he lets you know not to make another one by hitting you with a good punch!
J.S: Those sure would be some rounds of sparring to see, Lamon! Can I ask you, how did your deal with Sauerland come about?
L.B: I had met Mr. Sauerland Senior, who is a real good guy - just look at his track record, I had only heard good things about him. We met and we spoke, and I said, 'Ok, let me see who's going to give me not only the best deal - but who also has class and has the power to get me somewhere.' Not only that, but Germany is like a second home to me. I am always well received by the German people and I like to fight there. I mean, I love my country, but boxing is just not as hot as it once was in America - like it is in Germany and in Europe right now.
J.S: How soon do you plan on fighting again?
L.B: May or June. I want to say, I'm pushing for a fight with Martin Rogan. That would be a really good fight. He's making a name for himself now - he beat Matt Skelton, right?
J.S: Yes, he stopped him late on.
L.B: Exactly. I'd come to the UK to fight him. I am ready to fight anywhere. I believe that you cannot be a world champion if you are afraid to travel. How can you be the best in the world if you're scared to fight out of your home country? If we have a ring, let's fight. That's my philosophy.
J.S: I read that you also want a rubber-match with Wladimir Klitschko. Is that a priority for you?
L.B: Absolutely, Yes. The second fight I wasn't right, but I did the best I could. What people have to realise is, before that fight I was face down in a hospital bed, recovering from surgery. As soon as I got out [of hospital] they called me and offered me the rematch with Klitschko. They offered me so much money, more than when I was (WBO) champion. I would have been a fool to turn it down! But now I want to set the record straight. We're tied now, and we have to see who the real champion is. He beat me in the second fight, but I destroyed him in the first fight. How can he be happy with himself the way he beat me? I'd been out for fifteen months - that's a long time! How can he be content with the win over me when he knew I wasn't healthy. I wanted a tune-up - I asked for a tune-up - but they wouldn't let me have one. They wanted to get me while I was hurt. When I had the belt you never heard him [Wladimir] mention my name at all! He never called me out, until I had to have retinal surgery.
J.S: You really believe you can win the series with Klitschko, and that the third fight has to happen?
L.B: Yes, of course. You know, Wladimir might have gotten a little stronger, he may have gotten a little more skilful - but he's still the same person. In our first fight I took away his skills and when it came down to it it became a fight involving heart. All those big muscles don't mean a thing if you haven't the heart to win. And that's what the first fight came down to. But I didn't make any excuses after I lost the rematch. I did the best I could and I sucked it up like a man. Now let's see who wins after I've had time to get back to my best; when I'm ready and totally healthy. Let's see who the real champion is!
J.S: Should that third fight with Klitschko not come off, who else would you like to fight? It seems as though Klitschko will fight either David Haye or Chris Arreola soon. Who would you like instead, for the time being at least?
L.B: Whoever has a belt. No-one who has a belt and who is at the top of the mountain is safe. I want to get back to the top of the mountain myself, so whoever has a belt when I get there [I will fight].
J.S: What do you think of David Haye? Being a Brit myself, I'd like your opinion of him.
L.B: For me, it's too early to say. I know he beat the gatekeeper of the heavyweight division in Monte Barrett, but let's see him in with two more heavyweights to see how he handles himself. We'll see. Time will tell, really.
J.S: Is that a fight you'd take if it was offered to you?
L.B: Yeah. I'd fight anyone. But I want the rust to be off first. I want to get rid of the rust by fighting experienced guys, and make sure I'm right. I'd definitely take that fight this year, but not for my next fight. I'd need one more fight first.
J.S: I know you were WBO heavyweight champ, but do you feel it's your destiny to become the REAL heavyweight champion before you retire?
L.B: Yes. My whole life is boxing - all roads lead back to boxing. I can't go around without it, all roads lead back to it. I feel now that I'm better than I've ever been. I have a great team around me, and I feel that with this team and with God on my side how can I lose? I have picked up so much knowledge to go with my skills now, and I'm in great shape. I'm on an exercise bike right now, while I'm speaking to you. I've been working out the whole thirty-six minutes.
J.S: I never would have guessed! You don't sound out of breath at all.
L.B: Well, I'm a little out of breath (laughs). But I'm very excited about my life. You know, I must admit, when my career was threatened during the retinal surgery, I didn't fully realise at first how much my career meant to me. I asked God for one more chance to use the gift he's given me, and I said that I would show all my gifts in the ring this time. I know I can be heavyweight champion because none of the other fighters at the top have the skills I have. And with God on my side how can I lose? Can't no-one be against you if you have God's help. It doesn't matter who you fight or where you fight.
J.S: I know you are a very spiritual person, Lamon. I remember your interview after the win over Klitschko, and understandably you were very emotional.
L.B: Bill Slayton, my first trainer, who was like a father to me - he had passed away before that fight. He was actually in hospital and he would say to me that he was going to get better so that we could win the world title together. I was his last protégée, he was like Cus D' Amato to me. Bill Slayton had worked with Ken Norton, Michael Dokes and with Jerry Quarry a little. He worked with so many fighters. But right before my biggest win he passed away. He taught me everything. I really wanted him to see me win that fight.
J.S: It was a great moment for you, winning that fight and dedicating it to him. It's been great speaking with you, Lamon. I wish you good luck with the rest of your career and I hope you get the big fights you want.
L.B: Thank you and God bless.
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Eva in a beautiful long grey dress (14th July)
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Eva Longoria with Edouardo Cruz in Seville, Spain (17th June)
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Eva Longoria with her Awards at 52nd Festival of Monte Carlo, France.
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Eva Longoria at Festival of Monte Carlo in a beautiful white dress. (14th June)
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Eva Longoria on the red carpet with other guests of 52nd Festival of Monte Carlo. (14th June)
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Eva Longoria taking her last breath before the Festival.
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Eva Longoria tweets: "This is how i feel after eating all the croissants in France"
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Eva Longoria meets Prince Albert & Charleine and Eva Larue at 52nd Festival of Monte Carlo, France. (13th June)
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SUGARMOON is celebrating its 11th year! It is hard to believe how quickly times flies. What started out as a labour of love project with a two-woman partnership and a $10,000 loan from my mom has now blossomed into an 18 staff member, four store growing operation. I am truly grateful to work with the women of SUGARMOON.
I am totally passionate about sugaring and have trained over 60 people from many parts of Ontario and the United States. We have now opened the SUGARMOON ACADEMY with training dates posted for most of 2014. This is really an exciting time!
We are very proud to have launched our professional brand of products, along with our Organics Body line and the first SUGARMOON take home kit to allow you to be a successful sugarist at home! Stay tuned we have a lot planned for 2014.
Outside of SUGARMOON, I enjoy hanging out with my lovely kids Elias (10) and Sofia (5), traveling, cooking, playing piano and enjoying time with friends and family!


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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - View original article
Constantinople (Greek: Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis or Κωνσταντινούπολη Konstantinoúpoli; Latin: Constantinopolis; Ottoman Turkish: قسطنطینیه, Kostantiniyye; and modern Turkish: İstanbul) was the capital city of the Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman empires. It was reinaugurated in 324 AD[1] at ancient Byzantium, as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great, after whom it was named, and dedicated on 11 May 330.[1] In the 12th century,[2] the city was the largest and wealthiest European city.[3]
Eventually, the empire of Christian Eastern Orthodoxy known as the Byzantine Empire in the east was reduced to just the capital and its environs, falling to the Ottoman Empire in the historic battle of 1453. The city then became the Ottoman's fourth and final capital up until its collapse in 1923 which was replaced with the Republic of Turkey with Ankara as the current capital.
The city itself remained and prospered as the Muslim capital in the Ottoman period; however, scholars normally reserve the name "Constantinople" for the city in the Christian period of 330–1453, preferring "Istanbul" for the city's name in later centuries.[citation needed] However, many Western writers have continued to refer to the city by its older name (Constantinople) into modern times. The name "Constantinople" is still used by members of the Eastern Orthodox Church in the title of one of their most important leaders, the Orthodox patriarch based in the city, referred to as "His Most Divine All-Holiness the Archbishop of Constantinople New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch."
Constantinople was famed for its massive defenses. Although besieged on numerous occasions by various peoples, it was taken only in 1204 by the army of the Fourth Crusade, in 1261 by Michael VIII Palaiologos, and in 1453 by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II . A first wall was erected by Constantine I, and the city was surrounded by a double wall lying about 2 km (1.2 miles) to the west of the first wall, begun during the 5th century by Theodosius II. The city was built on seven hills as well as on the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara and thus presented an impregnable fortress enclosing magnificent palaces, domes, and towers.
It was also famed for architectural masterpieces such as the church of Hagia Sophia, the sacred palace of the emperors, the hippodrome, and the Golden Gate, lining the arcaded avenues and squares. Constantinople contained numerous artistic and literary treasures before it was sacked in 1204 and 1453.[4] It was virtually depopulated when it fell to the Ottoman Turks,[5] but the city recovered rapidly, becoming once again by the mid-1600s the world's largest city as the Ottoman capital.[2]
The city was originally founded as a Greek colony under the name of Byzantium in the 7th century BC. It took on the name of Konstantinoupolis ("city of Constantine", Constantinople) after its re-foundation under Roman emperor Constantine I, who transferred the imperial capital from its historic base, Rome, to Byzantium in 330 AD and designated his new capital Nova Roma or "New Rome." The modern Turkish name for the city, İstanbul, derives from the Greek phrase eis tin polin (εις την πόλιν), meaning "into the City" or "to the City". This pattern is used for other Greek cities conquered by the Ottomans (e.g. Izmir, "eis Smyrnen"; Iznik, "eis Nikaian") This name was used in Turkish alongside Kostantiniyye, the more formal adaptation of the original Constantinople, during the period of Ottoman rule, while western languages mostly continued to refer to the city as Constantinople until the early 20th century. After the creation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, the Turkish government began to formally object to the use of Constantinople in other languages and ask that others use the more common name for the city.[6][7][8][9][10]
Constantinople was founded by the Roman Emperor Constantine I (272–337 AD) in 324[1] on the site of an already-existing city, Byzantium, which was settled in the early days of Greek colonial expansion, around 671–662 BC. The site lay astride the land route from Europe to Asia and the seaway from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, and had in the Golden Horn an excellent and spacious harbour.
Constantine had altogether more colourful plans. Having restored the unity of the Empire, and, being in course of major governmental reforms as well as of sponsoring the consolidation of the Christian church, he was well aware that Rome was an unsatisfactory capital. Rome was too far from the frontiers, and hence from the armies and the imperial courts, and it offered an undesirable playground for disaffected politicians. Yet it had been the capital of the state for over a thousand years, and it might have seemed unthinkable to suggest that the capital be moved to a different location. Nevertheless, Constantine identified the site of Byzantium as the right place: a place where an emperor could sit, readily defended, with easy access to the Danube or the Euphrates frontiers, his court supplied from the rich gardens and sophisticated workshops of Roman Asia, his treasuries filled by the wealthiest provinces of the Empire.
Constantinople was built over 6 years, and consecrated on 11 May 330.[1][11] Constantine divided the expanded city, like Rome, into 14 regions, and ornamented it with public works worthy of an imperial metropolis.[12] Yet, at first, Constantine's new Rome did not have all the dignities of old Rome. It possessed a proconsul, rather than an urban prefect. It had no praetors, tribunes, or quaestors. Although it did have senators, they held the title clarus, not clarissimus, like those of Rome. It also lacked the panoply of other administrative offices regulating the food supply, police, statues, temples, sewers, aqueducts, or other public works. The new programme of building was carried out in great haste: columns, marbles, doors, and tiles were taken wholesale from the temples of the empire and moved to the new city. In similar fashion, many of the greatest works of Greek and Roman art were soon to be seen in its squares and streets. The emperor stimulated private building by promising householders gifts of land from the imperial estates in Asiana and Pontica and on 18 May 332 he announced that, as in Rome, free distributions of food would be made to the citizens. At the time, the amount is said to have been 80,000 rations a day, doled out from 117 distribution points around the city.[13]
Constantine laid out a new square at the centre of old Byzantium, naming it the Augustaeum. The new senate-house (or Curia) was housed in a basilica on the east side. On the south side of the great square was erected the Great Palace of the Emperor with its imposing entrance, the Chalke, and its ceremonial suite known as the Palace of Daphne. Nearby was the vast Hippodrome for chariot-races, seating over 80,000 spectators, and the famed Baths of Zeuxippus. At the western entrance to the Augustaeum was the Milion, a vaulted monument from which distances were measured across the Eastern Roman Empire.
From the Augustaeum led a great street, the Mese (Greek: Μέση [Οδός] lit. "Middle [Street]"), lined with colonnades. As it descended the First Hill of the city and climbed the Second Hill, it passed on the left the Praetorium or law-court. Then it passed through the oval Forum of Constantine where there was a second Senate-house and a high column with a statue of Constantine himself in the guise of Helios, crowned with a halo of seven rays and looking toward the rising sun. From there the Mese passed on and through the Forum Tauri and then the Forum Bovis, and finally up the Seventh Hill (or Xerolophus) and through to the Golden Gate in the Constantinian Wall. After the construction of the Theodosian Walls in the early 5th century, it was extended to the new Golden Gate, reaching a total length of seven Roman miles.[14]
The first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople was Honoratus, who took office on 11 December 359 and held it until 361. The emperor Valens built the Palace of Hebdomon on the shore of the Propontis near the Golden Gate, probably for use when reviewing troops. All the emperors up to Zeno and Basiliscus were crowned and acclaimed at the Hebdomon. Theodosius I founded the Church of John the Baptist to house the skull of the saint (today preserved at the Topkapı Palace in Istanbul, Turkey), put up a memorial pillar to himself in the Forum of Taurus, and turned the ruined temple of Aphrodite into a coach house for the Praetorian Prefect; Arcadius built a new forum named after himself on the Mese, near the walls of Constantine.
The importance of Constantinople gradually increased. After the shock of the Battle of Adrianople in 378, in which the emperor Valens with the flower of the Roman armies was destroyed by the Visigoths within a few days' march, the city looked to its defences, and in 413–414, Theodosius II built the 18-meter (60-foot)-tall triple-wall fortifications, which were never to be breached until the coming of gunpowder. Theodosius also founded a University near the Forum of Taurus, on 27 February 425.
Uldin, a prince of the Huns, appeared on the Danube about this time and advanced into Thrace, but he was deserted by many of his followers, who joined with the Romans in driving their king back north of the river. Subsequent to this, new walls were built to defend the city, and the fleet on the Danube improved.
In due course, the barbarians overran the Western Roman Empire: Its emperors retreated to Ravenna, and it diminished to nothing. Thereafter, Constantinople became in truth the largest city of the Roman Empire and of the world. Emperors were no longer peripatetic between various court capitals and palaces. They remained in their palace in the Great City, and sent generals to command their armies. The wealth of the eastern Mediterranean and western Asia flowed into Constantinople.
The emperor Justinian I (527–565) was known for his successes in war, for his legal reforms and for his public works. It was from Constantinople that his expedition for the reconquest of the former Diocese of Africa set sail on or about 21 June 533. Before their departure, the ship of the commander Belisarius was anchored in front of the Imperial palace, and the Patriarch offered prayers for the success of the enterprise. After the victory, in 534, the Temple treasure of Jerusalem, looted by the Romans in 70 AD and taken to Carthage by the Vandals after their sack of Rome in 455, was brought to Constantinople and deposited for a time, perhaps in the Church of St. Polyeuctus, before being returned to Jerusalem in either the Church of the Resurrection or the New Church.[16]
Chariot-racing had been important in Rome for centuries. In Constantinople, the hippodrome became over time increasingly a place of political significance. It was where (as a shadow of the popular elections of old Rome) the people by acclamation showed their approval of a new emperor, and also where they openly criticized the government, or clamoured for the removal of unpopular ministers. In the time of Justinian, public order in Constantinople became a critical political issue.
Throughout the late Roman and early Byzantine periods, Christianity was resolving fundamental questions of identity, and the dispute between the orthodox and the monophysites became the cause of serious disorder, expressed through allegiance to the horse-racing parties of the Blues and the Greens. The partisans of the Blues and the Greens were said[17] to affect untrimmed facial hair, head hair shaved at the front and grown long at the back, and wide-sleeved tunics tight at the wrist; and to form gangs to engage in night-time muggings and street violence. At last these disorders took the form of a major rebellion of 532, known as the "Nika" riots (from the battle-cry of "Victory!" of those involved).
Fires started by the Nika rioters consumed Constantine's basilica of St Sophia, the city's principal church, which lay to the north of the Augustaeum. Justinian commissioned Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus to replace it with a new and incomparable St Sophia. This was the great cathedral of the Orthodox Church, whose dome was said to be held aloft by God alone, and which was directly connected to the palace so that the imperial family could attend services without passing through the streets.[18] The dedication took place on 26 December 537 in the presence of the emperor, who exclaimed, "O Solomon, I have outdone thee!"[19] St Sophia was served by 600 people including 80 priests, and cost 20,000 pounds of gold to build.[20]
Justinian also had Anthemius and Isidore demolish and replace the original Church of the Holy Apostles built by Constantine with a new church under the same dedication. This was designed in the form of an equal-armed cross with five domes, and ornamented with beautiful mosaics. This church was to remain the burial place of the Emperors from Constantine himself until the 11th century. When the city fell to the Turks in 1453, the church was demolished to make room for the tomb of Mehmet II the Conqueror. Justinian was also concerned with other aspects of the city's built environment, legislating against the abuse of laws prohibiting building within 100 feet (30 m) of the sea front, in order to protect the view.[21]
During Justinian I's reign, the city's population reached about 500,000 people.[22] However, the social fabric of Constantinople was also damaged by the onset of the Plague of Justinian between 541–542 AD. It killed perhaps 40% of the city's inhabitants.[23]
In the early 7th century, the Avars and later the Bulgars overwhelmed much of the Balkans, threatening Constantinople from the west. Simultaneously, the Persian Sassanids overwhelmed the Prefecture of the East and penetrated deep into Anatolia. Heraclius, son to the exarch of Africa, set sail for the city and assumed the purple. He found the military situation so dire that he is said at first to have contemplated withdrawing the imperial capital to Carthage, but relented after the people of Constantinople begged him to stay. The citizens lost their right to free grain in 618 when Heraclius realised that the city no longer could be supplied from Egypt as a result of the Persian wars: the population dropped substantially in size as a result.[24]
While the city withstood a siege, Heraclius campaigned deep into Persian territory and briefly restored the status quo in 628, when the Persians surrendered all their conquests. However, further sieges followed in the course of attacks from the Arabs, a first from 674 to 678, and a second from 717 to 718. At this time the Theodosian Walls kept the city impregnable from the land, while a newly discovered incendiary substance known as "Greek Fire" allowed the Byzantine navy to destroy the Arab fleets and keep the city supplied. In the second siege, the Second ruler of Bulgaria, Khan Tervel (also called St. Triveliy) rendered decisive help.
In the 730s Leo III carried out extensive repairs of the Theodosian walls, which had been damaged by frequent and violent attacks; this work was financed by a special tax on all the subjects of the Empire.[25]
Theodora, widow of the Emperor Theophilus (died 842), acted as regent during the minority of her son Michael III, who was said to have been introduced to dissolute habits by her brother Bardas. When Michael assumed power in 856, he became known for excessive drunkenness, appeared in the hippodrome as a charioteer and burlesqued the religious processions of the clergy. He removed Theodora from the Great Palace to the Carian Palace and later to the monastery of Gastria, but, after the death of Bardas, she was released to live in the palace of St Mamas; she also had a rural residence at the Anthemian Palace, where Michael was assassinated in 867.[26]
In 860, an attack was made on the city by a new principality set up a few years earlier at Kiev by Askold and Dir, two Varangian chiefs: Two hundred small vessels passed through the Bosporus and plundered the monasteries and other properties on the suburban Prince's Islands. Oryphas, the admiral of the Byzantine fleet, alerted the emperor Michael, who promptly put the invaders to flight; but the suddenness and savagery of the onslaught made a deep impression on the citizens.[27]
In 980, the emperor Basil II received an unusual gift from Prince Vladimir of Kiev: 6,000 Varangian warriors, which Basil formed into a new bodyguard known as the Varangian Guard. They were known for their ferocity, honour, and loyalty. It is said that, in 1038, they were dispersed in winter quarters in the Thracesian theme when one of their number attempted to violate a countrywoman, but in the struggle she seized his sword and killed him; instead of taking revenge, however, his comrades applauded her conduct, compensated her with all his possessions, and exposed his body without burial as if he had committed suicide.[28] However, following the death of an Emperor, they became known also for plunder in the Imperial palaces.[29] Later in the 11th Century the Varangian Guard became dominated by Anglo-Saxons who preferred this way of life to subjugation by the new Norman kings of England.[30]
The Book of the Eparch, which dates to the 10th century, gives a detailed picture of the city's commercial life and its organization at that time. The corporations in which the tradesmen of Constantinople were organised were supervised by the Eparch, who regulated such matters as production, prices, import, and export. Each guild had its own monopoly, and tradesmen might not belong to more than one. It is an impressive testament to the strength of tradition how little these arrangements had changed since the office, then known by the Latin version of its title, had been set up in 330 to mirror the urban prefecture of Rome.[31]
In the 9th and 10th centuries, Constantinople had a population of between 500,000 and 800,000.[32]
In the 8th and 9th centuries, the iconoclast movement caused serious political unrest throughout the Empire. The emperor Leo III issued a decree in 726 against images, and ordered the destruction of a statue of Christ over one of the doors of the Chalke, an act that was fiercely resisted by the citizens.[33] Constantine V convoked a church council in 754, which condemned the worship of images, after which many treasures were broken, burned, or painted over with depictions of trees, birds or animals: One source refers to the church of the Holy Virgin at Blachernae as having been transformed into a "fruit store and aviary".[34] Following the death of his son Leo IV in 780, the empress Irene restored the veneration of images through the agency of the Second Council of Nicaea in 787.
The iconoclast controversy returned in the early 9th century, only to be resolved once more in 843 during the regency of Empress Theodora, who restored the icons. These controversies contributed to the deterioration of relations between the Western and the Eastern Churches.
In the late 11th century catastrophe struck with the unexpected and calamitous defeat of the imperial armies at the Battle of Manzikert in Armenia in 1071. The Emperor Romanus Diogenes was captured. The peace terms demanded by Alp Arslan, sultan of the Seljuk Turks, were not excessive, and Romanus accepted them. On his release, however, Romanus found that enemies had placed their own candidate on the throne in his absence; he surrendered to them and suffered death by torture, and the new ruler, Michael VII Ducas, refused to honour the treaty. In response, the Turks began to move into Anatolia in 1073. The collapse of the old defensive system meant that they met no opposition, and the empire's resources were distracted and squandered in a series of civil wars. Thousands of Turkoman tribesmen crossed the unguarded frontier and moved into Anatolia. By 1080, a huge area had been lost to the Empire, and the Turks were within striking distance of Constantinople.
Under the Comnenian dynasty (1081–1185), Byzantium staged a remarkable recovery. In 1090–91, the nomadic Pechenegs reached the walls of Constantinople, where Emperor Alexius I with the aid of the Kipchaks annihilated their army.[35] In response to a call for aid from Alexius, the First Crusade assembled at Constantinople in 1096, but declining to put itself under Byzantine command set out for Jerusalem on its own account.[36] John II built the monastery of the Pantocrator (Almighty) with a hospital for the poor of 50 beds.[37]
With the restoration of firm central government, the empire became fabulously wealthy. The population was rising (estimates for Constantinople in the 12th century vary from some 100,000 to 500,000), and towns and cities across the realm flourished. Meanwhile, the volume of money in circulation dramatically increased. This was reflected in Constantinople by the construction of the Blachernae palace, the creation of brilliant new works of art, and general prosperity at this time: an increase in trade, made possible by the growth of the Italian city-states, may have helped the growth of the economy. It is certain that the Venetians and others were active traders in Constantinople, making a living out of shipping goods between the Crusader Kingdoms of Outremer and the West, while also trading extensively with Byzantium and Egypt. The Venetians had factories on the north side of the Golden Horn, and large numbers of westerners were present in the city throughout the 12th century. Toward the end of Manuel I Komnenos's reign, the number of foreigners in the city reached about 60,000–80,000 people out of a total population of about 400,000 people.[38] In 1171, Constantinople also contained a small community of 2,500 Jews.[39] In 1182, all Latin (Western European) inhabitants of Constantinople were massacred.[40]
In artistic terms, the 12th century was a very productive period. There was a revival in the mosaic art, for example: Mosaics became more realistic and vivid, with an increased emphasis on depicting three-dimensional forms. There was an increased demand for art, with more people having access to the necessary wealth to commission and pay for such work. According to N.H. Baynes (Byzantium, An Introduction to East Roman Civilization):
On 25 July 1197, Constantinople was struck by a severe fire which burned the Latin Quarter and the area around the Gate of the Droungarios (Turkish: Odun Kapısı) on the Golden Horn.[41][42] Nevertheless, the destruction wrought by the 1197 fire paled in comparison with that brought by the Crusaders. In the course of a plot between Philip of Swabia, Boniface of Montferrat and the Doge of Venice, the Fourth Crusade was, despite papal excommunication, diverted in 1203 against Constantinople, ostensibly promoting the claims of Alexius, son of the deposed emperor Isaac. The reigning emperor Alexius III had made no preparation. The Crusaders occupied Galata, broke the defensive chain protecting the Golden Horn and entered the harbour, where on 27 July they breached the sea walls: Alexius III fled. But the new Alexius IV found the Treasury inadequate, and was unable to make good the rewards he had promised to his western allies. Tension between the citizens and the Latin soldiers increased. In January 1204, the protovestiarius Alexius Murzuphlus provoked a riot, it is presumed, to intimidate Alexius IV, but whose only result was the destruction of the great statue of Athena, the work of Phidias, which stood in the principal forum facing west.
In February, the people rose again: Alexius IV was imprisoned and executed, and Murzuphlus took the purple as Alexius V. He made some attempt to repair the walls and organise the citizenry, but there had been no opportunity to bring in troops from the provinces and the guards were demoralised by the revolution. An attack by the Crusaders on 6 April failed, but a second from the Golden Horn on 12 April succeeded, and the invaders poured in. Alexius V fled. The Senate met in St Sophia and offered the crown to Theodore Lascaris, who had married into the Angelid family, but it was too late. He came out with the Patriarch to the Golden Milestone before the Great Palace and addressed the Varangian Guard. Then the two of them slipped away with many of the nobility and embarked for Asia. By the next day the Doge and the leading Franks were installed in the Great Palace, and the city was given over to pillage for three days.
Sir Steven Runciman, historian of the Crusades, wrote that the sack of Constantinople is "unparalleled in history".
"For nine centuries," he goes on, "the great city had been the capital of Christian civilisation. It was filled with works of art that had survived from ancient Greece and with the masterpieces of its own exquisite craftsmen. The Venetians ... seized treasures and carried them off to adorn ... their town. But the Frenchmen and Flemings were filled with a lust for destruction. They rushed in a howling mob down the streets and through the houses, snatching up everything that glittered and destroying whatever they could not carry, pausing only to murder or to rape, or to break open the wine-cellars ... . Neither monasteries nor churches nor libraries were spared. In St Sophia itself, drunken soldiers could be seen tearing down the silken hangings and pulling the great silver iconostasis to pieces, while sacred books and icons were trampled under foot. While they drank merrily from the altar-vessels a prostitute set herself on the Patriarch's throne and began to sing a ribald French song. Nuns were ravished in their convents. Palaces and hovels alike were entered and wrecked. Wounded women and children lay dying in the streets. For three days the ghastly scenes ... continued, till the huge and beautiful city was a shambles. ... When ... order was restored, ... citizens were tortured to make them reveal the goods that they had contrived to hide.[43]
For the next half-century, Constantinople was the seat of the Latin Empire. Under the rulers of the Latin Empire, the city declined, both in population and the condition of its buildings. Alice-Mary Talbot cites an estimated population for Constantinople of 400,000 inhabitants; after the destruction wrought by the Crusaders on the city, about one third were homeless, and numerous courtiers, nobility, and higher clergy, followed various leading personages into exile. "As a result Constantinople became seriously depopulated," Talbot concludes.[44]
The Latins took over at least 20 churches and 13 monasteries, most prominently the Hagia Sophia, which became the cathedral of the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople. It is to these that E.H. Swift attributed the construction of a series of flying buttresses to shore up the walls of the church, which had been weakened over the centuries by earthquake tremors.[45] However, this act of maintenance is an exception: for the most part, the Latin occupiers were too few to maintain all of the buildings, either secular and sacred, and many became targets for vandalism or dismantling. Bronze and lead were removed from the roofs of abandoned buildings and melted down and sold to provide money to the chronically under-funded Empire for defense and to support the court; Deno John Geanokoplos writes that "it may well be that a division is suggested here: Latin laymen stripped secular buildings, ecclesiastics, the churches."[46] Buildings were not the only targets of officials looking to raise funds for the impoverished Latin Empire: the monumental sculptures which adorned the Hippodrome and fora of the city were pulled down and melted for coinage. "Among the masterpieces destroyed, writes Talbot, "were a Herakles attributed to the fourth-century B.C. sculptor Lysippos, and monumental figures of Hera, Paris, and Helen."[47]
The Nicaean emperor John III Vatatzes reportedly saved several churches from being dismantled for their valuable building materials; by sending money to the Latins "to buy them off" (exonesamenos), he prevented the destruction of several churches.[48] According to Talbot, these included the churches of Blachernae, Rouphinianai, and St. Michael at Anaplous. He also granted funds for the restoration of the Church of the Holy Apostles, which had been seriously damaged in an earthquake.[47]
The Byzantine nobility scattered, many going to Nicaea, where Theodore Lascaris set up an imperial court, or to Epirus, where Theodore Angelus did the same; others fled to Trebizond, where one of the Comneni had already with Georgian support established an independent seat of empire.[49] Nicaea and Epirus both vied for the imperial title, and tried to recover Constantinople. In 1261, Constantinople was captured from its last Latin ruler, Baldwin II, by the forces of the Nicaean emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos.
Although Constantinople was retaken by Michael VIII Palaiologos, the Empire had lost many of its key economic resources, and struggled to survive. The palace of Blachernae in the north-west of the city became the main Imperial residence, with the old Great Palace on the shores of the Bosporus going into decline. When Michael VIII captured the city, its population was 35,000 people, but, by the end of his reign, he had succeeded in increasing the population to about 70,000 people.[50] The Emperor achieved this by summoning former residents having fled the city when the Crusaders captured it, and by relocating Greeks from the recently reconquered Peloponnese to the capital.[51] In 1347, the Black Death spread to Constantinople.[52] In 1453, when the Ottoman Turks captured the city, it contained approximately 50,000 people.[53]
On 29 May 1453, Turkish sultan Mehmed II, "the Conqueror", entered Constantinople after a 53–day siege during which his 30 inch caliber & 27 feet long barrel cannon had torn a huge hole in the Walls of Theodosius II. Constantinople (Ottoman Turkish: Kostantiniyye) became the third capital of the Ottoman state.[54]
Mehmed had begun the siege on 6 April 1453. He had hired engineers to build cannons and bombs for the occasion. He also acquired scholars and imams to encourage the soldiers. He gave the Byzantine emperor Constantine Palaeologus (1449–1453) three chances to surrender the city, a duty enjoined by the Shariah (Muslim Holy Law).[55] Mehmed guaranteed that the city's residents, including their riches, beliefs and honor, would be safe. However, Constantine did not accept these terms of surrender.[56] After more than a month of fighting, Mehmed's advisors were beginning to lose hope. Against their counsel, Mehmed continued to fight. City was surrounded by all sides,Turkish ships were stopped by long chains near golden horn. Here Mehmed practised the decisive move in the history of naval warfare. He ordered to move the ships by land on slippery trunks of trees by bypassing the long chains in strait of Bosphorus. By travelling few kilometers on land ships were finally shifted into sea near the fort. Turk cannons ultimately started breaking the fort walls. The night before the final assault, he studied the previous attempts to take the city. He was comparing ways that would work and where they would not. On the morning of 29 May 1453, the sultan ordered the call of Azan (call to prayer).[57] This was not a regular prayer session for religious reasons but rather a scare tactic. When the Byzantine forces saw the entire Ottoman army get on their knees to pray, the Byzantine army was witnessing how united the Ottoman Turks were, and this worried them. As Eversley put it, "Their minds were defeated before their bodies."[57]
The city was plundered for three days.[5] In the end, the population which had not been able to escape was deported to Edirne, Bursa and other Ottoman cities, leaving the city deserted except for the Jews of Balat and the Genoese of Pera.[5]
Other than the variations in their stories, the battle occurs in the same manner and neither the Byzantine nor Muslim narratives portrays the opposition in a brutal, negative light.[citation needed] As expected, however, each narrative portrays its side in a heroic light. The historical narrative from the Ottoman Turkish point of view depicts Mehmed as a clever, strong conqueror: "The sultan ordered the setting up of his secret weapon which he had invented himself."[59] By contrast, the narrative from the Byzantine side portrays final emperor Constantine Palaeologus as a valiant leader who gave his life for the cause of Orthodoxy. As quoted from a Byzantine essay: "[Constantine] charged into the sea of the enemy soldiers, hitting left and right in a final act of defiance."[60]
Finally, the Christian Orthodox city of Constantinople was under Ottoman control. When Mehmed II finally entered Constantinople through what is now known as the Topkapi Gate, he immediately rode his horse to the Hagia Sophia, which he ordered to be sacked. He ordered that an imam meet him there in order to chant the Shahada, the Islamic creed which declares belief in the oneness of God and acceptance of Muhammad as God's prophet"[61] This act transformed the Orthodox cathedral into a Muslim mosque, solidifying Islamic rule in Constantinople.
Mehmed's main concern with Constantinople had to do with rebuilding the city's defenses and repopulation. Building projects were commenced immediately after the conquest, which included the repair of the walls, construction of the citadel, and building a new palace.[62] Mehmed issued orders across his empire that Muslims, Christians, and Jews should resettle the city; he demanded that five thousand households needed to be transferred to Constantinople by September.[62] From all over the Islamic empire, prisoners of war and deported people were sent to the city: these people were called "Sürgün" in Turkish (Greek: σουργουνιδες).[5] Two centuries later, Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi gave a list of groups introduced into the city with their respective origins. Even today, many quarters of Istanbul, such as Aksaray, Çarşamba, bear the names of the places of origin of their inhabitants.[5] However, many people escaped again from the city, and there were several outbreaks of plague, so that in 1459 Mehmet allowed the deported Greeks to come back to the city.[5]
Constantinople was the largest and richest urban center in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea during the late Eastern Roman Empire, mostly as a result of its strategic position commanding the trade routes between the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea. It would remain the capital of the eastern, Greek-speaking empire for over a thousand years. At its peak, roughly corresponding to the Middle Ages, it was the richest and largest European city, exerting a powerful cultural pull and dominating economic life in the Mediterranean. Visitors and merchants were especially struck by the beautiful monasteries and churches of the city, in particular, Hagia Sophia, or the Church of Holy Wisdom: A Russian 14th-century traveler, Stephen of Novgorod, wrote, "As for St Sophia, the human mind can neither tell it nor make description of it."
It was especially important for preserving in its libraries manuscripts of Greek and Latin authors throughout a period when instability and disorder caused their mass-destruction in western Europe and north Africa: On the city's fall, thousands of these were brought by refugees to Italy, and played a key part in stimulating the Renaissance, and the transition to the modern world. The cumulative influence of the city on the west, over the many centuries of its existence, is incalculable. In terms of technology, art and culture, as well as sheer size, Constantinople was without parallel anywhere in Europe for a thousand years.
Armenians, Syrians, Slavs and Georgians were part of the Byzantine social hierarchy.[63]
The city provided a defence for the eastern provinces of the old Roman Empire against the barbarian invasions of the 5th century. The 18-meter-tall walls built by Theodosius II were, in essence, impregnable to the barbarians coming from south of the Danube river, who found easier targets to the west rather than the richer provinces to the east in Asia. From the 5th century, the city was also protected by the Anastasian Wall, a 60-kilometer chain of walls across the Thracian peninsula. Many scholars[who?] argue that these sophisticated fortifications allowed the east to develop relatively unmolested while Ancient Rome and the west collapsed. With the emergence of Christianity and the rise of Islam, Constantinople became the last bastion of Christian Europe, standing at the fore of Islamic expansion, and repelling its influence. As the Byzantine Empire was situated in-between the Islamic world and the Christian west, so did Constantinople act as Europe's first line-of-defence against Arab advances in the 7th and 8th centuries. The city, and the Empire, would ultimately fall to the Ottomans by 1453, but its enduring legacy had provided Europe centuries of resurgence following the collapse of Rome.
The Byzantine Empire used Roman and Greek architectural models and styles to create its own unique type of architecture. The influence of Byzantine architecture and art can be seen in the copies taken from it throughout Europe. Particular examples include St Mark's Basilica in Venice, the basilicas of Ravenna, and many churches throughout the Slavic East. Also, alone in Europe until the 13th-century Italian florin, the Empire continued to produce sound gold coinage, the solidus of Diocletian becoming the bezant prized throughout the Middle Ages. Its city walls were much imitated (for example, see Caernarfon Castle) and its urban infrastructure was moreover a marvel throughout the Middle Ages, keeping alive the art, skill and technical expertise of the Roman Empire. In the Ottoman period Islamic architecture and symbolism were used.
Constantine's foundation gave prestige to the Bishop of Constantinople, who eventually came to be known as the Ecumenical Patriarch, and made it a prime center of Christianity alongside Rome. This contributed to cultural and theological differences between Eastern and Western Christianity eventually leading to the Great Schism that divided Western Catholicism from Eastern Orthodoxy from 1054 onwards. Constantinople is also of great religious importance to Islam, as the conquest of Constantinople is one of the signs of the End time in Islam.
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Coordinates: 41°00′44″N 28°58′34″E / 41.01224°N 28.976018°E


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Quit Smoking: 10 Overlooked Reasons (cont.)
Tobacco smoke appears to raise levels of a gut hormone called motilin in the blood and intestines. Motilin increases the contractions of the stomach and intestines, increasing the movement of food through the gut. "Higher-than-average motilin levels are linked to elevated risks of infantile colic," the researchers write in the October issue of the journal Pediatrics.
An Increased Risk of Impotence
Guys concerned about their performance in the bedroom should stop lighting up, suggests a study that linked smoking to a man's ability to get an erection. The study of nearly 5,000 Chinese men showed that men who smoked more than a pack a day were 60% more likely to suffer erectile dysfunction, compared with men who never smoked cigarettes.
Overall, 15% of past and present smokers had experienced erectile dysfunction, more commonly known as impotence. Among men who had never smoked, 12% had erection problems, according to the study, presented last year at the American Heart Association's annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention in Miami.
Blindness: Smoking Raises Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Smokers are four times more likely to become blind because of age-related macular degeneration than those who have never smoked. But quitting can lower that risk, other research shows.
Age-related macular degeneration is a severe and progressive condition that results in loss of central vision. It results in blindness because of the inability to use the part of the retina that allows for 'straight-ahead' activities such as reading, sewing, and even driving a vehicle. While all the risk factors are not fully understood, research has pointed to smoking as one major and modifiable cause.
"More than a quarter of all cases of age-related macular degeneration with blindness or visual impairment are attributable to current or past exposure to smoking," Simon P. Kelly, MD, an ophthalmic surgeon with Bolton Hospitals in the U.K, wrote in the March 4, 2004 issue of the BMJ. He came to his conclusion after reviewing three studies involving 12,470 patients.
But other studies show that former smokers have an only slightly increased risk of age-related macular degeneration, compared with never smokers, he writes.
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Genetically Vulnerable Smokers Increase Their Risk Even More
People whose genes make them more susceptible to developing rheumatoid arthritis are even more likely to get the disease if they smoke, say Swedish researchers.
In fact, certain genetically vulnerable smokers can be nearly 16 times more likely to develop the disease than nonsmokers without the same genetic profile, according to the study in the October issue of the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism.
Swedish researchers asked participants about their smoking habits and screened their blood for a gene-encoding protein sequence called the shared epitope (SE), which is the major genetic risk factor currently linked to rheumatoid arthritis. Compared with people who had never smoked and lacked SE genes, current smokers with SE genes were 7.5 times more likely to have rheumatoid arthritis.
Smokers with double SE genes were almost 16 times more likely to have rheumatoid arthritis, while smokers without SE genes were only 2.4 times more likely to be affected.
Snoring: Even Living With a Smoker Raises Risk
Smoking - or living with a smoker -- can cause snoring, according to a study of more than 15,000 men and women.
Habitual snoring, defined as loud and disturbing snoring at least three nights per week, affected 24% of smokers, 20% of ex-smokers, and almost 14% of people who had never smoked. The more people smoked, the more frequently they snored, the researchers reported in the October issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Even nonsmokers were more likely to snore if they were exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes. Almost 20% of these nonsmokers snored, compared with nearly 13% who had never been exposed to secondhand smoke at home.
Acid Reflux: Heavy Smoking Linked to Heartburn
People who smoke for more than 20 years are 70% more likely to have acid reflux disease than nonsmokers, researchers reported in the November issue of the journal Gut.
Roughly one in five people suffer from heartburn or acid reflux, known medically as gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD.
The researchers based their findings on two major public health surveys conducted in Norway in the 1980s and 1990s. Just more than 3,100 people who complained of having heartburn and 40,000 people without reflux symptoms answered questions about lifestyle factors including diet, exercise, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use.
Breast Cancer: Active Smoking Plays Bigger Role Than Thought
Other research out in 2004 shows that active smoking may play a much larger role in increasing breast cancer risk than previously thought.
In the study, published in the Jan. 7 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, researchers looked at breast cancer risk among 116,544 women in the California Teachers Study who reported their smoking status. Between 1996 and 2000, 2,000 of the women developed breast cancer.
The prevalence of breast cancer among current smokers was 30% higher than the women who had never smoked -- regardless of whether the nonsmokers had been exposed to secondhand or passive smoke.
Those at greatest risk: Women who started smoking before age 20, who began smoking at least five years before their first full-term pregnancy, and who had smoked for longer periods of time or smoked 20 or more cigarettes per day.
So get going and check out the WebMD Resources for quitting this destructive cycle.


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SADiE 6 Official Release to include iZotope Plug-ins
SADiE 6 Official Release to include iZotope Plug-ins
Cambridge, UK: Prism Sound, manufacturer of the SADiE product range of high-end DAWs, is delighted to announce a major addition to its new SADiE 6 release. In a deal just announced with iZotope, all SADiE 6 systems will include an expanded audio effect feature set powered by iZotope technology. These features will include:
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- Time Capsule Homes
- Shopping
- Mid-Century Decorating
- Fashion
- Culture & Media
- Vintage Crafty
- Decade
- Vintage Travel
By RetroRuth Just had to share this fab record I picked up thrifting this week! To be honest, I gave the record only the slightest glance. I mostly bought it for the cover. Aren't they sweet? It makes me want to get some throw pillows for the floor. If you…
By RetroRuth Here is the second part of the Graceland tour, as was promised last week! The Jungle Room! The famous "three TV" room. Although, how I missed getting a shot of all three TV's at the same time is baffling. What was I thinking? I will have to put…


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The horizontal line is there by design.
Nokia 700 - There is a horizontal line across the digital clock on the home screen on my Nokia Belle device, what is it?
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- How can I increase the battery life of my Nokia Symbian ^3 device?


text: JVC JX-S111 A/V source selector with component video switching (Black) Zoom Black Back Photos Videos Item #: 257JXS111 Review Summary 3 people say DISCONTINUED This item is no longer available to purchase. Contact us for other options Call Email Original price $99.99 Shop all A/V Source Switchers Shop all A/V Source Switchers x By buying this product you'll earn up to 100 Rewards points. When you sign up for a Crutchfield account, you'll be enrolled in Crutchfield Rewards. You'll earn one point for every dollar you spend on gear from us. You can turn your points into Rewards Cards that you can use toward future purchases. You can sign up for an account now, or after you complete your purchase (you'll get credit for the points either way). Sign up for a Crutchfield account Overview Details Customer Reviews Articles & Videos Our take on the JVC JX-S111 by Barry Montgomery Need more inputs for your A/V system? How about an inexpensive way to add component video switching? JVC's JX-S111 not only gives you 2 inputs for composite video and S-video sources, it also boasts switching ability for up to 3 component video sources. A front-panel A/V input with S-video lets you easily hook up a camcorder or video game system. The JX-S111's passive design requires no AC power or batteries. Details: 3 inputs with component video and stereo audio jacks 2 inputs (including one front-panel) with S-video, composite video, and stereo audio jacks 1 output with component video and stereo audio jacks 1 output with S-video, composite video, and stereo audio jacks 30 MHz component video bandwidth no conversion between composite, S-video, and component video signals 14-3/16"W x 2-1/4"H x 9-7/16"D warranty: 1 year parts, 90 days labor See more info on this item Hands-on research from the Crutchfield Labs (what are the Labs?) What's in the box? | In-depth notes Product Research What's in the box? Download owner's manual Black A/V selector Instructions [English/French/Spanish] Warranty card Product Safety Registration Card Our Product Research Team At Crutchfield, you'll get detailed, accurate information that's hard to find elsewhere. That's because we have our own in-house Product Research team — they open the box, verify contents, check the owner's manual, and record dimensions, features and specs. We stay on top of new products and technologies to help people make informed choices. Features Inputs and Outputs Specifications Features Overview: JVC's JX-S111 not only gives you 2 inputs for composite video and S-video sources, it also gives you switching ability for up to 3 component video sources. 30MHz component pass-through bandwidth means that the JX-S111 can pass on HDTV-signals without picture degradation. The JX-S111 also has a front-panel A/V input with an S-video connection that lets you easily hook up a camcorder or video game system. The passive design means that it can be operated even when no power supply is available, making it ideal for portable application. Push Button Operation: Video sources are selected by pressing the corresponding mechanical push-buttons on the front panel. Notes: Signal conversion among Component Video, S-Video and Composite Video signals is not possible. Inputs 1-3 can be output only to Monitor Out 1, and Inputs 4-5 can be output only to Monitor Out 2. Inputs and Outputs Front Panel: Input 5: gold-plated stereo RCA audio, composite video and S-Video Rear Panel: Input 4: gold-plated stereo RCA audio, composite video and S-video Input 3: gold-plated stereo RCA audio and component video Input 2: gold-plated stereo RCA audio and component video Input 1: gold-plated stereo RCA audio and component video Monitor Out 1: gold-plated stereo RCA audio and component video Monitor Out 2: gold-plated stereo RCA audio, composite video and S-video Specifications Video Frequency Response: Composite Signal: 10 MHz Component Signal: 30 MHz Audio Frequency Response: 0 Hz - 100 kHz Review this product Submit a review and then enter to win a $500 rewards card JVC JX-S111 Reviews Average Customer Review: 3 people say: Review this product: Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences about this product. Please be sure to focus your comments on the product itself. Read our Review Guidelines for more information. Review title * Email Your email won't be visible. Please use the email address that is associated with your order. Display name (e.g., JohnD) Your review will be signed using the display name and location * Your location (e.g., Charlottesville, VA) * Your rating Click on a star to rate the overall product on a scale of 1-5 1500 characters left * Your review Attach a YouTube Review Crutchfield Video Review Guidelines Only submit videos that you made or are authorized to use. Do not submit videos that contain music, video or visuals that are copyrighted and belong to someone else. Please see our Review Guidelines for more information. Submit the URL of your YouTube™ video review or product demonstration. e.g., "http://www.youtube.com/v/o79TWHh598U" 500 characters left Pros 500 characters left Cons * Agree to Terms By checking this box you agree your review becomes the property of Crutchfield, that you are over 18 years of age, that you own or have owned this product, and that you are located within the United States or its territories. Please see our Review Guidelines for more information. We reserve the right (but are not obligated to) review all submissions and edit or remove any review in any manner which we deem necessary. Your review should be posted within seven days. Filter by rating: 5 Star: (0) 4 Star: (0) 3 Star: (0) 2 Star: (0) 1 Star: (0) 5 out of 5 Excellent Low Cost Component Video Switcher Written By Kevin, Dearborn, MI on Thursday, November 20, 2008 Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?) If you looking for a low Cost Component Video Switcher that is easy to use and maintains Very Good signal Qulity then look no further. Our Sony 42" Plasma has only ONE Component Video Input! I used the JVC JX-S111S to connect our Direct TV, Standard DVD Player, and WII Via the Component Video outputs. Everything looks GREAT!!! 1 out of 1 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No 5 out of 5 Great switcher Written By Christopher, Norwood, MA on Monday, February 12, 2007 The JVC JX-S111 is an excellent, inexpensive choice if you've run out of Hi-def inputs on you HDTV. My Pioneer plasma TV has a separate Media Receiver that I plug the A/V cables into. It keeps my home theater nice and tidy since I don't have cables hanging off of the 50" panel. The downside is that it only has four inputs; three of which are dedicated to Hi-Def signals. The lack of inputs limited my ability to expand my HT system to include multiple gaming systems and a Blu-ray or HD-DVD DVD player. The JX-S111 solved my problem because it has five inputs and one output. Three of the outputs handle Component Video signals while the other two are for S-Video & Composite signals, and the output handles all three signal types. Now one of my Media Receiver's inputs is dedicated to a XBOX360, PS2 Limited Ed., & Sony 300-disc DVD player. The switcher allowed me to free up an HDMI-capable input so I can add a 1080p DVD player later after the Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD format war has been settled. The JX-S111 is passive which is a nice feature if you're worried out maxing out your Monster or Panamax line conditioner. The thin unit can be hidden behind your HT furniture too. Beware that source switching is a manual task. That's a small sacrific considering the value the JX-S111 provides. It's the best $99 I've ever spent! 7 out of 8 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No 4 out of 5 JVC JX-S111 Written By Christopher, Arlington, VA on Saturday, August 19, 2006 I'm using this unit to connect 3 DVD players (yes, 3!) to my recently-purchased Sharp HDTV, via a JVC receiver. The DVD players are all connected via the component (RGB) inputs in the back, and output to the sole DVD inputs on the receiver. Even through a switcher like this, the picture on the HDTV is excellent. One small drawback is that only 1 DVD player can utilize the receiver's surround sound; the others' audio is simply stereo, but can be heard from 5 surround speakers. Also, just a pet peeve, but it would be nice if the unit lit up in some fashion, just to compliment all my other components; but one less electrical plug is a fair trade.Bottom line: the unit does precisely what it's supposed to do, and delivers beautifully. 28 out of 32 people found this helpful Was this review helpful? Yes | No For a more in-depth review and enhanced detailed information on the JVC JX-S111, please visit the Crutchfield website product page (/ISEO-rccbcspd/p_257JXS111/JVC-JX-S111-Black.html ). x Sorry, the JVC JX-S111 is no longer available for purchase. Looking for a similar item? Shop A/V Source Switchers Or, you can still... Write a review Purchase product accessories Download product manual Go × Black Back


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Sinister Reviews
Slant Magazine
Personal, understated, and surprisingly strange, Scott Derrickson's Sinister is one of the most compelling horror films of the past decade.
We Got This Covered
Sinister creates a fantastic horror atmosphere that will fill you with a sense of dread, but the film's stretched out mystery and awful soundtrack only serve to hold it back.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/5
OK! Magazine
Director Scott Derrickson's film never fails to impress.
Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4
SFX Magazine
The super-8 snuff movies are by far the best thing about Sinister; they're just so imaginatively horrible. Unfortunately, much of the rest of the film is disappointingly trite.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/5


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PHILTOA Bicol Day 1: EDC BacMan Geothermal Plant
Posted by August 9, 2013on
I have to admit. This is one trip that I have I have always been looking forward to. Then last July 9th, I finally received the email invitation. Another trip to Bicol!
But this time the client's Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA). For three straight years bow, I have been joining their annual Media Familiarization Tour which is also held as a launch for the upcoming Philippine Tavel Mart.
We left Manila at around 8AM, and in no time our plane was already taxiing at the Legazpi Airport. We were greeted with loud drumbeats with some local performers dancing just outside the terminal building.
From the airport immediately rode our assigned coach that would bring us to our first destination, the EDC BacMan Geothermal Plant. Map here
I am always amazed at geothermal energy. It's just so amazing how heat or steam from the nearby volcano can be converted into energy. It's so rocket science.
I grew up in Bacolod City, in a province where there is also a geothermal power plant, but I am just as giddy as a young kid when went to the site since this is my first time to actually visit a geothermal power plant.
When we arrived at the power plant gate, we immediately had our photo op, then off to listen to the briefing.
The geothermal power plant is run by Energy Development Corporation. It is called BacMan because the entire plant sits on a land under the municipalities of Bacon, Sorsogon and Manito, Albay.
It all started out as geothermal plant. But things slowly changed. Today, the company is helping the locals in planting trees in the area, a program they call "Project Binhi". And EDC together with Bantay Kalikasan only plants endemic species of forest trees so that wildlife would also thrive.
Inside the plant complex, they also have a butterfly garden where various species of butterflies are fluttering in the air. A wildlife rescue and conservation center can also be found here.
And more than just a geothermal plant, there are actually a lot more to do at the BacMan power plant! We got to check out the Botong Twin falls. What makes this falls unique is that the water falling on the left side has sulphur content, while the onle on the right is fresh water. Amazing, isn't it?
But due to very limited time, ver were not able to fully check out all the facilities and the amenities of the power plant. But I always truly believe that one day, if they would open their doors to the public, this is going to be a good attractions and a must-visit destination for tourists. Currently, arrangements, has to be made with EDC BacMan geothermal plant officials before one can tour the area. It is alsi wise to seek assistance from the Department of Tourism if you wishi to visit.
From the geothermal plant, we drove towards Sorsogon City to inspect some hotels before heading to Sirangan Beach Resort for some snacks.
From Sirangan we proceeded Ingko Hotel to check in, and freshen up. It was pt sunset when we left the hotel again. Tis time we're off to Siama Hotel for cocktails and dinner hosted by Sorsogon Governor Raul Lee and Mayor Sally Lee.
Food is really food! Bicolano dishes were the highlight of of dinner. There was bicol express, laing, pinangat, kinunot, lobsters, and a lot more. Oh wait. We didn't have porcelain dinner plates, we had bilao as our plate! Fiesta time!
Our trip to EDC BacMan Geothermal Power Plant ans other sites were part of our 5-day PHILTOA Media Familiarization Tour and launch of the 24th Philippine Travel Mart which will happen Sept 6-8 2013. Highlight of this weekend fair are the exciting tour packages for various destinations like Cbu Boracay, Bacolod, Ilocos, Palawan, and a whole lot more with prices you wsill simply cani't resist. Tis year's PTM will bed held at the SMX Convention Center beside the Mall of Asia Pasay City.
See you there!
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Categories > Celebrities > My Chemical Romance > I Do
Chapter Seventeen3 Reviews
Colourful Shadow has a plan.
Finally I noticed a room with the words 'Lady Madness' on. Why did they have a whole room for her? How stupid. But in a way it was lucky so I pushed open the door and peeped round the door "Lady Madness?" I whispered.
There was silence before a timid voice replied "Who's there?"
I pushed open the door further and stepped inside. Lady Madness was sat in the corner of the room hugging her knees "It's me Lady Madness. You remember me, don't you?"
I held my breath, hoping her eyes would light up and she'd nod with a smile. She'd get up and say "The shot missed me!" and then she'd kiss me.
This didn't happen. Pretty much the exact opposite happened. Her eyes stayed dull, she shook her head with a frightened expression and remained seated "When did we meet?"
"Lady Madness," I cried "I can't explain everything here; you have to come with me though. I know you don't want to marry Korse and your only chance is to run away with me."
"How do you know I don't want to marry Korse?" She asked, shaking "Look… What is this?"
"Lady Madness, please…" I sighed "You do trust me, I just need to explain and it's impossible to do that right now. You won't regret coming with me, I swear!"
I held out my hand to her. Lady Madness glanced up at me, staring at me for a moment or two before putting her hand in mine. I felt her shaking as I helped her up and started running with her back to our friends.
Colourful Shadow looked at us with wide eyes "She remembered who you are?"
I shook my head "But she doesn't want to marry Korse and I've promised to explain everything to her. So we might as well get a move on, huh?"
"I still don't know about trusting her…" Agent Anarchy said "I mean, look at the mess we're in right now."
"We've already been through this!" I snapped "Now come on."
We all walked through the building undetected and stepped outside. Party Poison slapped his head with his palm "How are we supposed to get out of here? We don't have the fucking car!"
"We can just borrow a Better Living one." Colourful Shadow whispered "I have an idea, okay? I'll explain on the way but first we need a stupid car."
"Do you even have any car keys?" Jet-Star asked, looking at her in amazement.
Colourful Shadow nodded and led us round the back of the building to a large garage. She walked up to one near the front. It wasn't a van like we'd arrived in; it was a normal white car with Better Living Industries written in posh lettering across the front.
We all piled into the car and Colourful Shadow took the driver's seat. "So, are you going to explain this plan to us?" Fun Ghoul asked, sliding into the passenger's seat "I mean things can't exactly go back to normal now…"
"No." Colourful Shadow sighed "They won't."
"So what did you have in mind?"
"I've got to leave you." Colourful Shadow muttered, not taking her eyes off the 'road' "I'm the reason that you guys are here. I passed on so many things that I didn't want to pass on. So once I know you guys are safe I'm going to return to Better Living Industries and apply for a different post. If they insert the chip into my brain to control me then fine. As long as I know you guys are okay."
"No!" Fun Ghoul said sternly "You don't want to go back there. We're rescuing Lady Madness so why can't we rescue you as well?"
"I'm so sorry." Colourful Shadow replied, shaking her head "But it has to be this way. If I don't return then Korse and the rest of the company will know that I was the one to set you free. If they find me then they won't have pity on me. But if I return then I can make something up and hopefully they'll believe me. Of course they'll make me search everywhere for you with the help of some dracs but I'll make sure they never find you."
"But they'll hurt you!" Fun Ghoul cried "You can't go back there; if we find a really good hiding place then we won't need to worry. We'll do your plan, right? We'll lie low for the rest of our lives. There'll be no reason for us to ever go outside again apart from supplies like food and water and other supplies."
"I was foolish to ever think that would work." Colourful Shadow laughed "You think Better Living Industries will give up? Fun Ghoul, trust me. I can convince them to give up looking for you. No one else in Better Living will bother. Everyone wants you guys dead."
Fun Ghoul sighed heavily "Colourful Shadow, please."
"This wasn't an easy discussion." Colourful Shadow told him "Trust me; I've been thinking this out since Korse told you guys what I'd been up to. If there were any other way then I would take it but there simply isn't."
"I have an idea!" Fun Ghoul cried "Yes, go back and explain everything. Stay away for a few months or at least until they've agreed to stop coming after us and then… And then run away to join us!"
Colourful Shadow considered this "Do you know what Fun Ghoul? That's a good plan. But there's one slight problem. What if they do insert the chip into my brain?"
"I'll come and rescue you." Fun Ghoul stated wildly "And don't tell me I'm being stupid because I'll do it!"
Colourful Shadow snorted "What are you gonna do? Cut open my head and rip out the chip?"
"You mean-"
"Once it's in," Colourful Shadow said "Then it stays in. And even if you drag me away from Better Living they can still control me with their control panel. I could be fine one minute then start killing you the next."
"Okay so the plan is…" Fun Ghoul began "You go back and convince them to stop hunting around for us. And if you're not being brainwashed, you promise you'll come back?"
"Yes I promise!" Colourful Shadow smiled "Now for the first part of the plan. I'm taking you back to the old base. We pile all your stuff into your car, one of you drives it and another takes the passenger seat just in case we start getting followed."
"And where do we go?"
"When I was a little girl I lived in a hide out with my parents." Colourful Shadow sighed "And one day in the dessert they were both killed. You guys are going to live in the hide out my parents lived in. The dracs don't know where it is, I know that for a fact."
Colourful Shadow pulled up outside our hide out and said "Go inside and pack whatever you can. We don't have much time."
We all got out the car and ran inside to pick up our valuables. Lady Madness followed me "Look, what's going?"
"You don't have any stuff." I told her "I'm not trying to be rude but you really don't. Well, there's your wedding dress."
"What do you mean my wedding dress?" Lady Madness asked, looking rather confused "I haven't even got married yet, why would my wedding dress be here?"
"Like I said, it's hard to explain. I will try my hardest when we get to the new hide out, okay?"
Lady Madness sighed and nodded, watching me pack my stuff quickly. She offered to help me once or twice but I didn't accept it. I grabbed my single suitcase of stuff, my spare ray gun and my helmet and then I was ready to go.
I shoved my stuff in the car but kept the spare ray gun with me just in case we bumped into any trouble on the way. Party Poison got into the other car with Screaming Revolver because he wanted to talk things over with her about the baby and how they were going to raise it in the zones. In our car we discussed ways of getting supplies without being seen. It seemed like in no time at all Colourful Shadow was stopping the car and getting out.
Confused, Jet-Star got out the car and asked "Umm Colourful Shadow, aren't you going to take us to the base?"
"We're already here." Colourful Shadow replied "Look at this."
She went to a nearby bush. It was the only thing around in about a hundred miles. She reached her hand into the bush and pulled on a random branch. When she pulled the branch an elevator rose out of the ground and a few feet away from it, a garage rose out of the ground.
Colourful Shadow walked over to Party Poison "Take the stuff out of the car guys and then Party, pull into the garage. I'll show you guys around the base before returning to Better Living Industries." She glanced at Fun Ghoul "I'm really sorry."
Fun Ghoul gave her a small smile before wrapping his arms round her "For what? Being the most amazing person I've ever met?" He leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.
The rest of us gave them their moment alone and went to unpack the stuff from the car, Lady Madness taking Fun Ghouls stuff. She was happy to finally help out.
Colourful Shadow walked over "Come on guys, I'll show you round. I'm sure you'll like it."


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Swine flu mumbai
Ask an expert
- Mumbai Swine Flu Update: Virus back in the city?
The Swine Flu H1N1 virus has reared its ugly head again and struck twice in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, claiming two lives. A nurse in Nerul,
- Swine Flu Mumbai Update: Toll reaches 75 this year
It looks like the swine flu menace is back in town. A 25 year old from Parel tested positive for the H1N1 virus on Monday. "She was suffering from
- Swine flu Mumbai: 75 year old tests positive
It seems like the swine flu menace is back in Maharasthra. Recently a 75-year old woman from Ghatkopar tested positive for the virus taking the total
- Two more people test positive for swine flu in Mumbai
After a lull, the swine flu menace has reared its ugly head in Mumbai. BMC official reported two positive swine flu cases on Monday. One of the
- Mumbai Swine Flu Update: Four month infant tests positive
A four-month infant from Malad tested positive for H1N1 on Friday — the youngest positive swine flu (H1N1) case in Mumbai in the last two months.
- Mumbai Swine Flu (H1N1) Update: 18 people test positive
The total number of swine flu victims in Mumbai went up to 18 after a 72-year old woman form Worli tested positive for the virus. This was the
- Swine Flu (H1N1) screening at all public health care centres across Maharashtra
To tackle the swine flu menace 103 public health centres are going to start three-stage swine flu screening centres. Daily reports will sent to the
- Maha Govt sees no reason to panic over swine flu spread
The H1N1 virus may have claimed 18 lives across the state in a span of two months but health minister Suresh Shetty went on record on Friday to say


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Beyblade Shogun Steel Octagon Showdown Battle Set
Where To Buy
You can also find the brands you know and love at these retailers:
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Product selection, availability, and pricing may vary by retailer.
Product Description:
Spin and smash into a new dimension of Beyblade battles with weapon-armed creatures to customize and collect! This hardcore Octagon Showdown Battle Set has everything you need to pit 2 exclusive Shogun Steel BeyWarrior battlers against each other in the included Octagon Showdown Beystadium arena! Send your Samurai Ifrit BW-01 battler in one of the arena's entrance ramp and your BW-16 Ronin Dragon battler in the other. Customize your battlers with different Warrior Weapons and Shogun Tips (other battlers sold separately) to find the perfect strategic combination! You'll rule the arena with the Octagon Showdown Battle Set!
Get an all-new way to Let It Rip with the 2 exclusive battlers and arena in the all-in-one Octagon Showdown Battle Set! Pit your Samurai Ifrit Speed Attack battler against your Ronin Dragoon Range Attack battler! Change Warrior Weapon positions for different battle action. Switch Warrior Weapons and Shogun Tips among your BeyWarriors Battlers (other battlers sold separately) to see how different combinations change the way they battle. Octagon Showdown Beystadium arena has 2 entrance ramps!
Set includes exclusive Octagon Showdown Beystadium arena, 2 excusive BeyWarriors battlers, 2 collector cards, 2 ripcords and instructions.
BW-01A Samurai Ifrit Speed Attack
BW-16 Ronin Dragoon Range Attack
WARNING: DO NOT LEAN OVER STADIUM when tops are in play. Do not use stadium on tables or other elevated surfaces. Only use BeyWarriors battlers with a Beystadium. Ripcord works only with BeyWarriors Battlers. Some assembly required. No tools needed.
© Takafumi Adachi, MFBBProject, TV Tokyo
Manufactured under license from TOMY Company, Ltd.
© 2012 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.


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What would it have been like if Bella and Edward hadnt met until the night Bella was bitten? What would like be like for them? What if Bella didnt know what she wanted? Would it work out with them?
Chapter 1: Footsteps (Bella POV)
It's September, it's warm out tonight. The sun has already set and its now dark, nice night for a walk. I'd done this many times before, so there was…
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Feb. 6, 2008
QUEENS, N.Y. - The St. John's Athletic Department will compete in the NCAA sponsored "Pack the House" Challenge in its women's basketball game against Villanova on Saturday. The game is slated to begin at 2:30 p.m.
The goal of the program is for each participating school to set a women's basketball attendance record. The NCAA will select 32 winning institutions (one from each of the 31 Division I conferences and one independent) based on creative marketing strategies and sellouts, or the largest percentage increase from the previous year's single-game record attendance.
As part of the efforts to promote the event, the St. John's Athletic Department has designated the game as "$1 Night," with tickets, as well as select food and merchandise items being offered for just a dollar. In addition, all fans in attendance at the St. John's men's game vs. Providence at noon on Saturday are invited to attend the women's game free of charge.
There will be several giveaways during the game, including a Sabatino's Pizza Giveaway and T-shirt toss. Students are being encouraged to attend the game with an "Empty the Residence Halls" Contest, where each floor of the residence halls will compete against each other to get the most students to the game, with the winning floor being rewarded a prize.