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BACH Project News
9ICAANE conference 9-13th June, 2014
Four papers by BACH team members will present aspects of our research at the forthcoming 9ICAANE conference 9-13th June, 2014:
Azad, Arezou: 'The Landscape of Early Islamic Balkh'
Bessard, Fanny and Kennedy, Hugh: 'Patterns of Urbanism in Early Islamic Iran and Central Asia I & II'
Heidemann, Stefan and Naue, Matthias: 'Balkh. Lessons on Urban Growth from the Coin Finds'
Siméon, Pierre: 'New Data on Islamic Material Culture from the Central-Asian margins: Dehistan and Balkh ceramic studies'
The full provisional programme for the congress can be found here
For further details about the congress and registration please see the organiser's website
- Brief Timeline
- Project Milestones
- The BACH Project
- Recent Articles
[ دری ]
Bactra—the Greek name under which pre-Islamic Balkh was known—encapsulated Bronze Age settlements around 2,000 BC when its ancient water systems were built.
It was a province of the Achaemenid Empire (sixth century BC), the capital of the Hellenistic kingdom of Bactria and a part of the Kushan Empire that flourished in the first to the third centuries AD.
The first surviving textual mention of ancient Bactria is in the Vendidad section of the Avesta, the Zoroastrian Holy Book. Bactria (Baxtri) is mentioned in the trilingual inscription of the Emperor Darius I (r. 522-486 BC) at Bisutun and Persepolis as one of the Achaemenid satrapies (provinces). According to varying traditions, Balkh was founded by the mythical Iranian kings Gusthasp, his father Luhrasp, or the first man, Gayumarth. The Zoroastrian Prophet Zoroaster is rumoured to have died in Balkh.Read More
September 2011 - Launch of the BACH project
5-6 January 2012 - First BACH workshop in Oxford. Participants on the first day were limited to team members and special advisors to discuss the parameters of the BACH project, its training agenda, and practicalities, logistics and context. Day 2 included a wider audience of key experts on Afghan art, archaeology, documentary and narrative history of Balkh and comparable cities. Participants included Philippe Marquis, Roland Besenval, Edmund Bosworth, Nicholas Sims-Wiliams, Geoffrey Khan, Deborah Klimburg-Salter, James Howard-Johnston, Étienne de la Vaissière, Frantz Grenet, and Chahriyar Adle (by video link). Presentations were made on the basic topography of Balkh, the Nuh Gunbad (Hajji Piyada) site, and Zadiyan in the northern confines of the Balkh oasis, on coins, and Chinese and Arabic sources on historical Balkh. Comparanda from cities like Samarqand and Dehistan (Turkmenistan) were also considered.
April 2012 - First visit by BACH Oxford to Kabul conducted by Michael Jackson Bonner, aimed principally at working out the key elements and modalities for BACH cooperation on the ground, together with the Ministry of Information and Culture and the Délégation Archéologique Française en Afghanistan (DAFA).Read More
The Balkh Art and Cultural Heritage project (BACH) is funded by the Leverhulme Trust and is housed at the Oriental Insititute, University of Oxford.
This project focuses on the site of Balkh in the north of Afghanistan, south of the Oxus (Amu Darya) River. It analyses a selection of archaeological artefacts and unexplored texts against which hypotheses concerning the development of early Islamic cities can be tested. Balkh was in existence (as 'Bactra') since at least the fifth century BC, becoming a major economic centre and flourishing from the third century BC before being significantly reduced (but not abandoned) in the thirteenth century through the Mongol invasions.
The BACH project is not just about research. An essential element concerns training. Each of BACH's scholarly experts acts as a mentor and trainer to an Afghan trainee to analyse the material culture from, or textual finds on, Balkh. Trainees obtain daily on-the-job training during focussed visits to Kabul by BACH team members. The training follows a pre-determined curriculum, and includes reading lists of books and articles to be discussed during training. Trainees obtain stipends, and have the opportunity to engage with an international network through their mentors.Read More
Journal articles
Shaked, Shaul, "Early Persian Documents from Khorasan" Journal of Persianate Studies 6 (2013): pp 153-162
Azad, Arezou, "The Faḍāʾil-i Balkh and its place in Islamic historiography" IRAN – Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies 50 (2012): pp 79-102
Azad, Arezou, "Female Mystics in Mediaeval Islam: the quiet legacy", Journal of Economic and Social History of the Orient 56 (2013): pp 53-88
Siméon P., 2012."Hulbuk: Architecture and Material Culture of the Capital of the Banijurids in Central Asia (ninth–eleventh centuries)", Muqarnas, An Annual on the Visual Cultures of the Islamic World, vol. 29, pp. 385-421.Read More
Banner Image: Tepe Rustam of Balkh, thought to be the old Buddhist temple site of Naw Bahar. Photo by Arezou Azad


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Mama Pad Kee Mao, Oriental Style Instant Noodle. Mama pad kee mao is a stir fried noodle with a flavor of basil leaves. Just boil in hot water and drain the water out. Add seasoning mix well before serving. Ingredients: wheat flour, palm oil, salt, sugar, basil, chili, msg. Come in pack of 5 counts Weight 10.50 oz (2.10 x 5 cts.). Product of Thailand
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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may be headed to space one day, if a recent public statement is to be believed.
Speaking at an exhibition of Iran's space achievements in Tehran, the Islamic Republic's president said he would be the first human launched to space aboard an Iranian rocket, the Mehr news agency reported.
"I am ready to be the first human to be sent to space by Iranian scientists," Ahmadinejad said.
Space news from NBCNews.com
Teen's space mission fueled by social media
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: "Astronaut Abby" is at the controls of a social-media machine that is launching the 15-year-old from Minnesota to Kazakhstan this month for the liftoff of the International Space Station's next crew.
- Buzz Aldrin's vision for journey to Mars
- Giant black hole may be cooking up meals
- Watch a 'ring of fire' solar eclipse online
- Teen's space mission fueled by social media
The comment came just a week after Iran launched a live monkey into space inside a capsule named Pishgam ("Pioneer" in Farsi), which was lofted aboard a suborbital rocket.
"Sending living things to space is the result of Iranian efforts and dedication of thousands of Iranian professional scientists," Ahmadinejad said, according to the Mehr news agency.
Iranian officials said the monkey's launch was a scientific precursor to sending humans to space, though international experts have been skeptical, worrying that the same rocket technology used in these experiments could be applied to launch ballistic missiles carrying nuclear warheads.
Ahmadinejad dismissed those concerns and said Iranian scientists should be on the lookout for international sabotage efforts on its space program, according to the Mehr news agency.
"We should admit that some (powers) do not tolerate Iranian greatness and growth. Iranians (have) incited devils' hatred by Iranian idealism, perfectionism and being human," he said.
If Ahmadinejad does eventually go to space, he will not be the first Iranian to do so.
That distinction is held by Iranian-American engineer and entrepreneur Anousheh Ansari, who paid to visit the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in 2006. She was the first, and so far the only, female space tourist.
Follow Clara Moskowitz on Twitter @ClaraMoskowitz or Space.com @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook and Google+.
- Iran in Space: Rockets, Satellites & Monkeys (Photos)
- Top 10 Space Weapons
- Photos: Pioneering Animals in Space
© 2013 Space.com. All rights reserved. More from Space.com.


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CHANNAHON, Ill. — There's quite a bit of national controversy about the practice of using biosolids as fertilizer on farmland, and some Channahon Township residents don't want it applied in the fields near their homes.
"What they are doing is making a toxic dump of our area. It's disgusting," said Canal Road resident Pat Budd.
Biosolids are derived from sludge that comes out of wastewater treatment plants. The sludge, which is mostly human excrement, but could include toxins such as industrial and pharmaceutical waste, is treated and processed to remove harmful chemicals and laid out to dry.
The result, according to proponents, is a nutrient rich organic fertilizer that might otherwise be dumped into landfills. Thirty years ago it was flushed into waterways.
Residents living on Canal Road, an unincorporated section of the village of Channahon, are surrounded by three fields where the biosolids are being applied by Stewart Spreading, of Sheridan, Ill. A total of 280 acres are treated yearly.
Residents say they have had an increase in health issues since the land application began in 2010. All of the issues at this time come from a cluster of four homes near the fields.
Budd was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer before any biosolids were applied in the adjacent fields. She worries that her immune system won't be able to fend off toxic chemicals in any levels.
"I am susceptible to things," said Budd. "I am doing amazingly well, but I don't want to chance it."
Neighbors fear chemicals in the biosolids have leached into their drinking wells and that field runoff will reach the I&M Canal that runs behind the homes and one of the fields.
"There's so much rock (in the soil), it just runs off," said Budd.
Mary Lou Bozich, who lives right next to one field, was diagnosed with a duodenum tumor this year.
There was no sign of the tumor during an endoscopy the prior year, she said.
"I just find it very weird that two years ago I had no problem," Bozich said. "Is it from that (biosolids)? I don't honestly know. How would they prove it one way or another?"
Neighbors are concerned about students at nearby schools, Channahon Junior High and Galloway Elementary, as well as the Channahon Park District. Students routinely jog on the road and have been seen running through the fields.
Jeff Hutton, Illinois EPA Environmental Protection Specialist, said biosolids do contain trace levels of chemicals, such as copper, cadmium and arsenic. But the treatment and processing of the sludge reduces them to non-toxic levels. Whatever level is deemed toxic for plants, the IEPA arbitrarily reduces their allowable level by 50 percent more, he said.
Hutton, who has been with the IEPA for 25 years and is considered the agency's "sludge guy," said biosolids were first regulated by the US EPA in 1975, and were used in agriculture before that.
"It's probably been going on before the agency was in existence," Hutton said. "It's a good fertilizer. There are micro nutrients in sludge that are not found in other fertilizers."
State and national studies by the EPA have found no evidence of toxic levels of chemicals leaching into water supplies, said Hutton.
Spirit Farms, which leases the farmland from Don Hammond, chooses to use the organic nitrogen found in biosolids as the nutrient source for their corn crop, said Michelle Stewart, owner of Stewart Spreading.
"Regardless of the farmer or farm, the soil needs to be fertilized each crop year in order to maintain or improve the soil quality and soil fertility," Stewart said. "This is a standard farming practice in row crop agriculture, otherwise the crop yield would not be productive."
When biosolids are applied the accompanying smell is unbearable, said resident Pearl Addington.
"I have asthma and I can't even leave my house," she said. "I am scared (because) I can't breathe."
During an application, about 70 trucks line up along Canal Road to dump the biosolids, said Budd. Each truck makes several trips.
Stewart Spreading targets between five and 10 dry tons per acre of farmland, said Stewart.
The EPA requires incorporating the material into the soil immediately to help with the smell. But it lingers and reappears during subsequent rains.
"There's still going to be an odor," Hutton said. "Odors are hard to quantify."
After reviewing soil maps, the IEPA has decided to cut the amount of allowable biosolids in half in the field east of the neighbors because of the infiltration rate of the soil, said Hutton.
It's the same field where the residents worry about flooding and run off.
Illinois municipalities combined produce 375,000 to 400,000 tons of sludge every year and 75 percent of it is used on land application for farming or land reclamation, Hutton said. In Will County 150 fields use sludge, he estimated. In Kankakee, it's about 175 fields.
Spreading companies such as Stewart get paid around $15 per cubic yard to haul away the treated sludge from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Chicago. Farmers benefit by getting free fertilizer, saving them thousands of dollars a year in costs.
Budd believes the biosolids industry has become more about making a profit than about using organic fertilizer and the health of local residents.
"There's an enormous amount of money here," she said.


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The original Samsung Galaxy Tab, which was the first real Android-based competitor to the iPad, divided opinion when it was launched late in 2010. 16 months later and the company has unveiled an update which will come with the latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0), which will launch first in the UK at the beginning of March, will come with a 1024 x 600 LCD screen, will be powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor and come with 1GB of RAM.
The tablet will be 10.5mm thick, which isn't exactly chunky but is certainly not as thin as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. It will feature a fixed-focus camera on the rear without an LED flash, which is joined by a VGA camera on the front.
In terms of connectivity, you'll get Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS and Wi-Fi with a 3G option also available. You'll be able to choose between a 16GB or 32GB version of the new tablet and it will also include a microSD card for expansion. A 4,000mAh battery is also included though no official battery life has been stated.
The big upgrade however comes in terms of software, with the Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) the first Samsung tablet to come with Android 4.0 preloaded. This will be skinned with Samsung's TouchWiz interface, Samsung Hubs for music and films as well as the ChatON IM app.
Samsung has not yet revealed pricing or who will be offering it in the UK, but we will almost certainly be seeing it in the flesh at Mobile World Congress in a couple of weeks where we will be bringing you all the details.
Let us know in the comments what you think of the new tablet and what price you think it should be sold at.


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Renowned Egyptian actress Elham Shahin has expressed her deepest sorrow at the daily bloodshed of innocent lives caused by what she described as "the terrorism of the Muslim Brotherhood."
The actress added that it's very unfortunate that armed Brotherhood members are causing so much violence in Egyptian society and are attempting to take over the country; something they've been trying to do for the past year during the reign of ousted President Mohammad Morsi.
According to the Middle East news portal Elaph, Elham said that the Brotherhood followed policies and had goals that were a complete failure; their only goal was to take over the country and sell it to outsiders.
"Through the great Revolution of June 30th, they were in shock as they didn't expect Egyptian people to turn on them and put a stop to their ideologies; as a result they revolted in such a brutal manner and revealed their true colors," she continued.
She sorrowfully added that Egyptian people are paying the price of putting their faith in them and giving them a chance when they elected Morsi. Elham stressed her proud feeling towards the army and General Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, for their stance and protection of the Egyptian people.
Elham further said that she had trust in Al Sisi, positive that he will do all what's in his power to protect his country, despite the crucial conditions it is witnessing.
The actress believes Egypt has a bright future ahead of it, with politics, the economy, tourism and the arts being affected positively.
© 2000 - 2019 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)


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Gruvlok Eccentric Reducers
Gruvlok Fig.7073 and Fig. 7097
Gruvlok fittings are available through 24" nominal pipe size in a variety of styles.
These fittings are designed to provide minimum pressure drop and uniform strength.
Depending on styles and size, Gruvlok fittings are provided in various materials
including malleable iron, ductile iron, forged steel or fabricated steel.
Not for use in copper systems.
Material Specifications
Cast Fittings
Fabricated Fittings
Use the Fitting Size Table to convert nominal pipe size to corresponding pipe O.D.


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Sally Shapiro
Top SongsSee All
I'll Be By Your Side (Radio Mix)I'll Be By Your Side (Remixes) 2006
All My Life (Mitch Murder Remix)Synthwave, Vol. 2 2013
Sleep In My ArmsDisco Romance 2006
I'll Be By Your SideDisco Romance 2006
Why Did I Say GoodbyeTommy '86 & Sally Shapiro 2014
I'll Be By Your Side [Tensnake Remix]Remix Romance Vol. 1 2008
AlbumsSee All
Singles & EPsSee All
CompilationsSee All
About Sally Shapiro
In a sense, Sally Shapiro was both the recording pseudonym of an anonymous Swedish singer and also the name of a duo consisting of that singer and producer/writer Johan Agebjörn, who were together responsible for the music released under the moniker "Sally Shapiro." That music, combining Shapiro's delicate, silvery vocals with Agebjörn's vintage-styled synthesizer dance tracks, was a deliberate and meticulous replication of the sound of 1980s Italo disco, as well as a distillation of the melancholic yet hopeful sentimentality commonly associated with twee indie pop.
The pair first met in 2001, working in an office together, but it wasn't until Christmas 2004 that Agebjörn, a lifelong Italo disco lover, noticed Shapiro's voice while they were singing carols at his piano. He told her she would make an excellent Italo-style singer, and as luck would have it she turned out to be a fan of the genre as well. Shapiro agreed to record vocals for a tune Agebjörn had penned in the style of Valerie Dore and Katy Gray (similarly pseudonymous singers who were backed by obscured writing/production teams), although when they finally got around to it in early 2006, she was so shy that Agebjörn had to leave the room while she sang her part. The resulting track, "I'll Be by Your Side," was almost instantaneously hailed as a modern classic on online disco forums; it was given a vinyl release on the Austrian label Diskokaine that July and was soon championed in such outlets as Pitchfork, Vice, and The Village Voice.
The album Disco Romance followed on Diskokaine in December, containing that song and five more Shapiro/Agebjörn collaborations (one of them, the single "Anorak Christmas," a cover of the Swedish indie pop one-man band Nixon), two remixes, and an ambient Agebjörn instrumental. In October 2007, Canadian-based indie Paper Bag Records released Disco Romance in North America with a revised track listing including three new songs (two by Nixon's Roger Gunnarsson; one of them penned specifically for Shapiro) and the extended version of "I'll Be by Your Side." Shapiro's much-discussed shyness (she refused to record vocals while anyone was in the room) precluded her from music videos or making live appearances to promote the album, although she has given numerous interviews.
The duo still managed to stay in the minds of critics and fans, however, by releasing two albums of remixes, Remix Romance, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 -- which included contributions from artists like Dntel, Holy Fuck, the Juan Maclean, Junior Boys, and the Russian Futurists -- in April and June of 2008, respectively. The duo followed up their first album with another that followed a similar format, 2009's My Guilty Pleasure, before taking a break to work on other projects. Shapiro added guest vocals to a song ("Don't Be Afraid") on Anoraak's 2010 album Wherever the Sun Sets while Agebjörn released the excellent Casablanca Nights album in 2011, with many tracks featuring vocals by Shapiro. The duo reconvened in 2011 to record a new album and the result was 2013's Somewhere Else. The album featured the return of Gunnarsson and collaborations with Le Prix and Electric Youth, as well as an alternate version of "Don't Be Afraid." A remix album titled Elsewhere (featuring the Field, Nite Jewel, Young Galaxy, and others) was also issued. In 2014, Sally Shapiro collaborated with French synthwave producer Tommy '86 for a single titled "Why Did I Say Goodbye."
In 2016, the duo announced that they would be going their separate ways, as their tastes in music no longer coincided -- Agebjörn was more into ambient electronic music, while Shapiro was interested in non-electronic pop. They recorded one last single, "If You Ever Wanna Change Your Mind," which was backed by an acoustic cover of David Guetta's "Dangerous" and released as a 7" single by Fika Recordings in May of 2016. ~ K. Ross Hoffman
- Sweden
- Electronic
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China wealth fund eyes Asia "as Western protectionism rises"
BEIJING – China's sovereign wealth fund will focus more of its US$482 billion firepower on Asia in twin bids to beat a rise in protectionism in the West and boost exposure to rapid regional growth, chairman and chief executive Lou Jiwei said.
The man charged with stewardship of a slice of the world's largest store of foreign wealth lauded the British approach to overseas investment in public sector projects as one for the world to follow and said the policy response to Europe's debt crisis was a reason to stay underweight bonds and stocks there.
"There is a rise in protectionism in both trade and investment in some Western countries," the China Investment Corporation chief, speaking on the sidelines of the Communist Party congress to choose a new leadership line-up, told Reuters in a rare interview.
"As compared to other financial investors we feel that the scrutiny on us is a little more strict, because of issues like national security," Lou said, adding that while not a major issue yet, he detected rising concern among foreign regulators when CIC partnered with Chinese firms to make acquisitions.
Lou Jiwei, Chairman and CEO of China Investment Corporation, addresses the Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong January 20, 2010.
Photo: Reuters
Tensions between Beijing and Washington have recently ratcheted higher thanks to a series of trade actions against China by President Barack Obama, including his blocking of a privately owned Chinese company from building wind turbines close to a U.S. military site, and his challenge of Chinese auto and auto-parts subsidies in a World Trade Organization case.
The U.S. House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee warned last month that Beijing could use equipment made by Huawei, the world's second-largest maker of routers and other telecom gear, as well as rival Chinese manufacturer ZTE, the fifth largest, for spying.
Canada has twice delayed a decision over whether to allow a $15.1 billion bid by CNOOC Ltd, China's top offshore oil and gas producer, for Nexen Inc, despite shareholders giving it their backing.
Having tackled some concerns about acquisitions by sovereign wealth funds, such as CIC, in 2008 through the adoption of guidelines brokered by the International Monetary Fund, known as the "Santiago Principles", governments worldwide now bristle at the rising number of investment bids for strategic assets made by state-backed firms that fall outside that framework.
Lou said CIC would not change its strategy of partnering with Chinese firms simply to assuage concerns of foreign regulators - particularly if such a partnership presented the best-value proposition to the fund, which is mandated to boost returns on a substantial chunk of China's $3.29 trillion stash of foreign reserves.
No welcome, no investment
"We would avoid investing in countries that do not welcome us. There are other places to invest," Lou said.
Asia is a particularly favored option for CIC, thanks to some of the fastest rates of growth and development in the world - which are themselves levered to China's own economic dynamism.
But while Asia is a target, the region's relatively shallow and under-developed capital markets make investments harder and prevent CIC investing as much as it would like.
"We would have to do direct investment projects one by one. That is very time consuming and we cannot really deploy that much investment capital into it," Lou said.
For now, liquidity makes Europe and the United States CIC's markets of choice for investments in publicly traded securities, while the UK is the fund's top infrastructure pick.
"We like the UK. It is very open on its infrastructure sector," he said, adding that Britain's use of private capital to build public sector assets was a model for other developed economies to follow - particularly those struggling to recover from the effects of the 2008-09 global financial crisis.
"Infrastructure investment can boost economic growth and employment and in fact it is fiscally neutral," said Lou, a former vice minister of finance regarded by Beijing insiders as either a future finance minister, or central bank chief.
Lou said the balance between growth and fiscal rectitude was key to Europe's ability to escape from a debt crisis that has dragged on for more than three years.
"Although people in Europe have agreed that they need a combination of growth and consolidation, in fact these two aspects are contradictory to each other and Europe hasn't really thought out a way to move forward," he said.
"The risk of the euro zone falling apart has now dropped to less than 20 percent, but it is still there. To look on the bright side, now Europe has an agenda compared to a while ago when there was only babbling."
Underweight Europe
That overhanging risk and the inability to persuade investors that a recovery plan is firmly in place are key to CIC being underweight on European bonds and equities, Lou said.
"That demonstrates somewhat our lack of confidence," he said. He added that the fund was on the lookout for assets in Europe's real economy - particularly among manufacturers.
"We believe that the manufacturing industry in Europe is still quite competitive and we believe that the European economy will recover some day," Lou said.
But European banks and peripheral euro zone sovereign debt were definitely off his shopping list.
"We dare not touch the banking sector there because we do not know how many more problems are there," he said.
"We would not buy peripheral country bonds because they do not fit our risk/return profile," Lou said. "Most importantly, the risk and returns of these bonds are determined by politics and it is very hard for us to make a judgment (on them)."
Judgment was becoming more important all round, Lou said, pointing out that easy pickings for investors had disappeared since 2009, when asset prices collapsed as the global financial crisis raged and buying cheap was an obvious strategy.
"We have to use more precaution and really watch the risks and how well the companies operate," Lou said.
But a tougher approach to investment management appears to be paying off on CIC's bottom line.
The fund suffered a 4.3 percent loss on its international portfolio in 2011 as total profits fell 6.1 percent on the year to $48.4 billion. Lou is confident that won't be repeated.
"We expect to book no loss by the end of this year. We are pretty satisfied with the performance so far, but we really cannot predict that it will be as good at the end of this year as it is today," Lou said.
"Nobody can predict what happens by the end of this year unless they liquidate all of their portfolio and lock in the returns. But nobody would do that."


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Maybe fashion wasn't the best fit for Jennifer Lopez.
According to one (embittered? saddened?) WWD market editor, she actually had high hopes for the actress/pop singer's fashion aspiration as of 2007, after more than a few ups and downs. At that moment, Lopez had just launched a new line called "justsweet" as a replacement of sorts for the just-closed JLO by Jennifer Lopez brand. (Apparently JLO had been closed to focus on "global expansion"?)
As WWD reports, things seemed to only get worse: Justsweet was closed amid promises by Lopez to bring back "tried and true" label JLO, but that never happened. Now today, we're learning that Lopez's company has made the decision to put the Sweetface line (Lopez's name brand) on hiatus ... perhaps permanently, who knows.
Granted, Lopez still has her perfume lines (Glow, Still, Live, and more), so is it just that the star had become too overextended? Or is it that J. Lo's star is actually starting to dim a bit? She's certainly fallen off the limelight radar of late. She hasn't had an album in years (let alone a movie)--perhaps it's time to get back to the core J. Lo strengths. At first, we figured she was just home nesting wtih her brood and trying to work off the baby weight, but we've seen her and she looks bangin'! What gives?


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Has The Prime Rib, which requires waiters to wear tuxes and exudes "the intoxicating aroma of old money," according to Esquire magazine, got a deep discount deal for you.
Eat $100 of the restaurant's haute chow and pay just $50 under its wildly successful Groupon promotion, which was pitched last month. (Diners have all summer to use the offer.) Order The Prime Rib's signature dish, which normally costs $47.95, and pay only a little more than you would at Outback.
The Rib sold 5,000 coupons within a few hours on Groupon.com. What's next for the Calvert Street shrine? Tank tops on Saturday night? An all-you-can-eat fish fry for $14.95?
"We certainly don't want to dilute our brand," says general manager David Derewicz. But, he said, the restaurant likes using online coupons "to drive business in our direction during typically slower, hotter months. It's worked out fine."
Maybe he'll still feel that way after Groupon bargain scroungers descend, order $500,000 in food and pay for only half of it. (Less than half, actually, because Groupon takes a cut of the coupon proceeds.) The Groupon fad is in full bubble, but Baltimore restaurateurs say the Groupon experience is sweet and sour.
Investors, who will get a crack at Groupon stock in the initial public offering announced last week, are likely to have similarly mixed results. Restaurants are a key industry for Groupon, but many want nothing to do with the company. To try to win them over, Groupon is already sharply cutting the percentage that it takes from each coupon sale, according to eatery proprietors. That will hurt its revenue.
Copycat sites such as LivingSocial, Google Offers and Baltimore-based Chewpons ensure that price-cutting pressure will increase. And some restaurateurs have decided that their first Groupon promotion was also their last.
"I'm not really interested in doing another Groupon unless the math changes dramatically," said Mike Sproge, co-owner of The Falls, a casual American place in Mount Washington.
The Falls sold hundreds of coupons good for $20 of food on Groupon. The coupons cost $10. Groupon kept $5. The Falls got the other $5, which meant it lost money on many diners, especially those who used the coupon to pay for most of the ticket.
"One lady asked for a calculator so she could do the math on her meal," Sproge said. After presenting the coupon, "she ended up spending like 15 cents."
Before trying Groupon, The Prime Rib offered discounts through sites such as DealOn and OpenTable Spotlight. Derewicz said that the diners who patronized those sites often blew the money they saved with coupons on desserts, nice wines and other extras — "a vast overspending pattern that we don't normally see." That made a winning deal for everybody.
But the Crepe du Jour bistro in Mount Washington was overwhelmed with customers cashing Groupons just before they expired.
"It was very intense the last three days," said owner Mustapha Snoussi. "There were some people who were very nasty," some who spent only the $25 coupon amount and some "who don't even tip."
"The Groupon experience just pushed me away," he said.
Derewicz declined to disclose the terms of The Prime Rib's Groupon deal, but he implied that it was better for the restaurant than Groupon's traditional half-and-half division of the coupon proceeds.
"A lot of them will start out negotiating 50-50 splits," he said. "What you really want to do is 70-30 or 80-20."
The more coupon revenue restaurants and others negotiate to keep, the less chance Groupon will turn a profit any time soon.
After The Falls rejected a new deal, Sproge said, Groupon offered the restaurant 60 percent. He thinks the company might have gone even higher. (Groupon, which is restricted in what it can say publicly in advance of the stock offering, did not respond to an email seeking comment.)
Many restaurants don't want Groupon on any terms.
"We were shocked to see that The Prime Rib did it," said Eddie Dopkin, proprietor of S'ghetti Eddie's and Miss Shirley's in Roland Park. "At Miss Shirley's, I really don't want to be a discount center. At this particular time I don't have any interest in it."
The Rusty Scupper said no to Groupon, said general manager Ed Prutzer. So did Petit Louis, Charleston and other restaurants run by Tony Foreman and Cindy Wolf.
"We just don't believe in discounting our seats," said Foreman-Wolf spokeswoman Allison Parker-Abromitis. "I used to get approached every day several times a day" by Groupon and Groupon clones, she said.
"It's very aggressive marketing on their part. Now I only get one call a week. I can only think that's because we say 'no.'"
Unlike eBay, Amazon and other successful Internet ventures, Groupon doesn't enjoy the self-reinforcing network effect that knits together customers and vendors. People with stuff to sell go to eBay because that's where the buyers are. Buyers go to eBay because that's where the sellers are.
But bargain hunters can get discount coupons in the newspaper, direct mail and all over the Web. Anybody can build an email list and offer daily deals.
When it comes to doing business with Groupon, restaurants are likely to mimic many of the diners showing up at their hostess stations with cheapo Groupon coupons. They'll come once and never again.
Has The Prime Rib, which requires waiters to wear tuxes and exudes "the intoxicating aroma of old money," according to Esquire magazine, got a deep discount deal for you.


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Cindy's Enchanted Website
available on Amazon!
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Moms, check out the funny anecdotal book on keys to being a
somewhat effective mother and how to survive in . . .
Welcome to the Motherhood:
now on Amazon in ebook and print
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Get your author and Chase McKay signed book here.
Also available at: Barnes and Noble .com by clicking here.
And at Amazon.com by clicking here.
"Chase McKay Didn't Get Up Today" available by order at your local bookstore.
Readers talk about "Chase McKay Didn't Get Up Today."
Dear Mrs. Williams, I love Chase McKay Didn't Get Up Today. It's so funny and fun to read. It is my favorite and my Mom likes it too. Your friend, Carter.
Thanks for showing us your book. It was funny. I wish I could sleep in most every day. Yours truly, Emily
Dear Mrs. Williams, I liked the story of Chase McKay playing like he was sleeping. I wanted to read that story again. Sincerely, Erick
Dear Mrs. Williams, I am exactly like Chase McKay. I like to sleep in. The book was so funny. I am glad you read it to us. Sincerely, Mia
Dear Mrs. Williams, Thank you for coming to Conley Elementary I like "Chase McKay Didn't Get Up Today" the best. I want to be an author someday. Sincerely, Hannah
Writer's Workshops, book reading and signings
Elementary Schools, Pre-Schools and groups. Go to "Contact Page."
"What an engaging, enjoyable presentation for the students! Not only were they able to gain insights into how authors grow ideas into books, they were also challenged to think about and apply these ideas to their own writing. Cindy is a wonderful presenter!
~ Kay Tiller Mesa Public School Reading Coach
Schools Cindy has visited:
Zaharis Elementary, Mesa, AZ ~ Settler's Point Elementary, Gilbert, AZ ~ Conley Elementary,Chandler, AZ
Sandy Elementary, Sandy, Utah ~ Playa del Rey Elementary, Gilbert, AZ ~ Highland Elementary, Mesa, AZ Esperanza Elementary, Phoenix, AZ ~ O'Conner Elementary,Mesa, AZ, ~ Highland Park Elementary, Gilbert, AZ ~ Porter Elementary, Mesa, AZ
~ Greenfield Elementary, Gilbert, AZ ~ Eagles Aerie Charter School, Gilbert, AZ ~ Sousa Elementary, Mesa, AZ, ~ Ryan Elementary, Chandler, AZ Mesquite Elementary, Gilbert, AZ, Waggoner Elementary, Tempe, AZ ~ Hale Elementary, Mesa, AZ
~ Kyrene del Milenio Elementary, Phoenix, AZ ~ Bush Elementary, Mesa, AZ ~ Falcon Hill Elementary, Mesa, AZ
~ Light of Christ Pre-School, Chandler, AZ ~ Ladybug Learning Club Pre-School, Gilbert, AZ
in theSuperstition Mountains in Arizona?
Click theBOOK TAB& the BLOG TAB to read about them . . . if you dare !
"Thundertail's Tale: The Legend"
coming soon, by Cindy R. Williams
Go to Contacts to get on the list be one of the first to get the book.
If you believe in magic, you will find it.
The thrilling book one of many mighty magical adventures. Ride "d-back" on dragons. Visit New Dragonland in the Superstition Mountains. Escape from the dangerous Gatekeepers of Shadows. Attend the Magical Creatures Academy with dragons, fairies, unicorns, mountain elves, mermaids, and fat belly boohahs. Watch out for Freaky Fog Eye, alias Insane Crane, the school janitor. Read more about this fun filled adventure in the "Book" Tab. & the Blog Tab.
Cindy's Writing Awards
Honorable Mention in the 79th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition for
"There's No Such Thing as Goblins."
1st place in the 2008 Patricia Arnette Cultural Events in Literature Essay Contest sponsored by the Arizona American Mothers Association for "Signs of Motherhood."
Honorable Mention in the 77th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition in Inspirational Writing for "Visit With a Yodeler" a poignant story about her daddy and Alzheimer's.
Author Interview click here.
"Cindy is the author of a refreshingly magical collection of works . She writes picture book stories and great adventurous chapter books for the whole family. She brings the magic of childhood back in her delightful tales ."
Amy Hatch, mother of four beautiful daughters and magical fantasy books reader.
"Cindy is a new and wholesome voice for children and families. She's won awards for inspirational and humorous writing. She's also a journalist. Her talent has many layers and she is on the rise."
Jeff L., Business Owner and proud father of a great bunch of kids.


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LONG BEACH – Local police and agents with Alcohol Beverage Control issued seven citations to businesses for selling alcohol to minors during an undercover sting this week, officials said Wednesday.
On Tuesday, authorities sent minors under 21 into 20 local establishments. The decoys either approached employees and tried to buy alcohol, or approached customers outside and asked them to buy the liquor.
During the "Shoulder Tap" operation, three citations were issued to customers for furnishing alcohol to a minor.
The seven misdemeanor citations were issued to businesses in the following areas: 800 block of East Anaheim Street, the 1800 block of East Anaheim Street, 2200 block of East Anaheim Street, the 5600 block of Paramount Boulevard, the 2900 block of Santa Fe Avenue and the 2300 block of East South Street.
– Staff reports


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Tent Weddings
Our elegant tent weddings are held May through October and can accommodate up to 230 guests. Our tent is a permanent structure during the summer months with a raised platform floor and outdoor carpet, dance floor, bandstand, tables, chiavari chairs and all linens, glassware and silverware.
After your ceremony your guests will gather in our lounge, porch, outdoor porch and elegant lobby for a cocktail reception with a full bar and stationary and passed hors d'oeuvres. The ringing of the dinner bell will announce time for seating, and guests will be escorted to their assigned table by our professional staff. Following dinner, dancing will commence on the dance floor under the tent. After dancing the night away many of our guests retire to our lounge to enjoy our live pianist until closing time.
Indoor Venues
The Wentworth can accommodate wedding receptions of up to 80 in our North Dining Room with dancing on our porch area – weddings of this size can be held at any time of year. For weddings of 125 or more, the entire main inn of The Wentworth is available and can be done only at certain times of the year as this entails closing our entire dining room to outside guests with dancing held in our lobby.
After your ceremony your guests will gather in our lounge, porch and elegant lobby for a cocktail reception with a full bar and stationary and passed hors d'oeuvres. The ringing of the dinner bell will announce time for a champagne toast with the bridal party being announced down the grand staircase.
Following the champagne toast you may choose to have the ceremonial cutting of your wedding cake or choose to be seated immediately for dinner. For larger indoor weddings, which will take over the entire inn, you'll enjoy the space of all of our three dining rooms. All three dining rooms are connected and open to each other by French doors. Very often we encourage the bride and groom to have first course in the front dining room, second course in the middle dining room and third course in the back (or north) dining room. This creates a wonderful atmosphere and an opportunity for the bride and the groom to visit with many of their guests.
Remember, at The Wentworth you will be guaranteed the following:
- Only one wedding per weekend
- Your time frame, not ours – it is your day
- Professional wedding planner to assist you in all your planning needs
- Dedicated Manager on Duty and Banquet Manager on the day of
- Award winning dining and certified local farm to restaurant


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Judging by the countless professional photographs and edited montage videos that tend to come out of these productions nowadays, Dwyane Wade had a more expensive and corporate-sponsored birthday party than you this year.
Sorry, but it's true. Rick Ross rapped "I'm A Boss" with an eager LeBron James, a very expensive car descended from an airlift, and Kelly Rowland did her best Marilyn Monroe impersonation for her rendition of "Happy Birthday"—all in the name of Wade's 30th year on earth. This might have been the best episode of Super Sweet 16 that was never filmed.
The obvious takeaway here is that birthday parties are much more fun when sponsored by huge companies (and preferably ones that sell liquor) like Dom Perignon and Belvedere. It also helps if your friends happen to be hugely successful rap and R&B artists. Rick Ross, Common, T.I., Fat Joe, and Kelly Rowland were all in attendance—most performed, too—and the party featured "sounds by" DJ Irie.
But before there were sounds, a $230,000 custom McLaren MP4-12C (designed by Wade) appeared in the sky, which must bring joy to a person. Enough joy to eventually compel Wade to slide across the stage in a move he may have learned in third grade tap-dance lessons:
Once is enough, Dwyane. Let's never see that move again. Even on your 31st.
H/T Eye On Basketball, TMZ. Photo via.


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WALTHAM, Mass. – Host Brandeis and nationally-ranked Colby will meet tomorrow in the championship game of the 2011 Judges Women's Basketball Classic. Brandeis never trailed in a 68-47 win over Endicott in the opener today, while the 16th-ranked Mules dominated the boards in a 79-57 triumph over Clark.
In the opener today, Brandeis (2-1) jumped out to an 8-1 lead and never looked back in their 68-47 win over the Gulls (0-1). The Judges featured balanced scoring with eight different players scoring between six and 10 points. Leading the way were a pair of guards, senior Kelly Ethier (Springfield, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) and rookie Hannah Cain (Gloucester, Mass./Gloucester), who each had 10 points. Among the rest of the Brandeis starters, senior forward Shannon Hassan (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack) had nine points, grad student guard Diana Cincotta (Plymouth, Mass./W. Boylston) had eight and junior forward Samantha Anderson (Johnsonville, N.Y./Hoosic Valley) had seven. Sophomores Janelle Rodriguez (Peabody, Mass./Peabody Memorial) and Julia Scanlon (Long Valley, N.J./West Morris) and junior Erika Higginbottom (Millbury, Mass./Worcester Acad.) all had six points off the bench.
Brandeis dominated the inside game, thanks to Anderson, who led all players with 12 rebounds, six offensive, both matching career-highs. As a team, Brandeis outrebounded Endicott, 44-33, including 21-8 on the offensive glass. That gave the Judges a 22-12 edge in points in the paint and 19-6 advantage in second-chance points. Brandeis also forced 24 turnovers while committing 15, leading to 20-12 margin in points off those miscues.
Endicott had a game-high performance from senior guard Nicole Heffernan (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry), who had 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting with a pair of free throws. Rookie forward Kayleen Whall (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) scored nine points off the bench in her collegiate debut. Sophomore center Julie Manning (Hull, Mass./Hull) led the Gulls with eight rebounds, while sophomore forward Jordan Ferland (Charlestown, N.H./Fall Mountain Regional) topped all players with three assists and four steals.
In the nightcap, post play was equally key, as Colby won, 79-57, in head coach Julie Veilleux's first game on the sidelines. The Mules put four starters in double figures and doubled up Clark on the boards, 59-28. Colby pulled down nearly as many offensive rebounds (26) as their opponent had on either end of the floor (28).
Leading the way for Colby was the senior tandem of Rachael Mack (Augusta, Maine/Cony) and Jill Vaughan (Wareham, Mass./Tabor Acad.). Mack finished with a game-high 20 points, hitting 8-of-18 from the floor, with nine rebounds (six offensive), while Vaughan recorded a double-double with 16 points and 16 caroms (five offensive). Also reaching double figures were senior guard Aarika Ritchie (Lee, Maine/Lee Acad.) with 12 points and junior guard Jacky McLaughlin (Medfield, Mass./Medfield) with 10. Ritchie and junior guard Diana Manduca (Portland, Maine/Deering) tied for game-high honors with six assists each.
Clark also put three players in double figures, with senior forward Kate Minister (Manchester, England/Proctor Acad.) pouring in 19 points in 24 minutes off the bench. Minister hit 8-of-16 overall, 3-of-5 from deep, and also led the Cougars with five rebounds and two blocked shots. Sophomore forward Megan Grondin (Cumberland, Maine/Greely) notched 15 points and classmate and guard Emily Reilly (Marlborough, Mass./Marlborough) had 12 points and led Clark with two assists. The Cougars outshot Colby (38%-37%), but it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit on the glass.
Brandeis head coach Carol Simon will meet her alma mater, Colby, for the first time since the 1996-97 in the championship match tomorrow at 3 p.m. Endicott and Clark will face off at 1 p.m. in the consolation match.


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During the past few months the concept of the "Chinese dream" has been discussed with increasing frequency, both in China and overseas. Reportedly, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), who is also Chinese Communist Party (CCP) general secretary, has used the phrase on a number of occasions to illustrate his vision for the country.
Where did the idea come from, and what does it mean? The concept reportedly originated in the environmental policy non-governmental organization Joint US-China Collaboration on Clean Energy, which coined it to introduce the concept of sustainability to the Chinese.
It became more widely known when US commentator Thomas Friedman wrote about it in a New York Times article in October last year, just before the CCP's 18th National Congress in November, at which Xi was officially elected party chief. However, since then the concept has taken on new meaning far beyond the environmental realm.
In a speech on Nov. 29 last year, Xi used the term for the first time, and described it as the "realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."
At the National People's Congress on March 17, Xi again referred to the "Chinese dream," and stated that "we must push forward the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and strive to achieve the Chinese dream of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."
This shows that the idea has become a catchall for the efforts to transform China into a "great nation."
However, as noted by academic Minxin Pei (裴敏欣) in an opinion piece in the Taipei Times ("China's rule by slogan is faltering," April 19, page 8), China's general public is tired of such slogans, and want substance, especially as the economy slows.
There is an international angle, and that is where Taiwan comes into the picture: The "Chinese dream" as it is evolving in the minds of many in the Chinese leadership, in the bureaucracy and not in the least in the military is a "unified China."
Beijing's People's Daily even stated so specifically in a major front-page editorial on the "Chinese dream" on April 1.
In other words, it means a continued thrust toward incorporation of Taiwan into the fold. So, in addition to being an appeal to the middle classes to dream of a better life — very much like the "American dream," where one can make it from rags to riches by working hard — it also represents a statement of increasing assertiveness vis-a-vis surrounding countries.
Domestically it means an increasing emphasis on socialism with Chinese characteristics. It recently became even more clear what this encompasses: Early last month, the Xi government issued a secret memo, which was subsequently leaked, urging Chinese officials to be "relentless in their opposition to Western ideas," and calling on officials to adopt "battlefield tactics" against liberalism and internal dissent.
In the middle of last month, Beijing issued regulations to Chinese universities about "seven banned subjects" which should not be discussed: universal values, freedom of the press, civil society, civic rights, historical mistakes by the CCP, crony networks and judicial independence.
Taiwanese have worked hard for their freedom and democracy. They will not give up the "Taiwanese dream" — remaining a free and democratic nation — in exchange for a vague "Chinese dream" that does not respect the shared values that Taiwan and the US cherish so dearly.


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In an interview with actor Kevin Spacey on Wednesday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer quoted the liberal star's description of his new role in a political drama, playing "a wily murderous politician worming his way to the White House." Spacey quipped in response: "Kind of like this year, isn't it?" Immediately picking up on the reference to Mitt Romney, Lauer chuckled and replied: "No, no, no. Get yourself in trouble, not me." [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]
At the top of the segment, Lauer asked Spacey – who is temporarily living in London – for reaction to the Olympics so far. Spacey gushed over the collectivist tone of the event: "I was able to go to the opening ceremonies, which I thought was just extraordinary.... It felt very much like Danny Boyle had done something that was about the workers, about what it takes to build a country, to build a society. It was an extraordinary look at a village."
Anchoring the opening ceremony, Lauer and fellow co-host Meredith Vieira cheered Boyle's tribute to Britain's government-run health care system. Lauer proclaimed: "...we're locked in this kind of partisan debate over the future of health care in our own country. Here, they feel so strongly about their health care system, they're actually celebrating it as part of the Olympic opening ceremony."
Here is a transcript of the August 1 exchange between Lauer and Spacey:
MATT LAUER: We welcome you back now to London and day five of the games of the XXX Olympiad. And look who we found taking in some of the action, two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey. For nearly a decade he's served as the artistic director of the Old Victory Theater here in London. Kevin, it's good to see you on your side of the pond for a change.
KEVIN SPACEY: I know, it's good to have you on my turf for once.
LAUER: It really is nice. You came here a while ago. This is your home away from home, no question about it. Oftentimes, when the Olympic games come to a city, the people who live there have mixed emotions. You know, there's the traffic and the security and then there's the prestige. How do you feel about it?
SPACEY: Well, I'm lucky because I'm a resident of Great Britain but I'm a citizen of the United States, so I can root for both countries, which is great. And it's been incredible to be back. I had a chance to come back last Thursday, so I was able to go to the opening ceremonies, which I thought was just extraordinary, live. I don't know what they look like on television, but they were quite remarkable to be there. It felt very much like Danny Boyle had done something that was about the workers, about what it takes to build a country, to build a society. It was an extraordinary look at a village. And I thought he took us through the industrial revolution and everything. I thought it was remarkable.
LAUER: You've been on a lot of planes lately, going back and forth to Baltimore. You're shooting a series there called House of Cards, kind of a political drama. And I just want to read how you described your character recently: "A wily murderous politician worming his way to the White House."
SPACEY: Yeah. Yeah.
LAUER: Another great thing to sink your teeth into.
SPACEY [LAUGHING]: Kind of like this year, isn't it?
LAUER: No, no, no. Get yourself in trouble, not me. When are we going to see this? I know it's going to be streamed on Netflix?
SPACEY: Yes, it's the first original program for Netflix. And it was actually based on a very popular British series that was here in the 1980's, about a wily politician worming his way to the – to becoming prime minister. And oddly enough, it was based on Richard III, which I've just spent the last ten months, or the last year, performing around the world. So I feel like I've had a good ten months of rehearsal to play this character. David Fincher and I are doing it. It's been an extraordinary experience. To sort of delve into that world of politics and power and greed and ambition and all that. And as David and I like to say, it ain't your daddy's West Wing.
LAUER: You always do it well. I can't wait to see it. Kevin, it's always great to see you.
SPACEY: Good to see you.
LAUER: Pleasure. Kevin Spacey.
SPACEY: Thanks.


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Rays, DeJesus agree to two-year contract
Versatile veteran an option in outfield, as designated hitter or off the bench
ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays wanted to keep David DeJesus and the veteran outfielder wanted to remain with the club, so the two sides managed to find a middle ground to keep him with the team through the 2015 season.
"I think playing meaningful baseball was a high priority, and being back with [the Rays] and getting back with those guys, who I feel comfortable with, that is definitely something [I wanted to do]," DeJesus said. "I just wanted a fair deal. We worked toward it and we got it."
On Wednesday, the Rays and DeJesus agreed to a two-year, $10.5 million contract that includes a club option for 2016. The contract replaces the $6.5 million 2014 club option Tampa Bay had picked up on Sunday.
"Both sides approached this with the intent to get something done," said Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. "David wanted to be here, and we wanted him to be here. He does a lot of things that we value.
"He fit in extremely well for the time that he was here, and I think more than anything, us getting a chance to be around him -- and also probably as important as anything was getting a chance to watch how he takes care of himself -- gave us confidence and conviction that he would be able to remain a good player for at least the next two years."
The Rays began to negotiate with DeJesus shortly after the World Series.
"I knew the whole time what we were doing," DeJesus said. "My agents, ACES, did a great job of keeping me informed, and they were in touch with Andrew a lot and we knew what we were doing."
DeJesus, who turns 34 in December, was acquired from the Nationals on Aug. 23 after beginning the season with the Cubs. He played in 35 games (26 starts) for Tampa Bay, and he finished the season hitting a combined .251/.327/.402 with eight home runs and 52 runs scored.
DeJesus called the Rays' clubhouse "welcoming" when he joined the team, and he reiterated the importance he placed on playing for a contender and not a team that starts to plunge shortly after Opening Day and one where "you know your season is going to be a losing season."
"I feel excited to be back. Just to be around Joe Maddon and Andrew, they made it comfortable [to play for the Rays] and be myself out in the field," DeJesus said. "I think the contract worked out for both sides."
DeJesus also batted .341 (15-for-44) at Tropicana Field after joining Tampa Bay. After 11 Major League seasons, DeJesus holds a .279 career average with a .353 on-base percentage.
The Rays had always coveted DeJesus before finally acquiring him for a player to be named (left-hander Matthew Spann). Having him on their roster did nothing to diminish how the team felt about him.
Keeping DeJesus gives Tampa Bay flexibility in several areas. Not only does he provide a viable outfield option on any given night, he also can be plugged in for late-inning defense, pinch-running and pinch-hitting. In addition, DeJesus could get use as the left-handed component of a platoon at designated hitter.
"We really haven't talked about [how I will be used in 2014], but after being with Joe, I understand the way he plays the game," DeJesus said. "I understand my role. Whenever I'm put out there, [I] give my best and play the game with the passion that I have, and I don't expect Joe to play it any other way. That's all I really worry about."
Luke Scott has been penciled in as the team's DH the past two seasons, but he struggled to remain healthy and that translated to offensive numbers well below expectations. Scott is not expected to be back next season after receiving $6 million in 2012 and $2.75 million in '13 (which doesn't include the $1 million buyout the Rays paid prior to re-signing him).
Parting ways with Scott no doubt helped the Rays find money to allocate toward keeping DeJesus and could possibly help them keep Delmon Young, who came to the team late in the season and could be the right-handed part of a DH platoon.


text: John Fekner's art warned others of toxins poisoning the planet. Fekner at English Wikipedia November 14, 2017 The story of America, as told through diet books Adrienne Rose Bitar, Cornell University Diet books aren't just fluff. They offer a powerful insight into who Americans are – and how we wish the world could be.


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Best Seller Book Lists and Awards
- Council on Foreign Relations' Arthur Ross Book Award, September 2011.
- Independent Publisher Book Awards in Finance/Economics 2010.
Paul A. Samuelson Award, TIAA-CREF Institute Award, 2010.
- An 800-CEO-READ "Business Books Awards 2009" finalist ("Best of the Rest") in the Current Interest Category
- One of USA Today's "Year's Best Business Books To Make Sense of Financial Crisis"
- Listed on Bloomberg.com by James Pressley as one of "our favorite financial-crisis books this year"
- Shortlisted for the 2010 Financial History of the Year by Spear's Book Awards.
- Runner Up on The Atlantic "Books of the Year" list
- Listed as one of the Top Ten English Business Books of 2009 in WirtschaftsBlatt
More Best Seller and Book Lists...
Full Dataset to All Figures and Tables in the Book
Figures and tables are fully annotated with detailed sources.
A Visual History of Financial Crises, 1800-2010
This graphic by History Shots is based on the data developed in the book, it maps the cyclical history of financial crisis from 1810 to 2010 for sixty-six countries representing over 90% of world GDP.
"Throughout history, rich and poor countries alike have been lending, borrowing, crashing -- and recovering -- their way through an extraordinary range of financial crises. Each time, the experts have chimed, 'this time is different', claiming that the old rules of valuation no longer apply and that the new situation bears little similarity to past disasters."
The giant wave in the top section of the graphic depicts the percentage of world GDP by region in crisis during the 200 year period. It includes the four major financial crisis types (sovereign default, banking, currency, and inflation) along with stock market crashes.
The bottom section provides a detailed chart of all sovereign defaults by country, region and year. It shows the repeating nature of sovereign default, a central theme of the book.
Created in partnership with the Princeton University Press, this graphic provides a comprehensive yet accessible view into the historical and current cycles of financial crises.
This print is printed on high-quality, fine-art paper.
View ordering & shipping information
Book Reviews and Endorsements
"The four most dangerous words in finance are 'this time is different.' Thanks to this masterpiece by Carmen Reinhart at the University of Maryland and Kenneth Rogoff of Harvard, no one can doubt this again. . . . The authors have put an immense amount of work into collecting the data financial institutions needed if they were to have any chance of making quantitative risk management work."
- Martin Wolf Financial Times, September 28, 2009
"This is quite simply the best empirical investigation of financial crises ever published. Covering hundreds of years and bringing together a dizzying array of data, Reinhart and Rogoff have made a truly heroic contribution to financial history. This single marvelous volume is worth a thousand mathematical models."
- Niall Ferguson, author of The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World
"This Time is Different is terrific, for it gives just the perspective we need on the current world economic crisis. People can't expect to understand the current crisis without some in-depth look at past crises. That is exactly what this excellent and timely book provides."
- Robert J. Shiller, author of Irrational Exuberance and coauthor of Animal Spirits
"The research that went into this book has established Reinhart and Rogoff as leading authorities on crises, routinely cited by policymakers, academics and journalists (including me). Everyone working on economic policy should own "This Time is Different" and open it for a bracing blast of sobriety when things seem to be going well."
- Greg Ip, Washington Post, October 25, 2009
"This Time Is Different is a splendid book. One has to go back a long time to find another book that develops new data and that illuminates old problems in new ways. Burns and Mitchell\'s work at the National Bureau comes to mind."
- Allan H. Meltzer, author of the two-volume History of the Federal Reserve, AEI Book Forum, October 29, 2009
"The list reminds one of Cole Porter. Moroccans do it and Greeks do it, Thais do it and Koreans do it. Some Argentines without means do it. Even Finns, Brits, Yanks and Swedes do it.--No, I'm not talking about falling in love.
As "This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly," a valuable new book by Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff, makes clear, what these and dozens of other nations do is produce financial crises that devastate their own economies. Moreover, they explain, we are somewhere in the middle of a big such crisis right now, and it is far from clear how it will play out before it is all over."
- Idaho Statesman, Edward Lotterman, November 2, 2009
More Reviews and Q/A about the Book...
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