text:
13 Above
A strict no-no to kids
World's Most Amazing Flying Hotel !!
Crisis crazy project is no obstacle.
MI-12 - the heaviest and hoisting helicopter ever built in the world.
Check out some best image of this crazy flying hotel one after other... Wanna ride ??!!
Heaviest MI-12 is taking off...
It's a new wonder for a sky... almost looks like an art...
Large corridor ... quite luxurious !
This is a royal luxury hotel ever seen in life .. large bed, free spaces and nice interior decoration's and also the fifth wonder is that " It Can Fly " !!! Woow ! I desperately wanna ride once :)
Visit 13above For More Fun
Posted by Editor John at Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Labels: amazing, bizzare, crazy, flying hotel, fun, hotel, hotels, luxury, luxury hotels, odd news, resort, unusual, weird, weird al
Conficker Virus Could Cause Internet Chaos In April Fool's Day
A computer virus which has infected millions of PCs could use April Fool's Day to wreak havoc on the internet.
The Conficker virus has infected more than 10million PCs worldwide and could cripple computers across the UK tomorrow.
Experts have warned that the worm could be used to steal credit card numbers and passwords, or even bring down websites like Google by using an army of 'robot PCs'.
Experts are warning that the Conficker virus could launch a concerted attack on websites tomorrow - April Fool's Day
The virus targets computers running Microsoft's Windows software and has spread to millions over the past several months, infecting machines on Royal Navy warships and inside the House of Commons.
Tomorrow, on April Fool's Day, the virus is programmed to check a randomly generated number of websites for 'instructions' on what the infected computers should do next.
If they were told to simultaneously connect to a single website, the network of infected 'robot computers' known as Botnets could knock it offline by deluging it with hits.
Botnets have been used in the past to generate millions of pieces of spam email and to blackmail websites by threatening to temporarily knock them out.
Experts fear that the bug could be programmed to trigger an attack on the internet - rendering email, banking and other systems unusable.
It would do this by simultaneously sending a massive numbers of search queries or generating millions of pieces of spam email to knock websites offline through the sheer weight of connections.
Experts admitted today they do not know what will happen. Graham Cluley of internet security firm Sophos said: 'The system could turn into a network of 'zombie' PCs used to send email, or attack other websites. It may also be that nothing happens.'
Mikko Hypponen, of antivirus software firm F-Secure, said: 'It is scary thinking about how much control a hacker could have. They would have access to millions of machines.'
Microsoft has offered users free software to remove the worm, and even offered a $250,000 reward for anyone who reveals its writers.
But Ed Gibson, Microsoft's chief security adviser for the UK, said: '1 April is a classic date for anything like this to go off. But I would hate to say it is going to be unlike any other day.'
PC users can protect against Conficker by ensuring their computer is up to date with the latest free security software from www.microsoft.com, updating antivirus software, and not opening unfamiliar email attachments.
source : microsoft.com
Labels: april fools day, breaking news, conficker virus, internet, Microsoft, microsoft virus, new computer virus, news, PC, windows, windows xp, worm
Top 10 Tattoos For Internet Freaks
If net surfing is what you are addicted to everyday, then such tattoos are specially meant for you. Check out 9 more pics on tattoos for internet freaks after the jump. Hey also, let me know what you want to wear ... comment whatever you like !!
Check out some more weird and wonderful tattoos worn by dedicated technology fans at HERE...which we have posted few days before ....
Thanks for visiting !!
Labels: art, back tattoos, designs, freaks, geek, internet, lower back tattoos, tattoo, tattoo designs, tattoos, weird, WTF
Top 10 MysteriousThings In Space
The more we look among the stars and galaxies, the weirder things seem to get.
Even space itself is puzzling, for example. Recent studies suggest that the fabric of the universe stretches more than 150 billion light-years across -- in spite of the fact that the cosmos is 13.7 billion years old.
From super-fast stars to the nature of matter, here we cover other strange and mysterious elements of the universe.
1. Hypervelocity Stars
If you've ever gazed at the night sky, you've probably wished upon a shooting star (which are really meteors).
But shooting stars do exist, and they're as rare as one in 100 million.
In 2005, astronomers discovered the first "hypervelocity" star careening out of a galaxy at nearly 530 miles per second (10 times faster than ordinary star movement).
We have ideas about what flings these rare stars into deep space, but aren't certain; anything from off-kilter supernova explosions to supermassive black holes might be responsible.
2. Black Holes
Speaking of black holes, what could be stranger?
Beyond a black hole's gravitational border -- or event horizon -- neither matter nor light can escape. Astrophysicists think dying stars about three to 20 times the mass of the sun can form these strange objects. At the center of galaxies, black holes about 10,000 to 18 billion times heavier than the sun are thought to exist, enlarged by gobbling up gas, dust, stars and small black holes.
What about mid-sized types? Perhaps surprisingly, evidence is both scarce and questionable for their existence.
3. Magnetars
The sun spins about once every 25 days, gradually deforming its magnetic field.
Well, imagine a dying star heavier than the sun collapsing into a wad of matter just a dozen miles in diameter.
Like a spinning ballerina pulling his or her arms inward, this change in size spins the neutron star -- and its magnetic field -- out of control.
Calculations show these objects possess temporary magnetic fields about one million billion times stronger than the Earth's. That's powerful enough to destroy your credit card from hundreds of thousands of miles away, and deform atoms into ultra-thin cylinders.
4. Neutrinos
Pull out a dime from your pocket and hold it up for a second... guess what? About 150 billion tiny, nearly massless particles called neutrinos just passed through it as though it didn't even exist.
Scientists have found that they originate in stars (living or exploding), nuclear material and from the Big Bang. The elementary particles come in three "flavors" and, stranger still, seem to disappear on a whim.
Because neutrinos occasionally do interact with "normal" matter such as water and mineral oil, scientists hope they can use them as a revolutionary telescope to see beyond parts of the universe obscured by dust and gas.
5. Dark Matter
If you put all of the energy and matter of the cosmos into a pie and divvy it up, the result is shocking.
All of the galaxies, stars, planets, comets, asteroids, dust, gas and particles account for just 4 percent of the known universe. Most of what we call "matter" -- about 23 percent of the universe -- is invisible to human eyes and instruments.
Scientists can see dark matter's gravitational tug on stars and galaxies, but are searching feverishly for ways to detect it first-hand. They think particles similar to neutrinos yet far more massive could be the mysterious, unseen stuff.
6. Dark Energy
What really has everyone on the planet confused -- including scientists -- is dark energy.
To continue with the pie analogy, dark energy is a Garfield-sized portion at 73 percent of the known universe. It seems to pervade all of space and push galaxies farther and farther away from one another at increasingly faster speeds.
Some cosmologists think this expansion will leave the Milky Way galaxy as an "island universe" in a few trillion years with no other galaxies visible.
Others think the rate of expansion will become so great that it will result in a "Big Rip." In this scenario, the force of dark energy overcomes gravity to disassemble stars and planets, the forces keeping particles sticking together, the molecules in those particles, and eventually the atoms and subatomic particles. Thankfully, humankind probably won't be around to witness to cataclysm.
7. Planets
It might sound strange because we live on one, but planets are some of the more mysterious members of the universe.
So far, no theory can fully explain how disks of gas and dust around stars form planets -- particularly rocky ones.
Not making matters easier is the fact that most of a planet is concealed beneath its surface. Advanced gadgetry can offer clues of what lies beneath, but we have heavily explored only a few planets in the solar system.
Only in 1999 was the first planet outside of our celestial neighborhood detected, and in November 2008 the first bona fide exoplanet images taken.
8. Gravity
The force that helps stars ignite, planets stay together and objects orbit is one of the most pervasive yet weakest in the cosmos
Scientists have fine-tuned just about every equation and model to describe and predict gravity, yet its source within matter remains a complete and utter mystery.
Some think infinitesimal particles called gravitons exude the force in all matter, but whether or not they could ever be detected is questionable.
Still, a massive hunt is on for major shake-ups in the universe called gravitational waves. If detected (perhaps from a merger of black holes), Albert Einstein's concept that the universe has a "fabric" of spacetime would be on solid ground.
Matter and energy abound in the universe, but only in a few places is the roll of the cosmic dice perfect enough to result in life.
The basic ingredients and conditions necessary for this strange phenomenon are better understood than ever before, thanks to abundant access to life here on Earth.
But the exact recipe -- or recipes -- to go from the basic elements of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur to an organism is a prevailing mystery.
Scientists seek out new areas in the solar system where life could have thrived (or still may, such as below the surface of watery moons), in hopes of arriving at a compelling theory for life's origins.
10. The Universe
The source of energy, matter and the universe itself is the ultimate mystery of, well, the universe.
Based on a widespread afterglow called the cosmic microwave background (and other evidence), scientists think that the cosmos formed from a "Big Bang" -- an incomprehensible expansion of energy from an ultra-hot, ultra-dense state.
Describing time before the event, however, may be impossible.
Still, atom smasher searches for particles that formed shortly after the Big Bang could shed new light on the universe's mysterious existence -- and make it a bit less strange than it is today.
Source : http://dsc.discovery.com
Posted by Editor John at Monday, March 30, 2009
Labels: astronomy, comets, discovery channel, energy, galaxy, matter, mystery, NASA, planet, science, space, star, weird, weird al
Just Pay $9K For A Master Degree In Social Media
If you thought online social networking was just an idle pastime, think again.
A university is to offer a Masters degree covering sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Bebo.
Students will learn how to set up blogs and podcasts online and also how to use the sites in communications and marketing.
Birmingham City University is offering a one-year Masters degree in Social Media, which covers sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Bebo
The £4,400 one-year MA in Social Media will start next year at Birmingham City University.
It has been advertised through a makeshift video on the university's website.
Its convenor, Jon Hickman, said he had received a good response from potential students.
He said: 'It's not for freaks or IT geeks. The tools learned on this course will be accessible to many people.
'It will definitely appeal to students looking to go into professions including journalism and PR.'
However, one Birmingham-based student, 20-year-old Jamie Waterman, said: 'It's of no interest to me whatsoever. Virtually all of the content of this course is so basic it can be self-taught.
'In fact most people know all this stuff already. I think it's a complete waste of university resources.'
Posted by Editor John at Sunday, March 29, 2009
Labels: breaking news, facebook, fox news, internet, news, twitter
Existence Of Phantoms Around The World
An eerie image of a figure in period costume at a Scottish castle has spooked experts conducting the biggest ever investigation into photographic evidence for ghosts. The picture, taken in May 2008, appears to show a man or woman in a ruff peering out of a barred window at Tantallon Castle. No mannequins or costumed guides are employed at the castle, and three photographic experts have confirmed that no digital trickery was used on the photo. Tantallon Castle, a ruined fortress dating back to the 14th century, stands on a remote rocky headland near North Berwick on the Scottish east coast.
Runners up were as follows: Second place; "The Ghost in the Woods": The picture appears to show a strange ghostly figure in the trees.
Sceptics' explanation: Probably simply a mixture of shadows, leaves and branches
Third place; "The Ghost on the Street": A strange shadowy figure appears next to the couple in the picture.
Sceptics' explanation: The blurring in the image suggests a long exposure. A person may have walked past the photographer unnoticed .
Fourth place; "The Ghost on the Beach": A mysterious dark hooded figure stands at the water's edge.
Sceptics' explanation: The figure is an illusion created by an indentation in the rock face .
Fifth place; "The Ghost in the Mirror": A ghostly face appears in a car's wing mirror. The photographer says no-one else was around at the time.
Sceptics' explanation: The face could be a reflection of a headrest, someone standing nearby, or the result of digital manipulation .
Some of the other photos submitted to the site include this 'face' image. Possibly due to people seeing patterns in random shapes. Photographer Filip Gazi.
A misty face looms large in this photo, possibly caused by condensed breath in front of the lens. Photographer Lorraine Morrison.
Taken whilst the photographer was out walking with his children and dog, this image appears to contain a strange figure in the trees. Skeptics argue that the apparent figure is simply a mixture of shadows, leaves and branches.
A 'figure' image. Possibly due to a double image or long exposure.
This picture by Michael Dunbar appears to show a ghostly figure walking up the path, but sceptics say this is probably another long exposure.
An 'orb' image. Possibly caused by the camera flash reflecting off tiny dust particles. Photographer Mark Stock.
Posted by Editor John at Friday, March 27, 2009
Labels: ghost, ghosts, optical illusions, paranormal, phantom, photos, real, scary, scary pop ups, science of hauntings, spirits, strange, true
Largest Virus Threat Awaited (9 Million +)
MILLIONS of computers around the world could go into meltdown on April 1 because of a deadly virus.
The Windows worm called Conficker could give a hacker unrestricted access to every infected machine on the planet.
And the aggressive bug could be hiding on your PC at home right now, waiting to kick in.
For the hackers, it's like having a virtual army at their fingertips.
The criminals behind it have the power to launch a tidal wave of junk emails, bringing computers grinding to a halt.
They could also plunder information, including your bank details.
But the truth is that the best techie brains in the business just don't know exactly what the hackers have in mind.
Infected:
Virus expert Mikko Hypponen, from the firm F-Secure, said: "It is scary thinking about how much control a hacker could have over all these computers. They would have access to millions of machines."
Microsoft, who developed the Windows computer operating system, have slapped a £175,000 bounty on whoever is responsible, so far without success.
The sophisticated Conficker bug — also known as Downadup or Kido — targets systems via the web and can be spread on memory sticks.
More than nine million computers were infected at the bug's peak last month.
And if Conficker is still on your system come Wednesday, you could be in trouble.
Once inside your PC, it sets up files and starts downloading information from a controlling "boss" server.
Finding that website and the mastermind behind it all is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
That is because the bug creates hundreds of bogus addresses every day to put investigators off the scent.
The infected PCs then form a network and "talk" to each other, updating and evolving.
The bug even attacks anti-virus software and other files on your computer to strengthen its position.
And it resets "restore" points, making recovery of your old system even harder.
The first of three Conficker strains was discovered in November last year.
A second, more aggressive strain followed in December and a third this month. This contains the all-important April 1 trigger.
Trigger :
To avoid infection, Windows users must download a special free update "patch" from the Microsoft website. But that isn't enough — you also need good anti-virus software too.
Many businesses around the world are thought also to be at risk after failing to update systems.
Graham Cluley, from computer security firm Sophos, warned: "Microsoft did a good job of updating people's home computers.
"But the virus continues to infect businesses that have ignored the update."
He also stressed the need for strong passwords on your computer, adding: "If users are using weak passwords — 12345, QWERTY etc — then the virus can crack them."
F-Secure's Mikko warned potential problems with Conficker would be highlighted wildly before April 1.
But he said he didn't foresee an attack, despite the fears and mystery surrounding the problem.
He said: "There's always hype — just think of previous cases.
"There is not going to be a 'global virus attack'. We don't know what they are planning to do, if anything.
"I think the machines that are already infected might do something new on April 1."
Let's hope, for everyone's sake, that it turns out to be an April Fools' Day hoax.
TEST your system's safety for free by attempting to go to f-secure.com. If you can't, you can download the patch at microsoft.com to disinfect your PC.
Labels: antivirus, computer, conficker, fix, infected, internet, internet service, Internet Threats, Microsoft, pcs, security, spyware, system, threats, virus, windows, worm
Stupid Girl Playing With Her Life !
Russian teens have now found a new fun. They dare trains.
This is needed to be done fast, because if one is appearing before the train too long before and machinist could see him and start breaking, so they run on the rails just before the train so he couldn't start breaking and fell down on the rails, then the train moves above the person at his maximum speed, just a few inches from his head and back.
Russian teen girls seem to go for this too. This is really a desperate activity taken by this damn teen with her life .... But Is it a Real Or A Fake ?? !! whatever am speechless !! check out some cool pics one after other.
Labels: clip, cool, crazy, damn, dumb, fun, gallery, girl, illusion, pic, silly, stupid, teen, watch, weird, young
Sign up to receive the latest Photos, News, Celebrities at your Inbox FREE
13above (446)
ghanshyam (4)
ghanshyam sarda (5)
odd news (43)
offbeats (103)
unseen (47)
GD Birla School
Ghanshyam Sarda
Virashka
Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli's post-wedding celebration
With a ring sparkling on her engagement finger and the bridal chudas decked on both her hands, Anushka seems to be embracing her wedded life...
A Woman Gives Birth To Septuplets
Egyptian nurses tend to newborn septuplets at the el-Shatbi hospital in the Egyptian coastal city of Alexandria, Egypt, Saturday, Aug. 16, ...
Sexy Israeli Girls In Bikini
Waoo ! Israeli girls are really sexy ... let's have some romance on the beach. Visit 13above For More Fu...
World's most Disturbing Bottle Babies
Mutter Museum in Philadelphia, PA. It's a museum of medical oddities. They have many exhibits of conjoined twins... It's extremely ...
World's Hottest Female Triplets Ever
Threesome's are nice and all, but the achievement of a "fourgy" is a whole other story. The best approach when trying to achie...
Hot Grannies Bare All For 2010 Charity Calendar
Some of the original Calendar Girls have been brave enough to bare all again a decade after they originally stripped for charity. Six of the...
World's Top 10 Hottest Politicians
1. Mara Carfagna (Italy) : Position : Member of Chamber of Deputies (Campania 2), Minister for Equal Opportunity Party : The People of Fre...
The Best Skateboarding Bearings
What are the best skateboard bearings? This is a question (one of many) that plague skateboarders of all kinds. Assuming that the faste...
Top 10 Smallest Celebrity B(.)(.)bs
You could probably win money to spot any cleavage in the chest area of these celebrities. That, however, hasn't stop them from climbing ...
Weirdest Eye Piercings
Your eyes are amongst the most expressive areas on your body, and your eyes are wholly unique. Naturally, a great way to emphasize your eye...
Conficker Virus Could Cause Internet Chaos In Apri...
Non-Scientific Weird Species Discovered
Real Estate Listings And Homes For Sale
Top 10 Tips - How To Buy A Used Car ?
Giant 400 Years Old Egg For Sale
Jobless Could Hit 4 Million - Predicts Bank Advise...
World's Amazing Miniatur Wunderland
UNSEEN Pics Of Marilyn Monroe TOPLESS !
A Trillion Dollar - Face Off
Geek Costumes
Top 7 Biggest Internet Threats !
Extreme Closeup - Submarine Eruption Near Tonga
RoboCroc - A Robotization Of Undead Crocodile !
Funny Gallery - The Ugliest Cheerleaders
Google Earth Reveals Ancient 1,000 Years Old Fish ...
Top 10 Sexiest Female Lips
Extreme Body Modifications !!
Restaurant Where Dogs And Clothes Are Not Allowed
Best And Worst Celebrity Scandals Of 2008
3-Foot Iron Rod Speared Kid (3 Years Old)
Feel The Breath Of Dinosaurs AGAIN !!
Weird GYPSY Bride !!
Top 7 Forbes Rich List
People Jumping Off A Railway Bridge !! Are They CR...
Amazing Celebrity Miniaturizations
Worst Paintings Of Barack Obama ..Lol
Top 8 Horrible Tumors
Global Economy Set To Shrink, India Loses Half A M...
Dream Technologies Of Future
Cutiest Love Story - A Dolphin Fallen In Love With...
Amazing Sculpture By The Sea !
Eye-Catchy Attempts By Hot Famous Celebrities
Weird Corner - Humanoid Fish !! Spotted Near South...
Top 10 Best Fails Ever
Is Obama Hiding His Grey ?
Religious Apparitions Everywhere !!
Time To Fix - Proper Utilization Of Your Mortgage
Sri Lanka Cricket Team Members Injured in Lahore F...
Freaky Zombies
Google's Biggest Failure Is Marissa Mayer
Topless Shock - Reality TV Dance
© 2008 13above.com. Picture Window theme. Powered by Blogger.


Recruitment Agencies – It's Time to Get Rid of Your Fax!
Recruitment agencies use sophisticated systems for keeping track of applicants and processing the vast numbers of CVs, references and cover letters they receive.
They use applicant tracking systems, or ATS, to streamline this process. Instead of staff reading each CV and cover letter, an ATS scans the information in the application and breaks it down into digestible parts. Contact details are extracted, as are references and work history.
The ATS then looks to see if keywords in the job description are included in the applicant's CV and cover letter. If so, the applicant progresses to the next level in the decision-making process.
But if recruitment agencies use sophisticated, digital technology like ATS for application processing, why are many still relying on fax machines to send and receive documents? Why not bring everything into the digital realm? Here's how.
Bringing faxes into the digital age is easier than you think. The internet has many ways of sidestepping the tyranny of the fixed phone line, including offering calls and video chat online. It also offers the opportunity to send a fax online.
With a provider like mBox, you get a virtual fax number that exists in the cloud. It's just like a real fax number, except there is no physical line and therefore no line rental. When you want to send a fax, you attach the document to an email and input the recipient's fax number followed by @efaxsend.com. When the email is sent, the recipient's fax machine receives the document as it would a regular fax.
Not only is it faster than a fax machine, the mBox fax is as easy to use as an email, gives you free cloud storage for your documents, and lets you choose a fax number from a number of different locations. Toner costs? Paper costs? Phone line installation fees? There are none!
Nor are there anxious waits to see if the machine connects, or concerns you have left a sensitive document on the fax machine. Best of all, there is no new software to learn – if you can send an email, you can send an mBox fax.
While it's true that we still need hard copies of documents, there is no reason why we need to use traditional fax machines to share them. Your computer can send and receive faxes with more ease and for a lot less cost.
Technically, you don't even need a PC – you can download the mBox app and use your smartphone as a fax machine. This could be handy if you need to send a CV to head office and you are not at your PC. Because the documents are kept in the cloud, you can access them through your phone and send them from there. Don't have a scanner and all you have is a hard copy of a document? Take a photo with your smartphone and fax it straight away.
The large quantities of documents that recruitment agencies are required to process and keep on file means they can gain a real advantage from cloud based storage and sending faxes online. It's no longer necessary to put up with the cost and inconvenience of the old-fashioned fax machine.


Gregersen, S. (2014). Delt infinitiv i dansk. Danske Studier, 76-87.
Gregersen, S. (Ed.) (2018). CLOW3 Book of Abstracts: 3rd conference on Contested Languages in the Old World (CLOW3), University of Amsterdam, 3–4 May 2018. Amsterdam.
Gregersen, S. (2019). Scandinaviërs in Xinjiang. De Groene Amsterdammer, 2019(4).
Gregersen, S. (2014). »En hvislen i bækken« – det danske sprogs kentaurer. Mål og Mæle, 36(3), 5-8.
Gregersen, S. (2018). Vereniging voor Oudgermanisten.
Gregersen, S. (2017-). The Early English Text Society.
Gregersen, S. (2017-). Selskab for østnordisk filologi.
Gregersen, S. (2016-). Societas Linguistica Europaea.
Gregersen, S. (2016-). International Society for the Linguistics of English.
Gregersen, S. (editor) (2018-2020). Folia Linguistica (Journal).
Gregersen, S. (speaker) (6-2-2019). The meaning(s) of must in Middle English, The Eleventh International Conference on Middle English, Florence, Italy.
Gregersen, S. (speaker) (1-9-2018). The meaning(s) of must in Middle English, 51st Annual Meeting of the Societas Linguistica Europaea, Tallinn, Estonia.
Caers, W. (speaker), Gregersen, S. (speaker), Fischer, O. C. M. (speaker) & Nuyts, J. (speaker) (29-8-2018). Directionals and (de)grammaticalization in the Dutch modals, 51st Annual Meeting of the Societas Linguistica Europaea, Tallinn, Estonia.
Gregersen, S. (speaker) (12-9-2017). Dare and the 'degrammaticalization' debate – reappraising the evidence, 50th Annual Meeting of the Societas Linguistica Europaea, Zürich, Switzerland.
Gregersen, S. (invited speaker) (29-6-2017). Middle English impersonals in cross-linguistic perspective, English Research Seminar, Bamberg, Germany.
Gregersen, S. (invited speaker) (28-6-2017). Germanic 'courage' modals: Form, function, and history, Linguistische Werkstatt, Bamberg, Germany.
Gregersen, S. (speaker) (6-5-2017). Impersonal modals in Middle English, York-Newcastle-Holland Symposium on the History of English Syntax , Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Gregersen, S. (speaker) (21-4-2017). Impersonal modals in Middle English, T.W.I.S.T. Student Conference for Linguistics.
Gregersen, S. (speaker) (4-4-2017). Dare and the 'degrammaticalization' debate – reappraising the evidence, Santiago-Leuven-Edinburgh seminar on Grammatical Variation and Change in English.
Gregersen, S. (speaker) (16-12-2016). To dare larks: Analogy and interference in the English modals, Thirty-Eighth Symposium on Old English, Middle English and Historical Linguistics in the Low Countries.
Gregersen, S. (speaker) (25-11-2016). To dare larks: Analogy and interference in the English modals, NAP-dag 2016.
Gregersen, S. (organiser) (3-5-2018 - 4-5-2018). Contested Languages in the Old World, Amsterdam, Netherlands (organising a conference, workshop, ...).
Gregersen, S. (other) (2017 - 2020). The Year's Work in English Studies (other).
Gregersen, S. (organiser) (6-5-2017 - 7-5-2017). York-Newcastle-Holland Symposium on the History of English Syntax, Amsterdam, Netherlands (organising a conference, workshop, ...).


text:
Women's Lacrosse: Brynn Mendes earns All-Conference honors
WINTHROP, Mass. - Freshman Brynn Mendes of the Norwich University women's lacrosse team earned Third Team All-Conference honors for her outstanding play during her first season at Norwich, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference announced on Monday.
Mendes started all 17 of Norwich's games this year, filling the stat sheet in almost every single one. She finished her freshman season with 24 goals and 11 assists for 35 points, along with 39 ground balls, 24 caused turnovers, and 65 draw controls. In her first career game and start, she scored a hat trick to go with an assist for a four-point day, along with four draw controls in an example of what was to come for her season.
She recorded a season-high five points twice this year, first at St. Joseph on March 27th with two goals and three assists followed by four goals and an assist against NVU-Lyndon on April 22nd. In that NVU-Lyndon game, she broke the program single-game draw controls record with 15 after tieing the record earlier in the year with 10. Her 65 draw controls on the season is the third highest single-season mark in program history, behind Grace Fitzpatrick's 76 in 2013 and 66 in 2012 and just ahead of teammate Emily Schromm's 61 from last season. With 65 draw controls for her career, she's already seventh all-time in career totals.
Norwich women's lacrosse posted a 7-10 overall record and 4-7 mark within the GNAC before bowing out in the first round of the playoffs to eventual conference champion Johnson & Wales. Entering Head Coach Heather Faasse's third year with the program and only losing two seniors to graduation, the young Cadets' seem poised to make more strides forward as a program in 2020.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Old wine and new--you've got to decide what you really are. You cannot be both. Anyone in Christ is new. The Word is clear that the old is past, and there's only the new. You cannot be an old and new creation at the same time. And yet, if we look around churches, this is what most Christians are. They claim to be born again and yet look and live the same way they did when they were yet non believers--well at least they've gotten rid of their statues and idols and they're now active in church.
But that's garbage, too, if you're not a genuine new creation getting newer in Christ each day so that you yourself are no longer seen by people but they see Jesus. God's flesh. Yes, God is spirit, but we are his flesh on earth. They should see God in you, and you cease to be seen any longer.
Here's how Hosea put it: "..they've left the Lord in favor of prostitution, to old wine and new, which make them dull (spiritually) and given to idol making and worship (though they are in a born again church). That's the spirit of prostitution; it deceives them to be unfaithful to God so that they keep worshiping the wrong way and always preferring comfy worship places ('where the shade is very comfy')," [Hosea 4.10-13]. My version.
No wonder church people always prefer mega comfy church buildings.
Old wine and new makes you dull spiritually. No wonder many believers today do not get what the Word is really saying. It's something like what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3: a veil covers their hearts so they cannot see. Having that veil removed is the key to reflecting God's glory on us. That's when Jesus is revealed on our bodies. That's God's flesh.
As long as Christians remain being both (new and old creation) they will never understand. Old wine and new makes you dull. They will never have the Lord's glory reflected on them. And revelations says if you remain lukewarm (neither hot nor cold), the Lord will spew you out.
are controlled by the demon or spirit of prostitution which makes you unfaithful to God no matter how active you are in church.
cannot be fed spiritually by the Word of God and are actually dying of starvation even if you enjoy good sermons in church and always read the bible. "These people will eat but never have enough."
cannot increase spiritually because of your prostitution. Also, though you engage in prostitution to increase in church membership--and indeed physically you may be increasing in number and are even a mega church--you do not increase in God's eyes. Very few, if any, get born again genuinely. You do not have genuine Jesus disciples. All you have are church members.
Prostitution, in Hosea's context, is saying you love God and yet rely on another or have other loves. Or, giving the love and devotion due God to others [1.5 and 8]. This is what church denominations do. They build their own empires, not God's Kingdom. They use worldly systems, not God's supernatural ways. They devote a great deal of time, effort, and money to denominational expansionism and church building, not on God's genuine glorious church which is without spot or wrinkle or any other blemish--and which is without any denomination.
Church denominations are guilty of idol worship. Their denominations and church buildings have become the idols of their hearts. They worship them every Sunday.
Jesus said all believers should be one as the Father and Son are one. That means perfectly one (because the Father and Son are perfectly one), no denominations that have different doctrines and teachings and policies and manuals. Yet, church denominations stubbornly insist on doing things their own ways and keeping their own little empires. That's the demon of prostitution that keeps their members like old wine and new.


text:
LOOK + FEEL
Best of GR
Best of Grand Rapids Ballot
Coffee Fix Picks 2022
THINGS TO DO IN GR THIS WEEKEND
FACES OF WEST MICHIGAN
WOMEN WHO MOVE WEST MICHIGAN
MUSEUMS + ATTRACTIONS
NIGHTCLUBS + COMEDY
OUT + ABOUT
REAL ESTATE ALL-STARS
PICTURE THIS GALLERY
NEWSSTAND OUTLETS
Grand Rapids Magazine
Sleep safely
Untreated sleep apnea can have serious health consequences.
Marie Havenga
Chris Morgan, M.D., medical director for Mercy Health Saint Mary's Sleep Center, said obstructive sleep apnea is a serious condition that affects about 25% of adults between the ages of 30 and 70. Photo by iStock
On their first date, time accelerated for John and Mary Schaff. They knew they were meant to be.
"We talked so long that by the time I looked around, the wait staff was wiping down tables and turning over chairs," Mary said. "Even after decades of marriage, he would still call me from work five or six times a day just to chat."
But the phone calls abruptly ended on April 6, 2015. Forever.
Mary was visiting their daughter in Colorado. She called John that morning to check in. No answer. No worries. She thought he probably was out walking the dog.
She phoned again later. Still no answer.
"That's when I called our son to go and check on his father," Mary said.
That's when her life changed forever. Because John's had ended.
Mary and John Schaff shared many happy years before his passing due to sleep apnea-related complications. Courtesy Mary Schaff
"John had died earlier that morning," she said. "The EMTs told us that he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest, but only after letting the dog out, making breakfast and cleaning up the dishes. His death was the result of complications related to untreated sleep apnea. He was 57 years old and healthy in every other way. The only thing worse than losing John is knowing that had he been diagnosed sooner and gotten the help he needed, his untimely death likely could have been prevented."
Chris Morgan, M.D., medical director for Mercy Health Saint Mary's Sleep Center, said obstructive sleep apnea is a serious condition that affects about 25% of adults between the ages of 30 and 70. The scary part? Up to 90% of people are undiagnosed, according to Morgan.
"Patients may experience excessive daytime sleepiness, snoring, stopping breathing during sleep, insomnia, excessive nighttime urination, awakening with a dry mouth or sore throat, morning headache, high blood pressure and nighttime sweating," he said.
Risk factors include obesity, family history, high blood pressure, heart or lung disease, diabetes and stroke.
Moderate cases may improve by avoiding alcohol and sedating medications at bedtime, according to Morgan.
The scary part? Up to 90% of people are undiagnosed.
Chris Morgan, M.D.
Severe cases may require a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine or surgical intervention.
"Most treatments for sleep apnea are generally noninvasive and safe," Morgan said. "There are many options for treating sleep apnea now, so please discuss symptoms with your doctor to keep yourself healthy."
Don't wait if you or your spouse sense something is off. Sleep apnea risk increases with age.
Mary suspected something, beginning when John was in his early 40s.
"John had always snored, but it never alarmed me, until one day when his snoring intensified and there was an abrupt silence from his side of the bed," she said. "I counted the seconds ticking by. Alarmed, I shouted, 'John, wake up!' Startled awake, he said, 'What?' I told him he was snoring and that he had stopped breathing. He reassured me he was fine as he rolled over and went back to sleep."
Mary continued to express concerns. John downplayed them.
"As time went on, this scene became almost a nightly occurrence," she said. "I wanted to believe John was right and that there was no reason to worry. When John went to his doctor, all the tests on his blood and heart came back normal. There was a disconnect between what he was experiencing while he was sleeping and his general good health."
Eventually, John, like a certain Snow White dwarf, struggled to stay awake.
"As the years passed, John began having trouble staying awake during the day," Mary said. "He started to fall asleep in church, watching TV or at his desk. I was startled the first time he dozed off at the wheel."
John died two days before his scheduled sleep test at a local medical facility.
"I realize the test itself may not have saved his life, but it would have been a start," Mary said. "It would have been the beginning of his using either a CPAP or BiPAP machine so he could breathe again, to be able to sleep deeply through the night and start to heal his heart. A new beginning of a life where he could lose the weight, stop feeling tired and meet his first grandchild — a baby girl born six months after his death. It might have even been the start of another three decades for us to be together … to continue talking about everything and nothing."
Chris Morgan
John Schaff
Mary Schaff
Mercy Health Saint Mary's Sleep Center
Previous articleGrand Rapids Symphony to premiere Grammy-nominated show
Next articleBrewery Vivant, John Ball Zoo team up on beer to celebrate sustainability
Discers fling for food drive
RSV cases on the rise this season
Off to a running start
Sign up to receive the latest news, events, and offerings from Grand Rapids Magazine!
JANUARY/FEBRUARY ISSUE
Kids & Family Expo
Winter Bridal Show of West Michigan
Ramen bar estimates summer opening
Rachel Watson - March 15, 2022
Midland couple to open Taste of Cairo in downtown Grand Rapids
Staying fit in just 10 minutes a day
Jesse O'Brien - March 17, 2022
Movie theater opening in Kentwood
Danielle Nelson - March 14, 2022
Le Macaron franchise coming to downtown
Grand Rapids Magazine is the definitive resource on the people, food & drink, culture, arts & entertainment, lifestyle and news of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Contact us: hello@grmag.com
© 2023 - Grand Rapids Magazine


text:
Case Studies: How Four Museums Are Taking Dramatic Measures to Admit More Women Artists Into the Art Historical Canon
Julia Halperin & Charlotte Burns
Our research reveals just how little art by women is being collected and exhibited by museums. But some institutions are beginning to address the problem—and starting to find solutions. Here are four case studies.
In recent years, institutions including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Baltimore Museum of Art have made headlines by selling off the work of canonized white men to raise money to diversify their collections. But few are aware that another museum quietly undertook a similar project way back in 2013.
Now, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts serves as a case study for how such moves can create permanent and profound change within an institution.
PAFA's decision to auction Edward Hopper's East Wind Over Weehawken (1934) at Christie's for $40.5 million was deemed controversial at the time. But the museum and art school has gone on to use the proceeds from that sale to consistently acquire significantly more works by female artists each year than institutions with far larger budgets, such as the Brooklyn Mus


Somontano is the perfect place to live the adventure with full security thanks to our adventure sport companies. Their teams of professionals are highly qualified and have a long experience of nature and adventure activities as well as a great respect for the conservation of the natural environment.
Guides will take you to exceptional places far off the beaten track and help you discover some of the most beautiful spots within the Sierra de Guara National Park while canyoning, walking or mountain biking.
Whatever your physical condition or age, the guides will recommend the most suitable activity, tailor-made to your likes and needs, to ensure that you experience a wide range of emotions during your discovery of Somontano.
And all of this set against an incomparable natural background and an environment of cordiality, security and fun.


text:
Saha Airlines () es una aerolínea con base en Teherán, Irán. Opera vuelos de cabotaje de pasajeros con tres Boeing 737-300.  Fue fundada en 1990 y es propiedad de la Fuerza Aérea Iraní. Los vuelos regulares domésticos incluyen vuelos diarios desde su base del aeropuerto de Mehrabad en Teherán a Mashhad, Isla Kish, Assoulyeh y sus aviones también efectúan apariciones regulares en Shiraz.

Es famosa por ser la última compañía del mundo en operar el Boeing 707 en vuelos de pasajeros. Estos aviones en particular se tratan de ex-707s repostadores en vuelo, entregados en 1976 y que fueron puestos en servicio de pasajeros debido a las sanciones económicas de los EE.UU. que imposibilitaron la adquisición de nuevos aviones por parte de Irán desde 1979. Los aficionados a la aeronáutica (incluyendo ciudadanos estadounidenses) efectúan viajes frecuentemente a Irán, incluyendo grupos organizados, para volar en los bien conservados y antiguos 707. Debido a sus anteriores vidas como aviones militares, los 707 han permanecido mucho tiempo parados o efectuando vuelos militares esporádicos, por esta razón ostentan escasas cifras de horas de aerolínea, situándose de media en las 25.000 horas cada uno, por lo que aun les queda mucho tiempo de vida (la media de vida de los aviones a reacción es de 100.000 horas). A 19 de noviembre de 2009 todos los 707 se encontraban ya en servicio.

Flota

Flota Actual
La flota de Saha Airlines incluye las siguientes aeronaves (a octubre de 2021): Saha es la última aerolínea con aviones 707 en servicio de pasajeros con cinco aviones ex-cisterna.

La flota de Saha Airlines posee a octubre de 2021 una edad promedio de: 23.6 años.

Flota Histórica

</center>

Incidentes y accidentes
 20 de abril de 2005: el Vuelo 171 de Saha Air, un Boeing 707, con registro EP-SHE, en vuelo de la Isla de Kish, se estrelló mientras aterrizaba en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Mehrabad, Teherán tras una aproximación desestabilizada y a una velocidad superior a la recomendada. La rueda y/o la suspensión fallaron tras la toma y el avión se salió por el final de la pista. De los doce tripulantes y 157 pasajeros, tan sólo tres murieron.

 3 de agosto de 2009: el Vuelo 124 de Saha Air, un Boeing 707, con registro EP-SHK, regresó al Aeropuerto de Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Irán para efectuar un aterrizaje de emergencia diez minutos después del despegue debido a un fallo en uno de sus cuatro motores. Los 176 tripulantes y pasajeros salieron ilesos.

 14 de enero de 2019: el Accidente del Boeing 707 de Saha Airlines. El avión se estrelló en la Base Aérea Fath, en Irán. Quince de las dieciséis personas a bordo murieron.

Referencias

Enlaces externos

Aerolíneas de Irán
Aerolíneas fundadas en 1990

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Bernhard Mecking steps down as Hall B leader at Jefferson Lab
Jefferson Lab staff scientist Bernhard Mecking with the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) in Hall B.
On 1 February 2003, Bernhard Mecking stepped down as leader of Hall B to return to full-time research at the Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) in Newport News, Virginia.
Mecking came to Jefferson Lab from the University of Bonn 18 years ago, before Hall B even existed. He had a vision for the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS), a remarkable instrument which he led from its conception through the design and construction phases, and finally to commissioning and experiments.
Mecking will now work on extracting physics from the terabytes of data that CLAS has accumulated. On 27 February, Jefferson Lab staff and users joined with the 170-member CLAS Collaboration in honoring Mecking at the Collaboration meeting. Fellow veteran Jefferson Lab physicist, Volker Burkert, was welcomed as the new Hall B leader.
Jefferson Science Associates, LLC, a joint venture of the Southeastern Universities Research Association, Inc. and PAE, manages and operates the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, or Jefferson Lab, for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.
DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science.


text:
Ethics, Morality and the CCA Party
Avoiding the appearance of conflict of interest…by not disclosing it.
CCA Party Town Council candidate owns an OIL WELL? Read on.
In an earlier article by my colleague Bob Yarnall, we covered the significant differences between what the two Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA Party) candidates for Chariho School Committee said on their CCA Party biographies compared to what they reported to the RI Ethics Commission.
Click here to read Bob's entire article, but in a nutshell, both candidates, Donna Chambers and Ron Areglado, have some explaining to do about these blatant inconsistencies—especially given that Areglado calls himself the president of something called the Center for Ethical and Moral Leadership (which may or may not exist - sort of like Blake Filippi's RI Liberty Coalition).
But the CCA Party slate's problems with the RI Ethics Commission are broader than resume inflation.
Three additional members of the CCA Party ticket for 2014 appear to be in violation of the state's ethics laws by failing to disclose what they need to disclose.
Full disclosure is important to open and transparent government. Disclosures tell us a lot about potential conflicts of interest. And the CCA Party trumpets their high ethical standards and their devotion to open and transparent government every chance they get.
For example, before the CCA Town Council majority had launched its attack on the state Water Resources Board for their effort to buy undeveloped land owned by the Glista Family to protect the water below it, it would have been nice to know that Town Council Boss Tom Gentz has invested in the American Water Works Company, one of the nation's largest private water system developers.
That may explain why Gentz and his CCA Party colleagues tried so hard to characterize the state Water Resources Board land purchase as a precursor to a public water supply.
Topics: 2014 elections, Areglado, CCA, Chambers, Chariho Schools, Charlestown, COPAR quarry, fact-checking CCA, Frank Glista, Planning Commission, Tina Jackson, Tom Gentz, Town Council
Sunday morning...don't forget
Topics: Charlestown
Crafts for Halloween
Popular on Hexsy.com
By Gemma Correll
Click here to see all the artsy things you can get for Halloween.
Topics: Halloween, Humor
A Spectre in the Eastern Veil
Frightening forms and scary faces are a mark of the Halloween season. They also haunt this cosmic close-up of the eastern Veil Nebula.
The Veil Nebula itself is a large supernova remnant, the expanding debris cloud from the death explosion of a massive star. While the Veil is roughly circular in shape and covers nearly 3 degrees on the sky in the constellation Cygnus, this portion of the eastern Veil spans only 1/2 degree, about the apparent size of the Moon.
That translates to 12 light-years at the Veil's estimated distance, a reassuring 1,400 light-years from planet Earth.
In the composite of image data recorded through broad and narrow band filters, emission from hydrogen atoms in the remnant is shown in red with strong emission from oxygen atoms in blue-green hues. Of course, in the western part of the Veil lies another seasonal apparition, the Witch's Broom.
Topics: dark skies, Halloween, NASA
Question 3 - the "Constitutional Convention" - a really bad idea
Topics: 2014 elections, Charlestown, Civil rights
VIDEO: "My vision for the State of Rhode Island is a rebuilt economy that includes everybody." – Gina Raimondo
Hillary and Gina Talk Women and Wages
By Tracey C. O'Neill
EDITOR'S NOTE: Our friend and colleague Tracey has recently revamped her website covering South County and statewide news and politics. Visit her site HERE. With her permission, here is more detailed coverage of Hillary Clinton's recent RI visit in support of Gina Raimondo for Governor.
Hillary Clinton at Rhode Island College with Gina
Raimondo in October 2014. (Tracey C. O'Neill)
Providence - Hillary Rodham Clinton visited Rhode Island on Friday stumping for Gina Raimondo to become the 75th governor of the state and its first women to hold the highest office.
Meeting up on the campaign trail at Rhode Island College's Recreation Center, Clinton and Raimondo set forth the current state treasurer's plan for Rhode Island, focused on investment in the future of the state's workforce, through training, education, an increase in the minimum wage and equal pay for equal work.
Highlighting the plight of women in the workforce, Raimondo, then Clinton noted the number of women in the workforce who are receiving minimum wage.
"I'm going to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour," said Raimondo. "Right now if you work in Rhode Island making the minimum wage, you're living on $16, 640 a year. That's not enough and that's not right. And two-thirds of minimum wage earners are women."
Topics: 2014 elections, economy, Gina Raimondo, Hillary, Jack Reed, TraceyC
VIDEO: Suicide solution: go fishing
Empathy Deficit Disorder
Commenting on a recent student suicide at an Alaska high school, Alaska's Republican Congressman Don Young said suicide didn't exist in Alaska before "government largesse" gave residents an entitlement mentality.
"When people had to work and had to provide and had to keep warm by putting participation in cutting wood and catching the fish and killing the animals, we didn't have the suicide problem," he said. Government handouts tell people "you are not worth anything but you are going to get something for nothing."
Alaska has the highest rate of suicide per capita in America – almost twice the national average, and a leading cause of death in Alaska for young people ages 15 to 24 — but I doubt it's because Alaskans lead excessively easy lives.
Topics: 2014 elections, culture war
Filippi tries to cover up his extremist views and connections
Violates ethics disclosure law
Filippi left out a pretty important one. I guess he tried to nullify
the state Ethics law when it comes to full disclosure for himself.
Providence lawyer and bogus Block Island resident Blake Filippi is working overtime to try to defend the new, but false, image he has created for himself in his campaign to unseat Rep. Donna Walsh.
First, he uses every defense except perhaps "I am not a crook" to defend against Rep. Walsh's formal complaint that he misrepresented himself as a Block Island resident when a wide array of public records show that he actually lives in Lincoln, which is way outside the district.
Filippi also has ties with the milita group, the Oath Keepers
Then Filippi stages a media stunt to pretend he supports the struggle of the victims of the Copar quarry for relief from the daily pain they suffer. He tells the desperate victims that he will push for new state laws to tightly regulate Copar and other mining operations around the state.
What he doesn't tell them is that he is a hard-core Tea Partier who doesn't believe in government regulation of businesses, expecting that the free market will handle such problems.
At his Copar side show, he was backed up by a chorus of Town Council candidates running on the CCA Party ticket, even though the CCA Party controlled Town Council has failed to take any meaningful actions to control mining in Charlestown. I guess this moves the CCA Party another step closer to formally aligning with Filippi.
Sources: Providence Journal, 4/11/2007 and 11/30/07. Also click here.
For the state court case, click here. Ballard's also hires large numbers
of immigrant workers under various visa problems (e.g. H2B). Visa
workers are less likely to complain. These workers are indentured to
their "sponsor" and are easily deported.
In Filippi's campaign literature, he claims to be a "jobs creator."
Filippi also attempted to blot out his past by failing to disclose his directorship of his own organization, the RI Liberty Coalition.
Filippi set up this group as the platform to campaign for "nullification" which is the discredited legal theory that governments and even individuals can disobey laws they don't believe in, such as gun control, traffic lights or in Charlestown's case, affordable housing.
Filippi was required by law to list the RI Liberty Coalition on his financial disclosure report filed with the RI Ethics Commission (click here for his report). Here's a full-sized view of the graphic shown above - a screenshot showing how he handled the disclosure:
Topics: 2014 elections, CCA, Charlestown, COPAR quarry, culture war, Donna Walsh, Filippi, Tea Party
VIDEO: Henri celebrates Halloweeen
Topics: cats, Halloween, Humor
VIDEO: Politifacts calls Almonte attacks FALSE
Topics: 2014 elections, Ernie Almonte, Seth Magaziner
Great info-graphic on Ebola
Ebola: a users guide
By Maki Naro
Done in comic book format, this graphic conveys very useful and factual detail about Ebola in an effort to replace panic with common sense.
Click here to see the entire graphic.
Topics: Health, Science
Driving Government Out of Business
If the Republicans gain a Senate majority, they'll try to topple these four pillars of public service.
The GOP's Sharp Teeth, an OtherWords cartoon by Khalil Bendib
By Emily Schwartz Greco and William A. Collins
Republican operative Grover Norquist used to quip about shrinking government to the point where it would get small enough to drown in the bathtub. You probably thought he was kidding.
His joke could be on us all soon enough.
Pollsters say the Republican Party is likely to nab at least a slim Senate majority in this year's mid-term elections.
And The Washington Post gives Republicans a 99 percent chance of retaining their firm control over the House of Representatives.
Topics: 2014 elections, Class War, OtherWords.org
Ten new local job openings
Opportunities in the South County non-profit sector
Normally, I run non-profit and public service job openings in "Charlestown Tapas," a more or less weekly round-up of short news items.
But in recent days, there have been a number of postings on RI Community Jobs (a service of the Swearer Center at Brown University) that I felt they shouldn't wait.
If you're looking for work, you should sign up for RI Community Jobs free daily e-mail. They list jobs all over the state, plus in nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut. I usually pull the ones in South County for posting on Progressive Charlestown.
Here's what's new on the South County Job Market.
Topics: Charlestown, unemployment
Beware of false independents
A check of 'independent' candidates' backing
By Suzanne Ferrio
In-de-pend-dent - not dependent: as not subject to control by others, not affiliated with a larger controlling unit, not requiring or relying on something else, not looking to others for one's opinions or for guidance in conduct, not bound by or committed to a political party (Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary).
In the upcoming Charlestown local election, there are nine candidates on the ballot who will be listed as Independent. There is only one candidate who fits the definition as stated above: Craig Louzon, who is running his campaign with his own opinions and financing.
The claim by Charlestown Citizens Alliance that their candidates are true "independent candidates" is questionable and misleading when you consider the following:
They are all endorsed by one political group - Charlestown Citizens Alliance
They campaign under a unified platform - Charlestown Citizens Alliance
They campaign as united candidates - Charlestown Citizens Alliance
100 percent campaign financing by one entity - Charlestown Citizens Alliance
60 percent out-of-state financing - Charlestown Citizens Alliance
Charlestown Citizens Alliance is not an officially-recognized political party; they are a registered Political Action Committee or PAC whose sole purpose, by definition, is to raise money for special interest groups.
If their candidates are truly independent, why is it not a single one has offered their own platform, sent out their own campaign material or secured any individual funding?
With Charlestown Citizens Alliance providing everything for their campaign, how can their candidates claim to be independent? More importantly, can they be trusted to be "independent" if elected?
Your vote is important. Vote on Nov. 4 and please support Paula Andersen, Brandon Cleary, and Ron Russo for Town Council, Henry Walsh for Town Moderator and Craig Louzon for School Committee.
This Letter to the Editor was submitted to The Westerly Sun, The Chariho Times and Progressive Charlestown.
Topics: 2014 elections, Brandon Cleary, CCA, Chariho Schools, fact-checking CCA, Paula Andersen, Ron Russo, Town Council
Charlestown Taxes and the Election
Middle-class homeowners deserve a break
Since the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA Party) took control of Charlestown town government in 2008, we have had six straight property tax hikes, despite healthy surpluses. If the CCA Party is returned to power in November, expect tax increases #7 and #8 over the next two years.
However, the one time the CCA Party's constituents raised a ruckus about taxes was in December 2011 when they grabbed their pitchforks and torches to support the town's beachfront absentee property owners in opposing a Homestead Tax Credit proposal by town Democrats.
From the Charlestown Tax Assessor website
The Homestead Credit would have lowered taxes for most town residents, especially middle-class permanent residents, at the cost of a slight increase on million dollar properties owned largely by non-residents[*].
But not a Peep® out of them as the CCA Party took the town's tax rate from $7.16 per $1000 of home value to $9.46. That's a rate increase of 32%!
And contrary to what the CCA Party says, Charlestown DOES NOT have one of the state's lowest tax rates (despite offering almost zero municipal services, as they even admit in their latest campaign mailing) – GoLocalProv's research ranked Charlestown as #20 out of RI's 39 cities and towns.
Screenshot from GoLocal. Note the footnote that levies for local fire
districts are not included. If they were, our ranking would be much
worse. Bottom line: the CCA claim about low taxes is false.
The reasons for the tax hikes – despite regular surpluses far in excess of what are needed to protect our credit rating – is the CCA Party choice to spend down the surpluses by (a) paying cash for capital projects that could have been financed with long-term, low-interest bonds; (b) paying off some bonds before they were due and (c) buying property, such as the $2.1 million expenditure for the land where developer Larry LeBlanc had proposed to build a wind turbine project or affordable housing.
So why no ruckus?
Topics: 2014 elections, CCA, Chariho Schools, Charlestown, Cliff Vanover, fact-checking CCA, George Tremblay, Homestead Exemption, Open Space, RISC, Ruth Platner, Taxes
You have to have a goal
Topics: 2014 elections, Hillary, Humor, President Obama
Why you should support Question #7
Clean Water and Open Space Lack Funds
By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff
PROVIDENCE — If history is any indication, Rhode Island voters will approve Question 7 convincingly Nov. 4. The $53 million Clean Water, Open Space and Healthy Communities referendum follows a record of about 70 percent voter approval for such ballot questions.
This year's ballot question, however, leaves out $4 million for green infrastructure and $3 million for the direct purchase of open space. Both items were requested in Gov. Lincoln Chafee's proposed budget for 2015 but stripped out by the House Finance Committee.
The state Department of Environmental Management (DEM) coordinates open space purchases with land trusts and foundations. DEM's executive director, Janet Coit, said the $1 million remaining money from the 2012 open-space referendum will suffice for this year's final round of open-space funding. After that only $40,000 remains for 2015 and 2016.
Topics: DEM, ecoRI.org, Open Space
UPDATED: CCA files changes to report showing who REALLY owns the CCA Party
UPDATED: CCA Party changes its financial disclosure report to include more non-residents.
Most CCA Party funding comes from out of state
Who says Charlestown's non-residents don't have the right to vote?
They vote early and often and OWN Charlestown town government. They've
turned Charlestown into a government subsidized retirement village where,
as Ron Areglado says, they can spend their time in quiet contemplation.
Of their wealth.
UPDATE: As of this writing, the CCA's final pre-election campaign finance report due on Tuesday, has not been posted. It is listed as "status pending."
However, the CCA Party did file two documents amending the report they filed on October 7 (click here for that report).
These amendments show even more non-resident funding, boosting the CCA Party's total to more than 60% coming from outside of Charlestown.
Continue on for the new donor list reported in the CCA Party's amended report.
Topics: 2012 Charlestown elections, 2014 elections, Brandon Cleary, CCA, Charlestown, Class War, Dan Slattery, Ron Russo, Tom Gentz, YMCA
VIDEO: High-powered endorsement
Hillary Rodham Clinton Lauds Raimondo's Plan for RI
EDITOR'S NOTE: Our friend and colleague Tracey has recently revamped her website covering South County and statewide news and politics. Visit her site HERE. With her permission, this is a great sample of her new features.
Video Short: Hillary Rodham Clinton, packing a bag full of credentials that includes 8 years in the White House serving as First Lady, 4 years as Secretary of State, her service as Senator to the State of New York, and a probable run for President of the United States in the near future, visited Rhode Island on Friday to support Democrat Gina Raimondo in her bid for governor.
President and First Lady to visit this week
On Thursday, First Lady Michelle Obama comes to town on Raimondo's behalf, followed by a Presidential visit on Friday. President Barack Obama is expected to talk about economic recovery during his visit.
Topics: 2014 elections, Gina Raimondo, Hillary, President Obama, TraceyC
Voter fraud in South County by non-residents?
Charlestown, Block Island have lots more registered voters than residents over age 18
Yesterday and Monday, we talked about House District 36 candidate Blake Filippi voting and running from Block Island when he actually lives in Lincoln.
He's not the only one who apparently doesn't follow the law about voting where you really live.
The Providence Journal recently compared municipal voter lists to US Census Bureau data on the number of residents of those municipalities who were over the age of 18[1]. They found that in a number of communities, especially those along the coast[2], there were far more registered voters than people eligible to vote.
Out of Charlestown's total population of 7,781, there are 6,278 who are over 18. However, when the ProJo did its report, they found 6,375 Charlestown registered voters, or 101.55% of the maximum possible number of those actually eligible. In recent data supplied to me by Town Clerk Amy Weinreich, the number of Charlestown registrations has actually increased to 6,401, which works out to 123 more voters than residents of voting age.
On Block Island, the numbers are far worse. According to the ProJo, Block Island has registered almost twice as many people (196.61%) as it has residents eligible to vote. Among those many people who are voting on Block Island but who live somewhere else is none other than Blake Filippi, candidate for House District 36. You may have recently received his mailing that starts out with his claim that he is "a lifelong resident of the District" when there are a couple dozen documents that establish his actual residence as Lincoln.
That's probably just fine with the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA Party) which has all but endorsed Filippi, despite his radical secessionist views—or perhaps because of it, given their stance on Charlestown exceptionalism and the Slattery doctrine of noninterference from agents of the state government[3].
Topics: 2014 elections, Amy Weinreich, CCA, Census, Charlestown, Donna Walsh, Filippi, Ken Swain, RISC
VIDEO: Lewis Black Says F#%! Voter ID
Topics: 2014 elections, Civil rights, Humor
Off to War We Go
For a preview of what we're stepping into in Iraq and Syria, consider how badly things turned out in Afghanistan.
Here we go again — into yet another war in a tumultuous swath of the world we still don't comprehend. For a preview of what we're stepping into in Iraq and Syria, let's remember Afghanistan.
In the yesteryear of the Cheney-Bush regime, the promise was that our Afghan excursion would promptly dispatch the Taliban, give al-Qaeda the boot, and create a stable democratic government.
But it turned into both the longest war in American history and a costly failure on all counts — with more than 2,000 U.S. soldiers killed, nearly 20,000 maimed, and three-quarters of a trillion dollars down the drain. What have we won?
Topics: Iraq, military, OtherWords.org
In case you missed it: Charlestown's Chariho candidates
How do we score the Class of 2014?
By Robert Yarnall
The CCA Party's team of Ron Areglado and Donna Chambers -
Do they pass the ethics and morality test?
Other than being a registered voter who is 18 years of age or older, there are no minimal qualifications required to run for school committee in the state of Rhode Island. Whether or not a particular candidate is "qualified" in the opinion of the electorate is a different issue.
We the People depend on the claims of Them the Candidates, based primarily on campaign literature, local media profiles and community involvement. We expect them to tell the truth but unfortunately, as you will see as you read on, they often don't.
WARNING: what you are about to read contains links and copies of actual documents, not just commentary. Readers who suffer from an allergy to facts are whereby forewarned.
Topics: 2014 elections, Areglado, CCA, Chambers, Chariho Schools, Charlestown, Education, fact-checking CCA
See for yourself - the evidence on Blake Filippi's election and voter fraud
Here are the documents
1092 Great Road, Lincoln, RI
Yesterday, Rep. Donna Walsh filed a formal complaint with the RI Board of Elections (BOE) alleging that her opponent, Blake Filippi, does not actually live in the District. Instead of living on Block Island, as he swore under penalty of perjury, Filippi actually lives in Lincoln.
There will be some who will be skeptical about Rep. Walsh's charges. However, the evidence is there for you to review for yourself.
We'll start first with Filippi's voter registration, claiming to be a Block Island resident. This was filed in 2000.
Topics: 2014 elections, Charlestown, Donna Walsh, Filippi
Candidate Filippi does not live in the district
Filippi claims Block Island residency while official records show he lives in Lincoln
Walsh files formal complaint
Where Blake Filippi REALLY lives. It's actually in the 46th House District
By Rep. Donna Walsh
I have filed a formal complaint with the RI Board of Elections charging my opponent with misstating his true address on his candidate's declaration this year and on his voter registration, which he first filed in August 15, 2000.
In a recent mailing, Mr. Filippi claimed to be a "life-long resident" of the 36th House District, which includes all of Block Island and Charlestown and parts of Westerly and South Kingstown. He listed his address on his 2014 candidate's declaration and on his 2000 voter registration as 912 Champlin Road, New Shoreham.
However, the following official records contradict that claim and instead show his home address to be in Lincoln, RI, far outside the 36th District:
On twelve major campaign contributions between 2004 and 2014, Mr. Filippi listed his residence as 1092 Great Road, Lincoln.
Two of those donations were made by Mr. Filippi in May and June just before he filed his candidate's declaration swearing under oath that his home was in Block Island.
Mr. Filippi's donation to Fung for Governor listing Lincoln as his home address was made on June 21, just five days before he filed his Notice of Organization with the Board of Elections, a sworn statement listing Block Island as his residence.
Mr. Filippi's bar license in Rhode Island lists his residence as 1092 Great Road, Lincoln.
Mr. Filippi's bar license in Massachusetts also lists his residence as 1092 Great Road, Lincoln.
Mr. Filippi gave 1092 Great Road, Lincoln as his residence when he was stopped for several moving violations in Rhode Island and Arizona in 2000, 2001 and 2003. He registered to vote as a Block Island resident in 2000.
Mr. Filippi's campaign literature lists the number to reach him as the phone number for his residence at 1092 Great Road, Lincoln.
If elephants go extinct...
If we cared about the environment like we care about sports...
Topics: environment, Humor
Charter School fraud cases underscore the need for public oversight
Time for Charter School Accountability
Wendy Lecker, a civil rights attorney in Stamford, joins the many others who complain that charter schools have been allowed to proliferate in an irresponsible manner, with minimal or no supervision.
She writes that it is time to reassess the charter movement and to set new standards for accountability. Across the country, charter school frauds have been exposed, in which the operators are profiting handsomely while refusing to accept the same children as the neighboring district.
The latest example is in North Carolina, where a local businessman is making millions of dollars by supplying goods and services to his four publicly-funded charter schools while insisting that he has no obligation to open the books to public scrutiny. Connecticut has had its own charter scandal, with the implosion of Jumoke Academy.
Meet our Dog of the Week
Meet Hunter
Animal Rescue League of Southern RI
Hello, I am Hunter, which is a fitting name for a dog who loves to be outdoors as much as I do.
As you can see, I am a very big solid Mastiff mix that would prefer a forever home with structure.
I might not be the best dog for little kids because of my size, but I can certainly be fun and adventurous just as any little child could be.
A large yard would also be ideal, as I really would love to be able to run and roam on a regular basis. I love to exercise and enjoy the fresh outdoor air, so going on nice long walks would be nice as well.
So if you are in the market for a big dog with an even bigger heart, please remember me!
Topics: cats, charity, Charlestown, dogs
While it would be great to see Doreen Costa get beaten….
Conservatives from both parties scramble NK political alliances
The choice is between conservative Dem Casimiro and whack-o Tea
Party Republican Costa (who lied about her role in Exeter re-call)
Rep. Doreen Costa is too conservative for North Kingstown Town Council President Liz Dolan, a Republican who endorsed Democrat Julie Casimiro for the House District 31 seat.
But Costa's conservative credentials didn't stop the local fire fighters' union from throwing their support behind the tea party right-winger who sponsored a right-to-work bill in the state legislature.
Topics: 2014 elections, Doreen Costa, RI Future
Understanding the CCA Party, Part 3
It's all about land, money and power – they want it all and they are afraid of anyone they think might take it away.
For Part One, click here.
For Part Two, click here. Just about all of the predictions I made in Part 2 about the way the CCA Party would conduct their campaign have already come true. Check it out for yourself.
The Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA Party) did not appear all of a sudden out of nowhere in 2006 to fight Jim Mageau, who they depicted as an evil tyrant. Their ability to raise boatloads of campaign contributions and run the kind of vicious political campaigns that have given them control over Charlestown town government since 2008 was not an accident.
There is a history, a guiding philosophy and a network of relationships that you can see and begin to understand, if you know where to look.
What drives the CCA Party is not the Pablum® they put into their platform every two years, but the determination to control the land in Charlestown – all of it, whether it is your land, other people's private property, Tribal land, or commercial land – and wealth. And the fear that someone will try to take either of those two commodities away.
As I wrote in Part 1, the CCA Party and its parent, the RI Statewide Coalition (they now call themselves Rhode Island Taxpayers), are part of the new types of "Rich People's Movements" we've seen around the country that have spawned the Tea Party, the new secessionist Libertarians (e.g., Blake Filippi), and other forms of right-wing radicals.
Topics: 2014 elections, CCA, Charlestown, COPAR quarry, fact-checking CCA, Homestead Exemption, Narragansetts, RISC, Ruth Platner, Taxes, Whalerock, YMCA
Make it like the good old days
The GOP's problem with early voting explained
By Jen Sorenson
Click here to see why it isn't racism.
Source: Ow.ly
Topics: culture war
Looking for the roots of historic climate changes
URI oceanographers to examine chemistry deep in seafloor to assess its role in historic climate changes
Todd McLeish, URI
This will be the last research mission for the R/V Knorr
NARRAGANSETT, R.I. – A team of University of Rhode Island oceanographers will spend more than a month at sea beginning next week collecting sediment cores from the seafloor in a National Science Foundation funded effort to learn how ancient climate changes can inform scientists and society about present and future changes.
Led by Professor Arthur Spivack and Marine Scientist Rob Pockalny at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography, along with Rick Murray from Boston University, the researchers will sail aboard the R/V Knorr to Researcher Ridge, an underwater mountain chain in the Atlantic Ocean just north of the equator, where they will collect samples at water depths from 1,000 to 6,000 meters.
Topics: Climate change, Education, Science
First contracts in Southern New England for personal caregivers
Visiting Nurses' Caregivers Celebrate Strong New Contracts, "Whole New Level of Respect" for Home Health Aides
By Matt O'Connor
Waterford CT - Registered nurses (RNs) and home health aides (HHAs) employed by the Visiting Nurses Association of Southeastern Connecticut (VNASC) last week ratified the first contracts to cover both groups of patient care providers.
The votes by the combined workforce of approximately 130 caregivers followed successful negotiations with management of the subsidiary of Lawrence and Memorial Corporation (LMC), the region's largest health service provider.
Topics: Health, hospital, Solidarity
Walk Softly and Carry a Big Beer
Don't just sit on your duffs doing 12-ounce elbow bends — the Russians are buying out Pabst Blue Ribbon.
Keep your paws off my local brew!
OK, that's it. No more Mr. Nice Guy. The avarice of corporate power is getting personal.
I'm talking about beer, the nourishing nectar of a civilized society. Since my teen years, I've done extensive consumer research on the brewer's art, from the full array of ales to the most substantial of stouts.
I weathered the depressing era when national bland beer labels like Budweiser and Miller drove a diversity of livelier regional breweries out of business. More recently, I've rejoiced as a flowering of craft and micro brews has spread from city to city. This trend delivered an abundance of real gusto and local flavor from coast to coast.
But beware, ye who love local beer. Don't just sit on your duffs doing 12-ounce elbow bends, for here come the big brew bastards again. And they're bigger and more menacing than ever.
Topics: Business, culture war, Humor, OtherWords.org
Red light camera conspiracy theorists on the job
Uber-extremist wave about to hit Charlestown
Progressive Charlestown was included on the long list of recipients of the e-mail below from a group calling itself the National Motorists Association. They are a Wisconsin-based group with a non-profit arm that raised almost a quarter million dollars in the most recent tax year.
Based on their website, it appears they are dedicated to protecting drivers' constitutional right to speed, run red-lights, drink and drive and otherwise endanger the rest of us. I guess they'd call that freedom.
Their single largest expense, $128,585 or more than 50% of their revenue, was spent on activities that are only labeled as "other" in their IRS-990 tax report. Much of their income - $197,838 – comes from advertising and from selling stuff. They run ads for lawyers who defend against driving charges and for radar detectors.
They originally formed to lobby against the national 55 mph speed limit. They have fought Mothers Against Drunk Driving over the years and have sought to discredit statistics showing the link between drunk driving and traffic deaths.
So naturally, they are go-to experts for local wing-nuts who are up in arms about Charlestown's new red light cameras.
Here is their letter.
Topics: Charlestown, Charlestown Police, culture war, Red Light Cameras
The truth about the Master Lever
"Straight Ticket Voting" NOT very useful to local Democrats
From the 2010 Rhode Island ballot. DON'T use this if you want to be
100% certain your vote will count for local candidates.
One of the enduring beliefs of the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA Party) is that straight party voting, often called "the Master Lever," puts them and other political organizations not recognized as statewide political parties at a terrible disadvantage. They say it gives an unfair disadvantage to Democrats and that, they say, is undemocratic.
Like so much the CCA Party believes, the truth is different than what they believe.
November 4 will be the last time Rhode Island voters will have the option to use the "straight ticket voting" option. Its anachronistic nickname, the "Master Lever" harks back to the days when we had voting machines where you flipped levers.
The straight party voting option means that by marking one arrow, you can vote for all the candidates of the party of your choice, whether that's the Democratic, Republican or Moderate Party. Or at least that's what most voters believe.
The Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA Party) has been campaigning against the so-called Master Lever, following the lead of CCA leader and Town Council member Dan Slattery's mentor, former Moderate Party leader Ken Block. The CCA Party has argued long and hard that the Master Lever unfairly benefits Democrats.
They get no argument from Charlestown Democrats who also supported an end to the master lever, or from Rep. Donna Walsh (D) and Senator Cathie Cool Rumsey (D) who both voted to eliminate the master lever.
However, what the CCA Party seems to have missed is that they have also benefited from straight-party voting.
Topics: 2012 Charlestown elections, 2014 elections, Catherine Cool Rumsey, CCA, Chariho Schools, Charlestown, Dan Slattery, Donna Walsh, fact-checking CCA, Planning Commission, Ruth Platner, Town Council
Militarizing the WHAT?
You can't escape Zombies in a canoe
By Ted Rall
Click here to see who else is getting free military hardware.
Topics: Humor, military
VIDEO: Coke or Pepsi? Try Neither.
Topics: Business, Food
The Matunuck Controversy
Coastal Communities Feel the Reality of Climate Change
South Kingstown – Coastal communities, residents, business and property owners are feeling the adverse effects of climate change due to sea level rise, coastal inundation, severe storm events, flooding and coastal erosion.
Once known in the abstract as a global warming, big picture issue, the ill effects of carbon emissions and warming seas are taking their toll as government leaders at the national and local levels "prepare to prepare" their citizenry for future climate change crisis and emergent events.
Climate Change erodes Seaside Village
Matunuck Village tucked away on the south coast of Block Island Sound has residents and business owners embattled in a fight against Mother Nature, municipality and time.
The severely eroding shoreline adjacent to homes and businesses in the village created a public safety concern for the Town that pitted residents against town and the state's Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC).
Topics: Beach, Climate change, TraceyC, Weather
Question 3 - the "Constitutional Convention" - a r...
VIDEO: "My vision for the State of Rhode Island is...
Filippi tries to cover up his extremist views and ...
UPDATED: CCA files changes to report showing who R...
In case you missed it: Charlestown's Chariho candi...
See for yourself - the evidence on Blake Filippi's...
If we cared about the environment like we care abo...
Charter School fraud cases underscore the need for...
While it would be great to see Doreen Costa get be...
First contracts in Southern New England for person...
For Rhode Island, here comes the sun
Life Skills Every Teenager Needs
VIDEOS: Why would anyone vote for Ernie Almonte fo...
Paleo-Risk Assessment
Charlestown tapas, plus
Help URI help Rhode Island to create jobs
The Real Public Health Threat
'Leave' Them Alone
Bishop Tobin once again interjects himself into po...
Nukes, numbers and nuts lead off this week's Tapas
VIDEO: How to US Supreme Court arguments interesting
Food and Wine Tasting on November 13 for Scholarsh...
URI oceanographer charting the dynamics of underwa...
A new reason to eat yogurt
Deepwater already pays off for Block Island
How clean are local food establishments?
VIDEO: Henri on art
Rescheduled film on beach restoration
Attack the messager when you can't handle the message
The real crisis is hysteria
Giving you awareness even if it kills you
VIDEO: Why the NRA opposes banning large semi-auto...
Langevin pushes new bill to help veterans and care...
Want to Remove Poison Ivy Patch?
One story that Buddy Cianci doesn't want to talk a...
Prepare to wet your pants
Tanzi to host info session on student loan refinan...
Our Dog of the week
PRIVACY: Snooping on Everyone While the Big Box Th...
Governor Chafee comes to Charlestown to sign Walsh...
Relax, Republicans
Why can't we do this in Charlestown?
Four thousand more trout waiting to be caught
Yet another reason NOT to shop at Wal-Mart
Obama's myRA accounts come up short for savers
That answers that
VIDEO: Republicans are people too.
Stymied by ownership costs, solar giant becomes a ...
Fast or slow – just get it done!
PRIVACY: Private telephone conversations: Dynamic ...
NOT in Charlestown
A bargain at any price
What happens if you have an "uncool" cancer or dis...
HopArts 9th season Saturday and Sunday
How drug companies game the system for profit
If we all can't pass along the shore, nobody can
Learn about Fly-fishing at Kettle Pond in Charlest...
Making Solar Energy even more Efficient
If you want higher test scores, deal with income i...
Reps. Langevin and Cicilline work to keep homes wa...
Someone needs to explain to Greg Abbott where babi...
Sign thieves, Copar court win, Election Jobs, Lari...
Do your part to solve the world's problems
VIDEO: Climate change and Rhode Island


After lying low for almost five years, Syria is now standing tall, as is evident in its expanding relationships in the region and elsewhere. Even the Obama administration is now doing its best to win over Syria's capable President Bashar Al Assad, who has just completed his first decade in office. The assassination of enterprising former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri five years ago in a bomb blast on a Beirut seafront boulevard saw all fingers local, regional and international pointed at Syria. The country was accused of masterminding the assassination since its troops were in control of neighbouring Lebanon. The recriminations that emerged between the two sides, prompted the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon and the appointment of a UN tribunal, which to date has disappointingly failed to reach a verdict on the assassination.
But the international isolation of the Assad regime was short-lived. In due course, Syria, a secular state surrounded by Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Jordan and Israel all hampered by sectarianism turned its eyes to Turkey, now led by Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His Justice and Development Party (PKK) is described as "a party of Islamic inspiration and pragmatic bent." In no time, the two countries developed strong ties, despite their short-lived conflict brought about by a banned Turkish separatist group whose leader took refuge in Syria. Last October, the two neighbouring countries signed several agreements, including one for visa-free travel. A few weeks later, the two neighbours held joint military exercises, much to the chagrin of Israel. The Syrian ball kept rolling after Sa'ad Hariri, son of the assassinated prime minister, was asked to form a Lebanese government following the national elections last summer, a process that took him more than five months to complete.
Whereas Lebanon has always needed good ties with Syria, which controls its entry points, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz previously had cool ties with Al Assad. Despite this, King Abdullah invited the Syrian president to pay him a visit, paving the way for reconciliation between the two governments. Once this was achieved, all western efforts to isolate Syria ceased.
Lebanon and Syria opened embassies in each other's capitals for the first time and Prime Minister Hariri visited Damascus, despite his one-time belief that Syria was behind his father's assassination. In fact, he declared recently: "In all truth, honesty and responsibility, I am keen on keeping this window open, and on building a new era in Lebanese-Syrian relations, from one sovereign, free and independent state to another."
Syria, which has strategic ties with Iran and other significant Islamic groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, is now being courted by western nations, especially the US. Washington is concerned that combatants may make their way into Iraq from Syria after US troops pull out of the country next year. But, in fairness, the border, which is about 605 kilometres long, has not witnessed much trouble since the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. Since then, some 10,000 Syrian troops have been assigned to the border to prevent infiltrators entering Iraq.
It now appears that the Obama administration must have belatedly come to realise that peace in the Middle East, as Henry Kissinger once intoned, is not possible without Syria. Hence its willingness to appoint a new ambassador in Damascus, said to be Robert Ford, a seasoned diplomat who has served in other Arab states.
Furthermore William Burns, undersecretary of state for political affairs, is now in Syria, the Arab country with the closest ties to Iran, in an effort to loosen Syrian ties with Iran who said it enriched uranium to 20 per cent purity, a serious level that could help in developing nuclear weapons. Lebanon is not likely to vote for any UN sanctions against the Tehran regime. The International Crisis Group, a non-profit, non-governmental organisation whose mission is to prevent and resolve deadly conflicts around the world, has underlined the "profound mismatch of expectations" between Syria and the West. The group suggested that the US should "recalibrate" its approach to the peace process by showing interest in both the Palestinian and Syrian views. As far as Syria is concerned, "consistent with past Israeli-Syrian negotiations, any final agreement should entail full Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights". This will lead, it says, to "firm security arrangements and the establishment of normal, peaceful bilateral relations."
It remains to be seen whether the Obama administration will follow this advice.