text:
|By Liz McMillan
Article Rating:
|August 2, 2014 01:00 PM EDT
Cloud Expo® Silicon Valley Early Bird Savings here!
SYS-CON Events announced today that O'Reilly Media has been named "Media Sponsor" of SYS-CON's 15th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 4-6, 2014, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Explore Cloud Expo® Sponsorship & Exhibit Opportunities !
O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.
For more information, visit http://www.oreilly.com.
A Rock Star Faculty, Top Keynotes, Sessions, and Top Delegates!
Cloud Expo® 2014 Silicon Valley, November 4-6, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading Cloud industry players in the world.
The growth and success of Cloud Computing will be on display at the upcoming Cloud Expo® conference and exhibition in Santa Clara, CA, November 4-6, 2014.
All main layers of the Cloud ecosystem will be represented at the 14th International Cloud Expo® - the infrastructure players, the platform providers, and those offering applications, and they'll all be here to speak, sponsor, exhibit and network.
Sponsorship Opportunities
for Cloud Expo® 2014 Silicon Valley
Cloud Expo® 2014 Silicon Valley "show prospectus" has shipped. Sponsorship, exhibit, and keynote opportunities can be obtained from Carmen Gonzalez by email at events (at) sys-con.com, or by phone 201 802-3021.
Early Bird Registration Options
for Cloud Expo® 2014 Silicon Valley
Cloud Expo® delegates can pre-register for Cloud Expo® Silicon Valley with Early Bird Savings here.
About SYS-CON Media & Events
SYS-CON Media (www.sys-con.com) has since 1994 been connecting technology companies and customers through a comprehensive content stream at www.sys-con.com - featuring over forty focused subject areas, from Cloud Computing to Web Security - interwoven with market-leading full-scale conferences produced by SYS-CON Events. The company's internationally recognized brands include among others Cloud Expo® (www.CloudComputingExpo.com), Big Data Expo (http://BigDataExpo.net), Virtualization Conference & Expo (www.VirtualizationConference.com), DevOps Summit (http://DevOpsSummit.sys-con.com), Internet of @ThingsExpo (http://www.ThingsExpo.com), SDDC Expo (http://SDDCExpo.sys-con.com), WebRTC Summit (http://WebRTCSummit.net), Government IT Conference & Expo (www.GovITExpo.com), Cloud Computing Bootcamp (www.CloudComputingBootcamp.com), and UlitzerLive! New Media Conference & Expo (http://events.sys-con.com).
Cloud Expo® is a registered trademark of Cloud Expo, Inc.
DevSecOps – a trend around transformation in process, people and technology – is about breaking down silos and waste along the software development lifecycle and using agile methodologies, automation and insights to help get apps to market faster. This leads to higher quality apps, greater trust in organizations, less organizational friction, and ultimately a five-star customer experience. These apps are the new competitive currency in this digital economy and they're powered by data. Without ...
Sep. 26, 2017 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 717
Most of the time there is a lot of work involved to move to the cloud, and most of that isn't really related to AWS or Azure or Google Cloud. Before we talk about public cloud vendors and DevOps tools, there are usually several technical and non-technical challenges that are connected to it and that every company needs to solve to move to the cloud. In his session at 21st Cloud Expo, Stefano Bellasio, CEO and founder of Cloud Academy Inc., will discuss what the tools, disciplines, and cultural...
Sep. 26, 2017 02:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,047
Is advanced scheduling in Kubernetes achievable? Yes, however, how do you properly accommodate every real-life scenario that a Kubernetes user might encounter? How do you leverage advanced scheduling techniques to shape and describe each scenario in easy-to-use rules and configurations? In his session at @DevOpsSummit at 21st Cloud Expo, Oleg Chunikhin, CTO at Kublr, will answer these questions and demonstrate techniques for implementing advanced scheduling. For example, using spot instances ...
Sep. 26, 2017 01:15 PM EDT Reads: 504
The nature of the technology business is forward-thinking. It focuses on the future and what's coming next. Innovations and creativity in our world of software development strive to improve the status quo and increase customer satisfaction through speed and increased connectivity. Yet, while it's exciting to see enterprises embrace new ways of thinking and advance their processes with cutting edge technology, it rarely happens rapidly or even simultaneously across all industries.
Sep. 26, 2017 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,849
[session] Continuous Security for Containers | @DevOpsSummit @RedHatNews #DevOps #Kubernetes #Containers
With the rise of DevOps, containers are at the brink of becoming a pervasive technology in Enterprise IT to accelerate application delivery for the business. When it comes to adopting containers in the enterprise, security is the highest adoption barrier. Is your organization ready to address the security risks with containers for your DevOps environment? In his session at @DevOpsSummit at 21st Cloud Expo, Chris Van Tuin, Chief Technologist, NA West at Red Hat, will discuss: The top security r...
Sep. 26, 2017 09:15 AM EDT Reads: 970
With the modern notion of digital transformation, enterprises are chipping away at the fundamental organizational and operational structures that have been with us since the nineteenth century or earlier. One remarkable casualty: the business process. Business processes have become so ingrained in how we envision large organizations operating and the roles people play within them that relegating them to the scrap heap is almost unimaginable, and unquestionably transformative. In the Digital ...
Sep. 26, 2017 08:45 AM EDT Reads: 710
These days, APIs have become an integral part of the digital transformation journey for all enterprises. Every digital innovation story is connected to APIs . But have you ever pondered over to know what are the source of these APIs? Let me explain - APIs sources can be varied, internal or external, solving different purposes, but mostly categorized into the following two categories. Data lakes is a term used to represent disconnected but relevant data that are used by various business units wit...
Sep. 26, 2017 05:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,604
Today most companies are adopting or evaluating container technology - Docker in particular - to speed up application deployment, drive down cost, ease management and make application delivery more flexible overall. As with most new architectures, this dream takes significant work to become a reality. Even when you do get your application componentized enough and packaged properly, there are still challenges for DevOps teams to making the shift to continuous delivery and achieving that reducti...
Sep. 26, 2017 03:00 AM EDT Reads: 971
Enterprises are moving to the cloud faster than most of us in security expected. CIOs are going from 0 to 100 in cloud adoption and leaving security teams in the dust. Once cloud is part of an enterprise stack, it's unclear who has responsibility for the protection of applications, services, and data. When cloud breaches occur, whether active compromise or a publicly accessible database, the blame must fall on both service providers and users. In his session at 21st Cloud Expo, Ben Johnson, C...
Sep. 24, 2017 05:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,153
21st International Cloud Expo, taking place October 31 - November 2, 2017, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry players in the world. Cloud computing is now being embraced by a majority of enterprises of all sizes. Yesterday's debate about public vs. private has transformed into the reality of hybrid cloud: a recent survey shows that 74% of enterprises have a hybrid cloud strategy. Me...
Sep. 24, 2017 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 5,788
'Trend' is a pretty common business term, but its definition tends to vary by industry. In performance monitoring, trend, or trend shift, is a key metric that is used to indicate change. Change is inevitable. Today's websites must frequently update and change to keep up with competition and attract new users, but such changes can have a negative impact on the user experience if not managed properly. The dynamic nature of the Internet makes it necessary to constantly monitor different metrics. O...
Sep. 24, 2017 01:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,035
Agile has finally jumped the technology shark, expanding outside the software world. Enterprises are now increasingly adopting Agile practices across their organizations in order to successfully navigate the disruptive waters that threaten to drown them. In our quest for establishing change as a core competency in our organizations, this business-centric notion of Agile is an essential component of Agile Digital Transformation. In the years since the publication of the Agile Manifesto, the conn...
Sep. 24, 2017 11:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,476
Many organizations are now looking to DevOps maturity models to gauge their DevOps adoption and compare their maturity to their peers. However, as enterprise organizations rush to adopt DevOps, moving past experimentation to embrace it at scale, they are in danger of falling into the trap that they have fallen into time and time again. Unfortunately, we've seen this movie before, and we know how it ends: badly.
Sep. 24, 2017 09:00 AM EDT Reads: 3,562
There is a huge demand for responsive, real-time mobile and web experiences, but current architectural patterns do not easily accommodate applications that respond to events in real time. Common solutions using message queues or HTTP long-polling quickly lead to resiliency, scalability and development velocity challenges. In his session at 21st Cloud Expo, Ryland Degnan, a Senior Software Engineer on the Netflix Edge Platform team, will discuss how by leveraging a reactive stream-based protocol,...
Sep. 24, 2017 01:45 AM EDT Reads: 3,176
Building Success on the Three Foundations of DevOps 'Power Panel' | @DevOpsSummit #DevOps #APM #Monitoring
Many organizations adopt DevOps to reduce cycle times and deliver software faster; some take on DevOps to drive higher quality and better end-user experience; others look to DevOps for a clearer line-of-sight to customers to drive better business impacts. In truth, these three foundations go together. In this power panel at @DevOpsSummit 21st Cloud Expo, moderated by DevOps Conference Co-Chair Andi Mann, industry experts will discuss how leading organizations build application success from all...
Sep. 23, 2017 01:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,039
The last two years has seen discussions about cloud computing evolve from the public / private / hybrid split to the reality that most enterprises will be creating a complex, multi-cloud strategy. Companies are wary of committing all of their resources to a single cloud, and instead are choosing to spread the risk – and the benefits – of cloud computing across multiple providers and internal infrastructures, as they follow their business needs. Will this approach be successful? How large is the ...
Sep. 23, 2017 11:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,237
You know you need the cloud, but you're hesitant to simply dump everything at Amazon since you know that not all workloads are suitable for cloud. You know that you want the kind of ease of use and scalability that you get with public cloud, but your applications are architected in a way that makes the public cloud a non-starter. You're looking at private cloud solutions based on hyperconverged infrastructure, but you're concerned with the limits inherent in those technologies.
Sep. 23, 2017 09:00 AM EDT Reads: 2,655
The "Digital Era" is forcing us to engage with new methods to build, operate and maintain applications. This transformation also implies an evolution to more and more intelligent applications to better engage with the customers, while creating significant market differentiators. In both cases, the cloud has become a key enabler to embrace this digital revolution. So, moving to the cloud is no longer the question; the new questions are HOW and WHEN. To make this equation even more complex, most ...
Sep. 22, 2017 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,146
"NetApp's vision is how we help organizations manage data - delivering the right data in the right place, in the right time, to the people who need it, and doing it agnostic to what the platform is," explained Josh Atwell, Developer Advocate for NetApp, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 20th Cloud Expo, held June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY.
Sep. 22, 2017 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 3,396
One of the biggest challenges with adopting a DevOps mentality is: new applications are easily adapted to cloud-native, microservice-based, or containerized architectures - they can be built for them - but old applications need complex refactoring. On the other hand, these new technologies can require relearning or adapting new, oftentimes more complex, methodologies and tools to be ready for production. In his general session at @DevOpsSummit at 20th Cloud Expo, Chris Brown, Solutions Marketi...
Sep. 21, 2017 11:00 PM EDT Reads: 3,246


text:
The best work of FIT's graduating bachelor of arts fashion design students is
presented every spring in a professional runway show. Specializations include sportswear, special occasion, knitwear, intimate apparel, and children's wear.
Each year, industry critics lend their expertise to our graduating students throughout their final semester as they prepare for the fashion show.
Our judges select the best looks for the runway in each of the specializations — special occasion, intimate apparel, knitwear, children's wear, and sportswear.
The runway show will be happening May 2 and we will be streaming this year's show live on the web! Details to come!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Istanbul: DNA tests showed that Ecevit Sanli, a member of the Turkish leftist group DHKP-C, was the suicide bomber in Friday's attack on the US embassy in Ankara, the city governor's office said on Saturday.
"The person who detonated the explosives strapped to his body while trying to enter the US embassy ... was Ecevit Sanli, a militant from the terrorist organisation DHKP-C," the governor's office said in a statement.
A Turkish leftist group claimed responsibility on Saturday for a suicide bomb attack on the US embassy and accused Washington of using Turkey as its "slave", according to a statement posted on the internet.
The Revolutionary People's Liberation Army-Front (DHKP-C) said it carried out Friday's attack, in which a suicide bomber detonated explosives strapped to his body at the embassy in Ankara, killing himself and a Turkish security guard.
In a statement on "The People's Cry" website, DHKP-C, which is listed as a terrorist organization by the US and Turkey, warned Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan that he too was a target.
"Murderer America! You will not run away from people's rage," the statement said, next to a picture of the bomber, named Ecevit Sanli, wearing a black beret and military-style clothes and with an explosives belt around his waist.
Erdogan, who said hours after the attack that DHKP-C were responsible, met with his interior and foreign ministers as well as head of army and state security service in Istanbul on Saturday to discuss the bombing.
Interior minister Muammer Guler said the attacker had served time in jail on domestic terrorism charges in Turkey in the past, re-entered the country using false documents and was wanted by the authorities.
"(The bomber) was demanding to pass through the guest and staff gate of the US embassy using a fake ID when he detonated the explosives," the provincial governor's office in Ankara said in a statement.
It said he had also detonated a hand grenade.
The White House condemned the bombing as an "act of terror", while the UN Security Council described it as a heinous act.
US officials said DHKP-C were the main suspects in Friday's bombing but did not exclude other possibilities.
Islamist radicals, extreme left-wing groups, ultra-nationalists and Kurdish militants have all carried out attacks in Turkey in the past.
US Patriot missiles
DHKP-C, formed in 1978, is virulently anti-American.
It called on Washington to remove Patriot missiles, due to go operational on Monday as part of a NATO defence system, from Turkish soil. The missiles are being deployed alongside systems from Germany and the Netherlands to guard NATO-member Turkey against a spillover of the war in neighbouring Syria.
"Our action is for the independence of our country, which has become a new slave of America," the statement said.
Turkey is a key US ally in the Middle East with common interests ranging from energy security to counter-terrorism and has been one of the leading advocates of foreign intervention to end the civil war in Syria.
It was the second attack on a US mission in four months. On 11 September 2012, US ambassador Christopher Stevens and three US personnel were killed in an attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
DHKP-C was responsible for the assassination of two US military contractors in the early 1990s in protest against the first Gulf War and launched rockets at the US consulate in Istanbul in 1992, according to the US state department.
It has been blamed for previous suicide attacks, including one in 2001 that killed two police officers and a tourist in Istanbul's central Taksim Square, and has carried out a series of deadly attacks on police stations in the last six months.
Friday's attack may have come in retaliation for an operation against DHKP-C last month in which police detained 85 people. A court subsequently remanded 38 of them in custody over links to the group.


text:
I have a Red Innova Apre Disc with the big innova star in the middle. on the top going around the star it says innova discs and on the bottom it says #1 in disc golf and then the innova web site. here is a picture of one i found online (not mine though, just looks like it): https://www.discgolfvalues.com/store/in ... ductId=585
mine is exactly like that but red with silver writing instead of black. is every disc that looks like this 1st run? and are they more valuable?


text:
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA -- In my 47 years I have never fallen across a company that truly will bend over backwards and go to major lengths to assist their customers. Where else can you find a family-owned company that consistently provides the most current technology, local customer service and 24/7 tech support? Here is a company with integrity that will not stoop to the level of AT&T by taking specific pot shots at their competitors!
That in and of itself speaks volumes! I don't get it?? Cox has been in the cable business since 1960. AT&T....less than a year. First they took over DISH Network and now it appears they will be kicking them to the curb so they can do their own cable; which is laughable considering they are CLUELESS as to what they are doing. Cox's prices are actually less expensive overall. They INVENTED the BUNDLE which has been ripped off by everyone and their mother.
People balk at prices without doing ANY research! Just inquire with DISH, DirecTV or AT&T what kind of contract you have to have. Cox......NO CONTRACTS! Or check with the above-mentioned how much they charge for HBO or any other premium channel. At least 20-30 percent more than Cox!! And if like me, you bundle your services, they do give a substantial discount. Have you called AT&T's customer service lately? Inept, uncaring, and useless!
There will always be people that feel the need to complain month after month after month about prices and bills, etc. These are the people who do not know the meaning of the word accountable. The ones that don't take the time to read their bills or ask the appropriate questions when purchasing services. The ones who blame Cox that their service is interrupted because their bill is 4 months past due and they say "I never got a bill" or "Nobody told me". PAHLEESEEE! I know for a fact that if a person needs some help paying their bill and they call, Cox is not judgmental, will set up payment arrangements and assist as much as humanly possible.
The only catch....if you're the customer, you NEED TO CALL! I'm sure no one is thinking "Oh 4 months passed by, my cable, internet and phone is free because I didn't get a bill". LOL. Did you know on their website you can view up to 18 months of your billing? Sure they're not perfect and mistakes are made. But I can tell you from personal experience, they will NOT let anyone fall through the cracks. They have an acronym (FOAV) Focus on Added Value and they mean it! For over 5 years they have won JD Powers Customer Service Awards and get this, for the last 4 years they beat out AT&T, winning JD Powers best phone service awards!!
For those who have legitimate issues (as some of us do with any company) they will work with you until its resolved. For the rest of you who whine, complain, threaten to go elsewhere, don't take responsibility for your bills and just want to badmouth someone, take a good look in the mirror because wherever you go, you will blame the next company and the next until no one will have you. I have never done this before on a website but in a world where people have no problem complaining, I wanted to say something nice for a change. I only wish they had cell phone service so I could get rid of the WORST company I've ever dealt with (Sprint).
Thanks Cox for being a local trusted provider, for going the extra mile for your customers, for contributing so much to the community and our kids (Cox Kids Foundation), caring about San Diego teachers and continuing to provide the most current great entertainment!
TUCSON, ARIZONA -- Signed up for a bundle with Cox to do Internet, TV and Phone. TV is just so-so, the internet service is great, but I'm dropping them ALL because of the horrid service on the telephone service! When I signed up I told the representative I wanted just basic phone service with no long distance, no added features, only the ability to make local calls. They SAID that's what they had set up for me. My first bill comes in with long distance charges, so I called them. The CSR said that they would put a block on all long distance, all operated assist calls, and all collect calls. They did issue a credit for the calls billed.
My next bill comes in and again, charges for long distance and collect calls (that none of us accepted!) Called them again, was told that they would ensure the block was working and again got a credit for the long distance calls. Next bill: $500 dollars in long distance and collect calls! Called them again, the customer service representative said she's going to contact tech support and find out why the block isn't working and that she would transfer me to billing to get the calls credited. The billing CSR replied with "we don't block calls and we don't credit for them."
I called corporate headquarters in Atlanta. Once again they promised that they'll get the block working, they also promised that the calls would be credited. They also said that the CSR who told me that they can't block calls, and don't credit for them was in error, but she also explained something else that I was not aware of: the way their system is set up, if you have an answering machine and it picks up, you WILL be charged for the collect calls placed to your number!
PHOENIX, ARIZONA -- Sure, it sounds like a good idea. Switch to Cox Digital Telephone and save tons of money on your phone bills each month. They don't tell you even 1/3 of the story during the sales pitch. I ended up having to buy all the services I needed one by one, and at the end of the day, I saved only about $20 per month. If you take into account the time and aggravation of dealing with their deceptive sales pitches, I actually lost money. I agreed to switch to Cox after months of calls. I told the sales representative that I currently had 3-way calling, call forwarding, voice mail; the whole works for $52-ish per month. He told me that Cox could give me excellent service for $12 ish per month.
I agreed, the installation guy arrived, installed the phone, and left me materials on how to set up voice mail, call forwarding, etc. I tried and couldn't do it. I called Cox for help--turns out, all I received for $12 per month is a phone line. No voice mail, no call waiting, no 3-way calling, even though Cox gave me instructions on how to set up all of these services. To upgrade cost $20 per month. Still less than my former provider, so I agreed. Then I tried to make a long-distance call, with no luck. I called Cox again. Turns out that to have a phone line that will permit long distance calls, at $.5 per minute, costs another $1.99 per month.
Still less, so I agreed and the call was disconnected twice during the call. The time I have spent messing with this isn't worth the $275 I would save by switching or the aggravation of dealing with Cox on this. I would have purchased the whole package right up front if the salesperson had offered it to me. I asked Cox if there was something in writing where I could see what I was getting for the cost. The customer service representative said, "Yes, your bill." So, only after you purchase the service can you actually find out, in writing, what is included. Absolutely ridiculous, and, in my opinion, deceptive. DON'T BUY THIS.
PHOENX, ARIZONA -- My Oct. 2007 Cox Communications telephone bill listed ZPDI toll charges. $50+ dollars total. The number I was supposed to have called was a LOCAL number for me. I called ZPDI (Google them for many ripoff reports) and they told me they had NO record of my number or the called number. I then called Cox and they said there was nothing they could do as the charges came from ZPDI and I should contact them.
I called ZPDI again and they said it was a problem with Cox and not them. I called Cox again and told them since I spent $160 a month with them (ISP, TV, Telephone) they should reverse the ZPDI charges. They refused to do so and told me I needed to contact ZPDI to straighten it out and HAD to pay the full amount of my bill. I asked to speak to a supervisor and got nowhere. I then asked to speak to the supervisor of the supervisor and told him I was a good customer and Cox should reverse the charges.
This last person said they would issue a "form" to ZPDI and ask about the charges. I asked why Cox didn't just do that in the first place and save me hours of aggravation; he didn't answer me. He said Cox would not reverse the ZPDI charges but since my bill wasn't due for three weeks, the problem should be corrected before I paid.
I called Cox two days before my bill was due and they said they had received word that there was some kind of computer glitch and hundreds of people receive false ZPDI charges so I would receive a reversal of the $50+ false telephone toll charges. I assumed the matter was closed so paid my normal amount of $160. Several days later I receive a call from Cox telling me I was late and to immediately pay the balance.
I asked what happened to the ZPDI charges and they said it might take a couple of months for a credit to show up on my bill. If I didn't pay the false charges then my telephone service would be cutoff. I paid so now we will see if the credit shows up in the next two months. Cox says they are "Your friend in the digital age." What a joke!!!
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA -- Cox Communications keeps raising its prices every month. I called them & removed a service to save a couple of dollars. When I checked my bill a couple of months later they had raised the fee on phone to make up for what I had reduced. I called again & they agreed to drop the price for a few months, when the regular price was reinstated, they just upped the price by quite a bit more again to make up for what little I had saved. They are so unfair and unwilling to work with you. I have been with them for 19 years, I think my only alternative now is to switch.
Somehow a couple of criminals obtained my phone number; one of them is identifiable as a scammer on Google by searching his phone number (yes, they were dumb enough to give their numbers to me). One caller - this one from Los Angeles - claimed to be from Publishers Clearing House, informing me that I had won over $700,000. The other caller - Washington, DC - stated that I "had been trying to claim" an award for $700,000 and he wanted to help me receive it. Apparently $700,000 is the minimum that you win these days.
I reported this duo to the FCC, but they kept calling; I understand that the FCC can take up to a month to handle any reported issues. I called Cox and asked them to block these two numbers, and was informed that I could do that for a fee of somewhat over $3/month. I asked the Cox representative which other unlawful nuisances I had the privilege of stopping for a fee. Cox then stated that I could pay for the number block for a month, and then drop it; however, if the Feds still hadn't acted, the calls would resume. I was further told that this was all that Cox could do for me.
A third caller contacted me, and he hung up after I told him that I was reporting all such calls to the Federal Government. Hopefully that approach will work, because Cox won't help you at all with nuisance or harassing calls unless you open up your wallet. Pros: excellent cable and phone service quality. Cons: don't ever become a victim; Cox will make you a poorer one; hidden fees a specialty!
Upon requesting a bundled package with Cox, we were quoted a price per month. However, once the products had been installed, our bill was higher than what was quoted. When I called about the higher charges, I was told that what we had originally received a quote on, was no longer available. When I questioned a recent ad that I had seen with a bundled package for a lower price, I was told that if I got that it would take away my discounts and so it goes....with the price being still higher than we had quoted.
Cox and all communication companies should be held to stricter policies regarding their quoted prices and be made to provide a written quote. I did mention that I would be making a complaint to a state commission in the hopes of getting this unfair practice changed.
QUEEN CREEK, ARIZONA -- How is it Cox can spend millions on advertising and cannot even add new service with any level of confidence? After my first attempt to add new service failed (the technician did not meet our "appointment window"), customer service contacted me to try to make amends. Second try...customer service stated I needed to redo the phone switch over request. I called to do so, and was told I did not need to redo the phone request. Two days later, another email I do need to re-complete the request... and am told at that time, my 3rd or 4th contact that the phone cannot be switched over on Saturday anyway. Told them to cancel the order.
How is it Cox can become a monopoly? Even going to the FCC website to complain about their monopoly is not effective, they direct you back to Cox's franchising authority (whoever that is). The only alternative in my area is DirecTV - costly and you need a ton of additional equipment. There must be a lot of money going between Cox and the politicians to keep this one up... whatever happened to Cable America... good service, reasonable price? Oh yea, Cox bought them, too bad.
Cox has the worst service - don't use them! They overcharge, charge you for services you didn't ask for - I have stuff on my bill every month that I never asked for. Also, their customer service agents are rude. My service is always slow or has something wrong with it. I am definitely unsatisfied with Cox and am getting different service (internet, phone and cable)!
PHOENIX, ARIZONA -- My problems with Cox Communications started on Aug. 15, 2006 when I thought I would be saving money bundling my services with Cox. Per the advertisement, phone, internet, and cable would cost just $99 per month. So I ordered all three. Cable and internet was to be installed on Aug. 17 and telephone on Aug. 18. My previous phone was with Qwest, which Cox was to port the number from Qwest. Aug. 18 I called Qwest to see if the number had been ported over yet; it had not. I called Cox, who informed me that it takes 5-7 business days for phone service that I should have service on the 23rd.
My phone had always worked fine in the past with Qwest. However on the 23rd of Aug., my phone was not receiving calls. On Aug 24 I spoke with ** from Cox who told me they connected service on the 23rd. When I asked her if the number was ported properly from Qwest, she told me there were no notes written regarding the port. Later on that day I spoke with ** from Cox. I informed her of the problem and she said it would be fixed by 7:00 pm the next day.
On the 26th my phone still was not working; I called Qwest to see if there was an order from Cox to disconnect service. Per ** at Qwest, my service was active and there was no pending orders to disconnect. Also on the 26th I spoke to ** from Cox, who informed me that the port was not complete and will call me back when completed. At that time I let ** know that I had spoken to Qwest and there was no pending order to port the number. I never heard back from **.
To make a long story short, this went on for the remainder of the month. In the meantime I had received my bill from Cox for the internet and TV only a week after installation; the bill was due by Sept. 11. Finally, on Aug. 29, I was transferred to Cox's Expeditious Dept. where I spoke with someone named **, who assured me that the problem would be fixed for sure. He would call me back when it was fixed. Of course I never heard from him. Because I was not receiving incoming calls, I called Qwest, who claimed that my service was active with them. So Qwest comes out and disconnect the line from Cox and puts it back on their line.
What a mess this is!!!! I didn't even want to deal with it anymore. On Sept. 11, after paying my Cox bill online, I get a message there was still $17.98 balance. I call Cox - "Oh, its for your phone service." I explained to ** the problems I had been having getting my phone service. At that time ** informed me that my phone number xxx-xxx-xxxx was now working. My mouth went open and I gasped. The phone number he had mentioned wasn't even my phone number. Apparently what they did to cover their a** was to change the phone number without my permission and then charge me for that service. I called the number and it rings somewhere in space.
Anyway, a few weeks later, I get another bill for $188 - I just about hit the ceiling. I looked through the bill and of course they were trying to charge me over $80 for phone service I didn't have with them. I immediately called and the person I spoke with made adjustments to my bill and told me to pay only $72.xx so I did. Unfortunately a couple weeks later I get a bill with a past due amount of $74.xx along with current charges that says pay immediately. So once again I call, and argued for almost two hours with the rep that I didn't owe this money. He told me the rep who was supposed to adjust my bill by $80 some dollars was not approved to do so.
After arguing my case for two hours, I finally got them to drop the charges for service I don't have. After this incident I disconnected all my service with Cox and went back to Qwest and returned the cable box I had rented back to Cox. But it was not over yet. I received another bill saying that I owed $300 and some dollars. I gave it time because they didn't show the credit for the returned box. Today I called Cox to make sure there wasn't anything I owed. I should have figured, they are saying that I still owe $64 for past due charges.
I have paid all my bills (I only had service - internet and TV - from Aug. 17 through Oct. 19); that's a total of 2 months. The two months I had cable and internet I paid for on time. I'm not about to pay for phone service I never had with Cox. At this point the rep filled out an action form to dispute the charges. Most likely this will have to be sent to the Corporation Commission.
There was a lot of fraudulent activity going on. From what I have read from other consumers, Cox should not be in business. They do not care about the consumer. I was told by one rep that even though I signed up for the bundled discount, they were raising the prices the next month. What Cox does is false advertising to reel in the consumer, but once you're in, they raise the prices after a month. Someone has got to stop them.


text:
With the start of the fall semester, Penn State Altoona rolled out its new initiative Common Read, Uncommon Experiences.
Based on similar programs at colleges and universities across the country, Penn State Altoona chose to offer Common Read as a way to get students, faculty, and staff interacting with each other over a shared reading experience. Each first-year student was given a copy of "No Impact Man," by Colin Beavan, which was chosen by a committee of several Penn State Altoona faculty.
"We chose this year's book the way I believe we will choose all of the Common Read books," said Laura Rotunno, committee member and associate professor of English. "We wanted a book that would get people thinking and talking. We wanted something with ideas that could shake up how people think about their world, their responsibilities within it, and their abilities to shape it -- like all good writing should."
"No Impact Man," a true story of one man's attempt to live an entire year without leaving a carbon-footprint, is a book that reaches across all academic curriculums and interests. It is a required reading, and events and activities surrounding the book's premise and ideas are scheduled throughout the year, including lectures, discussions, a viewing of the documentary based on the book, a week-long carbon cleanse effort and a campus-wide no-impact experiment. These events are designed to approach the book from as many angles as possible, to show that there are many issues that Beavan's book raises and that merit more discussion. "No Impact Man" will also allow faculty to share their passions for green activities and green living.
"Our faculty members have rallied to think creatively about their teaching, and students will undoubtedly notice some impact in their fall courses," stated Brian Black, professor of history and environmental studies. "I hope that student groups will also take the ideas from the Common Read book and run with it by creating their own programs and events."
The academic administration hopes Common Read grows and becomes a successful staple of Penn State Altoona's curriculum. "We would like to build a unique academic culture at Altoona," said Black. "Common Read helps us break the intellectual boundaries of our college and come together. I believe that if we make this program a permanent part of our curriculum, we will also distinguish our college and the students who begin their academic careers here."
There may be ways of expanding the program in coming years by acquiring a sponsor or some kind of outside support.
In the meantime, during its first year, Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Kenneth Womack stated, "I am delighted that the Division of Arts and Humanities has provided our students with the invaluable opportunity to enjoy a shared reading experience. This marks a vital milestone in the life of our college as faculty and staff come together to take a leadership role in this fashion."
"It's really as simple as saying: here is an interesting book; let's read it; let's talk about it," said Rotunno. "I think too often we don't get or take the time to enjoy such a simple yet important activity."
Several activities and events centered on the book are already scheduled through October:
-- "Reacting to 'No Impact Man' in the Classroom, on Campus and Amongst the Penn State Altoona Community," Faculty/Staff Colloquium, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 12:05 - 12:45, 101-103 Misciagna
Todd Davis, professor of English, will facilitate the discussion about the book and its potential "impact" on students, faculty and staff. Come ready to share what Beavan's book has made you think about and/or question.
-- "No Impact Idealism meets Low Impact Realism" by Richard Flarend, Common Hour, Thursday, Sept. 19, 101-103 Misciagna
-- "Pedaling the Perfect Circle of Life" by Sam Findley and Peter Hopsicker, 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 25, 101-103 Misciagna
-- "Honors Students React to 'No Impact,'" Common Hour, Thursday, Oct. 24, 101-103 Misciagna. Learn about what freshman Penn State Altoona Honors students think about Beavan's book.


text:
On Gratitude
by Lim Kooi Fong, The Buddhist Channel, January 20, 2010
In this exclusive interview with the Buddhist Channel, Ajahn Sumedho – the foremost western disciple of the late Ajahn Chah – talks about how gratitude and respect for tradition have preserved and sustained his training as a monk. And in the process, he explains how these values have preserved the Thai forest tradition, the Buddha's pristine Dhamma and its spread throughout the world.
The Buddhist word in Pali for gratitude is Kataññuta. Understanding it deeply means not just repaying debt but to give with joy, not thinking of "I", myself. And it is on this basis that I have been operating ever since." - Ajahn Sumedho >>
It was then after the 6th Vassa, that I decided to leave Wat Pah Pong and go to India and see if I could live there. I always had strong interests in Asia and had completed my BA in Chinese studies and MA in South Asian studies so India was a natural choice, not just because it was the birth place of Buddhism.
It was during the separation of East Pakistan (later to be known as Bangladesh) from West Pakistan when I arrived in Calcutta. There were a lot of refugees streaming into the city. And beggars were everywhere. Then a thought occurred to me: I was just one of them. An alms seeking monk was no different than a beggar on the street.
But even in the land of the Buddha's birth, there was not much opportunity for the locals to support a monk, what more a monk from the forest tradition. For proper support, I had to travel from Calcutta to Bodh Gaya, and devotees of the Mahabodhi temple there arranged for pindapata (alms giving), the first time since I arrived India.
After five or six months in India, I had this sudden realization recalling all that was given to me by Luang Poh Chah, the Thai people and the Thai immigration (who gave me a permanent Visa). There was this overwhelming sense of gratitude for all the requisites, encouragement and respect given to me by the people of Thailand. It was a realization that who – and all - that I had become then was a result of the generosity and kindness of others. So in a way, this was not just any realization, but an opening of the heart, of giving up self-centeredness.
This was a breakthrough somewhat because even when I was in samatha (concentrated state) where there was tranquility, it was not truly liberating. It was because there was still this continued thinking of "I", "myself", this self-centeredness despite the many vassas spent as a full time meditating monk.
The Buddhist word in Pali for gratitude is Kataññuta. Understanding it deeply means not just repaying debt but to give with joy, not thinking of "I", myself. And it is on this basis that I have been operating ever since.
I then decided to go back to Thailand to help Luang Poh Chah and to fulfill his wish to help the western monks. This was when Wat Pah Nanachat was founded, a monastery set up primarily to assist the training of Western monks.
Today there are more than 300 forest tradition monasteries all over the world. All these development were made possible with support from Luang Poh Chah, who was first invited to go to England in 1977 to meet with the English Sangha Trust.
The Thai Sangha, Mahatherasamakom was also incredibly generous and helpful in the establishment of these monasteries. Such generosity gave rise to strong, unifying bonds of gratitude and respect among Luang Poh Chah's disciples that laid the foundation of the forest tradition of the Western Sangha to be what it is today.
The practice of the forest tradition is about attaining personal release (from samsara). If there is a conflict between personal practice and social conventions, such as Bhikkuni Ordination, what would Luang Poh's advise be?
In the Thai Forest Tradition, there are many views with regards to Bhikkuni Ordination. Not everyone is in agreement with one another. Speaking of myself coming from a western society, it can be said that most western Buddhists do not really understand (Thai Sangha) tradition. Many have asked what could possibly be wrong with helping women to become nuns.
But this is the very gist of the dichotomy between tradition and social conventions. Western views hold on to notions of individual rights, gender equality and social justice. But in the Sangha tradition, it's about giving up rights, of performing specified duties as stated in the Vinaya. This is not something that is new, as the Vinaya has withstood 2,552 years of facing change and challenges, be it politics, economics and social conditions.
The Buddha left us just two legacies, Dhamma and Vinaya. The Dhamma is about letting go, about personal liberation. The Vinaya is about rules and how we relate to the world as renunciates. Many westerners see the Vinaya as restrictive, and have always tried to make changes to the Vinaya so that it meets modern challenges. And yet, duties (as to how the Sangha relate to the world) are not always given due mention.
The initial Sangha structure that we inherited from the Buddha is based on the Bhikkhu Sangha. But based on western views, this is patriarchal structure. A patriarchal structure is deemed as hierarchical, which is bad, as it goes against the norm of social equality, which is good.
As we allay ourselves to these ideals, we continue to struggle with the world. This is not what the Vinaya is all about, which is about giving up rights and performing duties as members of the Sangha.
To say that all is equal is not true, as this is not the way all things are. Conditions are all about differences. The structure of language, thinking, social norms are dualistic conditions. Dualistic conditions are more about less equality and more about more inequality.
In our practice, we train the mind to go beyond dualistic thinking. As we are not culturally conditioned to do this, we have to go for training, in deep practice, to transform our consciousness so that we become mindful before we think and act and before we become emotional.
This is the path to liberation. It's not about making anything becoming equal. This teaching is not restricted to any views, and is available to all.
Unfortunately, conventional structures – between what is traditional and what is modern - is what people argue over all the time. We are constantly facing pressure to change tradition so that it falls in line with modern society.
So in this sense, I can't really see myself how I could go about engaging in Bhikkhuni Ordination. It is beyond my ability even if I wanted to. I just can't. It's like me being a violin player and being asked to teach another to play the piano. I just would not be able to do it. So the best that we could do is perhaps play our own instruments in our own way and perform in harmony together. The best I could do was to form the Siladhara order *, where women renunciates also live depending on alms and obtain the same teachings made available to all.
This brings us back to the matter of Bhikkhuni Ordination. The attitude in Thailand is that women can become Bhikkhunis, but if they wanted to do so they will have to do it in the Mahayana tradition.
In light of the issue of the Perth incident, and the Thai Sangha's opposition to Bhikkuni Ordination, what advice can Luang Poh give to lay people so that the situation is not further aggravated?
We need to watch and reflect on our thoughts, speech and action. We need to be aware and mindful, not to create divisions, like choosing sides. These are dualistic actions, and are based on ignorance.
Part of our process of learning and understanding is to open up and to listen. These are important, so that we may not go on and create even more dualistic views.
* Note: While still officially novices in the eyes of the Thai Sangha heirarchy, and thus not as controversial as Bhikkhuni Ordination, this form of discipline included a training and discipline in more than 100 precepts, and became known as the Siladhara ordination, and the community of nuns in England following this discipline, the Siladhara Sangha.
Ajahn Sumedho was in Malaysia for two weeks in January and participated in the "Ajahn Chah Remembrance Day" event on January 16, 2010.
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php ... 75,0,0,1,0


text:
Weston Observatory
earthquake research, education and public outreach
About Weston Observatory
Weston Observatory is a geophysical research and science education center of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Boston College. We are located in Weston, Massachusetts about ten miles west of BC's Chestnut Hill campus. The Observatory, which has been recording earthquakes since the 1930s, conducts research on earthquakes.


text:
Ski width determines the width of the binding brake and mounting platform you need. A wide binding should be mounted to a wide ski, and a wide ski requires a wide brake. Most binding manufacturers offer a wide brake option, some of which go as wide as 130mm to accommodate powder or big mountain skis.
DIN refers to the release value of a binding. The DIN setting can be adjusted higher to help retain your foot in the event of a crash or lower to allow you to release more easily. Your weight and ability level determine the DIN setting you need. DIN can be as low as .5 and as high as 20+, although the specific range depends on the binding.
Some hybrid alpine bindings can be switched between a free-heel 'climb' mode and locked-heel 'ski' mode. This binding is a popular choice of skiers who want to ski in the backcountry and at the resort without having to own both a touring ski and binding and a resort ski and binding.Shop Alpine Touring Bindings


text:
Checking Out the Fall Foliage Report
If you are a "leaf peeper" this is the time of year you live for. The changing colors of the leaves around upstate New York is a thing of beauty and only observable for a few short weeks every autumn. This weekend my wife and I drove up Route 28 to Inlet and the colors were at peak and magnificent. If you plan to do some "leaf peeping" this might come in handy.
In Herkimer County, Old Forge-based color observers are predicting 95-100 percent leaf change by weekend, with bright and beautiful peak reds, russets, oranges and golds contrasting beautifully with the evergreens.
In Hamilton County over the past week. Look for up to 80 percent color change and near peak to peak conditions in the northern portion of the county, including the towns of Indian Lake, Inlet and Long Lake. Foliage spotters in Speculator, Piseco and Wells predict color change between 50 and 80 percent by the weekend.
Color change is also progressing in the Central New York region. In Chenango County, spotters in Norwich expect 60-65 percent change with muted yellow and orange leaves and near peak conditions. In Otsego County, Cooperstown observers expect 50 percent color change with orange and yellow leaves of average brilliance. Look for conditions at midpoint in the higher elevations.
via ILOVENY | The Official New York State Tourism Site-Current Foliage Report.
For a complete New York State foliage report click here.


text:
A developer is making a second bid to open a children's play centre.
Ian Cubberley has applied for planning permission to change the use of units seven and eight at the Station Industrial Estate, in Station Approach in Burnham.
The first unit is currently occupied by his building company, Charles May Construction, and the second has been vacant for more than two years.
Mr Cubberley had previously applied to open his new venture, Let's Go Bonkers, at an empty unit on the Springfield Industrial Estate, in Springfield Road.
If the new bid is successful, his building company will relocate to the unit on the Springfield Industrial Estate.


text:
Nowhere in the world is development such an important part of U.S. engagement efforts as it is in Africa, and the changing tide on the continent requires a new style of engagement. Today, Africans are the architects of their development, not just beneficiaries. Donors support their plans, they do not dictate them. Citizens demand democracy, not autocracy, and they are seizing the opportunities that come with better education, better health, and better public services.
Alongside the investments the United States has already made in the Middle East and North Africa, the President's FY 2015 budget request ensures USAID programs will continue to support the needs and aspirations of the region's people during this critical period of change. Our continued engagement with the people of the region serves as the foundation of our partnership with the countries of the region and will allow us to contribute to lasting growth, prosperity and peace.
As President Obama said in the 2013 State of the Union address, "We also know that progress in the most impoverished parts of our world enriches us all—not only because it creates new markets, more stable order in certain regions of the world, but also because it's the right thing to do."
As we step forward to answer the President's call with renewed energy and focus, we remain committed to engaging the American people and serving their interests by leading the world to end extreme poverty.
For the past 56 years, we have partnered with the Government of Morocco to build a strong bilateral relationship that focuses on promoting economic growth, improving educational opportunities and strengthening the effectiveness of civil society's political engagement. During this time, we also have worked together to make substantial improvements in the lives of everyday Moroccan citizens, including significantly improving maternal and child health, constructing two major dams, transforming thousands of semi-arid acres into productive agricultural use, and developing the microfinance sector in Morocco through high profile credit guarantees. We are proud and remain committed to this partnership, which is why in 2013, USAID and the Government of Morocco completed a new five-year Country Development Cooperation Strategy, or CDCS, that affirms this commitment.
Even though we work far from home, our work continues to realize benefits for our home: for opportunities we open for American businesses, the skills of our young people we help build, and the threats to our security that we help prevent. For less than one percent of the federal budget, we are delivering results that shape a more secure and prosperous future for the American people and the world.
As Administrator Rajiv Shah, who testified before you earlier today has stated our mission across the globe is to partner to end extreme poverty and promote resilient, democratic societies. Our best partners in this effort are democratic societies – mature governments, active civil societies and dynamic private sectors – because their commitment to growing their economies and investing in their people makes our investments go farther. Increasingly, we have such partners in the Latin American and Caribbean region, where sensible policies and smart donor investments have helped fuel impressive social, political and economic progress.
This is an unprecedented moment for our nation—one where we can again lead the world in achieving goals once deemed too ambitious, too dangerous, or too complex. In doing so, we can protect our national security and spur economic growth. But above all, we can express the generosity and goodwill that unite us as a people.
As President Obama said in the 2013 State of the Union address, "We also know that progress in the most impoverished parts of our world enriches us all—not only because it creates new markets, more stable order in certain regions of the world, but also because it's the right thing to do." As we step forward to answer the President's call with renewed energy and focus, we remain committed to engaging the American people and serving their interests by leading the world to end extreme poverty.
Four years ago, President Obama set forth a new vision of a results-driven USAID that would lead the world in development. We have since risen to this challenge, pioneering a new model of development that brings a greater emphasis on partnerships, innovation, and results. We are guided in these efforts by a new mission statement: we partner to end extreme poverty and promote resilient democratic societies while advancing our security and prosperity.
Our work in Afghanistan is emblematic of our agency's overall mission: USAID partners to end extreme poverty and promote resilient, democratic societies while advancing our security and prosperity. USAID's role in Afghanistan is to promote a stable, inclusive and increasingly prosperous country. During the past decade, Afghanistan has made remarkable development gains across multiple sectors, thanks to the whole-of-government efforts of the United States, along with our international partners and the Afghan people.
Last updated: May 02, 2014
Find out about career opportunities at USAID
Learn how you can get involved and lend a hand.
Find business and funding opportunities.
Make a general inquiry or suggest an improvement.


text:
Keep kids learning
Worried your kid forgets everything they've learnt when not at school? Here's how to keep their brain sharp. more
Tuberculosis is a serious disease that infects the lungs. Tuberculosis is also called TB, and was once called consumption. There are two types of TB: active and inactive. Inactive TB is where the sufferer has the TB germ but doesn't experience any symptoms. Someone who has active TB experiences symptoms. Only someone with active TB can infect others. Even though it's no longer common in Australia and other developed countries, tuberculosis still kills almost two million people a year around the world. Only about 10% of people who come into contact with the germ that causes TB get the active form of the disease.
TB is caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which can grow in the lungs. These bacteria are spread when someone with an active infection coughs or sneezes. TB can also infect other parts of the body, but these types of the illness usually aren't contagious. Sometimes, unborn babies can get TB from their pregnant mothers, but this is very, very rare and has never been reported in Australia.
Tuberculosis is very serious, but treatable. Left untreated, it can spread throughout the body and cause other serious infections. TB can cause lung damage and even meningitis.
You can prevent tuberculosis by staying away from people with active infections, and by keeping your kids healthy with good dietary and hygiene habits. There is a vaccine for TB, but, because the illness is not common, the vaccine is not used on everyone. Your child's doctor will can doregular testing for the illness.
The symptoms of TB include:
You can't treat tuberculosis yourself. Your child's doctor will need to do some tests and then prescribe medication for the infection. Your child will need to take the medication for six to nine months, but sometimes the illness is harder to get rid of because the bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. In these cases, it can take up to two years to get rid of the infection. If your child is being treated for active TB, you'll need to keep her home for several weeks to prevent infecting other children. You will also need to take precautions against getting sick yourself.
Always call the doctor if you suspect your child has, or has been exposed to, TB. It's important to get tested and treated right away to prevent spreading the illness or developing a more serious infection.
Written by Rebecca Stigall for Kidspot, Australia's parenting resource for family health. Sources include Better Health Channel, NSW Health and Health Insite.
Last revised: Monday, 18 January 2010
This article contains general information only and is not intended to replace advice from a qualified health professional.


text:
2008 Barbara Varon Volunteer Award Winner
Oct. 20, 2008
News Highlights
- Recipient Hung Nguyen honored.
- Award recognizes a resident's volunteer service.
More Information
For his efforts in Fairfax County to increase the number of minority voters participating in the electoral process, Hung Nguyen was honored by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors with the 2008 Barbara Varon Volunteer Award during their meeting on Oct. 20. The award, named in honor of the memory of Barbara Varon, former chairman of the Fairfax County Electoral Board, was established to recognize a Fairfax County resident's dedication to improving the community through volunteer service.
Nguyen, a Vietnamese refugee, has worked with minority communities to increase participation in the electoral process and awareness of civic responsibilities. He has organized efforts to provide translated election materials, including a Vietnamese American Rock and Vote Concert in 2002 at the Fairfax County Government Center. As a result, more Asian Americans are informed of issues and are voting in Fairfax County. Nguyen also serves on several government committees and nonprofit organizations, including the Governor's Commission for Community and Volunteerism and the Fairfax County Consumer Protection Commission.
Barbara Varon award nominees must reside in Fairfax County, demonstrate an appreciation for the diversity of the community's population, exhibit patriotism, show evidence of having a positive effect on the community and be known for encouraging others to do the same.
"Hung Nguyen exemplifies these attributes," said Equity Programs Division Director Martha Villanigro-Santiago. "His more than 12 years as an active volunteer with minority communities have served to make him a role model."
For more information regarding this award, contact Villanigro-Santiago at 703-324-2207, TTY 703-222-5494, or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ohrep/epd/.
Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 551
Fairfax, VA 22035-0065
Contact: Merni Fitzgerald, Director of Public Affairs
703-324-3187, TTY 711, Fax 703-324-2010
Media Pager: 703-324-NEWS (6397)
Fairfax County is committed to
nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all county programs,
services and activities. To request this information in an alternate
format, call the Office of Public Affairs at 703-324-3187, TTY 711.


text: Connoisseur - White Taklon - Watercolor Brush - Fan - 6 - Connoisseur Short White Taklon All Media Superior Fan Brushes have spring, durability and performance found in each Connoisseur white nylon brush. White taklon is highly recommended for watercolors with excellent results. Superior, soft white nylon fibers provide precise flow control; spring and snap. Connoisseur Short White Taklon All Media is ideal for use with thinned down color for glazing, blending or detail work. Short handles for watercolors. Connoisseur fine artist brushes are hand crafted. Only the best natural hair or synthetic fibers are utilized in the manufacture of this premium line of brushes. This is a Short Handle Size 6 Fan White Taklon Hair Watercolor brush.


text:
NORTHRIDGE – The death of a man who was struck and killed by a Metrolink train in Northridge remains under investigation Saturday.
The victim was struck around 5 p.m. Friday at 8775 Wilbur Ave. near the Northridge Metrolink Station, authorities said.
The man's name and age were unknown this morning, according to Los Angeles County coroner's investigator Elissa Fleak. The man's body was badly mangled when he was struck, she said.
He was hit by a westbound train near Reseda Boulevard and was pronounced dead at the scene, Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
No one aboard the train was injured, Humphrey said.
Train service was stopped during the initial investigation, he said.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, said Officer Robert Carter of the Los Angeles Police Department's Valley Traffic Division.