09/10/06 - WARNING - Sprint PCS RIP off!!!
I have been a Sprint customer for a long time, at least since '98. A year ago, I upraded my phone to a Toshiba phone with camera, the only reason I did that was because of the deal they had at the time of $200 rebate. I specifically asked the Sprint sales rep if it was OK, because I am a current customer, _NOT_ a new customer. He assured me it was OK.

The San Francisco International Film Festival is a great showcase of
international films which are highly relevant to our understanding of
the contemporary world. Every year I have a great experience. The
following films are from the IndieAsia segment of the Festival, and
provide a glimpse into modern life in Asia.

Tickets for all of these films are $11 General Public/ $10 Students
and Seniors/$9 Members. Visit http://fest06.sffs.org for more details
or call the box office at 925-866-9559 from 9:00AM-4:00PM, Monday
through Friday.

GUBRA
Early in Gubra, amorous horseplay between young Orked and her husband
Arif is interrupted by a frantic phone call from her mother: "We are
losing your father!" Orked and Arif rush to her parents' house and,
amidst much wailing and scolding, load him into a car and drive him to
the hospital. It is a comic reminder of the hysteria that can
accompany any family crisis and the catalyst for an important
encounter at the hospital with the brother of Orked's lost love,
Jason. The story of Orked's interracial love affair with Jason was

The following health alert was issued for Viet Nam on Wednesday, 19
January, 2005.

Avian influenza update - Vietnam

The problem has not gone away. New outbreaks of bird flu have been
reported in 7 southern provinces in Viet Nam, and also one area near
Hanoi since late December 2004. With the recurrent outbreak by January
15 at least 180,000 birds had been culled to try to contain the
disease.

SBTN (Saigon Broadcasting Television Network) is the first nationally broadcast 24-hour Vietnamese channel in America & is available through DIRECTV's satellite dish system for home use in every city in the USA. SBTN programming is designed to keep Vietnamese Americans connected with their culture and identity. SBTN captures audiences of all generations with a combination of news, talk shows, dramas, children's programming, entertainment, variety, movies, culture and history. Complete DIRECTV, 1, 2, 3 or 4 room satellite system costs $149.99, including installation. Programming sold separately for $14.99/per mo. plus $9.99/per mo. for a basic English programming package. 1 yr. programming agreement is required. Order DIRECTV PREFERRED CHOICE programming is $29.99 per mo. and get a $150.00 rebate. Visit us at www.valueelectronics.com/saigon.htm or Call us at 800-789-5050 to order.

Singapore eases visa rules for visitors
Multiple-journey visas for those from China, India and elsewhere among moves to help tourists, businessmen, officials

Associated Press (Aug 11, 09:46 PM) Decades after the wartime defoliant Agent Orange was sprayed over Vietnam, toxic chemicals continue to contaminate Vietnamese people and the food they eat, according to a new study released Monday. The finding, published in the August issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, found that six out of 16 food samples taken last year from around the southern city of Bien Hoa, a former U.S. air base, had levels of dioxin approaching those found during the Vietnam War. Dioxin was found in ducks, chickens, a bottom-dwelling fish and a toad. Samples of pork and beef showed negligible levels. "This study is one of many that shows Agent Orange is not history. Dioxin contamination is still found in high levels in some Vietnamese, as high as when spraying was going on," said lead researcher Dr. Arnold Schecter, of the University of Texas School of Public Health in Dallas. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military sprayed an estimated 21 million gallons of herbicides over central and southern Vietnam to destroy jungles communist forces used as cover. About 55 percent of that was Agent Orange, which contains the highly toxic dioxin. Bien Hoa was the site of a 5,000-gallon underground spill of Agent Orange about three decades ago. Earlier studies have shown high dioxin levels in the bloodstream of residents of Bien Hoa, located 20 miles northeast of Ho Chi Minh City, including children born decades after the spraying and people who recently moved there. Though there has never been a direct scientific connection established between the herbicide and birth defects, exposure to Agent Orange has been linked to a variety of illnesses, including cancer, diabetes and spina bifida. Schecter, who worked with a team of Vietnamese, German and American scientists, said the study also showed the presence of other dangerous chemicals, including PCBs, a dioxin-like substance. "When we worry about the health effects in people, we shouldn't ignore the presence of these other chemicals," he said. Schecter said he believes measures can be taken to avoid future contamination, including urging people to substitute contaminated foods with other food sources. "There are things that can be done here. The good news is that even in Bien Hoa city, most of the food is safe," he said. Although Vietnam has never directly demanded compensation from the United States, it has said Washington has a moral responsibility to help heal the consequences of the war. Last year, the two countries held their first joint scientific conference on Agent Orange and its effects. Vietnam says there are more than 620,000 victims affected by Agent Orange, including veterans and their children. Little trace of dioxin remains in the soil. However, dioxin can be found in sediment, which may be one reason fish and ducks are more likely to be contaminated. http://tinyurl.com/jq9b