WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 6: Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as people try to storm the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Demonstrators breeched security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the 2020 presidential election Electoral Vote Certification. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images) This song was inspired by … Continue reading Not a Riot—A Reckoning
Longing (Ḥanīn/حنين)
ChatGPT created this image based on this prompt: Hanin (حنين) "is a profound Arabic term that encapsulates a deep longing, particularly for a lost homeland or a place of origin." This is a LinkedIn post by Ms. We'am Hamdan, who is a Ph.D. student in the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge. At … Continue reading Longing (Ḥanīn/حنين)
I Could Have Played It Safe
People with advantages are loath to believe that they just happen to be people with advantages. They come readily to define themselves as inherently worthy of what they possess; they come to believe themselves ‘naturally’ elite; and, in fact, to imagine their possessions and their privileges as natural extensions of their own elite selves.” -C. … Continue reading I Could Have Played It Safe
The Lie Is the Lesson: Renee Nicole Good and the Anatomy of American Authoritarianism
I felt compelled to repost this essay on Facebook by Michael Jochum. The murder of Renee Nicole Good in Minnesota is not an isolated tragedy. It is a case study in how authoritarian rule manifests in the United States, courtesy of Trump-style fascism, an administration that no longer governs but commands, a complicit GOP that … Continue reading The Lie Is the Lesson: Renee Nicole Good and the Anatomy of American Authoritarianism
Children Reading Books!
It always warms the cockles of my heart whenever I see a child holding a book in her (or his) hands - even a comic book! - and not a "dumbphone" or other addictive electronic device. I always want to walk over to their parents and thank them for doing a good job raising their … Continue reading Children Reading Books!
Restoring Hope Through Education: The Gaza Education Tent
Help Gaza’s children learn, heal, and hope. I'm pleased to share information about an important project conceived and led by Ruwaida Amer, a teacher and journalist in Gaza. Below is a description of The Gaza Education Tent in her words. If you're interested in supporting this project in any way, please leave a message here … Continue reading Restoring Hope Through Education: The Gaza Education Tent
Neoliberalism in a Socialist State: Political Economy of Higher Education in Vietnam
Escaping Wonderland ChatGPT created this image based on the abstract. Out of the mouths of babes - umm - chatbots. If you're interested in Vietnamese higher education, this abstract should whet your appetite for more. Over the last three decades, Vietnam has experienced significant economic growth, with millions lifted out of extreme poverty through economic … Continue reading Neoliberalism in a Socialist State: Political Economy of Higher Education in Vietnam
Streets of Vietnam: A Structured Chaos
Image generated by ChatGPT based on the essay. This is a repost of a LinkedIn post by Stephane Masse about traffic in Vietnam, something I am intimately familiar with, having lived here for over 20 years. While some foreigners new to Vietnam invariably ask me if I have a motorbike, the car has always been … Continue reading Streets of Vietnam: A Structured Chaos
The Legacy of Settler Colonialism: It’s Personal
This image was created by Gemini based on the first paragraph of this post. Every empire, however, tells itself and the world that it is unlike all other empires, that its mission is not to plunder and control but to educate and liberate.-Edward W. Said I come from a long line of settler-colonizer ancestors who … Continue reading The Legacy of Settler Colonialism: It’s Personal
Ending Palestinian Suffering Requires Dismantling the Apartheid System: Miko Peled
We have to come to a point where the conversation changes from this one that accepts the Zionist narrative to the one that rejects it. Zionism is a white supremacist, racist, genocidal ideology that created this apartheid state, and it has to be brought to an end. A great interview with Miko Peled, an anti-Zionist … Continue reading Ending Palestinian Suffering Requires Dismantling the Apartheid System: Miko Peled
Turning Battlefields to Peace: A Musical Tribute to Chuck Searcy (Project RENEW)
Chuck and I after a recent lunch at our favorite Indian restaurant in Hanoi. I was delighted to see this music video on the first day of 2026, honoring the life's work of my friend Chuck Searcy, who has lived in Vietnam for 30 years. Below are the descriptions in English and Vietnamese, followed by … Continue reading Turning Battlefields to Peace: A Musical Tribute to Chuck Searcy (Project RENEW)
An International Educator in Vietnam 
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