Happy Reunification Day! Chúc Mừng Ngày Thống Nhất!

On the occasion of the 46th anniversary of the end of the US War in Viet Nam, I would like to repost this article from 30 April 2020 A Letter From Viet Nam on the Occasion of the 45th Anniversary of the End of the War that was published by CounterPunch. Follow this link to … Continue reading Happy Reunification Day! Chúc Mừng Ngày Thống Nhất!

Taking the Pulse of F-1 Issuances in Viet Nam: A Year of Recovery & Challenges

As the end of April approaches, I thought I'd check on the number of US student visas issued since the beginning of the 2021 fiscal year and compare it with last year in the (mostly) pre-COVID era. Yes, I know this is the low season for F-1 issuances, the high season lasting from May through … Continue reading Taking the Pulse of F-1 Issuances in Viet Nam: A Year of Recovery & Challenges

Hội An Visit a Bittersweet Experience

Photos by MAA Strolling around Hội An on a recent sunny afternoon, classical music playing softly on the omnipresent speakers, the tropical breeze wafting through the trees and alleys, was both a sad and peaceful experience. For the uninitiated, this charming little town, a short drive south of Danang in central Viet Nam, is a … Continue reading Hội An Visit a Bittersweet Experience

RocketReach Falls Short

I was recently searching for something online and came across this RocketReach (RR) profile of Capstone Vietnam. (Full disclosure/reminder: I'm managing director and co-founder.) RR is a web-based tool that mines data to create profiles of companies that include website addresses, social media channels, and email addresses, among other information. The results illustrate the current … Continue reading RocketReach Falls Short

Pentagon campaign to recruit Vietnam as military ally against China exposed delusions of US war strategy

After convincing itself Vietnam would grant it access for missile bases against China, the Pentagon got a hard dose of reality. Courtesy of The Grayzone When the Pentagon began gearing up for a future war with China in 2018, Defense Department officials quickly realized that they needed access to Vietnamese territory for troops armed with … Continue reading Pentagon campaign to recruit Vietnam as military ally against China exposed delusions of US war strategy

Requiem for the ‘American Century’

It's not often that I simply post an article but this essay by Andrew J. Bacevich, which originally appeared on TomDispatch, is worth reading. 9/11 tribute. (David Z from Pixabay) Only when Americans openly acknowledge their imperial transgressions will genuine repentance become possible. And only with repentance will avoiding further occasions to sin become a habit. … Continue reading Requiem for the ‘American Century’

“‘Lady Gaga of Vietnam’ finds a home in Pittsburgh”

Image from Mai Khoi's Facebook Page This article, which appeared in one of my Viet Nam-related Google Alerts, jumped off my screen. It was bittersweet news, a loss for Viet Nam and a gain for the USA. As an artist, Mai Khoi will have to find new sources of inspiration and material. I have no … Continue reading “‘Lady Gaga of Vietnam’ finds a home in Pittsburgh”

Phạm Lực: Painter Par Excellence

Mr. Lực was kind enough to sketch me during a fall 2018 visit to his studio. (Cảm ơn đồng chí!) Phạm Lực, who lives in Hanoi, is one of my all-time favorite painters not just in Viet Nam but in any country and any period of history. He is a brilliant artist, an adjective I … Continue reading Phạm Lực: Painter Par Excellence