Tuesday, March 29, 2005
A New Meaning for VC
Last Friday I went to an opening for a major US tech consulting firm here in Ho Chi Minh City. VC nowadays means Venture Capital and finding ways to connect the talent and energy of local entrepreneurs with the global investment markets.
American Studies
Went to an amazing American Studies workshop (thanks, Dr. T and Prof. M!) last Friday. Amazing because the discussants did not talk about whether or not to have Am Studies here in Vietnam, but how to have it. How to get more teaching materials, more experience in the U.S., and more teacher training.
And I was really relieved the seminar did not turn into a discussion of the evils of pop culture, as sometimes happens in AmStudies conferences overseas. It was a really good, serious event and I am honored to have been able to attend.
And I was really relieved the seminar did not turn into a discussion of the evils of pop culture, as sometimes happens in AmStudies conferences overseas. It was a really good, serious event and I am honored to have been able to attend.
Ship Visit
The USS Gary is in town. This is the second US Navy ship to visit since '73. No less amazing to see it pull into Saigon Harbor than the Vandegrift's visit in November 2003.
Much more of a breeze on the dock this morning than a year and a half ago. I didn't thoroughly dehydrate like last time.
Much more of a breeze on the dock this morning than a year and a half ago. I didn't thoroughly dehydrate like last time.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Farewell, VNU students
Today, as u know, was my last lecture. Hope my parting thoughts on foreign policy were helpful. As I mentioned, here are important concepts to know for the final exam (and the rest of your life, I hope):
--isolationism
--expansionism
--internationalism
--bipolar world
--monopolar world
--multipolar world
--containment
--globalization
--idealism vs. realism
--isolationism
--expansionism
--internationalism
--bipolar world
--monopolar world
--multipolar world
--containment
--globalization
--idealism vs. realism
Sent to Me from a Former War-era Nurse
Don't know if these are true., but they're definitely funny.
Medical Funnies
A man comes into the ER and yells, "My wife's going to have her baby in the cab!" I grabbed my stuff, rushed out to the cab, lifted the lady's dress, and began to take off her underwear. Suddenly I noticed that there were several cabs - and I was in the wrong one.
Dr. Mark MacDonald, San Antonio, TX
At the beginning of my shift I placed a stethoscope on an elderly and slightly deaf female patient's anterior chest wall. "Big breaths," I instructed. "Yes, they used to be," remorsed the patient.
Dr. Richard Byrnes, Seattle, WA
One day I had to be the bearer of bad news when I told a wife that her husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct. Not more than five minutes later, I heard her reporting to the rest of the family that he had died of a "massive internal fart."
Dr. Susan Steinberg, Manitoba, Canada
While acquainting myself with a new elderly patient, I asked, "How long have you been bedridden?" After a look of complete confusion she answered , "Why, not for about twenty years - when my husband was alive."
Dr. Steven Swanson, Corvallis, OR
I was caring for a woman and asked, "So how's your breakfast this morning?" "It's very good, except for the Kentucky Jelly. I can't seem to get used to the taste" the patient replied. I then asked to see the jelly and the woman produced a foil packet labeled "KY Jelly."
Dr. Leonard Kransdorf, Detroit, MI
and finally...
A new, young MD doing his residency in OB was quite embarrassed performing female pelvic exams. To cover his embarrassment he had unconsciously formed a habit of whistling softly. The middle-aged lady upon whom he was performing this exam suddenly burst out laughing and further embarrassed him. He looked up from his work and sheepishly said, "I'm sorry. Was I tickling you?" She replied, "No doctor, but the song you were whistling was,"I wish I was an Oscar Meyer Wiener".
Dr. wouldn't admit his name
Medical Funnies
A man comes into the ER and yells, "My wife's going to have her baby in the cab!" I grabbed my stuff, rushed out to the cab, lifted the lady's dress, and began to take off her underwear. Suddenly I noticed that there were several cabs - and I was in the wrong one.
Dr. Mark MacDonald, San Antonio, TX
At the beginning of my shift I placed a stethoscope on an elderly and slightly deaf female patient's anterior chest wall. "Big breaths," I instructed. "Yes, they used to be," remorsed the patient.
Dr. Richard Byrnes, Seattle, WA
One day I had to be the bearer of bad news when I told a wife that her husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct. Not more than five minutes later, I heard her reporting to the rest of the family that he had died of a "massive internal fart."
Dr. Susan Steinberg, Manitoba, Canada
While acquainting myself with a new elderly patient, I asked, "How long have you been bedridden?" After a look of complete confusion she answered , "Why, not for about twenty years - when my husband was alive."
Dr. Steven Swanson, Corvallis, OR
I was caring for a woman and asked, "So how's your breakfast this morning?" "It's very good, except for the Kentucky Jelly. I can't seem to get used to the taste" the patient replied. I then asked to see the jelly and the woman produced a foil packet labeled "KY Jelly."
Dr. Leonard Kransdorf, Detroit, MI
and finally...
A new, young MD doing his residency in OB was quite embarrassed performing female pelvic exams. To cover his embarrassment he had unconsciously formed a habit of whistling softly. The middle-aged lady upon whom he was performing this exam suddenly burst out laughing and further embarrassed him. He looked up from his work and sheepishly said, "I'm sorry. Was I tickling you?" She replied, "No doctor, but the song you were whistling was,"I wish I was an Oscar Meyer Wiener".
Dr. wouldn't admit his name
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Modest Mouse; AP-28
Am I the only one who was a little disappointed with Modest Mouse's 2004 CD?
Steve Pepper--enjoyed reading your solo flight posts.
Steve Pepper--enjoyed reading your solo flight posts.
Update on Franken Finger
Cal is still in bandages on his left hand. I actually peaked at the stitches on Thursday and it looks like something out of a Mary Shelley novel.
Now he starts daily therapy for ten days. Doc says he may actually regain full use of his index finger. He should practice his bass a lot once he gets out of the bandage.
Now he starts daily therapy for ten days. Doc says he may actually regain full use of his index finger. He should practice his bass a lot once he gets out of the bandage.
Don't tell my wife...
I bought a huge, 160GB hard drive from my friend D (D Rock, he is called) and when my wife was out at nearby province I began a massive upload of music files to it. Well, it helps solve the problem of junking up my wife's laptop hard drive, but I am listening to my iPod so much around the house worried she is going to rip the white earphones from my head.
And last night I put all my Elvis Costello CD's onto my iPod. Having trouble with the rare 'Out of Our Idiot' collection. Really want to hear EC's version of 'Head to Toe' again!
And last night I put all my Elvis Costello CD's onto my iPod. Having trouble with the rare 'Out of Our Idiot' collection. Really want to hear EC's version of 'Head to Toe' again!
30th anniversaries
'05 is a big year because of the 30th anniversary of the reunification of Vietnam. I'm extra busy blah blah blah...Another '75 occasion I think of is how that was the year when I really began listening to music on the radio. Sure, before '75 I was listening to some album rock like Brian Eno and Gentle Giant, but I really opened my ears up to what he rest of America was listening in '75. It's my watershed musical year--all music made before '75 seems 'before my time,' and everything after that seems like something I personally experienced, except for gaps when we were overseas and totally out of touch (like 1994-5 in Tunisia).
When was YOUR year of musical awakening?
By the way, welcome to M. from the West Coast, who is here for a big conference!
When was YOUR year of musical awakening?
By the way, welcome to M. from the West Coast, who is here for a big conference!
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Running Around
HCMC is the first city I have lived in and not been able to jog in during the day. So I have had to get used to using a treadmill and relishing times when we are out of town, like last weekend when we went up to Mui Ne.
Have you ever heard the group HaviKoro? They are coming to Saigon enxt month, if all goes well.
And I heard that Peter Yarrow is coming to HCMC at the end of this month.
Have you ever heard the group HaviKoro? They are coming to Saigon enxt month, if all goes well.
And I heard that Peter Yarrow is coming to HCMC at the end of this month.
Thursday, March 10, 2005
VNU Papers
I looked over your outlines and two-thirds are really excellent. For the other third:
Think about why you are writing the paper and how it relates to class. Don't write a history paper, or a news story. Analyze your issue in terms of concepts we learned in class like separation of pwoers, checks and balances, the roles of the various institutions in the policymaking process, and foundational principles of the Constitution.
Think about why you are writing the paper and how it relates to class. Don't write a history paper, or a news story. Analyze your issue in terms of concepts we learned in class like separation of pwoers, checks and balances, the roles of the various institutions in the policymaking process, and foundational principles of the Constitution.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Almost One Less Finger
The night before his birthday, Thu and I were on our way back from the Metro supermart with party drinks and food when we rec'd a very calm call from Cal at the front desk of our apartment building: 'Dad, I am bleeding a lot but it does not hurt too much. What should I do?'
The apt. manager rushed him to the International SOS health clinic and we asked the driver to floor it so we could meet him there. Amidst he panic, the manager told my wife (all this in Vietnamese) that Cal had lost his finger. That certainly added to the spice.
The clinic examined his cut and, on a whim, the doctors on duty sent him to the local French hospital. A world-class hand surgeon looked at him later that night and it turned out he severed a nerve and a tendon. He spent two hours the next day mending Cal. I stayed with Cal throughout the weekened at the hospital.
I think Cal was supposed to stay calm and quiet but we ended up bringing the birthday cake into his room and had more than 20 people in and out through the day. At one point it was so noisy we didn't realize Cal was in agony because his intravenous needle had slipped out of his hand.
When the accident first happened, five-year old Calista gave Cal a towel to wrap his hand and keep the blood from dripping all over his bedroom. She says she wants to be a doctor when she grows up--apaprently she already has the stomach for it.
I gave Cal fatherly advice such as: Keep your wounded hand elevated or else you will devolve and turn reptilian. I took photos of his friends Anthony and Leo posing in front of a French sign pointing to the 'Reanimation ward.' (You will get this if you are a Linkin Park fan.) And his mother, surprisingly, did not scream or harangue him, but was relieved that all his digits are intact.
It'll take several months of therapy and perhaps a follow-up operation in a year, but hopefully he will have full usage of his hand.
Not quite as dramatic as Jack White's finger injury a couple of years ago (www.WhiteStripes.com), and we have no photos of the surgery to post on the web page like Jack did, but definitely an eventful weekend.
And...the birthday party is postponed 'till this Friday at 6pm. See you then.
The apt. manager rushed him to the International SOS health clinic and we asked the driver to floor it so we could meet him there. Amidst he panic, the manager told my wife (all this in Vietnamese) that Cal had lost his finger. That certainly added to the spice.
The clinic examined his cut and, on a whim, the doctors on duty sent him to the local French hospital. A world-class hand surgeon looked at him later that night and it turned out he severed a nerve and a tendon. He spent two hours the next day mending Cal. I stayed with Cal throughout the weekened at the hospital.
I think Cal was supposed to stay calm and quiet but we ended up bringing the birthday cake into his room and had more than 20 people in and out through the day. At one point it was so noisy we didn't realize Cal was in agony because his intravenous needle had slipped out of his hand.
When the accident first happened, five-year old Calista gave Cal a towel to wrap his hand and keep the blood from dripping all over his bedroom. She says she wants to be a doctor when she grows up--apaprently she already has the stomach for it.
I gave Cal fatherly advice such as: Keep your wounded hand elevated or else you will devolve and turn reptilian. I took photos of his friends Anthony and Leo posing in front of a French sign pointing to the 'Reanimation ward.' (You will get this if you are a Linkin Park fan.) And his mother, surprisingly, did not scream or harangue him, but was relieved that all his digits are intact.
It'll take several months of therapy and perhaps a follow-up operation in a year, but hopefully he will have full usage of his hand.
Not quite as dramatic as Jack White's finger injury a couple of years ago (www.WhiteStripes.com), and we have no photos of the surgery to post on the web page like Jack did, but definitely an eventful weekend.
And...the birthday party is postponed 'till this Friday at 6pm. See you then.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Cool in Saigon
Four days passed in the Delta very quickly. Went way out in Hau Giang province to do grant monitoring on farms and at rural schools. Lots of chickens and ducks (yikes!) and smiling faces of farmers and school kids. I posted photos on our web page, www.uscongenhcmc.org
Martha and Michael
For my VNU students:
America has an unusual thing called Celebrity Trials. Please read the articles below:
http://money.cnn.com/2005/03/03/news/newsmakers/martha_walkup/index.htm?cnn=yes
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/03/jackson/index.html
Based on our dicussion of the role of media in America and the importance of public opinion, do you think that the court cases described above promote the public interest, harm it, or are merely diversions? You can email me your response through Mr. Dat, please.
America has an unusual thing called Celebrity Trials. Please read the articles below:
http://money.cnn.com/2005/03/03/news/newsmakers/martha_walkup/index.htm?cnn=yes
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/03/jackson/index.html
Based on our dicussion of the role of media in America and the importance of public opinion, do you think that the court cases described above promote the public interest, harm it, or are merely diversions? You can email me your response through Mr. Dat, please.
