J-Dub Returns From Vietnam

I returned last week from Hanoi (the capitol of Vietnam for all you non-geography majors). Vietnam is a pretty crazy place. I would say even more so than Thailand. It's one of only a few Communist countries still in existence, and yet, despite its politics, it has an free market economy. So it makes for an interesting place to visit.

I was there on business developing a new project for JWOC. The project will be focusing on supporting the second and third generation victims of dioxin (Agent Orange) used during the Vietnam-American War. Just outside Hanoi is a "Peace Village" were over 100 children aged 1 - 18 receive physical therapy, housing, food, education, and supervision.

Truly a remarkable place, the village is making a tremendous difference in these young folks lives. Each child's condition varies quite a bit, but all suffer from some form of mental or physical disability. Some of the children have severe memory problems and can't remember the events of the last five minutes while others can read and write at a third grade level (thanks to the help of the village).

It was really a moving experience because seeing the effects of agent orange in photos of destroyed forrests is one thing, but seeing the disfigurement of a living person is completely different. I was worried that being an American, there would be some lingering resentment or anger, but I was amazed to find quite the opposite. Working with an American-Vietnamese translator, the Director at the Village told me several times that they can not change the past and instead are doing their best to help the children. "The children come first," they told me.

There is certainly a lot that can be done. Just as a small family has many different needs, so does a large family need more on a larger scale. From the numerous bathrooms that are unusable due to overuse, to the unused physical therapy pool due to lack of funding, to the dedicated and compassionate staff who earn less than $50 per month, to the lack of fans in the summer and blankets in the winter, to rats that make their home in the kitchen, they can use money to help their "home".

So now the fund raising begins.

~J-Dub

Hey, I'm feeling your vibes

Durex wil be releasing a new toy to the market. This is the new advert from its website:

"NEW Play Vibrations, a vibrating ring designed to give you up to 20 minutes of quivering pleasure It's easily turned on and off; part of the fun will be experimenting with which way to wear it for maximum stimulation. Play Vibrations can be used with or without condoms, try it with a little lubricant to further enhance your experience."

Basically, it's a big wedding ring for him, that vibrates for both him and her. Better yet, just watch the video advert.

20 Minutes! Jeeze, I would have been happy with 3. But why isn't Durex capitalizing on Bluetooth technology for this new invention?

~ J-dub