Thang Nguyen 555

Cultures on Collision Course

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With some short-term relief work in Asia/Africa and long stint in Telecom, Thang also earned a B.A. at Pennsylvania State University. M.A. in Communication at Wheaton Graduate School, M.A. in Cross-Cultural Communication at Gordon-Conwell Seminary, Boston. In addition, he earned a CELTA – classes taken in Hanoi for cultural re-immersion.

Tag: Google

  • two-step back

    A laid-off Coca Cola delivery man gave a bank teller a note, demanding one dollar so he could go to jail and get healthcare. A Florida retiree robbed a bank to pay his mortgage. New York sex workers told investigative reporters they went on-call to pay back college tuition. Something is not right with our…

  • creatures of information

    “We are ‘creatures of information’”, “in the library of Babel, seeking information past and future”, says James Gleick in the Information. We might look in hardback and paperback, print books and e-books, newspaper and news broadcast, but we are still after the information. It reminds me of a line by St Paul “though now we see…

  • Fallible leadership

    Former Google CEO, in a recent interview, admitted that he was too busy to see Social Network coming. Former Microsoft CEO, at the turn of the century, admitted he too missed the significance of the Internet. The Vatican, after years of floundering, decided to settle sexual abuse cases ( as of this edit, Pope Francis…

  • Tech buying spree

    Even the President couldn’t help visiting Facebook campus in Palo Alto two weeks ago, and in Austin. California companies now talk of an Austin strategy, just like GE back in the 90’s with  India. I finally realized the wisdom of Alex who made millions from his dollar-per-dot concept. Except this time, it will be the buttons (Like by…

  • Oil and Water

    Oil price backed down as tsunami water gushed up to Japanese shores. The two shall never mix. Middle East rising. Pacific falling. News of a thousand deaths abroad eclipsed news of petty thefts at home. Statistically, street crime is down while cyber-crime up. I admire Net Gen’s speed to mobilize relief efforts e.g. People Finder by…

  • Gone are these jobs!

    I read today about 10 jobs that did not exist a decade ago. http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/111973/jobs-that-didnt-exist-10-years-ago It quickly came to mind jobs that are now gone, for good: Telephone switchboard operators Gas station attendants (who used to wipe our windshields and check the oil) One-hour photo clerk (Remember Robin Williams?) Milkman, mailman, newspaper boy (fewer jobs) Typist…

  • Perpetual obsolescence

    After Moore’s Law came Android’s Law (open-source software allows for faster deploy of smart phone apps – between six to nine months). http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/111990/your-new-smartphone-is-already-a-dinosaur Smart phone turns dumb phone pretty quick. (conversely, studies showed a steady rise of IQ as digital natives  spent more time playing games). I call this “smart and smarter” generation. We are…

  • Content, conduit, contrarian

    The creator of Million-Dollar Homepage cashed out, and did nothing for five years. I have waited for the other shoe to drop. It just did. Do Nothing for 2 Minutes. http://www.donothingfor2minutes.com/ The high school graduate does put his thinking cap on every so often, and knows how to create buzz. He either sells ad dots…

  • Time to read

    There is a time to listen and a time to read. That time is now. At lunch or in line. The WSJ runs a a picture of an “early adopter” (old lady wrapped herself in a good book, digital that is). For her, what a lifetime that was: out of the house to go to…

  • message in the bottle

    Cast away. Sending an SOS. an SMS. I hope that someone will get my message. We are born to connect (our belly button testifies to this) with nature and others. Yet marketers are telling us that in Retirement Ville, cruise ship (with sauna sound that reminds us of incubator) and virtual existence can substitute for the…