I was dining at one of my favorite restaurants, A Taste of India, mentioned here: http://zumbrun.net/chuck/?page_id=6 and I noticed a basket of fake flowers. What caught my eye was the tag on the basket that said, “Made in Vietnam.” Just over 30 years ago we considered the North Vietnamese enough of a threat to lead the slaughter of over 1.5 million people to keep them out of South Vietnam.

Now we buy baskets from them…

Pho in Fort Wayne, Indiana?  Believe it! 

Recently a friend cancelled a lunch date with me at the last minute, and being at loose ends I decided to head south to check out the Saigon restaurant.

In my last job I travelled frequently (continuously, it seemed) to Calgary, Alberta.  Despite a reputation as a provincial cow town in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, Calgary has a noodle shop on practically every corner.  Delicious pho is to had all over town at prices that made me smile, being on per diem.

So I had put the Saigon on my places to visit when I’d get the chance.  I could never talk anyone into going with me.  Some were afraid of anything they hadn’t eaten before at a national chain, others feared ‘crossing the tracks’ to the south side of Fort Wayne, which everyone knows is riddled with crack houses and gangs and you will be shot in a drive-by shooting if you venture south of Jefferson Blvd.

The timid are missing some of the best food to be had in Fort Wayne for 5 bucks. 

For a good read, check out http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/14/AR2006041401806.html?sub=AR .

I make no claims to impartiality (watch Fox News if you want that), the author is my son.

A friend of mine saw my “War Is Not The Answer” (get yours here: http://www.fcnl.org/forms/forms.php?type=bump ) bumper sticker and said, “Well, of course not, it’s just one step in the process.” 

Pragmatic – horrifying – but pragmatic.