Millions of people around the world remember this date 40 years ago. Do you? It was the day those millions were changed forever and a day that signified a momentous sea change in American history. Today, April 30, 2015 is the 40th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon.

The war that ended then is known as the American War in Vietnam. It ended a string of American  military victories and was the first in a series of subsequent miscalculations and military adventures that were unwinable – Desert Storm, Afghanistan and Iraq – not for lack of effort but because the playing field of war was changed in Vietnam. The official holiday in-coiuntry celebrates the Communist victory, but for those of us who love the South and admire its people it signifies their loss of heritage and homeland. read more

The great Danish writer, Isak Dinesen, is frequently cited for saying, “Coffee, according to the women of Denmark, is to the body what the Word of the Lord is to the soul.” I can’t speak directly to what the women of Denmark want or need, but coffee is certainly a key element for me in Surviving Seattle.

This week, at the Starbucks annual shareholders meeting, CEO Howard Schultz shared some brain-cramping bits of information. After announcing that there would be a 2 for 1 stock split based on the company’s record earnings, he dropped some remarkable statistics about the company’s performance. Did you know, for instance, that Starbucks baristas prepare an astounding 7,000 handcrafted beverages every minute of every day or that the worldwide company plans to open a new store every six hours in 2015? I find it almost impossible to wrap my head around these numbers even though I live in the eye of the international coffee storm. read more