u/improvthismoment

Viet Kieu in North America here

My mom told me that Trump said something to the effect that there is only one flag of Vietnam, and his allies are no longer flying the three stripe flag. Theory is that Trump is trying to improve relations with the VN government. US is also building a huge new embassy in VN.

This blows me away, as many of the people who venerate that flag have also been strong Trump supporters.

I can’t read Vietnamese, and not finding anything on this in the English media.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

What is a good mid range option for field recorder for gigs, shows, jam sessions in 2026? I'm talking small group jazz combos, trio to sextet size say, in small-ish room.

My priorities are sound quality and ease of use.

I don't need tons of inputs, or advanced features that I won't use.

I want as close to turn on and press record as possible, minimal post processing (which I know is super time consuming), while still getting pretty good sound, good enough for a casual demo for local gigs for example.

Right now I'm leaning towards the Zoom H5 Studio. Reviews say it has better sound quality than the Zoom H4 Essentials. It's in my budget range if the value is there.

What do others think? What else should I be considering?

Just got these, hoping to keep them going for a long time. I live in the Pacific Northwest, planning to use these mostly in the wet winters that we get here, both around town and light hiking, but not serious backcountry hiking or camping.

What is the best way to maintain them, both leather and goretex?

Right now I'm thinking an all-Nikwax strategy

1. Nikwax Footwear Cleaning gel, for, well, cleaning
2. Nikwax Waterproofing Wax for Leather. Maybe once a year or so? That's how often I treated my last set of goretex (non leather) boots
3. +/- Nikwax Conditioner for Leather. Not sure if this will actually be needed if I am doing #1 and #2?

Or should I go with Danner brand products? Equivalent to above would be

1. Danner Boot Cleaner
2. Danner Waterproofing Gel
3. +/- Danner Boot Dressing conditioner (clear), which looks like it is OK for goretex boots

How often do leather / goretex boots need to be conditioned and/or re-waterproofed, do those two steps usually go together? Is it possible to "over-condition" leather boots?

Just got my Tank Must Small on bracelet, love it.

Now looking for a black leather strap similar to the OEM one. The boutique tells me I can order it for close to $400CAD including the buckle, which is more than I want to spend on a strap, and it might take a month or two. What are some alternatives?

I have seen Delugs online. They have a black croc strap which is dressier than the stock OEM version. I’m looking for something a bit more casual / versatile. They also have a black rubberized leather one, I don’t have any experience with that material, what do people think about it?

Any other options, preferably with a Cartier style buckle?