We just released 12 new necklaces on Simplexpression for Valentine’s Day. If you’re looking for a unique, one-of-a-kind gift for her, come check them out.

After taking the recommendation from a reader, Ravensworth Automotive has been my choice of auto repair service. After the Wednesday incident, I immediately took my Acura to the shop for a thorough tune up and they took care of it for me from flushing the fluids to changing the battery and spark plugs to my windshield wiper. The service was exceptional and the price was reasonable. The guys are very nice too, especially Paul. The shop, which runs by a Vietnamese family, is doing a great job of taking care of its customers. Highly recommended if you live in Fairfax county.

Due to inclement weather, I left work at 4pm yesterday. My wife and my sister-in-law picked me up at the Metro and headed home. We stuck in traffic a bit so I put on Hong Nhung’s Khu Vuon Yen Tinh (The Quiet Garden) to calm my mind. The vibe was beautiful inside the car despite the sleeting rain outside and the cars weren’t moving along. Suddenly the quiet garden became chaotic. The audio went in and out. The wiper blaze was working with the grandma speed. The lights became dimmer. We pulled to the side to check out my good ole Acura. Nothing seemed to be wrong except we couldn’t start the car again. I knew we were screwed.

I called our insurance for road side assistance. After detecting our location through my cellphone, the representative informed me that we were in a high-alert-winter-storm zone. All the tow trucks only worked on emergency cases. She told me the only thing I could do was called 911. I got out of the car and walked around to see if we could find a gas station or something, but luckily a very nice gentleman offered to give us a ride. We all hopped and he was very generous to dropped us off about half a mile away from my sister-in-law house. I had to pushed his car a couple of times when we got up the hill, but we was quite a good snow driver.

We didn’t get home until 10 something, but we felt very fortunate that someone helped us. I was also glad that my wife decided to left Cong Dao home with grandma instead of going to school. I can’t even imagine what it was like with him out there.

This morning, my wife and I went to to pick up our car. We jumped the battery and the car worked fine. It was my fault for not checking the battery. We got a fine for abandoning our car and two cops came by as I tried to dig the car out. I thought we were going to get another ticket, but the two young cops were actually helped us shoveling and pushing our car out. Cops aren’t so bad after all.

It was definitely not a pleasurable experience, but I felt very fortunate. Thanks to the man who helped us.

Washington Post‘s Tim Carman:

One of the many attractions of pho, the Vietnamese noodle soup, is its open-endedness, its willingness to let slurpers customize their bowls however they please. Pho parlors, of course, enable diners with a small bounty of tabletop garnishes and sauces: hoisin for sweetness, Sriracha for kick, bean sprouts for crunch, limes for tang, jalapenos for heat and Thai basil for an element of anise. You, the eater, become the flavor agent in the house of pho.

Via big bro HmL.

Just came across this guy on YouTube. He talks like a ghetto chick, but quite hilarious, particularly his latest rant: “You Don’t Need A Boyfriend To Feel Good!.” His view on “Sexual Orientation Is Not A Choice” is intriguing. He argues, “I didn’t choose to be gay. Gay chose to be me.”

Biola University’s undergrad web site is strikingly beautiful. The background illustrations are fun, engaging and surprisingly not distracting at all. The color-coded navigation adds a nice touch to the design as well as enhances the user experience by differentiating the sections of the site. Each individual tab invites visitors to click through and explore. The content is organized and straightforward. Scrolling through the main pages, which divided into several segments, feel like scanning through brochures. The design is not only well-executed but also speaks to its targeted audience: the young undergrads.

Out of the box, HTML5 Boilerplate, “the professional badass’s base HTML/CSS/JS template for a fast,” robust and future-proof site, is quite overwhelming. Before diving into the files or giving up, I highly recommend watching Paul Irish’s 40-minute video, in which he walks through the codes line by line, and you’ll see all the awesomeness of the boilerplate.

RxBx Music who produces Thanh Ha’s forthcoming The Evolution of Thanh Ha teases fans with two new tracks “Anh Thi Khong” and “60 Nam Cuoc Doi.” They both sound pretty fresh and promising. Listening to the preview, however, I am a bit disappointed that the records are all over the place. I’ll definitely share my thoughts once I get my hand on the album and spend more time with it.

CBS News’ Betty Nguyen traveled to her birth country of Vietnam to distribute humanitarian aid to those struggling to survive. You go, Betty!

I picked up Coleman Hawkins: Portrait and Lester Young: Portrait today at the closing-out F.Y.E. for $25. Each boxset contains 10 CDs with a 40-page booklet. I can’t wait to listen to them next year.