Beef

Beef is an all-Asian-cast Netflix series starring Ali Wong and Steven Yeun. I didn’t know Yeun before, but he is outstanding. Ali Wong steps up her acting game. In fact, the entire cast is pretty damn good. Beef is dark, fucked-up, and edgy. Mad kudos to Lee Sung Jin. I hope to see more seasons coming in the future.

Nothing to Declare

I stand before it
All that I own
What kind of heaven
would it be if
I couldn’t take you

John Freeman

Windward

Listen to what the air
is saying tonight

my friend, you’ve
been ashore a long

while, the time
for your sail

to fill is here.
We’re standing on

the verge with you,
take our arms

we’ll lift you into
this boat

you’ve been building
your whole life:

the beam-ends are
lined with your labor,

the arc of visibility
is clear,

everything that ever
was awaits you at sea.

Tell it to us when
we arrive

in due time, in ships
you taught us to sail.

John Freeman

Goodbye Sidney Teitler

Uncle Sidney Teitler passed away today. Truth be told, I didn’t know much about him other than he was married to my mom’s youngest sister. They lived a very private life. Before he left this earth, he wanted to be cremated and he didn’t want to hold any funeral service. My aunt and uncle didn’t have any children together. They only had each other. Now that he had gone and left her all alone. Rest in eternal peace, Uncle Teitler.

Obituary

Sidney Teitler passed away at age 92 on April 14, 2023, at home with his devoted wife, Anh Minh Ly, at his side. In his youth, Sidney studied Physics and graduated with a Ph.D. degree from Syracuse University in New York. Later, he joined Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C., and worked in the Electronic Science and Technology Division (ESTD). He was promoted to the position of Associate Superintendent and worked in this position until his retirement in 1993. Serving in the capacity of an Associate Superintendent, he was instrumental in mentoring and guiding research scientists within the ESTD. He was particularly gifted in spotting and encouraging talented people to reach their potential.

Although his passion was in mathematics and theoretical physics, Sidney had a wide range of other interests including music, arts, religion, and history. He was amazingly knowledgeable in those subject matters. In his later years, he discovered his love for using computers and the Internet. He spent many hours reading new information and watching videos, researching in-depth on topics of his interests, and collecting and sharing many good articles from the Web. This hobby was the secret to keeping his mind sharp even at an advanced age. Though his health deteriorated in later years, he was able not only to maintain his physical strength by eating well but also to sustain his positive spirit through reading and learning from the Internet. Despite his chronic pain, he always tried to be pleasant. Whenever an opportunity arose, he was always eager to share his vast knowledge and experience with family members. There was so much to learn from Sidney, especially the wisdom in life flowing out from his sharp mind.

Sidney was generous, kind, wise, and caring to all who were close to him. Even though he is no longer around, he is reverently and affectionately remembered by his family. He is survived by his dear wife.

Toyota Sienna 2011 (170,000-Mile Oil Change)

Took my car to the dealer for an oil change and received the following recommendations:

  • Oil & filter change, 6 cylinder, synthetic oil includes checking under-hood fluid levels and tire pressures in four-road wheels: $88.02
  • CV Boot Cover Replacement: Right CV Boots leaking. Recommend replacing CV boots (inner and outer): $816.59
  • Ball Joint Replacement (Lower: Boots leaking, worn): $908.25
  • Alignment: $139.66
  • Timing Cover Gasket: Leaking oil (Original factory seal): $4200.79
  • Tune Up: Including spark plugs and PCV valve: $1150.36
  • BG Transmission Synthetic Fluid Service: $420.26

Total: $7,723.93

I declined all the services except for the first item. I will be looking into an alternative shop from Vietnamese technicians.

Sex

Afterwards, my thighs and ass felt strong and wild like the dappled horse buttocks inside a Leonora Carrington painting.

Brenda Coultas

Peter Cole: Draw Me After

I read the entire collection. I had some vague understanding of the works, but I couldn’t pick out anything to share. Another day, another book of poetry red. Moving to the next one.

Taneum Bambrick: Intimacies, Received

In her intimate collection of poems, Taneum Bambrick shares personal stories of sex, heartbreak, and rape. Bambrick is a brilliant lyricist and storyteller. I read the book twice and jotted down few favorites to share.

Seventeen Funerals

Seventeen suns rising in seventeen bedroom windows. Thirty-four eyes blooming open with the light of one more morning. Seventeen reflections in the bathroom mirror. Seventeen backpacks or briefcases stuffed with textbooks or lesson plans. Seventeen good mornings at kitchen breakfasts and seventeen goodbyes at front doors. Seventeen drives through palm-lined streets and miles of crammed highways to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School at 5901 Pine Island Road. The first bell ringing in one last school day on February fourteenth, 2018. Seventeen echoes of footsteps down hallways for five class periods: algebra, poetry, biology, art, history. Seventeen hands writing on whiteboards or taking notes at their desks until the first gunshot at 2:21pm. One AR-15 rifle in the hands of a nineteen year old mind turning hate for himself into hate for others, into one hundred fifty bullets fired in six minutes through building number twelve. Seventeen dead carried down hallways they walked, past cases of trophies they won, flyers for clubs they belonged to, lockers they won’t open again. Seventeen Valentine’s Day dates broken and cards unopened. Seventeen bodies to identify, dozens of photo albums to page through and remember their lives. Seventeen caskets and burial garments to choose for them. Seventeen funerals to attend in twelve days. Seventeen graves dug and headstones placed-all marked with the same date of death. Seventeen names: Alyssa. Helena. Scott. Martin-seventeen ab- sentees forever-Nicholas. Aaron. Jamie. Luke-seventeen closets to clear out-Christopher. Cara. Gina. Joaquin-seventeen empty beds-Alaina. Meadow. Alex. Carmen. Peter-seventeen reasons to rebel with the hope these will be the last seventeen to be taken by one of three-hundred-ninety-three-million guns in America.

Richard Blanco

Elvis Phương: 60 năm ca hát

Để đánh dấu 60 năm ca hát của nam ca sĩ Elvis Phương qua album này thì thật là đáng tiếc. 13 ca khúc và hai bonus tracks không thể nào đủ để đại diện cho khoảng đường dài trong nghệ thuật của anh. Qua 60 năm, chất giọng của anh vẫn khỏe mạnh. Cách hát và cách phát âm của anh vẫn không thay đổi nên nghe cũng có gì lạ tai. Những bài hòa âm không đạt lắm. Một cơ hội bị lỡ.

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