Steven Kurutz write in the New York Times:

Millennials especially have embraced this so-called FIRE movement — the acronym stands for financial independence, retire early — seeing it as a way out of soul-sucking, time-stealing work and an economy fueled by consumerism.

Followers of FIRE tend to be male and work in the tech industry, left-brained engineer-types who geek out on calculating compound interest over 40 years, or the return on investment (R.O.I.) on low-fee index funds versus real estate rentals.

Fascinating piece on retiring in your 30s.

In her first book, Daniella Lamas, a pulmonary and critical care doctor, tells stories of life after near death. Whether a man whose heart was failing depended on a left-ventricular assist device, a young college student who suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after an open surgery, or a young man who had brain injury after being overdosed, their lives after these horrific incidents were traumatizing yet inspiring. It’s a sad, insightful read.

This documentary took way too long to finish because I had been watching it with my sons. My six-year-old Đán fell asleep ten minutes into each episode, but my nine-year-old Đạo who has profound interest in the history of wars watched every minute of the eighteen-hour series. At first, I was concerned about the gruesome images and adult languages for a nine-year-old, but the educational values outweighed the violent materials. He learned about the Vietnam war through this ten-part documentary as much as I had.

Even though I am much older than Đạo, I had not fully understand the complexity of the Vietnam war. It was over by the time I was born. Living in the US, I am constantly reminded of the war through musical shows, Asia Production in particular, hatred stories from the older generation of Vietnamese-Americans who fled the country, and painful experience from South Vietnamese veterans. For almost thirty years, I have only heard one side of the story. I understand their pain, suffering, loss, and lost, but I had always interested in the true, unbiased view of the war. Ken Burns and Lynn Novick have tried to accomplished that in their monumental documentary.

Written by Geoffrey C. Ward, narrated by Peter Coyote, produced by Sarah Botstein, Novick and Burns, The Vietnam War tells the story from all perspectives. It does not shy away from telling the truth about the dishonesty of the North Vietnam, the corruption of the South Vietnam, and the failure of the America. Every side involved was responsible for this bloody, brutal massacre. This excellent, evenhanded documentary has shed a light our tragic past and it is now a part of our history. The footages are breathtaking. The interviews, which ranged in different views, are convincing. The music, includes Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Cassandra Wilson, enhances the experience. A must-watch masterpiece.

Oh No type has a jaw-dropping redesign. It is a wonderful showcase of its typefaces. It loads quite slow on Chrome though.

The New York Times also redesigned its homepage. It does not look too different, except a huge-ass ad at the top.

The Complete CSS Demo for OpenType Features is a useful reference. Bookmark it.

Mona Franz shares her work-in-progress editorial typeface called Bridge.

David Jonathan Ross writes about Map Roman, font of August. It’s a great alternative for the overused Trajan.

Table tennis in NYC’s Bryant Park brings all walks of life together. A short, inspiring documentary.

Finally, a sneak peak at the website for the Biennial Scalia Tribute Dinner. An individual ticket only costs a grant.

This blog has been filled with complaints. I am not apologetic about it. I have been stressed the fuck out; therefore, I just write what on my mind. If I am happy and stress-free, I probably wouldn’t write as much. It is my personal blog after all.

I do need a better way to deal with my stress and issues, but writing seems to help. They say money doesn’t make you happy, but it damn sure release you of all the stress. I am still thinking about being an entrepreneur. I am dreaming of creating a product everyday. I want to have the financial freedom that I no longer have to worry about spending.

If I can just call a technician to fix whatever needs to be fixed around the house without having to shop around for the right price, I have achieved my freedom. If I can just take my car to the dealer and have it fixed without thinking about the few grants I have to spend, I have achieved my freedom.

I don’t need expensive cars and big houses. I just need the ability to maintain the old ones. I am not a lavish spender even if I have millions of dollars. I just want a comfortable life. I am already thinking about the future when the kids go to college. I’ll move into a smaller house, use public transportation instead of cars, get rid of the cellphones, rely on less technology as possible, but keep the laptop for blogging.

On the other hand, I should be thankful for what I have today. I should not take it for granted. Should I do an experiment? Just spend on whatever I need to spend on. A grant here to fix this and a couple grants there to fix that and not to think about it. See how fast I am going broke.

Katie Benner reports in the New York Times:

The filing said that Harvard “uses a vague ‘personal rating’ that harms Asian-American applicants’ chances for admission and may be infected with racial bias; engages in unlawful racial balancing; and has never seriously considered race-neutral alternatives in its more than 45 years of using race to make admissions decisions.”

Just signed up the annual service plans with F.H. Furr.

Plans cost: $167
Scheduled 25 Point Cooling Inspections

Still need to schedule 28 Point Heating, Plumbing, and Electrical Inspections.

After dealing with Priority Toyota in Springfield, I have understood its brand. Priority puts its own priority over customers.

In our negotiation for a brand new 2018 Toyota Sienna, a sales manager accused me of milking the dealer. Sure, a small-time customer is milking a multi-million dollar dealership. I walked out, but a sale consultant ran after me and settled the price. He was a nice guy.

After driving the car home, I could not find any of the paper work a finance manager provided me. I called him to request another copy. I had to call five times to finally reached him. He told me to come to the dealer and he would print me everything. When I came in, a receptionist said he was with a customer. I left my name, phone number, and address so he could send me a copy. A couple days later, I emailed him and copied the general manager to follow up on the paperwork. I received no reply. Nothing. Fortunately, Đạo found the paperwork I left inside of the car.

The temporary license plates will expire tomorrow. The sale guy told me, they will be ready to be picked up within three weeks. On Monday, my wife got nervous and told me to call the dealer. I called about 20 times and left at least 4 messages. I heard nothing back. Yesterday, I drove to the dealer and requested the plates in person.

True to is name, Priority serves its own priority first, especially after it takes your money. Priority even attach its brand on my license plates and the back of my minivan. I obviously took them all off. Part of the deal with Priority is free oil change for life. I don’t know if I can put up with its service department. We’ll see.

If you live in Virginia and interested in purchasing a Toyota at a dealership, you might want to avoid Priority. It does not put your priority over its own.

Log off Twitter and Follow This, a new Netflix Documentary Serious in collaboration with BuzzFeed. Each episode is sixteen minutes on a peculiar topic that had been reported by BuzzFeed journalists. Two eye-opening stories for me are on the world of autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) and intersex. These mini documentaries are short, informing, and fascinating. Give it a try.

Việt Khang chưa phải là ca sĩ chuyên nghiệp nhưng anh hát những ca khúc của mình bằng một con tim yêu đất nước Việt Nam. Từng lời ca của anh chứa đựng từng nỗi đau khi chứng kiến nước nhà bị Tàu xâm chiếm. Ca từ của anh nói lên sự đấu tranh cho người dân Việt Nam. Từ “Nước Nam của người Việt Nam,” “Anh là ai,” “Trả lại cho dân,” đến “Việt Nam tôi đâu,” những lời tâm sự của anh khiến tôi nghẹn ngào xót xa vô cùng cho quê hương của chúng ta. Thành thật cám ơn tấm lòng yêu nước của anh và rất kính trọng sự dũng cảm của anh.