Xuân has developed his language skill faster than his brothers at age two. The reason is obvious. He learns from his brothers. I can’t recall exactly when Đạo began to express himself with words, but I still remember his frustration when he couldn’t tell us what he wanted. Đán started to talk earlier than Đạo, but he stuttered because he could not come up with words to use.

Xuân, on the other hand, is very expressive. He already knows the differences between “I like it” and “I love it” as well as “I don’t like it” and “I hate it.” He loves to sing and to improvise. He could put anything into a tune. For example, when I pointed out to him a walking dog to distract him from wanting another pack of Pocky, he started to sing “doggy walking, doo, doo, doo, doo.” Or he would repeat what I said in the melody of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” Sometimes he busted out some Jewish tunes he learned from his daycare that I have no idea what he was singing.

At times he mixes English with Vietnamese. One time, he was holding a plastic revolver, as we strolled around the block. He pointed to the sky and said, “Daddy, chim (bird) flying.” I replied, “Yes, chim flying. Isn’t she beautiful?” He pull the trigger three times and said, “Daddy, I shoot it.” Yes, my boys still play with toy guns.

These last couple of days, he started to use the word stupid: “Monkey stupid,” “Đạo stupid,” “Đán stupid,” “Mommy stupid,” and of course, “Daddy stupid.”

Now I am not so sure if his language development is for better or for worse. In either case, I am enjoying hearing his voice and his opinions.

Evan Osnos:

Midway through its second year, Trump’s White House is at war within and without, racing to banish the “disloyals” and to beat back threatening information. Bit by bit, the White House is becoming Trump’s Emerald City: isolated, fortified against nonbelievers, entranced by its mythmaker, and constantly vulnerable to the risks of revelation.

Read the full article at The New Yorker.

A friend’s daughter is thinking of pursuing a degree in web design. She reached out to me for my advice. Here’s what I wrote to her.

Dear M,

Web design is an exciting field. I guarantee that you won’t have a hard time finding jobs, especially in the Metro area. Although you can get a two-year degree in web design, I highly recommend getting an BA at a four-year college. With that said, I am not sure if there are specific majors in web design at universities.

George Mason University School of Art offers major in graphic design and minor in web design. Since you’re in Maryland, you might want to check out MICA and its graphic design program.

I have been doing web design for almost twenty years. I studied digital art and multimedia design at La Salle University. I completed my master in graphic design two years ago from George Mason University School of Art. I am currently director of design and web services at George Mason University Scalia Law School. I also take on some freelance projects once in a while. You can see some of my works at donnytruong.com.

Something for you to think about when considering web design. Web technologies changes all the time; therefore, you will have to constantly keep yourself up to date. The good thing is that HTML & CSS will always be the foundation of web design. You will need to master those two; therefore, learn them as soon as you can. You will need to know graphic tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and Sketch. Programming languages such as JavaScript and PHP & MySQL are an important part of the web, but they are more on the development side. You can learn them later.

I hope I have provided enough information to help you make your decision. Please do not hesitate to ask me any question.

Wish your all the best,

Short essays complemented with images explain why brands matter. From sugar to cigarettes to cars, Bayley points out the influences brand have on us. He also provides brief information on how each brand was developed. A decent introduction for marketing and advertising students.

A family member had been accepted to the biotechnology graduate program at Georgetown and Northeastern. He asked for my opinion for what school should he attend and here’s my response

N, congratulations!

It looks like you have two tough choices to make, but they both are good. I am sure you’ll do well at either institution; therefore, it is coming down to what you want to do with your degree.

If you want to be in the clinical or industrial environment, Northeastern might be a better choice. If you want to be in government, however, Georgetown is obviously better. You will be at the center of all the federal agencies including NIST, NIH, FDA/, and USDA.

Personally I would recommend Georgetown. We need young and smart thinkers like yourself to make stronger, better policies in biotechnology for the U.S.

Also think about the tuition. You can complete your program in one year at Georgetown whereas you’ll need two to three at Northeastern.

Keep us updated with your decision.

Congrats once again and wishing you all the best.

Ali Wong is back and pregnant again. She delves into juicy details of being a new mother. From C-section to breastfeed, she pushes further toward the in-your-face territory. On sex, she isn’t shy away from pussy-eating, butthole-licking, and period-fucking jokes. She is also an advocate for maternity leave. Hard Knock Wife is a special Mother’s Day gift from Netflix.

Rand’s essays on design are dense and abstract. His writing is a bit difficult to follow. The most fascinating part of this book is where he shows his design process for iconic logos including Next, IBM, and Morningstar. It’s a short, informative read for design students and novices. I will revisit the essays to get better understanding of his thoughts on design.

Sau khi hết bị gout, tôi sẽ dành thời gian tập thể dục trở lại. Mỗi buổi sáng thức sớm thay vì đọc sách, tôi sẽ chạy bộ.

Về ăn uống thì kiêng bớt lại. Sẽ không ăn tiệm hoặc ăn buffet nữa. Ăn rau cải nhiều hơn. Gần đây ăn không cử. Đụng gì cũng ăn. Ăn thì ngon nhưng sao đó lại hối hận.

Tôi là người dễ bị nghiện và dễ bị cám dỗ. Cũng may là chưa đụng tới thuốc lá, xì ke ma túy. Rượu thì cũng bỏ được rồi. Còn ăn và một thứ khác nữa chưa buông được.

Bước vào bốn mươi, tôi cảm nhận được sự đi xuống đã bắt đầu. Tôi không còn trẻ nữa nên phải chấp nhận sự thật. Viết xuống đây để ghi nhớ.

In an interview with A Book Apart, Jeremy Keith responds:

I find it hard to imagine life without my website. Even though it’s a not tangible, physical thing, I think it might be my most prized possession (well, either my website or my bouzouki). I use it every day. Sometimes I just post little notes, sometimes I link to something interesting, sometimes I write something a bit longer. But every little piece I put on my site feels like another little pebble added to an ever-growing structure.

I share this sentiment with Jeremy. I have poured my heart and soul into this intangible place of mine. It has become part of my life. I can’t imagine not having it.

A baiting headline for a useless research. Gretchen Reynolds writes:

Of course, this study involved mice and not men and cannot tell us whether the same processes occur in people.

I haven’t exercised and my kids turn out alright—so far.