While browsing through the limited selection of graphic design books in Gelman Library at George Washington University, I came across Carl Dair’s Design with Type. Flipping through it, I was impressed by the exemplary typographic illustrations. I checked it out and couldn’t resist. In fact, I just finished reading it and already want to reread it to soak everything in. Dair nails down typography like a musician breaks down his chords. He knows how to explain type so readers understand and he does so with clear, simple and tasteful approach. This book is without a doubt a classic.

One of New Yorker‘s funniest covers illustrated by Barry Blitt.

Kevin’s one-page showcase of his work. Clean and simply beautiful.

I made a phone call to Viet Nam last night and found out that my dad is filing his application to attend our wedding. I sent him the paperwork a while ago, but he told me he was too weak to travel. I didn’t talk to him directly but I hope what my cousin said was true. I really do want the old man to be here to share the happy moment with us. I haven’t seen him for a while. Furthermore, we don’t get much vacation from our new job to go back to Viet Nam to see him. For the first time my dad seems to be excited about me getting married. Every time I talked to him, he never forgot to say hi to the in-laws. He even sent a nice piece of silk for her to make ao dai. If daddy likes someone, that’s a good sign. Hope he can make it.

We had bun reu (vermicelli with crab soup) three nights straight. The first night we missed mam ruoc (fermented shrimp paste). The fish sauce substitution was not effective. The second night was perfect because I had to drive fifteen miles to get a jar of mam ruoc. I picked out a brand from Da Nang because the color looks lighter and the texture looks smoother. It turned out delicious. I was sipping wine and picking out the meat off the bones complementing with mam ruoc. Last night bun reu was extraordinary because the broth got richer, which added more flavor. Thanks to my lovely lady for the great bun reu. She can cook.

From wsj.com:

The New York governor hired a prostitute in Washington on Feb. 13 and paid her $4,300.

The day before Valentine’s? He must had known in advanced that he would not getting it the next day.

The last time I logged into my stock account was February 2006. I went back in today and everything look different. I can’t even find the Real-Time Streaming Stock Quotes. I still have a few bucks in my account after a big lost to Macromedia. I could still remember that day. Coming home from mom’s doctor appointment, my brother-in-law looked at me and said, “Bad news!” He continued, “Macromedia dropped 18 points.” I knew I was fucked. All the chump change I made day by day had gone down the drain. That was way back in 2001. In 2002, I landed a job at Vassar and hardly checked my account. I am going to use this little money I have left to invest into some small caps. I don’t have much to lose.

The battle between Don Norman’s “Why is 37signals so arrogant?” and Jason Fried’s “Why we disagree with Don Norman” is even better than the Layer Tennis matches. Mr. Fried had lid a fire under Mr. Norman’s ass:

Norman may not be one of our customers because our products don’t solve his problems. (We’re not sure since he’s never sent us a feature request or suggestion.) That’s fine—we’re not here to solve everyone’s problems any more than Norman is here to write books that interest every reader.

But to infer that not meeting his needs means we’re not meeting other people’s needs is a stretch. And to call 37signals a “hobby” reveals a shallow understanding of what’s really happening. 37signals is a business in every definition of the word. A healthy, profitable, debt-free one at that.

These days, who doesn’t love Pho? Like a melting pot, you could find various groups of Asian (Chinese, Korean, Cambodian, Philippines), Black, White and Hispanic in a Pho’s place. Even the Mexican loves Pho. I was at Pho Tay Ho in Virginia and the joint was filled with Mexicans eating Pho and drinking fresh coconut juice. I love to see other ethnicities love Pho as much as we do; however, am I the only one who is having a hard time finding a Pho’s eatery that lives up to the authentic standards?

Every time we take a road trip, we would try to find a Pho’s place nearby using our GBS. I have been very disappointed at most of the places I have been to. They even failed the most basic element of Pho: making it hot. A warm bowl of Pho loses its enticement and the rice noodle expands much faster. Pho and basil can’t go without the other, yet many places only offer a few leaves. What frustrated me the most is the broth, which is the essential part of Pho’s experience. Without a savory broth, you might as well not eating it. The common mistake is the inconsistency of the broth. For instance, the first time I went to Pho Tay Ho (in Virginia), it was fantastic. The broth was perfect, but when I went back for the second time, it was almost tasted like water. This happens to the Pho Hoa franchise as well. Unlike McDonald’s, not every Pho Hoa tastes the same.

I was at Pho Golden Cow last Saturday and it was decent, though I am not sure if it is always that consistent. I have to visit a Pho place at least two or three times in order to know if that place keeps up with the Pho standards or not.

I sure do recognize the friendly faces. They fed me well everyday at Vassar. Thanks ladies. I do miss you.