Even after all these years designing and developing websites, I still suck at JavaScript. I have read a number of books on JS and have yet done any JS programming on my own. In the past few days, I decided to pick up Nick Morgan’s JavaScript Crash Course. I refreshed the basics and understood the use of DOM. Unfortunately I was not interested in the projects. I didn’t want to create a Pong game. I need to figure out what I want to do with JavaScript and then learn by doing it. Nevertheless, this is still a good book on JavaScript for beginners.

After 9 days, my gout attack hasn’t gone away. I am still limping on the right foot. I missed rollerblading at the skatepark and practicing snowboarding in my basement. It is such a drag.

After 14 days, Ourisman Toyota has found the root cause of the airbag warning light. It will cost over $3,000 to fix the issues. I am waiting on our insurance coverage.

Our home has become funereal after I created the Wifi schedule. The kids are upset with me. Even my wife is not happy. In fact, she hasn’t been happy in a long time. I am deeply concerned.

Just when I thought we were heading in the right direction, things begin to derail. The last few weeks has been stressful, but I have to keep moving. I can’t let money holding me down. I can’t let stress holding me back.

I can’t make everyone happy, but I just have to continue to do all I can for this family.

As she sends sixth graders off to middle schools, the Laurel Ridge Elementary School principal encourages students to limit their screen time. Check out her short, inspiring message.

Đạo has brushed off his blog, gave it a new look, and kicked off the summer writing challenge. He has to write at least 500 words each weekday, which he doesn’t seem to sweat. He’s not only a fantastic writer, but also a promising 3D artist—something I didn’t know about until he shared it on his blog. I also love that he has the space to criticize his parents. Bring it on, son!

Deborah J. Cohan, writing at Psychology Today:

In the process of writing, we clarify our thinking. Often, writing helps us come to know what we know, to discover our argument and to make plain our feelings. When words are translated from our minds to the page, we communicate as only writers can, helping readers discover what we know, make the analytical connections we have discovered, understand the theories we propose, and wrestle with the conclusions we draw.

The process of writing is about entering a conversation—first in our own minds and then ultimately with readers. Being a writer is about having the courage and conviction to dare to be part of a larger conversation. It’s about deepening and extending that conversation by generously offering our distinct angles of vision. When we think about writing like this, it is much more about the opportunity to engage with others to influence the discussion.

This is why I enjoy writing even though I am not a writer.

Đán wrote a post about the new Wifi scheduling that he hates. Instead of responding to him in the comment section, I write it on my blog.

On Sunday night, I kept hearing my wife asking the boys to shut off their devices and go to bed. She eventually had to yell at them to get them to listen. I decided to setup the Wifi schedule to get the boys off their screen. This Wednesday will be their last day of school. The thought of just letting them sitting on their screen all day long stressed the hell out of me. Even my two older boys don’t know when to stop. If we don’t tell them to take a break, they would be on their screen all day. Even if we told them, they would still not get off.

I needed to do something to cut down their usage and balance their time. I hope scheduling internet access could help a bit. Here’s the schedule: Wifi on from 9 am to 11:30 am (2.5 hours), 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm (4 hours), and 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm (2.5 hours). That’s 9 hours a day. I hope they wouldn’t use all of the hours. It’s 7 or 8 hours more than the pediatricians recommended. Some parents don’t even let their kids use digital devices at all.

Of course, the push back from the kids was expected. What I didn’t expect was the resistance from my wife. She didn’t want to reenforce them. She wanted to let them do it on their own. Apparently that hadn’t worked. I always caved in to her after we got into a fight, but it had come to the point that I just can’t cave in anymore.

Screen time has a significant impact on their academics. They are struggling with school. One couldn’t get his assignments done on time. One is struggling with math, anxiety, and social interaction. One is way behind in reading and writing. If they could cut down their screen and focus on school, they would have done much better.

Last Saturday, I met a young, successful Vietnamese-American couple at a birthday party. She’s a doctor and he’s a dentist. I gave them props: “A doctor and a dentist, that’s the best of both worlds.” They, individually, replied, “It is not worth it.” That was very humble of them, but I had to ask why it isn’t worth it.

The dentist replied, “Well, you have to deal with abnormal people everyday.” I was taken aback. I joked, “Your patients are abnormal? I only sought out a dentist when I had teeth issues, not mental health issues.” Then I followed up with a serious question, “How are they not normal?” He was a bit irritated, but replied, “They keep questioning my service.” I shot back, “Nothing’s wrong with that. If you are going to charge me $10,000 to work on my teeth, you better break down all the details of what type of service you will provide.”

The dentist’s aunt who overheard me saying “$10,000” accused me of “belittling them.” I was shocked. No wonder these young Vietnamese-American kids are so fragile even though they have become doctors and dentists. They always have some adults hovering them.

I knew it was time to drop the conversation. I had never met any dentist and doctor who had such disdain for their profession. If you can’t deal with people to help improve their health then you should get the fuck out.

In her heartrending novel, Thảo Thái weaves together three different voices across three generations: Minh (grandmother), Hương (daughter), and Ann (granddaughter). Readers get to know the characters through their own stories, struggles, and secrets. Through her original, compelling writing, Thảo Thái captures the complexities of the women’s relationships with men, their surrounding, and each other. Banyan Moon is a gripping, spellbinding debut rooted deeply in Vietnamese culture and literature.

I didn’t know who Hamilton de Holanda and Gonzalo Rubalcaba were, but their extraordinary Collab blew me away. While Holanda is an innovative mandolinist, Rubalcaba is a renowned pianist, whose style is deeply rooted in the jazz tradition. Together they created captivating synergies of Afro-Cuban and Brazilian jazz on such as the exhilarating “Blues Landvall”, the energizing “Mandalagh,” and the mesmerizing “Flying Chicken.” On the vocal version of “Incompatibilidade de gênios,” João Bosco joins the duo. Although Bosco switches between word and wordless singing, he seems to scat the entire song to my foreign ears. I enjoyed this album immensely.

Loudoun County Public Schools is seeking a Lead Web Developer (Web Content Manager) to support the work of the Department of Communications and Community Engagement (DCE). Salary Range: $86,293 – $144,497.