Vox Media is moving from proprietary to open-source CMS. In contrast, we will be moving from an open-source to proprietary. Oh well!

Twenty-four-year-old Anthony “Emory” Hernandez Valadez own $18 million in a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson. He claimed that the company’s talc-based baby powder caused him cancer. Unfortunately, he won’t live long enough to use his money. Isn’t life a fucking bitch? Even if you have all that money, you can’t use it. Enjoy life while you can or it will be too late. Life is too short to stress out.

In 12 years at George Mason, I am taking the shuttle to work for the first time. A few years ago, I discovered that Mason offered free shuttle service from Fairfax to Arlington, but I hadn’t had the motivation to take advantage of it. I wanted to take my car just so I could drive to the Powhaton Springs Skatepark on my lunch break. As much as I loved going to the skatepark, I felt guilty about paying for the parking, toll, and gas.

As my car is aging and in need of constant repairs, I need to just make the move. I don’t want to spend too much money fixing my car. I definitely don’t want to buy a new car either. So let’s get back to public transportation. The shuttle is provided by Mason; therefore, it is semi-private.

I woke up this morning and walked over to the main campus. The walk took 20 minutes. The shuttle stopped at Rappahannock River Lane at 8:20 am. The shuttle was big and comfortable. There were only five of us. Air conditioning was blasting and WiFi was available so I could start my work day right on my commute. I arrived at Scalia Law at 9:00 am.

I definitely can do this. I am going to cancel my parking permit and take the shuttle. It takes me 12 years, but better late than never.

Note to self: I will save $85 a month on parking fee.

Recorded in 1961, the sound quality was poor, but the performances were top-notch. Coltrane’s quintet featured McCoy Tyner on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, Elvin Jones on drums, and special guests Eric Dolphy on alto saxophone, bass clarinet, and flute. Dolphy played an eccentric solo on “My Favorite Things” with his flute. Coltrane just blazed it. The rest of the album is filled with extended improvisations and experimentations. It is always a treat to revisit Coltrane.

We haven’t done much to our driveway for more than 10 years. The other day, a contractor stopped by and give me a quote for $6,000 to redo the entire driveway. I politely declined. Why would I spend $6,000 on a driveway just to park my fucking cars? I decided to do it on my own via YouTube video. Even if I fuck it up, my cars will cover the surface anyway.

On Friday, I bought the materials. Unfortunately it had been raining. Late afternoon Sunday, the sun finally came out. I enlisted Đạo and Đán to help. We patched up the big holes and almost done filling in the cracks. The boys complained how hot it was working in the heat. They would rather sit in front of their devices and play video games. I wanted to experience what it is like to work hard so they can study hard instead.

Here’s the breakdown of what I had spent:

• 2 of 1-gallon crack fillers ($10 each): $20
• 3 of 2-gallon trowel patch ($22 each): $66
• 3 of 3.5-gallon super patch ($20 each): $60
• A steel tamper: $40

Total: $186

After filling and patching, we’ll seal it up.

I finally had a chance to watch this weird-ass film. The plot is both confusing and captivativing. The cast is just incredible. They definitely deserved the recognition. I’ll watch this one again in the near future.

I just wanted to watch some Chinese martial arts on Netflix; therefore, I chose this one. Sword of Destiny lacks the depth of Ang Lee’s masterpiece. The English dialogue turned me off. The only reason I tuned in is to see Ngô Thanh Vân.

As long as they stay the fuck out of my way, I don’t give a fuck. I just need to make my money and get the fuck out. I am done dealing with all the incompetent bullshit.

I keep returning to Pendant World for its natural beauty. I was driving home from work in the scorching heat and yet Balmorhea’s music took my mind to a different space. The melodies, textures, and harmonies are soothing on the surface, yet deeply in the core. I didn’t have to pay attention to the music and yet it was there to please me. I don’t even know what I am writing. Just give it a spin.

Today I dodged the $150 AC service, but spent $200 for a pair of prescription glasses. My eye insurance kicked into this month; therefore, I better get an annual eye exam and a pair of prescription glasses. I chose a Huge Boss frame made in Italy. My first priority is to look at where the frame was made. I didn’t want any frame made in China. Base on my own experience, frames made in China didn’t last long. I had to paid $80 out of pocket for the frame and $120 for the lens. I kept the lens basic with no anti-glaring and no transitioning.

My optometrist is Vietnamese American. She is very nice. We chat a bit and she revealed that her oldest daughter is in her third year of optometry and her second daughter is starting medical school. Her youngest son is in tenth grade. I asked for her parental advice and she told me that she just kept telling her daughters to go to school. She didn’t want anything from them. She just wanted them to school. As a minority in America, school is the only path to success and better future. She didn’t pressure them into becoming optometrist or doctor. She just wanted to to finish school.

Reminding our kids to go to school doesn’t sound like a hard task. I will take her advice and will see if it will work. I paid $200 for a pair of glasses and parental advice. The price might be worth it.