Bo Suu Tap 09 is a collection of standards covered by journalist-turned-singer Khoi Minh. Although he has a masculine, harmless voice, he lacks the swag, range and interpretive imagination to make the timeless tunes his own. His rendition of Trinh Cong Son’s “Chieu Mot Minh Qua Pho” is a disastrous, particularly when he tries to give it a jazzy feel. On the duet of Thanh Tung’s “Em va Toi,” Ha Tran smokes his ass like a piece of dried steak with her luscious vocals. Even Do Bao’s and Cuong Nguyen’s productions couldn’t supply wind to his deserted flow. Dude, don’t quit your day job.

The 23-year-old, Borneo-born Zee Avi possesses a sultry, smoky voice that is a reminiscent of Norah Jones. If you think Jones sounds sleepy, Avi sounds even sleepier. On her self-titled debut, she sings herself to slumberland with incredibly banal lyrics: “My phone was on silent / I was at the gym.” Accompanied by a drowsy acoustic picking guitar, “Slow Hands” and “No Christmas for Me” are perfect for insomnolence.

Getting married this summer? Hiring a professional photographer for your wedding? Why not taking an extra step to share your special moments with your family and friends around the world?

For a reasonable price, you can have an elegant slideshow design by yours truly and accompanied by a song of your choice. The slideshow is not only a great way to share with folks and to keep for memory, but also putting your professional photos to good use since you paid quite a bit for it. All you have to do is provide me the photos and a song you would like to use.

If you don’t have a web space, I can host it for you right here on Visualgui.com for a small, one-time fee. If you only want to share your slideshow with family and friends, I can password protected for you.

If you’re interested and would like to see a sample of the slideshow or to find out more details, please do not to hesitate to drop me a line.

Thanks to Duke, we have the privilege of having my mother-in-law around. Not only she is taking care of the baby, she is also taking care of us. It feels great to have a home-cook meal right after a long day at work. Dana cooked too, but by the time we finish cooking dinner and cleaning up, it was already 10 or 11 o’clock at night. As a result, we always opted to dine out, especially when Dana was pregnant. Now we would be done with dinner around 7 and just relaxed for the rest of the night watching movies, NBA playoffs or American Idol. My mother-in-law is really laid back and she sure enjoys life. She is fun to be around and she will surely be missed when Duke gets older.

Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse’s new release is sold in a blank recordable CD due to legal dispute with EMI. Dark Night of the Soul is encouraged to be downloaded from an illegal filesharing network or could be listened entirely at NPR.

I meant to mention this place a while back, but I keep forgetting. Next time you’re in Eden Center, drop by Hai Ky Mi Gia for some delicious noodle soup. In the pre-Duke days, Dana and I went there two nights in a row. The first night, I tried its specialty (yellow and clear-white noodles with the soup on the side). The savory sauce and the delightful broth reminded me of the late night Cho Lon noodles. Although Hai Ky is not comparable to the places in Cho Lon, it is the closest I could find in Virginia. The next night, I ordered the same dish, but with the broth. I like the former better. We’ll definitely be back for more.

On the new release, Crime Pays, Cam’Ron tries to remake Purple Haze
without the help of the super producers. He uses the same formulas: lazy lyricism, misogynistic masculinity and pitiful punchlines. His wacky wordplays are ranging from hilarious (“And they say I’m a son of bitch / Why? Cause I’ll be with your son and your bitch”) to just downright silly (“I’m on a Yamaha / Laughing like hahaha”). Although Crime Pays is nowhere near the classic Purple Haze, Cam’s impeccable flow proves that he is still the finest laziest rapper.

This personal slideshow captures my feelings for my first son. The serious tone of the clip is inspired by Duke’s expressions. He always has a deep-thinking look on his face. Even when he sleeps, he would rest his hand on his cheek as if he’s contemplating.

His vulnerable look on the last slide, in which I held him in my arms, gets me every time. He looks so “tội nghiệp” (I can’t think of an equivalent word in English). The poor thing makes me want to hold him tight and protect him from the real world, yet he’s the reason I am surviving in the real world. How ironic is that? Whenever I get so fed up with everyday crap, the image of him gets me going. It reminds me that the day I have him, there’s no storm I cannot weathered.

The piece is also inspired by Tierney Sutton’s outstanding rendition of “You Are My Sunshine.” She had turned a kid tune into a sweet and gentle ballad. The way she phrases the last bar, “Please don’t take my sunshine away,” is the exact feeling I have for Duke. He is my sunshine and please do not take him away from me.

The past three weeks have been so incredible and I am enjoying every moment with him. Why sleep when I have Duke to accompany me? Insomnia has prepared me well. Hope you enjoy my joy!

Sure, Nationwide is on your side. They just don’t response to your claim when you’re not on their side.

The Department of Marketing web site is relaunched. Though I am not responsible for the color scheme. The chair of the department wants to market it himself.