Quite a bold look from a design agency in Cluj-Napoca.

A nice showcase of simple website designs.

Just hours away from his scheduled performance on the 2007 BET Hip-Hop Awards, T.I. was arrested for attempting to purchase several unregistered machine guns and silencers. He was bailed out, but required to stay inside his home at all times. While under house arrest, T.I. decided to make good use of his time. He cut an album called Paper Trail. The title refers to the technique of writing down rhymes, something he has abandoned after his 2001 debut, I’m Serious.

Although T.I. has proved his lyrical skills without the aid of pen and paper, his rhymes get more complex and evocative when he takes the time to write them down. The John Legend assisted “Slide Show” provides snapshots of T.I.’s life in vivid details as well as some retrospection: “If I only knew back then what I know now / how much better life would have been if I slow down.” The jazz-inflected “You Ain’t Missing Nothing” is a devotion to his hommies who are locked behind the walls counting months after months. The stories are eloquent and sentimental, but T.I. managed to throw in some light humors: “The club on hold and the bras on pause / You get home it’s going to be waiting on y’all.”

Still, T.I. is at his best when he boasts his braggadocio. On “I’m Illy,” T.I. presents his virtue in rich rhythmic flow and doses of arrogance: “hip-hop champion,” “five-star general,” “OG veteran,” and “stack cash like US treasury.” One of T.I.’s assets has to be his swag. He knows it and never shies away from displaying it. On a contagiously catchy “Live Your Life” with Rihanna holding down the hooks, T.I. boosts: “I am the opposite of moderate… Spirit of a hustler and a swagger of a college kids.” On “No Matter What,” T.I. spits with confidence: “Never have you seen in your lifetime / a more divine southern rapper wit a swag like mine / Facing all kind of time, but smile like I’m fine / brag with such passion and shine without trying.” If those aren’t showcasing enough swag already, T.I. invited three more swaggers (Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Kanye West) to join him on “Swagga Like Us.” Unfortunately Kanye and Lil Wayne killed the track with the use of Auto-Tune.

Paper Trail suffers when T.I. throws a bone for the ladies (“No Matter What’), drops a club hit (“Swing Ya Rag”), and reveals his horniness (“Porn Star”). Toss out the mainstream fillers, the album is quite impressive. With his virtuosic flow and articulate lyricism, T.I. lives up to his self-proclaim title: “king of the south.”

Van Son needs some serious renovation in his production. The skits have always been his niches, but Van Son 40 in Dallas had shown that the comedies were getting drought out. I tried my hardest to get through Kieu Oanh and Le Huynh’s charmless acting as well as Quang Minh and Hong Dao’s phoniness, and I couldn’t. Kieu Oanh annoyed the heck out me. Even Van Son and Bao Liem’s second skit was such a repetitive.

What Van Son needs to revamp the most is the musical production. Nguyen Khang and Diem Liem gave a superb performance of “The Phantom of the Opera,” but the music brought down their vocals. Van Son should invest in real orchestra, but the budget wouldn’t allow that (my prediction). I could barely get through the songs because of the crappy arrangements. As for the singers, V-pop sang and moved like a bunch of pussies. They even had a clown-ass rapper to join them.

One of the enjoyable performances was Tinna Tinh. She’s cute rock chick and Viet Thao needs to cut out his dick joke. He kept pressing on and on about how many “cu” she brought with her. I don’t know about you, but that shit is sexual harassment to me.

As for Van Son, was he mocking Tuan Anh in his rendition of “Nail Nail Nail.” But then again, the song is actually more suitable for him than Don Ho. The lyric is such a joke and only a joker like Van Son could make it funny. Van Son 40 is a waste of time.

Tell them why you don’t endorse McCain, Dr. Paul?:

I could never support somebody who thinks that its funny to say bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.

Thank you!

A mother with seven kids still manages to create stunning web sites. Kudos!

Maryland Republican Wayne Gilchrest:

My perspective is that the ticket is Mr. Obama and Mr. Biden that they have the breadth of experience, I think they are prudent, they are knowledgeable. We just can’t use four more years of the same kind of policy that’s somewhat hazardous, which leads to recklessness.

Chuck Hagel:

I think it’s a stretch to, in any way, to say that she’s got the experience to be president of the United States.

Palin puts herself first on the ticket. The game has changed. Now it’s “Palin and McCain administration.”

Time‘s Joe Klein:

John McCain has raised serious questions about whether he has the character to lead the nation. He has defaced his beloved military code of honor. He has run a dirty campaign.

Nope, he doesn’t have the character to lead the nation and yes, he runs a real cheap and dirty campaign.