While I am still waiting for the debate to decide who to root for, anyone who could step up to the antediluvian O’Reilly earns my credits. Obama is doing a great job of holding down Papa Bear on the first part of the interview. Hopefully, Fox News won’t edit the interview and distort the truth like they always do.

The 2008 election is just around the corner and I have yet to make up my mind which party to rock with although I have been leaning toward the left. John McCain, however, got me excited when he announced Sarah Palin as his running mate. She seems like someone that could feel our pain. She’s a middle class who is married to a production worker. She has five kids. One is pregnant at seventeen and one requires special needs. We heard some buzz about her accomplishments as a governor of Alaska. She seems decent and not as evil as some of the republican old heads. Yet last night she released her demon on her acceptance speech.

The evilness in her smile and sarcasm when criticizes senator Barack Obama irked me. She was so hostile in her speech. I was not even sure why she was disrespecting the community organizers, but I am sure they are way more decent then most of the politicians, particularly Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani. In his speech, Romney said, “Just like you, there has never been a day when I was not proud to be an American.” How low do you have to go to attack a candidate’s spouse? Then again, you can’t really take any of these guys’ words seriously, especially when Guiliani claimed, “Sarah Palin has more experience than the entire Democratic ticket combined.”

I was hoping that Palin would stand out from the guys. I was looking for some real substances instead of lies and tough talks. After last night’s speech, the only thing that is different between Palin and and Guiliani is the lipstick.

A fundraising fashion show will be held on Saturday, September 27th at the Tampa Convention Center to help an 18-year-old Vietnamese girl who was raped and beaten to blind outside of the Bloomingdale Library. Because of the medical bills, her family is going bankrupt. You can read more about the incident here.

If you’re in Florida, come and support the victim and her family. If not, you can still donate online.

Maison Chance will be hosting concert events in various states, including Washington D.C. and Philadelphia, to raise money for the disadvantaged children and disabled people of Vietnam. Check out Maison Chance’s upcoming event page for more information.

If you’re in D.C. area, come to Fortune restaurant (6249 Seven Corners Center, Falls Church, VA 22044) on Saturday, October 11 to hear Tim Aline Rebeaud speaks about her journey in Viet Nam, enjoy the good music from the great folks at Quan Van Nova, and most importantly, give the less-fortunate people in Viet Nam a second chance in life.

With her new album, Nhip Dap (to the Beat), My Tam tries to take her fans back to the club one more time. After the failed attempt of Vut Bay, she has learned some valuable lesions. Gone are the rubbish rap verses, generic productions and Korean singings. She knows that a dance record has to be driven by the beat, but she also knows damn well not to let the beat overpowers her voice.

Nhip Dap spins off with Le Quang’s “Quen Di Ngay Yeu Dau,” a speedy cut with Andre 3000’s drum loop that will guarantee to groove you. Tran Tuan Anh’s “Nho Anh That Nhieu” features a flavor of sunshine Bollywood sound, but what make the tune works are My Tam’s swift flow and the way she rides the tempo. She has written three tunes for the album. The standout one is “Vu Dieu French Cho Anh,” a fantastic mix of Latin riff guitar and classical sample (Beethoven’s “Fur Elise”) over pounding beat. Mad proper to producer Cho Sung Jin for the hypnotic production.

Getting rid of her useless English singing is something My Tam has yet to learn. Ho Hoai An’s “Lac Loi” and her own “Do It (Niem Tin)” are perfectly ruined by interjecting one or two lines of English into the chorus. On the straight English “Tic Tac Toe,” her accent is somewhat forgivable though. Who wouldn’t even when she sings in imperfect English lines like, “Tic tac toe, trap you in the corner / Where you gonna go?” Wouldn’t you just want to stand there and let her grind you?

All kidding aside, My Tam has definitely upped her game with each release since her previous return. If Tro Lai captured your heart, Nhip Dap would move your feet.

What makes Celebrity Dancing entertaining is that singers don’t have to lip-synch if they don’t want to. They just have to dance. Before the show, I could see why they picked Nguyen Hung and Shanda Sawyer as judges. After the show, I could figure out why they picked Khanh Ly and Duc Huy. They were on the panel to provide comic releases. Among the judges, Sawyer gives the most invaluable criticisms from the way she compliments on the technical skills to body chemistry to facial expression.

Mad props go out to Huong Lan and Huong Thuy. They made my jaw drop, especially Huong Lan. I couldn’t even imagine she could pull it off the way she did. Mai Tien Dung got his swing on. He was such a lovely puppy. Minh Tuyet was hot in Salsa. She knows how to work her assets. Still the one that leaves me breathless is the mambo MILF Khanh Ha. Her dress was sexy and she has the groove as well as the attitude. He spanked her ass and she returned with a slap. Don’t mess with hot mama. Furthermore, her rendition of “Mambo Italiano” is gorgeous. She has the Italian accent down pretty well.

Mad kudos goes out to all the professional dancers too. They have done a great job of turning some of these singers whose feet have no rhythm into some viewable performances. Well, maybe not Tran Thai Hoa. The dude simple can’t dance. But when you watch the chick who was Luong Tung Quang’s partner, you just have to say: God bless dancing.

Just dropped by Zorkafor’s SandVeg for a quick fix. Dana and I went there once before for lunch even though we didn’t know what the place was serving. After tried its char-broiled beef, it has becomes my favorite. The meat is fresh and its self-serve vegetable toppings, which include some exotic pickles, make the sandveg delicious. Although it’s quite messy to eat (especially when you put almost every toppings on the pocket), it’s quite a unique experience. I wanted to try a Falafel this time, but it ran out.

On Somethin’ Else, Cannonball Adderley somehow managed to snatch up his leader Miles Davis as a sideman. The title track kicks off with a call and response between two gifted musicians. By feeding off each other’s vibe, Davis and Adderley were having a great musical conversation. With Art Blakey, Hank Jones and Sam Jones holding down the rhythm section, Davis and Adderley gives “Autumn Leaves” an ultimate beauty. Davis is a master of selection (only plays notes that are meaningful) and his muted trumpet is both hunting and chilling. Adderley’s intricate phrasing on the alto sax, however, provides a rich contrast to Davis’s minimal approach. This record is simply somethin’ else.

I took the Metro to Dana (my wife) workplace and went to Galae restaurant with her and her sister. They both work at USPTO so the place is near by. The Galae’s decoration is quite attractive. The menu is designed in a wooden box and the chopsticks were placed in a bamboo. The little details enhance the experience.

We started off with Pla Muek Tod (fried squids). The squids were a bit too small. The mango salad was decent. I wish it were hot. The seafood Panang was way too sweet and creamy. It didn’t quite suit my taste. The beef drunken noodle was probably the best out of the meal. The beef was tender and the noodle was not so sticky.

Not a bad place to have a nice lunch. Took quick nap on the train. Felt revived to get back to work, but needed a gallon of water.

Cardin Nguyen is one hardworking kid in showbiz. He writes his own lyrics, produces his own tracks and sings his own tunes, but he can’t obscure the fact that he doesn’t have what it takes to make even just a passable record. Va Hom Nay… Now I Know, his new release, is a proof. His rhymes are elementary; his beats come straight out of the club factory; and his singing is still mediocre. Even Auto-Tune couldn’t help correct his wimpy pitch.

On “Sell Out,” a sacrilege sample of Cheryl Lynn’s “Got To Be Real,” Cardin addresses those who talk behind his back. He mumbles some shit about daring someone to write a song and throw it back at him. He also accuses somebody of a copycat who can’t even translate some lyrics. He tries to talk in a tough voice, but you can tell, dude can’t even break grapes in a food fight.

His soft side comes out on Truc Ho’s “Va Hom Nay” and the Chinese-inflected “Mai Yeu Nguoi Thoi” with Chosen who drops some kindergarten rhymes about some chick who had done him wrong, even though he tatted her name on his arm. As if the slow version isn’t dull enough, he cuts another lounge session that is perfect for, well, lounging. And if you isn’t fallen asleep by then, the “Outro Lullaby,” which he sings for his child when it’s time to turn out the lights, will make sure you do.

To be fair, Cardin deserves the props for making his own music. Just give him about twenty more albums and he might get somewhere. We’ll see.