Vassar’s new theme for the homepage.

NPR profiles Nat King Cole:

Singer and composer Nat “King” Cole was undoubtedly one of America’s most identifiable and beloved musicians, and his silken voice helped jazz gain wider popularity. But Cole was also an elegant keyboard player whose innovative groups popularized the jazz piano trio.

In “Is Obama a Mac and Clinton a PC?,” New York Times‘ Noam Cohen breaks down the differences between hillaryclinton.com and barackobama.com:

That is, Mr. Obama’s site is more harmonious, with plenty of white space and a soft blue palette. Its task bar is reminiscent of the one used at Apple’s iTunes site. It signals in myriad ways that it was designed with a younger, more tech-savvy audience in mind — using branding techniques similar to the ones that have made the iPod so popular.

In contrast to barackobama.com, Mrs. Clinton’s site uses a more traditional color scheme of dark blue, has sharper lines dividing content and employs cookie-cutter icons next to its buttons for volunteering, and the like.

I used to have a thang for Lam Thuy Van: the big sexy babe with the big sultry voice. Although she covers mostly slow, bittersweet pop tunes and rarely departs from her comfort zone, she knows how to capture the listener’s heart with her high pitch, gorgeous tone, and most importantly, ability to bare all. I am referring to soul not skin. Thank you!

Her latest Dau Yeu Ngay Nao once again contemplates on love, life and tons of heartaches. “Anh da di roi, em van con day / Co don trong can gac doa day,” Lam Thuy Van starts off “Diep Khuc Buon” in deep sorrow. She wastes no time getting to the poignant core with her soulful crooning. By the time she reaches the bridge, you’re already in despair with her. On “Lien Khuc Tinh Phu,” her voice is mournful, melting the lyrics around the melody while the subtle orchestration provides a melancholy backdrop. The medley sound like an ode to Ngoc Lan who was both of our heroine.

By now the natural combination between Don Ho and Lam Thuy Van shouldn’t even be a question. Their voice is a perfect complement to each other. The mesmerizing moment on “Mal De Toi” is when Lam Thuy Van flights on a swelling crescendo against Don Ho’s warm, low tone like a switching effect from the lowest keys on left to the highest keys on right of the keyboard. Their duet on “Toi Khong Con Yeu Em” and “Ngay Tinh Yeu Den” are both exceptional.

Although Lam Thuy Van doesn’t step up her style, she does refine her technical skill. From breath control to melodic phrasing to lyrical interpretation, she sings like she means it even without the confirmation on the outro.

Google Maps and Twitter joined forces to give you instant updates on Super Tuesday. Pretty cool!

One of the best renditions of Dusty Springfield’s “I Only Want to Be With You” I have heard for a while. Shelby Lynne’s gruff voice and attention to the lyrics give the song a feel of despondency. The bossa nova groove gives the ballad a nice touch as well. I only wanna be with you too, baby!

Inspired by shopping music in Manhattan, my man Don Ho, in collaboration with Lam Thuy Van and Thanh Ha, released Hen Ho, covers of old ballads dressed in new, computer-generated sounds. Is this another one of those electronica shits? Upon several spins, the album is absorbable.

What makes Hen Ho worked is the minimal approach to the arrangements. Unlike Ha Tran’s Communication ’06, in which she had to fight against the beats, the electric grooves are kept to the minimum so they don’t overpower the vocals. The title track, Pham Duy’s “Hen Ho,” is a juicy duet between Don Ho and Thanh Ha. While their sensual vocals weaved together to take you on a trip of nostalgia, the music pulls you to a space-out territory. Mr. Don Ho sure has his way with the ladies. Not only with Thanh Ha’s, but his slightly raspy voice is also a perfect foil to Lam Thuy Van’s high and soulful quality. Their rendition of Pham Dinh Chuong’s “Nua Hon Thuong Dau” is both fresh and doleful. Unfortunately when three get on the same track, the hypnotic spell breaks. Their Vietnamese interpretation of “Killing Me Softly With His Song” should not have made it on the album.

The clean, subtle production works, but not on every track. Don Ho’s solo tracks in particular are way too slow. From Pham Dinh Chuong’s “Nguoi Di Qua Doi Toi” to Ngo Thuy Mien’s “Tu Giong Hat Em” to Thong Dai’s “Ai Ve Song Tuong,” the snore-worthy flossing in his delivery is perfect for lulling listeners into submission. Normally I would prefer Don Ho’s solo album, but the ladies have saved his ass this time.

A quick stroll around University of Notre Dame found some impressive CSS-driven web sites even though they still have a handful of sites that aren’t up to web standards. Let’s start with new launch of the Center for Building Communities. The design is clean, refreshing and departed from the School of Architecture. Next stop is the department of Film, Television and Theater. In contrast to CBC, FTT is graphic heavy and more dramatic. Both the department of Theology and Sociology sported some fresh blue colors, which is opposite from the dark, gloomy blue of the homepage. Nice work, ND!

Wall Street Journals‘s Jame Hookway:

In a global survey of office-rental prices released in November, property consultancy CB Richard Ellis found that annual office rents in Ho Chi Minh City had risen 29% in the previous 12 months to $49 per square foot.

That compares with $53 per square foot in downtown Manhattan. It is double the $24 per square foot charged in Bangkok.

When you work for a business school, you must dress like a businessman. My pair of dress shoes has been killing my feet during my commute. Yesterday two pairs of comfortable dress shoes (black and brown) arrived on my doorsteps. Don’t you just love a woman like that?