The Wu returns; so does the Kung Fu and the dope rhymes. Gone are the raw, straight-from-the-basement beats from 36 Chambers, but the group’s producer RZA has cooked up some flavorful new sounds including the rock-riffing “The Heart Gently Weeps” and the soulful “Stick Me for My Riches.” MCs wise, Method Man’s flow is still gruff and grime; Raekwon’s storytelling is still dark and chil; Ghostface’s delivery is still like the Bunny Energizer, keeps going and going. The only missing element is the eccentricity from the late wild ODB. Despite the controversy around the group, 8 Diagrams is surprisingly good. Funniest line on the joint is from Ghostface: “You like a CD, I burn you and I wreck a few…”

In celebration of Vietnamese women, no champagnes are necessary. A box of tissues will do. The women portrayed in Thuy Nga’s Paris Night 90 are nothing but tragedy, and they carry it throughout their life. Whether through war, economy or husband, Vietnamese girls, Vietnamese wives and Vietnamese mothers all suffered.

The program brings out quite a bit of depressing songs regarding to our women. Bang Kieu croons the dead sister (“Chi Toi”); Hoa Mi tells the tale of a wife turned into stone waiting for her husband (“Ai Xuoi Van Ly”); Minh Tuyet sobs on a personal reflection (“Ganh Hang Rong”); Y Lan weeps all out on the mournful “Tuong Nhu Con Nguoi Yeu.” Y Lan’s acting skill was so great that a woman in the audience almost jumped off the balcony. I would have done the same thing to end the misery.

Sure there are happy tunes too, but the queens of drama overpowered them. If you are going to watch this DVD, prepare to cry yourself a river. And if you’re one heartless bastard, Thuy Nga got some eye candies for your visual pleasures. Most of the young ladies look luscious in ao dai, but Khanh Ha is still one hot MILF. On the flipside, Ha Tran might ruin your imagination.

Birth of the Cool was born as a response from Miles Davis to bebop. He had it with the flying notes of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie; therefore, he focused more on the lyricism and melodic concepts that eventually defined cool jazz. This is the album that marked Davis’s first reinvention of jazz.

An eleventh-grade student was issued a detention for using Firefox in class. He told the teacher that Firefox is a “better” browser, but the teacher didn’t believe him. Teachers should learn to listen to their students sometimes.

An admission promotion for Simpson College. A closer look at the site can be read at cdeVision.

The last time I talked to an old high school buddy was more than a year ago. Called him last night and found out that he will be flying out to Afghanistan on Monday for a year on military assignment. Our conversations in the past had been about career, life and girls. The topic, however, had changed this time. I wish him all the best.

The last time I saw my old man was more than six years ago. Spoke to him this morning and he said he’s getting weak, even though his tone is still clear and powerful. The man is in his early 70s. Hope he still can come and join us.

Dexter Gordon had a slick, rich and stimulating Bop tone, yet on ballads he would transform into a pussycat and play with deep, soulful lyricism. This extraordinary compilation of Ballads reveals the relaxed, sentimental side of Gordon. “I am a Fool to Want You” will make you sprung.

Music writer Carl Wilson learned to respect Celine Dion, even though he can’t stand her music. He even wrote a book titled Celine Dion’s Let’s Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste after listening to her album.

Jazz syncopation accompanied by samba rhythm section yields bossa nova. Guitarist Charlie Byrd and saxophonist Stan Getz helped sparked the bossa nova movement in 1962 with their collaboration on Jazz Samba. From the discorded “Desafinado” to the mellow-grooving “Baia,” the finger-picking guitar combined with the melodious sax tone creates a perfect mood for late night relaxation.

CommandShift3:

On CommandShift3, you are presented with the screenshots of two websites side by side. If you click the screenshot of the site you think looks best, the page reloads and you start all over again. It never ends.