T.I’s “Watch What You Say” featuring Jay-Z
Common’s “The People” video

From “Queer in the Crib” by Julia Reischel in The Village Voice:

Even with the recent push for gay marriage, we still tend to define gayness in terms of having sex—a framework that necessarily excludes kids. But pay attention to the childhood memories of gay adults and you’ll hear plenty of talk about wanting to keep house with a playmate of the same gender, or to marry a same-gender friend—just as straight adults remember wanting to marry a playmate of the opposite gender. Gay or straight, these kids aren’t trying to sex each other up. They’re just imagining future families, or describing their current friendships.

A piece from The New Yorker shows how napping at work is good for you. Whenever mama stayed here, I would take my lunch at home plus a quick nap. Mama would wake me up when it was time the time to get back to work. Damn, it felt so good.

A better organized and more streamlined revision of CNN.

Listening to Thuy Tien’s third record, Giac Mo Tuyet Trang, I can’t help but feel bad for a young talent who’s turning into mediocrity. Gone is the eccentric chick with some rockability. After the opening track, an impressive rock tune she has written entitled “Anh Sang,” the album cuts straight to the pop and hip-hop flavor. On the remake of “Lang Nghe Mua Xuan Ve,” she turns Duong Thu’s slow, sentimental piece into a dance-floor workout. By the time the little rap puppet takes over, I have to hit the skip button. It’s a damn shame.

Ella Fitzgerald’s profile on NPR:

Ella’s rare combination of confidence and innocence reflected the spirit of mid-20th century America. Despite her popularity, she never deviated from her commitment to jazz as an art form. She could improvise right next to saxophonists like Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins or Lester Young, then turn around and perform a classic American ballad while infusing it with her natural swing.

A wonderful program on Art Tatum from NPR:

One of the greatest improvisers in jazz history, Art Tatum also set the standard for technical dexterity with his classic 1933 recording of “Tea for Two.” Nearly blind, Tatum had artistic vision and ability that made him an icon of jazz piano, a musician whose impact will be felt for generations to come.

Just received a gorgeous drawing of Ngoc Lan from Kim Quan, a fantastic artist in Viet Nam. I am loving his slideshow.

Kells and Ush got Double Up with the “Same Girl.”

As I am listening to Dexter Gordon’s pulchritudinous rendition of “Manha de Carnaval” from TTBlue, I keep hearing the mash-up between his band and Ngoc Lan’s sultry vocals. Damn, I must be hallucinating or something.