After eating Hu Tieu Bo Kho (especially when prepared by my mama), you’ll never want to touch American beef stew again. No disrespect to the Westerners, but their version of beef stew is so plain comparing to the rich and heavy flavor of the Vietnamese version. The mixed varieties of herds (cinnamon stick, star anise, annatto seeds, lemongrass, and mint leaves) give the broth an exquisite tang. Bo Kho also tastes great with Bun (vermicelli) or bread. My preferred choice is a hot, crunchy, and freshly baked loaf of Baggett.

Chao Ga Xe Phai is a typical Vietnamese dish. The shredded banana blossom and chicken salad is a great dish for those who love to drink hard liquor. A wing dipped into the mixed fish sauce is a perfect complement to a shot of cognac or ruou de (sticky rice brew). Bring out the guitar, hit a few Trinh Cong Sons’ notes, sip some liquor, and bite on the banana blossom, you will guarantee to breathe the fresh scent of Vietnam no matter where you are in the world.

Just launched a new theme (Innocence) to celebrate Ngoc Lan’s birthday.

It’s been a while for Thuy Nga to produce a decent video. Paris By Night 75 (Journey to the Far East) is much more enjoyable than the last several DVDs. Thuy Nga’s cast and crew have done their homework and their hard work is paid off as they lead viewers on the journey to the far east. Each performance is carefully studied and researched to bring out the aesthetic qualities of the various cultures.

The best performance on the video goes to Bao Han’s “Theo Em Xuong Pho.” The Taiko drummers add tremendous energy to the cut while Bao Han and the two hot dancers rock their slim bodies to the beat. The Japanese inspired customs are elegant and the colors match the dazzling motion effects in the background. Because I was deeply drawn into the over all performance, the translated lyrics did not bothered me. Even though I have no idea what he raps about, the “Vietnamese Eminem” flows nicely to the beat. Bao Han is a creative performer and she deserves the praise for her quality work.

While Bao Han gives the most energetic performance, Nhu Quynh delivers the most emotional presentation on the video. Her “Chi Di Tim Em” is convincing and her tears are believable as she searches for her little brother in the flood. The visual effects in the background increase the dramatic experience greatly.

Beside the great choreography scenes (thanks to the innovation Shanda Sawyer), Paris By Night 75 features some outstanding solo performances including: Y Lan’s “Khoc Cho Roi Le Nhoa,” Luu Bich’s “Dang Cay,” and Bang Kieu’s “Mua Tren Ngay Thang Do.” I actually enjoy Bang Kieu’s singing for the first time. His voice does not sound too feminine and he has the strength to carry on the high notes skillfully.

Whether the viewers like it or not, sexiness quality is part of Thuy Nga entertainment. Hey! I don’t mind. Nhu Loan is so damn hot. Her great body definitely boosts up her confidence; therefore, she moves naturally and shakes what she paid for on “Yeu Nhau Duoi Nang Mai.” As for Ho Le Thu, her “whoreliness” is not shocking me anymore. She is also very comfortable with her body and she has a great figure so why not rock it? As for Luong Tung Quang, he must be obsessed with the leather-skirt pants. He looks ridiculously gay to me but who am I to judge when it comes to the guy?

Beside the usual performers, Thuy Nga present the viewers some great surprises. The special appearance of Adam Ho, a fifteen years old rocker, shocks the stage. His ability to write, sing, and play guitar at such an early age is motivating and he has great potential to become a rock star. With the exceptional presence of Hoai Linh, the Thuy Nga’s sit-com has been bought to life. Hoai Linh is hilarious and his chemistry with Chi Tai is just perfect. Speaking of chemistry, the duo between Khanh Ha and Lam Nhat Tien on Elton John’s “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word” is a striking collaboration. Khanh Ha starts off with a slow verse than Lam Nhat Tien kicks in with a more upbeat verse to show a transition between old and modern style. Even though Lam Nhat Tien could not match up with Khanh Ha’s skillful technique, he is the closest and the only male singer in Thuy Nga who could sing English flawlessly.

From my previous reviews on Thuy Nga products, I was accused of being biased toward Thuy Nga production because of my negative point of view. I have nothing against Thuy Nga or any other productions. From a viewer standpoint, I just jot down whatever worthy or trashy. As you can see from this written up, I give Thuy Nga prop when they deserve it. My hope is for Thuy Nga to continue setting the trend and move forward to bring oversea Vietnamese entertaining DVDs; however, I doubt that they can match this video in the next three or four releases.

Only two months after Mua Re Ruc Ro 2004 released, Asia followed up with their latest effort My Nhan Ngu video just in time for the holidays. I am thrilled that they could pull it off but I am not so surprised at all by the poor quality. Obviously, Asia throw something together quickly to make a few extra bucks for the holidays.

Stealing off My Le’s vol.3 album title, My Nhan Ngu is the lamest theme Asia have ever come up with. Even the MCs don’t have anything to tell so they make a few corny jokes and introduce the video quickly (sometimes it works but not in this case). That’s why Asia hired Trinh Hoi, lawyer turns MC, for some silly interactions with the female singers. Asia also featured Do Thanh Xuan, model turns MC, offers nothing but a new face on screen.

The performances are horrible and Asia recycle the same old songs over again. They need to retired those translated songs including “Tuyet Roi,” “Vien Du Mua Xuan,” and the Boney M’s. On the “Lien Khuc Boney M” I didn’t even hear Cardin’s voice. He was there for the Puriti’s choreography. Even Nguyen Khang’s “Loi Thu Toi” performance puts me to sleep. He needs to take that “bling bling” off his ear. He looks ridiculous with an earing on. Shayla needs to put on some clothes until she looses that gut.

On the bright side, I a glad to see Don Ho joins Asia and teaming up with Lam Thuy Van once again. He has been on the down low for a while. Hope to see him make a come back on Asia’s stage.

Beside Thanh Truc’s cleavage (did she get a boob job?), nothing is exciting in Asia 45. I can’t see any other reasons to put out such a trivial work beside cashing in some quick dollars for the holidays. Come on Asia! Stop wasting folks’ money.

Kelly Goto and Emily Cotler’s Web ReDesign 2.0: Workflow That Works is the most comprehensive book on the design/redesign process. With the second edition, the authors bring the book up-to-date with the integration of web standards and CSS into the workflow.

Workflow That Works refers to the Core Process developed by Goto and Cotlers. The Core Process – consists of five phrases: Define the Project, Develop Site Structure, Design Visual Interface, Build and Intergrate, and Launch and Beyond – has been successfully applied to real world projects. After reading the well-documented phrases along with useful tips, checklists, forms, and worksheets, I can see why the workflow works. Each phrase is carefully designed to help keeping up the paste. As many web designers know, keeping the process flowing is not an easy task, especially with contents. I know the feeling of waiting around for the contents to come.

Beside the Core Process, I find the chapter on “Testing for Usability” is an important addition to the workflow. The authors have done a great job of clearing up the concept of usability, as they point out, “Many companies think they are already conducting usability tests, but in actuality they are running focus groups or online surveys.” After the brief explaination, they provide readers step-by-step process on conducting a small-study usability session.

“Working with Complex Functionality” is an invalable chapter for anyone who deals with e-commerce, dynamic contents, or any heavy technical related issues. The author not only teaches the assessing, creating, and inplementing of the complex functionalities, but also show how to bridge the gap between designers and engineers.

While Goto and Cotlers contribute their expertise on the workflow of web design, other expert contributors provide their advices on various topics, for instance: Jeffrey Zeldman on web standards, Eric Meyer on CSS, Jakob Nielsen on usability, and many more… On top of the expert topics, the real world examples, provided with screenshots and clear explanation, help readers visualize the before and after redesign look and feel.

Web ReDesign 2.0: Workflow That Works is clearly not a technical manual but a process guideline. While the authors aim at both high and low budgets web sites, I highly recommend it more toward the high budget ones. It will garantee to save you tremendous amount of effort and money in the long run. While this book might be helpful to web designer and developer, it is definitely beneficial to web manager and director. It will help them keep the project on track while managing the designers and developers through the process. Though the title is for redesign’s workflow, the Core Process can be apply straight to any newly design website as well.

As you already noticed, Visualgui.com is sporting a beautiful poinsettia for the holiday. I was not feeling the spirit until Charlie, a graphic designer at Vassar, made this magnificant Xmas cookie. It not only looks great but tastes yummy as well.

To appreciate Cam’Ron’s Purple Haze, one must look pass the lyrical contents. As much as I detest his “we don’t love them hoes” attitude toward women, I must give him props for crafting a luminous album. His flow is simple but pushes the beats, and the beats are blazing. He is a minimalist and his rhyme schemes are minimal, yet playful. He uses the artfully constructed style throughout the album. Beside his distinctive charisma, Killa Cam’s delivery stands out as well. He spits each word clearly and naturally. Even while he switches his flow on “Adrenaline” with Twista and Psycho Drama, his verse is still as clear as crystal when he speeds up or slows down.

When rocking Purple Haze, I tune in for the aesthetic experience. I enjoy the beautiful production, the rhyming skills, and the artistic vision, but leave the artist’s intention behind. Despite his disgusting lyrics, “Get ‘Em Girl,” “Shake,” “Hey Lady,” and “Girls” (sampling Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Fun”) are straight banging. I am sure the ladies wouldn’t care what he says when they back their “thangs” up in the club. When I talk about the aesthetic experience, I mean to separate the work of art from my personal interpretation. It’s hard to do with rap, especially with an album like Purple Haze, because of its aggressive sexual lyrics; however, it could be done. “Leave Me Alone Pt.2,” for instance, Cam’s flow chops through the melody forcefully while the violin saws away the beats.

With more highlights including “Get Down,” “Killa Cam,” “Down And Out,” Purple Haze is an even album that could be play from start to finish without interruption. Not only the skits do not distracted the flow but also help to give the album a few pauses between 20 tracks. Big up to Killa Cam!

True to her name, Hong Nhung is the “Velvet Rose” of the Vietnamese entertainment garden. Her natural singing seduces me. The more I listen, the more hooked I get. From Thuo Bong La Nguoi, to Doan Khuc Thu Ha Noi, and now Bai Hat Ru Cho Anh, she lends new vibes to the works with her gifted talent.

Bai Hat Ru Cho Anh marks an astonishing chemistry between the skillful performer, Hong Nhung, and the expansive writer, Duong Thu. While Duong Thu’s distinctive style find its way into the listener’s heart, Hong Nhung helps breathe fresh air into his compositions. The sensational flute on the title track “Bai Hat Ru Cho Anh” provides a silky-smooth tempo as Hong Nhung cascades her emotional vocals into the lullaby. “Bay Vao Ngay Xanh” is a rare groove with mellow vibes. The best part is near the end of the song where the jazz tune kicks in as she hums to the melody. Together they produce an exotic new sound.

Hong Nhung’s elegant style is both successful when she reaches the high notes effortlessly on “Danh Thuc Tam Xuan” or embraces the low keys perfectly on “Van Hat Loi Tinh Yeu.” Her handling of the words (crescendo and decrescendo) is both skillful and striking. Furthermore, she shows tremendous variations in her style as she proves her ability to perform modern folk on “Thang Tu Ve” as well as up-tempos on “Mat Troi Diu Em” and “Nghe Mua.”

While many singers advance their vocals by learning and practicing, a few are blessed with natural ability. Hong Nhung is among those few who can just pick up a note and flow naturally. The opening track “Cua So Mua Dong” demonstrates distinctive talent of her as she weaves her soul into the track.

I usually don’t feel Bang Kieu’s singing, but he gives a great duet performance with Hong Nhung on “Lang Nghe Mua Xuan Ve.” However, I would prefer Hong Nhung’s solo performance on “Tieng Song” over the collaboration with Bang Kieu. I am glad that she performs English versions of Vietnamese songs instead the other way around, which many new Vietnamese singers do, even though her English has flaws. If she was trained to pronounce the words correctly, she would have done a fantastic job in English just like what she has done in Vietnamese.

Hong Nhung has once again delivered a solid album. Duong Thu compositions match her styles marvelously and the musical arrangements are beautifully structured. Her expertise is the vision to craft an album that leaves little or no room for wasted space. It’s an element that separates great singers from popular singers since not too many performers can construct a solid album, yet Hong Nhung does it with almost every release.

New to web design? Want to learn HTML fast? Need to get your Flash skills up to speed? I have found three great books for you. Putting together a web page is not hard but creating an attractive, accessible, and easy to use site is not as simple as one might think. So starting off designing web page the correct way will benefit you in the long run.

Before delving into the coding and technical details, let’s begin with exploration. The best way to learn is to evaluate other websites. Exploring Web Design (Design Exploration) by Jeremy West, William Crowson, and Shannon Pochran will help you learn from good examples and avoid bad ones. The book does an excellent job of introducing the fundamental principles of web design, such as visual layouts, typography, color theory, and usability. Make sure to take the time and read “Web Accessibility” carefully. It’s one of the behind-the-scenes details that separate your site from those amateurs.

Once you understand the fundamental concepts, let Elizabeth Castro, author of the #1 best-selling book on HTML, help you with the coding. Creating a Web Page With HTML, Visual QuickProject Guide is extremely short and to the point. It’s by far the most compact book on HTML I have come across. Castro delves straight into HTML and CSS with her clear language and easy to follow instructions and illustrations. Follow the tutorials and learn the codes but do no pick up the visual layout. I wish the web page designs were stronger than what is being presented in the book.

You have studied the fundamental web design and learned the coding. That should be enough, but if you want to spice up your web page with animation and interactivity, Flash Out of the Box is your next book. Flash in not easy to learn for beginners, but this book is clear, straight forward, and easy to understand. You’ll be able to learn the basic animation techniques and pick up some ActionScript programming quickly and easily. Flash is a powerful tool, but use it with caution. Don’t abuse it with useless animation. Refer back to Exploring Web Design for appropriate use of Flash.

As you can see, I have grouped these three books together because they are for beginners in web design. From understanding the fundamental principles of web design to quickly learning HTML and CSS to incorporating Flash contents into the design, these three books complement each other even though they are written by various authors and distributed from different publishers. Though three books are recommended, you don’t have to get them all if you only need to work on a specific area.