Designed a new theme (Nostalgia) to celebrate iLoveNgocLan.com 1st anniversary. Although time flies by so fast, iLoveNgocLan.com has accomplished more than what I have expected. As of today, there are 730 posts, 59 poems, 23 articles, 17 themes and thousands of comments from fans around the world. Most important of all, the love goes into this site is unbelievable. My deepest gratitude goes out to the staff and the fans for making this site where it is today. Your hard work and contributions are appreciated.

A Vietnamese ghost story, Oan Hon, looks freaky as hell. It reminds me of the good old days when I was a kid in Viet Nam. At night, six or seven of us from the neighborhood always gathered around my friend’s mom and listened to her ghost stories especially when the power was out. She was such a great storyteller that I was scared to go home by myself even though her house is adjacent to mine. In fact, I was scared of taking a piss; I had to hold it all night long. Just listening to the voices on On Hon’s trailer gave me the same chill when I was a kid. I can’t wait to see it on Halloween this year. The DVD is due out October 31, 2004. Meanwhile, you can read the review at Asia Pacific Arts called Spirit of Vietnamese Culture by Chau Nguyen.

The Finance and Administration webpage has been cleaned up and recoded with XHTML and CSS.

I am a Chris Rock fanatic. I love his work. From Bring the Pain to Bigger and Blacker to Never Scared, he never fails to crack me up. So here are my top ten jokes taken from the three HBO specials.

10. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
He is damn right. If he told you that Krispy Kreme doughnuts got crack in them you would say, “I knew something was up.”

09. Divorce
This is a good one. Women go to court and get some money because she is accustomed to this and used to that. What about what a man is accustomed to? “I’m accustomed to fucking her 4 times a week. Now I at least should be able to fuck her twice a week. I mean, she can have the alimony but I want some pussy payment.”

08. Woman Beater
You just have to watch him in action on this one, “I would never hit a woman in my life but I’ll shake the shit out of her.”

07. No Black Vice President
I am wondering how the hell did he gets away with this, “If we have a black vice president right now, I couldn’t wait to KILL the president… What’s gonna happen to me? You gonna put me in jail with a bunch of black guys that would treat me like a hero for the rest of my life… I’ll be in jail and a guy comes up to me, ‘Yo Chris, I hope my kids will turn out just like you. Man, you know, I was getting ready to rape you until I realized who you were.'”

06. Married and Bored or Single and Lonely
Once you’re married, kiss all your dreams good-bye and “make the bitch happy.” Good relationship is simply eating and fucking.

05. Affirmative Action
His view on Affirmative Action is brilliant, “I don’t think I should get a job over a white person if I scored a lower mark on the test but if there’s a tie, fuck them. You have 400 years head start motherfucker.”

04. Platonic Friends
Damn straight! A platonic friend to a woman is like “a dick in a glass case. Incase of emergency break open glass.”

03. Toss Salad Man
Damn, this one is crazy. I can’t have toss salad any more. “Well, when a man is sucking your dick, he can pretend that’s something else. When he’s eating ass, he knows it’s ass.”

02. Black People Vs. Niggas
Oh man! He is on fire on this one, “Nigga wants credit for something they suppose to do… A Nigga would say some shit like, ‘I take care of my kid.’ You suppose to, you dumb motherfucker./ Nigga love to keep it real. Real dumb!/ Black man that got 2 jobs go to work everyday hates Nigga on welfare. I got 2 jobs, you can’t get one. / A black woman that got 2 kids, going to work everyday busting her ass hates bitches with 9 kids on welfare. Bitch! Stop fucking, put the dick down. Get a job holding dick. Whatever you do, get pay to do it.”

01. Gun Control
His idea on this issue is damn hilarious and quite clever, “People will think before they kill somebody if a bullet costs $5,000. Man, I’ma blow your fucking head off if I can afford it.”

Although Trinh Cong Son had written Dem Thay Ta La Thac Do a long time ago, I was only introduced to it by My Tam a couple of months back. I love the way My Tam performs the song but now Ngoc Lan gives me a whole new perspective when I listen to her version.

Have been listening to other songs by Trinh Cong Son, I suspect Ngoc Lan stays closer to Trinh Cong Son’s intension than My Tam. Ngoc Lan takes the simpler approach and her soft and elegant vocals conveyed the waterfall sounds (thac do). In contrast, My Tam takes full advantage of her strong and clear vocals to produced a brand new flavor. The result is quite interesting because the song now has that heavy Pop/R&B vibe to it, which is perfect for the younger audience. I was instantly hooked the first time I heard it from My Tam because of the way she has emotionally built up the words. But now, Ngoc Lan has smoothed it the song with the way she breathes out the words.

I get two totally different experiences from these two artists. Although, Ngoc Lan and My Tam are from two different generations, both are unique and creative. I like them both but I want to know what is your take on this. Now, if you’re either a fan of Ngoc Lan or My Tam or both, I need to step out of that for a minute and focus on this song only. Don’t let “the one you like” mentality interferes with the aesthetic experience. Listen to the song and pretend you never heard of My Tam or Ngoc Lan before. I know it’s hard to do but that’s the only way to truly separate the work of art by itself. With all that said, here is Ngoc Lan’s Dem Thay Ta La Thac Do and here is My Tam’s Dem Thay Ta La Thac Do. Enjoy!

Finally, the DArt program took down my 1999 design. Although the new site is clean and organized, the use of Flash and frame has ruined the smooth transitions. Furthermore, the site has fall into the trap of usability problems with not only the integration of Flash menu and HTML contents but also the use of frames.

There are two ways that the site could have been designed efficiently. The easiest way is to create everything in Flash and do it in a modular fashion to maintain the smooth transitions. The pages could have been pulled into Flash with HTML and CSS. The recommended way is to break the site out of frames and use Flash elements appropriately. The menu could have been done easily with CSS to maximized accessibility.

Digital Arts & Multimedia Design program prepares students for various career opportunities but the site fails to cover every aspects of the digital world. Visual design and technical skills are important but usability and accessibility also play a major part of digital and web environment. The DArt program should include these aspects into its curriculum.

Da Lan’s Cuoc Kho Nan Cho Nguoi Viet Nam is the most lifeless video I have ever seen. The musical producers and the performers fail miserably to deliver the songs. The music is soulless. The set design is way too amateur and the dancers are unprofessional. Da Lan probably heard enough bad things about MCs; therefore, they ditched that idea. What they replaced with is a guy who walks us through the video (we only see his feet) with two lines of poem introducing each video. That idea is even worse than having a MC. While Da Lan’s first video Trieu Doa Hoa Hong Cho Nguoi Viet Nam sets them apart and raised the bar, this one drops them way down the gutter.

The special interview with the hoes in Ha Noi, North Viet Nam is tasteless. The interviewer’s voice is annoying as hell. I am so tired of hearing the hoes’ myth, “I am a prostitute because of family situation.” If you want to sell yourself, don’t blame your family. If I was ill and don’t have enough money for medications, I rather die and go to hell than letting my daughter selling her pussy for my treatment. You blamed the bastards for ruined your lives. That’s bullshit! You are ruined your own life. If you don’t offer sex, the bastards can’t buy it from you. Life is hard and there is no short cut. Only that kind of occupations will bring you money fast so you can afford that new Nokia cell phone, Dreams Honda moped, and Gucci dress. So just be honest about it. You choose that route because you want to and no one puts a gun to your head and make you do it. I remember watching HBO special about the same issue but the American hoes are honest about it. That’s the way they choose to live. They make good money and they are proud of what they do. They even have the courage to show their faces on the interview. With Da Lan’s special interview, they covered up their faces with their hair. What is up with that?

There is a gruesome scene in the video where a man is tied up on the cross with a communist pointed a gun to his head. Is that scene necessary? There are kids watching these videos too and their parents want them to learn about Vietnamese culture and the music, not a violent act like that. This video is terrible. It’s not worth your money and definitely not worth your time. Skip it and save your money for real productions like Asia and Tinh.

Although 1982-1991 Ngoc Lan Asia only contains a portion of Ngoc Lan’s work (34 out of 800-something songs), it definitely proves that Ngoc Lan was one of the most natural artist of her time. This special collection is not only a memory of one of the greatest Vietnamese singer of all time but it also showcases Ngoc Lan’s talents of performing several languages including: Vietnamese, French, English, and Chinese (Cung La Buon).

Ngoc Lan’s vocals are indelible and Asia production had done a great job of allowing that beautiful voice shines through in every song. Xin Thoi Gian Qua Mau and Rung La Thay Chua are my favorites because Ngoc Lan chose simple over flamboyant and she was able to captured the aesthetic qualities of each song. In tracks like Khuc Thuy Du, Tieng Ca Dem, Nhung Kiep Hoa Xuan, etc., she never held a note too long, which made the songs enchanting and pleasing to enjoy. Although I don’t speak French fluently, I could feel the way she delightfully released the words in Nang Da Tat, Chuyen Tinh Yeu, Tinh Yeu, etc. It’s simply an amazing experience. If you’re into ballroom dancing like me, you’ll appreciate tracks like Mua He Vo Tan (Bebop), Loi Tinh Ai (Tango), Khuc Luan Vu Ngay Mua (Valse). With Ngoc Lan’s mesmerizing vocals and Asia’s elegant beats, my feet get real itchy when I emerge into these songs. I might not be as good as Nguyen Hung in ballroom dancing but I can break it down like James Brown.

With Asia’s superior musical arrangements and Ngoc Lan’s God-sent vocals, this 3 CDs special collection is priceless. If you’re a fan of Ngoc Lan and you don’t have this collection, shame on you. I was ashamed of myself for waiting too long to purchase these CDs. It’s not my fault that I didn’t know about it. Asia should have marketed more effectively. It’s a timeless work of art and I am sure this collection lives on just like Ngoc Lan’s legacy will remain forever in our hearts.

Just finished working on Dam Vinh Hung’s Giot Nuoc Mat Cho Doi. The motion graphic is inspired my Le Quang’s delightful lyrics and Dam Vinh Hung’s indelible vocal. Special thanks to my cousin Jessica for the high quality photos. Check it out!

Another reason I created this piece was to prove Dam Vinh Hung performance is untouchable. Some actually think that Luong Tung Quang performs Giot Nuoc Mat Cho Doi better than Dam Vinh Hung. No disrespect to anyone’s taste but Dam Vinh Hung has captured the essence of the lyrics and he sings it from the bottom of his heart and soul. There is no way Luong Tung Quang can come close that.

Let’s get something clear up front. The list below is based solely on my personal taste and I am not claiming to be the hip-hop expert. What you see here is my love and my knowledge of hip-hop. These works of art have inspired me, opened up my eyes, changed my world, or simply got me hooked on hip-hop. I find these albums to be creative, innovative, rule breaking, and history making. I hope you will enjoy the list as much as I do.

10. Danger Mouse – The Grey Album
Although it is an underground joint, Danger Mouse’s Grey Album is an innovative work of art. The blend between Jay-Z’s flows and Beatles’ beats is flawless. The seamless integrations not only bring out the aesthetic qualities from both genre but together they have also created one of the most amazing and engaging aesthetic experience. Danger Mouse makes history with the Grey Album.

09. DMX – It’s Dark and Hell is Hot
If you ain’t barkin’, you ain’t feelin’ Dark Man X. Not only his barkin’ is hot, his vocal is on fire as well. From the hardcore “Ruff Rider Anthems,” “Fuckin’ Wit D,” Get at Me Dog” to the sentimental “The Convo,” “How It Goin’ Down” to the devil “Damien,” the album is surely dark and hot as hell.

08. Snoop Doggy Dogg – Doggystyle
Snoop’s Doggystyle invites you to the gangster party with “Gin and Juice,” “Tha Shiznit,” and “Doggy Dog World.” His ill rhymes combine with Dre bomb ass beats make you want to lay back and enjoy the party.

07. Kanye West – The College Dropout
It’s 2004 and Kanye is not afraid to take hip-hop back to the basic. It’s about blazin’ beats and delightful lyrics. West’s College Dropout is positive, innovative, and definitely hip-hop.

06. Eminem – Slim Shady LP
Oppose from Jay-Z who always brag about himself, Em finds his way into hip-hop as he describes himself in “Brain Damage” as, “A corny lookin’ white boy, scrawny and always ornery / ’cause I was always sick of brawny bullies pickin’ on me.” Em’s lyrical skill is undeniably wicked and his work is disturbing but astounding, especially in “Guilty Conscience.” He is an innovative rapper and always pushes himself to the limit. My only hope is that he would stop singing.

05. Notorious BIG – Ready to Die
“A chubby nigga on the scene.” Biggie’s Ready to Die proves that you don’t have to have a perfect body to be in the game. Hip-hop is all about skills. The 300-some-pounds sounds sexy as hell in “Big Poppa” and “One More Chance.” “Juicy” is still lyrically untouchable. The rhymes are simple but elegant and Biggie flows them smoothly to the beats. That’s the way Biggie rhymes – On “Suicidal Thoughts,” “When I die, fuck it, I wanna go to hell / ’cause I’m a piece of shit, it ain’t hard to fuckin’ tell.” – clear, concise, and powerful.

04. Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt
Jay shows me the meaning of attitude and confidant. Evidently, his success is based on these two words. Even on his debut album, he already brags about his status but I have to give it to him. He lives up to it. On Reasonable Doubt, he makes sure every verse clearly states that you “Can’t Knock a Hustle:” “All us blacks got is sports and entertainment, until we even / Thievin’, as long as I’m breathin’ / Can’t knock the way a nigga eatin’, fuck you even.” Wish I had a quarter of his attitude and confidant.

03. Nas – Illmatic
Obviously hip-hop is a form of poetry but I never perceived at it that way until Nas made me look. His writing is amazing. On “One Love” he spits, “Shorty’s laugh was only cold-blooded as he spoke so foul / Only twelve trying to tell me that he liked my style / Then I rose, wiping the blunt’s ash from my clothes / Then froze, only to blow the herb smoke through my nose.” Nas’s Illmatic is aesthetically unreachable. He brings life to his words, “I never sleep, ’cause sleep is the cousin of death.”

02. Tupac – All Eyez on Me
“Out on bail, fresh out of jail,” 2pac is rugged and raw. When he screams MOB (money over bitches), you better believe it. His outlaw charisma lingers on throughout the entire album from “No More Pain” to “Only God Can Judge Me.” Even when he goes emotional on “I Ain’t Mad At Ya” and “Life Goes On,” there is still a little bit of thugs in him. Pac is on fire and you can feel the anger in his voice. Even when he laughs, the madness is still in him. Thanks to Pac, I began to admire battling lyrics and it opened up a whole new world of hip-hop.

01. Wu-Tang Clan – Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
The first time I heard, “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta Fuck Wit,” my eyes wide opened. It was the truest form of expression I ever heard. The entire album opened up the new world of music for me. From “CREAM” to “Tears,” Wu-Tang tells the realest stories of life. I began to listen to the lyrics carefully and the album is filled with aesthetic qualities.