Week 10: Spring Forward!

This week's post will feature three (3), count 'em three self-portraits.

To kick off March, the weirdest weather month ever, DC had its biggest snowfall of the year. This was me on my walk to work last Monday, March 2:


Only a few days later, the snow melted as the temps rose, and here I am on Saturday, March 7:


You can't tell, but I'm wearing flip flops and loving it. That's me with Cleo. She belongs to John's sister, Meg, and is a very cute and lovable german shepherd mix. John was dogsitting Cleo this weekend, and since the weather was so nice, we spent some time on his back patio enjoying some beers and food. It was my personal highlight during what was a very lovely "Spring Forward" weekend. Despite losing an hour on Sunday and waking up to pitch black (again) this morning, it was pretty amazing to see daylight at 7 pm today.

Finally, last night I was home in Springfield for a belated family dinner celebrating Huan & Molly's birthday. Had to throw in this SP for kicks -- add it to the "Classic Pouy face" collection.

Week 9: Happy National Chili Day!

National Chili Day was on February 26. In years past I have been to Hard Times Cafe since they offer free chili on this important holiday, but since I didn't make out to the burbs this year, I was unable to celebrate on the actual day. I made up for it this weekend with a belated and delicious chili meal, courtesy of Good Stuff Eatery on the Hill. I've been here several times but this past weekend was my first taste of their chili-cheese burger, known as "Uncle D's Chili 'N Cheddar burger." It seems odd that it took me so long to try it since everyone who knows me knows how much I love chili! The burger, while sloppy, did not disappoint. The chili had zest and the scallions added a nice flavor as well. I definitely didn't regret my order.


As an aside, John ordered the "Blazin' Barn," which is Spike's take on a Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwich, made with carrots, daikon, cilantro, basil, and the delicious Sriracha mayo that is part of what keeps me coming back to this place.

Week 8: Early Bird Dinner & M. Ward

This past weekend I caught my very first music show at the Sixth & I Synagogue. It was definitely a cool experience to watch a rock concert in a historic and religious building, sitting in pews instead of standing in a sweaty basement.

The show opened with the Vivian Girls, who, despite critical acclaim for their debut album, failed to inspire or move me. Their particular brand of garagey girl punk 1) was already not my speed, sound & genre-wise 2) did not sound good within the walls of the venue, and 3) reminded me of a high school talent show performance.

Luckily, I was there to see M. Ward and he did not disappoint. The show was predominately a mix of songs off his latest release, Hold Time, as well as some of my favorite tunes off of his previous album, Post-War.

While the show felt a bit short, I thought it was a great performance. It was a nice mix of his rollicking, full-band tunes alongside nice, acoustic numbers. M. Ward impressed the crowd with his guitar skills on a John Fahey number, and warmed us with his earnest and gravelly voice on some slower ballads. All in all, a great time with great company. Looking forward to my next chance to come to this venue as it is truly a unique place to enjoy music.

On an unrelated note, this week's SP is from my pre-show dinner at Westend Bistro. Now everyone knows I'm not really a dessert girl at all, but John and I really enjoyed the Apple Cobbler, and more notably the homemade vanilla ice cream that was served alongside it. The delicious meal was a great start to a fun weekend night!

Week 7: Happy Valentine's Day!

This Valentine's Day I spent a lot of quality time with friends and family. I ate and drank too much (mostly ate) and my stomach/body are still recovering, but I had a great time and think that spending Valentine's Day with loved ones like this is just as fulfilling as doing something cheesy and romantic with your s.o. (though we all know that based on my love of chick flicks and hopeless romanticism in general, I am not opposed to such things).

This week's SP includes my cousins Steph, Kim & Natty (Sorry for the face and head cut off, Steph & Natty! I'm still working on my technique, though I'm not sure short arms can be overcome!). We all went out to Fly Lounge on Friday night for an evening of dancing. It was a nice change of pace from my usual venues and nights out, and it was great to bond with the family over it, too!

Week 6: A Beautiful Winter's Day

This past weekend we enjoyed some unseasonably warm weather in DC, so my cousin Mai and I decided to take advantage of it, motivate each other and go for a nice run downtown. We headed to the national mall as part of our DC funsies day, part 2.

So the run wasn't quite as productive as we would have hoped (net running time ~25 minutes), but we still got our legs moving and broke a sweat, which, in the end, was probably a good warm-up for our out-of-shape winter bodies.

Really the day was about enjoying the weather, taking in more of DC's landmarks, and of course, embarrassing ourselves silly. Give us a couple cameras and that's what we do best!

I'm a giant!! This photo took a zillion takes and a few location changes before I got it just right.


A classic, jumpity self-portrait (courtesy of remote shutter and Mai's new Gorillapod). Just imagine the looks we got from all the other tourists walking by!

*Editor's note: Neither of these photos are self-portraits by me, and thus neither is my actual Flickr self-portrait selection of the week. They were just my favorites of the day.

Week 5: DC Funsies Day!

This past Saturday I had a fun, touristy DC day with my cousin, Mai (Tuti/Kam). We started the day with a delicious brunch at one of my favorite local spots, Logan Tavern. This is where the cameras came out and we proceeded to embarrass ourselves (Thanks for being seen with us in public, John!).



After enjoying some tasty food and even more delicious bloody marys, Mai and I headed to the National Building Museum (where we posed with the lions outside -- perhaps the first tourists to find this an amazing opportunity for self-portraits), then the National Portrait Gallery. After a quick snack break at Penn Quarter's new TangySweet, we made our way to Eastern Market and strolled around for a while before Mai made the best purchase of the day: 4 pairs of sunglasses for $17 to add to her already huge collection.

It was a rare day of so much touristy DC activity, but I had a great time!

The photo above is this week's "official" self-portrait, but since there were so many great ones and I had a hard time deciding, here a couple more gems from the weekend:

Week 4: Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, or as they say in Vietnamese, Chuc Mung Nam Moi! Today marks the first day of the year of the Ox in the lunar calendar.

Here's wishing all my family and friends health, happiness and success in the new year!

This week's portrait is of me in my brand new Snuggie, reading a book with my brand new book light. That's right, after talking about Snuggies all winter long, I finally stopped into Bed Bath & Beyond and picked one up this weekend. The only color they had in stock was the Royal Blue, so I really didn't have any problems deciding what to get.

The funniest part was that there was another woman shopping near me, too, and I looked down to see no less than 10 boxes of Snuggies in her cart! Someone was stocking up for the cold winter! Hahaha.




Anyway, here's my honest review:

-fabric is a little cheap, not as thick and plush as one might think
-the fleece comes off and sticks to whatever you're wearing underneath (my white t-shirt was covered in a light coat of blue fleece)
-"one size fits all" is a bit of a stretch. The sleeves are about a foot too long and the length is about 2 feet too long... I can't really walk around in the Snuggie unless I want to be dusting my floor at the same time!
-the Snuggie may cause static problems

-the Snuggie is a really great accessory for playing the Wii. So much free arm movement while staying warm!
-there is definitely Halloween costume potential here... stay tuned...

Haters (you know who you are!), if you are going to say mean things, please use a *, #, @ or $ in the appropriate places. This is a family-friendly space.

Week 3: Happy Inauguration!

As everyone knows, this was a big week for the country, and especially a little place called Washington, D.C. For the long inaugural weekend, D.C. had a brief shining moment of hype, we felt cool, and everyone was talking about us!

Being here for inauguration weekend was a special experience, but after dealing with the masses, I'm glad to see all the tourists return home and allow D.C. go back to its uncool, normal self.

On Sunday, I headed down to the Mall to see the opening Inaugural celebration concert, "We are One." Despite the cold and crowd, it was a pretty exciting experience to be part of such a big scene. You could feel the excitement in the air that set the tone for the rest of the weekend.

The concert itself was not bad -- it was cool to see some of the big name acts up close and personal (on a jumbotron...), but there were definitely some awkward moments (Bald Eagle, anyone?) sprinkled in, that were as awkward to re-watch on TV as they were to see live.

On Tuesday, due to coming down with my second cold in as many weeks, I watched the Inauguration from indoors rather than battle the estimated 2 million* who braved the cold and congregated on the Mall.

All in all, it felt great to be able to witness such a big part of history right in your own backyard. I think I can speak for lots of people when I say I'm excited to see the Obamas take their place in the White House and am looking forward to what's to come.

Here's a shot of me and John on Sunday, January 18. We were en route to the "We are One" concert and stopped to take in the site of the swearing-in while we could get a close view.



I didn't get any celeb autographs and didn't hit any fancy balls, but I definitely still enjoyed the long, historic weekend! Hope you all did, too.

*If anyone has a more accurate estimate of numbers, please do share!

It must be my lucky day!

I just returned from a much-needed lunch trip to McDonald's, and I open my box of nuggets to find the following:



"Wow," I thought! A deformed nugget -- how freaky! But wait, it's almost the size of two nuggets, so It's like I got 11 instead of 10! This must be a sign of good things to come...

Thank you for rewarding this loyal Nuggnut, McD's. You just made my day!

Starting anew? week 1 & 2...

I was recently convinced to participate in a 52-week self-portrait project for Flickr. My cousin, Maitai113, is doing a daily 365-day project but I didn't want to get overly-ambitious just yet. So for now, I'll be posting one photo a week to my 52 weeks/2009 set. The rules are simple: the photo has to be taken by me, and some part of me (however small) must be in the photo. I decided that in conjunction with this project on Flickr, I'll also be blogging the photos here. That way, I'll have some sort of visual and written documentation of my year, and it will at least guarantee a blog post a week! Everyone wins!

For starters I'll post the first two weeks in this post and go from there... Enjoy, all, and Happy New Year! So far, '09 is looking pretty good and I couldn't be more excited about what's ahead.

week 1: 1/1 - Happy New Year!
This is my first selection, taken just seconds after midnight on January 1, 2009. You can see my hand in the left-hand corner of the photo, holding a glass of champagne to toast the new year.



week 2: 1/10 - ski weekend in Seven Springs
This is a shot of me and my sister, Auddie, on the ski lift at Seven Springs. About 20+ of us (family & friends) took over the mountain and spent a nice weekend there.



Stay tuned! We still have 50 weeks to go!

My Top Songs of '08

10. He Doesn't Know Why - Fleet Foxes

9. Sarah - Ray Lamontagne

8. No One Does It Like You - Department of Eagles

7. I Stand Corrected - Vampire Weekend

6. Lost Coastlines - Okkervil River

5. Head Rolls Off - Frightened Rabbit

4. Flume - Bon Iver

3. Furr - Blitzen Trapper

2. Too Too Too Fast - Ra Ra Riot

1. Family Tree - TV on the Radio

My Top Albums of '08

Call this the blog that won't quit. Just when you think I've said my last piece, I keep coming back for more! Only about five posts ago I was writing about the music of 2006, and here we are fast approaching 2009.

Not too much has changed between now and then, but I like to think that my musical tastes have broadened and I'm continually discovering and enjoying new genres and styles all the time (Thanks to eMusic and other unnamed influences with good taste).

As for my current musical fixation... well, it's no longer The Shins' album from last year. Let's just say for the past couple months I've been rotating a lot from 2008 to prepare for this post. As always, there is plenty that I missed or albums I didn't have enough time to enjoy, so rather than a "Best" list, I prefer to consider this a "Favorites."

So without further delay, I present my top albums of 2008. A list of my top 10 songs is forthcoming...

10. Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
(4AD)


For full disclosure, I'd never heard Grizzly Bear prior to this, so I came in with fresh ears to this particular spin-off/side project. The first time I heard this album, I thought, "This is weird." When I say that it doesn't exactly mean I thought it was weird, but rather... let me explain. It's music that, in contrast to, say, Vampire Weekend, if I blasted on my iPod while in the car with my brother or sister, they'd say, "This is weird," rather than saying, "Hmm what's this? I like it!" (I'm not mocking my siblings -- this just happens to me more than you can imagine.) So I guess what I am saying is, this is not immediately accessible nor particularly "catchy." That said, I kept listening. I couldn't stop listening to "No One Does It Like You" in particular. And I really got into this "psych-pop" (is that what they call it?), in all of its fuzzy, lo-fi glory.

9. Blitzen Trapper - Furr
(Sub Pop)


I heard this album in bits and pieces before it was officially released. Based on the sampling of mp3s I had, I was convinced I would love the rest. While that was eventually true, I didn't love this album immediately. It seemed a little all over the place - funky disco songs like "Saturday Nite" sandwiched between other Dylan-esque acoustic numbers didn't quite work for me. But then that's why I started to like it. I never knew what to expect, and each time it would surprise me. Listening to this album is like a roller coaster ride, but the energy never stops and every song is solid. As a side note, I'd buy the whole thing again just for "Furr."

8. Okkervil River - The Stand Ins
(Jagjaguwar)


After this album was released, all the critics jumped on it and adored it, but for some reason I didn't listen to it until way, way after it had come out. And I liked it. I wasn't like "OMG this is the best thing I've ever heard," but I did enjoy it. I'm starting to think of Okkervil River as a simply reliable band. When "Lost Coastlines" starts up with the delayed bass line, and Jonathan Meiburg, with his haunting tenor voice exchanges vocals with Will Sheff, I can't help but tap my feet.

7. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
(Sony)


To me, this album has one of the best Track 1-5 lineups of any listed here. Big bass beats, some synths, hand-clapping, and dramatic multiple-vocalist choruses make for a bunch of really epic and anthemic tunes. I find it to be great walking music. When I leave my house and start down the sidewalk with this on the iPod, it really gets me going, inspires me, and makes me feel like I'm setting out to change the world (even if I'm not - but at 7 am, everyone needs a pick-me-up).


6. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
(XL)


What more is there to say about this album. It's not the best, but it may have been the most enjoyable. I never got fully on board with the Vampire Weekend hype, but listening to this album on any given Friday afternoon definitely got me excited for the weekend. It's the ultimate windows-down, catchy, sing-along summer album, written by a bunch of Ivy League 20-something prepsters. I'll take it.

5. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
(Sub Pop)

Fleet Foxes deserve praise for having the best vocal harmonies of any album on this list. I saw these guys live and the vocals were impeccable, harmonies spot-on. The folksy album makes you feel like taking a hike, or enjoying the great outdoors. Tunes featuring reverb and rollicking guitars and piano are sandwiched between slower acoustic ballads with booming, echoey vocals. An all-around solid effort.

4. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
(Jagjaguwar)


Bon Iver's album was one of those with a backstory; in short, Justin Vernon moved into a cabin in the woods for a few months and walked out with this masterpiece debut. With a story like that, you'd expect music that was isolating and lonely, but most importantly, moving. It's haunting, chill-inducing, folk-rock aided by Vernon's falsetto, steel-string guitars, horns, and dramatic crescendos throughout. Perfect for these cold winter nights!

3. TV on the Radio - Dear Science
(Interscope)


This blurb comes from someone who was never a TVOTR fan prior to this record. I'd heard a couple tracks, but never really gotten into them. Then came this release. Unlike some albums that take time to digest, this one hit me immediately and was the only thing playing on my iPod for a week straight. The music is layered with buzzy guitars and vocals upon vocals, the production is crisp and clean (just how I like it), and the songs are to me, a cohesive collection. They belong together and I love them.

2. Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
(Fat Cat)


I downloaded this after browsing eMusic, and truth be told, I didn't love it right away. But I got into a couple tracks here and there, and slowly, it grew on me. And then I saw them live at the Backstage of the Black Cat in June, and that changed everything. The small room was filled to capacity, and I was close enough to the stage to see every drop of sweat pouring off the lead singer's face. They claimed it was the best/biggest crowd they'd ever played to, and their enthusiasm was reflected in every song. It was a high-energy, inspired performance that completely sold the band and the album to me.

1. Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line
(Barsuk)


Sure, this album got props as a good full-length debut, but my guess is that it didn't top many other year-end lists. I struggled with picking my #1 - swapping in other critical darlings and not able to commit to this one, but in the end, it was really no decision at all. This was the album that, from top to bottom, simply pleased me every time I listened. I first heard "Ghost Under Rocks" as part of a mix CD (yes! those still exist), and it had everything I loved in a song. It was, at once, dark and slightly depressing (credit to the cello), but also poppy and upbeat. And from the first time I heard "Too Too Too Fast" -- where did those synths come from!! -- I was hooked. Great melodies paired with wonderful string arrangements make for an easily-accessible and catchy album. And at the end of the day, that's what gets me going.

Say it ain't so...

Don't get too excited about a blog revival just yet. I was just feeling inspired and even a bit nostalgic during a brief moment this afternoon after re-reading some old '05 posts.

So here I am. After a year and two months of nothing, I return with a farewell post for Huan & Molly, who have one more night as official DC residents before packing up and moving onto greener pastures (Charlottesville, my favorite little town in the country).

For them, the memories from 1441 Rhode Island Avenue are plentiful. From mere strangers who met at the building meet and greet, to newlyweds sharing a condo, and of course the welcoming of their annoying downstairs neighbor who arrived in September '07 and never left them alone (that's me!), it's been nothing but a memorable time.

As I sit in their apartment, which I am soon to inherit, it feels a little bit like the last episode of Friends. Count on me to compare my life to a pop culture television moment.

DC will miss you, Huan & Marge, but we wish you the best in C'ville and we'll be certain to visit often. Just remember you'll always have a spot on the pull-out couch in Apartment 810 ;)

Thanks for everything!

Oops, I did it again.

Yup, it's been forever... sorry about that.

In case anyone is still checking in here, I just found a link to a great article and wanted to share it. If anything can bring me back to the blog, it's a chance to discuss and promote my beloved alma mater.

Read on. Wahoowa!

Weekend of Surprises!

On Saturday, I attended back-to-back surprise party events for some people very near and dear to me.

First up was a surprise baby shower for the one-and-only Kelly McMahon, which was an great reunion of most of the people I was closest to in college, all under one roof for the first time in a long time. See party photos here. Note: Macaroni & Cheese baby food is not as appetizing as it should be. Stick to the Mango.

Saturday night was a surprise dinner party event in honor of my parents and some close family friends to celebrate both couples' 30th anniversary. I had the tough role of stalling my parents while we waited for the rest of the party to show up and sneak to the private room, while trying to make up excuses/create a diversion when we had a couple near-spoiler moments! Luckily, all went well and it was a wonderful night of celebration highlighted by great wine and great company. Party photos here.

In the end, both events were big successes and a good time was had by all.

Finally, today we celebrated my grandma's birthday with a lovely family brunch at home. Happy Birthday, Ba! One weekend and so much to celebrate! I think it's time for a diet.

Vegas, Baby!

What I learned during my first trip to Las Vegas:

- There is an inverse relationship between my enjoyment of gambling and my luck/skill at actually winning. Translation: I loved it but I sucked.

- I don't like being boo'ed at the craps table after I roll a 7. It's pretty demoralizing.

- The Nevada Gaming Commission takes itself rather seriously (for good reason, I suppose). Oh, and FYI: you can't be barefoot in a casino. House rules!

- Though a map will make it appear like the Bellagio is merely a couple blocks away from Treasure Island, it may very well take you an hour to walk there. However, in clear and sunny weather, I could sit in front of that fountain all day long and be happy. See my first Vimeo clip here.

- Vegas is decidedly like Disneyland for adults.

- A visit to the Hoover Dam will result in no less than a thousand "dam" jokes. And they're all hilarious. No matter what.

- Taking the red-eye flight home and going to work on Monday was not as cool as I thought it would be.

- What happens in Vegas doesn't necessarily stay in Vegas. Especially when there are fotos involved! (Enjoy!)

To conclude, I'd like to say congratulations to my friends Drew and Mary Quinn and wish them the best for a happy future together!

Listen Immediately: Amy Winehouse

I should have known that Amy Winehouse was worth listening to when I received two enthusiastic recommendations for her on the same day, then walked by a storefront emblazoned with posters of her on one of the few remaining record stores by my office.

My first thought was, a new female artist who is mainstream enough that she's being promoted front and center at a Kemp Mill Music while also being recommended to me by a couple serious indie music fans?

But as soon as I popped in her CD and heard the first track, I understood. This girl can sing, and not only does she sound well experienced beyond her 23 years, but she also sounds like she's living in the wrong decade. Her new album, Back to Black, is a soulful, jazzy, R&B masterpiece combining the old sounds reminiscent of Billie Holiday with the contemporary sound of someone like Lauryn Hill.

Winehouse, a native of England, has passion and attitude, and it comes through from the first note of her album. It's a bold feat to kick off an album singing, "They tried to make me go to rehab/I said no, no, no" as a defiant response to her previous management company's demands that she get help for her alcohol problems. Winehouse dropped them after that and released this record, which was the highest U.S. chart debut (#7) for any British female artist ever. She certainly proved that despite whatever personal issues she has to deal with, she has a firm grasp of her music career.

Visit MySpace for sample tracks. YouTube also has some excellent music videos. Like I said, listen immediately.

To Love Somebody

I came across a nice video during some musical websurfing today. Check out two of my favorite artists, Ray LaMontagne and Damien Rice, performing a duet of the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody" at a recent performance in France. Pretty sweet... Enjoy!

Music of 2006.

I'm long overdue on this post, but I figure it's better late than never. By now many of you music lovers have read countless Best of 2006 lists (Pitchfork, Harp, bloggers, etc.) so I'll spare you my own, especially since it's almost March now.

Rather than call this a true "Best of," or even my own personal Top 10, I'll just consider this post a wrap-up of the best of what I heard in 2006. The reason I say this is because I am well aware that for no good reason at all, there are many new releases that I failed to get my ears on or otherwise was not able to completely absorb (Ray LaMontagne, Damien Rice, and Lily Allen come immediately to mind). Actually, there are probably at least a dozen releases I am certain would qualify as fantastic music had I given myself the chance to hear all of it, and this is what is most frustrating to me.

On the other hand, I was able to hear many other wonderful things that I am happy to plug right now. In no particular order, here follows a quick list of my personal favorites that came out in 2006...

M. Ward :: Post-War



The man with the raspy old school radio-voice found a band to back him up on this album, and with rollicking guitars and some wonderful guest vocalists (Neko Case and My Morning Jacket's Jim James), the result is incredible and possibly my favorite M. Ward effort to date. He has a way of transporting the listener to a different time while keeping a fresh and current sound. Something about his music makes me feel nostalgic and thoughtful. On my first listen, the sense of familiarity and instant connection made me feel as if I'd heard the song years ago and the sound of Ward's voice was bringing me back to an old memory.

Band of Horses :: Everything All The Time



An amazing debut album from a new addition to the Sub Pop family. This one received tons of blogger press, but the hype was worth it in the end. They've got a kinda Shins-y sound with more reverb and big guitars.

The Decemberists :: The Crane Wife



The major label debut from one of my favorite bands was not a disappointment. Sure, it took me a few listens to get into it, and it's definitely not my favorite Decemberists album, but songs like "The Perfect Crime" are ridiculously addicting and I still heart Colin Meloy.

Cat Power :: The Greatest



This was one of the first new albums I heard in 2006, and I was hooked from the first note of the "The Greatest," which for me was hands-down one of the best songs of the year. After learning some background on Chan Marshall and the incredible journey she's been through -- and the state she was in while this album was being made -- I have an immense appreciation for her music and huge respect for her work.

Beirut :: Gulag Orkestar



Speaking of respect for musicians, Zach Condon is the man behind Beirut, and it's important to note that he's still a teenager (19) and he's set the bar high on his debut creation. He sounds like he's a musical veteran with the sounds and melodies he's created on this album, an indescribable blend of gypsy-folk, complete with accordians and horns and every instrument you can imagine except guitars. If you close your eyes you feel like you could be in a completely different time and place, maybe an intimate picnic somewhere in Eastern Europe.

Vetiver :: To Find Me Gone



When I first heard Vetiver's album, the lead vocals reminded me immediately of one of my favorite UK bands, Turin Brakes. This was another album I listened to based on blogger recommendations, and it was an instantly-catchy, no-nonsense folk/rock album with beautiful melodies.

Islands :: Return to the Sea



I played this for the first time with Auddie in the car, and her reaction was to say, "I feel like we're on a beach." Aside from the band name and album title, songs like "Jogging Gorgeous Summer" that feature Jamaican steel drums certainly invoke a beachy mood. It's rare that I'll blindly get an album based mostly on blogger hype, but after not hearing a single note until I first popped it into my CD player, I was pleasantly surprised with this album, which, I should note, is another debut effort (from former members of The Unicorns). It's poppy, fun, and immediately catchy.

Belle & Sebastian :: The Life Pursuit

I don't think I need to describe the B&S sound to anyone. I pretty much love everything they do, and this album was no exception. Sugary sweet as usual with uplifting melodies and bouncing beats, this is perfect summer driving music that is easily repeatable and instantly addicting.

The Tighten Up Report

Since I haven't been updating WOFTP (new acronym, I guess) as often as I'd like, I thought this would be a good chance to introduce you to a new blog to add to your weekly reads. The Tighten Up Report is the brainchild of my friends Becca and Pepper. It is a wonderfully clever blog forum in which witty and thoughtful persons record "the spectacular failure of individuals and institutions to function at acceptable levels." Please check it out at your leisure... start with the first post to familiarize yourself with the format, and look for continuous updates from a variety of contributors.

Happy Birthday Huan!/Nam Moi

Any year prior to this one, I'd probably get called out by my dear brother for lumping his birthday shoutout with a Happy New Year (Tet) post. However, this year is different. Huan, who has been known in the past to celebrate in style and shout birthday reminders and announcements from the rooftops, is, by his own admission, "over it." To me, that is a true sign of growth and it means he is well-deserving of a birthday blog post! After all, everyone knows I hate to pass up a chance to post fun childhood photos (this one is circa 1985):

Happy Birthday, big bro!

For Part II of this post, I'd like to wish everyone a happy new year. It's the year of the pig, which, as my wise grandfather told me, means everyone should eat well and sleep well. Sounds like a plan to me! Here's also wishing health and happiness to my fam and friends.

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

This post is dedicated to my wonderful parents who today celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. I couldn't be happier for them or more proud about this amazing milestone! Thirty years is a long time, but I'm sure for them it seems like only yesterday their lives together were beginning:

Congrats, Mom and Dad. I love you!

JT in the hizzle

I'm a little delayed on this post, but I knew I couldn't go any longer without writing about my experience at the Justin Timberlake concert last Friday at the Verizon Center.

I thought my teenybopper days were behind me, but when the opportunity arose to see my favorite original boybander-turned-legitimate-and-respected-artist/musician in his solo element, I couldn't pass up the chance. After all, FutureSex / LoveSounds is a pretty great album that's ok for even the hipsters to love.

After making our way to our seats and taking in a couple mediocre Pink songs, Steph and I decided it was time for a drink and a tour of the good ol' merch table. Ah, my favorite part of any concert. The only difference was that instead of looking at artsy t-shirts and posters from one of my random indie bands, we were presented with tour programs, key chains, shirts emblazoned with Justin's face, and my personal favorite, a pair of gym shorts with SexyBack written across the behind. Let's just say that after a few early evening cocktails at Fado, Steph could not resist the urge. I, however, kept my credit card in my wallet as I flashed back to 1999 and the Backstreet Boys Millennium Tour when I dropped $40 on an oversized t-shirt that ended up collecting dust on my shelf until I gave it away to some unsuspecting recipient.

Anyway, back to the show. By the time JT came on we were pumped. Despite the fact that he appeared only 3 inches tall from our vantage point, we screamed like little girls when he took the stage in his fancy suit and white sneaks. The stage setup in the middle of the arena was a little awkward -- there was no jumbotron and some of the screens occasionally blocked the view of JT -- but he did a pretty good job of making his way around to the different sides of the arena and playing to the crowd.

After a couple tunes, Justin does the "What up, Washington, DC!?!" speech to make the crowd feel special and explain how happy he is to be there. Then he launches into his responsible celebrity lecture about his visit to Walter Reed hospital and the troops, which would be fine for "Inside the Actor's Studio," but c'mon Justin, it's Friday night and we're trying to relax and be shallow and have a good time. Buzzzzzkill.

Oddly and without warning, less than hour into the show Justin disappears down the nifty circle-stage into the ground, presumably for a quick outfit change between songs...

Then clips of music videos project on the screen as a DJ (ok, pretty sure it was Timbaland) plays a mix of some crowd favorites -- Nelly Furtado, The Fray, someotherpopsongIdon'tknow, more Nelly Furtado -- and suddenly I feel like I'm watching a 99.5 commercial. Where did you go, Justin? Needless to say, my $7 lite beer buzz is donezo after this unexpected intermission that seemed to last forever.

As expected, Justin saved fan favorites "Cry Me A River" and "SexyBack" for the second half or the show, and he even got all profesh and sat behind a piano and strummed a guitar for a few tracks. Not bad, JT, not bad at all. But if I were him, I'd stick to the dancing, cause that's what he does best. I'm such a sucker for those choreographed moves, especially after getting sucked in to MTV's latest J.Lo-produced reality, "Dancelife."

While I regret not catching JT when he played the 9:30 Club (yup, you heard me) last summer, there's something special about paying an exorbitant amount for the big stadium show. There's just a certain camaraderie you can't help but feel when you're standing in that long bathroom line next to the girl with the homemade, shoddily puffy-painted "I Heart Justin" t-shirt. While you would probably never be friends with this person in real life, for that brief time you are under the same roof as Justin, you could be best friends. And that, my friends, is priceless.

Funny Faces Tracing Fun

So, a friend of mine showed me this sweet website the other day, which was featured on an M&M's commercial I haven't yet seen. If you are looking for a moment of distraction, please take a moment to visit the site, design your own M&M character, and do tons of other useless but entertaining things.

The M&M character creator immediately brought back memories of one of my favorite childhood activities -- the Funny Faces Tracing Fun book. Anyone out there remember? I either got this book from one of the many book fairs at school or ordered it from the Scholastic book order (Can we discuss how this was always the highlight of the month?? Damn, I miss elementary school!)

The good news is, a quick Google of the book turned up an Amazon link. The bad news is, the book -- which in 1987 retailed for $2.99 or so -- is now selling at $24.95. Seriously? And some of them are used copies? Does that mean they wouldn't even include the tracing paper? I'm a little upset by the profiteering going on here, as I would love to have a copy of this. I'm also hoping for the slim chance that I never threw this away and could possibly dig it up from an old storage box in my parents' basement... Either way, I made some pretty classic Funny Faces back in the day and I think everyone should have a chance to do the same.

Pepper and Amex

My good friend Pepper recently scored a sweet gig writing the background music for an Amex commercial airing locally in Aspen, Colorado. The commercial itself was shot and directed by Pepper's friend Henry. Clearly, both are a couple of talented gents!

Anyway, this news is noteworthy for at least two reasons:

1. I love the My Life. My Card. campaign (which you may have gathered from a previous post);

and

2. Pepper is an awesome musician and I'm very happy and excited for him. In fact, to find out more about what he does and to hear more of his originals, hop on over to his website. Huge props, Pep!

Ticketbastard

Since I've been on a concert hiatus for quite some time now, it had been a while since I had to use the dreadful Ticketmaster to make a purchase.

Today, however, in my quest to snag some tickets for the upcoming Decemberists show at the Strathmore, I was reminded of all the reasons why I can't stand it.

Let's first discuss the "word verification" page. This is the section you must pass through to basically prove that you're a human being and not using an automated program to buy tickets. All you have to do is prove that you can read and type crooked letters through a dirty window being blocked by a chain-link fence. Easy enough, right? On more than one occasion today, I needed repeated attempts to successfully pass through, during which time I'm sure the coveted tickets I was after were being given to someone else!

Once you pass the cryptic eye exam and are able to find tickets you actually want to keep, you are presented with the frightening time limits of Ticketmaster. First, you have 2 minutes to decide whether you want them. As I was consulting with someone as I was purchasing tickets, I definitely let a good set of tickets slip through the cracks as I was too slow to commit. Finally, once I managed to find another good set and got to the order page, I faced the daunting task of submitting all of my sensitive information in 3 minutes, tops. Okay, I understand it's perfectly reasonable for any competent person to do this, but when you don't have a stopwatch handy and you're double checking your credit card information and billing address (for fear of being rejected again if for any reason it's incorrect), it's a little nerve-wracking!

Lastly, and this is truly where the 'bastard' in Ticketmaster comes from, we all know about the horrendous surcharges Ticketmaster slaps on you on top of already rising base prices. In today's case, Decemberists tickets base price = $39.50 each. Convenience charge = $8.85. Processing Charge for total order = $4.00. Somehow I don't know what conveniences are being offered to me that could possibly be worth $8.85, unless someone is bringing me a pizza while I'm sitting here on my computer.

Anyway, enough complaining. I got myself some great tickets and I'm excited about seeing The Decemberists at a venue that is unlike the 9:30 club or any other typical bar/club spot for indie bands. Though admittedly, now that The Decemberists are major-label and selling their CDs in Starbucks, I shouldn't be too surprised that they're checking out such a sophisticated venue like the Strathmore.

On the other hand, I still long for the concert days when I could see my favorite little bands for the price of an average lunch. I still have fond memories of an Interpol show I went to in Richmond over 5 years ago. I strolled down some quiet alley, pulled out $7 in cash and walked right in. Oh, how I miss the good ol' days.

Smithsonian Exhibit Opening

This is just a quick post to let you all know that as of Friday, the Smithsonian's new Vietnamese American exhibit, "Exit Saigon, Enter Little Saigon," is now officially open for public viewing at the Ripley Center. Since I spent one of my recent summers interning for the Smithsonian and helping out with the origins of this project, I'm really happy and proud to see it finally come to fruition. On Thursday night I attended the "exclusive" reception to officially unveil the exhibit, and in addition to finally being able to see the final project -- an idea that first came to be over two years ago -- I was able to enjoy the company of CNN's Betty Nguyen who emceed the event, as well as recently-elected Senator Jim Webb of Virginia (his wife is a Vietnamese American), among many other family, friends, and local Vietnamese Americans.

But by far my favorite run-in was with none other than Project Runway winner Chloe Dao, who was just as cute and friendly as I imagined her to be. It was truly my reality-TV dream come true (yes I know I'm a huge dork for saying that).

The exhibit will be on display until March 31, at which point it will travel to different parts of the country. I encourage all of you in the area to check it out if you get a chance -- the Ripley Center is the small copper-domed building just to the right of the Castle building. For some background or additional info, check out the website.

Fun photos from the evening are to come. Check my Flickr for an update soon.

Sesame Street Videos

I was out to dinner with Becca and Pepper last night, and after a couple glasses of wine we ended up on the topic of childhood television, which naturally led to a discussion of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, 3-2-1 Contact, and of course Sesame Street.

The rest of the night included lots of reminiscing over our favorite live Sesame Street film reels that showed us the wonder of how things were made.

If any of you watched Sesame Street in the late '70s through the mid '80s, you're sure to remember some of these. It's amazing how vivid all of these were in my mind. Watching them again today made me feel like it was only yesterday I saw them for the first time.

1) How Crayons are Made:

How delicious does the liquid orange color look? I want to make some fresh mac & cheese with it!


2) Saxophones!

The best part is the honking and squeaking saxophone background sound effects.

3) "3-2-1 Contact!" theme song!

Pepper and I seemed to be the only ones to really remember this theme song well, which led me to believe that 3-2-1 Contact may have been a bit more underground and on the fringe than its counterparts back in the day. Or maybe it was only intended for the geeks who liked science and such. Either way, it was a great theme song and a fantastic show.

There are tons of other great Sesame Street clips to enjoy and find on YouTube. Let's just say I've already spent at least an hour this afternoon watching them... Yet another reason why I worship the Internet. Enjoy!

Flippin' Amazing

Steve Jobs' unveiling of the iPhone this week at the Macworld conference in San Francisco probably did not come as a big surprise to a lot of people.

Most of us knew Apple's next big thing was likely going to be a mobile phone device combined with iPod technology, but I don't think any of us could have imagined what the iPhone actually is -- an easy-to-use, intuitive, and attractive megadevice (mobile phone + iPod + handheld computer) with a revolutionary multi-touch interface that runs Mac OSX. Seriously? Yes.

I've been patiently waiting for my 3rd generation iPod to kick the bucket so I can justify a a new toy, and while a memory upgrade has always been a priority for me (20 gigs is not enough!), after watching the demonstration at Macworld, I want an iPhone immediately. It also helps that my current cell phone is on its last legs, so I can justify that upgrade, too! Unfortunately, eager consumers like me will have to wait a while, as the iPhone will not begin shipping until June of this year. It will be priced at $499 for the 4 gig model and $599 for the 8 gig, which sounds like a lot but is actually bang for your buck if you consider the combination of products. My guess is that Apple's exclusive partner, Cingular, will see a surge in subscribers, and the iPhone may even persuade me to make the switch from trusty Verizon.

I don't think I've ever seen a gadget that I find so appealing and just downright badass. The "cover flow" feature is particularly amazing, as it basically allows users to browse their iPod library by album art, essentially turning it into a pocket jukebox. The phone itself boasts visual voicemail and easy conference calling. And as an 'Internet communications device,' iPhone introduces rich-text HTML e-mail, the first HTML browser (Safari) on a mobile phone, Google maps, and automatic WiFi detection.

The iPhone is a sleek 1.6 millimeters thin with a gorgeous 3.5" display, and I could babble on about the rest of its incredible features, but I'll spare you any more of my cultish Apple worship. I challenge everyone with an interest to watch Steve Jobs' iPhone introduction during the keynote address and tell me you're not sold. Even haters have to be impressed with this.

Happy New Year!

Well, I'm back in the good ol' US of A after our exciting two-week vacation to Thailand and Cambodia. We arrived yesterday morning and so far I've been fighting the jet lag pretty well (I say this as my eyelids begin to get heavy before 8 pm). I even managed to go back to work today, which was slightly depressing but inevitable, I suppose.

From a tourist standpoint, the end of our trip was less eventful than our previous stop in Cambodia. Since this was not our first trip to Bangkok, we pretty much skipped over all the tourist sightseeing stops and spent most of our time shopping and eating. Bangkok and its enormous malls and department stores really do boast some of the best food courts I've ever eaten in, with choices of any kind of Asian food you could imagine, as well as other ethnic cuisines, Western options and tons of delicious desserts, too. My only regret is that I would have liked to try out the McRice burger at the Thai McDonald's but I never got around to it!

For the first time ever, I not only rang in the new year on an airplane, but I also got to celebrate twice -- once in local time as we boarded our first flight leaving Bangkok, and again in DC time as we were airborne from Tokyo to home. Auddie and I were slightly disappointed about the lack of enthusiasm (or even acknowledgment) from our fellow passengers, and I personally would have enjoyed a free champagne toast, but I guess our personal family countdown had to do. On the other hand, after finally arriving home and learning about the Bangkok bombings that had happened just around midnight at the Central World Plaza -- an area where we'd been just hours earlier -- I was slightly jarred, sad for those who were killed and injured on what should have been an evening of fun and celebration, but also relieved and happy that we left when we did.

The Bangkok photos are up and the whole vacation set is ready for complete viewing. Here's to what should be an eventful and exciting 2007! Cheers to all.

Cambodia Wrap-Up

We’ve been in Bangkok for the past couple days, but after Tuesday’s earthquake in Taiwan disrupted all sorts of Internet/phone service throughout Asia and beyond, getting an update up has been delayed with the spotty and slow connection.

But I definitely wanted to write a post about my brief yet extremely fulfilling first experience in Cambodia. This post may go along well with my Flickr sets of Angkor and Phnom Penh which I just loaded, complete with captions and even helpful descriptions for some of the photos!

Despite the throngs of tourists and the fact that I woke up on Christmas morning feeling green with a stomach bug, the visit to Angkor and all the ancient temples lived up to all the hype and expectations I had.

No matter how many temples I saw, I never ceased to be amazed by the immense detail and craftsmanship that went into each of the structures. The breathtaking beauty of the place is only enhanced when you realize that all of the construction and design was done as early as the 9th century, using elephants to haul in each and every brick from a nearby quarry, a process that – in the case of the famous Angkor Wat – could take up to 30 years.

On Day 1 we ventured out to Angkor Thom, at the center of which rests the Bayon temple, which was definitely one of my favorite spots. Fifty-four towers, now representative of the 54 provinces of Cambodia, are each adorned with four faces of Buddha (or possibly the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara -- historians are still not in agreement). One could spend hours walking around in awe of the carvings that cover nearly every inch of stone. Each brick was placed with no aid of concrete or other modern construction tools, so you can see clearly the divisions of the brick and how it is so susceptible to crumble and ruin now.

From Bayon we visited Baphoun and a few of the other more isolated temples in the area, before finally making our way to the centerpiece of the Cambodian tourist experience, Angkor Wat. After passing through the huge entrance gate with its three towers— one for entrance by the King, the other two for his officers – we made our way down the long main terrace and approached what can only be described as a breathtaking view of what is the largest religious structure in the world.

Trying to walk through and observe everything is nearly impossible, and it's easy to get overwhelmed by the hallways of bas-relief which tell ancient Buddhist stories. It is for this reason that I enjoyed Bayon more -- for its intimacy and the ability to truly be close to the temple without feeling intimidated by its size.

At the end of Day 1 we climbed to the top of Phnom Bakheng for a distant view over Angkor Wat and a great seat for the beautiful the sunset over the countryside.

Day 2 started early, as we rose shortly before 5 am to make our way back out to Angkor Wat to watch the sun rise behind it. It's obvious that at morning, noon, or night, the temple is completely picturesque.

Next we headed out to Ta Prohm, another one of my favorite spots. This site, where Angelina Jolie's "Tomb Raider" was filmed, is one of the temples that was chosen to be left in its natural state, so it's a great example of how many of the Angkor sites looked upon discovery in the 19th century. Much of this site was in complete and utter ruin with mountains of untouched collapsed brick. Ta Prohm is known for its massive trees that have overgrown many of the temple's structures and whose roots weave their way through and around the brick foundation. Walking around I actually felt a bit like it was a movie set because everything was out of a fantasy story, from the moss-covered bricks crumbled perfectly on top of one another, to the animal-like tree roots that have come to life and taken over the man-made structure.

For our next stop, we decided to take a break from the temples and head out to the Angkor Silk Farm to learn about how silk fabric is made. The process was so fascinating to learn about. It begins with silkworms whose cocoons, when boiled, create the raw silk that is spun onto rolls and eventually dyed, then weaved into fabric using these complex machines controlled by skilled workers. I'm still in awe of all the work that goes into making a single silk scarf and have newfound appreciation for the delicate and beautiful fabric.

Our last destination in Siem Reap was a boat ride on the Tonle Sap river, which is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. It connects Siem Reap to Phnom Penh in the south, and eventually flows into the Mekong River. Around the lake, we saw huge families crammed into tiny straw huts, and young children -- babies, even -- running through the unpaved streets seemingly without a care in the world. We were even able to talk with a couple Vietnamese families on small and rickety fish boats who were part of the growing Vietnamese fishing population in the area. It was an eye-opening experience, which on one hand illustrated the poverty so apparent in these tiny villages in extremely remote places, but which also showed the positive attitude of these communities and families living and working closely together.

After a jam-packed Siem Reap visit, we flew to the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, to spend Christmas and take in a little more history.

Our visit to "The Killing Fields" (Choeung Ek Genocidal Center), the name given to the largest site of the genocide conducted by the Khmer Rouge/Pol Pot regime from 1975-1979, was decidedly the most important and moving experience of the Cambodia trip. Situated just outside Phnom Penh, the area is now a huge grassy field with evidence of mass graves, with a huge memorial stupa in the center. Upon entering the memorial, one immediately sees thousands of human skull remains of the Cambodian victims. It was a dark, emotional and chilling experience, one that cannot be described sufficiently in words.

We also visited S21 (Security Office 21), a high school in Phnom Penh that was converted into an interrogation/torture center. Here we saw the photos of the thousands of innocent Cambodians -- men and women, young and old -- who fell victims to the brutal regime.

It's truly a horror to think of what happened and to realize it was only in recent decades. Worse yet, due to the masquerade put on by the Khmer rulers, much of the world was unaware of the situation until it was too late. Perhaps the saddest fact is that the world is currently aware of similar tragedies happening in other places today and that despite whatever history lessons we ever claim to take away, peace never quite seems within reach.

Didn't mean to go Debbie Downer on you at the end of the post, but like I said, the Killing Fields visit was something that you just cannot forget.

Sorry for the lengthy post -- oh hell, no I'm not -- they're rare as it is, aren't they? Hope you enjoyed the travel briefing and the photos! See you in 2007...?

Sawadee Ka from Thailand

I begin this post as I sit in the waiting area at Bangkok Airport. Our flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia has been delayed one hour, but thanks to the wonders of technology that have served me so well on this trip thus far, I am using my time productively and getting a start on a traveling blog update!

We spent the last four days in Phuket at the Banyan Tree resort. It was nothing short of spectacular. The resort itself was beautiful, and we had a beautiful and secluded two-bedroom villa with its own private pool. The staff at the Banyan Tree was extremely professional and attentive, and we met some of the most genuinely nice people I have ever encountered. The hospitality in Thailand, and at this place in particular, is probably the best I’ve ever come across in all my travels. It doesn't hurt that everyone who greets you does so with a "wai" (the standard prayer-like gesture with the hands), a smile and of course "Sawadee Ka" ("Hello").

As we approach the two-year anniversary of the devastating Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004, I definitely found it strange and even a bit eerie to stand on the very beaches that gave way to such a huge and tragic disaster so recently. However, I must admit that aside from the occasional Tsunami warning signs or those that pointed the way toward safety, one would never have known that the beach and other areas that are now bustling with vendors and tourists were ever unrecognizable in a sea of debris. Even some of the locals we spoke with seemed unfazed by it all, remarking here and there about what was damaged and casually recalling the day, but not much else. Perhaps this was the appropriate response, though; after all, their lives, jobs, daily routines had to return to normal at some point, and I guess we had no way of knowing in a brief encounter how the events of that day truly changed their lives.

So I'm wrapping up this post after finally arriving at our hotel in Siem Reap. What should have been a quick half hour flight to a neighboring country ended up being an 8 hour airport/travel experience. Our flight here ended up being delayed almost 2 hours in the end on top of a confusing arrival and Visa process upon landing in Cambodia. I trust that the four of us would have been booted from the Amazing Race, had this been an elimination round. However, the good news is we're not on a reality TV show and we have a big day ahead of us. I'm totally ready for the "adventure" leg of our trip, which begins bright and early tomorrow with our tour of Angkor Wat.

In the meantime, photos from Phuket are already up on Flickr and ready for public viewing. Enjoy and stay tuned!

Off we go!

To the anonymous reader who commented on the last post: Sorry! I appreciate your support of the blog and I apologize for slacking. However, I'm not sure it'll get better from here. Tomorrow I'm off to Thailand and Cambodia for a two week vacation with the rents and Auddie. I'll have the Macbook with me so we'll see if I can manage a post or two, but I make no promises except that I'll have tons of pictures upon return.

In the meantime, Happy Holidays to all and cheers to what I already know will be a fantastic new year!

G'bye PC... Hello Mac!

Well folks, I'm excited to announce that at long last, after all my Apple posts and talk of joining the cult, as of today I am officially a member. My brand-spankin'-new Macbook arrived today and I am currently blogging to you direct from the crisp white keyboard of this glorious machine.

Ok, so it's not THAT glorious yet... Even though I've played on these before, everything is foreign, I feel clumsy and awkward trying to navigate around the desktop, the keyboard with its raised letters definitely takes some getting used to, and worst of all, I can't get my Gmail chat to connect and I am having network problems. Sigh... there's nothing like troubleshooting when you first get a new toy.

All the same, I'm excited that I have this new gadget to learn and master, no matter how long it takes me!

Happy early Christmas to me!

An important post

If there was ever a post I actually wanted you to read in full and actually act on, it's this one. As some of you may know, about eight months ago, my uncle, Hoan Nguyen, was imprisoned in Vietnam after being falsely accused of misappropriating money from the Hanoi International School, a school he helped open for the children of diplomats and corporate executives through a joint venture with U.S. shareholders as well as a Vietnam partner.

When the school started to finally turn a profit, Hoan was thrown into prison by the Vietnam government without being formally charged, without the ability to obtain a U.S. lawyer, and without any trial or evidence. Just recently, after communicating through the U.S. Embassy, my aunt, Yen, paid $85,000 in bail to the Vietnam government for Hoan's release. Instead of accepting the payment and releasing him, they extended his detention for an additional 4 months and are now making additional demands and accusations.

While my family had tried to keep this out of the public view as they tried to negotiate for Hoan's release, it is clear at this stage that we have no other choice. The Vietnam government will continue to detain Hoan while trying to extort money from his family and denying him his basic due process rights.

Congress is currently considering trade legislation (HR 5602) to normalize trade relations with Vietnam. Part of the pending bill states that "Vietnam...has undertaken extensive legal reform. These measures have dramatically improved Vietnam's business and investment climate."

Please contact your Congressmen and Senators regarding this very serious situation and urge them to reconsider the legislation in light of Hoan's situation, which clearly proves that Vietnam's business and investment climate is not as the bill states.

The recently-launched website, http://www.freehoannguyen.com/, contains additional background on the story and links to how you can help. Please note the site is still in the processing of being updated so new material will be added as it is deemed relevant.

Please take a minute to visit the site and do whatever you can, and forward this message or the website link to friends, colleagues, or anyone you think can help. The more public awareness we can raise concerning this, the better. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I appreciate your help. Thanks.

New Shins Preview

The Shins today announced that their forthcoming album, Wincing The Night Away, due for a January 2007 release, is now available for pre-sale through Sub Pop records. This is a huge deal, as we haven't had a studio release from these guys since 2003's Chutes Too Narrow.

Sub Pop has one of the new tracks, "Phantom Limb," available as its download of the week. Get on it! I streamed it once tonight and already have it stuck in my head. So far so good, Shinsies! Hope the rest is worth the long wait!

I'm a knitting beast.

I finally finished my second real knitting project over the long Thanksgiving weekend, and I have to say, I'm happy with the end result! My first scarf was not the greatest (I'm pretty sure it's sitting in a pile in the laundry room and has never been worn by Auddie, though I cannot blame her), but on this one I used a really lovely dark green yarn with oranges and blues weaved throughout, and I also decided to make a ribbed scarf, so I could practice both knitting and purling! The scarf turned out a little more skinny than I expected, but I think it looks okay since I made it longer and the yarn is quite thick. So yes, clearly I'm quite pleased with myself, but does this mean I'll move on to sweaters and socks like Kam? Probably not. Anyway -- here's a shot of Auddie modeling it (though I'm keeping this one for myself!! oops!). See another shot of the scarf and the rest of the weekend's photos on my Flickr.

Turkey Trotting

It's no secret that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and this year's festivities sure didn't disappoint! We started the day by rising a little after 6 AM to get ready for our new annual tradition -- the Turkey Trot 5K race in Centreville. This year was particularly fun because despite the miserable cold and misty rain, we had a big fam/friend group of over 10 of us come out to run.

The race itself was fine, and as always a good way to justify that extra piece of pie at the end of the night. Our thanksgiving feast, however, was the true high point of the day, with exciting new menu additions including Mom's cauliflower soup, Huan's succotash and Molly and my hot apple crisp! Everyone had a lovely contribution to make to the meal, which was just as good when I enjoyed it again this morning!

Anywho. Here's a shot of part of the running crew (all smiles at 7 AM!), one of the Turkey day feast, and lastly, a shot of me and Kyle just for good measure.

Bush rocks the ao dai!

In case any of you didn't get a chance to pick up today's paper, here's what you missed:

It's President Bush and his world leader pals all sporting ao dai to honor the tradition of wearing the APEC host country's attire! When I picked up my Post Express on my Metro ride this morning and saw a similar photo, I had to do a double take because this is just not something you see everyday! But seriously, this is quite amusing. The photo below, with Bush reluctantly raising his hand, is definitely one that could include some hilarious speech bubbles.

In other less important, but equally entertaining news, Oprah got totally dissed and left out of TomKat's wedding extravaganza this weekend. She tries to play it off and make excuses, but it's clear she got the big rejecto even after Tom got his footprints all over her leather couch. Here's a choice excerpt from her statement: "It's not that I'm not going... I was not one of the invitees." Um, Oprah honey, you know I love you but that makes no sense. No invitation = not going. But that's ok. Maybe TomKat will suffer by missing out on your next sweet action celebri-ful birthday party.

Couple musical things

This week TIME magazine posted their list of All-TIME 100 albums, assorted by decade. Check it out here, discover something new, or debate with your friends. Props to Radiohead and R.E.M. for earning two shoutouts each.

In other links to musical discovery, Ryan Adams has once again updated his web page, this time including expanding the Cardinals Radio section, and it essentially allows you to stream 8 "albums" of some pretty unedited tracks and lots of random material under various pseudonyms. If it wasn't clear before, it's safe to say that Ryan loves to record and doesn't care how good or bad it is. On the other hand, for those of you who haven't heard him yet, all his previously released material -- the good stuff -- is streaming too.

All eyes on VA

Yesterday's election turned out to be far more thrilling than I think most people imagined, not to mention the fact that the one race people were still talking about today was the Webb-Allen contest in my homestate of Virginia. Who knew all eyes would be on VA to decide the fate of the Senate? In any case, despite the fact that there may be a recount and there could be 2004-esque drama that drags out for a few weeks, coupled with the fact that George Allen has yet to officially concede, the Associated Press is reporting Webb as the winner of the race, and the Democrats in control of both houses of Congress (!).

Other noteworthy election-related tidbits include Rummy's resignation today, and the presumed appointment of Pelosi as Speaker of the House. Despite what anyone says about the next two years and what will be accomplished, yesterday's election clearly indicate that changes are in order, starting with the first woman Speaker who will be second in line to the Presidency (!). But as the NY Times Editorial puts it, more important than these personnel changes is how Bush and Rumsfeld's successor will rethink their foreign policy strategy while working with the new Congress. Should be interesting to watch.

Never one to let politics get in the way of pop culture, Brit Brit filed for divorce from K-Fed yesterday, in what is the least-surprising celebrity news of the year. Now they're fighting for the kids. Still sad, even though we knew it was coming.

Also, for those who missed Faith Hill's Zoolander moment at the CMA awards on Monday, check out the priceless clip here. I dunno folks, doesn't look to me like she was joking. Then again, who can blame her.. I'd be pissed if I lost to the American Idol, too. Didn't Gwen Stefani have a similarly disappointing (yet far more subtle) reaction when she lost the Grammy to Kelly Clarkson?

NYC Marathon (also, Lo is my hero)

This weekend I was up in the Big Apple for my second stint as an enthusiastic spectator of the New York City Marathon, this time cheering for my near and dear friend, Laura ("Lo"), who impressed and amazed us all with her excellent show of physical/emotional/human resolve. It was a great day for a race, clear and sunny conditions and an overall beautiful day in the City.

Not to take away from the incredible feat of running 26.2 miles, but being a spectator is not an easy task! Hopping the boroughs via the packed-like-sardines subway while trying to keep up with your runner (who, you must remind yourself, is running the entire time you're planning your viewing spots), is pretty stressful in itself. But in the end, it was a great adventure and we were able to catch Lo three times on the course before finally catching up with her at the finish, at which time she looked like she could have done it again (ok, maybe not, but she looked fantastic and her spirits were high!!) Here's a post-race snapshot of Lo and her cheering posse (that's right, those are custom-made shirts, don't be jealous) .

Lo, I couldn't be more proud of you for not only your strong finish (you beat Oprah!!), but for the determination and commitment you showed over the past several months. What can I say, I'm now inspired and am contemplating tackling a marathon of my own in the future! Ok, I don't want to get ahead of myself just yet. But I'm definitely in for the annual Turkey Trot tradition on Thanksgiving morning!

A special shoutout also goes to Alli, who basically decided the day of the race that she'd jump in with Lo and run for a "couple miles" and ended up doing an 8-mile stretch from mile 8 to 16! Major props.

See more weekend pics on my Flickr.