Thursday, May 15, 2008
I'm Right!
Congratulations to the 2 Davids, who've made it to the finals, woohoo!
I saw this coming some time back, but hey, you can never be sure with this show and its fickle-minded voters.
Really well-deserved, guys. Syesha put up a courageous fight, but lacked sufficient fan support to beat the competition.
The showdown is going to be a tough call. David Cook's talent is massive, but David Archuleta has tonnes of young female groupies behind him. Either way, I'd be happy no matter who wins. First time ever for me, haha. :)
Right then, time to start my shift...
Congratulations to the 2 Davids, who've made it to the finals, woohoo!
I saw this coming some time back, but hey, you can never be sure with this show and its fickle-minded voters.
Really well-deserved, guys. Syesha put up a courageous fight, but lacked sufficient fan support to beat the competition.
The showdown is going to be a tough call. David Cook's talent is massive, but David Archuleta has tonnes of young female groupies behind him. Either way, I'd be happy no matter who wins. First time ever for me, haha. :)
Right then, time to start my shift...
Saturday, May 10, 2008
A Quick Update
It's been almost a month since my last entry, and I can't believe how crazy the past few weeks have been. Never mind the crazy shifts - I didn't have time to blog even when I took 4 days of leave! Just seems every moment of my life is spent running around. Either that, or I'm sitting / lying down somewhere, exhausted.
Anyhow, let's get started. I've got about 30 minutes before I need to get up and leave again.
Bravo, David Archuleta!
He gave such a spectacular performance this week, covering Ben E. King's Stand By Me and Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender. He took a big risk but won rave reviews from the judges, and is now in the Big Top 3, woohoo!
Jason Castro crumbled under the pressure, though I still feel he could've done better if he'd only put his heart and soul into it. He started out well initially ( remember his terrific earlier performances? ), but appeared to lose steam along the way, which began to annoy me after a while, since everyone else was fighting tooth and nail to stay in the competition and he just got by with his goofy smile and mediocre vocals.
I've developed a soft spot for Syesha, the lone female survivor within the boys' club. She's come a long way from being in the bottom 3 every single week. I know she probably won't win, but she's earned my respect for hanging on as long as she did ( like Elliot Yamin did 2 seasons ago during Elvis Presley week - you bet I still remember that! :)).
David Cook wasn't too bad, but he was obviously distracted, though he didn't say why exactly.
Here's a nice photo of David A during Love Me Tender, a rendition so beautiful it took my mom's breath away ( and I quote: "OMG, look at his EYES!" ).
Tom Cruise's Unauthorized Biography - completed
I'd write more about this if I could ( maybe next time ), but in a nutshell, I'm genuinely creeped out by what I read, and have decided not to watch any of Cruise's films in the cinema ever again. DVD rental - maybe. If it's on cable and free of charge - no problem. But I'm not going to fork out money or use my movie vouchers for the theatre.
If you're itching to know what the heck Andrew Morton wrote, get a friend to send you the book from the U.S.
Or you can wait another month for my next blog entry, haha.
Numb3rs
The Epps brothers are back! Season 4 just began 2 weeks ago, and now airs every Thursday at 10pm on AXN Channel 19.
Plotlines are getting a bit sloppy, and the witty rapport between the main characters is rather lacking. Reviews in the U.S. complained that the show now opts for flashy action instead of substance, and I certainly agree.
Still, I love David Krumholtz - sporting longer hair and some stubble this time round, but still spewing mathematical jargon and making it sound sexy - so I'm hooked. Someone please get rid of Amita, who serves no purpose as his hapless girlfriend.
The New Batch
A fresh group of MOs has just joined us, resulting in the usual mayhem. Whose great idea was it to have the MOPEX changeover on a bloody Monday?! It's bad enough having to contend with the crowds, but the situation becomes intolerable when you add blur MOs, a horrible lodger problem AND endless ambulance diversions from you-know-where to the mix.
For instance, on 5th May, there were 35 patients in the consultation area, and around 10-12 in Critical Care, AT 12 MIDNIGHT. I did the afternoon shift, and voluntarily stayed back till almost 2am to help clear the crowd. By Tuesday morning, there were almost 50 lodgers stuck in the A&E.
Most of us have developed a knack for sizing up new MOs quite quickly, and we've already flagged out a few, which is no fun.
For example, one of them actually expects all blood samples to be drawn by the A&E nurses. So she prints the blood forms, sticks them in the folders, then dumps them in the trays on the counter. Haven't had a chance to ask where she did her housemanship yet, but will hunt her down soon enough.
Another has been highlighted as pretty hopeless. Remember a certain MO I grouched about last posting ( for which I got whacked left, right, centre by various readers )? THAT MO has been flung to -- the irony of it all -- a medical ward ( his 5th choice, having requested medical admin as #1, which of course wasn't granted ), so here we have his replacement. I'm not the one issuing the label this time -- my frustrated registrar brought it up after vetting a few of his cases. Email address indicates an education overseas. Sigh...
3 days into the changeover, I had to send out a naggy email to the MOs, talking about nitty-gritty things like remembering to review xrays / blood results, update relatives, hand over all their cases ( including pesky lodgers who have a habit of dying on us ), clearing sharps, etc.
I didn't have to do this before. Aren't our younger counterparts supposed to be better than their predecessors? Why do I see a consistent decline in the quality of our juniors? Hello, NUS YLLSOM, can you answer my question please?
Right then, time to log off and do more work. More another day.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Random Musings
John Lloyd Young's Blog
Read the early archived posts today, which were quite fascinating. JLY started blogging about 15 months before Jersey Boys premiered on Broadway, and it's interesting to see the contrast between his pre- and post-JB lives.
However, certain things have remained the same: his unwavering love for all things Broadway ( be it musical theatre or plays ), a wide ( and ever-expanding ) circle of friends, a passion for performing, and an unlimited appreciation for his fans.
There's a nice entry from January 3rd 2005, about the passing of Law & Order veteran Jerry Orbach ( better known to the younger generation as the talking candelabra Lumiere from Beauty And The Beast ). JLY's recounting of Orbach's grace and kindness is most inspiring.
Also, a funny post from November 20th 2004, about "survival jobs" like ushering and typing. The struggles of a young actor in the cut-throat American entertainment industry is familiar to many, but I find it quite surreal since I've seen JLY in person, and can't imagine how such amazing talent could've been missed for so many years.
Tom Cruise: Legend or Liar?
Am currently glued to Andrew Morton's unauthorized biography of the star, which is keeping me up at night... when I should be sleeping (!).
But what can you expect when the subject matter is super-juicy, the research impeccable, and the writing excellent?
I've never read any of Morton's previous work ( though my mom has good things to say about his Princess Diana exposé ), but have become quite a fan despite finishing only 2 chapters so far.
I've only covered his childhood and teenage years, but you can already see a pattern emerging -- that of a cocky little boy pampered by his mother and 3 sisters yet ill-treated by his father, who later developed an aggressive streak at school, and shamelessly fooled around with countless girls.
However, Morton highlights certain negative traits even at this early stage, i.e. an almost pathological affinity for lying. Quotes from interviews are debunked repeatedly by school acquaintances, friends and even relatives, with one ex-girlfriend pointedly remarking, "Don't let that smile and those teeth fool you. He can have a really nasty streak."
I have no idea why the book isn't on sale here, or why Amazon doesn't ship to Singapore ( assuming previous reports remain unchanged ). Again, my sincere thanks to L, who gamely carried the heavy tome back for me in her luggage. :)
More updates next time.
John Lloyd Young's Blog
Read the early archived posts today, which were quite fascinating. JLY started blogging about 15 months before Jersey Boys premiered on Broadway, and it's interesting to see the contrast between his pre- and post-JB lives.
However, certain things have remained the same: his unwavering love for all things Broadway ( be it musical theatre or plays ), a wide ( and ever-expanding ) circle of friends, a passion for performing, and an unlimited appreciation for his fans.
There's a nice entry from January 3rd 2005, about the passing of Law & Order veteran Jerry Orbach ( better known to the younger generation as the talking candelabra Lumiere from Beauty And The Beast ). JLY's recounting of Orbach's grace and kindness is most inspiring.
Also, a funny post from November 20th 2004, about "survival jobs" like ushering and typing. The struggles of a young actor in the cut-throat American entertainment industry is familiar to many, but I find it quite surreal since I've seen JLY in person, and can't imagine how such amazing talent could've been missed for so many years.
Tom Cruise: Legend or Liar?
Am currently glued to Andrew Morton's unauthorized biography of the star, which is keeping me up at night... when I should be sleeping (!).
But what can you expect when the subject matter is super-juicy, the research impeccable, and the writing excellent?
I've never read any of Morton's previous work ( though my mom has good things to say about his Princess Diana exposé ), but have become quite a fan despite finishing only 2 chapters so far.
I've only covered his childhood and teenage years, but you can already see a pattern emerging -- that of a cocky little boy pampered by his mother and 3 sisters yet ill-treated by his father, who later developed an aggressive streak at school, and shamelessly fooled around with countless girls.
However, Morton highlights certain negative traits even at this early stage, i.e. an almost pathological affinity for lying. Quotes from interviews are debunked repeatedly by school acquaintances, friends and even relatives, with one ex-girlfriend pointedly remarking, "Don't let that smile and those teeth fool you. He can have a really nasty streak."
I have no idea why the book isn't on sale here, or why Amazon doesn't ship to Singapore ( assuming previous reports remain unchanged ). Again, my sincere thanks to L, who gamely carried the heavy tome back for me in her luggage. :)
More updates next time.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Broadway Junkie
That's what I've turned into, thanks to the musical recordings kindly purchased by L on my behalf, which I've been blasting non-stop everywhere I go these past couple of weeks.
Hairspray
Believe it or not, I watched the original film version eons ago as a child ( it didn't have any singing ) and found it hilarious. Funny how it's been successfully translated into a musical format on the stage and, more recently, on film yet again, featuring Hollywood stars John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Marsden, Queen Latifah and Zac Efron.
[ My long-haul flight from New York to Singapore flew by very quickly, thanks to repeat viewings of the movie on Krisworld. :) ]
You can check out the track listing here. This is the Broadway cast recording, not the one from the film ( the former is tonnes better ).
All I can say is, it's the perfect antidote for any bad day. Combining a high-spirited mix of '60s rock 'n roll / Motown / gospel genres, infectiously upbeat melodies, ingenious lyrics and fabulous vocals, the album came at a huge steal, thanks to the US$10 special offer at Times Square's Virgin Megastore. The sound quality is top-notch as well.
Standouts include Welcome To The 60's, Run And Tell That!, and of course the big finale You Can't Stop The Beat.
My personal favourites, however, are Without Love and I Know Where I've Been.
The former is a joyful proclamation of young ( i.e. idealistic ) love, beautifully written and sung by the leads. The lyrics deserve special mention. A sampling:
"Without love
Life is like the seasons with no summer
Without love
Life is rock 'n' roll without a drummer
Like a week that's only Mondays
Only ice-cream never sundaes
Like a circle with no center
Like a door marked "Do Not Enter!"
Darlin' I'll be yours forever 'cause I never wanna be
Without love"
The latter, on the other hand, is a poignant piece about racial discrimination.
"There's a dream in the future
There's a struggle we have yet to win
And there's pride in my heart
'Cause I know where I'm going
And I know where I've been
There's a road we must travel
There's a promise we must make
'Cause the riches will be plenty
Worth the risk and chances that we take
There's a dream in the future
There's a struggle we have yet to win
Use that pride in our hearts
To lift us up to tomorrow
'Cause just to sit still would be a sin"
REALLY REALLY EXCELLENT!
Spring Awakening
I passed the theatre for this show multiple times but didn't buy tickets. Now I'm regretting it, argh!
It won a fistful of Tony Awards, including Best Musical for 2007, and I can totally understand why.
But I must admit, I probably listened to the CD at least 5 times before I started to love it.
Track listing here.
I am not kidding when I say I ADORE this album. Never mind the depressing plot / subplots / lyrics. Again, it is a work of genius in every sense of the word.
In stark contrast to the deliriously happy Hairspray, Spring is angry, bitter, even occasionally vulgar.
But it's also so ^&*%$#@ good! :)
A potent melting pot of everything from rock to pop, from head-banging numbers to haunting love ballads -- it's currently taken up residence in my car stereo, with no plans to leave anytime soon, haha.
And every track is terrific. Every single one.
Personal faves? Of course I have a few. :)
Hard rocking ones: The B*tch of Living, Totally F*cked, Don't Do Sadness, And Then There Were None.
Slow ones: Touch Me ( the best! ), The Word Of Your Body ( gorgeous! ), Whispering, The Guilty Ones, Left Behind, and Those You've Known.
Pop pieces: The Mirror-Blue Night, I Believe, and The Song Of Purple Summer.
That just about covers the whole album. Like I said, the entire recording is chock full of gems.
I especially like the way some of the songs are interpreted -- there're wonderful violin solos, Brit-rock inflections ( Blur kept popping into my head ), and the leads are truly fantastic.
A YouTube clip of the cast's Tony Awards performance can be viewed here.
I'm now going through the last CD, i.e. Wicked ( about the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz ). It's a far cry from the other two, done in a more "traditional" manner, with soaring choirs and operatic vocals. But it definitely rocks! Will write a review next time.
Movie Rundown
Picked up a few VCD rentals this week, including Enchanted, Beowulf and Atonement.
Thankfully, I made good choices this round ( took home a few duds in the past ), and just finished Beowulf, which I greatly enjoyed. I know there were critics / fans who complained about the accuracy of the interpretation of whatever medieval legend it's based on ( I don't really care ). Speaking from the perspective of a total ignoramus, it was a really fine piece of work, with solid storytelling and superb visual effects. Highly recommended.
I also like Enchanted a lot, and for many reasons. The leads have wonderful chemistry, with Amy Adams cracking me up with her ditzy antics, James Marsden showing off his comedic and vocal skills, and Patrick Dempsey using his doe-eyed Look Of Lurve to great effect. The plot's rather silly, but the music saves it from sinking into cheese hell, thanks to the legendary Alan Menken, who penned classics for The Little Mermaid, Beauty And The Beast and Aladdin.
Am gonna watch Atonement after this. Lots of people tell me how fabulous it is, so I've got high expectations here. If it's anything like The English Patient ( one of my all-time Top 5 favourites ), I may just buy the DVD for my collection.
Other Updates
Clay Aiken's releasing a new album! Titled On My Way Here, it will be out in early May, and there's a video for the title track on Amazon. His voice is still as spectacular as ever. Sounding good, Clay! :)
David Archuleta's now in the Top 6, yes! He's been picking excellent songs this past fortnight, first with Robbie Williams' big hit Angels, then with the inspiring When You Believe from The Prince of Egypt. I appreciate the fact that he relates to pieces with positive messages, instead of singing about love, love and more love. Keep it up!
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 7 is now being shown EVERY NIGHT on cable's Starworld Channel 18, with repeats the next morning at 11am. The L&O series ( the original, plus SVU and Criminal Intent ) is IMHO the cream of the crop where crime dramas are concerned, and Season 7 has already upped its game by featuring stories that are much more controversial and emotionally distressing than its predecessors.
This has been ongoing for at least 3 weeks now. Tune in so you won't miss any more episodes!
Just got HOD's approval for my HMDP attachment next year, and I'm ecstatic to be returning to Manhattan, woohoo! Now to get all the paperwork out of the way... :)
That's what I've turned into, thanks to the musical recordings kindly purchased by L on my behalf, which I've been blasting non-stop everywhere I go these past couple of weeks.
Hairspray
Believe it or not, I watched the original film version eons ago as a child ( it didn't have any singing ) and found it hilarious. Funny how it's been successfully translated into a musical format on the stage and, more recently, on film yet again, featuring Hollywood stars John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Marsden, Queen Latifah and Zac Efron.
[ My long-haul flight from New York to Singapore flew by very quickly, thanks to repeat viewings of the movie on Krisworld. :) ]
You can check out the track listing here. This is the Broadway cast recording, not the one from the film ( the former is tonnes better ).
All I can say is, it's the perfect antidote for any bad day. Combining a high-spirited mix of '60s rock 'n roll / Motown / gospel genres, infectiously upbeat melodies, ingenious lyrics and fabulous vocals, the album came at a huge steal, thanks to the US$10 special offer at Times Square's Virgin Megastore. The sound quality is top-notch as well.
Standouts include Welcome To The 60's, Run And Tell That!, and of course the big finale You Can't Stop The Beat.
My personal favourites, however, are Without Love and I Know Where I've Been.
The former is a joyful proclamation of young ( i.e. idealistic ) love, beautifully written and sung by the leads. The lyrics deserve special mention. A sampling:
"Without love
Life is like the seasons with no summer
Without love
Life is rock 'n' roll without a drummer
Like a week that's only Mondays
Only ice-cream never sundaes
Like a circle with no center
Like a door marked "Do Not Enter!"
Darlin' I'll be yours forever 'cause I never wanna be
Without love"
The latter, on the other hand, is a poignant piece about racial discrimination.
"There's a dream in the future
There's a struggle we have yet to win
And there's pride in my heart
'Cause I know where I'm going
And I know where I've been
There's a road we must travel
There's a promise we must make
'Cause the riches will be plenty
Worth the risk and chances that we take
There's a dream in the future
There's a struggle we have yet to win
Use that pride in our hearts
To lift us up to tomorrow
'Cause just to sit still would be a sin"
REALLY REALLY EXCELLENT!
Spring Awakening
I passed the theatre for this show multiple times but didn't buy tickets. Now I'm regretting it, argh!
It won a fistful of Tony Awards, including Best Musical for 2007, and I can totally understand why.
But I must admit, I probably listened to the CD at least 5 times before I started to love it.
Track listing here.
I am not kidding when I say I ADORE this album. Never mind the depressing plot / subplots / lyrics. Again, it is a work of genius in every sense of the word.
In stark contrast to the deliriously happy Hairspray, Spring is angry, bitter, even occasionally vulgar.
But it's also so ^&*%$#@ good! :)
A potent melting pot of everything from rock to pop, from head-banging numbers to haunting love ballads -- it's currently taken up residence in my car stereo, with no plans to leave anytime soon, haha.
And every track is terrific. Every single one.
Personal faves? Of course I have a few. :)
Hard rocking ones: The B*tch of Living, Totally F*cked, Don't Do Sadness, And Then There Were None.
Slow ones: Touch Me ( the best! ), The Word Of Your Body ( gorgeous! ), Whispering, The Guilty Ones, Left Behind, and Those You've Known.
Pop pieces: The Mirror-Blue Night, I Believe, and The Song Of Purple Summer.
That just about covers the whole album. Like I said, the entire recording is chock full of gems.
I especially like the way some of the songs are interpreted -- there're wonderful violin solos, Brit-rock inflections ( Blur kept popping into my head ), and the leads are truly fantastic.
A YouTube clip of the cast's Tony Awards performance can be viewed here.
I'm now going through the last CD, i.e. Wicked ( about the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz ). It's a far cry from the other two, done in a more "traditional" manner, with soaring choirs and operatic vocals. But it definitely rocks! Will write a review next time.
Movie Rundown
Picked up a few VCD rentals this week, including Enchanted, Beowulf and Atonement.
Thankfully, I made good choices this round ( took home a few duds in the past ), and just finished Beowulf, which I greatly enjoyed. I know there were critics / fans who complained about the accuracy of the interpretation of whatever medieval legend it's based on ( I don't really care ). Speaking from the perspective of a total ignoramus, it was a really fine piece of work, with solid storytelling and superb visual effects. Highly recommended.
I also like Enchanted a lot, and for many reasons. The leads have wonderful chemistry, with Amy Adams cracking me up with her ditzy antics, James Marsden showing off his comedic and vocal skills, and Patrick Dempsey using his doe-eyed Look Of Lurve to great effect. The plot's rather silly, but the music saves it from sinking into cheese hell, thanks to the legendary Alan Menken, who penned classics for The Little Mermaid, Beauty And The Beast and Aladdin.
Am gonna watch Atonement after this. Lots of people tell me how fabulous it is, so I've got high expectations here. If it's anything like The English Patient ( one of my all-time Top 5 favourites ), I may just buy the DVD for my collection.
Other Updates
Clay Aiken's releasing a new album! Titled On My Way Here, it will be out in early May, and there's a video for the title track on Amazon. His voice is still as spectacular as ever. Sounding good, Clay! :)
David Archuleta's now in the Top 6, yes! He's been picking excellent songs this past fortnight, first with Robbie Williams' big hit Angels, then with the inspiring When You Believe from The Prince of Egypt. I appreciate the fact that he relates to pieces with positive messages, instead of singing about love, love and more love. Keep it up!
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 7 is now being shown EVERY NIGHT on cable's Starworld Channel 18, with repeats the next morning at 11am. The L&O series ( the original, plus SVU and Criminal Intent ) is IMHO the cream of the crop where crime dramas are concerned, and Season 7 has already upped its game by featuring stories that are much more controversial and emotionally distressing than its predecessors.
This has been ongoing for at least 3 weeks now. Tune in so you won't miss any more episodes!
Just got HOD's approval for my HMDP attachment next year, and I'm ecstatic to be returning to Manhattan, woohoo! Now to get all the paperwork out of the way... :)
Monday, April 07, 2008
A Reprieve
Have been writing dark-ish entries lately, and it suddenly occurred to me that I haven't posted pictures in a while. If you're not interested, you can either scroll down or go somewhere else. Exercise your free will, people! ( I still sound pissed don't I, haha... )
Here's a very nice shot of David Archuleta from his memorable performance last week ( Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Memories ). Definitely his best so far!
Rumours are circulating that his father is quite a control freak who puts a lot of pressure on the boy ( considering the big winnings at stake ), and allegedly yelled at David during a rehearsal, reducing him to tears.
Of course, I'm in no position to speculate, but it would be naive to dismiss such reports completely. As the saying goes, there ain't smoke without fire.
More from the U.S.A.
Don't know why I let this fizzle, but here're a few of my favourite pics from California.
Here's a sight that made me pretty ecstatic for the following reasons:
1) I stumbled upon it totally by chance ( passed it en route from my hotel to Rodeo Drive )
2) It is none other than the world famous Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, which caters to Hollywood celebrities of all shapes and sizes.
More recently, it admitted Owen Wilson to the psych ward after he attempted suicide, almost killed Dennis Quaid's newborn twins with a whopping dose of IV heparin ( a really bad medical error for which the hospital is getting sued ), and welcomed Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry's baby girl a week or two ago.
Here's the super-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame, where believe it or not, Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the Kodak Theatre sit right next to each other ( I didn't know this until I visited the place ).
The whole area was positively swarming with people, and I had a great time strolling around the open area outside the Chinese Theatre, 'cos that's where major celebrities' cemented handprints are displayed. These are sometimes switched around ( with newer ones put in and older ones taken out ), but I managed to see those from the cast of Harry Potter and Ocean's 13, among many others.
You can walk all over these things, which was kinda fun. At least they're not put in glass cases for you to gawk at from a distance.
A shot of the Walk Of Fame from a sidewalk angle.
Boy was it hot that day! We were drenched and dehydrated.
There're a lot of shops nearby, selling everything from fast food to souvenirs to CDs / DVDs and such. I believe Jimmy Kimmel's TV studio sits right smack in the middle of all the action, though I didn't have the chance to try for tickets to a recording ( one of the disadvantages of travelling with parents who don't know who Jimmy Kimmel is ).
Last but not least, the beautiful Kodak Theatre, home to the annual Oscars ceremony.
I was really awed by this structure, which is truly magnificent when you stand before the entrance staring up at those shimmering gold letters as they bask in the blinding sunlight.
Our guide took us to the lobby area, where we gazed at the long flight of carpeted steps leading to the theatre's interior proper. The pillars on both sides are pretty special - they feature the titles of all the Best Picture winners from the year the Academy Awards first began.
Our tour group had a lot of fun with the so-called treasure hunt, as we walked around searching for our year of birth in order to find its corresponding Best Picture. It was pretty cool. :)
Another thing I recall is a publicity blitz for the TV series Dexter, which was premiering its 2nd season. There were loads of young people dressed in white overalls splattered with fake blood, handing out free DVDs of episodes from the 1st season - and I didn't take any of them! Argh! I shouldn't have walked so fast dammit.
Anyway, I'll try to post more another time. Just taking a break from life for a moment. Have already booked my next holiday ( for September, woohoo! ).
Have been writing dark-ish entries lately, and it suddenly occurred to me that I haven't posted pictures in a while. If you're not interested, you can either scroll down or go somewhere else. Exercise your free will, people! ( I still sound pissed don't I, haha... )
Here's a very nice shot of David Archuleta from his memorable performance last week ( Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Memories ). Definitely his best so far!
Rumours are circulating that his father is quite a control freak who puts a lot of pressure on the boy ( considering the big winnings at stake ), and allegedly yelled at David during a rehearsal, reducing him to tears.
Of course, I'm in no position to speculate, but it would be naive to dismiss such reports completely. As the saying goes, there ain't smoke without fire.
More from the U.S.A.
Don't know why I let this fizzle, but here're a few of my favourite pics from California.
Here's a sight that made me pretty ecstatic for the following reasons:
1) I stumbled upon it totally by chance ( passed it en route from my hotel to Rodeo Drive )
2) It is none other than the world famous Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, which caters to Hollywood celebrities of all shapes and sizes.
More recently, it admitted Owen Wilson to the psych ward after he attempted suicide, almost killed Dennis Quaid's newborn twins with a whopping dose of IV heparin ( a really bad medical error for which the hospital is getting sued ), and welcomed Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry's baby girl a week or two ago.
It's actually quite an ugly building, and I regret not walking into the lobby and seeing how far I could go without being stopped ( heh heh ). Looked pretty quiet the afternoon I strolled past, but still, it's something I was happy to have caught a glimpse of.
Here's the super-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame, where believe it or not, Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the Kodak Theatre sit right next to each other ( I didn't know this until I visited the place ).
The whole area was positively swarming with people, and I had a great time strolling around the open area outside the Chinese Theatre, 'cos that's where major celebrities' cemented handprints are displayed. These are sometimes switched around ( with newer ones put in and older ones taken out ), but I managed to see those from the cast of Harry Potter and Ocean's 13, among many others.
You can walk all over these things, which was kinda fun. At least they're not put in glass cases for you to gawk at from a distance.
A shot of the Walk Of Fame from a sidewalk angle.
Boy was it hot that day! We were drenched and dehydrated.
There're a lot of shops nearby, selling everything from fast food to souvenirs to CDs / DVDs and such. I believe Jimmy Kimmel's TV studio sits right smack in the middle of all the action, though I didn't have the chance to try for tickets to a recording ( one of the disadvantages of travelling with parents who don't know who Jimmy Kimmel is ).
Last but not least, the beautiful Kodak Theatre, home to the annual Oscars ceremony.
I was really awed by this structure, which is truly magnificent when you stand before the entrance staring up at those shimmering gold letters as they bask in the blinding sunlight.
Our guide took us to the lobby area, where we gazed at the long flight of carpeted steps leading to the theatre's interior proper. The pillars on both sides are pretty special - they feature the titles of all the Best Picture winners from the year the Academy Awards first began.
Our tour group had a lot of fun with the so-called treasure hunt, as we walked around searching for our year of birth in order to find its corresponding Best Picture. It was pretty cool. :)
Another thing I recall is a publicity blitz for the TV series Dexter, which was premiering its 2nd season. There were loads of young people dressed in white overalls splattered with fake blood, handing out free DVDs of episodes from the 1st season - and I didn't take any of them! Argh! I shouldn't have walked so fast dammit.
Anyway, I'll try to post more another time. Just taking a break from life for a moment. Have already booked my next holiday ( for September, woohoo! ).
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Bravo, David Archuleta!
A BEAUTIFUL performance this week, of Dolly Parton's moving Smoky Mountain Memories.
It brought tears to my eyes with its poignant lyrics, soaring melody, and of course, David's amazing voice.
He really should record a Christian song album one day ( depending on his American Idol contractual terms, should he sign on with them ).
*spoiler alert*
Ramiele Malubay is out, with Brooke White and Kristy Lee Cook rounding out the bottom 3.
I'm predicting David A and David Cook for the finals.
Carly Smithson and Michael Johns may fight for #3.
Jason Castro will be kicked off soon if he remains complacent.
Let's see if I'm right.
Interesting Read
Thanks to a friend for bringing it to my attention.
No-one knows what we're doing at the A&E level, and it's easy to blame us for problems that appear to be direct results of our alleged "mismanagement".
This couldn't be further from the truth. The lodgers aren't technically the A&E's problem, but the hospital's. As such, the hospital should take steps to find solutions and clear inpatient beds.
Furthermore, A&E departments all over the country have implemented new work processes to minimize admissions ( e.g. observation units, vetting of admissions by seniors ), but we still can't stem the tide where lodgers are concerned, 'cos there's a persistent shortage upstairs.
I obviously can't comment about the internal workings within my institution. But I feel it's important to let the public know that the A&E isn't sitting on this, and that some of the work has to be borne by others as well.
Can a hospital pride itself on being "JCI-accredited" if it flouts guidelines on patient privacy, safety and medical management? When will a brave soul ( or even better, a few brave souls ) say "to hell with popularity and making pots of money" and do what needs to be done?
There's been a major surge in patient attendances this week. I did 2 calls in the past 5 days, and had to work non-stop during both of them ( usually, seniors can rest for a few hours once things settle down ). I've noticed a significant number of people coming in the middle of the night, for complaints that are (1) minor - meaning they can wait till office hours, (2) protracted - i.e. been around for days / weeks even, but the patient decided to come to the A&E at that unearthly hour for a check-up, or (3) MC-related - they're already awake ( doing who knows what ) and came early to beat the peak-hour crowds and get medical leave quickly so they can go home and sleep.
May I remind you all that manpower during night shifts is skeletal. At my department, there're only 5 doctors on call between 12mn and 8am, at least 3 of whom are medical officers. We're expected to handle all the resuscitations, as well as the critical care and consultation cases. When we're preoccupied with resus patients, the other queues understandably pile up. That's when patients and relatives start complaining, since they have no insight into the inner workings of a busy, shortstaffed A&E.
Put more doctors on night shift, you say? Give us more medical officers then. We don't have enough to go around as it is, and a nunber of them aren't even deemed efficient or safe enough for night shifts. The senior doctor pool is also being roped in to do more nights to make up for the MO shortfall -- a wise move since seniors make faster decisions and can attend to ill cases with minimal backup.
Sadly, morale in the department seems to be at an all-time low, with frequent MCs among the MOs and constant exhaustion all around. These just add to the whole problem in a vicious cycle pattern. I'm getting really sick of it.
Anyway, that's just me grumbling. We all know things will probably stay like this unless someone powerful steps in, takes our concerns seriously, and implements some major changes.
A BEAUTIFUL performance this week, of Dolly Parton's moving Smoky Mountain Memories.
It brought tears to my eyes with its poignant lyrics, soaring melody, and of course, David's amazing voice.
He really should record a Christian song album one day ( depending on his American Idol contractual terms, should he sign on with them ).
*spoiler alert*
Ramiele Malubay is out, with Brooke White and Kristy Lee Cook rounding out the bottom 3.
I'm predicting David A and David Cook for the finals.
Carly Smithson and Michael Johns may fight for #3.
Jason Castro will be kicked off soon if he remains complacent.
Let's see if I'm right.
Interesting Read
Thanks to a friend for bringing it to my attention.
No-one knows what we're doing at the A&E level, and it's easy to blame us for problems that appear to be direct results of our alleged "mismanagement".
This couldn't be further from the truth. The lodgers aren't technically the A&E's problem, but the hospital's. As such, the hospital should take steps to find solutions and clear inpatient beds.
Furthermore, A&E departments all over the country have implemented new work processes to minimize admissions ( e.g. observation units, vetting of admissions by seniors ), but we still can't stem the tide where lodgers are concerned, 'cos there's a persistent shortage upstairs.
I obviously can't comment about the internal workings within my institution. But I feel it's important to let the public know that the A&E isn't sitting on this, and that some of the work has to be borne by others as well.
Can a hospital pride itself on being "JCI-accredited" if it flouts guidelines on patient privacy, safety and medical management? When will a brave soul ( or even better, a few brave souls ) say "to hell with popularity and making pots of money" and do what needs to be done?
There's been a major surge in patient attendances this week. I did 2 calls in the past 5 days, and had to work non-stop during both of them ( usually, seniors can rest for a few hours once things settle down ). I've noticed a significant number of people coming in the middle of the night, for complaints that are (1) minor - meaning they can wait till office hours, (2) protracted - i.e. been around for days / weeks even, but the patient decided to come to the A&E at that unearthly hour for a check-up, or (3) MC-related - they're already awake ( doing who knows what ) and came early to beat the peak-hour crowds and get medical leave quickly so they can go home and sleep.
May I remind you all that manpower during night shifts is skeletal. At my department, there're only 5 doctors on call between 12mn and 8am, at least 3 of whom are medical officers. We're expected to handle all the resuscitations, as well as the critical care and consultation cases. When we're preoccupied with resus patients, the other queues understandably pile up. That's when patients and relatives start complaining, since they have no insight into the inner workings of a busy, shortstaffed A&E.
Put more doctors on night shift, you say? Give us more medical officers then. We don't have enough to go around as it is, and a nunber of them aren't even deemed efficient or safe enough for night shifts. The senior doctor pool is also being roped in to do more nights to make up for the MO shortfall -- a wise move since seniors make faster decisions and can attend to ill cases with minimal backup.
Sadly, morale in the department seems to be at an all-time low, with frequent MCs among the MOs and constant exhaustion all around. These just add to the whole problem in a vicious cycle pattern. I'm getting really sick of it.
Anyway, that's just me grumbling. We all know things will probably stay like this unless someone powerful steps in, takes our concerns seriously, and implements some major changes.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Review of Maroon 5's concert 25th March 2008, Singapore Indoor Stadium
To put it simply, I have mixed feelings about the show.
First, let me say that I am a big fan of their music, and enjoy both their albums ( the angsty Songs About Jane, followed by the recently released uptempo It Won't Be Soon Before Long ).
And to be honest, part of the reason I wanted to see the band 'live' is to catch a glimpse of frontman Adam Levine, who's quite the hottie in their stylish music videos ( though I still like the minimalist - and very sexy - vid for This Love the most ).
The concert itself didn't disappoint as a performance. The guys displayed high energy and flawless musicianship, and plowed through a large number of crowd-pleasers from both albums.
The repertoire was as follows:
From Songs About Jane - Harder To Breathe ( the opening number ), This Love ( their biggest hit to date ), Shiver, Sunday Morning, She Will Be Loved ( the closing piece during the encore ).
From It Won't Be Soon Before Long: If I Never See Your Face Again, Makes Me Wonder, Little Of Your Time ( 1st encore song ), Wake Up Call, Won't Go Home Without You, and Can't Stop.
Did they do Nothing Lasts Forever? I can't remember...
My favourites would have to be:
Little Of Your Time - Didn't think they'd sing this, since it hasn't really charted on radio playlists yet. But when they trotted it out for the first encore performance, I was ECSTATIC! :)
This is my absolute fave on the IWBSBL album -- probably the shortest track ( just over 2 min ), but packs a real punch with its infectious melody, cheeky lyrics ( e.g. 'Please don't leave / Stay in bed / Touch my body instead' ), and a pumping rhythm.
I used my digital cam to record the whole thing on video mode, woohoo! ( Rules were extremely lax at this event -- everyone was snapping photos and recording the show without any regulation. )
Won't Go Home Without You - Anything that's inspired by Sting has my stamp of approval ( haha ). Maroon 5 has often credited the former for influencing the sound on this piece ( one of their best on the album ), and the crowd responded beautifully when Levine stopped at one point to direct the microphone at the audience.
8000 concertgoers roared the chorus right back at him ( 'It's not over tonight / Just give me one more chance to make it right / I may not make it through the night / I won't go home without you' ).
The guys LOVED it! :)
She Will Be Loved - I enjoyed this number mainly because it was the only "acoustic" performance of the night. After more than an hour of mind-numbing and ear-deafening noise which drowned out Levine's vocals ( no thanks to the sound crew ), this was perhaps the first instance we managed to hear him clearly. And frankly, I would've been very happy if the entire show had been done this way ( after all, I rank Jason Mraz's 2-man performance at 2006's Mosaic Music Festival among my top 3 favourites of all time ).
In my opinion, this was the moment where Levine truly shone, and his good friend, guitarist James Valentine, infused the song with just the right mix of melancholy and sexiness as he accompanied on the strings.
Magical bit? This is it. :)
I really enjoyed the crowd that evening - young and old ( from kids to an old chap with a walking aid seated next to me ), super-enthusiastic ( many ran to the front of the stage when the lights went down signalling the start of the show ), and surprisingly polite ( despite the presence of many Ah Lians and Ah Bengs ).
My main grouses: that it ended too soon ( 75 minutes only!? ), the lack of banter, and the poor sound system ( The Police sounded fantastic last month, so is it a crew issue? ) -- the last screwed up my cochlea so badly Levine's voice was hilariously chipmunk-like from the 2nd song onwards. Thankfully, when I played back my video recording at home, he sounded normal.
One unexpected outcome of this is the fact that I don't find Levine as sexy as I originally thought. He's very photogenic and looks great in pictures - especially when he's well-groomed and dressed in a stylish suit. He looked terrible when he shaved his head bald for an awards ceremony performance last year ( either the Grammys or American Music Awards ), and appeared weatherbeaten and very sloppy on Tuesday ( he wore a plain white T-shirt and tight black jeans, while the rest of his band members also opted for equally casual attire ). Don't think I've witnessed such disappointing dress sense at a high-profile concert in quite a while ( I mean, Sting wore a black T-shirt-and-jeans ensemble, but looked suave and neat! ).
As for raw sex appeal, let's just say that Sting beats Levine hands down, despite being twice his age and standing still plucking at his guitar most of the time. Maybe I'm just getting older - I'm 4 years Levine's senior - but then again, it doesn't explain why I think Jason Mraz is sexy too.
I confuse even myself. :D
A Little Spot Of Action
Was involved with the mini-mass casualty incident on Monday afternoon, where a fellow was pepper-sprayed and 20 others suffered off-gassing effects.
Couldn't believe my crappy luck when the SCDF call came in, while our ER was swamped by the morning and early afternoon Monday crowd ( not to mention a severe bed shortage problem due to the ongoing MBBS exams ).
I'm not going to mince my words here -- it was a NIGHTMARE. A lot of manpower was diverted to decontaminating and treating the casualties, and I spent a couple of hours sorting out my patient, who happened to be the index case ( i.e. the one who got sprayed and was found frothing from the mouth at the scene ).
Waiting times in the P3 area stretched to 6 hours by 10pm, and I still can't understand why no-one had the common sense to go elsewhere for treatment of minor ailments like a simple cough / cold, with a significant number presenting with symptoms that have been around for weeks to months!
The night shift had a terrible time, working non-stop till 5-6am before managing to clear the backlog. I couldn't even stay back to help out, having to start at 8am the next morning ( I had a total of 4 hours' sleep that night 'cos I got home late and had trouble winding down ).
I remember a lecture given by an emergency physician from London some time ago, when he spoke about the terrorist bombings that rocked the city back in 2005. He mentioned how many patients at the various ERs, upon hearing about the disaster, took the initiative of cancelling their registrations and seeking medical attention at GP clinics, so as to free up resources at major hospitals.
Looks like Singaporeans lack such consideration for the plight of others. If the country ever suffers a major terrorist attack or some other urban mass casualty event, WE ARE DEAD.
This is not an exaggeration.
American Idol Top 10 Week
David Archuleta is now part of the Top 9, and although 2 of the judges didn't know the song he performed ( You're The Voice by John Farnham ), I'm actually familiar with the piece, since my secondary school days at least ( local radio likes to play it ).
I thought David did a great job, nothing like a "theme park performance" as Simon Cowell suggested.
But I'm also beginning to develop a soft spot for rocker dude David Cook, who blew me away with his rendition of Billie Jean. If anyone should be in the finals, it's the 2 Davids.
Videos To Enjoy
After an energy-sapping week, I'm spending my rare day off savouring more YouTube gems.
John Lloyd Young
A gorgeous Jersey Boys medley from the 2006 Tony Awards show. I often think back to October 17th 2007 -- an evening that changed my life forever, as I sat entranced in the centre of the 5th row, able to pick out every facial feature of the 4 leads, wishing I could watch the show again even before the performance had reached intermission.
Here's a hilarious 'madlib' version of Can't Take My Eyes Off You. Get a load of the modified lyrics ( 'let me jump / flagellate you', 'I want to do your taxes so much', and all that name-dropping - Sammy Davis, Jr, Jamie Lynn Spears, and the clincher - 'I thank God I'm a dominatrix' )!
I still read JLY's blog regularly. He provides interesting tidbits about Broadway and his own personal life. I really should find time to write back and thank him for those autographed pictures ASAP.
David Archuleta
Doing You're The Voice from this week's episode. Just listen to that powerful voice!
And for the icing on the cake...
Companion Videos from Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman
I've been reading about these for a few weeks, and finally got to watch them.
Here's Sarah's video ( I couldn't get the high-def version to work, so here's a blurry alternative ).
And here's Jimmy's rebuttal - the YouTube links don't work for me, so here's another link.
To put it simply, I have mixed feelings about the show.
First, let me say that I am a big fan of their music, and enjoy both their albums ( the angsty Songs About Jane, followed by the recently released uptempo It Won't Be Soon Before Long ).
And to be honest, part of the reason I wanted to see the band 'live' is to catch a glimpse of frontman Adam Levine, who's quite the hottie in their stylish music videos ( though I still like the minimalist - and very sexy - vid for This Love the most ).
The concert itself didn't disappoint as a performance. The guys displayed high energy and flawless musicianship, and plowed through a large number of crowd-pleasers from both albums.
The repertoire was as follows:
From Songs About Jane - Harder To Breathe ( the opening number ), This Love ( their biggest hit to date ), Shiver, Sunday Morning, She Will Be Loved ( the closing piece during the encore ).
From It Won't Be Soon Before Long: If I Never See Your Face Again, Makes Me Wonder, Little Of Your Time ( 1st encore song ), Wake Up Call, Won't Go Home Without You, and Can't Stop.
Did they do Nothing Lasts Forever? I can't remember...
My favourites would have to be:
Little Of Your Time - Didn't think they'd sing this, since it hasn't really charted on radio playlists yet. But when they trotted it out for the first encore performance, I was ECSTATIC! :)
This is my absolute fave on the IWBSBL album -- probably the shortest track ( just over 2 min ), but packs a real punch with its infectious melody, cheeky lyrics ( e.g. 'Please don't leave / Stay in bed / Touch my body instead' ), and a pumping rhythm.
I used my digital cam to record the whole thing on video mode, woohoo! ( Rules were extremely lax at this event -- everyone was snapping photos and recording the show without any regulation. )
Won't Go Home Without You - Anything that's inspired by Sting has my stamp of approval ( haha ). Maroon 5 has often credited the former for influencing the sound on this piece ( one of their best on the album ), and the crowd responded beautifully when Levine stopped at one point to direct the microphone at the audience.
8000 concertgoers roared the chorus right back at him ( 'It's not over tonight / Just give me one more chance to make it right / I may not make it through the night / I won't go home without you' ).
The guys LOVED it! :)
She Will Be Loved - I enjoyed this number mainly because it was the only "acoustic" performance of the night. After more than an hour of mind-numbing and ear-deafening noise which drowned out Levine's vocals ( no thanks to the sound crew ), this was perhaps the first instance we managed to hear him clearly. And frankly, I would've been very happy if the entire show had been done this way ( after all, I rank Jason Mraz's 2-man performance at 2006's Mosaic Music Festival among my top 3 favourites of all time ).
In my opinion, this was the moment where Levine truly shone, and his good friend, guitarist James Valentine, infused the song with just the right mix of melancholy and sexiness as he accompanied on the strings.
Magical bit? This is it. :)
I really enjoyed the crowd that evening - young and old ( from kids to an old chap with a walking aid seated next to me ), super-enthusiastic ( many ran to the front of the stage when the lights went down signalling the start of the show ), and surprisingly polite ( despite the presence of many Ah Lians and Ah Bengs ).
My main grouses: that it ended too soon ( 75 minutes only!? ), the lack of banter, and the poor sound system ( The Police sounded fantastic last month, so is it a crew issue? ) -- the last screwed up my cochlea so badly Levine's voice was hilariously chipmunk-like from the 2nd song onwards. Thankfully, when I played back my video recording at home, he sounded normal.
One unexpected outcome of this is the fact that I don't find Levine as sexy as I originally thought. He's very photogenic and looks great in pictures - especially when he's well-groomed and dressed in a stylish suit. He looked terrible when he shaved his head bald for an awards ceremony performance last year ( either the Grammys or American Music Awards ), and appeared weatherbeaten and very sloppy on Tuesday ( he wore a plain white T-shirt and tight black jeans, while the rest of his band members also opted for equally casual attire ). Don't think I've witnessed such disappointing dress sense at a high-profile concert in quite a while ( I mean, Sting wore a black T-shirt-and-jeans ensemble, but looked suave and neat! ).
As for raw sex appeal, let's just say that Sting beats Levine hands down, despite being twice his age and standing still plucking at his guitar most of the time. Maybe I'm just getting older - I'm 4 years Levine's senior - but then again, it doesn't explain why I think Jason Mraz is sexy too.
I confuse even myself. :D
A Little Spot Of Action
Was involved with the mini-mass casualty incident on Monday afternoon, where a fellow was pepper-sprayed and 20 others suffered off-gassing effects.
Couldn't believe my crappy luck when the SCDF call came in, while our ER was swamped by the morning and early afternoon Monday crowd ( not to mention a severe bed shortage problem due to the ongoing MBBS exams ).
I'm not going to mince my words here -- it was a NIGHTMARE. A lot of manpower was diverted to decontaminating and treating the casualties, and I spent a couple of hours sorting out my patient, who happened to be the index case ( i.e. the one who got sprayed and was found frothing from the mouth at the scene ).
Waiting times in the P3 area stretched to 6 hours by 10pm, and I still can't understand why no-one had the common sense to go elsewhere for treatment of minor ailments like a simple cough / cold, with a significant number presenting with symptoms that have been around for weeks to months!
The night shift had a terrible time, working non-stop till 5-6am before managing to clear the backlog. I couldn't even stay back to help out, having to start at 8am the next morning ( I had a total of 4 hours' sleep that night 'cos I got home late and had trouble winding down ).
I remember a lecture given by an emergency physician from London some time ago, when he spoke about the terrorist bombings that rocked the city back in 2005. He mentioned how many patients at the various ERs, upon hearing about the disaster, took the initiative of cancelling their registrations and seeking medical attention at GP clinics, so as to free up resources at major hospitals.
Looks like Singaporeans lack such consideration for the plight of others. If the country ever suffers a major terrorist attack or some other urban mass casualty event, WE ARE DEAD.
This is not an exaggeration.
American Idol Top 10 Week
David Archuleta is now part of the Top 9, and although 2 of the judges didn't know the song he performed ( You're The Voice by John Farnham ), I'm actually familiar with the piece, since my secondary school days at least ( local radio likes to play it ).
I thought David did a great job, nothing like a "theme park performance" as Simon Cowell suggested.
But I'm also beginning to develop a soft spot for rocker dude David Cook, who blew me away with his rendition of Billie Jean. If anyone should be in the finals, it's the 2 Davids.
Videos To Enjoy
After an energy-sapping week, I'm spending my rare day off savouring more YouTube gems.
John Lloyd Young
A gorgeous Jersey Boys medley from the 2006 Tony Awards show. I often think back to October 17th 2007 -- an evening that changed my life forever, as I sat entranced in the centre of the 5th row, able to pick out every facial feature of the 4 leads, wishing I could watch the show again even before the performance had reached intermission.
Here's a hilarious 'madlib' version of Can't Take My Eyes Off You. Get a load of the modified lyrics ( 'let me jump / flagellate you', 'I want to do your taxes so much', and all that name-dropping - Sammy Davis, Jr, Jamie Lynn Spears, and the clincher - 'I thank God I'm a dominatrix' )!
I still read JLY's blog regularly. He provides interesting tidbits about Broadway and his own personal life. I really should find time to write back and thank him for those autographed pictures ASAP.
David Archuleta
Doing You're The Voice from this week's episode. Just listen to that powerful voice!
And for the icing on the cake...
Companion Videos from Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman
I've been reading about these for a few weeks, and finally got to watch them.
Here's Sarah's video ( I couldn't get the high-def version to work, so here's a blurry alternative ).
And here's Jimmy's rebuttal - the YouTube links don't work for me, so here's another link.
Come ON - Jimmy's is better by a loooong mile, right? Love that We Are The World tribute, featuring megastars like Cameron Diaz, Robin Williams and Harrison Ford, as well as Don Cheadle, Huey Lewis and Lance Bass ( from NSync ). Really love the fact that Josh Groban has a big part in this segment! :)
Look at the insane number of hits on YouTube!
Am grateful for life's simple pleasures. I've been to hell and back this week, and more burnt out than ever. More next time.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
He's Back! :)
The wonders of YouTube, yet again.
David Archuleta did VERY WELL this week, thank goodness.
Here's a video of him singing The Long And Winding Road -- a piece I'm familiar with thanks to my stint in the RJC Chorale ( we did this as part of a medley for a concert eons ago ). Not the most challenging melody around, but David does a good job, and made Simon Cowell happy. :D
Watching David is very different from just listening to him. I plugged my headphones into the laptop, closed my eyes, and went "Whoa..." -- he sounds phenomenal and album-recording-ready!
I keep picturing him singing Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On, for some strange reason. But I honestly think he will do this song the justice it deserves. Long shot that my wish for him to perform it will come true though.
One-Man Star Wars Trilogy
Here's Charles Ross' official website.
Caught the opening show at the DBS Arts Centre last night, and laughed my guts out for a whole hour. :D
As the self-explanatory title indicates, this is a one-man routine that acts out Episodes IV to VI in a non-stop, high-energy monologue.
It's hilarious, spot-on in terms of some ( not all, but that's ok ) impersonations, and I love how he ad-libbed here and there ( examples below ) and threw in a number of inside jokes which did not go unnoticed by the enthusiastic, almost-full-house audience.
He did all the major characters -- Luke Skywalker, Obiwan Kenobi, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Princess Leia, C3PO, R2D2, the evil Emperor, Chewbacca, Yoda, Jabba the Hutt, and I think a few Ewoks and other assorted aliens.
The best one has got to be Jabba, whose gigantic ( and disgusting ) mouth he demonstrated by using both arms crossed in the shape of a large rectangle in front of his face, occasionally moving a hand around to simulate tongue movements. Yuck! But also, hahahahahahaha! :)
He did a great Luke, Han, C3PO and Emperor -- voice, speech pattern, body language -- and even R2D2 came to life with Ross' competent whistling and squat-and-waddle actions.
The inside jokes? ( a rough quote )
1. As Luke / Mark Hamill: "That's my last line in Return Of The Jedi -- I'm never going to work in film again!"
( a jab at Hamill's sink into oblivion despite attaining iconic status as Skywalker )
2. As Obiwan: "I cut off ( Darth Vader's ) arm... and both his legs... and pushed him into a pool of boiling lava. It's on the DVD."
( none of this was in the original trilogy, of course; he's talking about the climactic scene in Revenge of the Sith )
3. As Obiwan: "I'm played by some Scottish guy ( in the prequels )..."
( appearing miffed that Ewan McGregor plays Anakin's mentor in Episodes ! - III )
4. As somebody ( I don't know who, sorry ): "Isn't it Natalie Portman?"
( this bit went by a little too quickly for me to remember it all -- someone asked who Luke's and Leia's mother is -- she's played by Portman in Episodes I-III )
5. As Luke: "What're we doing here?! In Singapore?!"
( he exclaims to R2D2 after crash landing on the Dega Ba system in The Empire Strikes Back )
That's all I can recall at the moment. Maybe I'll post more if they turn up in my head later on.
There was another super-funny part in the middle, when Ross does a scene with Luke kissing Leia goodbye ( after they've discovered they're siblings ). But he does a very exaggerated version of the smooch, and a kid in the audience actually went "YUCK!".
Ross hears this, stops talking, turns to us and says ( in a fatherly fashion ), "Let this be a lesson to you, children -- NEVER kiss your brother or sister like this!"
So in short, it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, and Ross was gracious enough to chat with us from the stage for another 10 minutes ( after the end of the show ), talking about his tour and his home country, before giving us a sneak peek at his next creation, One-Man Lord Of The Rings.
He launched into a short dialogue as ( I think ) an Ent ( but my mom thinks it was Gandalf ), before bidding us goodnight. He hopes to return next year with the LOTR show, and if he does, I'm most definitely going!
You can check out some YouTube clips using "Charles Ross" or "One Man Star Wars". Have fun. :)
The wonders of YouTube, yet again.
David Archuleta did VERY WELL this week, thank goodness.
Here's a video of him singing The Long And Winding Road -- a piece I'm familiar with thanks to my stint in the RJC Chorale ( we did this as part of a medley for a concert eons ago ). Not the most challenging melody around, but David does a good job, and made Simon Cowell happy. :D
Watching David is very different from just listening to him. I plugged my headphones into the laptop, closed my eyes, and went "Whoa..." -- he sounds phenomenal and album-recording-ready!
I keep picturing him singing Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On, for some strange reason. But I honestly think he will do this song the justice it deserves. Long shot that my wish for him to perform it will come true though.
One-Man Star Wars Trilogy
Here's Charles Ross' official website.
Caught the opening show at the DBS Arts Centre last night, and laughed my guts out for a whole hour. :D
As the self-explanatory title indicates, this is a one-man routine that acts out Episodes IV to VI in a non-stop, high-energy monologue.
It's hilarious, spot-on in terms of some ( not all, but that's ok ) impersonations, and I love how he ad-libbed here and there ( examples below ) and threw in a number of inside jokes which did not go unnoticed by the enthusiastic, almost-full-house audience.
He did all the major characters -- Luke Skywalker, Obiwan Kenobi, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Princess Leia, C3PO, R2D2, the evil Emperor, Chewbacca, Yoda, Jabba the Hutt, and I think a few Ewoks and other assorted aliens.
The best one has got to be Jabba, whose gigantic ( and disgusting ) mouth he demonstrated by using both arms crossed in the shape of a large rectangle in front of his face, occasionally moving a hand around to simulate tongue movements. Yuck! But also, hahahahahahaha! :)
He did a great Luke, Han, C3PO and Emperor -- voice, speech pattern, body language -- and even R2D2 came to life with Ross' competent whistling and squat-and-waddle actions.
The inside jokes? ( a rough quote )
1. As Luke / Mark Hamill: "That's my last line in Return Of The Jedi -- I'm never going to work in film again!"
( a jab at Hamill's sink into oblivion despite attaining iconic status as Skywalker )
2. As Obiwan: "I cut off ( Darth Vader's ) arm... and both his legs... and pushed him into a pool of boiling lava. It's on the DVD."
( none of this was in the original trilogy, of course; he's talking about the climactic scene in Revenge of the Sith )
3. As Obiwan: "I'm played by some Scottish guy ( in the prequels )..."
( appearing miffed that Ewan McGregor plays Anakin's mentor in Episodes ! - III )
4. As somebody ( I don't know who, sorry ): "Isn't it Natalie Portman?"
( this bit went by a little too quickly for me to remember it all -- someone asked who Luke's and Leia's mother is -- she's played by Portman in Episodes I-III )
5. As Luke: "What're we doing here?! In Singapore?!"
( he exclaims to R2D2 after crash landing on the Dega Ba system in The Empire Strikes Back )
That's all I can recall at the moment. Maybe I'll post more if they turn up in my head later on.
There was another super-funny part in the middle, when Ross does a scene with Luke kissing Leia goodbye ( after they've discovered they're siblings ). But he does a very exaggerated version of the smooch, and a kid in the audience actually went "YUCK!".
Ross hears this, stops talking, turns to us and says ( in a fatherly fashion ), "Let this be a lesson to you, children -- NEVER kiss your brother or sister like this!"
So in short, it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, and Ross was gracious enough to chat with us from the stage for another 10 minutes ( after the end of the show ), talking about his tour and his home country, before giving us a sneak peek at his next creation, One-Man Lord Of The Rings.
He launched into a short dialogue as ( I think ) an Ent ( but my mom thinks it was Gandalf ), before bidding us goodnight. He hopes to return next year with the LOTR show, and if he does, I'm most definitely going!
You can check out some YouTube clips using "Charles Ross" or "One Man Star Wars". Have fun. :)
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Latest AI7 Performance - Top 12 Week
You can't access this from "a certain hospital", but I'm at home at the moment, so... :)
Here's a video of David Archuleta's performance this week, singing We Can Work It Out. I agree it's his weakest to date, but rumours on the Internet suggest he's been down with the flu, and was under a lot of pressure to do well.
He's 17 -- cut him some slack, the poor boy.
He looks great though. And the powerful pipes are still unmistakeable. I'm confident he'll stay safe until the final 2, and will still win this. :)
You can't access this from "a certain hospital", but I'm at home at the moment, so... :)
Here's a video of David Archuleta's performance this week, singing We Can Work It Out. I agree it's his weakest to date, but rumours on the Internet suggest he's been down with the flu, and was under a lot of pressure to do well.
He's 17 -- cut him some slack, the poor boy.
He looks great though. And the powerful pipes are still unmistakeable. I'm confident he'll stay safe until the final 2, and will still win this. :)
Monday, March 10, 2008
Review of Harry Connick, Jr.'s concert at the Esplanade Theatre, 7th March 2008
It was great! :)
I can't believe there's a Wikipedia page devoted to his My New Orleans Tour. Good reference for my poor memory, haha.
Ahh, where to begin?
I'm not exactly a die-hard fan of his music ( my tastes have developed along the lines of Michael Buble, Jamie Cullum, Peter Cincotti, Peter Grant and Chris Botti ), but I've seen quite a few of his movies ( starting with Memphis Belle - a huge personal fave from my secondary / junior college days - followed by Copycat, Hope Floats and Independence Day ). Love that Southern accent and laid back charm. :)
I have one of his concert DVDs ( i.e. Only You - very nice ), but only purchased my very first HCJ album after getting tickets to this show. It's his latest, titled Oh, My Nola, a tribute to his New Orleans heritage.
The fact that I've played it endlessly this past month or two illustrates how much I enjoy this CD. The style is typical Mardis Gras fare, heavy on the trombones and trumpets, with a soulful, funky tone.
I already knew he wouldn't disappoint in a 'live' setting ( jazz singers are wonderfully pitch perfect on-stage -- it's like a gold standard they all adhere to ), but I've got to admit, what transpired totally blew me away!
The concert started very punctually at 8pm. On the dot. Kudos to Harry and his band for being so considerate.
As the lights dimmed and the curtains went up, I found him standing in the dark ( what happened to the lighting crew? ), next to the grand piano. The audience spotted him after a few seconds, and the applause was deafening.
He said a quick hello, sat himself down, and launched into Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey? - an upbeat swing piece with a prominent big band arrangement ( he came with 12 other talented muscians, ensuring a truly amazing experience ).
The next 2 songs ( can't remember the exact order ) were Hello Dolly and Working In The Coal Mine. I especially enjoyed the latter, on which Harry's exuberant whoops during the chorus reverberated throughout the concert hall. An early sign that he was euphoric that evening ( more details in the following paragraphs! ).
These were followed by a short interlude, as Harry chatted with us, saying how happy he is to be here in Singapore, mentioning how he smuggled a case of chewing gum through customs so he could "sell it on the black market" and make a tidy sum, only to discover that we do sell gum over here ( though they're the sugarless type ).
He expressed surprise at seeing a full house, but was of course extremely appreciative of our attendance.
He then said he'd been told that Asians are usually quite "conservative", but quickly pointed out that there was a guy in the front row wearing "Miami Vice" attire, i.e. a white jacket, white shirt and white shoes. ( This became the running joke for the rest of the night, it was hilarious! )
After this little monologue, he treated us to what I consider the "magical moment" ( something I always look out for at any show ) -- a solo piano performance of On The Sunny Side Of The Street, played "New Orleans style". It's apparently featured on his 1987 self-titled album, but I heard it for the very first time that evening, and was hypnotized from start to finish.
[ P.S. Make sure to do some research before you buy tickets to jazz concerts -- most pianists sit on the left side of the stage ( from the audience's perspective ). I was at a perfect angle in the 12th row ( couldn't get anything closer despite going online the day the seats were released ), and could see his side profile and, more importantly, both hands on the keyboard. ]
He thoroughly enjoyed himself on this piece, tapping ( and occasionally stomping ) his feet as his fingers flew across the ivories. His touch is firm yet feathery light, and the harmonies -- pure heaven! My mom identified the song just seconds into the intro - bravo! - and we absolutely loved his interpretation of the classic.
Other pickings from Oh, My Nola include: Jambalaya ( On The Bayou ), Yes We Can Can, and either Something You Got or Let Them Talk ( or both, I can't recall ).
Another highlight was when trombone player Lucien Barbarin came trotting out to join Harry on a couple of traditional New Orleans songs, namely Didn't He Ramble and Basin Street Blues. The first was more sedate ( but really good nonetheless ), but on the second, I was momentarily stunned when Harry suddenly stood up and started to shimmy around the stage with his pal, as the band continued to play. This went on for maybe 3 minutes ( or longer? ). Obviously I wasn't the only one who was taken aback, as the whole theatre started to clap and cheer at the sight. He certainly didn't behave this way on the concert DVD I have at home! :)
The general tempo of the show was pretty upbeat -- something I am totally contented with. The only major slow-downs were a cover of When I Fall In Love and, for the encore, It Had To Be You ( the When Harry Met Sally song that launched his career ).
The entire concert lasted around 90 minutes, and I'm pretty sure I left a couple more songs off the list. What was he singing when he did that 2nd dance number? The one where he pulled up his jacket and showed off some really fantastic booty-shaking? ( Beyonce, eat your heart out! :)) That alone is worth the ticket price!
The longer period of bantering came near the end, as he talked about a wide range of topics, from his daughter's comment on the Singapore landscape outside her hotel room window ( "It doesn't look like 'Mulan'!" ), to American Idol ( he got a bit confused when someone in the audience told him it's shown 3 times a night -- on cable, that is ), and yes, that "Miami Vice dude" again. Turns out he's in his late 20s or early 30s, Chinese, Malaysian, and a contractor. Harry actually climbed down from the stage ( no stairs, mind you ) to take a look at the man's name card, before reading out his email address and mobile number to everyone in the theatre. The guy's wife then snapped a quick picture of the two men, and Harry paid her a great compliment by telling the fellow, "Is this your wife? You lucked out, man, she's beautiful." Awww... :)
So in summary, it was a fabulous concert, and my mom's a new convert. She didn't really pay attention when I played his album in the car before, but now she loves Harry to bits. Pity he couldn't stay to sign autographs. But considering how friendly he is, he probably wouldn't be able to leave for hours if he did.
My money was very well spent! Extremely happy about it. :)
Just a special mention about his marvelous band, especially Arthur Latin on drums / percussion, and Neal Caine on the bass. Latin ( like all great drummers ) has boundless energy, and kept things interesting with his crisp beats. Caine, on the other hand, was the ultimate cool cat, plucking the strings almost the same way Harry was tapping the keyboard, occasionally caressing his instrument with his cheek ( subconsciously, perhaps? ).
Yes, people, I pay attention to everyone on-stage, not just the hot lead singer. :)
A New-Found Appreciation For Life
A recent anxiety which gave me a week of insomnia was nicely resolved over the weekend.
But more importantly, it helped me develop a new perspective, and made me realize how fragile one's existence is.
For a few moments, I wondered about the future -- my own, my parents', even my cat's. It was immensely nerve-wracking, to say the least.
I had to do something on my own, to gain the peace of mind I so desperately craved. The people who helped me through this dilemma are complete strangers, and the experience itself transiently depressing. But I applaud what these individuals are accomplishing, and if our paths ever cross again, I will thank them properly for the invaluable comfort they provided.
[ note to readers: Don't be alarmed! Everything's okay. :) ]
Anyway, it's on to more tasks at hand. Will be organizing chair ( i.e. kena arrowed ) for next year's local Emergency Medicine conference, and am hoping to bring 2 world-renowned emergency physicians down to Singapore as keynote speakers. Have already met one of them in New York at Mt. Sinai Hospital ( though I actually had no idea who he was at the time, argh! ). A very dynamic and highly accomplished professor, and editor-in-chief of a publication that any self-respecting emergency physician would read.
And on a totally unrelated note, as my mom and I were watching an old recording of a Celine Dion concert on Sunday night, I suddenly suggested to her that American Idol 7's frontrunner David Archuleta could be the only guy on this earth who might do justice to "My Heart Will Go On" ( from Titanic, if you live on another planet and don't know this ). I mean, so far he's been able to sing just about anything and make it sound great, so why not a Celine classic? Only problem is, he's so young and inexperienced, it may come off as too fake ( sometimes you need a bit of pain in your past to sound genuinely distressed, no? ). In any case, I'd still like to hear him try. :)
To end off, an excerpt from an article on E! Online:
"Oh, and speaking of "Awww," you should know that David Awwwrchuleta is literally the most unflappable ray of smiling sunshine I have ever laid eyes on. The kid never stops smiling. Never! I'm convinced he may be the latest version of those cute, mechanical robot-dogs and if so, I want a model. That boy is straight-up adorable.
When asked how he feels about all the glowing praise being heaped on him, and how he's the favorite, David just blushed and said, "Oh, I don't know about that!" But clearly, Awwwrchuleta is the favorite, and his competition knows it: Michael Johns, Brooke White and Amanda Overmyer all picked him to win, and Jason Castro said, "It's pretty much the David Archuleta show." ( For the record, not a one of them sounded bitter, which was sweet. )"
If only fans outside the U.S. could vote! :D
Till next time...
It was great! :)
I can't believe there's a Wikipedia page devoted to his My New Orleans Tour. Good reference for my poor memory, haha.
Ahh, where to begin?
I'm not exactly a die-hard fan of his music ( my tastes have developed along the lines of Michael Buble, Jamie Cullum, Peter Cincotti, Peter Grant and Chris Botti ), but I've seen quite a few of his movies ( starting with Memphis Belle - a huge personal fave from my secondary / junior college days - followed by Copycat, Hope Floats and Independence Day ). Love that Southern accent and laid back charm. :)
I have one of his concert DVDs ( i.e. Only You - very nice ), but only purchased my very first HCJ album after getting tickets to this show. It's his latest, titled Oh, My Nola, a tribute to his New Orleans heritage.
The fact that I've played it endlessly this past month or two illustrates how much I enjoy this CD. The style is typical Mardis Gras fare, heavy on the trombones and trumpets, with a soulful, funky tone.
I already knew he wouldn't disappoint in a 'live' setting ( jazz singers are wonderfully pitch perfect on-stage -- it's like a gold standard they all adhere to ), but I've got to admit, what transpired totally blew me away!
The concert started very punctually at 8pm. On the dot. Kudos to Harry and his band for being so considerate.
As the lights dimmed and the curtains went up, I found him standing in the dark ( what happened to the lighting crew? ), next to the grand piano. The audience spotted him after a few seconds, and the applause was deafening.
He said a quick hello, sat himself down, and launched into Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey? - an upbeat swing piece with a prominent big band arrangement ( he came with 12 other talented muscians, ensuring a truly amazing experience ).
The next 2 songs ( can't remember the exact order ) were Hello Dolly and Working In The Coal Mine. I especially enjoyed the latter, on which Harry's exuberant whoops during the chorus reverberated throughout the concert hall. An early sign that he was euphoric that evening ( more details in the following paragraphs! ).
These were followed by a short interlude, as Harry chatted with us, saying how happy he is to be here in Singapore, mentioning how he smuggled a case of chewing gum through customs so he could "sell it on the black market" and make a tidy sum, only to discover that we do sell gum over here ( though they're the sugarless type ).
He expressed surprise at seeing a full house, but was of course extremely appreciative of our attendance.
He then said he'd been told that Asians are usually quite "conservative", but quickly pointed out that there was a guy in the front row wearing "Miami Vice" attire, i.e. a white jacket, white shirt and white shoes. ( This became the running joke for the rest of the night, it was hilarious! )
After this little monologue, he treated us to what I consider the "magical moment" ( something I always look out for at any show ) -- a solo piano performance of On The Sunny Side Of The Street, played "New Orleans style". It's apparently featured on his 1987 self-titled album, but I heard it for the very first time that evening, and was hypnotized from start to finish.
[ P.S. Make sure to do some research before you buy tickets to jazz concerts -- most pianists sit on the left side of the stage ( from the audience's perspective ). I was at a perfect angle in the 12th row ( couldn't get anything closer despite going online the day the seats were released ), and could see his side profile and, more importantly, both hands on the keyboard. ]
He thoroughly enjoyed himself on this piece, tapping ( and occasionally stomping ) his feet as his fingers flew across the ivories. His touch is firm yet feathery light, and the harmonies -- pure heaven! My mom identified the song just seconds into the intro - bravo! - and we absolutely loved his interpretation of the classic.
Other pickings from Oh, My Nola include: Jambalaya ( On The Bayou ), Yes We Can Can, and either Something You Got or Let Them Talk ( or both, I can't recall ).
Another highlight was when trombone player Lucien Barbarin came trotting out to join Harry on a couple of traditional New Orleans songs, namely Didn't He Ramble and Basin Street Blues. The first was more sedate ( but really good nonetheless ), but on the second, I was momentarily stunned when Harry suddenly stood up and started to shimmy around the stage with his pal, as the band continued to play. This went on for maybe 3 minutes ( or longer? ). Obviously I wasn't the only one who was taken aback, as the whole theatre started to clap and cheer at the sight. He certainly didn't behave this way on the concert DVD I have at home! :)
The general tempo of the show was pretty upbeat -- something I am totally contented with. The only major slow-downs were a cover of When I Fall In Love and, for the encore, It Had To Be You ( the When Harry Met Sally song that launched his career ).
The entire concert lasted around 90 minutes, and I'm pretty sure I left a couple more songs off the list. What was he singing when he did that 2nd dance number? The one where he pulled up his jacket and showed off some really fantastic booty-shaking? ( Beyonce, eat your heart out! :)) That alone is worth the ticket price!
The longer period of bantering came near the end, as he talked about a wide range of topics, from his daughter's comment on the Singapore landscape outside her hotel room window ( "It doesn't look like 'Mulan'!" ), to American Idol ( he got a bit confused when someone in the audience told him it's shown 3 times a night -- on cable, that is ), and yes, that "Miami Vice dude" again. Turns out he's in his late 20s or early 30s, Chinese, Malaysian, and a contractor. Harry actually climbed down from the stage ( no stairs, mind you ) to take a look at the man's name card, before reading out his email address and mobile number to everyone in the theatre. The guy's wife then snapped a quick picture of the two men, and Harry paid her a great compliment by telling the fellow, "Is this your wife? You lucked out, man, she's beautiful." Awww... :)
So in summary, it was a fabulous concert, and my mom's a new convert. She didn't really pay attention when I played his album in the car before, but now she loves Harry to bits. Pity he couldn't stay to sign autographs. But considering how friendly he is, he probably wouldn't be able to leave for hours if he did.
My money was very well spent! Extremely happy about it. :)
Just a special mention about his marvelous band, especially Arthur Latin on drums / percussion, and Neal Caine on the bass. Latin ( like all great drummers ) has boundless energy, and kept things interesting with his crisp beats. Caine, on the other hand, was the ultimate cool cat, plucking the strings almost the same way Harry was tapping the keyboard, occasionally caressing his instrument with his cheek ( subconsciously, perhaps? ).
Yes, people, I pay attention to everyone on-stage, not just the hot lead singer. :)
A New-Found Appreciation For Life
A recent anxiety which gave me a week of insomnia was nicely resolved over the weekend.
But more importantly, it helped me develop a new perspective, and made me realize how fragile one's existence is.
For a few moments, I wondered about the future -- my own, my parents', even my cat's. It was immensely nerve-wracking, to say the least.
I had to do something on my own, to gain the peace of mind I so desperately craved. The people who helped me through this dilemma are complete strangers, and the experience itself transiently depressing. But I applaud what these individuals are accomplishing, and if our paths ever cross again, I will thank them properly for the invaluable comfort they provided.
[ note to readers: Don't be alarmed! Everything's okay. :) ]
Anyway, it's on to more tasks at hand. Will be organizing chair ( i.e. kena arrowed ) for next year's local Emergency Medicine conference, and am hoping to bring 2 world-renowned emergency physicians down to Singapore as keynote speakers. Have already met one of them in New York at Mt. Sinai Hospital ( though I actually had no idea who he was at the time, argh! ). A very dynamic and highly accomplished professor, and editor-in-chief of a publication that any self-respecting emergency physician would read.
And on a totally unrelated note, as my mom and I were watching an old recording of a Celine Dion concert on Sunday night, I suddenly suggested to her that American Idol 7's frontrunner David Archuleta could be the only guy on this earth who might do justice to "My Heart Will Go On" ( from Titanic, if you live on another planet and don't know this ). I mean, so far he's been able to sing just about anything and make it sound great, so why not a Celine classic? Only problem is, he's so young and inexperienced, it may come off as too fake ( sometimes you need a bit of pain in your past to sound genuinely distressed, no? ). In any case, I'd still like to hear him try. :)
To end off, an excerpt from an article on E! Online:
"Oh, and speaking of "Awww," you should know that David Awwwrchuleta is literally the most unflappable ray of smiling sunshine I have ever laid eyes on. The kid never stops smiling. Never! I'm convinced he may be the latest version of those cute, mechanical robot-dogs and if so, I want a model. That boy is straight-up adorable.
When asked how he feels about all the glowing praise being heaped on him, and how he's the favorite, David just blushed and said, "Oh, I don't know about that!" But clearly, Awwwrchuleta is the favorite, and his competition knows it: Michael Johns, Brooke White and Amanda Overmyer all picked him to win, and Jason Castro said, "It's pretty much the David Archuleta show." ( For the record, not a one of them sounded bitter, which was sweet. )"
If only fans outside the U.S. could vote! :D
Till next time...
Friday, March 07, 2008
Hurray!
The latest American Idol results are out on the Internet, and Danny Noriega ( the effeminate, arrogant and rude one ) is out! :)
David Archuleta goes on to the final 12, after which the girls are fair game -- they've been safe thus far, but could get eliminated one by one if they fail to outshine the guys. ( David Cook was a great surprise this week, with his rock version of Lionel Richie's Hello -- even my conservative mom, who loves the original, thought he was terrific! )
Just wanted to post this little update ( and watch more David A videos on YouTube, haha ). Okay, time to get ready for Harry Connick, Jr. A review will follow soon. :D
The latest American Idol results are out on the Internet, and Danny Noriega ( the effeminate, arrogant and rude one ) is out! :)
David Archuleta goes on to the final 12, after which the girls are fair game -- they've been safe thus far, but could get eliminated one by one if they fail to outshine the guys. ( David Cook was a great surprise this week, with his rock version of Lionel Richie's Hello -- even my conservative mom, who loves the original, thought he was terrific! )
Just wanted to post this little update ( and watch more David A videos on YouTube, haha ). Okay, time to get ready for Harry Connick, Jr. A review will follow soon. :D
By the way, here's a really nice article about David A. on CNN. Must read! :)
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Health Minister's Comments
About the A&E, that is.
Skimmed through the Straits Times article today, and was amused to read that there may be plans to raise A&E charges in the future to minimize abuse.
My question is: by how much?
Our fees recently went up by a paltry $10, and patient attendances are still hitting record highs.
Singaporeans are an affluent bunch, especially the well-educated ones ( a significant proportion of whom are also quite young ). We see many of them as self-referrals, so paying a bit more isn't likely to be an effective deterrent.
I don't think it's fair to penalize the genuinely sick cases or the old / poor population, in order to keep the numbers down. ( Ultimately, I doubt any of the suggested measures will make a difference to begin with. )
The best solution, I feel, is to strengthen the primary healthcare sector by boosting manpower at polyclinics and ensuring adequate training of primary care physicians.
Friends of mine who work at the OPS always tell me the same horror stories: not enough doctors, too many patients, insufficient time for each case, unbearable stress...
Many have left government service for more reasonable working conditions in private practice. Which then aggravates the manpower and patient care problem.
The same thing happens in restructured hospitals. It's a vicious cycle, people.
I just finished a shift in the consultation area today. Let me give you a few examples of the cases I saw.
( I shall leave out the origin of the referrals from other doctors. )
1) Patient with "buttock abscess x 2 weeks, not better with 2 courses of oral antibiotics, please admit for I&D". Turned out NOT to be an abscess, nor anywhere near the buttock. Measured 1-2cm, non-tender, not inflamed, patient very comfortable. Discharged as a possible sebaceous cyst, with an O&G clinic appointment.
2) "LIF pain x 1 month, ?LIF mass" - no mass, no tenderness on palpation, extremely comfortable. Given colorectal appointment for further workup.
3) My favourite: "Left little toe pain x 1 month after trauma. X-ray today shows ( I quote ) 'fracture little toe', please see urgently, KIV admit for ORIF"!
The referring doctor's name sounds local. Where did this person study medicine?!
Self-referrals ( i.e. came to A&E on their own without a referral from another doctor ):
1) NS boy with left leg contusion. Walks with no problem, leg completely normal on examination. X-ray ( no surprise ) normal. Discharged with light duty.
2) Bread-and-butter stuff like flu, viral fever, mild gastroenteritis -- many are young, ambulant and comfortable. Never occurred to them to visit the GP / OPS.
On other days, I've seen "urgent" referrals for deranged liver function tests, which actually comprise mildly raised transaminases with normal bilirubin and no symptoms.
When the patients come to us, they expect a full workup, including a scan.
Who gets blasted in the end? We A&E doctors, of course. We're the ones who get saddled with managing patient expectations, which wastes precious time that should be spent on more important tasks.
Am I wrong to say that Singaporeans don't seem to rely on primary physicians as much as they should? Some patients even tell me they refuse to go to the polyclinic because the waiting times there are too long ( even though WTs at our department can hit 4-6 hours on bad days ). Others tell me they "don't trust non-specialists", not realizing that the A&E's are run mostly by medical officers.
At any rate, the abuse of the A&E is a massive problem which cannot be solved overnight. We could do a detailed analysis of every case that comes through our doors to pinpoint the main contributing factors, but this is horribly time-consuming and we don't have the resources to perform it.
So bottomline: continue to suffer in silence. Until some mass casualty incident occurs and overwhelms the whole healthcare system, shaming the entire country and thus prompting full-throttle action from The Powers That Be.
I may not live long enough to see that day ( and I intend to live till I'm at least 90 :)).
About the A&E, that is.
Skimmed through the Straits Times article today, and was amused to read that there may be plans to raise A&E charges in the future to minimize abuse.
My question is: by how much?
Our fees recently went up by a paltry $10, and patient attendances are still hitting record highs.
Singaporeans are an affluent bunch, especially the well-educated ones ( a significant proportion of whom are also quite young ). We see many of them as self-referrals, so paying a bit more isn't likely to be an effective deterrent.
I don't think it's fair to penalize the genuinely sick cases or the old / poor population, in order to keep the numbers down. ( Ultimately, I doubt any of the suggested measures will make a difference to begin with. )
The best solution, I feel, is to strengthen the primary healthcare sector by boosting manpower at polyclinics and ensuring adequate training of primary care physicians.
Friends of mine who work at the OPS always tell me the same horror stories: not enough doctors, too many patients, insufficient time for each case, unbearable stress...
Many have left government service for more reasonable working conditions in private practice. Which then aggravates the manpower and patient care problem.
The same thing happens in restructured hospitals. It's a vicious cycle, people.
I just finished a shift in the consultation area today. Let me give you a few examples of the cases I saw.
( I shall leave out the origin of the referrals from other doctors. )
1) Patient with "buttock abscess x 2 weeks, not better with 2 courses of oral antibiotics, please admit for I&D". Turned out NOT to be an abscess, nor anywhere near the buttock. Measured 1-2cm, non-tender, not inflamed, patient very comfortable. Discharged as a possible sebaceous cyst, with an O&G clinic appointment.
2) "LIF pain x 1 month, ?LIF mass" - no mass, no tenderness on palpation, extremely comfortable. Given colorectal appointment for further workup.
3) My favourite: "Left little toe pain x 1 month after trauma. X-ray today shows ( I quote ) 'fracture little toe', please see urgently, KIV admit for ORIF"!
The referring doctor's name sounds local. Where did this person study medicine?!
Self-referrals ( i.e. came to A&E on their own without a referral from another doctor ):
1) NS boy with left leg contusion. Walks with no problem, leg completely normal on examination. X-ray ( no surprise ) normal. Discharged with light duty.
2) Bread-and-butter stuff like flu, viral fever, mild gastroenteritis -- many are young, ambulant and comfortable. Never occurred to them to visit the GP / OPS.
On other days, I've seen "urgent" referrals for deranged liver function tests, which actually comprise mildly raised transaminases with normal bilirubin and no symptoms.
When the patients come to us, they expect a full workup, including a scan.
Who gets blasted in the end? We A&E doctors, of course. We're the ones who get saddled with managing patient expectations, which wastes precious time that should be spent on more important tasks.
Am I wrong to say that Singaporeans don't seem to rely on primary physicians as much as they should? Some patients even tell me they refuse to go to the polyclinic because the waiting times there are too long ( even though WTs at our department can hit 4-6 hours on bad days ). Others tell me they "don't trust non-specialists", not realizing that the A&E's are run mostly by medical officers.
At any rate, the abuse of the A&E is a massive problem which cannot be solved overnight. We could do a detailed analysis of every case that comes through our doors to pinpoint the main contributing factors, but this is horribly time-consuming and we don't have the resources to perform it.
So bottomline: continue to suffer in silence. Until some mass casualty incident occurs and overwhelms the whole healthcare system, shaming the entire country and thus prompting full-throttle action from The Powers That Be.
I may not live long enough to see that day ( and I intend to live till I'm at least 90 :)).
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Prepare To Be Bombarded
Have finally found some free time to look up videos on YouTube, and came upon this treasure trove of footage.
I just ADORE this boy / young man ( can't really decide which at this point ).
Have finally found some free time to look up videos on YouTube, and came upon this treasure trove of footage.There're 2 ways to search for him, yielding significantly different results.
Using "David Archuleta, Star Search", or
just plain "David Archuleta".
The first has clips of him at age 12, doing R&B-heavy pieces like You're All I Need and Alicia Keys' Fallin'. The first video on the list features a song that I don't know, but David sings the hell out of it for sure. :)
Another video you definitely should not miss is O Holy Night. Described as a recording made on 14th December 2007, David is presumably 16 and sounds like an angel. I've heard so many versions of this Christmas classic, but this beats them all hollow. The last time I teared up while listening to a song was way back in 2003, when Clay Aiken blew the roof off the Kodak Theatre with his awesome performance of Bridge Over Troubled Water.
Hearing David bring his own style and spirit to one of my all-time favourite Christmas pieces is tremendously inspiring, so I wasn't surprised to feel my eyes water. Beautiful!!!
Also, check out A Thousand Miles, which looks like a home video, but totally rocks! He plays the piano very well, I must say. This cover is a lot better than the squeaky original by Vanessa Carlton. Notice he has no music score to refer to. Very professionally done.
Next, be sure to watch an early cover of Imagine, at age 13. He's rather short for his age, but terribly cute. :)
You can compare this to the latest version, which he performed on American Idol just a few days ago. Both share a few similarities, yet are vastly different in many other ways. Just shows he isn't rehashing a well-rehearsed routine, is able to improvise, but also sings from his heart.
Last but not least, you can see the full-length video for Heaven, done during Hollywood week, and shown only in short snippets on local television. Very smooth, with fabulous voice control.
He is soooo talented! It's fantastic that Simon Cowell has anointed him "the one to beat" this year. He really deserves the title, and I'm already a huge fan. :)
My other favourite, Jason Castro, may not have done well this week, but he's definitely got the goods. Just check out this video from a gig at the Prophet Bar, which I think is excellent. He reminds me of Jason Mraz -- same vocal tone and choice of instrument, but he sings a lot slower, haha.
Anyway, that's all I have time for today. It's gonna be a crazy month ahead, let's hope I survive it. Going to the Harry Connick, Jr. concert on Friday, can't wait! :)
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Early Predictions for American Idol 7
It's never too soon to make a few so-called bets ( though mine are strictly non-profit in nature :)).
Top Favourite: David Archuleta. Hands down.
He was featured prominently throughout the audition and Hollywood week episodes, and has proven formidable with his unbelievable performance of The Miracles' Shop Around a few days ago.
Despite being a tender 17 ( and refreshingly innocent for someone his age, considering teens these days ), he owns a jaw-dropping set of pipes, hitting those beautiful high notes perfectly and exuding stage presence like a pro.
No surprise then that he was a winner on Star Search when he was only 12 years old. This boy has significant prior experience to back him up.
Still, there's no mistaking his God-given talent. I would even say that of all the seasons so far, David is the only one who boasts the oft-talked-about "whole package" -- i.e. good looks, great voice, star quality. ( Carrie Underwood comes a close second, but she blossomed only AFTER winning the title. ) His age is an advantage rather than an impediment. If he keeps this up and audiences remain loyal, he can easily win this competition.
His reaction to the judges' high praise was so hilarious! Stunned speechless and stammering uncontrollably, he even got Ryan Seacrest nudging him in the ribs. It was a rare heartwarming TV moment. :)
2nd Top Favourite: Jason Castro, age 20
This fellow, on the other hand, was hardly seen this past month, and only made his big debut this week singing What A Day For A Daydream - a folksy, happy piece showcasing his comfort with a guitar and minimal backup from the band.
His vocals didn't wow me the way David's did, but he does have an easy, slightly goofy charm, nicely complemented by the odd yet appealing combination of dreadlocks and warm blue eyes.
Based on this 1st performance, he's definitely a contender. But it remains to be seen whether he can remain consistent and survive to the end.
3rd Top Favourite: Ramiele Malubay, 20
Very talented, this one. She's the only female contestant I can stomach, and her rendition of You Don't Have To Say You Love Me was terrific.
She's got a huge voice for someone so tiny, and the tone is a husky soulful mix yet superbly controlled in terms of volume.
Last year's crop of contestants was a letdown ( winner Jordin Sparks? puh-leeze ), but this batch looks mighty promising.
Update On John Lloyd Young
He's giving his debut solo concert Feb 23rd ( Sunday morning Singapore time ) at the Lincoln Center, performing songs from the '60s. Read a recent interview here.
Wish I could be there, but alas, I'm stuck here. Working. Bleah. :)
Congratulations, Singapore
I rarely get excited about local news events, but this is considered a huge coup, so it's something to look forward to eh?
All I can think about is how our hospital is going to be the designated first-line medical centre yet again. Not necessarily a bad thing, but colleagues who had to endure some major prima donna behaviour from World Bank delegates 2 years ago have made me wary of foreign visitors coming to our ER expecting VIP treatment.
I mean, we promise to do our best for you medically, but within reason. If I have a collapse or a critical patient, don't expect me to come running over to treat a minor condition that can jolly well wait.
Sigh
It's going to be a busy week ahead, not to mention a crazy schedule next month.
However, I'm thrilled that the SMA News nabbed interviews with 2 high-profile medical figures recently ( both from the US ), one of whom is so renowned he's a regular guest on Larry King Live.
Shall not ruin the surprise. Watch for them in our February and March issues. :)
Wishing you a fun weekend.
It's never too soon to make a few so-called bets ( though mine are strictly non-profit in nature :)).
Top Favourite: David Archuleta. Hands down.
He was featured prominently throughout the audition and Hollywood week episodes, and has proven formidable with his unbelievable performance of The Miracles' Shop Around a few days ago.
Despite being a tender 17 ( and refreshingly innocent for someone his age, considering teens these days ), he owns a jaw-dropping set of pipes, hitting those beautiful high notes perfectly and exuding stage presence like a pro.
No surprise then that he was a winner on Star Search when he was only 12 years old. This boy has significant prior experience to back him up.
Still, there's no mistaking his God-given talent. I would even say that of all the seasons so far, David is the only one who boasts the oft-talked-about "whole package" -- i.e. good looks, great voice, star quality. ( Carrie Underwood comes a close second, but she blossomed only AFTER winning the title. ) His age is an advantage rather than an impediment. If he keeps this up and audiences remain loyal, he can easily win this competition.
His reaction to the judges' high praise was so hilarious! Stunned speechless and stammering uncontrollably, he even got Ryan Seacrest nudging him in the ribs. It was a rare heartwarming TV moment. :)
2nd Top Favourite: Jason Castro, age 20
This fellow, on the other hand, was hardly seen this past month, and only made his big debut this week singing What A Day For A Daydream - a folksy, happy piece showcasing his comfort with a guitar and minimal backup from the band.
His vocals didn't wow me the way David's did, but he does have an easy, slightly goofy charm, nicely complemented by the odd yet appealing combination of dreadlocks and warm blue eyes.
Based on this 1st performance, he's definitely a contender. But it remains to be seen whether he can remain consistent and survive to the end.
3rd Top Favourite: Ramiele Malubay, 20
Very talented, this one. She's the only female contestant I can stomach, and her rendition of You Don't Have To Say You Love Me was terrific.
She's got a huge voice for someone so tiny, and the tone is a husky soulful mix yet superbly controlled in terms of volume.
Last year's crop of contestants was a letdown ( winner Jordin Sparks? puh-leeze ), but this batch looks mighty promising.
Update On John Lloyd Young
He's giving his debut solo concert Feb 23rd ( Sunday morning Singapore time ) at the Lincoln Center, performing songs from the '60s. Read a recent interview here.
Wish I could be there, but alas, I'm stuck here. Working. Bleah. :)
Congratulations, Singapore
I rarely get excited about local news events, but this is considered a huge coup, so it's something to look forward to eh?
All I can think about is how our hospital is going to be the designated first-line medical centre yet again. Not necessarily a bad thing, but colleagues who had to endure some major prima donna behaviour from World Bank delegates 2 years ago have made me wary of foreign visitors coming to our ER expecting VIP treatment.
I mean, we promise to do our best for you medically, but within reason. If I have a collapse or a critical patient, don't expect me to come running over to treat a minor condition that can jolly well wait.
Sigh
It's going to be a busy week ahead, not to mention a crazy schedule next month.
However, I'm thrilled that the SMA News nabbed interviews with 2 high-profile medical figures recently ( both from the US ), one of whom is so renowned he's a regular guest on Larry King Live.
Shall not ruin the surprise. Watch for them in our February and March issues. :)
Wishing you a fun weekend.
