Remember my suggestions to cane those who break home quarantine, as well as publish their names and photos? Parliament is now reviewing the "name and shame" method, but I still think caning would be an equally effective deterrent.

By the way, I strongly encourage anyone who visits the site to please contribute your views. I've been informed that my blog is now linked to The Guardian newspaper in the UK -- you can see their review at this link -- and have received quite a few emails from people in Britain who actually read your comments. I always maintain that this site would be nothing without the readers, and I thank you for making this a lot more than it actually is. :) Keep it up!

The SMA News will be delayed till early next week, while the eulogies for the 3 doctors who passed away from SARS are being compiled. This is one terrific issue, so don't miss out. I'll let you know once it's available online. The new housemen will be getting their copies -- minus the eulogies though -- during the housemen seminar this weekend.

Also, your remarks about Dr. Alex Chao have given us great insight into his character and work ethic. This additional information makes his passing even more tragic. Our medical community has lost a truly great doctor.

On a non-SARS note, I'm ecstatic about Simon Cowell's comments on last night's American Idol 2. He has already picked the top 3 finalists -- Kimberly Locke, Ruben Studdard, and yes! Clay Aiken! My money's on Clay all the way, but Ruben may pose a real threat. Still, I have a feeling that the former will win the majority of the votes. If you think about it, Clay can sing Ruben's songs, but is the reverse true?

And before I sign off, here're a few more DVD reviews -- I should be studying, aargh!

Swimfan -- If you're a fan of teenage thrillers and "Fatal Attraction" scenarios, you'll enjoy this movie. Jesse Bradford ( Kirsten Dunst's love interest in "Bring It On") plays the hunky school swimmer with the perfect life -- great girlfriend ( Shiri Appleby from "Roswell" ), a possible sports scholarship from Stanford -- but throws it all away in a moment of weakness, which comes in the seductive form of Madison the pouty blonde bombshell with a serious case of insecurity. Not the best script around, and it's a premise that's been worked over ad nauseum. Its only saving grace is the acting, which is pretty good ( but that's just my opinion :)) Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.

Spirited Away -- aka the cartoon that beat Hollywood heavyweights to clinch this year's Oscar for Best Animated Feature. A well-deserved award, 'cos this is one of the most eye-popping shows I've seen in a long time. Gorgeous hand-drawn animation, an imaginative story, lots of surprises, unlike most run-of-the-mill American productions, which usually have bosom-buddies-on-a-quest or save-the-princess themes. Don't miss it.

I Spy -- Owen Wilson has carved a career out of being the ideal sidekick, and he works his magic again in this hilarious espionage adventure. Eddie Murphy also ups the laugh factor with his black-guy-on-amphetamines routine -- if you saw "Shrek", his performance here will definitely conjure up images of his turn as Donkey in that film. Wilson is boyish and charming, as always, but I think he should be harnessed for a proper action thriller one of these days, so his comic timing can take a backseat for once. I liked it, so you may want to give it a try.