Resurrected!

And not a moment too soon. :)

Eh, directing people to my blog may not be such a good idea. Unless I start dishing out medical advice, e.g. bring all your meds when you come to the hospital and STOP disappearing to the canteen for breakfast / lunch / dinner before the doctor even has a chance to see you!

Quotables

"Let me put it this way: I'm just putting a bit of air in the tyres, so you can go home and RIDE THE BIKE ALL NIGHT."
- Michael Buble, on his "higher purpose in life"

p.s. I forgot to mention his short performances of MJ's Man In The Mirror ( spot-on! ) and that little Prince impersonation ( my mother remembered this so kudos to her :)).


House!

Dr. Cameron: 3 ER doctors, 2 neurologist and a radiologist all figured out what it's not. We need to figure out what it is.

House: If they were interested in my opinion they would've asked for it.

Cameron: None of them are willing to subject themselves to you.

House: No pain, no gain.



House: Hmm, husband describes her as being "unusually irritable".

Cameron: So?

House: I didn't realize it was possible for women to be unusually irritable.

Cameron: Nice try, but you're a misanthrope, not a misogynist.



Cameron: Diseases don't have motives.

House: No, but doctors do. I find your interest... interesting.



House: Is a lie a lie if everyone knows it's a lie?



Dr. Lisa Cuddy: It takes TWO department heads to treat shortness of breath? What, do the complications increase exponentially with cup size? ( reference to House's well-endowed female patient )

House: I want an EKG including tox screen on Mrs... Exam Room 1.

Cuddy: You're ordering tests to cover your lechery. Interesting.

House: VERY tricky case.



House: Anything that can be transmitted via the blood can be transmitted through sex.

Dr. Eric Foreman: Sleeping sickness through sex?

House: It's not without precedent.

Foreman: I'm pretty sure it is. Unless you're talking about going to Africa and having sex with a tse-tse fly.



Cameron: You want me to ask a man whose wife is about to die whether he cheated on her?

House: No, I want you to be POLITE and LET her die.



House: You can't be that good a person and well-adjusted.

Cameron: Why?

House: 'Cos you'll end up crying over centrifuges.

Cameron: Or hating people?

( That last quote is much better appreciated if you've actually watched this episode. Very moving, I must say. )


Highly Recommended

Numb3rs

This is the latest sensation to hit the small screen, thanks to master director Ridley Scott's partnership with hotshot producer brother Tony Scott.

Airs every Monday night at 9pm on AXN Channel 19, with multiple repeats throughout the week.

The premise: using mathematical equations to pursue and apprehend criminals.

Characters: 2 siblings - a senior FBI agent played by Rob Morrow ( aka uptight Jewish GP Dr. Joel Fleischman from one of my favourite TV shows, "Northern Exposure" ) and his math genius younger bro played by relative newcomer David Krumholtz ( who also appeared in "10 Things I Hate About You" and "Ray" ).

They look so alike it isn't hard to imagine them as first-degree relatives.

Acting-wise, I have zero complaints. Morrow has totally shed his hypersensitive persona from "Northern Exposure", preferring a sort of quiet intensity that conveys urgency much more effectively than, say, a temperamental outburst ( lots of those on "Medical Investigation" ).

Krumholtz, however, is the big draw for me. I've already seen him in the films I mentioned, but here, he eats up the screen and embraces his role with such passion, it's just a pleasure to watch. I like the curls and long eyelashes too ( heh heh ).

The pilot was gripping and very enjoyable, with the 2 blokes hunting a serial rapist / murderer, finally pinpointing his location down to a single block. A few good twists here and there, with a satisfying finale.

Something new for me to do Monday nights. :D


Medical Investigation

Isn't as bad as I thought.

Well, it still pales in comparison with most medical dramas, but the latest episode featured a possible bioterrorism scenario which later turned out to be a hantavirus outbreak with a most unusual mode of transmission. Makes you think twice the next time you take communion. :)

If you can overlook the flaws ( no masks in the iso ward AGAIN! ), the series actually kinda rocks.


Foreign Films

The Sea Inside - poignant and well worth the time. Won't reveal much here. Just see it.

Children Of Heaven - if you don't know what this is about, then you REALLY should watch it. Easily pushed its way up to #2 on my list of all-time favourite movies ( sorry, "Dead Poets Society" is still the unsurpasssed victor ).


CD Review

The 5 Browns - a dazzling album which showcases the awesome talents of siblings Melody, Desirae, Deondra, Gregory and Ryan Brown, who've made Juilliard history by attending the prestigious institution simultaneously for 5 consecutive years.

The track list is eye-popping, with the likes of Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Prokofiev and Grieg.

The clincher, however, is the spectacular demonstration of unbelievable talent.

Stripped bare of accompaniment of any kind, each piece is pure piano and absolutely nothing else. From 5-piano arrangements like the precise Flight Of The Bumble Bee, jazzy Scenes From West Side Story and jolly The Sorcerer's Apprentice, to solo efforts of immensely challenging sonatas, this is one CD which failed to bore me ( I've obviously got a few that do ).

Favourite tracks: Most definitely #6 ( Rachmaninoff's Moments musicaux, Op. 16, No.4 ) and #9 ( Prokofiev's Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 28 ). The pieces themselves mean nothing to me ( all those theory exams almost killed me in my younger days ). The common denominator in this case is Ryan Brown, who performs both with brain-numbing skill, combining both maturity and gentleness in his flawless deliveries. I personally feel he's the best of the whole lot. Playing this by ear mostly. Your views?

I can definitely state that if they ever come here for a performance, I'm there. :)


Books

Jeffrey Deaver's "Garden Of Beasts" wasn't too bad, though a little long-winded in the 2nd half.

A post-dinner visit to Borders with a friend last week made it almost impossible for me NOT to purchase anything. John Berendt! Mo Hayder! Kathryn Fox! Something about 18th century sorcery ( can't remember the darn title! )!

But so little time... *&^%$$#@!


And speaking of dinner - my thanks to everyone who granted me their valuable time and energy these past 2 weeks. All those 3-hour meals and long walks afterward were just what I needed. Oh yes, and a most uplifting late screening of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin". :)

Funny how, after 5 years, I just discovered someone shares my great love for television. Have never been able to discuss "CSI" in such tiny detail with anybody before. No wonder it took you 2 hours to finish that bento set. :)

And that animal in "Northern Exposure" is a moose, NOT a cow lah! :D

Will be sure to ask you along when I finally decide to buy that MP3 player.


Photo Number ???

Michael Buble spouted something Italian the other night, which made me miss the country - yet again. He's of Italian descent, which I suppose explains a lot about his personality and ( ahem ) appreciation for members of the opposite sex. :)

His eyes are just sooooo huge! ( Okay, i won't say anymore. :))

This is from Taormina. Spotted while trudging downhill in the quaint little town on an extremely hot afternoon. Italy's full of such lovely nooks, but this one is so pretty I took it in the highest resolution possible for my camera and intend to blow it up and hang it somewhere if I ever get round to it.

There's a cafe nearby which serves delish cheesecake. The shops also sell gigantic cookies stuffed with almonds, lemon and chocolate chips. Lived on those quite a bit when I couldn't stomach our meals, haha.

Ah, Italy.