Saturday, May 30, 2009

Having A Little Bit 'O Fun

I'm not as tech-savvy as Angry Doctor, so this IMEEM Music Player's the best I can do. Just keep clicking the fast forward button to get more songs.

Suggestions for the little empty box:

1) Adam Lambert - Glamorize is my new favourite track!

2) Glee - the Rehab track is smokin'! ( ignore songs #4 and #5 )

I have insomnia. Going to suffer later today.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Yet Another Short Entry

Got side-tracked by clinical and administrative work - again.

First, Adam Lambert got robbed! I had an awful gut feeling he wouldn't win, but was still hoping he would. Many theories are bouncing around on the Internet, but in the end, I do realize that Adam made it to the finals by being himself, and that certainly counts for something, right?

Second, a nice Rolling Stone article, sent to me via email. A quote from the man himself: “My dream now is to make a really dope record, to do something new, push the boundaries a little bit, push people’s buttons, open people’s minds up a little bit." I can't WAIT to get my hands on his album. :)

Third, my favourite Adam picture from American Idol's Rock Week. If you've always thought I'm a conservative wuss, think again. You haven't seen me screaming myself hoarse at concerts. :)

On a different note, something to look forward to -- StarHub, please bring this to local cable! Gotta try the link from my laptop at home. Doesn't work at the hospital, dammit. You happy with yourself up there in the IT department?!?!

Morning rounds beckon. Enjoy your Sunday.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

GAH!


Yes, I'm fully aware that Adam's gay / bisexual or whatever, but there's no denying his sex appeal. :)

Wanted to post a picture from Rock Week -- all that leather and bling! -- but can't seem to find it on Google and the American Idol website's photo page isn't loading properly.

So here's my next fave -- something from Motown week. I believe this is the one from his Tracks Of My Tears performance -- the studio version is excellent, but the 'live' rendition is completely different and much better.

One of the rare occasions where Adam's hair isn't flopping all over his face, and the eyeliner / nail polish are absent. He's a good-looking fellow, no? At least a 6-footer -- tall dude, me likey. :)

Thought he outsang Kris by a mile at the finals last night. His cover of Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come gave me chills, and his attempt at the original song No Boundaries ( despite it being absolutely horrible ) made it sound decent, while Kris crashed and burned when it came to his turn.

If Adam doesn't win this, then I guess either America isn't ready to embrace a non-heterosexual Idol, or the tween girls are ruling the votes this year ( after losing out in the David Archuleta department in 2008 ).

Wishing you good luck, Adam! Only 4 more hours to go before the results show starts.

And I can't wait to see Jason Mraz rock the Nokia Theater stage!


Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Final Showdown

Am reading the American Idol Forums since local TV and StarHub cable networks inexplicably decided not to air a 'live' telecast of the finals performance show.

Good recap here ( scroll down ).
L, you'll be happy to know that Adam chose to sing Mad World again, since you like that song. :)
I personally would've preferred If I Can't Have You. Have heard the full studio version, which is nothing short of crazy-fabulous!

Don't read the forum review if you don't want to see other spoilers - you've been warned!

As you know, I've been rooting for Adam from the word go, and hope he secures the title. He deserves it!


And, Jason Mraz fans rejoice, 'cos Mr. A-Z is going to be on the results show tomorrow, YES!
Buzz so far is that he'll do a solo - Keith Urban will duet with Kris - but I'm hoping he'll sing with either Kris or Adam ( the latter combo would be much more interesting, of course ).
AI8 is the perfect platform for Jason to go truly global and reach audiences who haven't experienced his stage presence before. Blow them away, J!


Preliminary Feedback?

Two things:

1) The new group blog - we've been getting quite a few hits from The Singapore Daily, so thanks for the free publicity.
There're about 6 doctors contributing to Singapore MD, but like I mentioned before, we've all been rather caught up with various things recently, and hope to write more regularly in the near future.
Comments are most welcome, so hope you'll leave a few when you visit.

2) Mind-bending encounters

Had one just 2 days ago, when a new MO told me s/he's never done a proctoscopic exam before.
I've had my share of shocking revelations over the past 10 years, and although this doesn't take the cake ( I've had much worse ), it's definitely a new one.
Don't ask me how s/he managed to get through med school and housemanship without ever having to stick a proctoscope up a patient. I think I asked him/her about this, but s/he dodged the question.

Will wonders never cease?


Am nursing a headache even after a full day of rest post-Monday hell. Not looking forward to the night shift later, but at least I've got American Idol finals Part 1 & 2 to keep my spirits up. Go, Adam! :)

Sunday, May 17, 2009

New Blog

This is an initiative involving a group of local medical colleagues. First entry has been posted by an Infectious Disease physician, whom I guess prefers to remain anonymous for now. :)

A lot it is still under construction, so bear with us. We've all been very busy this week.

Comments are most welcome.
More to follow in the future. May invite various experts to contribute from time to time.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Desperate Times...

I can't take it anymore, so here's a short entry while I spend the last hour of my crappy night shift babysitting a case undergoing CT scans.


American Idol - The Final 2

Was there ever any doubt that Adam Lambert would reach the finish line? That crazy week where he and Kris Allen were in the bottom was obviously a fluke.

Should make a most interesting showdown - glam rocker vs boy-next-door. Kris channeled Jason Mraz with his acoustic version of Heartless this week, while Adam overdid it a little on Aerosmith's Cryin'.

I still favour Adam, who's got the goods in terms of vocals and charisma. But it remains to be seen whether a gay / bisexual this flamboyant can garner enough votes to beat a married Christian worship leader who understandably appeals to the mainstream audience.

I guess I'm quite open-minded in that respect. Bet the ousted Aware EXCO are cringing over the possible 50/50 outcome, heh heh.


Movie Marathon

Haven't watched 3 movies consecutively in a long long time. Am enjoying myself immensely. :)

Considering Wolverine, Star Trek and Angels & Demons, I can't say that any movie really stood out. Best critique would be that none of them was unbelievably bad, but then again they didn't live up to my expectations, especially Star Trek ( with its misleadingly impressive trailer ).

Since my background knowledge is strongest where A&D is concerned, trust me when I tell you to read the book. If you caught the film before touching the novel, then read it anyway. The last few chapters get rather clunky and melodramatic, but the rest of it is thrilling and fascinating, and I guarantee you will enjoy the rollercoaster ride ( even if you pretend not to :)).

If you have the chance to visit Rome in the future, make sure you take the official A&D tour, which I joined back in 2005 and absolutely loved! The guides are just wonderful.


Standing Down, For Now

So as we shift from DORSCON Orange to Yellow, leave restrictions are being relaxed, although I've already gone ahead with cancelling my July vacation to Europe. Dammit!

Anyway, I take comfort in the fact that I've booked another trip, for semi-official reasons, to a country that's closer to home. Just have to wait another extra couple of months before I can get away. Even if the 2nd wave hits us and my leave is threatened, I intend to appeal.
I mean, we have to be reasonable to some extent, right?


Boy am I exhausted. This is one of the rare occasions where I can't leave the ER to get some rest. Only managed a short supper break, which was fortunately taken at just the right moment before the sick patients arrived. Even if my brain's toasted, at least my stomach's full. :)

Time for some breakfast, then 2 hours of overtime covering the new MOs undergoing orientation lectures. Yippee.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

The Polls Continue

Short entry because of time constraints - lots of that occurring since returning to work last Monday, sigh.

With swine flu still featuring prominently in the news, the latest question stays on the same topic, and I've left the previous 2 polls' results on the main page to see if what readers here predicted hold true ( although some options are actually quite ambiguous heh ).

Will try to write something more detailed later this week. For now, you can probably get more updates via Twitter.

Watching Angels & Demons tomorrow. Wondering if I should catch Terminator: Salvation next week.

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

And So It Begins

Link to a new blog, titled Mumblings, maintained by someone who recently joined the house officer pool.

I know the author personally, and his/her earlier blog, Med School Mumblings, has posted its last chapter.

Welcome to working life! Is it everything you imagined it to be? :)

Saturday, May 02, 2009

The Jane Austen Book Club Online

Wow, someone actually uploaded the movie on YouTube!

You can watch the film in 10-minute segments ( Part 13 was removed by the user, but you get the idea by Part 12 ).

Part 5 has a really nice scene which starts at the 7th minute. To put things in context, Emily Blunt's a high school teacher, and the guy's one of her students. Won't spill the rest of the beans. :)

Part 7 is a lunch scene, but NOT the one I wrote about. This sequence starts in Part 6, and I just love the dialogue. At the end of Part 6, Dancy says "I like difficult things.", which I found hilarious.
His character's one of the sweetest around. If I've piqued your interest, watch the rest of the clips and start at the very beginning to see how he and Maria Bello's character first meet, and how their relationship progresses.

Part 8 is something our Ministry of Education will frown upon. Haha.

Part 9 - Now THIS is the lunch scene where Dancy looks fabulous! Starts at the 60-second mark. Make sure you watch it in full-screen mode. :)

Last but not least, congratulations to Jamie Cullum, who just announced his engagement to Sophie Dahl. Never expected him to get hitched so soon, but it's great that he has.
Jason Mraz is more elusive in the marriage department. Hope he stays single a while longer. :D

It's 2am. Wonder if I should log off... maybe not. :)

Friday, May 01, 2009

Brief Entry

Was contemplating a lengthy post, being on leave and all, but lost steam somewhere along the way. Time has passed too quickly for my liking, and I am NOT looking forward to returning to work in 2 days' time.

Thanks to a blogger friend in Canada, I notice visits from the Western hemisphere due to the swine flu outbreak, which I briefly mentioned last weekend.

There's a high chance you will read more from me once I'm back in what I call "the hot zone" on Monday, but since Singapore is still quite distant from the main cluster ( USA and Mexico ), my comments are unlikely to be as anxious as those from the 2003 SARS episode.

I have, however, been receiving updates from friends in the ER and wards, and my mailbox continues to be flooded with the latest management protocols for suspected cases. SARS has taught us well, so the measures being taken - though some may consider rather extreme - are fully welcomed by those of us working the trenches.

Ironically, healthcare institutions - with their stringent isolation protocols and 1-visitor-a-day rules - may end up being the safest locations, since I have absolutely zero faith in Singaporeans' sense of civic responsibility. Despite our Health Minister's appeals which made headlines today, I am not hopeful where the locals' personal habits are concerned. As soon as H1N1 hits our shores for whatever reason, I am certain it will spread like wildfire until Singaporeans are forced to stay home, either by the authorities or out of fear, which is what happened in 2003.

But try telling that to my mom, who's already close to freaking out since my leave ends this weekend. Not again, she says, and who can blame her? She still remembers my close brush with a SARS patient who died during my night call but who wasn't diagnosed with the illness till a couple of days later. Those of us who came into contact with her were fortunate because she turned out to be a "non-spreader", and although I took the news calmly and endured the next 14 days of hospital phone calls checking on my health ( I wasn't even granted leave from work due to the manpower shortage ) without breaking a sweat, I don't want to put my parents through that agony again.

Plus, I was in the medical ward back then. This time, it's the ER, which is 100 times more dangerous.

I don't know if age has hardened me, or whether my experience from the SARS epidemic accounts for my current state of mind. My mom asks how I can stay so cool about the possibility of a global pandemic. I don't have a ready answer, but like all my frontline medical colleagues out there, we realize we have a job to do, and accept the responsibilities thrust upon us. And since Singaporeans are famous for not appreciating healthcare workers, an outbreak like this every 5 years serves as a good wake-up call.


On a less depressing note, Wolverine was a nice way to kickstart my movie-going spree. Hugh Jackman is the best reason to watch this otherwise fluffy flick, but the special effects are also pretty awesome ( especially a sequence with Deadpool using his sword to slice bullets ). Taylor Kitsch who plays Gambit proved to be quite the breakout performer. Strong resemblance to James Franco, but better-looking.

Next films on my list: Star Trek ( trailer is unbelievable! ), followed by Angels & Demons ( superb novel, and I've been on the official Rome tour, so it better not disappoint! ).

Another recommendation: The Jane Austen Book Club, which I recently saw on cable. Typical female angst stuff, but I've developed a great affinity for Hugh Dancy, who is adorable as a younger man who pursues an older woman ( played by Maria Bello ). There's a lunch scene where the sunlight illuminates his face, and he looks absolutely gorgeous!
Sorry, I have hormones, okay? :)

Last but not least, the abominable results from this week's American Idol, where poor Adam was in the bottom 2, and Allison was safe! Huh?! This had better not happen again!

On the upside, Taylor Hicks performed, which was a surprise since the last time I read about him and AI, they'd parted on bad terms after creative disagreements.
He's lost a lot of weight, looked and sounded great, and got a standing ovation from all 4 judges ( an even bigger surprise! ).

Next week's theme: Rock! Adam is going to blow the roof off the place, and the fans had better vote for him this time!

Battling insomnia again. Time to visit YouTube. :)