Decidedly Bored

Moved

2006-04-13T06:03:00.000+01:00

I've moved over to a new site of my own, now powered by Wordpress. Change your bookmarks!

The weather is insane

2006-04-10T11:05:00.000+01:00

If spring is here, why is it still so damned cold? I'm not leaving the house today. Can't even bear to leave my room to get to the toilet.

Send me some Odeo

2006-04-10T09:34:00.000+01:00

Let me hear the sweet lilt of your voice even if you're halfway across the world! All you need to leave me a voice message on Odeo is a built-in microphone on your computer. Talk to me!

Golden Axe

2006-04-09T01:45:00.000+01:00

Wow, coming across the KLOV entry for Golden Axe brings back so many memories! I remember playing the PC release off 5.25-inch floppy disks at my grandmother's house; I didn't have the luxury of a computer or game console at home then. My favourite character was the dwarf Gilius Thunderhead, dwarves always kick ass in RPGs.

V

2006-04-09T01:35:00.000+01:00

If you've caught V for Vendetta, you'll surely remember V's alliterative self-introduction to Evey Hammond. No prizes for guessing the letter of the day.

He goes,

"Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honour to meet you and you may call me V."

V for Vendetta - Wikiquote

Technical illustrations

2006-04-08T15:48:00.000+01:00

Kevin Hulsey does technical illustrations, look at the exquisite detail on his depiction of the cruise ship 'Empress of the Seas'.

Portuguese egg tarts

2006-04-07T23:31:00.000+01:00

I went to Nando's to get a takeaway and saw some Portuguese egg tarts on the counter. So I got myself two and boy are they delicious. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Absolutely heavenly...

Never really expected to find Portuguese egg tarts here, hitherto I've only seen the common variety found in Chinatown. The wrappers say they're made by Madeira Patisserie along Albert Embankment; maybe I'll pop by to get a few more sometime during the Easter holidays.

Crazy

2006-04-02T20:26:00.000+01:00

Welcome our belated spring here in the UK with Gnarls Barkley's upbeat single Crazy! It's become the first ever single to top the charts based on downloads alone.

The End of the World

2006-04-02T01:10:00.000+01:00

Got this off Albino Blacksheep, it's been around for some time but always makes me laugh! Love ze French going, "But I am le tired..."

The face of disaster

2006-04-01T02:41:00.000+01:00

Haha, priceless caption. Well not exactly breaking news, we've all known for some time that he's quite the disaster. (off Kimili)

Religious dilemma

2006-03-28T00:55:00.000+01:00

As an atheist, I've often pondered over the paradox that religion presents to me. If religious texts are written by the hand of man, then what proves the words and events documented are the work of higher being(s) and not a figment of a mortal's imagination? Is it not irrational for so many to form the basis of their everyday lives on the sayings of so few?

And is it not unusual that records of miraculous happenings, abundant in the beginning, have starkly declined with the advent of science and the increased availability of tools that may finally allow us to attempt to look into the origins of such occurrences?

Religion is such an emotive issue and I'm certain the religious would dispute my beliefs. Yet man is so often insistent on imposing his dogma, even by force, on others of differing opinions. We should all agree to disagree; perhaps then we can finally stop the unending cycle of religious strife.

Ageism in healthcare

2006-03-27T22:25:00.000+01:00

Today, Kevin and I attended the outpatient clinic of a consultant with a rather short fuse. She got quite irritated by the seemingly endless stream of patient files arriving on her desk but surprisingly, instead of venting her frustration on us (medical students are prime targets for abuse), she chose to take it out on her patients.

Well, some patients really do deserve a kick up the arse, metaphorically speaking, but I was appalled by her treatment of a confused old lady suffering from dementia. She used a raised voice and an impatient tone, with little regard for the poor lady's predicament.

This lack of compassion and respect for the elderly is not an isolated incident; I've seen other examples of ageism in the hospitals. Coming from a culture and family where the older generation is venerated, I find such behaviour quite reprehensible.

I'm not in the front line caring for the elderly and I acknowledge it can sometimes get very frustrating, but healthcare professionals, doctors included, are so called because they are expected to discharge their duties professionally. We have to find ways to suppress the frustration and treat those in the twilight of their years with dignity and respect.

A report released by public sector watchdogs today has found that the elderly are treated as second-class citizens by the NHS. Evidently there needs to be more done to inculcate respect for the elderly at all levels of the healthcare profession.

Health system 'neglects elderly'

Recognising faces

2006-03-26T21:28:00.000+01:00

OK, so I discovered MyHeritage through mei's blog and I've been running some of my photos through their face recognition demo. Basically they use algorithms to match your face to a database of famous celebrities, and the results can be quite amusing.

Here's a photo of me and my housemates. My obviously good-looking coinhabitants are matched with Richard Gere and Jet Li; on the other hand, it seems I look like Chiang Kai-shek...

From left to right: me, Ash and Kevin

And here, Kevin's gangsta pose confuses those algorithms into believing he's rapper Snoop Dogg. Incrediblizzle. (Bev is supposed to look like Japanese voice actress Megumi Hayashibara)

From left to right: me, Bev and Kevin

This is mei holding up a fried mars bar. They can't seem to find a face anywhere :)

Hmmm no face, can't recognise

London streetscapes

2006-03-26T20:42:00.000+01:00

Ever tried to recall exactly where that adidas store on Oxford Street is but you just can't remember? Street Sensation gives a pictorial representation of the most popular shopping thoroughfares in London.

Rough landing

2006-03-26T19:02:00.000+01:00

Played (or at least tried to play) field football at Hyde Park today and the ground was so damned bumpy. I ended up on my ass while attempting to tackle someone and made what can only be described as a perfect landing. Not only did I hit my coccyx, the hump I landed on parted both ass cheeks and for a moment I actually thought I had strained my anal sphincter. Felt something warm downunder and wondered for a moment if I had actually become incontinent :s

Now that I've checked, I can report that my sphincter function is absolutely dandy. Just have a really bruised coccyx, same place I previously injured. Really silly episode, I was on my way downstairs to greet my housemate's boyfriend for the first time, slipped and came tumbling down the stairs on my ass. Ouch...

Get some Computerlove

2006-03-24T19:45:00.000Z

It's been a while, but Computerlove is back online at a new address. Join the creative network!

A brief history of Microsoft

2006-03-24T19:23:00.000Z

This is absolutely hilarious! Highlights include Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer doing his famous monkey dance on stage, and comedian Conan O'Brien ribbing Bill Gates at a trade show as his products screw up very publicly one after another.

In your face

2006-03-21T01:18:00.000Z

The eye(brow)s say it all! This guy's got issues. (off kottke)

Eyebrow-Raising Tattoos

Addictive viewing

2006-03-19T20:59:00.000Z

I get addicted to shows in short bursts. Last year, my entire household got hooked on the Chinese martial arts drama 倚天屠龙记 (Heavenly Sword & Dragon Sabre) after Kevin brought the VCDs up from Singapore. We couldn't stop, it was one disc popping into the drive after another.

I've since gone on viewing binges with anime films (after watching Spirited Away), past seasons of The Simpsons on DVD along with Kevin and classic James Bond movies starring Sean Connery and Roger Moore.

The three of us are now on to American television shows. I started with Desperate Housewives, but it's been superceded by House and Lost. Both are so damned addictive. For me, beats watching British soaps.

Sleep and personality

2006-03-19T01:49:00.000Z

Did you know the way you sleep may give clues to your personality? Scientists have linked six common sleeping positions to specific personality types. I often start in the starfish position, move on to the foetus position midway through sleep and find myself in the freefaller position in the morning. What about you?

Sleep position gives personality clue

Saturdays are for sleeping in

2006-03-19T01:39:00.000Z

Woke up early this morning feeling absolutely knackered, I've had so little sleep over the past week. So I made the decision not to go paintballing and have a long lie-in instead. I slept till 4! Having seen those huge bruises all over Ash, I think maybe I made the right decision.

"Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone."
Anthony Burgess

Artist, coder, genius

2006-03-18T01:10:00.000Z

Witness the awesome creativity and chaos that reside within Joshua Davis. I remember PrayStation from way back.

Celebrity sighting

2006-03-18T00:30:00.000Z

On Wednesday evening, we were on our way to dinner when I commented to Kevin and Ash on how beautiful two sleek Audi A8s passing by were. Both cars then rather unexpectedly turned into a pavement leading right into a massive crowd gathered in Leicester Square.

Wondering what on earth was going on, we ran towards the cars. Guess who stepped out? Sharon Stone, in town for the premiere of Basic Instinct 2! She actually walked towards our end and I got to take a few grainy shots with my phone right in front of her. Ash got to shake her hand! Man, totally unbelievable.

Stuffed

2006-03-17T22:04:00.000Z

Wow I'm stuffed. One of the advantages of being based at King's College Hospital in Denmark Hill is we get to drop by Lemon Grass for some great Malaysian food.

Having roti canai (prata), nasi lemak and washing it all down with bandung is by far the best way to end a long day on call. The food is so good that we always over-indulge, to the extent Kevin has to take time out to recover!

Lemon Grass
53 Camberwell Road
London SE5 0EZ

Prepare for launch!

2006-03-09T17:15:00.000Z

Spring is here and Dad's toy museum should be opening soon. The website's up. Pity I can't be in Singapore to witness the moment his long-cherished dream comes to fruition. See my previous post for artists' impressions.

Sweeet

2006-03-09T17:02:00.000Z

Wee Khim takes exquisite photographs (ooh, and Fiona Xie is HOT), gleaned off Spunk Selects.

Portable storage

2006-03-09T16:51:00.000Z

Ever used a thumb drive?

The top 10 weirdest USB drives ever

El luchador

2006-03-08T22:54:00.000Z

Meet Nacho Libre, Mexican friar turned kick-ass luchador. That is a body to die for!

Edit: Jack Black has a new weekly video podcast on the making of the film. Hmmm, the body doesn't look as toned as in the trailer...

Multi-touch interaction

2006-03-07T23:12:00.000Z

The future of the user interface is multi-touch. Watch how he's able to resize and navigate maps with ease, it's all very reminiscent of Minority Report.

Multi-Touch Interaction Research

The magic of Ronaldinho

2006-03-07T22:03:00.000Z

Few pleasures in life can exceed that derived from Chelsea being knocked out of the Champions' League! Ronaldinho truly is the god of football, and there's no better stage for him than the Nou Camp.

Match report: Barcelona 1-1 Chelsea (agg 3-2)

Association

2006-03-07T18:48:00.000Z

Do you associate particular songs with people around you? For no apparent reason, certain songs always remind me of certain girls in my life.

Santa Monica by Savage Garden wrenches me every time I hear it, because it reminds me of my first love.
Dip It Low by Christina Milian reminds me of a girl I will always have great affection for; she only ever mentioned she liked this once but the association has inexplicably stuck.
Abrazame by Julio Iglesias and memories of unrequited infatuation; those nights spent in bed listening to Julio while wallowing in self-pity.
Una Notte A Napoli by Pink Martini brings to mind a brief Italian affair, for the silly reason that it has Italian lyrics in it.

The Sail

2006-03-07T00:04:00.000Z

What a stunning addition to the Singapore skyline this will be. Designed by international architectural firm NBBJ.

“The Sail @ Marina Bay” is a luxury residential complex on Singapore's CBD waterfront. Its two towers will be the tallest residential highrises in Singapore and 10th tallest in the world.

Darwinian parterres

2006-03-06T23:41:00.000Z

Bacteria can be beautiful. See Gardens-in-a-Petri.

Dangerous Muse

2006-03-02T15:24:00.000Z

Mmmm, iTunes' free single of the week - The Rejection by Dangerous Muse - is addictive. Go download.

Respiratory distress

2006-03-02T14:48:00.000Z

Sitting in my room rather forlornly right now. Kevin's at psychiatric teaching, I decided to skip that today it's just too cold out there and I'm not sure my lungs can take the chill. Spring's supposed to have started!

I went down to King's A&E yesterday to get some help with this breathlessness and sore throat I've been having since the weekend. Basically I've emptied half a bottle of cough syrup and a ton of paracetamol since it started. Woke up yesterday morning totally out of breath and only managed to catch it after a minute's worth of hard coughs; this was probably what got my ass down to the hospital.

Had to endure a two hour wait before being attended to, but no complaints I wasn't exactly an emergency case. I figured it was better to wait and get something done than go through the hassle of getting an appointment with a new GP.

Playing football last Saturday was probably a big mistake. The chill got to me and I think I'm probably suffering from asthma right now. They gave some stuff through a nebuliser, don't know what it was might have been steroids. After about an hour or so, they sent me off with some antibiotics, prednisolone and a salbutamol inhaler.

Feeling a little better today, but I just feel trapped in my room. It's been quite a miserable week.

On a brighter note, I did pretty well for my Spanish test and my sis got great results for her A Levels. Looks like she's on her way to med school, congrats Pei!

Victoria's Secret

2006-02-26T21:07:00.000Z

1977 vs 2003

See how the modern Victoria's Secret catalogue has moved on since 1977. I remember hiding one away in my bookshelf when I was in high school. Shhh...

Metamorphosis

2006-02-26T03:33:00.000Z

Brad Pitt always seems to morph into a likeness of his current paramour!

Brad Pitt is a chameleon

Down with animal rights extremism

2006-02-25T23:23:00.000Z

I'm glad people have come out in force to support animal testing at Oxford University's new biomedical research centre and speak out against threats by the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) to conduct reprisals against builders at the site and anyone helping the progress of the facility, including university students.

Animal testing in medical research is key to scientific advancement. Animals deserve to be treated humanely and I agree such testing should be strictly regulated and monitored, but some of these animal rights activists are downright unrealistic.

Where does it stop? What about the millions around the world who consume meat everyday? Some of these animal lovers seem to live in a misguided utopian world of their own, one where they prance in evergreen glades amongst their animal friends.

The ALF is particularly disturbing; they actually advocate violence and terror to stop animal testing. Indeed the research labs should be kept in check, but surely there are more peaceful avenues for them to achieve their aims. Threatening the general populace in Oxford just means they're no different from common thugs.

Animal lab supporters go on march
Animal rights group threatens builders over new Oxford labs

Herd mentality

2006-02-24T18:48:00.000Z

Researchers at Columbia University have found people are more likely to give a song a higher rating if it's been downloaded more often. Isn't this so true? It shows how social pressure plays in a part in our listening habits.

I haven't the patience to listen to all the new songs coming out. Apart from recommendations and accidental finds, I usually pick out new music from charts and most downloaded lists.

No Recipe for Superstardom
Take part in the Music Lab survey and get free song downloads.

Dashboard blogging

2006-02-24T18:16:00.000Z

Wow, finally a widget for Blogger. Now I can post direct from Dashboard. This is so sweet.

The art of book binding

2006-02-21T23:45:00.000Z

Master architect Le Corbusier had a rather disquieting side to him; he actually bound a favourite book of his in the hide of his dead pet dog. Would you see this as an act of love or sadism? I wouldn't want fleas interfering with a good book.

“He did bind one of his favourite books, Don Quixote, allegedly in leather made from the hide of one of his dogs, “Pinceau”, but the macabre bizarreness of such an act goes beyond the conventional fetishism of lovers of fine books."

The long wait for summer

2006-02-19T23:11:00.000Z

Having my parents over for the past five days has been really great. I miss the comfortable familiarity of family and home so badly now. For me, the summer holidays can't come soon enough.

Ride it good

2006-02-17T17:52:00.000Z

护身。健美。乐趣。Osim's iGallop, off mrlim.

Watch the TV ad

Me love you long time

2006-02-17T17:05:00.000Z

So damn funny! Nerdy protagonist Andy Stitzer from The 40-Year-Old-Virgin with the infamous line "Me so horny, me love you long time!". Hahaha.......

Originally coined by a Vietnamese hooker in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, she doesn't do it quite like Steve Carrell. If you haven't caught the movie, you're missing out on a great comedy!

The 40 Year Old Virgin Wavs - Movie Sounds Central

Mother Russia

2006-02-17T00:17:00.000Z

Click to enlarge

This is a beautiful shot of the statue of Mother Russia in Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad). The hill upon which it stands was the site of a titanic battle between Axis forces and the Red Army in the struggle for Stalingrad.

Its grandiose style and sheer scale are typical of Stalinist architecture, which is a unique and remarkably interesting architectural style in its own right.

There's always a first

2006-02-16T23:55:00.000Z

A program declared in some quarters as the first ever virus for Mac OS X seems to have emerged. I'm sure many Windows users are hoping this breaks the self-assured smugness (me included) of most Mac users when it comes to viruses and security.

Graffiti tags

2006-02-12T17:20:00.000Z

Dropdrop presents The Book of Tags, an exploration with collaborators from around the world of the urban art form that is graffiti writing.

A little Singapore on Little Britain

2006-02-10T20:45:00.000Z

If you've watched Singaporean drama series Growing Up before, you'll probably recognise actor Steven Lim, who played the role of David Tay.

I was surprised to see him as a Thai waiter in a recent episode of Little Britain; his faux Thai accent had a rather heavy Singaporean tinge to it! A friend of mine spotted him downtown several weeks ago, I think he's freelancing here in London at the moment.

The Optimus keyboard

2006-02-10T01:27:00.001Z

Russian design studio Art. Lebedev has conceptualised the Optimus keyboard, a prototype keyboard with OLED display keys that can dynamically change to allow for a virtually unlimited number of layouts. It may never materialise, but the Optimus' sublime design is something to admire.

Can't get it out

2006-02-06T00:29:00.000Z

Have you ever listened to a song and found you can't get it out of your head? Shakira's La Tortura has been repeating itself in my head all day. Can't stop myself humming the chorus again and again and again...

Edit:
A Gmail web clip has just led me to an article on why songs get stuck in our head. How uncanny is that? Germans call these songs 'ohrwurms', or earworms. It seems they make our brains 'itch' and the only way to scratch that itch is to repeat the tune in our minds.

Back to Bedlam

2006-02-03T01:37:00.000Z

Given our disgruntlement at having to make our way to Bethlem Royal Hospital out in Bromley for psychiatric teaching, Kevin has just informed me that it is in fact the world's oldest psychiatric hospital. Among its notable patients was Hannah Chaplin, mother of a certain Charlie Chaplin!

The word bedlam, long used to refer to lunatic asylums in general and later to describe a scene of uproar and confusion, originated from this hospital. James Blunt's album is titled 'Back to Bedlam'.

We've got to catch the early morning shuttle to get to Bedlam :(

My New Year weekend

2006-02-02T15:21:00.000Z

Well it hasn't exactly been an enjoyable start to the Chinese New Year for me. I felt these sudden pangs of yearning for home when calling my family and having to study for a Spanish test over the weekend was a real bummer too. Got that out of the way yesterday and I think I did alright, considering just weeks ago I realised I didn't know how to say 'hello' in Spanish!

I was feeling rather depressed for the whole of last week, culminating to an absolute low during the last weekend. I think it was the hectic pace of this rotation and the pain in the neck of a Spanish test at the back of my mind that nearly drove me mad. It seemed I could never focus all my attention on medicine, because I was getting constantly distracted by the spectre of this test.

The depression got so bad, I actually felt intense anger within when anyone spoke, even friends, for no apparent reason. I never externalised this anger, because I knew it was senseless, but nevertheless this anger always seemed to well up within. Then strangely enough, I woke feeling absolutely euphoric on Tuesday. Perhaps the prospect of the test on Wednesday and the idea of getting it over and done with excited me.

Utter depression followed by euphoria. Bipolar disorder? Haha, or medical student syndrome? Whatever it is, I'm just glad I'm feeling better now. There are still 10 days left to enjoy the festive New Year mood!

Chinese New Year celebrations in London

God has returned!

2006-01-28T02:59:00.000Z

Prodigal son Fowler rejoins the Reds

Blogging from hospital

2006-01-27T12:34:00.000Z

Just seen a patient having an epileptic seizure and it really is quite frightful. I've realised it must have been quite a scare for my parents when I had mine years ago.

Waiting to have a look at evoked potentials being done a little later. This rotation has been busy, I so badly need a good lie-in right now. Drifting off to sleep...

Critical acclaim

2006-01-23T23:47:00.000Z

Osama 'plug' boosts book's sales

And I thought people looked to the New York Times' bestseller list for recommended reads!

Cunning linguists

2006-01-23T20:31:00.000Z

Listen to this clip of an ah beng and a foreign worker attempting to outswear each other. The foreign worker is obviously extremely well-versed in Singaporean profanity; he uses knnbcb, supplements it with 'bastard' and even uses 'hantam you'. Haha!

Look out for three phases in the conversation - the foreign worker launching aggressively into a vulgar tirade, making a futile attempt to reason with the ah beng midway through, and finally giving in meekly to his linguistic superior.

Damn hilarious!

Long time no post

2006-01-16T22:37:00.000Z

Removed the rather long and redundant new year post, I've just been rather lazy in updating the blog. The inertia is difficult to overcome. It's been nice seeing some familiar faces over the past week, I never really found the time to meet up with anyone while at Tommy's.

Kevin and I have been fortunate in that everyone in our abdominal firm was really nice, but I always seem ill at ease with locals. I have this rather formal, ambiguous accent reserved for them and it doesn't allow me to be myself. It's such a relief to be around people who speak my tongue and comprehend 90% of what I'm saying.

Early start tomorrow morning, we have to make our way to Kent *groan*.

Christmas leftover

2006-01-05T22:36:00.000Z

Unbelievable! An unwanted cooked brussel sprout left over from Christmas going for £1,600 on eBay!

Happy New Year!

2006-01-02T16:59:00.000Z

New Year celebrations at the London Eye and around the world in pictures.

Googling me... again

2005-12-27T10:19:00.000Z

I repeated a previous act of narcissism by Googling myself again and this time, another relic of my past came up as the top search. Most curiously, my old (and rather limited) portfolio on Coroflot, a career site for creatives, is still around.

I remember being really into web design back then, and even got offered some freelance projects by a Singaporean design firm called odieux22. It never quite took off because I was caught up in revision for my A Levels.

In about 5 years, I'll probably be looking back on the days when I used to blog. Time sure flies.

Pardon my French

2005-12-27T10:04:00.000Z

Why do the English say "pardon my French" when cussing? My consultant's said it, and so have a few nurses. Google Answers has some background information on the origins of the expression.

Tai-tai in Training

2005-12-27T09:41:00.000Z

Nearly all Singaporean (and possibly Malaysian) girls dream of becoming tai-tais and leading a life in the lap of luxury. Aspiring tai-tais should look the part and slip into LocalBrand's TiT tee!

If you've graduated from being a TiT, perhaps you should be getting Prada.

del.icio.us links

2005-12-26T19:36:00.000Z

I've aggregated most of the stuff I link here on del.icio.us, so if you prefer browsing links go here.

I have to gush

2005-12-26T18:22:00.000Z

I remember Rafa's Valencia side coming to Anfield for a friendly some years ago and despite Houllier's team having just won the cup treble, they were completely outplayed by Valencia's intricate passing game. I wished back then that Liverpool could replicate just a fraction of Valencia's class, and move away from Houllier's one-dimensional game plan.

What I saw at Anfield today was perfection. Liverpool now plays a brand of football much like Rafa's former side; he's moulded the team into one that not only defends resolutely as a single unit but also has a midfield capable of producing some magnificent forward play.

Against Newcastle, the passing and movement off the ball were fantastic. It was incredible watching the players from above on telly because I could see all the possibilities the lads were creating for themselves with their runs. Not to mention Owen barely got a kick against Carra on his return to Anfield. Collectively, they dominated and outplayed Newcastle for the entire game.

The team still needs a good right winger, an additional central defender and budget permitting, perhaps another striker. I'm still hoping Owen returns because he belongs in the red of Liverpool. When Rafa's assembled the squad he wants, Liverpool will give Mourinho and Chelsea a run for their (considerable) money. Who knows, we may even push them to the wire this season.

Match report: Liverpool 2-0 Newcastle

Merry Christmas!

2005-12-25T16:16:00.000Z

A slightly belated Merry Christmas to all! Happy holidays!

Interactive Gorillaz

2005-12-22T14:51:00.000Z

Explore Kong Studios and discover where the Gorillaz live and work. Check 2D's email, listen to a mix on Noodle's Minidisk or grab some merch at the G Shop. You'll find that the shopkeeper, Cowboy Gary, has a conspicuously Scouse accent lol.

It's a beautifully illustrated interactive experience by Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett and his team at Zombie Flesh Eaters.

Bad wine

2005-12-22T14:24:00.000Z

Haha, British drink is not spared ridicule either.

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi sent his Swedish counterpart 24 bottles of Italian wine on Tuesday, saying it was to help him recover from having to drink British wine at a European Union summit last week.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair hosted the summit in Brussels and offered Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson and his other guests Welsh white wine and English red wine.

"(Persson) was so aghast at the English wines at the summit that I promised to send him some of our wines," Berlusconi told a group of foreign journalists, adding that he had dispatched 24 bottles of cabernet sauvignon.

"Up to 24 bottles is fine. More than that is corruption," Berlusconi joked.

Berlusconi sends wine to Swedish PM

Rejection

2005-12-22T13:58:00.000Z

Not unexpectedly, my appeal to withdraw from Spanish has been rejected by the Exam Board. It seems to me little effort was made to empathise with my situation, but rather the Board set its mind on rejecting my appeal and merely reacted to every point I raised.

What can I say? There's little I can do now except make the most of the situation. Here's hoping the timetable's kinder to me after this rotation.

Send a snowflake

2005-12-22T06:35:00.000Z

Send out seasonal greetings with a snowflake from Method and Form.

Kong

2005-12-20T15:40:00.001Z

I watched King Kong yesterday and really enjoyed the movie. Aside from the action and special effects, at its heart is a touching tale that gets everyone on Kong's side.

And our little island gets its five minutes of fame! In the movie, Carl Denham, played by Jack Black, has everyone believing they're headed for a film shoot in Singapore when he's, in fact, leading them to Skull Island. Never knew Singapore was the film location of choice in the 1930s!

Read Roger Ebert's review of King Kong or some random Kong trivia at Wikipedia and IMDb.

Dave Brasgalla has an icon set - Kong - over at the Iconfactory and a brilliant Skull Island desktop (in widescreen too!) on his website, Pixelhuset.

Commercial medicine

2005-12-17T17:50:00.000Z

McLeod Hospital in Florence, South Carolina recently webcast a laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy live on the internet. According to this BBC article, such live webcasts are becoming increasingly common in the US as hospitals there try to gain a competitive edge by showcasing their best surgeons and the latest techniques.

I agree the operating theatre should not be the sole preserve of the medical profession and patients should be informed and educated about the procedures they undertake. However, the overt commercialism of these webcasts is disturbing.

They have marketing executives from equipment manufacturers hanging corporate logos on the walls of the operating theatre. I find such commercial exploitation morally objectionable.

While Dr David Chapman, the gynaecologist who performed the above procedure, says he does benefit directly from any of these companies, allowing these endorsements will only blur the line between commercial interest and professional responsibility.

This is another example of excessive commercialisation of healthcare provision in the US. Having a system dominated by large private corporations means healthcare providers end up catering to the needs of Big Business, not the needs of their patients. The US is the only developed nation in the world that does not guarantee affordable access to healthcare for all its citizens; those who cannot afford health insurance are left marginalised and dependent on basic emergency care.

I am personally in favour of a more socialist system of healthcare such as in the UK and to a lesser extent in Singapore. Healthcare should be fully or partially funded by the state, and supplemented by private practitioners.

In a way, the commercial nature of US healthcare is anathema to the spirit of the NHS. Granted waiting times are longer in a public healthcare system but here, good quality healthcare is made available to all, even those who can least afford it.

BBC News: Surgery goes live on the net
McLeod Health: Replay of Laparoscopic Supracervical Hysterectomy
Read about healthcare in the US and publicly funded medicine.

Homer says it best

2005-12-16T18:34:00.000Z

The week is over and I'll be home in Singapore soon! This deserves a right ol' Homer WOOHOO!

The Homer Simpson Sound Page

Wtf?

2005-12-15T23:51:00.000Z

If at became '@', those at Typophile mull over what wtf would look like in the future.

Defining a Jew

2005-12-14T23:36:00.000Z

Does being a Jew mean one belongs to a religion or to an ethnic group? Interestingly, there's a small community of Black Hebrews who reside in Dimona, Israel.

In a nightmare

2005-12-14T01:32:00.000Z

Every fortnight, my life turns into an utter nightmare. Clerking a urology patient into the evening on Tuesday, having to wake up at 6.45am on Wednesday for urology theatres before Spanish into the evening and to top it all off, having to go on call on Thursday.

Why the damn school won't help me out by letting me drop Spanish is beyond me.

French wonder

2005-12-10T22:34:00.000Z

The Millau viaduct in southern France is both an engineering marvel and a stunning work of art. Norman Foster is truly a creator of architectural masterpieces.

Creative Zen Vision:M

2005-12-10T21:57:00.000Z

As much as I want a home-grown company to succeed on the world stage, I have to say Creative's newest player is just positively ugly. It looks like an imitation of the iPod gone awry. There's too much plastic and it's massive.

When will they realise that how the player looks and feels is as important to the consumer as its technical specifications? This is so quintessentially Singaporean! "We've FM radio, longer battery life and support for multiple formats, what more do they want?!"

Jack Black on TRL

2005-12-10T20:55:00.000Z

Darn lights, that's all I could catch of Jack Black last night. He was on TRL at MTV's studio in Leicester Square. The cast of King Kong were in town for the movie's London premiere.

Heartbeats

2005-12-06T02:02:00.000Z

The beautiful music that accompanies the multitude of colourful balls bouncing down the streets of San Francisco in that Sony BRAVIA commercial is Heartbeats by José González. Have a listen.

Difficult patients

2005-12-06T01:28:00.000Z

Medical students often delve right into the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine (or 'Cheese & Onion') and unfortunately miss the insightful commentary found in its opening pages. Here is one such piece I've particularly enjoyed.

"'Unless both the doctor and the patient become a problem to each other, no solution is found.'¹

Jung's aphorism is untrue for half our waking lives: for an anaesthetist, eg there is no need for the patient to become a problem in order for the anaesthetic to work. But, as with all the best aphorisms, being untrue is the least of their problems. Great aphorisms signify because they unsettle. Our settled and smug satisfaction at finishing a period of duty without any problems is so often a sign of failure. We have kept the chaos at bay, whereas, if we were greater men or women, we would have embraced it. Half our waking professional lives we spend as if asleep, on automatic, following protocols or guidelines to some trite destination - or else we are dreaming of what we could do if we had more time, proper resources, and perhaps a different set of colleagues. But if we had Jung in our pockets he would be shaking us awake, derailing our guidelines, and saluting our attempts to risk greater interactions with our patients, however much of a mess we make of it, and however much pain we cause and receive. (Pain, after all, is the inevitable companion to lives led authentically.²) To the unreflective doctor, and to all average minds, this interaction is anathema, to be avoided at all costs, because it leads us away from anaesthesia, to the unpredictable, and to destinations which are unknown.

So, every so often, try being pleased to have difficult patients: those who question us, those who do not respond to our treatments, or who complain when these treatments do work. Very often, it will seem that whatever you say is wrong: misunderstood, misquoted, and mangled by the mind you are confronting - perhaps because of fear, loneliness or past experiences which you can only guess at. If this is happening, shut up - but don't give up. Stick with your patient. Listen to what he or she is saying and not saying. And when you have understood your patient a bit more, negotiate, cajole, and even argue - but don't bully or blackmail ('If you do not let your daughter have the operation she needs, I'll tell her just what sort of a mother you are...'). When you find yourself turning to walk away from your patient, turn back and say 'This is not going very well, is it? Can we start again?' And don't hesitate to call in your colleagues' help: not to win by force of numbers, but to see if a different approach might bear fruit. By this process, you and your patient may grow in stature. You may even end up with a truly satisfied patient. And a satisfied patient is worth a thousand protocols."

² 'Some say that the world is a vale of tears, I say it is a place of soul making' - John Keats

Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine p20, 6th edn, M Longmore, IB Wilkinson and S Rajagopalan, Oxford University Press

Barber surgeons

2005-12-03T01:45:00.000Z

Surgeons in the UK are referred to as "Mister" because they were once barbers without formal qualifications!

Lamp

2005-12-03T01:14:00.000Z

Sailboards Rotterdam has some interesting Flash work including Lamp, a program that lets you use your monitor as a lamp.

A poor start to December

2005-12-02T11:56:00.000Z

Well, the past two days haven't been too kind on me. Urology theatres on Wednesday were followed immediately by Spanish, which lasted into the late evening. Incidentally, I'm hoping to withdraw from Spanish because the clinical timetable is leaving me drained and the least I need is a language taking up time and effort over the long term.

Most dreadfully, my birthday was spent in an A&E theatre witnessing an elderly gentleman struggling to survive an abdominal aortic aneurysm. A triple A is a rare occurence but I hardly think being in theatre till 10 is an ideal way to spend one's birthday.

Standing at a distance away meant I saw nothing and it seemed my primary purpose for the evening was to hold the registrar's bleeps. Thoroughly depressing. I was glad to be able to slump into bed and sleep the day's events away.

Thankfully, today's been better. Went to hospital for an hour or two to clerk a patient, then came home before dinner with my housemates in Chinatown. For me, the arrival of the weekend is most definitely welcome.

A little silly

2005-11-26T19:32:00.000Z

Hi, I'm from Secretsanta.com, Idaho.

The passing of a legend

2005-11-26T16:58:00.000Z

Here's George Best at his most irreverent in an interview with Michael Parkinson in 2001. He will be remembered as a footballing legend by all.

RIP George Best 1946 - 2005

My first live procedure

2005-11-23T16:55:00.000Z

I witnessed live procedures for the first time ever at theatres today and they weren't as gory as I'd imagined. It's a refreshing change from seeing the deceased at autopsy during my pathology SSM. Refreshing, of course, apart from the smell of broiling fat.

I saw a cholecystectomy and an incisional hernia repair, both of which are usually routine procedures. The bowel herniation was actually throbbing as they reduced it; seeing a person who's very much alive and breathing being cut up can be a little surreal.

And happily for me, I got signed up for scrubbing.

Catfight!

2005-11-23T16:31:00.000Z

Doesn't Miller Lite taste great?

And so the girls aren't left out...

Deliciously simple

2005-11-23T16:23:00.000Z

Making egg mayo

Boil some eggs
Mash those eggs
Add mayo

Ridiculously simple yet it's never occurred to me. Thanks to Yanni, we now have a recipe that offers maximum taste with minimal effort. My favourite :)

Free smells

2005-11-22T23:45:00.000Z

Kevin and I clerked our first urology patient today and it was an interesting start given that they have a totally different set of symptoms and conditions from the patients we usually see in our ward at St Thomas'. Unfortunately, the urology ward does have a strange odour lingering in the air which I find a tad unpleasant.

Have a good laugh

2005-11-20T19:07:00.000Z

If you're a medical student, Paracetamoxyfrusebendroneomycin by doctors Adam Kay and Suman Biswas will surely strike a chord. And if you've ever taken the Tube, then London Underground will most definitely strike another. Their lyrics are sheer genius!

Fitness to Practice

2b? Nt2b? ???

2005-11-20T17:58:00.000Z

That's Hamlet's famous line "To be or not to be, that is the question". Student mobile provider dot mobile has developed a new service where English classics are condensed into a few lines of text message to help students revise for exams.

Romeo & Juliet

FeudTween 2hses- Montague&Capulet. RomeoMfalls_<3w/_JulietC@mary Secretly Bt R kils J's Coz &&is banishd. J fakes Death. As Part of Plan2b-w/R Bt_leter Bt It Nvr Reachs Him. Evry1confuzd-bothLuvrs kil Emselves

These abbreviations are a language on their own and I do find these days that deciphering cryptic texts can be very tiresome.

Literary classics become txt msgs

Why?

2005-11-20T16:29:00.000Z

I don't think the general public were clamouring for extended drinking hours, so I don't understand the rationale behind the UK government's decision to allow 24-hour drinking. The UK has a massive problem with alcohol consumption, and this is only going to lead to more binge drinking and more social problems.

Tories warn of drink hours chaos

Glossophobia

2005-11-18T22:47:00.000Z

Fear of public speaking, or glossophobia, is actually classified as a society anxiety disorder (SAD). It seems SAD is now a legitimate medical disorder in its own right and can be treated with anxiolytics and anti-depressants. Talk about medicalisation!

I had my first Grand Round case presentation today and I'm just happy I got through it and the Q&A session after without choking on my words. Maybe what I need is valium.

Eddie Guerrero passes away

2005-11-16T22:14:00.000Z

It's strange how I mentioned playing SmackDown vs Raw over the weekend and now one of wrestling's biggest personalities is no longer around. Eddie Guerrero passed away Sunday morning in his hotel room from heart failure aged just 38.

It's shocking because he was in the prime of his life and career, and sad because he'd managed to overcome longstanding problems with alcoholism and painkiller addiction. He leaves behind his wife and three young children.

RIP Eddie Guerrero 1967 - 2005

Damn it's cold

2005-11-16T18:59:00.000Z

Thank goodness for central heating. Nearly froze my ass off stepping out of my room!

London 5 day forecast

Simply delightful!

2005-11-13T23:51:00.000Z

Print your own Quentin Blake writing paper! As a child, I loved his illustrations in Roald Dahl's books.

The weekend past

2005-11-13T17:27:00.000Z

We've just gotten a silver PS2 console for the house, and it's brilliant. Never imagined it to be so small! The guys and I have been having fun with the new WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2006 over the weekend.

I'm glad I didn't make the trip up to Notts for the Malaysian Games this weekend, it must be freezing up there. It's getting really cold here in London and I dread having to leave my nicely heated room.

Not to mention our 'B' football team got 20 goals knocked past them. That beats the record of 18 goals the year I played :s

Fun with Front Row

2005-11-08T00:30:00.000Z

Front Row is Apple's new media centre application and it's a ton of fun to use! Although it's only available on the new iMac for now, I've been using a "modified" version with my Powerbook and cinema display and I'm just enjoying being able to play my music and watch DVDs, music videos and trailers from the comfort of my bed.

See Front Row in action!

Is it possible?

2005-11-05T00:38:00.000Z

Can one man to have 1.5 million descendants?

Seasons

2005-11-04T22:42:00.000Z

=-kol has four beautiful dual display wallpapers on deviantART, one for every season.