did you know that scarlett johansson has a new CD out? well she does. and it's not terribly good.
i had downloaded it because... well because... ok. i downloaded it because i think she's a total hottie. anyways, the record just isn't terribly good. there are moments where you're wondering if this is really an album that was produced in a studio or if it's just a recording of a bunch of drunk japanese business men singing karaoke on a thursday night.
we should just all stick to what we do best. and for her i think that's acting. i mean how great was she in classic, oscar-worthy movies like: in good company, nanny diaries, or even match point??? :)
scarlett if you're reading this, i didn't mean a single word of it - except for the 'she's a hottie' part. can i buy you dinner sometime? or better yet, wanna buy me dinner sometime? post exams maybe?
*****
edit: her album is slowly - at a snail's pace - starting to grow on me. just a little bit.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
did you know...
that harry houdini died of peritonitis resulting from a ruptured appendix?
well now you know!
well now you know!
holy moly!
i stepped on a scale last night for the first time in about 5 months. i couldn't believe my eyes. so much so that i weighed myself again this morning after dropping some kids off at the pool and peeing like seabiscuit - but alas, no change. so how much do i weigh? let's just say, if i was a boxer, i'd have to fight in the light HEAVYWEIGHT division.
ignorance sure is bliss! but that's the thing. i don't FEEL heavy. i don't feel groggy or like i've put on a few pounds. shirts & pants don't feel any tighter than they did 5 months ago. and i definitely don't look in the mirror in the morning thinking: 'ew... gross'. (that doesn't mean i look in the mirror making kissy faces and growling at myself either!)
i wish i could use the excuse of maybe having put on some more muscle. but that won't work either. i haven't been to the gym to push weights on a regular basis since undergrad!
meh. i'd set some goals to lose this excess baggage but it would just be unrealistic at this time of the year. especially not with exams in 2 weeks. post exams. will come up with something post-exams.
*****
it's gray and cool outside. a perfect day to roll up in a blanket with a book & some hot choco?
no. not quite. it's actually a perfect day to study! seriously.
ignorance sure is bliss! but that's the thing. i don't FEEL heavy. i don't feel groggy or like i've put on a few pounds. shirts & pants don't feel any tighter than they did 5 months ago. and i definitely don't look in the mirror in the morning thinking: 'ew... gross'. (that doesn't mean i look in the mirror making kissy faces and growling at myself either!)
i wish i could use the excuse of maybe having put on some more muscle. but that won't work either. i haven't been to the gym to push weights on a regular basis since undergrad!
meh. i'd set some goals to lose this excess baggage but it would just be unrealistic at this time of the year. especially not with exams in 2 weeks. post exams. will come up with something post-exams.
*****
it's gray and cool outside. a perfect day to roll up in a blanket with a book & some hot choco?
no. not quite. it's actually a perfect day to study! seriously.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
stop eating shark fin soup! STOP!
if you haven't seen this documentary yet, you have to watch it. it's a film called "sharkwater" by rob steward (no not ROD steward - rob). and he's canadian too!
it's about sharks and how they are misrepresented by the media as bloodthirsty, human hunting monsters. it hints at how sharks are a vital part of not only the underwater ecosystem of the world but of the very ecosystem in which we live & depend on. it then focuses on the billion dollar business of shark finning. there is some gruesome footage of fishermen catching sharks for their fins, cutting them off and then discarding the now-finless-but-still-alive sharks back into the water to die.
i've never had shark fin soup before. never really wanted to. but this definitely turns me off to it. and plus, i'm told it has no real taste to it. it's usually served in a chicken or beef broth! people eat it for its "texture" and their completely misplaced beliefs of health benefits. and of course don't forget the status that comes with being able to afford it.
stop. watch the movie. and if you're feeling like some soup, go eat some pho instead.
*****
managed to get in 30 hours of study this week. didn't make my goal.
should've got in much more. was not very efficient.
current gear: stuck in 5th.
*****
forgot to mention: i'm going down to adelaide during my week off in june! yay! i'm going to fly down with my brother to see my cousins stella and clara - yes clara! she's flying down from sydney. it'll be a mini family reunion. harri? justin? wanna join us?
it's about sharks and how they are misrepresented by the media as bloodthirsty, human hunting monsters. it hints at how sharks are a vital part of not only the underwater ecosystem of the world but of the very ecosystem in which we live & depend on. it then focuses on the billion dollar business of shark finning. there is some gruesome footage of fishermen catching sharks for their fins, cutting them off and then discarding the now-finless-but-still-alive sharks back into the water to die.
i've never had shark fin soup before. never really wanted to. but this definitely turns me off to it. and plus, i'm told it has no real taste to it. it's usually served in a chicken or beef broth! people eat it for its "texture" and their completely misplaced beliefs of health benefits. and of course don't forget the status that comes with being able to afford it.
stop. watch the movie. and if you're feeling like some soup, go eat some pho instead.
*****
managed to get in 30 hours of study this week. didn't make my goal.
should've got in much more. was not very efficient.
current gear: stuck in 5th.
*****
forgot to mention: i'm going down to adelaide during my week off in june! yay! i'm going to fly down with my brother to see my cousins stella and clara - yes clara! she's flying down from sydney. it'll be a mini family reunion. harri? justin? wanna join us?
Monday, May 19, 2008
run fat boy run! run like the wind!!!
feel like running lately.
as a matter of fact, have slowly started running again. roughly twice a week, covering ~5km in about 40 minutes. and so far the knee is doing alright. we went running as a house - susan, laura, matt, myself - on saturday and we got caught in the rain. COMPLETELY SOAKED.
i've never been a great distance runner. and don't know where this drive to run is coming from.
maybe it's from watching that movie "run fatboy run".
or maybe it's cause a friend of mine just completed her first marathon.
or maybe it was my interview with this 87 year old man at the hospital. for an 87 year old, he was in tremendous shape. he says he ran marathons until he was in his 60s and still ran 5km daily right up until his late 70s. (i know what you're thinking: "so if he's in such great shape, why was he in the hospital then?" smarty pants. for YOUR information, he was admitted for a pulmonary embolism, most likely due to the fact that he had surgery 2 months ago to repair a hernia and then recently spent 3.5 hours on a plane - sitting still cause the people in the aisle seats fell asleep - flying from new zealand to australia).
or even still, maybe running is our generation's pre-mid-life crisis THING. seems like a LOT of people are picking up running. while my blog tallies up the number of hours spent studying, other blogging friends like cinshum tally up the distance she's covered running, swimming and biking. all in preparation for a triathlon down the road.
there is a short 12km, Bridge to Brisbane run in september. i think that's a good place to start.
as a matter of fact, have slowly started running again. roughly twice a week, covering ~5km in about 40 minutes. and so far the knee is doing alright. we went running as a house - susan, laura, matt, myself - on saturday and we got caught in the rain. COMPLETELY SOAKED.
i've never been a great distance runner. and don't know where this drive to run is coming from.
maybe it's from watching that movie "run fatboy run".
or maybe it's cause a friend of mine just completed her first marathon.
or maybe it was my interview with this 87 year old man at the hospital. for an 87 year old, he was in tremendous shape. he says he ran marathons until he was in his 60s and still ran 5km daily right up until his late 70s. (i know what you're thinking: "so if he's in such great shape, why was he in the hospital then?" smarty pants. for YOUR information, he was admitted for a pulmonary embolism, most likely due to the fact that he had surgery 2 months ago to repair a hernia and then recently spent 3.5 hours on a plane - sitting still cause the people in the aisle seats fell asleep - flying from new zealand to australia).
or even still, maybe running is our generation's pre-mid-life crisis THING. seems like a LOT of people are picking up running. while my blog tallies up the number of hours spent studying, other blogging friends like cinshum tally up the distance she's covered running, swimming and biking. all in preparation for a triathlon down the road.
there is a short 12km, Bridge to Brisbane run in september. i think that's a good place to start.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
get your nerd on!
i logged some good hours of study in this week.
31 to be exact.
next week's goal will have to jump to 35.
i had a productive week but i'm not feeling so good about it. i'm a little stressed and a little... afraid. just a little.
i came to the conclusion this week that i've been focusing WAY too much on pathology and not enough on the clinical aspects. not to worry though. there is still just over 3 weeks until mid-years. enough time to make adjustments. this is good...
no really. it's good.
i've never really used stress and fear as motivators to study. they've usually been states of being. emotions that i feel just before and during the exam to provide the adrenalin to complete the given task.
just gotta keep on truckin'.
book of the week: davidson's priciples and practice of medicine. scratch that. that's the book of the month.
current gear: i'm looking for 6th.
on a slightly happier note:
mike dropped by for dinner on friday night. guess what he brought!?!?!
don't know if he's been reading my blog but darn this kid's good!
31 to be exact.
next week's goal will have to jump to 35.
i had a productive week but i'm not feeling so good about it. i'm a little stressed and a little... afraid. just a little.
i came to the conclusion this week that i've been focusing WAY too much on pathology and not enough on the clinical aspects. not to worry though. there is still just over 3 weeks until mid-years. enough time to make adjustments. this is good...
no really. it's good.
i've never really used stress and fear as motivators to study. they've usually been states of being. emotions that i feel just before and during the exam to provide the adrenalin to complete the given task.
just gotta keep on truckin'.
book of the week: davidson's priciples and practice of medicine. scratch that. that's the book of the month.
current gear: i'm looking for 6th.
on a slightly happier note:
mike dropped by for dinner on friday night. guess what he brought!?!?!
don't know if he's been reading my blog but darn this kid's good!
Monday, May 12, 2008
before the devil knows you're dead.
it's dark, sick and twisted and that's what makes it so good. kind of like that movie closer - with julia roberts, natalie portman, jude law and clive owen.
it's out on DVD now. definitely worth the $5 rental.
the story revolves around these 2 brothers that are in desperate need of some money so they concoct a plan to rob a jewelry store. things don't go as expected and they find themselves in a much bigger mess than they had initially bargained for.
there is a scene in this movie that i found to be hilarious.
let me set it up... gina (marisa tomei) tells andy her husband (philip seymour hoffman) that she's leaving him and that she has been having an affair with andy's younger brother hank (ethan hawke). andy doesn't have much of a reaction to this and instead in a complete dead-pan voice asks: where are you going?
to which gina replies: i was just going to go to my mother's.
andy: how you going to get there?
gina: i was going to take a cab.
*pause*
gina does a little pout and a bit of a puppy face and says: i could really use some money.
at this point andy throws some bills on the kitchen counter and says: i'll go to the bank later.
ahaha! that's funny. come on. that's hilarious! the fact that he's giving her cash to catch a cab and leave him? gold.
also stars albert finney.
the title comes from an irish saying that goes something along the lines of:
may you be in heaven half an hour...
before the devil knows you're dead.
it's out on DVD now. definitely worth the $5 rental.
the story revolves around these 2 brothers that are in desperate need of some money so they concoct a plan to rob a jewelry store. things don't go as expected and they find themselves in a much bigger mess than they had initially bargained for.
there is a scene in this movie that i found to be hilarious.
let me set it up... gina (marisa tomei) tells andy her husband (philip seymour hoffman) that she's leaving him and that she has been having an affair with andy's younger brother hank (ethan hawke). andy doesn't have much of a reaction to this and instead in a complete dead-pan voice asks: where are you going?
to which gina replies: i was just going to go to my mother's.
andy: how you going to get there?
gina: i was going to take a cab.
*pause*
gina does a little pout and a bit of a puppy face and says: i could really use some money.
at this point andy throws some bills on the kitchen counter and says: i'll go to the bank later.
ahaha! that's funny. come on. that's hilarious! the fact that he's giving her cash to catch a cab and leave him? gold.
also stars albert finney.
the title comes from an irish saying that goes something along the lines of:
may you be in heaven half an hour...
before the devil knows you're dead.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
aussie english lesson #9.
back with some more aussie slang!
now aside from refusing to enunciate anything, aussies like to keep foreigners guessing by shortening words. for example...
ambo is ambulance
medico is a medical professional
servo is a service station
bikee is a biker/motorcyclist
and arvo is afternoon.
snog - to hook up with, in particular of a physical nature
medcest - relationships that occur within the medical class
susan: did you hear the new goss? X is snogging Y!
me: really? X and Y? more medcest? ewww...
spewing - REALLY mad
flogged - get beaten really badly, get outplayed, embarrassed
our coach was just spewing. we were getting flogged out there, the final score was like 54-1!
rock up - show up, often unannounced and/or just as is
me: do i need to RSVP? want me to bring anything?
adrian: nah, just rock up.
little lunch - morning recess
morning tea - mid morning snack
tea - dinner
linda: remember when we used to have little lunch and morning tea?
me: *sort of confused* um... yea... you mean like those lunch things where you take a cracker and add on a layer of cheese and a layer of ham?
linda: huh? what are you talking about? what crackers?
me: i dunno. what are YOU talking about???
now aside from refusing to enunciate anything, aussies like to keep foreigners guessing by shortening words. for example...
ambo is ambulance
medico is a medical professional
servo is a service station
bikee is a biker/motorcyclist
and arvo is afternoon.
snog - to hook up with, in particular of a physical nature
medcest - relationships that occur within the medical class
susan: did you hear the new goss? X is snogging Y!
me: really? X and Y? more medcest? ewww...
spewing - REALLY mad
flogged - get beaten really badly, get outplayed, embarrassed
our coach was just spewing. we were getting flogged out there, the final score was like 54-1!
rock up - show up, often unannounced and/or just as is
me: do i need to RSVP? want me to bring anything?
adrian: nah, just rock up.
little lunch - morning recess
morning tea - mid morning snack
tea - dinner
linda: remember when we used to have little lunch and morning tea?
me: *sort of confused* um... yea... you mean like those lunch things where you take a cracker and add on a layer of cheese and a layer of ham?
linda: huh? what are you talking about? what crackers?
me: i dunno. what are YOU talking about???
adrian: what's for tea tonight?
me: tea? i don't drink much tea. i'll probably just drink some OJ.
doona - quilt, comforter
knickers - underwear
loo roll - toilet paper
*****
hit my goal of 20 hours of study this week.
next week's goal goes up to 25.
i'm definitely past 3rd and up-shifting into 4th now.
doona - quilt, comforter
knickers - underwear
loo roll - toilet paper
*****
hit my goal of 20 hours of study this week.
next week's goal goes up to 25.
i'm definitely past 3rd and up-shifting into 4th now.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
bunch of comedians... grr...
yes it's true. my roommates are just so hilarious.
so in the house right now, i'm the only one that's "single". because of this, i am the target of some occasional flak. this is the most recent...
notice the 4th item down in the Korean grocery list on the right side?
now if it were only this easy. i could pick up some pretty WOMEN at the grocery store or the market just as i was picking up some broccoli and kim chi. (women was intentionally written in the plural form).
i think they're just jealous. living the ball-and-chain life whereas i get to roam as free as i want. they have to "nogle" and i don't.
;p
in all seriousness, i love these guys.
in all fairness, i give these guys a lot more flak about all sorts of other stuff, which i won't go into the details of here.
as one of my path tutors use to say: Fair play. Fair play.
so in the house right now, i'm the only one that's "single". because of this, i am the target of some occasional flak. this is the most recent...
notice the 4th item down in the Korean grocery list on the right side?
now if it were only this easy. i could pick up some pretty WOMEN at the grocery store or the market just as i was picking up some broccoli and kim chi. (women was intentionally written in the plural form).
i think they're just jealous. living the ball-and-chain life whereas i get to roam as free as i want. they have to "nogle" and i don't.
;p
in all seriousness, i love these guys.
in all fairness, i give these guys a lot more flak about all sorts of other stuff, which i won't go into the details of here.
as one of my path tutors use to say: Fair play. Fair play.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
a blast from the past & a cash infusion.
my PBL mates were in a big ball of excitement about the first krispy kreme store to open up in Queensland. yes. i know krispy kreme stores in toronto are going out of business. but this is australia where things are about a decade behind north america and where the obesity epidemic ranks only behind the great United States of America.
i remember when the first krispy kreme store opened up in toronto. well, i think the first one was actually in mississauga, and i was in grade 11. people would drive all the way out to mississauga just for donuts! DONUTS!
now i can't complain too much cause our grade 11 bio teacher was kind enough to bring us krispy kreme donuts and we devoured them like no tomorrow.
for those of you interested in brisbane i'm told the new store is on albert street (seriously) and is open from 6am (SIX IN THE MORNING!) until midnight.
***
i've been waiting on some funds from my student line of credit. there was a bit of a delay but they were finally released. thank goodness. i was worried i'd have to sell my kidneys or something.
speaking of selling organs, this aussie nephrologist by the name of Dr. Gavin Carney caused a big huff & a puff the other day when he suggested that the government pay $50,000 to those willing to donate/sell their organs.
apparently australia has one of the lowest donor rates in the world at roughly 9.4 donors in 1 million people.
dr. carney's argument is that because of the huge donor shortage, australian citizens are paying tens even hundreds of thousands of dollars to go buy organs on the black market - usually in 3rd world countries with questionable medical infrastructure.
where would the government get this $50k in the first place? dr. carney goes onto argue that patients often spend more than 7 years on dialysis waiting for a donor. THAT alone costs the government upwards of $500,000. so from a financial perspective, it could make sense.
of course there are huge ethical & moral obligations that need to be considered. i'm not going to open that can of worms. but if i may, here are my suggestions:
- as an extension of our donor cards that come with our driver's licenses... give people (financial) incentive to sign those cards. if your organs can be used after you die, and you've signed your donor card then you'll be compensated. if you don't sign it, then you don't get money. not a penny. if you sign it but your organs can't be used, you get a smaller amount.
- or similarly give everyone the opportunity to sign donor cards when they turn 18. you still have the choice to NOT donate. however, this excludes you from receiving a donor organ should you ever need it in the future. it's only fair that you should be given a second chance if you're willing to give someone else a second chance.
in the interest of full disclosure...
i don't think i've signed my donor card.
>.<
hahaha... what a hypocrite! hahaha!!!
i remember when the first krispy kreme store opened up in toronto. well, i think the first one was actually in mississauga, and i was in grade 11. people would drive all the way out to mississauga just for donuts! DONUTS!
now i can't complain too much cause our grade 11 bio teacher was kind enough to bring us krispy kreme donuts and we devoured them like no tomorrow.
for those of you interested in brisbane i'm told the new store is on albert street (seriously) and is open from 6am (SIX IN THE MORNING!) until midnight.
***
i've been waiting on some funds from my student line of credit. there was a bit of a delay but they were finally released. thank goodness. i was worried i'd have to sell my kidneys or something.
speaking of selling organs, this aussie nephrologist by the name of Dr. Gavin Carney caused a big huff & a puff the other day when he suggested that the government pay $50,000 to those willing to donate/sell their organs.
apparently australia has one of the lowest donor rates in the world at roughly 9.4 donors in 1 million people.
dr. carney's argument is that because of the huge donor shortage, australian citizens are paying tens even hundreds of thousands of dollars to go buy organs on the black market - usually in 3rd world countries with questionable medical infrastructure.
where would the government get this $50k in the first place? dr. carney goes onto argue that patients often spend more than 7 years on dialysis waiting for a donor. THAT alone costs the government upwards of $500,000. so from a financial perspective, it could make sense.
of course there are huge ethical & moral obligations that need to be considered. i'm not going to open that can of worms. but if i may, here are my suggestions:
- as an extension of our donor cards that come with our driver's licenses... give people (financial) incentive to sign those cards. if your organs can be used after you die, and you've signed your donor card then you'll be compensated. if you don't sign it, then you don't get money. not a penny. if you sign it but your organs can't be used, you get a smaller amount.
- or similarly give everyone the opportunity to sign donor cards when they turn 18. you still have the choice to NOT donate. however, this excludes you from receiving a donor organ should you ever need it in the future. it's only fair that you should be given a second chance if you're willing to give someone else a second chance.
in the interest of full disclosure...
i don't think i've signed my donor card.
>.<
hahaha... what a hypocrite! hahaha!!!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
stupid public transport...
I LOVE brisbane transport!
now if your sarcasm-o-meter isn't working today, let me just tell you that the last sentence was about a 12.4 on a 10 point scale.
so i left the house at 8am to catch the 8:07 bus. it never came. fortunately i had left myself enough time to make it to work on time. that wasn't so bad. it happens.
but on my way back home... what would've been a 30 minute car ride and should've been nothing longer than a 50 minute bus ride, took me an hour and 45 minutes. for those of you that are counting, that's 105 minutes. grr... i won't drag you through why it took me so bloody long to get home. let's just say it was a mix of bad luck and useless bus times. mostly the latter.
on a brighter note, work was pretty cool today. the event was a huge hot rod show. i wish i had taken my camera cause there were some seriously spiffy cars.
actually had some visitors too! one guy had twisted his ankle, another scraped his arm while riding a go-kart with his son and a little kid had a minor burn from one of the display spotlights.
now if your sarcasm-o-meter isn't working today, let me just tell you that the last sentence was about a 12.4 on a 10 point scale.
so i left the house at 8am to catch the 8:07 bus. it never came. fortunately i had left myself enough time to make it to work on time. that wasn't so bad. it happens.
but on my way back home... what would've been a 30 minute car ride and should've been nothing longer than a 50 minute bus ride, took me an hour and 45 minutes. for those of you that are counting, that's 105 minutes. grr... i won't drag you through why it took me so bloody long to get home. let's just say it was a mix of bad luck and useless bus times. mostly the latter.
on a brighter note, work was pretty cool today. the event was a huge hot rod show. i wish i had taken my camera cause there were some seriously spiffy cars.
actually had some visitors too! one guy had twisted his ankle, another scraped his arm while riding a go-kart with his son and a little kid had a minor burn from one of the display spotlights.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
good laughs.
just got home from jeff green's show. it was good. he flippin' killed it. went on for about an hour and forty minutes. he joked about all sorts of stuff - just to name a few... adelaide, queensland's drought last year, tubas, fatherhood, marriage, extreme sports, queen elizabeth, posh spice... were all poked at.
as "homework" i had watched some of his stuff on YouTube. but then, i was a little worried that I'd ruined my night and that i'd end up listening to the same material. but to my very pleasant surprise, he had a lot of new stuff. i was not disappointed at all.
it was at this venue called the "powerhouse". it used to be an old power station that's now been converted into a cultural centre with theatres and restaurants. the theatre itself reminded me of the panasonic theatre in toronto. it was a neat little place.
***
didn't get nearly as much studying done this week as i would've like to. am no where near my goal of 20 hours for the week. now i'm not here to make excuses but in my defense, i wasn't feeling so hot this week. i had the sniffles, a slight chill & a bit of a headache.
next week. will get there next week.
as "homework" i had watched some of his stuff on YouTube. but then, i was a little worried that I'd ruined my night and that i'd end up listening to the same material. but to my very pleasant surprise, he had a lot of new stuff. i was not disappointed at all.
it was at this venue called the "powerhouse". it used to be an old power station that's now been converted into a cultural centre with theatres and restaurants. the theatre itself reminded me of the panasonic theatre in toronto. it was a neat little place.
***
didn't get nearly as much studying done this week as i would've like to. am no where near my goal of 20 hours for the week. now i'm not here to make excuses but in my defense, i wasn't feeling so hot this week. i had the sniffles, a slight chill & a bit of a headache.
next week. will get there next week.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
may? is it may already?
so this saturday is the May Ball. May Ball is a formal for med students. however, some of my friends and i decided that instead of paying $90 for bad food & an excuse to get hammered while all dolled up, we'd do something a little more... sensible & affordable.
we're gonna go check out this comedian by the name of jeff green who happens to be in town for a tour. never heard of him? neither have i. but of course like any good student, i did some research on my trusty & 'reliable' resource of YouTube.
it seems like he'll be pretty funny.
not quite as funny as say dylan moran or tommy tiernan but funny nonetheless.
should be good!
we're gonna go check out this comedian by the name of jeff green who happens to be in town for a tour. never heard of him? neither have i. but of course like any good student, i did some research on my trusty & 'reliable' resource of YouTube.
it seems like he'll be pretty funny.
not quite as funny as say dylan moran or tommy tiernan but funny nonetheless.
should be good!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)