photoxpressions 02 (aka Timmy goes to Hershey)

My friend Timmy makes his debut here tonight. Pic's taken at Hershey Park in PA.

photoxpressions 01

upcoming films

Just a quick break in the monotony of studying to provide you with a short list of notable films to check out at your local cinema arthouse. These films are most likely not showing at the regional 40-screen multiplex, except maybe the M. Night film, "Lady In The Water".

here's the list:
The Proposition [in theatres]
Road To Guantanamo [6.23.06]
Lady In The Water [7.21.06]
The War Tapes [Film Festival Circuit]
The Puffy Chair [Film Festival Circuit]

Author's Note: Whoops, not sure how I missed this one, "Talladega Nights" is out 08.04.06. Will Ferrell's latest movie poking fun at all the rednecks & Nascar fans (if those are actually two seperate being's). Will Ferrell is a funny funny funny funny mofo.

truth in humor

Cynical. Disturbing. Darkly prophetic. Sadly accurate regarding our humanitarian and diplomatic insufficiency with regard to African conflicts.

It seems Gen. Romeo Dallaire (retired), the U.N. commander in Rwanda, was on point in his book with the analysis that the "superpowers" will turn a blind eye to genocide & humanitarian crises if they occur in the realm of "Black Africa". While a similar or smaller incident in "White Europe", such as the Bosnian conflict, will receive exaggerated support from the U.N. and the superpowers. It's disturbing to me that there is minimal outcry in our country for more action.

Click on strip for fullsize. 'Toon is from "Get Your War On".

Nurse....Scalpel

I said SCALPEL!

Not much to really talk about or report....my brain is kind of fried from studying for the boards. I just wanted to share with all my loyal readers (if there really are such entities) this cool website, O.R. Live. A few weeks ago I watched a laparoscopic nissen fundiplication on a lazy Sunday afternoon from the luxury of my laptop....how freaking cool is that!! They also have podcasts for those of you with one of them video i-pod thingys.

On the World Cup scene just 2 days until the showdown with Ghana!

Still Kicking.....

Well, U.S.A. is still in the World Cup for at least another 4 days. The lads were able to tie Italy, 1-1, regardless of losing two players to questionable red cards. Ghana will be our next match on Thursday morning at 9:50 AM E.S.T.
If we're able to beat Ghana & Italy wins over Czech Republic then we'll be ranked 2nd in Group E and advance to the next round of futbol.

In other World Cup news it seems that around 1,000 Dutch fans watched the Netherlands v. Ivory Coast match, with no pants! Crazy Europeans.

The respite is over and I'm once again going back to the books.

SPEAK UP!

As Father's Day approaches, and since I will soon become a father, I have become more aware, through various recent experiences, of those without fathers. In Northern Uganda children are being kidnapped in the night to become unwilling soldiers in a fight they want nothing to do with. If they are able to escape "The Lords Resistance Army" and return to their village, most find that their families were slaughtered the same night they were taken.

So, I invite you to speak up for the fatherless. Sign the "Children Should Never Be Soldiers" declaration and support the fatherless, wherever you can. An inspiring story of these children is told in the film "War Dance". Check it out if it's in your area.

Have a great weekend.

All Songs Considered

Hey, just listened to the "Summer 2006 Preview" show on NPR All Song's Considered (click on the link to listen to the show) this afternoon. I was impressed primarily with two upcoming albums and both are from deceased artists, seems the living can't impress me today.

1. Rick Rubin is releasing the last (supposedly) installment in the American Recordings done by Johnny Cash. American V: A Hundred Highways will be released on 07.04.06 and contains the last songs ever recorded by Cash. The song "309" is reportedly the last song he wrote/recorded 2 weeks prior to his death. Cash's voice is haunting and failing throughout the song but, surprisingly still able to project a strength and fire which I hope is evident throughout the album. The whole album contains songs about death, which must of been looming quite largely on Cash's horizon at this point in his life.

2. Ali Farka Toure is a Malian guitarist who died of bone cancer earlier this year. It had been rumored that In the Heart of The Moon was his last recording available to us. The album Savane being released 07.25.06 is from the same Hotel Mande' Sessions in Bamako, Mali from mid-2004. The songs are all acoustic solo Ali Farka Toure from what I've heard so far. His deep & dark voice interjects Mali throughout the title track "Savane".

- Both albums have sample tracks available at the above All Song's Considered link. Back to the books.

Live @ The Vic

If you don't want to wallow in your uncool existence of mediocre mainstream bland pop music you'll go here and download the 03.05.05 Jeff Tweedy show at The Vic in Chicago. This show was a two night benefit solo concert to raise money for the Kawasaki Disease Foundation, which Jeff's son nearly died from (the disease; not some evil plot by the foundation).

Not much for insight this evening. I'm studying for my boards which has made me feel woefully inept which is why I'm bitterly lashing out at the void of unknowing generica music listeners who languish in a virtual pool of extremely badly written music. I'll try to be more sunny next post.

FYI: If a pt has had a heart attack and now is suffering from bradycardia (slow heart rate) which coronary blood vessel was blocked to cause the heart attack?
- The right coronary artery which supplies blood to the SA node which is the "pacemaker" for the heart. See all the useful information you learn here.

Pre-destination?

I'm working this month with a pediatrician named Dr. Dada.....seriously, DADA. On some of my other rotations I've seen additional signs that your pre-programmed to your profession. To prove this, while on my psychiatry rotation I had a patient whose psychiatrist was Dr. Strange. Even better was the 21 year old schizoaffective patient, who was afraid of a coven of witches were coming to chop off his penis.....then psychiatrist's name, Dr. Wiener. Except, shouldn't he have been a urologist then. Hmm. Should I be a lifeguard or sno-cone maker then. Perhaps I'll someday practice on a beach.

For some additional fun go here: monk-E-mail
The entertainment lasts for hours or at least a good twenty minutes.

Just Drinkin'

I stumbled across this blog: IAMFUEL which features many live shows. The post to definitely check out is 5.17.2006 featuring Bob Dylan's XM radio show with a theme of Alcohol. Each show has a theme interspersed with Dylan's commentary about the history behind the music. This show reveals the musical scholar behind DJ Dylan. I almost want to join the ranks of XM subscribers I see on I-81 solely for his show.

Enjoy.

re-launch

I'm going to attempt this endeavour once again. No promises.