Song & People & TV: You Can't Always Get What You Want -- Band from TV & The Rolling Stone

Another song from House M.D., but this time, it is special, it is sung by a band consisting of actors and actresses from TV, called Band from TV, and the most interesting of all, the band was formed because of House M.D., but made up of the stars from both House M.D. and Heroes!!!

House M.D.
Image from blogspot

Heroes
Image from blogspot

Current members consist of ...

• Greg Grunberg (Matt Parkman of Heroes) – Drums 
• James Denton (Mike Delfino of Desperate Housewives) - Guitar
• Jesse Spencer – (Dr. Robert Chase of House M.D.) Violin
• Bob Guiney – Vocals
• Adrian Pasdar – (Nathan Petrelli of Heroes) Guitar
• Scott Grimes – Keyboards
• Hugh Laurie (Dr. Gregory House of House M.D.) – Keyboards, Vocals

The song? You Can't Always Get What You Want, originally by the Rolling Stones back in the 1969, the 100th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in its 2004 list of "500 Greatest Songs of All Time."

Image from Wikipedia

Image from Wikipedia

This song's Band from TV version comes in the House M.D. Original Television Soundtrack album while the Rolling Stones version comes in Let It Bleed.

I like this song because it often reminds me that life is simply not always under your control, so we should say to ourselves, "C'est la vie" accept and move on. The melody also revive your good mood, so it is a really really good song!

Lyrics (Band from TV version):

I saw her today at the reception
A glass of wine in her hand.
I knew she was gonna meet her connection,
At her feet was a footloose man.


You can't always get what you want,
You can't always get what you want.
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes, yeah,
You might find
You get what you need!

A 50 Amp Fuse

I went down to the demonstration
To get our fair share of abuse,
Singing, "we gonna vent our frustration."
If we don't we're gonna blow a fifty amp fuse.


You can't always get what you want,
You can't always get what you want.
You can't always get what you want,
But if you try sometimes, yeah,
You just might find
You get what you need!


So, I went to the Chelsea drugstore
To get your prescription filled.
I was standing in line with Mr. Jimmy.
And man, did he look pretty ill.
We decided that we would have a soda,
My favorite flavour, cherry red.
I song my song to Mr. Jimmy,
And he said one word to me and that was "dead".


You can't always get what you want,
You can't always get what you want.
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes, yeah,
You just might find,
But if you try sometimes, yeah,
You just might find,
You get what you need!


You can't always get what you want,
You can't always get what you want.
You can't always get what you want...

**************************************

Here's the longer Rolling Stones version.

Lyrics: (The Rolling Stones)

[chorus]
I saw her today at a reception
A glass of wine in her hand
I knew she would meet her connection
At her feet was her footloose man


No, you can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
And if you try sometime you find
You get what you need


I saw her today at the reception
A glass of wine in her hand
I knew she was gonna meet her connection
At her feet was her footloose man


You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you might find
You get what you need


Oh yeah, hey hey hey, oh...


And I went down to the demonstration
To get my fair share of abuse
Singing, "We're gonna vent our frustration
If we don't we're gonna blow a 50-amp fuse"
Sing it to me now...


You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes well you just might find
You get what you need
Oh baby, yeah, yeah!


I went down to the Chelsea drugstore
To get your prescription filled
I was standing in line with Mr. Jimmy
And man, did he look pretty ill
We decided that we would have a soda
My favorite flavor, cherry red
I sung my song to Mr. Jimmy
Yeah, and he said one word to me, and that was "dead"
I said to him


You can't always get what you want, no!
You can't always get what you want (tell ya baby)
You can't always get what you want (no)
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You get what you need
Oh yes! Woo!


You get what you need--yeah, oh baby!
Oh yeah!


I saw her today at the reception
In her glass was a bleeding man
She was practiced at the art of deception
Well I could tell by her bloodstained hands


You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need


You can't always get what you want (no, no baby)
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need, ah yes...

**************************************

Hope you like the song and find the song a meaningful way to understand life.




Vocabulary:
c'est la vie -- (French) used to say that situations of that type happen in life, and you cannot do anything about them
revive -- (vb) [I or T] to come or bring something back to life, health, existence, or use
footloose -- (adj) free to do what you like and go where you like because you have no responsibilities
dead -- (adj) If a place is dead, it is too quiet and nothing interesting happens there
deception -- (n) [C or U] when people hide the truth, especially to get an advantage
bloodstained -- (adj) with marks of blood on it






Resources:

Band from TV @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Band_from_TV

You Can't Always Get What You Want @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Can%27t_Always_Get_What_You_Want

House M.D. Original Television Soundtrack @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_M.D._Original_Television_Soundtrack

Let It Bleed @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_It_Bleed

Rolling Stone Magazine @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Grunberg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Denton_(actor)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Spencer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Guiney
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Pasdar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Grimes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Laurie

You Can't Always Get What You Want -- Band from TV @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sl0kkJ_lik

You Can't Always Get What You Want --The Rolling Stones @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OagFIQMs1tw

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/c-est-la-vie?q=C%27est+la+vie

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/revive?q=revive+

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/footloose?q=footloose+

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/dead_2

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/deception?q=deception

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/bloodstained

News & Health: Chocolate's the cure?

Nothing strikes me as very interesting today. Except that I have given a lot of chocolates and nuts to my students in class. Then there is this article in the news today. By Press Association,

Image from CNN Health

Chocolate 'may cut stroke risk' (UKPA) – 15 minutes ago   Chocolate-lovers could be cutting their risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke, research suggests. Previous studies have found that chocolate, particularly of the dark variety, contains compounds which may reduce the inflammation that leads to heart disease. The sweet treat is also hailed as having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which could be beneficial for health. In the latest research, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), experts from the University of Cambridge reviewed seven studies on the issue. Five reported a positive link between higher levels of chocolate consumption and lower risks of several diseases. People who ate the most chocolate had a 37% reduced risk of heart disease and a 29% reduction in stroke compared with those eating the least. One of the studies also found a 31% lower risk of diabetes for chocolate-lovers. No significant reduction was found in relation to heart failure. The research, which covered more than 100,000 people, included milk, dark and white chocolate and examined consumption of chocolate bars, drinks, biscuits and desserts. High consumption was generally regarded, depending on the study, as eating chocolate products more than once a week or 7.5g daily. However, the authors warned that the results should be interpreted with caution, especially because chocolate is so calorific it can cause weight gain. Excess weight increases the risk of several diseases, including diabetes, cancer and heart disease. While the health benefits of eating chocolate mean more could be done to reduce its fat and sugar content, further studies are needed, the experts said. Victoria Taylor, from the British Heart Foundation, said: "Evidence does suggest chocolate might have some heart health benefits but we need to find out why that might be. We can't start advising people to eat lots of chocolate based on this research. "It didn't explore what it is about chocolate that could help and if one particular type of chocolate is better than another. If you want to reduce your heart disease risk, there are much better places to start than at the bottom of a box of chocolates." Copyright © 2011 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

Hm.... yummy yummy chocolate! I have almost completely quit chocolate. You see, as one gets older, their craving for sweet things dies down. Now looks like I should restart a light chocolate diet again! 7.5g of chocolate sounds appropriate and within safety range to me. What about you?

Won't eating chocolate get me fat too? Can we eat chocolate and not get fat? Maybe, but you can't always get what you want.


Vocabulary:
strike (sb as) -- (vb) [T] (struck or ESP. US stricken, struck or ESP. US stricken) to cause someone to have a feeling or idea about something
diabetes -- (n)[U] a disease in which the body cannot control the level of sugar in the blood
stroke -- (n) [C] a sudden change in the blood supply to a part of the brain, which can cause a loss of the ability to move particular parts of the body
antioxidant -- (n) [C] a substance which slows down the rate at which something decays because of oxidization (= combining with oxygen)
anti-inflammatory -- (adj) describes a drug that is used to reduce pain and swelling
calorific -- (adj) containing calories (= units of energy provided by food)
craving (for) -- (n) a strong or uncontrollable want

Chocolate 'may cut stroke risk' @ Press Association
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5jnnQZ-63welxEK41-jFH3VAi00oQ?docId=N0067411314582461462A

Semi-sweet news for chocolate lovers @ CNN Health
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/29/semi-sweet-news-for-chocolate-lovers/

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/strike_7
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/diabetes?q=diabetes
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/stroke_1?q=stroke
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/antioxidant?q=antioxidant
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/anti-inflammatory_1?q=anti-inflammatory
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/calorific?q=calorific
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/craving?q=craving

Usage: The Understanding Words

Got a nice questions from reader Perfect Fighter's requesting on the differences of the words "know", "recognize", "realize", "aware" and "notice" -- the words with the meaning of Understanding. I have both the simple explanation and the detail one, and that is...they are all pretty similar. When you know something, you understand.

eg. I know you like chicken wings.

When you recognise something, you have seen it before and you remember it, which is why there is a prefix "re-" in front.

eg. I recognise him, he is a thief!!!

When you realise something, you finally feel or understand something  that you never understood before, because they didn't feel "real" to you, which is why "realise" is formed formed from "real" and "ise", means something becomes "real" to you.

eg. I realised that I wasn't good enough.

When you are aware of something, means you have experienced it and you already know about it.

eg. I am aware of the danger of bungee jumping, but I still want to try it.

When you notice something, you take special attention to something that is not obvious.

eg. I notice that she is scratching her forearms often.

Sometimes, the difference is small, such as,

• I know he is not my cup of tea. (I know that long time ago)
• I realised that he is not my cup of tea. (At that moment, I finally understand)

• When I stood up, I realised that my trousers was broken.
• When I stood up, I noticed that my trousers was broken.

Sometimes, they are interchangable, such as,

• I know you! You are the guy on TV last night!
• I recognise you! You are the guy on TV last night!

• I am aware of the danger of illegal crossing. (More formal)
• I know the danger of illegal crossing. (Less formal)

Sometimes, they are not interchangeable,

• I know him since high school. (but not I recognise/realise/aware of/notice him since high school)

So, how to tell the differences? Have you got your answer?


 Resources:
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/realize_1?q=realise#realize_1__3 http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/realize_2#realize_2__3 http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/recognize_1?q=recognize http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/aware?q=aware http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/notice_1?q=notice

Medical & TV: Scabies, Monsters Inside Me & solutions -- Part 2

Let's continue my story from the last entry. 

I always like to go with the things I have in the house before I go outside to look for cure, this is called improvisation, something I learnt from Dual Survival.

So the first one I tried was the toothpaste, which contains mite-killing Limonene and antifungal-bacterial Triclosan. It was definitely an excellent itch cure, as the itch subsided almost completely in about 5 minutes, but the number of mini-blisters did not reduce. As it is not going to solve the problem, toothpaste is out.

Image from 21food.com

The second one was  antiseptic Manuka Honey UMF 20+, sweet and have been used in medical procedures to fight tough germs and viruses, but UMF 20+ is definitely not enough, so it was a sweet failed attempt.

By then, the first day of clinical trial was over, and as the number of wounds were actually increasing, I planned to search for real medicine the next day.

I skipped steps to number 5 Permethrin, and so I went to search for it, but pharmacy after pharmacy, none sells this med. Another failed attempt without even testing.

Image from greencouncil.org

Another way to get Permethrin, I suspected, is from Biokill Mite Spray, but I would need to go and find a supermarket which sells it, which is not easy, need to go Apita in Tai Koo, so this one had to be postponed again, another day ended, no clinical trial.

Which leaves...

Image from alibaba.com

Number 3, fungicide-cum-pesticide Sulphur Soap. I went online and searched for a shop that sells it. I remember that I used one before which is from Australia and it was really good, so this would be the second soap, but where can I get this soap? Lucky enough, through surfing over 30 websites, I found a China brand  sulfur soap, but only one place in Hong Kong will sell it, Tung Tai Supermarket in Sai Ying Pun.

Image from AppleDaily

That Saturday, before dinner with my students in Sheung Wan, I took a photo of the Google Map with my lousy phone, the picture couldn't even show a single word of the map but I was stupid enough to think it is enough, and I didn't charge my phone battery, so after walking 30 mins, I still couldn't find the place and I was about to give up. With just one minute of battery left on my phone, I took note of the circular flyover by the harbour, and walked the reverse direction for my final try before giving up, and to my luck, I found the supermarket hiding at the end of the uphill road.

4 Sulfur and 1 Aloe vera soap = $20

$4 a bar of soap, super deal!!!! I bought 4 sulfur for extra precaution and 1 aloe vera for fun, then I use the sulfur soap to wash both arms whenever I remember for the following week. The result? You can see my forearm from the photos below.

Before treatment

After treatment

Most wounds have dried up

Scars remain

Although the scars remain and they will take time to disappear, it proves that it is really scabies that I am fighting against.

Thanks to Amy who has reminded me on Facebook that it could well be contact eczema or stress related eczema and not scabies. In this case, sulfur soap still proves to be a good cure for many skin problems and traditional Chinese and Japanese wisdom proves practical this time round.

Since sulphur is a great anti-fungal element, I suspect that it can do more than just curing scabies. Maybe it will work on other fungal related rashes and skin infections too! When I see some people on the street or on the MTR with terrible skin problem, I have an urge to tell them about sulphur soap, but since I am not their doctors and they will not update me with their progress, I wouldn't know if the soap will really help them or make them worse, so I'm choosing to keep my mouth shut for now. But if anyone of you want to try this out, especially if you have any relatives with atopic dermatitis, please let me know the result.

Atopic dermatitis
Image from thelondonskinandhairclinic

Vocabulary:
improvisation -- (n)[C or U] when you make or do something with whatever is available at the time
subside -- (vb) [I] If a building, land or water subsides, it goes down to a lower level
blister -- (n) [C]  a painful red swelling on the skin that contains liquid, caused usually by continuous rubbing, especially on your foot, or by burning
atopic dermatitis 



Resources:

Medical & TV: Scabies, Monsters Inside Me & solutions -- Part 1 @ Locky's English Playground http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2011/08/medical-tv-scabies-monsters-inside-me.html

TV: Dual Survival  @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2010/08/tv-dual-survival.html

Tung Tai Supermarket @ Google Map
http://maps.google.com.hk/maps/place?q=tung+tai+supermarket&hl=en&cid=3827056393132540729

Eczema @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eczema

Atopic dermatitis @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atopic_dermatitis

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/improvisation?q=improvisation
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/subside_2
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/blister_1?q=blisters+#blister_1__3

Medical & TV: Scabies, Monsters Inside Me & solutions -- Part 1

My left forearm

After writing a few more entries on rashes I think the English Playground will become a medical journal, or a blog specialises in rashes (then am I a dermatologist?). Because first, I wrote Medical & Vocabulary : Heat Rash and Bug Bites in August 2010, that was the first time I had my first (Hives) rash, then I wrote Medical & Vocabulary: "Hives" & Allergy in May 2011, and now, the third entry!

This time round, I didn't get hives which is patchy, spreads quickly and rather itchy, I got a different rash, dotty but spreads much more slowly and much less itchy.

Closer

I wondered, am I really THAT weak? Or am I THAT immuno-compromised? Assuming that I am healthy,   and it is nothing that comes from inside my body, then it must be environmental. This allergy could be due to toxins, but I'm betting my money on parasites. How do I know? Well, first, we have to know how I might have got the rash.

Remember that entry Living: Taoboa-ing? Well, after I got the bag, I used it on the same day, and the straps that dangled from both sides of the bag scratched against my forearms, and I noticed the itch already. I used my Dettol spray to spray my bag inside and outside, but I missed the straps, so it could have been some parasites such as the mites on those straps.

And even closer

Then I was on a ferry to Peng Chau, so I could have also picked up the mites from the ferry. And my aunt keeps a dog, and no matter how clean the doggy is, dog mites are possible.

But of course, can't confirm until I get a good comparison of my rashes with someone else who have got the mite bite rash as well, so I went online to Wikipedia and looked up on Scabies, guess what I found there? The photo below!!!

Scabies on the forearm
Image from Wikipedia

Well, the photo shows a much more serious version, but if you take the side, the redness, the tiny blister on each dot, I say it is very close. Plus, I am recently watching a TV program on Animals Planet called Monsters Inside Me which discusses cases of parasites inside the human body, and there was this case I saw:

Convinced yet? Well, need to test out my theories first. So, I put my rashes to the tests. I suggested 4 natural tests and 1 over-the-counter medication, if they don't work, I will then see a doctor and surrender myself to his antibiotics.

Image from yourdiscountchemist

1. Toothpaste (Oral B only, not sure about Colgate and others)
Contains Limonene from lemons which is deadly to some scabies mites [1], and Triclosan which is an antifungal and antibacterial agent.[2][3]

Image from 21food.com

2. Manuka Honey -- UMF 20+ Natural antiseptic property
UMF 20+ or above has anti-bacterial properties, might work on mites as well. [4]

Image from alibaba.com

3. Sulphur Soap
Elemental sulfur (chemical element symbol : S, atomic number 16) is one of the oldest fungicides and pesticides in the world. [5] A traditional Chinese wisdom, Japanese hot spring theory and the fact that it is related to the poisonous gas (Sulfur Dioxide SO₂) from the volcanoes, makes it one of the best possible candidates to kill the mites.

http://www.greencouncil.org/db_images/products/970.jpg

4. Biokill Mite Spray -- Natural ingredients (says on the bottle)
Human safe but dangerous to cats and fish, which I deduced that it might contain permethrin.

Image from pharmacyathand.co.uk

5. Permethrin

Permethrin is extremely toxic to fish and aquatic life in general and is also highly toxic to cats. In medicine, permethrin is a first-line treatment for scabies; a 5% (w/w) cream is marketed by Johnson & Johnson under the name Lyclear.[6]


Guess which one will work? Answers will be unveiled soon!


Vocabulary:
dermatologist --(n)[C] a doctor who studies and treats skin diseases
immuno-compromised --(adj)  is a state in which the immune system's ability to fight infectious disease is compromised or entirely absent.
scabies -- (n) known colloquially as the seven-year itch,^[2] is a contagious skin infection that occurs among humans and other animals. It is caused by a tiny and usually not directly visible parasite, the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, which burrows under the host's skin, causing intense allergic itching. The infection in animals (caused by different but related mite species) is called sarcoptic mange.
surrender --(vb) [I] to stop fighting and admit defeat
fungicide -- (n)  [C or U] a chemical substance used to kill fungus or prevent it from growing
pesticide -- (n) [C or U] a chemical substance used to kill harmful insects, small animals, wild plants and other unwanted organisms
unveil -- (vb) [T] If you unveil something new, you show it or make it known for the first time


Resources:

Dermatology @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dermatology

Immunodeficiency @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immuno-compromised

Living: Taoboa-ing @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2011/08/living-taobao-ing.html

Medical & Vocabulary: "Hives" & Allergy @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2011/05/medical-vocabulary-hives-allergy.html

Medical & Vocabulary : Heat Rash and Bug Bites @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2010/08/medical-vocabulary-heat-rash-and-bug.html

Scabies @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scabies

Monsters Inside Me: Scabies Mites and the Itch : Video : Animal Planet @ Discovery.com
http://animal.discovery.com/videos/monsters-inside-me-scabies-mites-and-the-itch.html

Monsters Inside Me @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6eki-926TA

[1] D-Limonene for Scabies @ Livestrong.com
http://www.livestrong.com/article/488428-d-limonene-for-scabies/

[2] Triclosan @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triclosan

[3]Miliaria  @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miliaria

[4] Health and Fitness: Manuka Honey (1st Suggested Cure for Mouth Ulcers) @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2010/01/health-and-fitness-manuka-honey-1st.html

[5] Sulfur @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur

[6] Permethrin @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permethrin

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/dermatologist?q=dermatologist+
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immuno-compromised
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scabies
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/surrender_1?q=surrender+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/fungicide?q=fungicide
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/pesticide?q=pesticide
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/unveil?q=unveiled+#unveil__3