Taking A Step Back

Every so often, one has to take a step back and take a look at the big picture. It's been a little while since my last blog break, and I think I'm at that point right now. First of all, I'm scheduled to take my board exam at the end of July. I can't believe that it's been seven years since I've finished residency. Time flies by when you're having fun. So, I definitely have to focus on that.

Secondly, I can not say it enough how much I have been just blown away by Podcamp Ohio this past weekend. I met a lot of great people. There were a handful of people who I only knew through e-mail or blogs or podcasts - to meet them in person was quite a treat.

I talked to a lot of people about my blog and about my show - everything from technical questions to lifestyle questions (like why publicly I still identify myself without my real name). And, I have to tell you that they gave me a lot to think about - as far as marketing, identity, and other stuff.

So, I've decided that I'm really going to cut down on blogging for a little while (I wasn't blogging that much anyway). I'm not scheduling any shows this month. I'm going to concentrate on my boards. I'm also going to think about if I need to take the blog and the show in a different direction - or to change things around at all.

Don't worry, I'm not completely going "off the grid." I will remain very active on Twitter and I will continue to read blogs and occasionally leave a comment. I also shot a bunch of video at Podcamp Ohio this past weekend. I may post them here for you to check out. But, I'll definitely post them on the Podcamp Ohio group site on Viddler.

My Podcamp Ohio Experience

As you can see in the video above, it was late/early again when I recorded this. Why do I do that to myself. And, why do I subject all of you to this? Hehe. Anyway, Podcamp Ohio was a great experience yesterday. I worked the registration desk in the morning and you can see front desk pics here and here.

I heard that some of the sessions in the morning were standing room only. It's great that some people took pics during the sessions like here and here. And, as we were sitting at the front desk, we saw that a couple of people were live streaming the sessions on ustream. So, at the front desk, we were able to view a session going on down the hall. Dontcha love technology?

Then, I had the idea of "Live Streaming from the Front Desk" - more as a joke than anything else. I mean who would want to see what's going on at the front desk? Apparently, a few people were curious. So, we kind of had a "front desk" podcamp ohio session as we were checking people in. There was such a response to it, that the live stream continued all day and got to stream the lunch line, the afternoon sessions, and the post conference party.

I shot a lot of video yesterday - so much so that the battery in the camera almost ran out. I'm really looking forward to putting it together and sharing it with all of you. But, being around a bunch of geeks (and I mean that in a good way) was a really fun experience. I learned a lot this weekend about various technical stuff - I just hope that I remember it all.

For my new Podcamp Ohio friends, welcome to my blog! I invite you to take a look around and make yourself at home. I hope you read some of my posts from the past, and take a listen to some archives of my live radio internet radio show. What was your PodCamp Ohio experience like? Leave a comment here - or if you already wrote about it on your blog - leave the link below and I'll check it out!

Night Before Podcamp Ohio Update

I really weird thing happened. I shot the video above about six hours ago,. I then went to the video site and hit upload and then collapsed and fell asleep. I was hoping to see the thing uploaded and ready to go when I woke up this morning. But, alas, that is not how things work - apparently.

But, I had a great time last night meeting some people the night before the Podcamp Ohio event. Podcamp Ohio hasn't even officially started, and, for me, it's already been a valuable experience. I have never considered myself a "tech guy" and talking with some of these people last night - that definitely re-emphasized that fact. I'm really looking forward to the event later thing morning. It's Podcamp Ohio!

Show 40 Wrap-up

A little bit of a different show tonight - for Show Number 40 - in that it was not medically related. But, I did have the crew from Podcamp Ohio on the show. The event will be this weekend in Columbus. We talked about some sessions that will take place. I also asked the people on the call about their specific blogs, podcasts, video podcasts, or whatever new media project that they were working on. (see video post above)

It was a little bit of a challenge for me because I'm not that well versed in technical stuff. And, I have never had eight people on the show at the same time. So, trying to balance all of that was a challenge - yet a lot of fun! So, I'll be driving down to Columbus on Friday afternoon/evening (about 3 hours away) and hanging out down there this weekend.

If you want to keep track of what I'm doing, you can always check out my twitter feed. Or, if that's not working, I just subscribed to friendfeed. I'll also be shooting video down there and hopefully placing it up on my viddler site. Have a great weekend everybody!

Dr. A show tonight!

Thursday, June 26th, 2008 at 9pm Eastern Time

Join us tonight for The Doctor Anonymous Show number 40. We're going to be talking about Podcamp Ohio on the show. What is this? Well, it a conference, actually called an un-conference, talking about all things new media - whether they be blogs, podcasts, video podcasts, social networking, twitter, and other stuff. Our guests will be conference organizers, people presenting sessions, and of course, taking your phone calls as well.



If you do listen live, you can even take part in the chat room. It is truly "The show within the show." You can even call in and say hello. A great opportunity to interact with medbloggers you've only read about. And, you will be able to see me on the live webcam during the show! See you tonight!

For first time Blog Talk Radio listeners:
*Although it is not required to listen to the show, I encourage you to register on the BlogTalkRadio site prior to the show. I think it will make the process easier.

*To get to my show site, click here. As show time gets closer, keep hitting "refresh" on your browser until you see the "Click to Listen" button. Then, of course, press the "Click to Listen" button.

*You can also participate in the live chat room before, during, and after the show. Look for the "Chat Available" button in the upper right hand corner of the page. If you are registered with the BTR site, your registered name and picture will appear in the chat room.

*You can also call into the show. The number is on my show site. I'll be taking calls beginning at around the bottom of the hour. There is also a "Click To Talk" feature where you do not need a phone to call into the show - only a microphone headset. Hope these tips are helpful!

Show 40 Preview

This week, The Doctor Anonymous Show is doing something a little bit different - a little different change of pace for the show this week. Don't worry, it's not going to be bad. In fact, I think we're going to have a lot of fun! (See video post above)

I'm happy to welcome Podcamp Ohio to the show. What is Podcamp Ohio? Well, the best way I would describe it is that it is a gathering of new media enthusiasts - whether it be blogs, podcasts, video podcasts, social networking, and whatever else comes to mind. Podcamp Ohio will take place this weekend on Saturday, June 28th in Columbus, Ohio.

So, I'm hoping to have some of the organizers on the show, to have some people who will be presenting sessions on the show, and to have attendees on the show - just talking about stuff. I think it will be a great time on Thursday, June 26th, 2008 at 9pm Eastern Time. See you for the show!

Lost Vegas Videos

No, these videos were not lost. I just thought that it made a good title of a post. Anyway, I just saw a couple of videos from Brandice. And, one of them has a layout of her room. Why is it when people go to Vegas - that people want to know what your hotel room was like - interesting. Anyway, here's her room tour below.



So, as I have been saying for weeks, I have minutes and minutes of unedited Vegas video from my own trip in May. Finally, I put together my hotel room tour. It's not exciting and the view left a lot to be desired. But, it was fun editing this thing together. Hope you enjoy the video below!

Show 39 Wrap-up

Thanks to Dr. David Loeb from Doctor David's Blog: Musings of a Pediatric Oncologist. (see video post above) The topic of cancer in kids is sometimes an awkward to talk about. Thanks to Dr. David for being up front and honest about talking about these issues. I very much appreciate his candor in talking about this stuff. If you haven't already, check out Show 39 of The Doctor Anonymous Show (and don't forget to rate the show!).

Following the interview, I shared some news stories and I'll add those links up on this post a little bit later. Thanks to The Medical Quack for calling into the show and saving me from myself. It's really tough to talk to yourself for 30 minutes to close the show. I really appreciate her promoting the show and talking about the show on her blog. If you haven't check it out yet, I encourage you to click on over to her blog called The Medical Quack.

Following the show, I had a request to go over to my Ustream "channel" again and broadcast over there for a bit. I was up there for about 10 minutes talking about the show and hanging out with my blog friends. Thanks so much to those who followed the after show.

I'm also thinking about trying out stickam to broadcast something similar. What's interesting about that site is that up to six people with laptop cams (or a video cam in general) can broadcast at the same time - so everybody sees everybody else. So, maybe I'll try that sometime.

Finally, I again wanted to thank everybody for your well wishes for my 2nd Blogiversary. I continue to be humbled every day by those who continue to stop by, read my blog, leave comments, listen to the show, call in to the show, and being a part of my blogging life. Thanks to all of you who support me and keep me doing this. I am eternally grateful. Thank you!

Dr. A Show 39: David Loeb

Thursday, June 19th, 2008 at 9pm Eastern Time

Join us tonight for The Doctor Anonymous Show number 39. Our guest will be Dr. David Loeb who is a pediatric oncologist. His blog is called Doctor David's Blog: Musings of a Pediatric Oncologist. Plus, he just celebrated his blogiversary yesterday.

If you do listen live, you can even take part in the chat room. It is truly "The show within the show." You can even call in and say hello. A great opportunity to interact with medbloggers you've only read about. And, you will be able to see me on the live webcam during the show! See you tonight!

For first time Blog Talk Radio listeners:
*Although it is not required to listen to the show, I encourage you to register on the BlogTalkRadio site prior to the show. I think it will make the process easier.

*To get to my show site, click here. As show time gets closer, keep hitting "refresh" on your browser until you see the "Click to Listen" button. Then, of course, press the "Click to Listen" button.

*You can also participate in the live chat room before, during, and after the show. Look for the "Chat Available" button in the upper right hand corner of the page. If you are registered with the BTR site, your registered name and picture will appear in the chat room.

*You can also call into the show. The number is on my show site. I'll be taking calls beginning at around the bottom of the hour. There is also a "Click To Talk" feature where you do not need a phone to call into the show - only a microphone headset. Hope these tips are helpful!

Happy Blogiversary!

You know what's kind of funny? I totally forgot that my blogiversary was today until I saw that it was Doctor David's blogiversary yesterday. So, thanks for reminding me.

The second year of The Doctor Anonymous Blog saw a lot of changes. It's also kind of funny because I told myself that I would never video post again, and yet I started that again at the beginning of this calendar year. I tried it briefly during my first year - to bad results (in my opinion). But, honestly, I think that's going a little bit better now.

Probably the most significant change was the addition of the internet radio show in August of last year. That medium has always fascinated me. Growing up, I always wondered what it would be like to be a DJ and play music. And, growing up, I also always wanted to be Johnny Carson and be the host of a talk show.

The first few months of the thing really just had me trying to figure out the technology. I complain of technical difficulties now. But, when the show first started, I remember one show where I was on for the first 2-3 minutes. Something would happen, and I didn't get back on until about 5 minutes left on the show.

The people that I have met and interviewed on the show have been fascinating. Thanks again to all those who took the time to be on the show and put up with my interviewing style. But, most importantly, thanks to all of you out there in blog land who take the time to listen to the show - either live or on the archives. We have a great time when it's live!

Unfortunately, something that also has changed on this blog is that I have been posting less on medical/health topics verses a year ago. I'm not sure why that happened. It's a little that my job as gotten busier - meaning less free time. I do take the time now to plan out the radio show and try to get guests - and that takes some time.

But, I miss writing, and that's why I started blogging in the first place. So, I want to promise myself that I will really try to write more posts again - whether they be about medical/health news, or day-to-day life, or whatever.

Thanks again to all of you out there who read the blog, who subscribe to the blog, who tell others about the blog. I'm still humbled by the thought that people out there actually are interested about reading this blog. Thanks so much! Hopefully, I'll still be able to do this for another year!

The David Loeb Interview

The Doctor Anonymous Show is proud to welcome Dr. David Loeb to show 39 on Thursday, June 19th, 2008 at 9pm Eastern Time. He is a pediatric oncologist which is a cancer doctor for kids. I've always been fascinated by those who choose to take care of kids with cancer. That has got to be tough work. His blog is called Doctor David's Blog: Musings of a Pediatric Oncologist. (See video post above)

Below, I wanted to share a post called "How Do You Know A Teenager is Well:"

My pager goes off all the time. Usually, it’s an annoyance, interrupting something I’m doing (talking with a patient, driving to work…) for something that may not be as urgent. (“Do you want to admit the patient on Wednesday or next Friday?”)

But sometimes the pager tells me something good.

Last week, one of my patients had a catastrophic experience – a 28-minute seizure that was the first sign of a previously-undetected metastasis to her brain. We admitted her to the ICU and arranged for surgery the next day. Unfortunately, that day I had a previously-booked flight to an osteosarcoma conference in Houston. So I asked a colleague to page me when the surgery was done.

I landed in Houston, turned on my pager, and moments later received this message, “M [the patient] out of OR, extubated, texting her friends.”

She’s a teenager. She’s texting her friends, so she must be doing well!

I also wanted to mention my little experiment from last weekend. So, I have this ustream account and last weekend on Saturday night, I turned on the camera on my laptop. I opened up the chat room over there, and for about 3 hours, we had people come in and out of the chat room and just hang out and talk. It was a lot of fun. Now, as usual, there were some technical problems and sometimes, I lost the picture. But everyone just kept chatting, and I played some music which people could year on the video/audio stream. Thanks to all of you who showed up to hang out. I should do that again sometime....

Show 38 Wrap-up

As I suspected, my scheduled guests did not show up for The Doctor Anonymous Show 38 (Don't forget to rate the show over there). But, I wasn't surprised by that. So, instead, I was happy to have people calling in and saying hello. (see video post above) First, I wanted to thank David Porter from the Center for Reducing Health Disparities and we talked about the website that he works on and the idea of health disparities in general.

Next, Angelo Mandato from PodcampOhio called in and we talked about how he got involved in the idea and the concept of podcamp. He has done a great job organizing the entire event. If you are anywhere in the midwestern United States - specifically Ohio - you have to try to get down to Columbus, Ohio for this gathering. We'll talk about all things new media like blogs, podcasts, video blogging, social networking, twitter, and so much more.

Finally, before all the technical problems occurred, Chris Seper from Cleveland.com/Medical called into the show. Thanks so much to him and the website for writing an article about me and for featuring the show in their sidebar. We had a great conversation about how the site is a great source of information about NE Ohio health issues and beyond. I'm really hoping to meet some of my NE Ohio blog/website colleagues in the future like Chris, David, and maybe even Buckeye Doctor who tuned into the show again tonight - thanks for that.

Then, the technical problems started. I won't bore you with the details. But, I wanted to thank the chat room again for hanging with me through that. I know that some were able to listen to me for the final moments of the show and some were not. Hopefully, blogtalkradio will be able to fix these problems so that I can have smooth shows again.

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of the evening occurred after the blogtalkradio show. Just to try things out, I put the camera back on and activated my Ustream.tv account. We had a little "dance party" for about an hour after the show. I do have a little video on my ustream site to check out. Thanks to all those who joined the ustream party last night.

I think what I'll do is have another ustream "party" on Saturday, June 14th (Flag Day in the USA) at around 9pm eastern time. And, we'll do the same thing. People were telling me to get some "real" music. So, if you have a request, put it in the comments below and I'll do my best to try to find it. We'll do an hour or so, because I don't want to miss one of my fave blogtalkradio shows. So, have a great weekend, everybody, and maybe we'll see you Sat nite!

Dr. A Show 38

Thursday, June 12th, 2008 at 9pm Eastern Time

Join us tonight for The Doctor Anonymous Show number 38. Our scheduled guests are from the site called The Doctors Channel. But, still as of this posting, I have not received confirmation that they are indeed coming to the show tonight. So this show should be interesting.

Another interesting thing is that the entire BlogTalkRadio site crashed at about 10PM eastern time last night. How did I know that? Well, I was getting ready to listen to one of my fave shows when - right at the top of the hour - I could not get audio or video. And when I tried to refresh the page, I got an error message. So, we'll see what happens for my show tonight.

Here are other stories that I may cover on tonight's show:
*My show being featured in the sidebar of the Cleveland Plain Dealer Health Page (woohoo!)
*My (boring) (non) jury duty story
*New Yorkers have a higher rate of herpes infection verses the rest of the nation
*Athletes take Viagra before workout routines
*And whatever else news stories I find interesting

If you do listen live, you can even take part in the chat room. It is truly "The show within the show." You can even call in and say hello. A great opportunity to interact with medbloggers you've only read about. And, you will be able to see me on the live webcam during the show! See you tonight!

For first time Blog Talk Radio listeners:
*Although it is not required to listen to the show, I encourage you to register on the BlogTalkRadio site prior to the show. I think it will make the process easier.

*To get to my show site, click here. As show time gets closer, keep hitting "refresh" on your browser until you see the "Click to Listen" button. Then, of course, press the "Click to Listen" button.

*You can also participate in the live chat room before, during, and after the show. Look for the "Chat Available" button in the upper right hand corner of the page. If you are registered with the BTR site, your registered name and picture will appear in the chat room.

*You can also call into the show. The number is on my show site. I'll be taking calls beginning at around the bottom of the hour. There is also a "Click To Talk" feature where you do not need a phone to call into the show - only a microphone headset. Hope these tips are helpful!

Show 38 Preview

I would like to invite you to the next edition of The Doctor Anonymous Show which will be Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 9pm eastern time. My scheduled guests are from the website called The Doctors Channel. The Co-Founders of the site are Dr. Micheal Banks and Dr. David Best. The site describes itself as this: The Doctor’s Channel is a useful, time-saving tool that condenses the overwhelming amount of information doctors are forced to navigate each day in a creative, informative way.

I also want to let you know that I sent them a confirmation e-mail earlier this week, but have not heard back from them yet. Of course, that may change at any time. For now, I will keep them on the schedule and on my sidebar. I have the utmost confidence that they will keep their commitment to the show and be our guest tomorrow night.

If not, then, I think I'm more than capable of filling the time with whatever comes to mind. Maybe I'll talk about the impending Friday the 13th this week. Or, Flag Day (in the US) in June 14. Or, Father's Day (in the US) on June 15th. I have to update everybody on my jury duty episode this week. And, I have big news (for me) about a major newspaper site featuring The Doctor Anonymous Show on their health page (woo hoo!). So, join us for Show 38. You won't want to miss it!

NeoNurseChic is Back!

I'm happy to announce that our blog friend NeoNurseChic is back. She sent out an e-mail this morning announcing her return. Some of you newer bloggers may not remember her, but about a year and a half ago, she was very active in the medblogger community.

Then, circumstances happened that she had to make her blog private and she dropped out of the medblog world for a while (although I would still see her leave comments at places like The Shrink Rap Blog). Anyway, she has a long post today, which is basically a catch up post for what she's been doing.

So, I encourage you to drop by over there, take a read (especially at some of her earlier posts), and leave a comment of welcoming her back. I have missed her around and hope that she continues blogging for a while.

iPhone 2.0 announced

Now, everyone knew that this new iPhone was coming for months. Even knowing this, I was even surprised by this announcement - particularly the $199 price point. Of course, I'm not a tech reporter. But, I'm very happy with this announcement. The only question left is should I get this phone on July 11th? Maybe another question is should I be one of those people who wait outside my local Apple store for this phone? This is so exciting!

Heat Stroke

Hey there kids! Hope your weekend is going well. One of the headlines this weekend is this early heat wave, at least in the eastern United States. I have golf outing this afternoon. (Keep an eye on my Twitter to see how I'm doing today) And, around here, the high temperature will be in the mid 90s - with the humidity raising the temp even more.

Usually with the heat articles, you usually see health articles about dehydration and heat stroke. But, surprisingly, I did not see that this weekend. So, I will take on the task of reviewing this stuff. (Plus, I wanted to review this myself, because I know there will be a bunch of guys out there in my golf outing today who will not hydrate enough)

Here is a great article from WebMD which initially describes Heat Stroke:

Heat stroke is a form of hyperthermia (abnormally elevated body temperature) with accompanying physical and neurological symptoms. Unlike heat cramps and heat exhaustion, two less-severe forms of hyperthermia, heat stroke is a true medical emergency that can be fatal if not properly and promptly treated.

If you get a chance, be sure to check out the article above. Be careful out there today! Make sure that you keep well hydrated. And, if you recognize the signs of dehydration and/or heat stroke, definitely do not ignore them. You could save someone's life. Have a safe one out there today!

Jim McKay

It was sad to hear that this legendary sportscaster passed away today. I will remember him from "Wide World of Sports" which was the forerunner of ESPN and what sports broadcasting is today. I will also remember him for being such a part of the olympics. Above is a video clip of what he does best...

Show 37 Wrap-up

Thanks so much to Dr. Gwenn O'Keeffe from Pediatrics Now and Dr. Gwenn Is In for being on Show Number 37. We started with talking about her career choice for medicine and for the specialty of pediatrics. We then moved into her work with writing columns, then and eventually working toward the creation of her blog and her website.

We talked a bunch about physicians can and should reach out to media outlets whether they be television, newspapers, or new media sources like blogs/podcasts/videos. I enjoy exploring this area with media savvy people like Dr. Gwenn. She's also involved with her professional organization (American Academy of Pediatrics) and I have been involved with mine as well to try to advocate better for physicians and our patients.

Unfortunately, the technical problems continued this evening with me getting kicked off the line a couple of times, and my guest getting cut off a couple of times a well. But, being the pro that she is, she covered me by continuing to talk as I tried to get re-connected back into the show.

This really flustered me and, frankly, made me upset. I did some news stories at the end of the show, but what really got me upset is the technical difficulties. Hopefully, they will be fixed. Or, at least better addressed before the next show (next week). Have a great weekend, everybody!

Dr. A Show 37: Gwenn O'Keeffe

Thursday, June 5th, 2008 at 9pm Eastern Time

Join us tonight for The Doctor Anonymous Show number 37 (See video post above). Our guest will be Dr. Gwenn O'Keeffe who is a pediatrician in Massachusetts. Check out yesterday's post for a description of her website, her blog, and her appearances on television and podcasts.

If you do listen live, you can even take part in the chat room. It is truly "The show within the show." You can even call in and say hello. A great opportunity to interact with medbloggers you've only read about. And, you will be able to see me on the live webcam during the show! See you tonight!

For first time Blog Talk Radio listeners:
*Although it is not required to listen to the show, I encourage you to register on the BlogTalkRadio site prior to the show. I think it will make the process easier.

*To get to my show site, click here. As show time gets closer, keep hitting "refresh" on your browser until you see the "Click to Listen" button. Then, of course, press the "Click to Listen" button.

*You can also participate in the live chat room before, during, and after the show. Look for the "Chat Available" button in the upper right hand corner of the page. If you are registered with the BTR site, your registered name and picture will appear in the chat room.

*You can also call into the show. The number is on my show site. I'll be taking calls beginning at around the bottom of the hour. There is also a "Click To Talk" feature where you do not need a phone to call into the show - only a microphone headset. Hope these tips are helpful!

The Gwenn O'Keeffe Interview

The Doctor Anonymous Show is proud to welcome Dr. Gwenn O'Keeffe to show 37 on Thursday, June 5th, 2008 at 9pm Eastern Time. She is a pediatrician, and, in my opinion, an entrepreneur in that she has a website called PediatricsNow.com and also a blog called Dr. Gwenn Is In. Below, is a small excerpt from a post called "Is your child's teacher good for your child?"

Keep in mind that even small children can express when they are being treated poorly so take it seriously. Stay calm and try to be open minded but do explore the situation fully when your child comes home complaining about a teacher. It may be that your child is having struggles in the classroom or with another child. Or, it may very well be the child is being treated poorly by the teacher. Teachers are sometimes bullies to kids and that must never be allowed.

I hope you're able to join us for the show, because we're going to have a great time. Following the interview with Bruce, I just be talking about stuff for the last 30 minutes of the show or so. Even feel free to call in, if you like. Check out the blog tomorrow for more details!

Finally, if that's not all, I also wanted to mention that Dr. Gwenn has appeared on The Vicky and Jenn podcast discussing various pediatric issues. And, she even makes television appearances on her local news station. Below is a video clip talking about vaccine issues.

Dona Nobis Pacem

I know this post is early, but, it's already June 4th in most parts of the world. You may have seen globes like this in the past. This has been called a "Peace Globe Movement" by some out there in the blogosphere. This is a simple idea brought forth by Mimi Lenox back in the fall of 2006. Mimi was even a guest on The Doctor Anonymous Show Number Eleven back on October 25, 2007.

The idea is simple: To have as many people put globes like the one above on blogs around the world. Think that's silly? Well, there have been previous peace globe days on 11/7/06, 6/6/07, and 11/7/07. Check out the comment sections of these posts. And, of course, check out Mimi's site for a sample of globes from around the world. It's never too late to get your globe. Click here for more details.

Peace on Earth is more than just a day someone picked out and a graphic that you put on your blog. Yes, it's idealistic, but it's an idea of hope - In a world that needs all the hope that it can grasp. Thanks Mimi for continuing this movement and this idea. I'm hoping to see a lot of globes on June 4th.

High Grass Violation

Mow your lawn, or go to jail! That's what the city council is saying in Canton, Ohio (by my neck of the woods). The local Canton paper talks about it more, but below is the story from the Associated Press:

Homeowners who don't mow their grass in this northeast Ohio city now face stiffer penalties — including possible jail time. The city council unanimously passed a law Monday that makes a second high-grass violation a fourth-degree misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $250 and as many as 30 days in jail.

The previous law only made the first violation a minor misdemeanor, with a fine of up to $150 but no jail time. The new law is to take effect in 30 days. "This is the type of action we need to take in order to clean up our neighborhoods and our city," Mayor William J. Healy II said.

As all of you know, government has always been successful at legislating a change in behavior (yeah right). I'm hoping the people in Canton protest this by not mowing lawns for a month. That would be funny. Plus, the terminology is just hilarous. "Hey, what are you in jail for? Me, robbery, You? Uh, for a second High-Grass Violation." Yeesh.

Grand Rounds

Grand Rounds 4.37 is now up and running over at The Happy Hospitalist. (The picture above is actually from an earlier post this week - not from the GR post. I know, not fair. But, admit it, it caught your attention, didn't it?).

I admit (again) that I've been a bad medblogger in that I haven't been that consistent in contributing posts to GR. Of course, that would mean that I would have to write meaningful posts to submit. Anyway, I'll try again to write some content for GR. Thanks to The Happy Hospitalist for including my post this week:

Unabated physician bashing. Haven't you heard? All doctors hate gay people. Doctor Anonymous points out the blatant assault on physician rights.

If you don't know what Grand Rounds is, it is a weekly compilation of the best posts from the medical blogosphere that moves to different sites each week. And, who doesn't like reading about medicine and science? Next week, Grand Rounds moves to the infamous blog of Dr. John Crippen called NHS Blog Doctor.

Happy Birthday, Me!

As I began my day on Sunday morning, I was happy to see that the blog crossed the 200K visit level. YAY! I had a question on when I exactly placed that thing on my blog. The sitemeter thingy was placed soon after I started the blog two years ago. You'll see in my sidebar that it will be only about 2 weeks until my 2 year blogiversary. Can you believe it?

Anyway, following this, I was pleased to see in a Twitter from Dr. Rob that Sunday was his birthday. Happy Birthday Dr. Rob! I hope you enjoyed that birthday bagel. I'm happy to say that Monday is my birthday. So, Happy Birthday Me!

I celebrated on Sunday. For those of you subscribed to my Twitter feed or are on Brightkite, I did a lot of traveling and celebrating on Sunday. After sleeping in on Sunday, I went to lunch at one of my favorite places - and took a picture there. Later, went to our local lake to take in some of nature - and took a picture there. Finally, went to dairy queen to have one of my fave desserts - the blizzard - and took a picture there. So, overall, good weekend. Hope your weekend was just as fun!

Update: When I walked into the office this morning, I got this huge birthday balloon. And, got some of my favorite treats in a cute little package. I have the best staff - ever - Thanks so much to them!