Tales of Hoffman

OMG, WBMD IPO!

Congrats, one day late, to my old colleagues at WebMD on their successful "spinout" IPO. The price actually went up and, in what I take as a positive sign, it didn't appreciate something like 300% on the first day, only a nice respectible 39%. This is certainly a sign that the stock is not "bubbilicious." (That's a real term on Wall Street, no?).

Anyway, I know a lot of hard work went into getting to the point where the Internet division of WebMD (now, Emdeon) could stand on its own and everyone who contributed -- whether they are still there or not -- deserves a pat on the back. Vaya con Dios, WBMD!

The Mobile Curmudgeon

I've been thinking this for quite a while, and then seeing this picture on Engadget this morning, really put me over the edge (click the photo for a larger version)...

Is it me, or do people wearing and using these bluetooth headsets look like complete idiots? I know I'm probably behind the times. I'll grant folks in cars the leeway to use these (especially here in NY where "handsfree while driving" is legally required), but when I see people walking around with these things permanently in their ears -- What, just in case you get a call? Are you really that important? -- it makes me want to chuckle and say, "Hey, Robocop. Get over yourself."

OK, rant complete. (Right around now, you're probably thinking, "he should go back to posting once every two months"....I don't blame you.)

Feeds in Full

After reading my last post in my aggregator, I've decided that partial feeds (where only a small part of your post appears) are feeling very, very old-school. So, I changed it. Full posts will now be in my feed. Are you here? In your aggregator? Someplace else? Enjoy...wherever you are.

"I'm not Dead Yet..."

A few weeks ago I saw Spamalot on Broadway (great, great show by the way, especially for folks like me who grew up with the Pythons...) and, of course, the headline of this post figured prominently. It even got a song of it's own.

Well, that's the song I'm forced to sing now, as Jacob drags me, kicking and screaming, into posting again. Yes, I've been remiss, and my last two or three posts have been about how I'm not posting (that can't be a good sign), but his mention of me in this week's Medical Blog Grand Rounds may be the kick in the pants that I need to start posting again.

Obviously, I'm a little more removed from the medical blog world than I once was, but I'm still tracking the scene and I can tell you it's as vibrant as ever.

Personally, I'm immersed in my new job, which is great. We're really getting some fun stuff done here. And the weekends are just a cornucopia of kids sports with three soccer practices, three soccer games and two baseball games every weekend through the fall. I'm coaching soccer again and I'm now the webmaster of our local ASYO league. Take a look at our new site, I'm particularly proud of the redesign I did there (using CSS-based design, no less!).

So, I'm not done posting. I just need to get over the "I don't have anything to add to that topic" mood I've been in and start spouting my opinions to anyone that wants to read them. Let's see. If the next post is about how it's been a long time since I've posted (again), then it may be time to hang it up! ;-)