CasesBlog - Medical and Health Blog: June 2009

Tweets About Social Media

"If you want to be a thought leader, blog don’t Twitter" http://bit.ly/Juy5t
“Thought leaders should avoid spending a lot of time in Twitter or FriendFeed because that time will be mostly wasted” http://bit.ly/Juy5t
Twitter/micro-streams backlash has began: "Blogging Is Still the Foundation In A World of Streams" http://bit.ly/CtB8Z
I review my Twitter updates at the end of every day and anything of lasting value gets transferred to my blog in a summary post.

Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.

Health News of the Day is a daily summary made from the selected links I post on Twitter. It is in a bullet points format with links to the original sources which include 350 RSS feeds that produce about 2,500 items per day.

White-Coat Hypertension Not Benign: Doubles Risk for Sustained High Blood Pressure http://bit.ly/RPdh5
Why the Copy and Paste Function of EMR Can be Hazardous http://bit.ly/se2pT -- EMRs degrade the quality of clinical documentation? Dr. RW has "yet to encounter an EMR generated note that effectively tells a patient’s story." http://bit.ly/2IyM0 - Not my experience.
Rhinotillexomania: Nose picking frequency greater than 20/d in 7.6%, 17% considered they had serious nose-picking problem http://is.gd/1iy2I
"People feel that placebo painkiller costing $2.50 provides better relief than if they’re told the pill costs 10 cents" http://bit.ly/qJmrM
Google Search Trends Suicide Watch: http://bit.ly/dWawU
Tips on Implementing a Modern Hospital Website http://bit.ly/yIxov
Twittering Your Heart Rate: sound like a good idea but your relatives might become a bit upset when Twitter crashes http://bit.ly/X77Uv

Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.

Selection of My Twitter Favorites, Edition 70

HowardKurtz Just got a webcam at work to share my many media thoughts on video. Downside: having to comb my hair. 10:21 AM Jun 18th from web
JRBtrip Gr8 quote - Murdoch summed up success in the digital age: "Big will not beat small any more - it will be the fast beating the slow." 5:49 AM Jun 18th from TweetDeck
davewiner A smiley basically says "I'm a nice person, my mother loves me, please don't hit me." :-) 12:18 PM Jun 17th from web
davewiner Liberal use of smileys helps avoid misunderstandings. :-) 12:18 PM Jun 17th from web
kidney_boy @dwmoskowitz why did docs lose curiosity? Three letters: IRB. The bureaucratic overhead to curiosity breaks the back of busy clinicians. 10:36 AM Jun 17th from Tweetie in reply to dwmoskowitz
schroncd I don't care for hiking. The longest hike I ever made was trying to find the car in a WalMart parking lot 8:47 AM Jun 17th from web
gruntdoc Our EMR is very dedicated: Even when it crashes: (it says “Cannot Quit”). http://tinyurl.com/nxp5to9:12 PM Jun 16th from twitterfeed
zappos Twittering is like hugging. Just because it's hard to measure the return on investment doesn't mean there isn't value there. 3:22 PM Jun 16th from txt
davewiner Twitter forces the whole web through a 140-character window. 7:12 AM Jun 16th from web
drscottgberg residency orientation is officially scaring me. 4:59 PM Jun 15th from web
timoreilly Jeff Immelt: "My job at GE is to look 20 years ahead....And every time I go to China, I get a headache." #wiredlive 4:05 PM Jun 15th from Seesmic Desktop

The inclusion of a Twitter update (tweet) in Selection of My Twitter Favorites does not represent endorsement or agreement of any kind.

If you are included in this post but you would like to have your tweet removed for any reason, please email me and will comply with your request the same day.

Micro-blogging on Twitter is easy, fun and can be useful and educational if you follow/subscribe to interesting people. You can read more here: A Doctor's Opinion: Why I Started Microblogging on Twitter and visit my account at Twitter/AllergyNotes.

Average Andorran lives 85 years, longer than anywhere else on the planet. Why?

References:
Why Andorrans live longer than everyone else. CNN.

Health News of the Day

The coldest job on earth: doctor on Antarctica’s only international base http://bit.ly/18tNlV
Monitoring bone mineral density in the first three years after starting treatment with bisphosphonate is unnecessary, BMJ http://is.gd/1foCW
Report: Inexperienced doctors may fail to spot warning signs http://bit.ly/2dk6mM
Factors associated with mortality in patients receiving methadone in primary care, BMJ: 8% people died http://bit.ly/2SGfhq
Michael Jackson was on Demerol TID, Dilaudid, Vicodin, Xanax. The Huffington Post profiles one of his personal physicians: http://bit.ly/6Dek9
Career Advice: Ten Simple Rules for Choosing between Industry and Academia http://bit.ly/H56AH
WSJ comment: "Obama's Health Future: Rationing, and not only withholding care from the elderly." http://bit.ly/Iwfn9

Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.

Tweets About Social Media

From my Twitter account:

Robert Scoble: Can you be a thought leader without a blog? http://bit.ly/JVDqJ
Wishful thinking: "lifestreaming is today's digital equivalent of Leonardo Da Vinci's notebooks" http://bit.ly/Gut1T
"If you like clicking on links and going nowhere, then FriendFeed really is the perfect tool" by Eva Amsen http://bit.ly/ybnU7
RT "@Scobleizer: Putting knowledge into Twitter makes me sad because it is almost impossible to pull it out again in future."
Potential Benefits of an Online Presence http://bit.ly/LCZCg vs. "Doctors and the potential pitfalls of an online presence" http://bit.ly/W6PhM
Medicine 2.0 Microcarnival on FriendFeed http://bit.ly/qI2KK - FriendFeed format looks confusing, blogs are still better for this purpose

Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.

Selection of My Twitter Favorites, Edition 69

pkedrosky I hate when this happens: Just minding my own robotic business, and attacked by an eagle http://bit.ly/cNHvt (via @zefrank)3:48 PM Jun 15th from twhirl
Stammy i was wondering how this healthy choice meal is only 230 calories.. then i tasted it. apparently removing flavor also removes calories. 3:42 PM Jun 15th from Tweetie
doc_rob Frustrated. Just substitute Google for a doctor, then. I know docs have dropped the ball, but don't punish those who haven't. 1:33 PM Jun 15th from Tweetie
doc_rob Patients' job is to make decisions based on GOOD information. Docs job is to make sure information is good. 1:28 PM Jun 15th from Tweetie
davewiner Was asked today what mobile devices I carry. 1. iPhone 3G. 2. EeePC 1000HA. 3. Sprint/Novatel MiFi. 12:58 PM Jun 15th from web
ConsultantLive Precept #69 Don't throw away your clinical findings when they conflict with technology. 11:40 AM Jun 15th from web
kidney_boy Doctor bloggers what do you do when someone asks for medical advice in the comments of your blog? See http://xrl.in/2h348:46 AM Jun 15th from web
scanman Have you ever noticed? Anybody going slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac. - George Carlen #quote 11:24 PM Jun 14th from Power Twitter
loic my 8 years old just asked me how you say Cinnamon in French. We have been here only 1.5 years. Scary. 8:50 PM Jun 13th from Seesmic Desktop
texmed RT @HobbsOBG: Nielsen " Medical decisions should be kept between physician and patient. We will fight to keep this." #AMAAnnual 4:39 PM Jun 13th from UberTwitter
Doctor_V I'm predicting that the AMA is going to grow to regain the power it had in recent generations 4:19 PM Jun 13th from TweetDeck
HobbsOBG Nielsen "Our profession should take ownership of health decisions. Not government, Not health plans." #AMAAnnual 4:12 PM Jun 13th from TweetDeck

Visual notes: "Burmese Python's Consuming Florida"

By Jonny Goldstein, used under a Creative Commons license:

"The Burmese Python is native to Southeast Asia. Now it is thriving in Florida, due to pet owners who set them free. They have found the climate very agreeable and are now battling it out with alligators at the top of the food chain."

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

NBC Video: Pythons on the loose in Florida

Related reading:

It's Open Season On Florida's Pythons. NPR, 2009.

Hunters and Tourists Stalk Pythons in Florida http://nyti.ms/cbtBBh
The day may come when doctors literally prescribe snake oil for heart disease - NYTimes,2011.

Health News of the Day

Influenza but not pneumococcal vaccination was associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality in COPD. http://bit.ly/XsXm8
New Guidelines Issued for Asthma Assessment by ATS and ERS http://bit.ly/3FhpX
Graph: Physicians per 100,000 population in different countries http://bit.ly/PluRN
Medical College of Georgia provides free iPhone educational apps to students http://bit.ly/BUEj3
WSJ comment: "Obama's Health Future: Rationing, and not only withholding care from the elderly." http://bit.ly/Iwfn9
Potential Benefits of an Online Presence http://bit.ly/LCZCg vs. "Doctors and the potential pitfalls of an online presence" http://bit.ly/W6PhM
A Typical Day in Pediatric Dentistry: http://bit.ly/sDAJU

Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.

TED Talks: Surgery's past, present and robotic future

"Surgeon and inventor Catherine Mohr tours the history of surgery (and its pre-painkiller, pre-antiseptic past), then demos some of the newest tools for surgery through tiny incisions, performed using nimble robot hands. Fascinating -- but not for the squeamish."

Health News of the Day

Study: Overweight People (BMI 25-29.9) Live Longer - Obesity (BMI greater than 30) Linked to Earlier Death http://bit.ly/GdkdH
Mayo Clinic Grand Rounds Webcasts http://bit.ly/17R8VJ
Systemic and intrathecal chemotherapy obviates need for prophylactic CNS irradiation in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia http://bit.ly/T0bEe
CMS's Landmark Decision on CT Colonography — NEJM Examining the Relevant Data http://bit.ly/95TP2
50 doctors, health care executives indicted, dozens arrested by FBI in a $50 million Medicare fraud case in Michigan http://bit.ly/71xXO
"The Texas Paradox: What Really Goes On In McAllen" http://bit.ly/Lsynl
"In health care, depending on your payer source, many doctors see 10%, 20%, 30% or more of their patients for free" http://bit.ly/8qjgh
Paulo Coelho knows the doctor who tried to save Neda. Here's his story: http://bit.ly/Rrqva
How much access should patients have to their med record? http://bit.ly/qux3V See the comments too - My answer: pts should have full access

Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.

Google Voice opens for everybody, invites on their way

From Google blog:

Google Voice is a service that gives you one phone number to link all your phones and makes voicemail as easy as email. If you requested an invitation on the Google Voice site or previously on GrandCentral, keep your eye out for an invite email.

To learn more about Google Voice, check out the video below. If you haven't signed up for a Google Voice invite, make sure to get on the list by leaving us your email address at www.google.com/voiceinvite.

I use Google Voice widget as a contact tool on my biographical website and would encourage you to sign up for this useful and free service.

Nexus One - Google Voice

Updated: 01/18/2010

Twitter and Facebook will not replace medical blogs

"The long tail of blogging is dying" according to The Guardian: http://bit.ly/NuYon.

Yesterday I joined the Pulmonary Roundtable group on Facebook http://bit.ly/B7c0I - a continuation of Pulmonary Roundtable blog http://bit.ly/Bxtya. The original site stopped publishing in 2008 and was added to the list of "dead blogs" by GruntDoc.

I see people starting to use Facebook as a substitute platform for a blog or a personal page (AAAAI, KevinMD's fan pages) and I am not sure this is the best approach. On the very basic level, you are working for somebody else (bringing page views and AdSense dollars) on a closed platform with very limited features.

Blogging is hard, requires more involvement than micro-blogging on Twitter. Image source: Xkcd.com, Creative Commons license.

Twitter is easier than blogs. Image source: WeBlogCartoons, Creative Commons license.

In happier news, the Medlibs Round blog carnival is alive and well with its latest edition: PubMed and Discoveries http://bit.ly/tMWy9. This edition is hosted by a med librarian at the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) who writes in her blog bio: "I am not an acronym, I am a free woman" http://bit.ly/tMWy9

Related:
How to deal with the information overload from blogs, RSS and Twitter?
Some thoughts on medical blogging vs. Twitter
Is Blogging Dead or Dying? Will Twitter Replace Blogs?
Why Do I Blog?
Why Physician Blogs Close Down?
Another blogger quits due to "blog fatigue"
Using a Blog to Build an Educational Portfolio

7% of people know what a browser is, or is that a search engine?

Here’s a video some NY-based Google employees put up on YouTube a while ago, titled ‘What is a browser?’:

References:
Yeah, What Is A Browser Anyway? by Robin Wauters.

Health News of the Day

Health Data Rights http://bit.ly/yWZXa - I'll say it again - if you use EMR, print your note for your patient - it's their note too. When I use EMR (Cleveland Clinic, VA, etc.), I always try to engage the patient - "write the note together" - esp. assessment and plan.
Video Library of Clinical Communication Skills (Anderson Cancer Center) http://bit.ly/11aS4P
President Obama says "absolutely" will reform health care in 2009, Reuters: http://is.gd/1bUQ5
Cleveland doctor who diagnosed herself with breast cancer in Antarctica in 1999 dies at 57, CNN: http://bit.ly/11T6hS
NASA’s Caffeine Web Findings http://bit.ly/6Ltm
MGMA: Physician Compensation Trails Inflation http://bit.ly/SAKh5 -- Doctor in WSJ: "What other profession has experienced a reduction in reimbursement over the last 20 years?" http://bit.ly/nUVax

Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.

Health News of the Day

HR, BP and blood flow change in response to musical crescendos (increase in volume and intensity) and decrescendos. HR, BP response seen even w/o emotional responses to the music, may synchronize "inherent cardiovascular rhythms" http://bit.ly/108iDs
First-Degree AV associated with increased risks of AF, pacemaker implantation, and all-cause mortality. http://bit.ly/YLFs7
2009 marks the 100th anniversary of the first description of Pneumocystis, JAMA: http://bit.ly/xmhlR
"Public should be cautious and wait for study findings before jumping on the bandwagon to take megadoses of vitamin D" http://bit.ly/BGsUO
"Six Patient Behaviors That Drive Doctors Nuts" http://bit.ly/vfLVf
How to Use Social Media: An Interview with Lee Aase of Mayo Clinic http://bit.ly/NTl7b
"Unpublished Data, No Pictures Please" http://bit.ly/cMZ3N - If your data are so secret, may be you should not present them either... :)
Email logs can provide advance warning of an organisation reaching crisis point. http://bit.ly/16vEeg

Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.

LRG urine test may help diagnose appendicitis

From Reuters:

Appendicitis is the most common emergency in childhood, yet 3-30% of appendectomies may be unnecessary. Urine test for leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein (LRG) may help diagnose appendicitis in children.

Inflamed appendix removal by open surgery. Image source: Wikipedia, Dr Vgaikwad, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

An example of a leucine-rich repeat protein, a porcine ribonuclease inhibitor. Image source: Wikipedia, GNU Free Documentation License.

Twitter comments:

hjluks better to remove a few normals than miss an appy that perforates. about 6 hours ago from Tweetie in reply to AllergyNotes

Health News of the Day

Study: Failures to inform patients or to document informing patients of abnormal outpatient test results are common http://is.gd/1abf3
MGMA: Experienced physicians migrating to Florida and Texas, medical residents head for North Carolina and Illinois http://is.gd/1abyn
"Is it becoming dangerous to NOT blog?" http://is.gd/1abBc - Of course not. It can be interesting and useful though. Start on Twitter. Alternative point of view: "Scientific Researchers and Web 2.0: Social Not Working? -- Good scientists don't blog" http://is.gd/1abKM
Dr. Wes: "There are fewer touchier questions inside the White House than this: Is Mr. Obama still smoking?" http://is.gd/1acbx -- CNN video: President Obama: "I'm 95% cured of smoking, as a former smoker, I constantly struggle with it... " http://bit.ly/10qBby
Forbes slideshow: 11 Ways To Boost Your Energy. "SNACC program: cut out all SNACCs (Sugar, Nicotine, Alcohol, Caffeine and Chemicals) for a week" http://is.gd/1acoL
Dr. Centor's tips for interns: "I’ve learned to work very hard when I work, but to try not to overwork." http://is.gd/1acLC
“Why Social Media are Essential to the Future of Health and Science Communication” http://is.gd/1adPQ

Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.

Health News of the Day

U.S. physicians don't tell tell patients about abnormal tests 7% of the time (1 out of every 14 tests), EMR did not help http://bit.ly/MreUd
Solitude Speeds Effects of Aging - conversely, social activity keeps motor skills sharp among the elderly http://bit.ly/18g2oR
McAllen,Texas follow-up by the same auhtor: How should Obama reform health care? by Atul Gawande http://bit.ly/vGfkp
Social research: you lose about half of your friends and replace them with new ones after about 7 years. "Half of All Friends Replaced Every 7 Years -- to put it another way, the half-life of friendship is 7 years" http://bit.ly/zt6n9

Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.

Health News of the Day

Vinegar May Aid in Fat Loss: acetic acid may turn on genes that produce proteins that help the body break down fats. http://bit.ly/AYxVp
80% of U.S. HIV cases are clustered in 20% of counties -- comprised heavily of minority populations http://bit.ly/UIsKF
Keep Getting MRSA? Check the Family Pet http://bit.ly/8qvxL and http://bit.ly/4BbiFl
Top 5 medical journals impact factor: 1) NEJM 50; 2) JAMA 31.718; 3) LANCET 28.409; 4) ANN INTERN MED 17.457; 5) BMJ 12.827
Everywhere you look, there is a medical social networking service - how many are you going to join my dear friends? http://bit.ly/15TfbH -- There is no clear winner in the medical social network space - no Twitter/Facebook/YouTube-type success. Let's see what happens....
Heat In Parked Car Turns Deadly In Minutes - 106.2 degrees in 10 minutes http://bit.ly/1uolo
"What's wrong with Steve Jobs?" The regular speculation post by Orac http://bit.ly/QnNyR
25 ways to teach with Twitter: http://bit.ly/VEOdM - Alternative title: 25 ways to spend your academic time producing nonacademic work.
New Ph.D.s Look Abroad for Jobs - WSJ http://bit.ly/UYWPH

Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.

Eltrombopag (Promacta) is a New Treatment for Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)

The pathogenesis of chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) involves antibody-mediated platelet destruction and reduced platelet production. Stimulation of platelet production may be an effective treatment for this disorder.

Eltrombopag is an oral thrombopoietin-receptor agonist.

Eltrombopag is a small molecule agonist of the c-mpl (TpoR) receptor, which is the physiological target of the hormone thrombopoietin. Image source: Wikipedia, public domain.

A NEJM study from 2007 reported that eltrombopag increased platelet counts in a dose-dependent manner in patients with relapsed or refractory ITP.

Promacta® (eltrombopag) was approved by the FDA in November 2008 as the first oral medication to increase platelet production in ITP.

BOXED WARNING

PROMACTA may cause hepatotoxicity. Because of the risk for hepatotoxicity and other risks, PROMACTA is available only through a restricted distribution program called PROMACTA Cares.

References

Eltrombopag for the Treatment of Chronic Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura. NEJM.
FDA approves Promacta® (eltrombopag), the first oral medication to increase platelet production for people with serious blood disorder. GSK.
Eltrombopag. Wikipedia.

CNN video: Self-diagnosing on the web

Asprin prevents hearts attack but causes bleeding - do risks outweigh benefits?

From The Lancet:

The risk of serious vascular events dropped from 0·57% to 0·51% per year by the use of aspirin, but that it increased the risk of major bleeds from 0·07% to 0·10% per year. They therefore concluded that aspirin is of uncertain value for primary prevention.

From WebMD comment on a new study:

Same people who are at increased risk for coronary heart disease are also at increased risk for bleeds
Aspirin therapy reduced the risk of nonfatal heart attacks by about a fifth
Aspirin therapy did not significantly lower stroke risk in the patients with no history of heart attack or stroke.
Aspirin was associated with an increased risk for internal bleeding by a third in the primary prevention trials
Aspirin therapy prevented 5 nonfatal heart attacks for every 10,000 low-to-moderate-risk patients treated, while one 1 hemorrhagic stroke and 3 extra GI bleeds occurred

References:
Debate Grows on Aspirin for Heart Risk. WebMD, 2009.
Image source: Coated 325 mg aspirin tablets, Wikipedia, GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2.

Health News of the Day

Vitamin D one of oldest hormones on earth, you'll be surprised that many people are deficient of it! http://bit.ly/ZsiDz
Pediatrics: Increased intake of caffeine among adolescents living the 24/7 lifestyle - http://bit.ly/dt502
Snake Bite in Ohio: A Small Puncture Can Create a Large Problem http://bit.ly/H1NB2 -- Snakebite - JAMA Patient Page, 2012 (PDF).

Use of Artificial Sweeteners Linked to 2-Fold Increase in Diabetes http://bit.ly/neoW4
"Elastic Fingers" on photo-sharing site are likely due to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome http://bit.ly/7Y2T3 and http://bit.ly/bcYsY
Tim O'Reilly is not afraid of the T-word - one Trillion dollars for health care reform: http://bit.ly/s097f - Agree or disagree?
Should Patients Have Easy Access to Doctors’ Notes? http://bit.ly/whoxr - My answer: yes, all of them.
For medical bloggers: Blogging is a public activity with no right to anonymity, the U.K. high court ruled http://bit.ly/uVDJA

Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.

Do you suffer from Information Overload Syndrome?

A video by Xerox:

Related:

The American Psychological Association still has doubts if the Internet addiction exists but it looks pretty much for real in this Google video:

Don't work (or browse) so hard. Beware of Internet addiction, 2006.

Health News of the Day

Rosiglitazone increases risk of heart failure and fractures, but does not increase overall cardiovascular mortality http://bit.ly/ReujZ
Our digital world: camera phones and the diagnosis of a seizure. One picture is worth a thousand guesses. http://bit.ly/psdyO
CNN: Cleveland Clinic pushes into future http://bit.ly/AZXNN
Just registered with the BMJ social network site Doc2Doc http://doc2doc.bmj.com - Give it a try.
NYTimes on preventing burnout during residency: "Taking Time for the Self on the Path to Becoming a Doctor" http://bit.ly/Knsqp -- Who advised the NYTimes to redirect article comments to a separate blog? - "Join the discussion on the Well blog" http://bit.ly/iPcvX - Strange.
CrowdEye search for Twitter makes interesting word clouds and associations: allergy http://bit.ly/LKL1T
I believe we had the first ever Journal Club on Twitter on Dec 11, 2008 http://bit.ly/ZkDn0 - please reply @JRBtrip to expand the idea: "Imagine multiple contributions from the 'twitterverse' - a global perspective on a paper."

Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.

Pet gadgets for your blog

Check these gadgets by aBowman http://bit.ly/39bVI

"This lively pet hamster will keep you company throughout the day. Watch him run on his wheel, drink water, and eat the food you feed him by clicking your mouse. Click the center of the wheel to make him get back on it."

"Add a touch of nature to your page with these hungry little fish."

CNN video: Orthopedist explains Hillary Clinton's broken elbow, surgery and how it will affect her job

Updated 6/20/2009:

Hillary Clinton's elbow surgery deemed successful]. CNN.

References:
How will Clinton's surgery affect her job? CNN.

NBC video from 1994: Tom Brokaw, Bill Gates, Eric Schmidt and “Something Called The Internet”

Health News of the Day

25% of Suicides Involve Intoxication, Men, American Indians, Hispanics were most vulnerable http://bit.ly/aHcj9
p16, Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A, CDKN2A, a tumor suppressor protein shows People's 'Molecular Age' http://bit.ly/YQnCI
Review: Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID): A Multifaceted And Puzzling Disorder http://bit.ly/11EHpe
Surging Internet Use Cutting Into Family Time: 30% drop in hours spent together http://bit.ly/rZqQW
BBC offers essential advice: 10 ways to swat a fly http://bit.ly/1152fN

Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.

Selection of My Twitter Favorites, Edition 68

Twitter is a microblogging service where people answer the question "What are you doing?" via 140-character messages from their cellphone, laptop or desktop. You can select the messages (called "tweets") that you find interesting, useful, amusing, or disagreeable. Here is the 68th edition of My Twitter Favorites (the oldest post is at the bottom, the newest at the top): Micro-blogging on Twitter is easy, fun and can be very useful and educational if you follow/subscribe to interesting people. You can read more here: A Doctor's Opinion: Why I Started Microblogging on Twitter and visit my account at Twitter/AllergyNotes.

Pogue Just saw "Up" with the kids. A masterpiece. What other studio would dare make a 70-year-old-man the main character? We laughed, we cried. about 7 hours ago from TweetDeck
Doctor_V I believe I'm the world's only pediatric gastroenterologist on Twitter about 8 hours ago from Twittelator
doc_rob @Doctor_V Don't get the association. I am just getting old and fat and want to at least fix one of those. about 14 hours ago from Nambu in reply to Doctor_V
HowardKurtz So now I've got facebook.com/howardkurtz, and my life doesn't seem to have improved. about 15 hours ago from web
martlayton got vanity url on facebook: facebook.com/martin.layton now whole world can see how few friends I have about 20 hours ago from web
pkedrosky The Alzheimer's phrase of "amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles" is sad and lyrical, like something Lester Bangs might write. 7:24 PM Jun 12th from twhirl
HowardKurtz 1st painting you see in British ambassador's residence: King George III. Or as an aide put it: "The last king of America." 8:23 PM Jun 11th from web
OslerdoesEM Thank God for iPhone Skype and hijacked wifi from VIP airline club in airport. The interior of China feels like the other side of the world 10:33 PM Jun 10th from TwitterFon
steverubel Traveling laptopless again and loving it. All I have is an iPhone and my Mifi router. 9:59 PM Jun 10th from Tweetie
zappos Thought all day about running, finally did it. Concluded that thinking about running is more enjoyable than actually running. 9:28 PM Jun 10th from web
EdBennett BIG storms passing through - thunder, lightnng, the works. My brave little dogs have had enough. http://twitpic.com/2s675 5:50 PM Jun 9th from web
Pogue (Pranks, RT @carechiang:) HS senior prank - Let 4 greased pigs loose in school numbered 1, 2, 3 and 5. They hunted #4 for hours! 12:22 PM Jun 9th from TweetDeck

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