Just me on the web

I picked up a new phone a few weeks ago.  I went from a Blackberry Storm to a Droid X.  My wife went from a Storm to a Droid 2, she wanted the keyboard.  She loves it compared to the Storm.  Much more user friendly and works better for her office emails, contacts and calendar.

I really like the Droid X as well.  I was a little worried about the size.  Over an inch longer than my Storm, but it took no time at all to realize the size was one of the huge advantages.  I have never been a fan of the touch screens.  I did like the touch screen on the Storm because the screen was also a big button.  You actually had to push it to activate an icon.  The X is purely touch.  I tend to accidentally touch things on it.  Having the habit of turning the screen off helps.

One thing that sold me on the X was the HDMI out.  I thought “how cool is that?”  Well, it’s a little disappointing.  It only works on your gallery.  You can view pictures and videos you have taken via the HDMI to your television, but you cannot watch You Tube or NFL.com videos through it.  They don’t really tell you that when you are doing the research on the phone. 

The X has great memory, tons of apps to download, and is very user-friendly.  I have it connected to my Outlook via a program I purchased from 4 Team Corporation, called Sync 2 (www.sync2.com).  No more plugging in my phone to the computer and syncing.  Outlook syncs to Google Calendar and Contacts and the android software connects to Google.  Syncs automatically.  Works great.

Also had a bit of a challenge to connect bluetooth to my car.  I have a BMW 5 series.  It would try to connect but would bomb out and drop the phone, try again and bomb out, try again and bomb out.  Eventually it would just remove the phone from the bluetooth list on the car.  Here is what I found out.  When the car and X are trying to connect the car wants to download the phone book.  The X receives a message to “allow the phone book to be accessed by BMW.”  If you ignore, or cancel, the message the phone book will download and the phone will connect to the car.  If you push “allow”, the connection will bomb out.  Apparently this is a common problem from my research with BMW, Audi and probably others.  That’s how I got mine to work.

If you have some time take a look at my blog on www.medicalgpsblog.com titled ‘When Will Google Take Over the World” http://www.medicalgpsblog.com/?p=85 dated December 2009.  Some of the items in the blog came true, some haven’t, but it seems Google just keeps creeping in.

Anyway, all that said, I Love My Droid X.

— Marty Hudson

We started looking at some of these statistics when Google announced they will discontinue support of IE 6 on March 1.  To continue to use some of Google’s services, users will have to upgrade to at least IE7.  Recent cyber attacks, via a flaw in IE6, against Google and other companies have created this move from IE6, but there remain a high number of users continuing to use IE6.  Personally, I believe whatever browser you use, you should upgrade to the most recent version. 

Google set the baseline for other browsers; with Firefox 3.0 or higher, Chrome 4.0 or higher, and Safari 3.0 or higher. “…you may find that from March 1, key functionality within these products–as well as new Docs and Sites features–won’t work properly in older browsers,” Google said.  Google continues to drive a lot of how the internet is accessed and utilized.  This kind of gives me a flashback to my blog back on December 15^th, “When Will Google Take Over the World”. 

Stats for January 2010, from Net Applications, shows IE users make up 62.2% of internet browsers.  This is down from 62.7% in December 2009.  Firefox users are also down slightly from 24.6% to 24.4%.  Chrome continues to grow and is at 5.2% in January, and Safari is staying level at 4.5%.  IE 8 (22.3%) actually passed IE6 (22.1%) users during the month of January.  IE 7 users follow at 14.6%.   

This prompted me to take a look at what browsers MedicalGPS users access our website and tools.  Comparing January 2010 to January 2009, here’s what I found.

                                                    2010               2009

Internet Explorer              68.09%           82.39%

Firefox                                    21.88%           11.90%

Safari                                        6.89%             4.57%

Chrome                                    2.38%             0.31%

Other                                         0.76%             0.83%

A further analysis of just IE users shows how the versions of IE have changed from January 2009 to January 2010.

                                                  2010               2009

IE7                                          46.19%           68.53%

IE8                                          27.63%             0.75%

IE6                                          25.85%           30.68%

Older IE                                   0.33%             0.04%

Internet Explorer will continue to lead the pack for the foreseeable future, but as other browsers become more sophisticated, secure and competitive we will see Internet Explorer Still No. 1…But Fading.

—Marty Hudson

There is really no way to tell what the death toll is in Haiti.  The infrastructure in Haiti was so poor before the magnitude 7 earthquake; what is left is totally devastated.  Estimates are all over the board and very broad ranges are quoted.  100,000 to 200,000 dead, 250,000 injured, 1.5 million homeless…no one knows, and won’t know for a long time, but these numbers tell the story, the pictures tell the story, and the stories are endless. 

The really sad part is the corruption.  Fears of looting and violence keep aid groups and governments from moving as quickly as they would like.  The Haitian government is invisible, nobody has taken firm charge, and one report said the police have largely given up.  Getting into Haiti is a huge undertaking with the airport overly crowded with trying to increase flights in, and the port is in shambles. 

The Haitians need food and water.  Without water diarrhea is likely. Children, the weak and elderly will die unnecessarily from diarrheal disease that would be easily treated with water under normal circumstances.  Another major risk is bacterial infections where they have open untreated wounds.  Injuries are massive which include crushed or amputated limbs, compound fractures and lacerations.  Without quick treatment, these wounds will become infected.

Nashville’s former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a heart-lung surgeon, is on a medical mission to earthquake-ravaged Haiti.  His office said in a news release that he arrived Monday at Port au Prince and will be stationed first at Baptist Mission Hospital.  He is working with the international relief agency Samaritan’s Purse.  Centennial Medical Center of Nashville donated both IV fluids and antibiotics among other critically needed medical supplies.

Haiti is a terribly corrupt country, but they need the world’s help.  Many innocent men, women and children are in dire need of food, water, shelter and medical help.  Do what you can to help.  Every community has something going on to collect supplies, food, water, clothing and money.  My only advice is, be careful when you give.  There are many reports of people taking advantage of this situation for personal gain.  Major organizations, Salvation Army, Red Cross, Samaritan’s Purse, and many more are legitimate ways to help.  Local churches are working together and with these organizations. 

Haiti needs our help.  For the Haitians, the worst is yet to come!

—Marty Hudson

Well here we are again.  We made it through Thanksgiving and Christmas, New Year’s Eve is here and entering into a New Year.  Welcome to 2010!

So, do you have a New Year’s Resolution?  I don’t.  I kind of gave up on that after years of failure.  I have enough problems without setting myself up for one more.  Now that’s not to mean I don’t have intentions of exercising more, eating less, working smarter, growing my business and trying to spend more time with my family.  It’s just that I have determined all of these are journeys rather than goals.  If I set a goal one of three things typically happen.  One, I fail miserably.  Two, I reach the goal, for instance lose 10 pounds, and so I figure that’s it, done.  Of course then I gain 15 pounds which means I fail miserably.  Third, I work for the goal, I come up a little short, so I extend the time period for my goal, and I continue in that pattern until, once again, I fail miserably.  Do you see the pattern?  No more resolutions for me.

But I do need to improve.  I need to exercise more, eat less, work smarter, grow my business and spend more time with my family; however, resolutions won’t get it done; I need a lifestyle change.  With the help and encouragement from my wife I do indeed have a much improved lifestyle over what I had just a few years ago.  Years go by way to fast nowadays.  I can’t get it all done in one short year.  So I’m ok with exercising, and stopping and getting it going again.  I’m ok with eating healthier, but having a piece of cake.  I’m ok with not being able to sell my business for $100,000,000; at least I’m able to work. 

Most importantly I have figured out how to have more time with my family.  It’s simple really.  Just don’t get caught up in all that other stuff.  All it does is distract you from what is really important.  So, my New Year’s Resolution is not to have a New Year’s Resolution.  Best of all I reach my goal on the first day of the year.  So whether you choose to have a Resolution or not, I wish you the best of luck in the coming New Year!

Well, I got out of the fish business and got me some turtles.  I got three red ear sliders; all about two inches long.  Even though their names indicate they have red marks on their ‘ears’, these have three different colors; one red, one orange and one yellow.  Between the colors and Leslie’s suggestion, I came up with their names. 

The red one is Rafael, taken from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Rafael who wears a red mask and wields a pair of sai.  Rafael is the TMNT team’s bad boy, he has an aggressive nature and seldom hesitates to throw the first punch.  He is an intense fighter.  His personality can be alternately fierce and sarcastic, and oftentimes delivers deadpan humor.  Still, he is intensely loyal to his brothers and sensei.  Rafael is named after the Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance, Raphael Sanzio.

The orange one is Michelangelo, also from TMNT.  Michelangelo wears an orange mask and wields nunchaku.  He is known as the easy-going and free-spirited Mikey.  He provides much of the comic relief on the TMNT team.  While he loves to relax, he also has an adventurous and creative side.  He is the youngest of the four TNMT.  Michelangelo is named after Michelangelo Buonarroti.

Since there is no ‘yellow’ masked TMNT, Leslie suggested we named the yellow one Franklin, from the television series Franklin, whose main character is Franklin the Turtle.  Franklin was a Canadian-American children’s television series, based on a series of books by Brenda Clark (illustrator) and Paulette Bourgeois (writer) and first aired on Nickelodeon in 1997.  Leslie was six years old at the time and loved this cartoon series; so much so, the first thing she said when I told her I got the turtles was, “can we name one of them Franklin?”

Jace helped me clean up the aquarium and we got it all set up for the turtles today.  Franklin has spent most of the day basking under the heat lamp I set up.  Rafael and Michelangelo are hanging out together by the waterfall/filter we set up.  I guess they know they go together.  Hopefully they will accept Franklin into their group before too long. 

We enjoyed our fish aquarium for a number of years.  It’s relaxing watching fish swim around.  We were down to two very large fish, which I donated back to the fish store, where I hope they find a happy home.  Now we will plan on enjoying our turtles and try to be like the turtle — at ease in our own shell.

OK, so I am not actually getting married, duh!  And, we’re not actually going to a Chapel.  But my little sister, Tracy, IS getting married at my big sister’s, Ranette, house.  His name is Chuck.  Haven’t met him yet, but have heard some good things.  Hey, if Mother and Daddy like him, and Tracy’s happy, I am thrilled for the two of them.  Jill and I will fly to Texas for the wedding and get to spend some time with everyone.  Leslie; however, will have to remain at UT, classes will take precedent on this one.

Then, on May 1 next year, my nephew, Andrew, son of Ranette and Pat,  will be married to long time girl friend, Valerie.  Everyone is very excited about this one too.  Andrew graduated from Texas this past year, working in Dallas.  Valerie graduated from Wake Forest, also working in Dallas.  We are very happy for them and look forward to the wedding in May.  Leslie is planning on being there for that one, but the following week is finals week so she will need to plan in advance.

Regardless of all the specifics…we’re Going to the Chapel, and We’re Gonna Get Married..Twice!

Well, I added an additional blog to keep up with.  This week we are cranking up the MedicalGPS Blog (www.medicalgpsblog.com).  Originally I was going to include work related blogs on this site, but thought it better.  The MGPS Blog will be promoted via an email push within the next week.  I, along with Jerry and the Core Business guys, Corey, Casey and Mike, will be blogging. 

We are using Word Press for our blog platform.  A couple of cool things, besides it being easy to use, about Word Press is the link it can create with LinkedIn and RSS Feeds.  LinkedIn can actually show your blogs on your LinkedIn page and can quickly take readers to your blog site.  The RSS Feed allows you to keep up with recent postings through an RSS reader such as Google Reader or can be added to your iGoogle page, and can also take you directly to the blog site.  These are both good ways to keep up with newly published items from any website that utilizies RSS Feed.

The MGPS Blog will be informative and useful.  The intent is to spread news and opportunities to our clients and readers.  Within the next couple of weeks we will also begin our Core Business Blog.  Of course, this will be more IT, Web oriented.

So, when you get finished reading this blog, click the link above, and Check Out the MedicalGPS Blog!

Well football season is finally here.  Not too happy the Titans got beat the first game of the season, but it was a good game.  Cowboys are my team.  My Dad and I usually talk every week, playing Monday morning quarterback.  Right now I am off the Romo bandwagon, don’t know if I can get back on until they actually win a playoff game.  I think they will have a good season, but it will all come down to how they play after the Thanksgiving game.  Not too well the last few years.  T.O.’s gone (good), they have decent receivers, but the running backs in Barber, Jones and Choice, should provide a huge edge.  This can be the season to get rid of the playoff losing streak if they play the RBs the right way.

Also love the Longhorns.  Looking for a Texas / Florida championship, but a long season to go.  Leslie is going to the University of Tennessee.  Usually I root for anyone playing against TN, other than Oklahoma, I never pull for them.  I am warming up to TN since Leslie is there.  Going to the Ohio game Sept 26th.  Looking forward to the sea of orange, just wish it was burnt orange rather than hunting vest orange.

Anyway, I like watching football, doesn’t matter who is playing.  I am in a fantasy league for the first time in about 5 years.  Guys I work with are in it too.  I look forward to that. 

All I can say is it’s here.  Looking forward to another season…Football!…What a Great Game!

Just a little bit about what I do at MedicalGPS.  One of my services is to provide on-going financial support to medical groups and physician practices at a fraction of the cost of hiring a full-time CFO.  I have been working with BryanLGH Heart Institute, in a few different roles, for six years.  For the last three years I have provided them with Virtual CFO services.  Recently Joan Casey, Administrator for BryanLGH Heart Institute, provided the following quote with regards to our work:

We are continually looking for new opportunities to provide virtual consulting, whether it’s a “Virtual CFO” or another area of expertise such as management engineering, customer service training, or interim management, MedicalGPS’ seasoned executives provide the talent your practice requires and deserves.  MedicalGPS provides the expertise you need at a fraction of the cost.

Leslie woke up Thursday morning, second day of classes, feeling bad.  By the end of the day was heading to the UT clinic, but it was closed.  Up early Friday morning feeling like crap, headed off to classes.  Chemistry lab, the professor sent her to the clinic with the instructions she better be back for the second half of the Lab.  Wouldn’t you know the clinic is full of sick students.  They sent her away to return at 2:30.  Low and behold, she has the flu.  Don’t know if it’s H1N1; the doc said it did not matter.  Gave her tamiflu, $86 after insurance. 

First week of classes, sorority rush, a million things to learn and become familiar with, away from home…It’s never a good time to be sick!