Was very glad to finally catch up with Brian Shields of KRON4 at the Web 2.0 Expo. Brian is doing some great work over there, bringing new media and social media to a traditional media company.

While I was overly transparent in dealing with my health crisis and fears of impending doom, I have not been talking about it as much lately. I did not intend it to become the primary conversation I was having with everyone, but it did. I just really wanted to express myself and get it off my chest so to speak, but I found a wealth of support, new knowledge and great advice in doing so - all unintended but very welcome consequences.

While I didn’t want to write about it or Utter about it at any length, I realized I should put out a post to share what we found out and what is going on now. Overall, my health is greatly improved since facing up to the fact that I am not invincible earlier this year. Specifically:

• Blood Pressure down to 128/76 from 149/90
• I lost 48 pounds since Jan 1, 2008
• Blood tests are all vastly improved, though I still need to watch my blood sugar

The tough news is that the years of bad diet and sometimes excessive drinking took its toll on my body, though some of it could be chalked up to the Giardiasis parasitic infection that I got in Mexico during my wedding. Regardless, I am now needing to be more careful with my diet to manage lactose intolerance, Diverticulosis and what the doctor still thinks is Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I drink a lot more water than I used to drink (some with Benefiber + Calcium) and I am working out several days a week.  I also see an acupuncturist regularly and try to get outside every day.

All in all, the biggest lesson that came from this is that no one is invincible and we truly do need to take good care of our bodies first and foremost. I wish I had truly understood this better when I was younger, particularly the part about the need for a high fiber diet and drinking lots of water. Then again, had I really understood the risks of getting diabetes from being overweight, I think that might have been enough motivation to get healthy earlier.

If you are overweight and not eating a healthy diet, please, I implore you, look into the consequences more closely and start to take better care of yourself. The pain and stress that my wife and I have had to endure over the past 4 months was just incredible. I am so very lucky to have such a strong and loving wife in my Kristie Wells. I don’t know that any other relationship could have survived this trauma (and the drama I created as a result).

While I have a lot of issues we have to manage for the rest of my life, thankfully it looks like we caught the major health issues just in time and everything should be just fine.

• cgm: Ad-Tech Diarist: Ten Questions on the \”Art of Conversation\”
  Great post for everyone to read when thinking about what it means to engage in conversations as a marketer.

  (tags: blog conversation marketing social socialmedia womma conversationalmarketing adtech)

• Web 2.0 Expo Preview: Web 2.0 Isn\’t Just About The Apps — web 2.0 — InformationWeek

  Good piece from Information Week on the bigger picture behind Web 2.0 and its impact on the enterprise.

  (tags: web20 dell socialmedia)

• Web 2.0 Expo Preview: Torture by Information Overload | Epicenter from Wired.com

  Interesting take that doesnt go far enough in examining the biggest problem of Web 2.0, information overload - if you are trying to figure out what to solve next, please work on this huge problem.

  (tags: information media productivity socialmedia web2.0 web20 overload)

• MediaShift Idea Lab . Web 2.0: Blogtropulus vs. the Legacy Press Room | PBS

  Great post from JD Lasica on the blogger lounge we hosted at Web 2.0 Expo

  (tags: blogrtopolus bloggers web2.0 media journalism)

• The Riff: Geek: The Blog Room at Web 2.0 Expo

  Wow, Blogtropolus even made it into Mother Jones - The Conversation Group is getting noticed

  (tags: bloggers blogtropolus web2.0)

• Fake Steve Jobs lights up Web 2.0 Expo | Geek Gestalt - A blog by Daniel Terdiman - CNET News.com

  Well, I took a bit of ribbing from Fake Steve Jobs at his Web 2.0 Expo keynote - I spoke to him later that day and he wanted to know if I had a sense of humor Dan spoke at SMC Boston in the fall of 2007

  (tags: Web2.0 fakestevejobs socialmedia conference2.0 conference socialmediaclub)

• How this blog saved my life and saved me $100,000 | Rational rants | ZDNet.com
  Really very happy to hear that our friend Mitch Ratcliffe is no longer suffering through severe back pain and that he found a medical trial by publishing his needs to the market. This is a must read story… Congratulations Mitch!
  (tags: web socialmedia powerofsocialmedia friends medicaltrials)

• Is this really called Social Media? Yes! | Social Media Club
  Starting to put together a set of links around the discussion of what is social media that kicked off in early 2007. Much of it is not resolved still, but the phrase has obvious staying power…
  (tags: branding marketing media socialmedia smp whatissocialmedia)
• Do you Hate the term “Social Media?” (I don’t) then help come up with a better term
  (tags: blog socialmedia web2.0 SocialSoftware smp whatissocialmedia)
• Social Media Goes Mainstream [Dion Hinchcliffe’s Web 2.0 Blog]
  (tags: web2.0 socialmedia pr2.0 media enterprise2.0 blog smp whatissocialmedia)
• The Definition of Social Media | WebProNews
  (tags: web2.0 socialmedia pr2.0 media smp whatissocialmedia)
• What is social media? « Scobleizer — Tech geek blogger
  (tags: web2.0 socialmedia pr2.0 media smp whatissocialmedia socialcomputing SocialSoftware)
• /Message: Scoble Asks What Is Social Media?
  (tags: web2.0 socialmedia pr2.0 media smp whatissocialmedia socialcomputing SocialSoftware)
• What is Social Media? No, really, WTF? | Social Media Club
  (tags: web2.0 socialmedia pr2.0 media smp whatissocialmedia socialcomputing SocialSoftware)
• What is Social Media?
  (tags: web2.0 socialmedia pr2.0 media smp whatissocialmedia socialcomputing SocialSoftware marketing)
• socialmedia » What is
  (tags: web2.0 socialmedia pr2.0 media smp whatissocialmedia socialcomputing SocialSoftware)
• The Doc Searls Weblog : Tuesday, February 20, 2007
  (tags: web2.0 socialmedia pr2.0 media smp whatissocialmedia socialcomputing SocialSoftware)
• 15 Free Social Media White Papers and Ebooks
  (tags: web2.0 socialmedia pr2.0 media smp whatissocialmedia socialcomputing SocialSoftware whitepaper marketing howto)
• Micro Persuasion: Now Can We Please Kill the Phrase “Social Media”?
  (tags: web2.0 socialmedia pr2.0 media smp whatissocialmedia communications blog)

• Maybe Advertising In Social Media Should Be An Oxymoron
  Interesting take on this important issue with some great comments. Personally I think there is room for advertising in all media - the questions really is how effective will it be at accomplishing your goals. Awareness and branding is good, direct respon
  (tags: marketing socialmedia)
• Putting Links Into Press Releases… Still A Controversial Issue(!)
  Tom Foremski, as always, has a great take on the latest round of discussion on the social media release.
  (tags: socialmedia pr socialmediarelease pressrelease smpr)
• Social Media Release - Needs To Be Social « Furrier.org - Business & Technology Blog
  Another good take on this subject from John Furrier
  (tags: smpr socialmedia socialmediarelease pr2.0)
• 4 Principles Of Persuasive Social Media Marketing | Insight Buzz
  Interesting take on the principles and key strategies that management may be considering when looking at social media marketing.
  (tags: insight marketing socialmedia)

• Torch Relay San Francisco-Marina - iReport.com
  I love how the Chinese media claim there were no protests or disruptions - a few minutes in to this video we see a group of protesters lie down in the street in front of the torch relay, but they were easily carried away by SFPD to the side of the street.
  (tags: olympics sanfrancisco torchrelay protest freetibet china)
• 40 Inventive (Business) Principles With Examples
  This 1999 article I came across while doing research on my book is fantastic. if you are in a big company and need some help with innovation, read this and use it often!
  (tags: business knowledge learning strategy innovation)

• The New Advertising Outlet: Your Life - New York Times
  Great article on how big brands can serve the information and social needs of its customers to build a direct relationship. This piece on Nike+ gets at the heart of what I call The Communications Strategy
  (tags: advertising branding community experience marketing media newmedia socialmedia socialnetworking strategy)
• NBC to Revive a Mainstay of Early TV - New York Times
  NBC and Liberty Mutual are returning to the heyday of early TV where sponsored content, co-produced by the brand is at center stage. Another great development I think, as advertising continues to decline in effectiveness.
  (tags: advertising hollywood soapopera marketing media)

• The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard
  This is a must see video on our system of production (where our stuff comes from and where it goes) and how it really impacts the earth. MUST SEE!
  (tags: cleantech environment ethics future green howto ideas progressive recycle science video)
• Good (in) People Day
  This is an awesome video created in response to GaryVee’s good people day 08 - right on with his approach that everyone has some good in them…
  (tags: gpd08 goodpeopleday goodpeople smart greatvlog vlog)
• Study: There is No Tipping Point, Blog Readers Are Skeptical - ReadWriteWeb
  Marshall Kirkpatrick makes some excellent points in this post on why blogs are still an important part of the chain of influence - sometimes it is direct and sometimes it is more subtle
  (tags: bloggers blogging marketing participation socialnetworks trust web2.0 wom tippingpoint)