Halloween posting!

Hi everyone -

It has taken me a while, I know, but I am finally getting to read your intros/hooks. Wow! Many of you have a LOT to say on your topic.

Here's a sampling:

Laura is stunned by advice that exercise may not be all it's cracked up to be, and is asking other people what they think! She also cautions us to wonder about a company's INTENT before buying an alternative product. Great thoughts, Laura.

Trish is taking an interesting spin on finding who's out there working for us as consumers - she's looking at "best practices," or what a given industry or service SAYS it should be doing to do the best job it can. Nice, Trish.

Kristin Musch is interested in helping people get BASIC information. She reminds us that not everyone is looking for every little fact and detail but should be able to rely, bottom line, on the sources they use to think about health. She also has a very interesting cat example . . . Thanks, Kristin!

Audrey is looking at greenwashing. Thinks it's really interesting, and a waste of good brain power TRYING to be green, when some folks get a pat on the back for something they're not really doing very well - and just in it for the money. Excellent, Audrey.

Morgan is talking about budgeting and getting our financial lives in order. She has a couple of interesting gadgets - one with daily tips - and points us to a debate about CEO pay. Fun stuff, Morgan!

Amber is considering the ways media do and DON'T cover stories. She has some thoughts about marriage equality issues and other civil issues that may definitely affect the mental and social health of a large population. Enjoyed it, Amber.

Natalie is getting us to think about the big, scary world of online activity, and just what IS our own responsibility in it. One thing's for sure: don't trust those Australian models! Thanks a lot, Natalie.

Ben has a start on thinking about food issues. He warns us that if we don't watch out, food may very well get to be more than this nation can handle. Looking forward to more, Ben!

Holly has put up a glossary and some great references for folks just wanting a little information so they aren't so frustrated with decisions they have to make. Nice sub-title, too. Thanks, Holly.

Emily will really get you going about HIV/AIDS prevention. She discusses how different state laws and regulations affect what young people are taught about how to protect themselves. Very intriguing, Emily!

Danielle is thinking about the details of the great health care debate. Way beyond "death panels" is the fact that so many people lose their insurance with job loss, and what the possible solutions are to this issue and others, such as children's health care. Nice, Danielle.

Jenna gives us a little history about health care in America, and then a little kick in the pants - she believes everyone has a part to play in solving this issue. Awesome, Jenna.

Will is talking about food, from a big picture economic standpoint. He gets us thinking about what our food scene is like here, with so many people needing to cut back, sometimes seriously. Then he brings in a global perspective that might make us feel a little fortunate compared to what some folks are facing. Excellent, Will.

Devin is looking at some pretty fishy alternative products, including "Perfect Water." Using his background as a somewhat more informed consumer than most of us probably are about water issues, he's actually taking some action. Let us know if you hear back from those emails, Devin!

Angie is exploring greenwashing and fills us in on some LITTLE hints we might not know - like companies who really aren't very eco-friendly at all putting a nice picture of a tree up on their website or ad. Sneaky. Nice job, Angie.

Lindsay's dishing about food. As she reminds us, we all eat! But we don't all take responsibility (OR recognize our right!) to find out what we can about food. She has a cool gadget up that showed me some surprises as far as what might be in season right now in New York, of all places. Great, Lindsay.

Jadie is giving us a helpful foot in the door to the great health care debate. She bullet points some issues that she wasn't clear on before, and shares a reference that helped her understand it all and take a position on it. Good stuff, Jadie.

Allison is taking on the infomercial world. She reasonably suggests that in this rough economy, NOBODY needs to buy products they can't be sure of, especially if they don't end up using them (or the product gets recalled). Yikes. Enjoying your thoughts, Allison.

_______THIS STUFF IS AWESOME, YOU ALL!! YOU ARE CREATING INFORMATION, AND IT'S QUITE THOUGHT-PROVOKING. GREAT WORK! CONTINUE, AND HAVE FUN WITH IT_______

IF I didn't mention yours, it's because I'm not able to see it. I found a couple of working links but without much up yet, and I think I'm missing one link, possibly, still.

Happy candy fest the next few days - if you do that sort of thing, which of course I never do . . . ;-)


Dr. P