How much do pharmaceuticals spend... to get your money?

Going to the mailbox today I found a letter - sorry, an advertisement - addressed to my mother-in-law, who currently lives with us. Knowing she wasn't going to be opening this junk mail, I was curious to see what exactly was inside. You see, it was from Walgreens and the only thing it seemed to be advertising was the flu shot. This, of course, is not really unexpected. One can find ads for the flu shot pretty much everywhere one looks at this time of year, and it's only going to get worse. I'm certain I will soon be seeing the ubiquitous, massive billboards by the local hospitals again telling us all to cover when we sneeze, wash our hands constantly, and oh, oh oh - don't forget your flu shot!

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My Own Credibility

Image via CrunchBaseEarlier today a visitor to the site asked me via the Meebo plugin I have here whether the information I post here is "creditable or all just crap." Unfortunately while Meebo said I was online, I was actually away from the computer when he or she posted the question, so the best I can do is write a response here as a post and hope this person swings by again.

In short, he or she wanted to know where I get my information. Let me preface my answer by saying as I have in my "About" page that I am just a regular Joe - a nerd dad who wants his family, and everyone, to be healthy. I'm contemplating and probably will start taking nutrition classes so that I can be of even more use to people in regards to health, but that will take some time. I'm just researching schools right now (and am open to any suggestions, too!)

Some of the things I write here are pure opinion; they're my reaction to things I read in books or online, see in movies or in the news, and so forth. I definitely get some things wrong. For example, I'm torn between the idea of having a food police (like a strong FDA) versus allowing manufacturers to make any kind of unhealthy product they feel like (such as hydrogenated oils). I'm still leaning on the side of freedom on that subject, but that's for a different time.

Most other times, however, when I'm writing an article here I put in a good bit of research looking around for verification of the things I find. It takes a really long time to write a single article because of this. When I do find this verification, I will almost always provide a link to it in order to prove my due diligence. For resources, I look to company websites for official information, Wikipedia for general leads and ideas, resource sites like Cosmetics Database for ingredient facts, and I'll even email or talk to those more studied than I for actual quotes, etc.

So to make a long answer short: I try. I try to be a good source of reliable information. If I make a mistake, I'll be sure to point it out and apologize. What else can be expected of anyone?

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Hungry Gamer? Buy Somethin' Will Ya?

Image by pinguino via Flickr

Having grown up with a love of video games and also having a love for Real Food, I felt a bit insulted when I came across a new snack being aimed at game players everywhere. It's called Gamer Grub and it's essentially cheap sugars and carbohydrates in a convenient but wasteful package.

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Vitaminwater: What Happens with Corporations

Image via Wikipedia

Once upon a time, there was a company called "Glaceau" (it technically still exists as a subsidiary - but more on that in a moment) that created SmartWater and later came out with FruitWater, and then VitaminWater. I remember when I first saw FruitWater; it tasted good and had no calories because it had no sugar. I'm still not entirely sure, mind you, how they got the flavor and I suspect even though it was "natural" that it was actually junk but this is also not the subject of the moment. What was interesting was that this drink became popular and it had no sugar.

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Fast Food Salads? Nope, won't trust 'em.

Wendy's restaurant recently introduced four new salads to their money - perhaps you've heard of them? They're calling them "real salads" as if they're made from real food or something. Ian Froeb of Riverfront Times wrote a piece yesterday that caught my eye and points out the fact that these salads contain more calories, salt, and fat* than a KFC DoubleDown.

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Nerd Gardeners: Power UP with a Wunda Weeder!

I love dorky gadgets. I'm an early adopter for a lot of technology and - within reason - totally geek out about tools that make our lives easier. Imagine how I feel when gadgetry is combined with sustainable agriculture, like this wacky but awesome invention.

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Organics and Plastic - a personal gripe

Image by Kate Blackport via Flickr

Every morning as I pack my lunch I am repeatedly reminded of how much plastic has invaded our lives, and I just have to wonder why. I'd actually like to pose this as a question to the community at large to see if anyone knows why this is:

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McDonalds to CSPI: Buzz Off

Image via Wikipedia

Guest blogger Doug Powers writes today on MicheleMalkin.com about the McDonalds CEO's response to CSPI's recent lawsuit threats. In a nutshell, McDonalds officially tells CSPI to buzz off.

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