I wasn't suggesting that anyone alter their behavior; I was just passing along a bit of information. I've had a cell phone since they were big, clunky bag phones. Back then, the people who used them the most were business executives. It was reported around that time that a significant number of these executives were developing tumors on the left side of their brains, along a line where the cell phone antennas were. Antibiotics and other meds have helped to lengthen our lives, but a lot of modern "progress" has been hard on the planet and hard on its inhabitants. Most meat sold today is not the meat our ancestors were eating 100 years ago. Even the sunshine was different then. In my childhood we didn't have plastic wrap, Nutra-Sweet, Splenda, or microwaves, to name just a few. We didn't have fast food, and the selection of processed foods was infinitely smaller. I think it makes sense to be proactive about our quality of life and try to take the best of what 21st century living has to offer, without hurting ourselves. I will keep my cell phone, but I'll continue to use it only when I need to. I'm not giving up my microwave, but neither am I putting my face next to it while it's on. I will continue to eat foods as close to their natural state as possible. Of course, what we choose to take and what we choose to limit is very much a personal decision.

Rob333 - you have no idea what you are talking about. In fact, I think my brain may have even exploded just reading your posts. Our local hospital can not refuse emergency treatment. There is no federal or state assistance. You don't pay the bill, you get sent to collection. You can call the county "assistance" office. All they do is request years worth of records and receipts and formulate a monthly "payment plan". You will NOT be treated at a walk in clinic if you do not have insurance or cash. You give them your insurance card, they call the insurance company to make sure you have met your deductible. If you have not, you pay for the visit up front, 289.00, and wait while they call your bank for verification of funds before you are seen. If you have met your deductible, you make your copay before you are seen. If you do not have insurance, cash up front! And, again, wait while they verify funds. There have been times that the funds have been electronically transferred from my account before I even left the facility.

We keep our vaccines updated for the sake of our grand children. I had my whooping cough vaccine booster last year. When the measles outbreak occurred we immediately called and asked our doctor if DH should be vaccinated since he can't remember if he had them or not. The answer was no since anyone born before a certain date is presumed to have immunity (even if they were never ill) since the disease was so prevalent back in the day. I don't get flu shots because the efficacy of those is all over the place.

I'll ignore your childish name calling. For the benefit of others, if you want to compare schools, take a look at the annual US News rankings. It's not without its critics, and there are shortcomings in its methodology, but it provides one set of measures/assessments that can be used as an indication. Those engaged in looking at college choices for accomplished students know or can access what the Top 25 colleges are with this or other sources. The US News report is really more interesting and useful for most people when looking at public institutions and also looking at the middle of the ranges to see whether a particular school of interest is viewed as more or less accomplished compared to its similar peers and alternative choices. Those ranked near the bottom are usually there for good reasons and tend to stay low on the lists year after year. To do your own quick look, consider the following data points in comparing schools. This info is readily available (including from the US News site): Acceptance rate - lower is better. It suggests the school is in demand but they're picky about who they want. Does the school take all applicants or is acceptance selective? Schools with higher acceptance rates arguably have diluted talent pools and less capable students, overall. That can adversely affect the educational experience for more capable students. As an example but not the only one, take a look at the traditionally very large Big 10 and similar schools. The ones that are state institutions with very high acceptance rates. Most of these schools have Honors colleges or Honors programs so that the better students can have more advanced courses and more capable peer groups in their classes, as would be the case at a school with more selective admissions. Retention rate- How many freshmen return for the sophomore year. Higher is better. Graduation rate - What percentage of incoming freshmen complete their degrees within 4 or 6 years. Higher is better. While life happens and some students choose or need to drop out or discontinue their studies, lower percentages suggests admittance of students not capable of completing a degree program. Or, schools offering less than stellar programs that fail to complete an educational cycle with the vast majority of its existing students.