don't usually make dramatic changes in my life, but after reading the cover article of the November 15, 2009 issue of Bottom Line/Personal"Don't Stand in Front of the Microwave: Radiation Dangers from Phones, Plasma TVs and Computers, Too!" -- I've done just that. Our houses have become electromagnetic hubs and it's affecting our health. So, as radical as it sounds, I've replaced the cordless phones in my house with old-fashioned corded ones... turn off my cell phone at night -- and have been sending more texts rather than making calls on my cell phone during the day... shopped for a new cell phone based on it's SAR rating (a measure of the radiation it gives off) rather than its bells and whistles... stopped standing in front of the microwave and make sure my kids are far away from it when it's on…and unplug our wireless modem when we're not using it. Whew!

The many recent news articles about the latest foiled terrorist plots have prompted me to once again confront what I really hate thinking about -- terrorist attacks.

Last Monday, one of our team members was late to work. He'd had a flat tire…and his spare tire was also flat, so he had to wait, and wait, and wait for a tow truck.

We are in the midst of a dramatic shift in my home. Two years ago, we published the article "How Safe Are Plastics? What to Do About Dangerous Water Bottles, Food Containers, More," in our Bottom Line/Personal newsletter, which explained about the toxin BPA (often a component of plastic). That article prompted me to replace our our old plastic storage containers with new, BPA-free containers... avoid Styrofoam... and stop putting any plastic in the dishwasher or microwave (heat releases BPA). I was pleased with the changes, feeling like I was both protecting my famiy and the environment at the same time.

Normally, road construction is pretty annoying -- okay, really annoying -- yet I am thrilled about the work happening now at the end of my street. In fact, I made it happen.