This issue:
Comparison Data

Feel good about how the quiet revolution of comparison data and transparency

is vastly improving the quality of our lives and institutions.

Why

The "news" feeds us a constant diet of crime, corruption, strife, and tragedies.

It is easy to be seduced into thinking the world has gone to hell.

Good news usually isn't sexy, glitzy, or violent enough to get much coverage.

But there is a wonderful revolution going on that is having a profound effect on

making the world a better place. The epicenter of this revolution is the United States.

The revolution is the easy accessibility and demand for comparison data and its

sister--transparency. A bellwether was Consumers Reports. If you want to buy

a new or used car, you don't seek the government data on crash tests or miles per

gallon, you get much more useful, comprehensive, readable data from Consumer Reports.

Variations of Consumer Reports now cover nutrition, medications and healthcare.

Need services? Organizations like Angie's List can give you a scorecard on local

plumbers, contractors and dozens of other services.  Considering a new computer or

cell phone? Cnet.com can tell you what the geeks say and what the consumers say about

tech toys. Many online stores also give ratings. Need a book? Amazon.com gives publisher

and consumer ratings and the Table of Contents. Concerned about whether an organization is legit?

Check sites like Quackwatch or Ripoff Report.

Considering college? Magazines and sites like US News and World Report give a lot of

information. Sites like, StudentsReview give students' views. Sites like collegeprowler.com

give the students take on drug use, diversity, Greek life, nightlife, etc. RateMyProfessor has

students rate quality and difficulty level of courses and even whether the professor is "hot."

Healthcare would seem to be hard to rate but comparison data are starting to appear in magazines

and at www.Medicare.gov. That site has incredible detail comparing nursing homes.

Books and magazines are ratings doctors. Ralph Nadar's organization Public Citizen published,

Worst Pills Best Pills.  Medco, the huge insurance company, will be giving
Consumer Reports Best Buy Drug reports to its millions of subscribers. Why? Because helping
subscribers make better decisions helps Medco as well. The Nadar and CR publications
give the skinny on medications in plain English. They provide far more useful and objective information
than the politicized Food and Drug Administration provide.

I could go on and on rating cities, employers and much more. The easily available information

helps us make better decisions. The competition it fosters spurs continuous quality improvement.

The revolution is likely to accelerate because technology makes it feasible and consumers demand it.

Closely related is a push for more transparency in business and government.

For example, CalPERS, the California Public Employees Retirement System has put

a number of businesses on notice that they must become more transparent and responsible or

CalPERS will disinvest million of dollars in their stocks. More and more government

documents are now online. There are even sites rating federal government programs' effectiveness.

Our politicians could use such data to sunset ineffective government agencies.

In short, we have a wonderful revolution that benefits Americans and people all over the world.

Quotes

Information is the currency of democracy.

~Ralph Nadar

Humor

Every honest man secretly welcomes a press agent.

~source unknown

________
 

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THE DEFY AGING NEWSLETTER
Anti-Aging Psychology
Holistic Health and Wellness

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"Dr. Michael Brickey, The Anti-Aging Psychologist, teaches people to think, feel, look and be more youthful. He is an inspiring keynote speaker and Oprah-featured author. His works include:  Defy Aging, 52 Baby Steps to grow young, and Reverse Aging (anti-aging hypnosis CDs). Visit www.NotAging.com for a free report on anti-aging secrets and a free newsletter with practical anti-aging tips."