The search box in the upper right corner of your screen is my new secret weapon for finding and rereading any of the 1500 that appear on the site. (FYI: that is an exact number. I achieved that goal yesterday.) Today I learned the power of that inconspicuous looking box. Enter a word — any word — and your computer will generate a special page containing the first paragraph of each of my articles that includes the key word in the title or text. Click on the excerpt to read the entire article.

Obviously, this can be a very useful tool. Type in the name of state and read everything I have said that might help you plan a vacation. Type the name of ingredient and find out whether it is safe or unsafe. Enter the name of restaurant to read my take on whether it is safe or unsafe. Find out whether a specific grocery store chain offers coupons and/or a list of gluten free products.

Do all these things “defensively”. Most of my early articles have not been edited or even proofread. Some of them seem ridiculously naive. Things have changed drastically since I began this site in 2006. Enjoy!