I just returned from Philly, and now I'm a lot less chilly. Fo-shilly. Anyway, there are some photos of my escapades up on Flickr, but they're mainly of the Reading Terminal Market. I loved this market. It was way too crowded, and impossible to reliably navigate, but it supplied me with a kick-butt cup of coffee (supplied by Old City Coffee) and excellent pastries (courtesy of the Metropolitan Bakery) in the mornings. I was also able to pick up some yummy treats to bring home at the Pennsylvania Dutch merchants. The conference was good, and I even attended a session about the role of blogs and wikis in public health. Non-leisure type blogs aren't really on my radar, but I learned of the existence of several interesting public health sites, such as Effect Measure and the Flu Wiki. The theme of the conference was evidence-based public health policy and practice, and public health folks are often frustrated by political realities that lead to the adoption of policies that aren't based on scientific evidence. Ever wonder why the FDA doesn't regulate cigarettes? Or why abstinence-only programs are taught in public schools? These policies certainly aren't supported by science. And in case you thought that scientists are unbiased, many researchers are subject to real or perceived restrictions on what they can publicly say. I'm telling you, public health is rife with intrigue. I'm sure Angelina Jolie will be signing on to play Susan Wood in a biopic thriller any day now.