Here is another installment of letters on the health-care reform debate. The first one is pretty funny, but Mr. Koch already has had a letter in the past 30 days, so that disqualifies this one from publication.

With all the debate over healthcare reform, it seems like there are some things we can do to help ourselves. Here are 10 healthful Twitter pages I found this week while doing a random search:

1. Fitness & Exercise, http://twitter.com/FitnessExercise

2. Autism Research, http://twitter.com/autism_research

3. Cancer, http://twitter.com/know_cancer

4. Pure Genesis, http://twitter.com/puregenesispure

5. Breast Cancer Care, http://twitter.com/BCCare

6. Quit Smoking 123, http://twitter.com/QuitSmoking123

7. Diabetes, http://twitter.com/diabetescure

8. Kids Doctor, http://twitter.com/TheKidsDoctor

9. H1N1, http://twitter.com/H1N1Info

10. Healthy Heart, http://twitter.com/healthy_heart

Here's a collection of cartoons about the Gates-Crowley-Obama
situation. As an added bonus, find at the end a pretty funny cartoon on
the health care reform debate by Joel Pett.

Here's another batch of letters on the health care reform debate.
These are online-only. Look for more letters on tomorrow's Editorial
page and in the coming Sunday Forum.

As many television viewers may have noticed, Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker greeted President Barack Obama when Air Force One arrived at RDU on Wednesday.

Meeker, a fellow Democrat, said this was the second time he'd met Obama, the first being a brief encounter on the Wednesday before the November election when the future president was in town for a campaign event.

Meeker said Wednesday's meeting was also brief and "entirely ceremonial."

"I thanked him for coming back to Raleigh and working hard on this health care and he said we’re going to get it done and got in the car and took off."

President Barack Obama will hold a town hall meeting on health care at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday in the Broughton High School gymnasium, 723 St. Mary's Street, in Raleigh.

Want to be there? The White House released details of Obama's Raleigh visit Saturday evening, with instructions on how to request tickets online or by phone:

This event is free and open to the public but TICKETS ARE REQUIRED. Due to limited space at the event we will only be able to fulfill a limited number of requests for tickets.

Individuals interested in attending the event should register at http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/RaleighTownHall-7-29-09/.

At 4:00 PM on Sunday, July 26th when the online sign-up has expired, a limited number of individuals will be selected and contacted by phone regarding ticket pick-up information. Each individual selected will have the opportunity to pick up a maximum of TWO tickets.

Please note that the White House will not be able to respond to all requests for tickets. Individuals will only receive a call if they are selected to pick up a ticket..

By Phone Ticket Requests: To request tickets by phone please call (919) 856-3738. Please leave a message with your name, phone number, and zip code. If you are selected for tickets then someone will return your call with event location and ticket pick-up information.

**Both the phone line and website will take incoming requests until 4:00 PM tomorrow (SUNDAY) EDT. Those that are selected to receive tickets will be contacted tomorrow evening with information about where to pick up the tickets on Monday.

LabCorp, of of the country’s largest medical-testing companies, announced this morning that it is buying a publicly traded California company that specializes in tests for infectious diseases and cancer.

Burlington-based LabCorp will pay about $155 million for Monogram Biosciences. The acquisition will expand LabCorp’s presence in the expanding market for so-called personalized medicine, where treatments and medical tests are geared for specific patients.

For example, Monogram’s tests help identify patients who are likely to respond to a certain type of HIV drugs.

“By utilizing LabCorp’s national infrastructure to build on Monogram’s already strong sales, we will advance our leadership in infectious disease and cancer testing, companion diagnostics and personalized medicine,” said David P. King, CEO of LabCorp.

The company employs about 1,000 in the Triangle and 25,000 worldwide. It has expanded to become the largest employer in Burlington, about an hour west of Raleigh.

"Cut off set for free Universal Health Card" proclaims the big, bold headline in today's News & Observer. It rides atop a full-page of text and photos of health-care subjects.

First of all, it's an ad, although some readers could be forgiven if they thought the page was news. The "story" goes on to inform people that if they act within 48 hours, they can get a free card that gives them "affordable care provided by 561,000 doctors, dentists, pharmacists and hospitals."

Problem is, it is not free. You have to pay an $18 registration fee to get a 30-day free trial to use the card. Afterward, you pay $49 a month to continue using it. That's disclosed in smaller type further down in the ad.

I called the toll-free number listed in the ad and asked what providers in my area would honor the card. My doctor's office was not one of them, an operator said, but UNC Hospitals was. But UNC, Health Care spokeswoman Karen McCall said UNC would not honor the card. "UNC is not a participant in this program, and we have given the Universal Health Card and all their provider networks notification that we are not part of their program," she said.

Jim McClure, The N&O's vice president for display advertising, examined the ad after I inquired with him. "After reading the content several times, I find that it clearly states what it is and what it is not," he said.

Maybe technically that's true, but to me the ad looks misleading and, based on my brief research, promises more than it delivers.   

TriangleMom2Mom features Barack Obama supporter Felicia Willems as part of an October series featuring politically active moms in the Triangle. Willems is a member of the Triangle chapter of the national group MomsRising and writes about personal reasons why she supports Obama's health care proposals.

Read more about Willems by clicking here.

TriangleMom2Mom is The News & Observer's Web site for moms, featuring blogs, forums and a calendar of family-friendly events. Every Monday, the site features local moms.