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[hi hilary - i hope you don't mind - i took your comment about tabs as a yelp for help!] Dear Ivan, I like your list. I wish I had had it in my hands 4 days ago, when I faced the Lehrer News Team. But that has been and gone. Now we must look forward to the next time. I see your 10 points falling into 5 main categories, which sometimes overlap: 1. Fundraising 2. Research 3. Publicity 4. Care 5. Politics 1. Fundraising A - Coordinate events for April - Parkinson's awareness month B - Philanthropic, private, federal, state or provincial, local funds for PD friendly housing, long term, qualified home care, appropriately paid C - Tracking the fate of the Udall funds: what has happened to the $100 millon we were promised? 2. Research A - During April, Parkinson's awareness month, should co-ordinate fund raising events for research into causes and possible cures for PD. B - Pressure NIH to use the Udall funds appropriately ie for PD research directly C - Prioritize media coverage of research, in molecular, biochemical and cellular fields, into the various forms of Parkinson's 3. Publicity A - Reshaping public and media perceptions of the 'typical PWP' and increasing visibility, especially on TV. B - Planning public information campaigns, especially through TV and radio about medical and surgical options available. C - Prioritizing media coverage of research in biochemical, cellular and genetic research on the different types of Parkinson's. 4. Care A - Public awareness of the need for quality caregivers, decently paid B - See Fundraising, point 1.B C - Establishing crisis prevention plans as per Ivan's list D - Inner city and rural mobile screening clinics E - PWPs as consultants as per Ivan's list F - Creating respite care and support services for exhausted and worn out cgs 5. Politics Mainly, the whole deal about whether NIH has been using the Udall funds for the exact purpose that they were intended. And where exactly is the money going? Basically what I have done is taken Ivan's wonderful and succinct agenda, and rearranged it into a form that is easier for me to follow. There is some overlapping, because of this. But there was nothing I could find to add, or substansively change in any way. Once again, I must say that I wish I had had this available to me when I did the interview. Well, better luck next time. Thanks, Ivan, for all the help and support you gave me then over the phone, and now for preparing this agenda so that it is available for anybody else who is interviewed. Hilary Blue ---------------------------------- 10 AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE MILLENNIUM: 1) Re-shaping public and media PERCEPTIONS of the "typical PWP", and increasing PWP and CG visibility, especially on television 2) Developing coordinated fund-raising EVENTS FOR cellular RESEARCH on the causes and potential cures of PD, especially during World, national and local activities each April (PD Awareness Month) 3) Empowering PWP's to attract more philanthropic, private, federal, state or provincial, and local FUNDS FOR PD-FRIENDLY HOUSING, and for long-term, qualified AT-HOME CARE, paid appropriately 4) Establishing CRISIS PREVENTION plans for poor and minority (including gay) PWP's at greatest risk 5) Extending mobile SCREENING clinics to the inner cities and to isolated rural areas; 6) RE-EMPLOYING PWP's as consultants (I am one example of a PWP with energies and hopes, but no income except SSDI) and as policy-makers 7) PRESSURING the abysmally-flawed (American) N.I.H., which has failed to fund the $100,000,000.00 Udall Law (should Harold Varmus be pressured to RESIGN?) 8) Planning public INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS, especially through TV and radio, about medical, surgical and other treatment options 9) Creating respite care and support services for overwhelmed and exhausted PD CAREGIVERS 10) Prioritizing MEDIA COVERAGE OF RESEARCH of genetic, cellular and biochemical research on the various forms of Parkinson's