INFO JUNKIE: ANDREA BARTHWELL

Andrea Barthwell, 55, provides medical consulting, forensic work and
lectures for clients as president of Encounter Medical Group P.C. in
River Forest and founder and CEO of EMGlobal LLC, based in Arlington,
Va. What she prescribes:

News from alternative sources such as www.projectcensored.org and
www.reddit.com. "Members post stories from a variety of media; it
tells you what people are thinking and talking about." Scouts Chicago
Tribune, New York Times and USA Today for health-related
human-interest stories; traveling three weeks a month, reads medical
articles via laptop.

An M.D. and former deputy drug czar under George W. Bush, follows
A&E's "Intervention." Tweets relevant articles as @DrAGB: "I'm an
addictionista."

A prominent opponent of legalizing marijuana, she consults for a
company developing a drug that's a marijuana extract "because drugs
are tested under the highest scientific standards and subject to FDA
approval; the crude plant is not." Follows the issue via the
Marijuana Policy Project, Naperville-based www.educatingvoices.org
and www.norml.org, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

Finds comfort in Alexander McCall Smith's series, "The No. 1 Ladies'
Detective Agency," based in Botswana. "A smart mystery and no loose
ends; everyone winds up happy."

Creates iPod playlists for writing, reading and cooking. In the mix:
"Anything Motown; Ludacris, Andrea Bocelli and Corinne Bailey Ray.
She can moan like nobody else." Finds new music at www.pandora.com.
"That's how I discovered Amy Winehouse."

Works crossword puzzles and studies "The Complete Idiot's Guide to
Playing Guitar." "I got a Martin acoustic guitar last Christmas; I'm
guarding against Alzheimer's."