My husband is one of those road warriors, flying or driving to tradeshows, banquets, and conventions all over the Midwest region and across the country. And because he's such a frequent traveler, he's got a routine before he travels by plane.

As many of you know, there's nothing worse than being on a plane with sneezy, flu-ish people. The worst are coughing, hacking folks, especially the kids. Yikes. It's germ city and the germs are conveniently recyled by the plane's air circulation system. Isn't that a comforting thought?

 So my husband will down a glass of "Airborne" before leaving for the airport, along with extra vitamins, Euchinacea, and zinc tablets. He swears by the "Airborne" cocktail and made me take some a while back. But does it REALLY work?

Apparently not. Go to today's http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/makers-of-airborne-settle-false-ad-suit-with-refunds/index.html?hp to read about a lawsuit that was settled. The claims the company made weren't based on anything scientific, apparently. And here, I was really pulling for the whole story of this wonder product invented by a school teacher who was surrounded by germy kids day in and day out.