CounseLine, an idea whose time has not yet come, provides "brief counseling to those who may not otherwise seek assistance." You can hit the cybercouch with one of CounseLine's professional counselors via a live chat session ($25 for 25 minutes), participate in group therapy ($15 for 25 minutes), or submit a question via e-mail ($20). CouseLine's vaunted "staff" consists of a guy named Jeff with an M.S. from Butler University and 15 years experience in "mental health" (quotes are CounseLine's). Who knows? The counseling could be unparalleled; but, at a buck a minute, I hope you and Jeff both type damned quickly. - Mike Hase
Stark Scripts, a mail-order pharmacy service, "offers frequent users of prescription drugs a convenient way to obtain their needed medication." After Stark Scripts verifies your account and prescription information, it will start delivering drugs to your door. People who need regular medication and shut-ins with no means of getting to a pharmacy can benefit from this service; it isn't intended for those picking up pain killers after a root canal. You need to order 14 days in advance, and you'll probably want to use the 800 number, since the server is not secure. - Mike Hase
Access Health Online promotes Access Health's Personal Health Advisor. For $8.95 a month, this service lets you comb thousands of online medical articles, provides literature and audio tapes, and gives you an 800 number to reach a registered nurse for medical information. I don't mean to impugn RNs (well, not much; my intestine almost perforated through a nurse's advice), but I like to get my medical knowledge from people who spent six years acquiring it. You can register for a 30-day trial run at the site, but be sure to cancel if you don't care for the service. Otherwise, Access Health will start charging you. - Mike Hase
Although I think bacon is health food, I truly enjoyed the Health Food Store. With over 3000 products, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbs, the Health Food Store has something for everyone. It claims to discount its products 15-30%, and some comparisons verify this; for example, it sells a melatonin product for 25% less than I paid for it at my local drug store. Shipping costs range from nominal to nothing. An extensive collection of scholarly articles on the benefits of dietary supplements and the actions of herbs round out this one-stop health-supplement source. Online purchasing can be done with a credit card through a secure server. - Mike Hase
Isadora Alman of "Ask Isadora" fame has set up an informative, and largely free, online sexual forum. At her site, you can check out her archived answers to a number of sex-related questions or participate in a well-used, threaded public forum. The discussion is mature, with people honestly seeking answers to their sexual questions; in other words, don't show up looking for masturbation material. The site also hosts a private forum for an annual fee of $35, and apparently Ms. Alman is an active participant in this forum. The skinflints behind the site wouldn't let me in, but I doubt that Ms. Alman's mere presence merits $35. - Mike Hase