Smoking: It's Never Too Late to Stop

Even if you've smoked two packs a day for 40 years, you are likely to add years to your life, breathe more easily and have more energy...if you quit. You'll also have more extra money and your food will taste better.

Your clothes and hair will smell better.

You'll be setting a healthy example for your kids and grandkids.

Your chance of heart attack, stroke and other circulatory diseases diminishes within the first year.

And much more.

The bad news is that the first few weeks are very hard. You may become grumpy, hungry or tired. Headaches, depression, sleeping habits and concentration may plague you.

BUT the good news is that there is a lot of help out there. You can join a support group, get counseling or use nicotine replacement therapy. Find the organizations, doctors and clinics offering stop-smoking programs by opening your phone book or check out this site to find out more than you ever wanted to know (!) about smoking.

When You Can't Sell Your Home

If you’re unable to unload your home at a fair price, renting it out may be a wise option. This way you will have help paying the monthly mortgage while waiting for the value of your home to increase, according to AARP.

Owner-turned-landlord, you are warned to:

Check comparable rentals in the area and price it right.

Screen your tenants carefully and check out their ability to handle the monthly rental payment.

Keep good records and consult your accountant about tax consequences.

Make sure you follow landlord tenant law.

Make certain that all parties are properly insured.

Use a handyman (or do it yourself) when repairs are imminent.

Factor in provision for lease/option to buy.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: A Chance to Land the Job You Want

New jobs and career opportunities are being created throughout the U.S. because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Lear how to position yourself to take advantage of the opportunities by studying job searcher Monster's Stimulus Jobs Guide.

Stay informed, advance in your career and find local jobs. Research the industries that are most impacted by the stimulus.

For more on jobs, volunteering and career changes, visit 50somethinginfo.com.

Computers Combat Depression for Boomers and Seniors

Miranda Hitti of WebMD Health News reported to Fox News that adults over 65 who use computers are less likely to experience depression than the non-computer savvy friends.

Probably, she asserts, this is because this group of people are more likely to connect with other people via email, chat rooms and because they are exercising their brains more (learning!).

What else did this study group reveal?

Most had higher annual household incomes and greater ease with daily tasks.

For more on improving your mental health and combating depression, visit 50somethinginfo.com.

Save Money on Gas

Smart Money gives advice on saving money at the pump.

If you want to feel less pain filling up your car, follow these inexpensive and easy steps:

1. Compare prices at stations near your home or work. Tap into websites such as GasBuddy.com and BillShrink.com.

2. Pay in cash if there's a discount.

3. Take advantage of discounted gas at warehouse clubs.

4. Keep your car in good shape in increase fuel efficiency. Tire should be properly inflated. Maintain air filters and stick to the car's recommended motor oil.

5. Watch acceleration, hard braking and speeding.

6. Lighten the load--remove excess articles from the trunk. Pack items inside the car rather than using roof-racks which increase drag.

7. Limit air conditioning usage.

Cancer Treatment: Mini-robots to the Rescue

According to Discover Magazine, sometime in our future (6 years?) tiny robots will be able to travel through body fluids, find a tumor and zap it with drugs (chemotherapy).

Propelled by an electromagnetic field, the miniature (small enough to balance on a grain of salt) crawling robot can snake its way through the body with its tiny arms gripping vessel walls and burrow itself into disease tissue.

Hallelujah.

For more on cancer treatments, check out 50somethinginfo.com.

Photography Tricks and Tools For Amateurs and Pros

Sorry, folks. I don't know why these photography tools never made it to my September 21 blog.

I'm trying again.

***Sue's alert: If anyone who like to submit photos for my blog, I'd welcome them and will give you credit!

Electronics guru Kim Komando shared some of her favorite "special effects" photography sites.

1. Although some features require paid membership Picnik provides photography tools that mimic certain types of film or paper. You can even insert text bubbles--like in cartoons.

2. BigHugeLabs offers dozens of photo tools to do mozaics, posters and puzzles.

3. MorphThing can combine 2 faces into one--very cool.

4. Put someone into a movie scene or onto a poster or billboard by using FunPhotoBox and get instant celebrity.

5. Class up your photo with ornate frames. Or cut your photos into various shapes. Put your face onto the body of a weightlifter or model with LoonaPix.

6. Mozaiq does just that==make a mozaic of your favorite photos.

7. Photovisi provides various layouts for a photo collage.

8. You don't need extra lenses (or an SLR camera) to be able to focus on your subject and blur the background. Try TiltShiftMaker.

Thanks, Kim. And for more on photography, including digital camera reviews, visit 50somethinginfo.com.