About two years ago, I wrote a very popular piece for my blog, The Simple Dollar, called 30 useful Pieces Of Free (and Open) Software for Windows. In it, I talked about how I had a new Dell laptop and that I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on additional software for it, so I went hunting. I sought out open source software so that I knew it would be not only free, but the code would be peer-reviewed and it wouldn’t have any bugs or malicious elements in it. And, eventually, I found thirty pieces of software that really met my needs.

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Health Issues
* Wall Street Journal: Is a Candidate's DNA the next campaign issue?
* Cincinnati Enquirer: Moderate portion sizes for a better diet
* New York Times: Everything you know about stretching is wrong

Rehab for your Wallet
* The Simple Dollar: Frugal tips including buying used furniture from hotels and making your own gift baskets at Christmas.
* Buxr: Free tall coffee on Election Day at Starbucks

Green Life
* Live Green Cincinnati: New language for the green revolution

It's rare to see modern folks coexisting in a supportive community, giving and gaining from a well-connected group of people with whom they share common values or goals. My family and I are fortunate to have such a rare and nurturing support network through our neighborhood church community.

For many Americans, however, meeting the needs of the immediate family is hard enough, so connecting with a larger community seems overwhelming or perhaps even a luxury.

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A few days ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with a fellow in his early sixties who has already retired. He had been self-employed his entire life. I told him about my blog, The Simple Dollar,� and I asked him, if he didn’t mind, if he would tell me about how he had invested for retirement.

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This has been a three-cup-of-coffee morning for me. Maybe for you, too. To help get you started on a healthier week, here's some wellness oriented news that should get your blood moving. (We'll work on getting it to boil next time.)

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As a person who is (or at least is trying to be) health conscious, I have discovered that besides an active lifestyle with plenty of physical exercise, one of the most simple and radical things that I can do to improve my health is to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in the proper proportions.

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If you're a smoker, it's a probably a good idea for you to be vaccinated against pneumonia and meningitis.

The Cincinnati Enquirer has this AP story explaining why:
Studies have shown that smokers are about four times more likely than nonsmokers to suffer pneumococcal disease. Also, the more cigarettes someone smokes each day, the higher the odds they'll develop the illnesses.

Why smokers are more susceptible is not known for sure, but some scientists believe it has to do with smoking-caused damage that allows the bacteria to more easily attach to the lungs and windpipe, said Dr. Pekka Nuorti, a medical epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pneumococcal infections are considered the top killer among vaccine-preventable diseases. It's a common complication of influenza, especially in the elderly, and is considered responsible for many of the 36,000 annual deaths attributed to flu.

While we're on the subject of vaccinations, now's a good time to get your flu shot before flu season hits.

The American Lung Association has this handy guide to finding flu clinics. Just punch in your zip code and out comes a list.

I became vaguely aware of Philip K. Dick a decade ago. An author of more than 100 works of science fiction, he died suddenly in 1982 just as his work began to be recognized by the mainstream. This was the year that Blade Runner, which was based on Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, was released in theaters. In the years since then, more of Dick's body of work -- which often deals with questions of metaphysics, delusions and self-identity -- has seeped into the public consciousness. The films Minority Report, Total Recall and A Scanner Darkly are all based on his work.

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So you’ve just moved into your nice new home. You’ve unloaded the boxes, unpacked most of your stuff and are just starting to settle into your residence.

Right now is the perfect time to walk through a checklist of ways to save money on your home. Starting on these things as early as possible will allow you to start saving money sooner rather than later.

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