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President Barack Obama’s recent physical examination revealed that he is in generally good health -– and that he is still trying to quit smoking. His doctor’s advice: keep up his "smoking cessation efforts"; in other words, he should keep trying to kick the habit.

Stress is one of the reasons people give for not being able to quit smoking, says Susan Rausch, health educator at the Pat Walker Health Center and co-chair of the University of Arkansas’ FRESH campaign to promote the Tobacco Free Campus policy.

It's more than black-and-white vs. color, standard screen vs. widescreen, classical music vs. rock soundtrack. There's something else that makes films of yesteryear feel very different than modern films -- something about the rhythm and texture. But what?

New research suggests that modern movies are more engrossing — we get "lost" in them more readily — because the universe’s natural rhythm is driving the mind. Really.

Your son or daughter comes home from school with questions about energy. How do you begin to explain such a vast concept?

Teaching kids about energy starts with conveying that there are many forms of energy around us and even inside us. Life as we know it would not exist without energy. Energy is so important that all food packages list Calories, an old energy unit. Energy is either stored or involved with motion.

Many folks look back fondly on FDR’s efforts to pull us out of the Great Depression. Killjoys point out that FDR’s deeply flawed policies didn’t work – we had the longest, most sustained depression since perhaps the Renaissance.

At least some solace is taken from the widespread assumption that WWII finally bailed us out. Perhaps some see today’s overseas adventures as serving a similar purpose in this economic tailspin.

But we don't need no new stinkin' wars to "stimulate" the economy. I have a FAR better plan.

I enjoy CBS TV show "NCIS". There's a spark, an energy, that makes it appealing even after several years on the air. The NCIS characters are intelligent, the dynamics are interesting, and it is well-played by strong actors, The storylines are usually engaging and often quite clever. But I'm not sure the new spin-off "NCIS: Los Angeles" has any reason to have "NCIS" in its title.

EDITOR'S NOTE: There's a world of musical Boomers who are good enough to make some nice music, but not as a career. You hear them at parties and community events. You might even hear them practicing in a garage. These musical enthusiasts play what they can, when they can, for the fun of it -- classic pop/rock hits, cocktail jazz, easy listening standards, RB and more. If you are in an amateur band, or want to be, we hope this and subsequent articles will be helpful.

I take many road trips, often on routes I haven't traveled, to places I haven't been, and often in a large motor home. Many trips are for business, so I need to get to the right place at the right time. I rely on a computer to plan the trip, then drive the trip. Little GPS receivers are cute, cheap, helpful -- but limited. But fortunately, my vehicle has plenty of space for a laptop that is visible to the driver. So I drive with computer-based, GPS-controlled map/navigation software running on a big computer screen.

There are two major software products in this category, Microsoft Streets and Trips, and DeLorme Street Atlas USA, and I think one strongly out-classes the other. Here's what and why...