A Site For The Fifty-Plus Crowd Where You Supply The Content

Imagine a site built especially for seniors like you where the content-how-to articles, web site reviews, tech tips, etc-is supplied by the readers of the site! That's the idea behind Seniority.co.uk, a popular online senior community. From the site:

Seniority.co.uk exists to enable like-minded people aged 50+ (so-called silver surfers) to share their experiences, gain knowledge from one another and have fun with the Internet by contributing towards making their site an interactive community. We don't preach, we listen - the site's content comes from you, the reader.

Here's a peek at some of the highlights of this progressive site for seniors:

• Read articles on a variety of topics of interest to seniors and beyond-even articles that will help you get more out of your computer and better understand The Internet!


• Check out The Seniority Web Sites Directory, an annotated list of sites recommended by the users of Seniority.co.uk.

If you're interested in a content rich site geared towards the senior community, you'll want to give this one a look!

Home Improvement Advice From Uncle Sam

It's a fact of life if you're a homeowner-occasionally you'll need to make repairs or even complete renovations, and that means you'll have to hire a contractor. But with all the home improvement horror stories out there-especially the ones involving seniors-how can you protect yourself?

A good place to start is, Home Sweet Home Improvement from the Federal Trade Commission. This site offers sound advice to help you avoid a lot of home improvement pitfalls.

Here's what it covers:

• Questions you should ask prospective contractors
• Tips on how to spot bogus contractors
• How to protect yourself from falling victim to "home improvement" loan scams
• Advice on how and where to complain if you do fall victim to a scam.

And more! In short, this is one site you'll want to refer to before you make the decision to improve your home.

Currency Conversion Made Easy On The Web

When you're traveling abroad, figuring out the exchange rate for the U.S. dollar is probably not one of the highlights of your trip. But now, thanks to the power of the Web it's gotten a whole lot easier. The fact is, there are many currency conversion tools available online-you just have to know where to find them!

Here are a few worth a look:

• Currency Converter - Yahoo! Finance - A leading online portal for so many things, is it any wonder they include a great currency converter?
• CNN Money.com's Currency Conversion Tool - The web site you go to for the latest news also offers a handy currency converter.
• Google - That's right, this behemoth among search engines offers a "built-in currency converter" too, and it's very easy to use as Google Help: Search Features explains.

Next time you need info on currency conversion don't forget to try one of these helpful web-based tools!

A Top Web Resource About Assisted Living

If you're a senior who has questions about assisted living, you'll want to check out The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA). According to their site they are, "the largest national association exclusively dedicated to professionally operated assisted living communities for seniors."

Here are just a few of the reasons this site is so good:

• You'll have access to the ALFA provider database which lets you search for assisted living communities by city and state.
• They offer a terrific page of frequently asked questions about assisted living.
• You can read ALFA's guide to choosing an assisted living residence, and even download a copy if you wish.

Whatever your questions or concerns are about assisted living, you'll likely find what you're looking for at ALFA.

5 Online Dating Sites Especially For Seniors

Let's face it, dating and relationships aren't easy at any age. As a senior, it might be particularly challenging especially if it's been a while since you've been "in the game." Thankfully, the Web offers the opportunity to explore online dating as an option, and now there are even several sites geared especially for you, the senior on the prowl.

Here are 5 online dating sites that cater to seniors:

1. Senior Dating Exchange - started by two seniors this site features free membership and a dating advice column for people your age.
2. Senior FriendFinder - Free to join and offering chat, blogs and more.
3. 50YearsPlus - billed as, "a singles site for seniors with integrity," free dating advice articles and the opportunity to sign up for a newsletter are among the features here.
4. The Dating Senior - This "100% Free Internet Dating Site" for seniors features forums, a newsletter and more.
5. SeniorMatch - You can place a personal ad and reply to other's messages for free here.

Considering giving online dating a try? You just might find what you're looking for at one of these dating sites created specifically for seniors!

RootsWeb.com: A Genealogist's Goldmine

Have you visited RootsWeb.com yet? If you're looking to shift your genealogy research into high gear you'll want to put this website on your must-see list. Billed as, "the oldest and largest FREE genealogy site" they offer so many tools for assisting you in your family history research, it's hard to believe it comes free of cost.

These are just some of the notable resources you'll find there:

• The RootsWeb's Guide To Tracing Family Trees
• A searchable database of surnames with over one million entries
• Over thirty thousand genealogical mailing lists
• Tons of genealogy related message boards

And much more! Whatever your level of interest in genealogy research is, this is one site that's sure to please!

Uncle Sam Has Important Information On Reverse Mortgages

Are you a senior who's considering getting a reverse mortgage but would like some more information on the matter before you decide? You might want to consider what Uncle Sam has to say. The federal government has put together some very useful information about these types of loans, and now it's easier than ever to access because it's available online. FHA's Reverse Mortgage For Seniors, for example, is one such resource you'll find indispensable.

Here's what you can expect there:

• An article entitled, Top Ten Things to Know if You're Interested in a Reverse Mortgage.
• A Link to a reverse mortgage calculator from AARP.
• A search tool to help you find FHA approved reverse mortgage lenders.
• Much More!

Reverse mortgages may or may not be right for you. A site like this one just might help clear things up a bit.

Where To Find The Lyrics For That Song In Your Head

How many times has this happened to you? You're humming a tune or you hear a song on the radio and wonder, what exactly are the words to that song, anyway? Thanks to the power of the Web it's now as simple as ever to find out. Over the last several years, many sites have sprung up that serve as search engines or archives of song lyrics.

Here are a few worth checking out:

• Lyrics Depot - With over 300,000 song lyrics to choose from, this site has become a popular destination on the Web for anyone searching for lyrics.
• Yahoo! Music - Lyrics - This mega repository of song lyrics(400,000 as of this writing) is brought to you by none other than Yahoo!
• LyricWiki - Calling themselves, "the most comprehensive site ever created for lyrics" LyricWiki relies on people just like you from all over the world to provide song lyrics for their database.

Next time you know the name of that song in your head, but are not sure of the words, get a little help from one of these sites!

Play Word Jumble On The Web

Do you look forward to playing the daily word jumble game found in your local newspaper? You'll be happy to know that you can play on the Web too! Every day, courtesy of ZDAILY.com, you can play a different word jumble game consisting of four scrambled words.

No pen or paper is required-you play right on your computer screen! Are you up for a real word jumble challenge? Play now at ZDAILY.com and find out!

Tap Into Your Higher Power With Beliefnet

Do you have questions regarding matters of faith or are you interested in learning more about a particular religion? You should head on over to Beliefnet.com, one of the best sites on the web for exploring topics of a spiritual nature.

From the site:

Whether you're exploring your own faith or other spiritual traditions, we provide you inspiring devotional tools, access to the best spiritual teachers and clergy in the world, thought-provoking commentary, and a supportive community.

Beliefnet helps you get in touch with your spiritual side through relevant articles, blogs, message boards, audio and video, and more! There are a lot of religious or spiritual themed sites on the Web but few are as comprehensive or as award winning as this one. Think of it as a leading web site for the soul!

Get State Lottery Results Online

Has this ever happened to you? You buy a state lottery ticket, tuck it away for safe keeping and then end up forgetting about it entirely. Weeks later, while you're cleaning out your wallet or pocket book, lo and behold, there it is again! The problem is, how do you know if it's a winning ticket or not? You could always check the newspaper-if you saved the one that lists the results of the drawing-but, thanks to the Internet there's a better way!

It turns out that Uncle Sam maintains a directory of links to state lottery web sites. If you play the lottery in one of the 41 states that allow it, you'll find this site handy. From now on, when you want lottery results don't check the paper, check the Web instead!

What Fads Did You Live Through?

Want to learn more about the fads that were popular when you were growing up? You'll want to visit CrazyFads.com, a directory of information about fads from the 1920's right up to the present day.

Here are just a few of the fads you can learn more about through the site:

• The Slinky
• The Hula Hoop
• Pez Dispensers
• Car Hops
• Balsa Wood Airplanes
• Sea Monkeys
• Tie Dye T-shirts

And more! Chances are if you're a senior who grew up any time from the 1920's to the 1960's, you'll find lots to like about CrazyFads.com. It's sure to bring back more than a few memories!

How To Sign Up Online For The National Do Not Call Registry

Tired of all those harassing telemarketing calls at all hours of the day and night? Did you know that you could make them stop by registering your phone number with the Federal Trade Commission's National Do Not Call Registry? What's more, it's now easier and more convenient than ever because you can do it all online at their web site!

Here's how:

1. Go to The National Do Not Call Registry, and click Register Now.
2. Input the phone number you want to register along with a valid email address, then click Submit.
3. On the resulting page double check your information and click Register.
4. Check your email for a message from Register@donotcall.gov. Click on the link provided in the email to complete the registration process.

You're done! Telemarketers have 31 days from the date you register your number to take it off their call list. With a little help from the Web and the FTC, those harassing sales calls should stop!

Put A Jigsaw Puzzle Together Online

Like jigsaw puzzles? You'll love JigZone, a site that lets you put virtual jigsaw puzzles together right on your computer screen.

Here are some of the great things you can do at this leading jigsaw puzzle site:

• Choose from an extensive jigsaw puzzle gallery-animals, art, nature scenes and more!
• Turn your photos into jigsaw puzzles.
• Send jigsaw puzzle postcards to your friends.

Make A Difference With Squidoo

Want to know an easy way you can make a difference and promote a cause while doing something fun and useful? Create a lens on Squidoo.com. What's a lens you say? Simple. Here's a description from the site:

A lens is one person's view on a topic that matters to her. It's an easy-to-build, single web page that can point to blogs, favorite links, RSS feeds, Flickr photos, Google maps, your eBay auctions, CafePress designs, Amazon books or music, and more.

Started by marketing guru and bestselling author Seth Godin, Squidoo will let anyone create a web page on their interests, quickly and easily. You won't need any programming knowledge and you can set up the page in as little as 5 minutes.

When people find your lens or web page and click on the advertisements that Squidoo places on it, you'll earn a royalty which you can elect to donate to one of over 80 charities.

To learn more about lenses and how to get the most out of them, be sure to read Squidoo's FAQ. And please visit the lens I created to help promote cancer awareness:

How YOU Can Make A Difference In The Fight Against Cancer

Check it out, then go build your own!

Free Publications From The National Institute On Aging

If you're looking for quality information on aging and aging related topics you'll want to head on over to the web site of the National Institute on Aging. Included among the offerings at this valuable resource from Uncle Sam are free publications on the subject of aging.

Here are just a few of the titles you'll find there:

• Aging and Your Eyes
• Arthritis Advice
• Cancer Facts for People Over 50
• Forgetfulness: It's Not Always What You Think
• Skin Care and Aging

And countless others! Not all of these publications are available in print form, by the way-some are only viewable online. Regardless of the format, though, the quality of the information is indisputable since the U.S. National Institutes of Health stands behind it!

How To Read Your Favorite Magazines Online For Free

Have you ever checked out the magazine rack at the bookstore or your local library? With so many interesting magazines to read isn't it too bad you can't subscribe to all of them? Don't you wish there was a way you could read those magazines online, free of charge? Well, you can! The fact is that you'll find free content from many of your favorite magazines when you visit a site like Magatopia.com.

From the site:

Magatopia.com is the Internet's directory to free online magazines.
At Magatopia.com you won't find any so-called online magazines whose only content is an advertisement for their print edition, or a site that never
posts new articles, or that charge a fee to view their site.

To access the more than 1000 free online magazines offered at Magatopia.com all you have to do is log on to the homepage and click on one of the magazines featured on the "virtual magazine rack." Click on the categories on the left hand column for even more selections!

A Search Engine For Senior Housing

Considering some type of senior housing in your retirement years but not sure where to start? You might be interested in a handy web site called Senior Outlook. The site acts like a search engine for senior housing by allowing you to search by city/state, metro, distance or name of facility.

Here are some of the different types of housing you can locate through this service:

• Adult Day Care
• Independent Living
• Assisted Living
• Nursing Homes

And more! Additionally, you'll find links to moving services, information on Medicare and Medicaid and even a glossary of senior housing terms. If senior housing is something you've thought about, you owe to yourself to yourself give Senior Outlook a try!

How To Use Google To Get Movie Listings In Your Neighborhood

Next time you're surfing the Web and thinking, what movie do I want to go see this weekend? don't reach for your local paper-reach for Google instead! Why? Because you can quickly and easily get movie listings in your neighborhood through Google!

Here's how:

• Go to Google and type in the word Movies followed by your zip code, then click Search.
• At the top of the resulting page you'll see a link for showtimes in the area you specified. Simply click on this link and you'll see a list of all the movies that are playing in your area along with their corresponding showtimes.

It's as easy as that! As an added bonus, since these movie listings appear on your computer screen instead of the newspaper, they're a lot easier to read-just make the print larger by zooming in on it like you learned in a previous post!

Ask Questions. Get Answers!

When you're surfing the Web and have a question, what do you usually do? If you're like many people you probably consult a search engine, right? Sometimes don't you just wish you could ask a human being? Well, you can when you use a service like Yahoo! Answers.

Yahoo! Answers is part of a growing Web phenomenon where sites are relying on the power of crowds to solve all sorts of problems and even do things like answer questions from people like you. At Yahoo! Answers for example you can ask any question and the answers are provided by the community of registered Yahoo! users.

Here's how it works:

• Go to Yahoo! Answers and type in your question in the Ask box in the upper left hand corner of the page, then click Post Question.
• Follow the set of instructions you'll be given-you'll be asked if you want to use a nickname, how you want your question categorized, and whether or not you want e-mail notification, etc.
• Finally, click submit and depending on the nature of the question you should be receiving responses shortly.

Just one caveat-keep in mind that although Yahoo! Answers asks their users to adhere to a set of strict community guidelines, there's no guarantee that you're always going to receive quality responses. However, since there's such a large community of users the odds are good that someone will be able to answer your question appropriately.

Give it a try next time you have a question you can't find the answer to!

Who Is The World's Oldest Blogger Anyway?

Here's a bit of blog trivia for you: Do you know who the world's oldest blogger is? According to this article from ABC Western Queensland, that title belongs to Olive Riley who's 107 years old and runs a blog called The Life of Riley. From the article:

Olive Riley has seen a lot in her 107 years and now she's recounting some of her life experiences in blog, (or 'blob' as she calls it) and it's thought that Olive might be the world's oldest blogger! Among the stories she's shared are memories of the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge (she was there), and stories of her time on a station near Muttaburra in the 1930s.

Now if Olive Riley can write a blog at age 107, what's your excuse? Get inspired by her blog and start your own! And if you need even more inspiration just read some of these other notable senior blogs!

Get Nutrition Information Online

Ever wonder how many calories your favorite fast food hamburger has or how much fat is in that milkshake you just washed it down with? If you're on the Web there's an easy way to find out these nutrition questions and many others. All you have to do is check out one of the many nutrition sites available online.

Here are a few notable ones to get you started:

• Calorie Counter Database - A Service of About.com Health, this nutrition site offers weight loss tools in addition to in-depth nutrition information on a variety of foods.
• NutritionData - Easily find fast food facts, track the calories you take in on a daily basis and more!
• CalorieKing - Want nutritional information on over 50,000 food items? It's all here and then some!

Remember, if you want to know more about the food you're eating, check out one of these leading nutrition sites.

Watch Thousands Of How-To Videos On The Web

Imagine having access to thousands of how-to videos that will show you how to do everything from changing the oil in your car to baking fabulous desserts. Now imagine that you can watch those videos for free right on you computer screen. That's exactly what you'll get when you visit the following sites:

• Expert Village - Billing itself as the world's largest how-to video site, Expert Village hosts more than 16,000 videos in categories like automotive, health & fitness, food & drink and more.
• ViewDo - Want to learn how to make silly putty? Or how about a video on how to cook Beef Stroganoff? It's all here and more at this how-to video site.
• VideoJug - Have you always wanted to make Spaghetti Bolognese but didn't know how? Or maybe you'd like to learn how to grow your own vegetables but need some pointers? You'll find videos here that will help you do all these things and more!

If you like to learn by watching, you'll simply love these how-to video sites!