It may not be sexy, but today’s economy calls for practicality and, if she’s unemployed or underemployed, I have the perfect solution! I’m thrilled to announce I’ve just updated Land the Job You Love to incorporate even more cutting edge techniques, proven success strategies, and methods that are guaranteed to make a positive difference.

With a full 18-pages of new exercises, tools, and strategies, this hot-off-the-presses version boasts:

• The latest (yet easy to follow) tips for using social media to full advantage
• Surefire ways to break through to the hidden job market using innovative and guaranteed techniques
• The best methods for preparing for webcam interviews (a quickly growing trend)
• And many more tools that won’t be found in other job search books

Job search has changed tremendously—even in the past few years—so the recipient of this special gift will be well armed with the tools to handle any situation she’ll encounter in the marketplace of today.  At the same low price of $12.95, you can give the woman in your life the means to distinguish herself from the competition, present her skills with confidence, ace the interview and land the job of her dreams.

And, in my book, that beats a box of candy any day!

Therefore, here are a few memory-joggers that are guaranteed to bring back the days of yesteryear:Yummy wax coke-shaped bottles filled with sugar water. Their claim to fame was they “melted in your hands and not in your mouth!”

A head start on a bad habit… I wonder what the Surgeon General had to say about candy cigarettes?

Best of all… you could buy both of these treasures and more with your weekly allowance–50 cents, WOWEE!

Yes, we lucky boomers could kick back, take a drag on a candy cig, a swig on a waxy coke, and watch the ultimate in televised adventures. What do you think–could life get any better than that?

We boomers have known for quite a while that exercise is good for us on many levels. But new research is proving that, with a modicum of movement, we can actually grow new brain cells! A recent article in Inc. reports that exercise helps our brain resist age-related shrinkage and improves overall cognitive flexibility. Moreover it seems exercise triggers the birth of gray matter cells with an added plus—movement makes the shiny new neurons extra nimble by wiring them up to the appropriate neural networks. This is exciting news, indeed!

Better yet, you don’t have to kill yourself to achieve that awesome brainpower. Most of the studies were performed on people doing aerobic activities, however even walking as little as 40 minutes three days a week can make a big difference. Older subjects who committed to the 40-minute walk actually improved their memories by shaving two years off the age of their hippocampus, the brain’s memory center.

So, if you want to renew and revitalize your own noggin, it might be as simple as taking the time to head out for a stroll or go sweatin’ with the oldies—and who among us wouldn’t like to rock out with the Stones, Little Richard, or the many mellow sounds of Motown?

And, to add even more steam to your energy-fueled brainpower, I urge you to take a look at Lumosity (see the link to the left). It’s the only product (other than my own) that I advertise because I believe in it so much. Their entertaining, varied, and FUN brain exercises are based on extensive research and cutting-edge science from such prestigious institutions as Stanford, Harvard, Columbia, and UCSF and the cost is literally pennies a day. So take a moment to check them out and get a free trial—your little gray cells will thank you for it!

Recent advances in brain imaging have produced several surprising new wrinkles to the great gender divide. It goes without saying that those of us who lived through the women’s movement are especially fascinated by the topic of nature versus nurture. In fact this particular conundrum laid the foundation for many a heated skirmish at the height of the battle between the sexes. Now it looks like nature plays an even greater role than we’d thought—especially when it comes to the human brain. One of the most striking differences between the brains of men and women involves the ability to process language.

To the utter dismay of many a long-suffering woman, it appears that men do not listen well! One cause for this phenomenon may come as a result of their lower oxytocin levels. (Oxytocin is the hormone involved in bonding—sometimes dubbed “the cuddle chemical). Unfortunately, the lack of the cuddle chemical makes our guys likely less inclined to want to bond and connect—especially through conversation.

However, hormones aside, the main culprit for their turning a deaf ear to us is that their brain is actually “deaf” on one side.  When brain images of live subjects were taken, they showed the neurons on both sides of a woman’s brain were activated while she listened to the voices of the researchers. However, in males, only one side of the brain displayed activated neurons. And, when verbal tasks were given, women showed higher blood flow to various areas throughout their brain. They could remember what was said and, therefore, recall what they were told to do. No surprise, this increased activity did not occur in men.

Consequently, it seems a biological determinate that when you have a need to send a verbal message to your male partner—especially when it concerns a task you want them to do—you’ll need to be extra certain that your message will actually sift through to the side of his brain where he’ll hear it.

As many of us will attest, dealing with guys can prove challenging… and this frustrating brain-fact makes Tammy Wynette’s words even more on target: “Sometimes it’s hard to be a woman!”

Those of us gals who attempted to join the workforce in the 1970s could expect certain questions at each and every job interview. Whether or not there was a B.A. after your name, the primary question remained: “How fast can you type?” And, if the lady candidate sported a wedding ring, the next question was always: “Does your husband mind if you work?” Meanwhile, male college graduate applicants of the time were swiftly enrolled in the firm’s management training program and were never questioned as to their typing speed or their wife’s concern regarding their employment choices.

Moreover, if a woman already had a family and decided to go to work because she was widowed, divorced, or otherwise needed an income; she was generally viewed as an aberration—someone who was out of place in the business world. In fact, the term applied to such females was “displaced homemakers…” not exactly a sign of respect for their business acumen!

Nevertheless and despite the enormous odds stacked against us, we feisty gals pushed hard to gain a semblance of parity with our male counterparts. And we succeeded! Granted, major inequities in compensation, seats in the boardroom, and in a thousand other ways still exist—but our struggles made a difference for our daughters and ourselves.

Yet it goes without saying that the younger generation tends to want to shock and surprise their elders. We certainly outraged our parents with our long hair, protests, and fondness for pot. But this latest news is almost too much to bear: A brand new survey found that more than 25% of women would trade in IQ points for bigger breasts. I’m speechless!

I do try to adopt a positive outlook in most things but this one is challenging me—big time. What could they be thinking? I’ve always considered the triumphs of the Women’s Movement to be one of our lasting legacies that will forever change the lives of future generations… but maybe not.

Is it possible to feel feisty, frazzled, and dumbfounded all at the same time?!

I’ve just experienced one of those special events—both personally and professionally. I’ve enjoyed the immense pleasure and real honor of interviewing one of our nation’s great statesmen, Senator Adlai Stevenson III. As you’ll immediately recognize from his name, this well-known gentleman descends from a long line of statesmen who’ve left their indelible imprint upon our nation’s history. Until our interview, however, I hadn’t realized how long that line really was.

Senator Stevenson came to Feisty Side of Fifty Radio to discuss his insightful, wide-ranging, and wonderfully humorous work, The Black Book. This is the story of five generations of the senator’s family—from his great, great grandfather (who was instrumental in securing the Presidency for Abraham Lincoln) down through his own career in politics.

But the book is much more than a family memoir; it’s a treasure trove of historical references, anecdotes, sayings, and laugh-out-loud quotes. It’s also rich with behind-the-scenes politics that will inspire, amuse, and sometimes outrage the reader but will always have you turning pages with anticipation of what’s to come.

I invite you to take a listen and hear Senator Stevenson share his personal and surprisingly tongue-in-cheek story of American political history from an insider’s point of view. It’s 15-minutes that will both engage and inspire you as this man of wit and wisdom imparts his unique take on where we’ve been and where we’re headed as a nation.

Moreover, for a wonderful read that will give you a statesman’s perspective on life, politics, and the human condition, be sure to check out The Black Book. The author’s goal was to “draw lessons for the future from a rich past.” And, from this reader’s perspective, Senator Stevenson has done just that—this is one book that belongs on everyone’s nightstand!

But setting close relationships aside for the moment, I do believe that age renders apologies less obligatory. Being on the feisty side of fifty definitely has its privileges, however the “no apology rule” I’m planning to adopt has more to do with HERstory. Let me explain…

We gals grew up with a set of certain ideals regarding proper female behavior—one of the biggest meant being “nice.” Acting with kindness, tending to the needs of others, and apologizing for even the slightest of our indiscretions were all part and parcel of the popularity package… and who among us didn’t want that?

But a few years after Love Story graced the silver screen, the women’s movement was off and running. We learned to speak up for ourselves, make demands for equality, and present our opinions with force. No more mealy-mouthed maidens we—we wanted to assert ourselves!

Yet, despite all of the assertiveness classes we attended, the niceness factor remained. We still valued kindness—in fact, for most of us, it was ingrained in our psyches. Unfortunately, for some, the nice factor seems to have skipped a generation.

We all know younger women who reaped the benefits of our struggles for an equal voice. Many went into business, some acquired MBAs. They were given opportunities and competed on a far more equal footing than we could have ever imagined. Moreover a number of these gals had little need for assertiveness training—they are downright aggressive.  I’m not sure how they viewed the women’s movement or which lessons they took from our battles for an equal chance at the brass ring, but it seems that displaying kindness must have equated to showing weakness and apologizing was out of the question.

Now, as you know, I’m a huge proponent of the women’s movement and am grateful for all of the strides we’ve made—and I’m not bashing the generation of women who came after us. However I’ve felt personally offended (and I don’t get offended easily) by some of the high-handed ways of our younger sisters. One such incident happened just recently which fired up my reasons for this post. To my mind, this woman did owe me an apology—but not a hint of regret crossed her lips.

So I’ve decided I’m too old and way to feisty to take this stuff from anyone anymore. I’m keeping the kindness factor but am losing the apology. I’m hereby vowing to take a cue from these female titans of industry and stop saying “I’m sorry” as liberally as I have in the past. But there is one thing I’d like to teach them: “nice” may be a four-letter word but it’s one they sorely need to adopt. Aggression might work in the boardroom but it sure won’t make you popular!

He’s just come out with his latest book, The Blood Sugar Solution: The Ultra Healthy Program for Losing Weight, Preventing Disease and Feeling Great Now! It’s packed with information about the foods you should and shouldn’t eat, how you can rev up your metabolism and lose weight, and how you can eat well on a budget. The book also features Dr. Hyman’s 7-step plan to ultra wellness that includes a series of quizzes to help you pinpoint areas where you might need special attention.

It’s obvious this physician has found his calling because Dr. Hyman is out to transform the SAD (Standard American Diet) from one that promotes “diabesty” to one that helps us achieve and maintain peak wellness. Moreover, if you’re past 50, Dr. Hyman’s message is especially important. Our bodies don’t bounce back as easily as they did twenty years ago, so it’s even more critical that we feed them well.

I had the immense pleasure of interviewing Dr. Hyman on Feisty Side of Fifty radio. In addition to being a huge fan and over the top excited, I learned a lot. I hope you’ll check out this important 15-minute discussion—full of doctor’s orders straight from the rock star himself.

And don’t forget to take a look at The Blood Sugar Solution. It’s hard to feel feisty when you’re suffering from a debilitating disease brought about by diabesity. So take the challenge, turn your health around, and rock on courtesy of the fine doctor who truly is a star in the world of wellness. Before you know it, you just might be cranking up the music and feeling groovy!

However, as with all of life, the years of fifty and beyond present choices. Perhaps the biggest choice of all is whether to celebrate our maturity as fully formed women in our own right or to mourn the loss of our youth and all that represents. Again and again, studies show that older women are happier and feel more fulfilled than our younger counterparts. But there’s a major industry out there that’s hoping to take away our power by turning us into youth-mourners.

It’s no secret. The aim of the anti-aging folk is to make us feel so inadequate, unlovable, and invisible (solely as a result of growing older, mind you) that we buy their products in droves. But Barbara Hannah Grufferman, bestselling author of The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts’ Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money, and More, is on a mission to expose their wily ways.

Barbara is an outspoken advocate for women in midlife and also a frequent blogger/contributor to the Huffington Post at Huff/Post 50. In one of her recent articles entitled: “Is the Anti-Aging Industry Bad for Our Health?” Barbara goes into several ways these malevolent marketers create impossible models of perfection in a concerted attempt to play upon our fears. They must believe that, if they make us feel bad enough about ourselves, we’ll part with our precious dollars in a vain attempt to hold back the hands of time. Selling fear and feelings of inadequacy sets up them up for a ready stream of income. To their way of thinking, Father Time keeps marching on and the boomers are one heckuva lucrative target market.

I’ve written a couple of posts on this topic myself, “Who Do They Think They’re Kidding? We’re Too Smart for This!” and “Miss Representation—A Tale for All Ages.” Barbara and I both feel strongly about exposing these underhanded threats to our self-esteem. In fact, we just held a lively discussion on this very topic on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio. I invite you to take a listen—it’s an explosive 15 minutes that will get you steaming.

So, as Barbara wrote in her article, it’s high time for us “to get noisy.” Let’s use our celebrated flower power to best advantage, let the anti-aging industry know we’re proud of who we are, and that we won’t buy into their methods to make us feel inadequate. Such underhanded tactics might have worked on previous generations… but this time they’re dealing with the boomers. Menopause has never been so powerful!

The irony is that the majority of younger people prefer to get their news from either the Internet or the spoof-news shows like “The Daily Show” and the “Colbert Report.” Boomers—who after all are the TV generation—still like gathering information by reading newspapers and watching the tube. And I, for one, could do with a little less eye-candy and a little more substance from the reporters.

Voila! Enter the new “CBS This Morning.” Behind in the ratings for years, the network is now trying an innovative approach: put real anchors on the job—those with both professional chops and considerable life experience to deepen their perspective.

Charlie Rose, still a fine looking man, plays his role as elder statesman with the intelligence and thoughtfulness he’s exuded for years. Gayle King, who came to be known to most of us by way of her friendship with Oprah Winfrey, brings her considerable talent in addition to her perspective as a mature woman of color. And Erica Hill, the youngest of the group, has served as co-anchor on a variety of news shows on CBS and CNN.

I hold no stock in CBS and make no suggestions as to your viewing preferences. I’d just like to say it’s nice to watch the news delivered by people with grown-up faces and demeanor. In their article announcing the new show, the network made note that this broadcast was being beamed from the same building that brought us Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite. And, from someone who remembers them both, that says something to me!