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!”

Kate Forgach submitted this special guest post that will definitely give you some food for thought in the romance department. Kate is a  

So you think marriage is for the young? Check this out: As of the 2010 U.S. Census, more than 16-million unmarried Americans were 65 and older. But these single seniors aren’t willing to sit on their laurels; Between 2006 and 2007 there was a 140-percent increase in senior online dating.

Clearly the message that marriage makes you live longer has made its way to the over-65 crowd. Seniors also have learned the effectiveness of online dating sites. According to a2011 international study conducted by the Oxford Internet Institute and funded by eHarmony, middle-aged men and women were the most likely people to use online dating sites, a statistic that particularly holds true for seniors.

With these glaring statistics to back up entrepreneurs, many new businesses have arisen catering to seniors interested in relationships. Here’s a sampling.

1. Dating Sites
Let’s see; There’s SeniorMatch, SeniorPeopleMeet, DatingforSeniors, SeniorFriendFinder, PrimeSingles, SilverSingles, DatingForSeniors…pant, pant, pant. And we’re just getting started. More commonly known sites, like Match.com and eHarmony, also appeal to the over-65 crowd. And let’s not forget AgeMatch, which targets cougars and sugar daddies seeking companionship out of their age range.

An interesting aside to this category is the research findings of two Bowling Green State University professors of gerontology. In the early stages of the study, they’ve found indications that seniors market themselves different on dating sites than their youthful counterparts. Appearance and status drop to the bottom of profiles while compatibility and self representation are priorities.

2. Gift Registries
Soon-to-be-wed seniors likely don’t need another blender, so alternative registries are proving just the ticket. CardAvenue is a wedding gift registry that lets them register for desirable gift cards, including those for stores, airlines, gas, etc. Cloud9Living allows couples to register for desired experiences, like hot-air ballooning in the Rockies, taking gourmet cooking classes in Houston, race car driving in Las Vegas, and much more.

3. Wedding Websites
Personal wedding websites are the latest rage, and WedShare.com in particular has reached out to seniors with it’s easy-to-use message. The company provides a free domain name, customizable website themes and matching eCards, a monetary gift registry with PayPal, and much more. Other similar sites include MyWeddingHosting.com, eWedding.com and Momentville.com. To comparison shop, check out WeddingWebsites.com.

4. Therapy for the Kids
Roughly 500,000 Americans over the age of 65 remarry each year, and most already have adult children, according to Grace Gabe, a psychiatrist and co-author of “Step Wars: Overcoming the Perils and Making Peace in Adult Stepfamilies.” Remembering their parent’s former spouse, the kids may have trouble accepting a new relationship. This has opened up an entirely new species of therapist. While many cater to younger audiences, there are those who provide assistance to both young and old alike.

5. Prenuptial Agreements
No longer a legal document solely for the rich, lawyers are creating prenuptial agreements designed specifically for seniors looking to protect their children’s inheritances or not interested in once-again paying alimony.

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!

There are tons of reasons why this is true. Some of these causes for celebration, like the social influence and clout our numbers provide, are legendary. With a grateful nod to our population bulge, we boomers continue our revolutionary ways: shattering outmoded social norms, molding the culture to our liking, and reinventing the role for what it means to be a post-50 citizen. (Which other generation could boast of forgoing the rocking chair in favor of the rock concert?)

But my thoughts are of a personal nature and I, for one, am grateful for the small things. Here is my list of seven reasons why I consider myself blessed to be a boomer:

1)     I’ve never had to consider piercing anything on my body beyond my earlobes.

2)     For much of my life, when I phoned customer service, I immediately spoke with an actual, flesh and blood person! Plus, (and big bonus here) they were trained to be polite and helpful.

3)     When I was young, there were no entertainment centers—no multiple switches, remotes, wires, and unintelligible manuals. There was a TV with rabbit ears, a dial, and one, elegantly simple, on/off switch.

4)     I’ve never had to deal with the heartbreak of a full-blown Internet addiction.

5)     I remember when people used real words and not just unpronounceable acronyms.

6)     Sixties’ and Seventies’ rock ‘n’ roll was the BEST and I know, without a doubt, that we boomers have never lacked for cool.

7)     We continue to be the grooviest generation on the planet.

So, what do you think? What are the ways you express your boomer bravado? How are you putting gold into your golden years? Whatever you’re doing, you can be grateful for being born into a remarkable generation. Let’s let those whippersnappers know we’re not about to drift silently into the margins of society. To the contrary, let’s shout it loud and proud: boomers forever!

In How We Love Now, Suzanne Braun Levine writes of longtime friendships and the special bond of reconnecting with people who “knew you when.” The joy of sharing mutual memories of early fashion statements gone awry, excruciating first dances, and the pains and pleasures of adolescence is a treasured experience for each of us who’s is lucky enough to connect with a childhood friend.

But even with the best of friends, things can happen. We get our feelings hurt, our interests change, or we simply drift apart. Sadly, some friendships can even turn toxic. Suzanne and I explored the multi-layered topic of female friendship on Feisty Side of Fifty radio. Always insightful, Suzanne gave me more than a few “aha moments.” I invite you to take 15-minutes and listen for yourselves.

Suzanne will be making a number of appearances in the next several weeks. Be sure to check her website to see when she’ll be in your area. Her presentation will be one you won’t forget and she welcomes connections with new feisty friends so be sure to say hello.

Also be certain to take a look at “The Conversation Continues” an article about Suzanne’s presentation at TedxWomen. Describing The Fertile Void, Suzanne hit all the notes (high and low) about this major transition and had the audience laughing with recognition as well as having several of their own aha moments.

Celebrating the feisty side of fifty is all the richer with good friends beside us. And it’s great to have a special friend, Suzanne Braun Levine, along to give us a roadmap of all we’re experiencing now and the many good things to come.

However, as with all great movements, there is still a long way to go. I recently had the opportunity to interview one of my favorite activists for women’s rights, Gloria Feldt. This feisty woman is on a mission to empower us even further. Gloria proudly wears her substantial personal power and is helping us to grab onto our own by writing her riveting and life-altering book, No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power.

No Excuses is one of the most important works I’ve read in a long time. But, true to its author’s style, it’s far from a dry and lecturing tome about what women “should” do. Rather the book is an exhilarating call to claiming your personal power—not only for yourself, but also for the wellbeing of all women. Gloria defines her nine “Power Tools” in engaging and often wryly humorous terms citing stories from the many women (and men) she’s interviewed and observed. Believe me, as a boomer woman especially, you won’t be able to put this book down!

My favorite power tool was the one dealing with a definition change: transforming the definition of power from “power over,” (the hierarchical, masculine version) to “power to,” (the ability to claim your right to be accountable for yourself, take action, and make things happen). As Gloria puts it: “Power-over is amoral. Power-to is responsibility.” You can check out each of her power tools on Gloria’s website.

Moreover, with the election looming, Gloria’s words take on even greater meaning. It’s difficult not to notice that this power-wielding landscape remains loaded with testosterone… and that, of course, means more of the same.

So let’s take a listen to Gloria’s advice, recognize some of the ways we might be abdicating our personal power, and start claiming our female power-to. As Gloria points out, it’s valuable for us individually and vitally important for the sake of future generations.

In fact, she’s presenting a special interactive chat on her Facebook page this Sunday, (3/25) from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. ET. You’ll want to be there and learn what you can do with your own powerful presence. There’s no better way to celebrate the Feisty Side of Fifty than by becoming a united force—and one that’s powerful enough to change our world for the better!

Nevertheless, modern gadgetry is creating new scams and schemes that tech savvy thieves could use to target you. I’m not an alarmist nor do I consider the world to be a dangerous place but, when I got an email warning of these types of crimes, I thought I’d pass them along.

Here are two ways you may be vulnerable:

Your GPS: People attending a professional football game returned to their car to find it had been broken into. Things stolen from the car included a garage door remote control, some money, and a GPS, which had been prominently mounted on the dashboard.

When the victims got home, they found their house had been ransacked and just about everything of value had been stolen. The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house. They then used the garage remote control to open the garage door and gain entry into the house. The thieves knew the owners were at the football game, they knew what time the game was scheduled to finish, and so they knew how much time they had to clean out the house.

Something to consider if you have a GPS—don’t put your home address in it. Put a nearby address (like a store or gas station). You can still find your way home if you need to, but no one else will know where you live.

Your Cell Phone: A woman’s handbag, which contained her cell phone, was stolen. Twenty minutes later when she called her hubby from a pay phone to tell him what had happened, he told her that he’d received her text asking about the pin number to their bank account. “I replied a little while ago,” he reported.

When the couple rushed down to the bank, the staff told them all of their money had been withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text “hubby” in the contact list and, thanks to the helpful husband, got hold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes, he had wiped out their entire account.

So for safety’s sake, avoid using names like “Home,” “Hubby,” “Dad,” “Mom,” etc. And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked through texts, confirm by calling back. Also, when you’re being texted by friends or family to meet them somewhere, be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them. If you don’t reach them, be very careful about going places to meet ‘family and friends’ who text you.

The above information both surprised and upset me. Not being a doom and gloom type, I hesitated passing it along–but a word of warning is best to keep us feisty gals on our toes and in the know. So enjoy your gadgets but do so in a way that won’t make you vulnerable. None of us wants to be an easy mark!

Oprah Winfrey is the undisputed master of interviewing and no one could argue that this great communicator was born into circumstances that would guarantee her success. Rather, her phenomenal rise to stardom came about as a result of a number of personal factors that would bode well for anyone seeking employment to adopt. So, as you prepare for your next interview, remember the gurus’ advice and act “as if… Oprah.”

The following are three characteristics that set this media queen apart. These same factors will help you to distinguish yourself in a job interview and set you up as the candidate of choice:

Do your due diligence: Oprah prides herself on thorough preparation and doing her homework down to the last detail. As you ready yourself for your job interview, make certain you’re well versed on the job requirements and prepared to target your response to the interviewer’s initial background probe.

“Tell me about yourself” is your invitation to state your skills and substantiating examples that relate specifically to the position description. Follow this tact throughout the interview and you’ll be presenting yourself as a match to the hiring manager’s needs and the problem-solver the organization has been seeking.

Personality is a major plus: Oprah exudes an aura of professionalism blended with personal warmth. Her body language underscores her energy and engagement in the conversation. She smiles often and easily.

You’ll want to display a similar friendly yet professional demeanor when you interview. Better yet, be certain to go beyond body language and openly express your interest and enthusiasm for the position. Employers want to hire problem-solvers but, equally important, they want to work with someone who’s pleasant to be around and who wants the job.

Ask the right questions: Here’s where you can really use Oprah’s style to make a difference. Your job interview is your opportunity to sell yourself to the employer’s needs. But it can be difficult to thoroughly understand the specifics of what the hiring manager is looking for. The posting/job description will provide you with a general idea, however you’ll want to ask the right questions to dig a bit deeper and uncover the details.

So do as Oprah does and ask well-thought-out, open-ended questions. For example asking, “what do you consider to be the most critical components of the position?” Or, “what needs to get done immediately?” will start the hiring manager opening up about their real concerns and help you present yourself—once again—as the problem-solver they’ve been looking to find.

Therefore the next time you prepare for an interview, remind yourself of the positive qualities of the Talk Show Queen and “think Oprah.” Prepare well, exude warmth and professionalism, ask the right questions, and anticipate success. That’s a combo that’s guaranteed to get their attention and, with a little luck, you just might ace the interview and land the job!

And for suggested responses to frequently asked questions, the most effective ways to prepare for behavioral style interviews, and other essential tips to help you do your best, be sure to check out Land the Job You Love. It’s packed with strategies that will distinguish you from the competition and make you THE candidate of choice!

Dana is fighting the good fight and it’s a big one. She is taking on Hollywood’s penchant for blood and gore, speed and explosions, and young, beautiful, half-naked starlets. Dana is crafting a film for grownups. One that stars one of us: a sixty-year-old woman whose life has suffered some unexpected blows.

The Red Suitcase centers around a cross-country journey Ruth Whitney makes with Liz—her phobia-prone daughter with troubles and secrets of her own. The story weaves unexpected revelations, humorous adventures, and colorful characters together to create a tale that’s dramatic, funny, and heart-breakingly honest.

I had the immense pleasure of interviewing Dana on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio and invite you to take a listen. It’s 15-minutes that will inspire you to want to learn more about this remarkable film. Moreover, Dana can use your support to bring her story to the screen.

If you, like me, are aching to see our own faces reflected back to us, this is one way we can take action. As they write in the movie reviews, this film is a “slice of life.” But this time that life reflects our own.

So take a moment, check out The Red Suitcase and help to bring this and more stories like it to theaters everywhere. It’s hard to feel feisty when you’re being overlooked—this is your chance to make a difference!