Older Women Turning to Cosmetic Surgery for Jobs

It appears that some women are investing in cosmetic surgery in order to improve their looks and give them the upper hand in the job market.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) recently released a survey, indicating women were going for cosmetic surgery just to get a competitive edge in the workplace and secure their careers.

Seventy-three percent of working women said they have a feeling that appearance and good looks can help them get hired, get a promotion, or climb up the career ladder, especially in times of the global financial crisis. In addition, 80 per cent of working American women said that they are sure that cosmetic surgery can do wonders for an individual's level of confidence. Nearly 13 per cent of ladies who work said that they would spend as much as it takes for plastic surgery in order to become more confident in the competitive job market and 3 per cent of working women admitted to having already invested in cosmetic surgery to increase their perceived value in the workplace.

If cosmetic surgery could improve your job opportunities, would you go for it?

Why are Baby Boomers Hated?

I came across a rather interesting but disturbing blog post this evening from a person who identified him (her) self as edbreley. This is what they wrote:

I am 17 and I hate the Baby Boomer generation with a burning passion. My father is a member of the Baby Boomer generation, and when he complains about my generation, I ask him who has nearly bankrupted America, destroyed our reputation around the world, and destroyed the great morals we once had. The Baby Boomers are the idiots who started experimenting with drugs in the 60's and the ones who have nearly made our economy totally collapse.

I work at a grocery store, and Baby Boomers are some of the most rude people I come across. Its like they know their generation sucks and that they have successfully ****** up America, but they want to take their bitterness out on my generation, which is smarter than theirs and will do more things. They act like I owe them something, and I don't. They owe me an apology, if anything, for ******* up my country and then blaming my generation for everything that goes wrong and telling us how bad we are.

I wonder if this is how we are viewed by the majority of the younger generations. I am a baby boomer but I have often said baby boomers are responsible for a lot of the mess we've gotten ourselves economically and even socially. We have been a generation of contradictions. We grew up on drugs, sex and rock and roll. Some of us were staunch civil rights activists. Then some of us us became greedy, controlling, bigots and sexists who didn't give a damn about really trying to help others.

But I can honestly say, for me personally, I have connected with a group of boomers who are on the move and making a difference and we're doing it because we genuinely care about how we leave this world before we depart.


So what will be the baby boomer legacy?

In the Minority---AGAIN!

If you've been following my blog, you know I talked about bras yesterday. Apparently there are women in several states who are suing Victoria Secret claiming their bras cause rashes and permanent bruises.

Today I'm talking about bras again. No, I'm not having a bra fettish but, as a journalist, I like to stay informed and it just so happens that bras are in the news again today.

One of America's largest bra makers, Wacoal, is predicting that 36DD will be the size more women purchase than any other in 2009. WHAT?!

It appears obesity in women is a contributing factor. According to a study of adult women by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity has increased to more than 35 percent. Another contributing factor to the increase in breast size is breast implants. Everybody still wants to look like Pamela Anderson.

Age and hormones are also playing havoc with baby boomers' bust sizes. But wait a minute. I'm a baby boomer---but the only fatty tissue I've seen an increase in is in the lower--not upper half of my body.

I guess that means I'm in the minority again. But I do remember someone once telling me "more than a handful is wasted."

Burning Bras Has a New Twist

I'm one of those women who doesn't have to worry about how she might look going bra-less so that's exactly what I'm doing for the time being. I have decided to stop wearing my Victoria Secret bras because I've noticed a little bruising around the area where I snap the bra in place, as well as some darkened marks on the outer portion of my breast area.

I stopped recently after I read an article online about a federal lawsuit being filed by women in Louisiana, Florida, NJ and NY. They are accusing Victoria Secret and its parent company, Limited Brands, Inc., of "negligently designing undergarments and misrepresenting the safety of their products."

A 66-year-old woman claims her bras gave her a horrible rash and hives.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs suspect formaldehyde resin in the bras are responsible for the alleged ailments. Formaldehyde? Isn't that what they use on dead people? Attorneys believe formaldehyde resin embedded in the fabric is released when bras are put in the dryer.

Meanwhile a spokesperson for Victoria Secret says they don't add formaldehyde to their bras and independent tests show the bras are fomaldehyde free or have only small traces of the chemical that wouldn't cause any problems.

Then there's the issue with the underwire, which I believe can also cause some problems. So I guess for now, this baby boomer will be happy to wear a sports bra or go bra-less and if there is merit to what these women are alleging, maybe we'll have a real bra burning party somewhere.

Baby Boomers are Flocking to Raleigh, North Carolina

I guess I don't have to pack up my bags and find a place to retire because, according to the latest research, I'm right where I need to be. That's right. I'm a baby boomer living in the Raleigh, NC area and according to research by the Urban Institute, this is the area predicted to have the greatest boom in baby boomer seniors.

The UI report says the senior population is poised to grow by 36 percent from 2010 to 2020. Another interesting note is the fact that the black population continues its move toward large Southern metro areas like Atlanta, Houston, and Washington, D.C., and Hispanic populations are growing most rapidly in the Southeast.

So what makes the Raleigh area so attractive for boomers? I don't really know but you can see for yourself: Raleigh

I can tell you what I don't like about the area. Many of the communities have no sidewalks and the educational system for K-12 needs serious improvement. I dread the thought of sending my grandson to public school here. The neighborhoods also lacks true diversity---but I think that's an issue everywhere.

Areas That Will Experience Senior Growth Due to the Aging of Baby Boomers

1. Raleigh-Cary,
2. Austin-Round Rock, Texas
3. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga.
4. Boise City-Nampa, Idaho
5. Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev.
6. Orlando-Kissimmee, Fla.
7. Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas
8. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
9. Colorado Springs, Colo.
10. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas
11. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz.
12. Charleston-North Charleston, S.C.