What luck. For anyone who wishes that they were 10 years younger, it's officially happened to all of us. Sort of.

The Boston Globe ran a fun story earlier this week, written by staffer Meredith Goldstein, about how business groups for young adults have been upping the age limit of their members. While most organizations generally cater to adults from 21 to 39, some have bumped that up to a ceiling of 40 -- and even 45.

This change in thinking among those who call the shots at young business professional organizations is happening for two reasons, apparently. First, you join a group in your 20s or 30s, you like it, and then you hate to leave when you hit age 40. That's perfectly understandable. There's a great quote in the piece where one guy heading a group says: "Are you going to treat it like 'Logan's Run' and take them out back and shoot 'em? We try to be realistic about it."

When I was in middle school, I had trouble with fashion. A lot of trouble, according to my friends. I never thought about what I was wearing. I just threw something on and went to school, and for whatever reason, I was fond of wearing flannel button down shirts. And at some point, since this was before the grunge days of the 1990s when flannel became fashionable, someone pointed out to me that I looked like a nerd. From then on, I spent the rest of my middle and high school days always worrying about how I was dressed.

I've always liked the fact that ever since going to college, I've never had to really think about whether I'm in fashion or not. In college, you tend to dress down, and since I've worked in my home office for years, I can mismatch socks without a crisis erupting. That said, I get out into the world sometimes, interviewing CEOs, consultants and the like. I can't be completely fashion clueless.

All of this is preamble for the fact that Staples is unrolling what they see as fashionable accessories for the business person. They're calling their line M by Staples.

I'm sure if I had any sense of fashion, I'd know what the M refers to. Perhaps it's a parody of another fashion designer? As it is, all I can think of is that James Bond likes to hang around letters, like his gadget guru Q. But I have a feeling I'm getting off topic.

Does it really surprise anyone that employers are cracking down on the use of social networking sites while at work? Much like pornography and eBay, those sites are best used when you're on your own time, not on your company's paid time.

I know, I know. Young workers need access to Facebook or Twitter like the rest of us need oxygen. It's essential to survival. How can you ever get through a day without knowing that your friend is on the way to the coffee shop to meet a friend or that your sister has just bought the cutest new shoes? Updates every few minutes are essential, because you are dying to know what everyone else is doing while you're... uh.... working. Yeah, working.

A survey in England found that employees are spending at least 30 minutes a day on Facebook or MySpace while they're supposed to be working. A couple of survey participants even admitted that they spend up to three hours a day on social networking sites while at work. Yikes.

We have already covered recession proof jobs and recession proof demographics, but now you can find recession proof cities to live in. Forbes has compiled a listing of the top ten cities to weather out a recession in. The study looked at 50 different metro areas in the U.S. and based the ranking on many factors including unemployment data, non farm job growth and median home prices. Forbes didn't just look at static data to determine these top cities, they also looked at projections based on a November 2007 study regarding metro areas and the current economy adding more value to the list overall.

Just because these ten cities from San Jose to Raleigh are predicted to weather a recession well, doesn't mean you should call up U-Haul and plan you move just yet. If you are already settled down in a city with a job and your house isn't going into foreclosure anytime soon the move may be more trouble than it is worth. On the other hand if you are looking for a fresh start or you just graduated these cities might be the best places to focus your search for a slice of the American dream.

If we were going to pick up and head to any of these metro areas to get through the recession it would definitely be San Antonio. Not only is it a spectacular city, the housing market is doing well and it has good employment numbers. The biggest downside to picking up and moving to a recession proof city is that you will likely be paying more for a house in the strong local market and taking a hit trying to unload your current home in small-town USA.

This post is part of a series about real-life signs we're in a recession.

Normally, the loss of competitors in your field of business could possibly be considered a good thing, giving a boost of orders and income to your own business or employer. In today's economic climate however, the loss of competitors gives me cause for concern. Even as we struggle to accommodate growth in our facility, I'm worried by the downfall of some of our wood products compatriots. I know I've written that it doesn't pay to cry over lost manufacturing jobs, but that doesn't mean we should be without compassion either.

The National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) reports for March that its Small Business Optimism Index is at its lowest point since the second quarter of 1980. Businesses are complaining that increased selling prices are not keeping up with overhead inflationary pressures. Nearly one-quarter of the NFIB survey respondents indicated that they raised employee compensation by a margin which is outstripping profitability increases. I believe that therein lies the downfall of my company's fallen competitors.

One of the biggest concerns I have with these job losses is that they tend not to be felt outside their own regions. We as a country lose a hundred good jobs here or there every day, in a hundred unnamed places. But it doesn't make the headlines because it doesn't sell advertising space. Government statistics never paint the whole picture either. The government bean counters expect that we're too dull to understand that the loss of a well-paid machinist is not mitigated by the addition of yet another undocumented food service worker. They only give you the bottom line numbers, painted with a broad and blurry stroke of the brush.

So, my employer's loss of competitors has a core which tastes quite bitter. As I work my long hours I sometimes pause to think; Was that competitor we lost as much a buyer of my goods as it was a rival? Could my employer be the next to go under, or my neighbor's, or yours? Please say a quiet prayer for the unemployed among us, then get back to work. That is, if you still have it.

The image of MBAs that most people have is probably not a good one. But a new study from the Aspen Institute's Center for Business Education shows that business school students are motivated by, get this, altruism and a desire for an interesting, challenging work experience.

Students were asked to choose up to 3 of the factors that were most important to them as they looked for jobs. 64% mentioned challenging responsibilities, making compensation a distant second at 48%. Work life balance and the potential to make a contribution to society were the 3rd and 4th most important factors. Only 4% cared about job security!

Of course, what people will say on a survey and what they actually believe can be very different.

But here's my theory: many of the current MBA students are the children of the Baby Boomers, a generation marked by social consciousness and a desire to change the world. Perhaps some of this altruism has rubbed off on their business school children.

So much for the rumors of a rough job market.

Former Societe Generale trader Jerome Kerviel has landed a job as a trainee at Lemaire Consultants & Associates, which specializes in computer security and system development.

Mr Kerviel's resume: Lost $7.6 billion as a rogue trader. A low-level employee who nearly brought down one of France's premier banks with unauthorized trades that he didn't personally profit from. Recently released from jail; familiarity with Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point.

What to make of this news? If Jerome Kerviel can get a job, so can anyone! If you're job hunt isn't going well, don't get discouraged.

But Jerome Kerviel may be overqualified for this job. Given his ability to lose huge sums of money on stupid trades, he could be an ideal fit for the top spot at Countrywide Financial or Bear Stearns.

Money Magazine compiled a listing of the top ten jobs to have during a recession and thankfully I currently have one of the best jobs to hold during a recession. The list of recession resistant careers was determined using Bureau of Labor stats and Payscale experts and identifies white collar careers which for many different reasons will remain strong through an economic downturn.

I don't disagree that the careers they picked will be in high demand in the coming years, though there are a few you won't find me taking up anytime soon including "teacher". I don't feel like taking a job which may as well be subtitled miracle worker, due to "No Child Left Behind" goals and budget cuts just to get through a recession. Being an "Environmental Specialist" on the other hand sounds rather exciting; Smith, Josh Smith, Environmental Specialist!

I will be taking on another position in the fall as a college professor, furthering my ability to ride out a recession. As Money points out, being a nerd really does pay off! Though not everyone may consider it a career, I am surprised that entrepreneur didn't make the list. In tough times, new needs can be identified while cash strapped consumers are eschewing products which no longer fit their lifestyle.

This seems to be the week for corporations to announce job cuts. Today it's AT&T announcing that 3,600 U.S. jobs will be lost. Merrill Lynch announced 3,000 cuts yesterday. Washington Mutual is slicing 3,000. AMD is cutting 18,600 worldwide. And there are many companies with smaller numbers announced recently.

These job cuts are the reason why consumers need to have their financial houses in order even better than ever before. Gone are the days in which you'd find an employer and stay there for 30 loyal years. Business has changed, and while the transition is difficult, I'll suggest it's for the better in the long run. While workers can't count on the same job security and stability that they used to, there are many, many more opportunities available to them in this global economy.

But the key to being successful in securing your financial future is by planning for the worst case scenario. I don't want to live my life planning for the worst, but it's something that we must at least keep in mind regularly. The first key to surviving changing economic times is having money in savings.

My New Year's resolution was to catch up on my Rolodex. Maybe that's setting my sights pretty low but it's more important than it sounds. There's a saying that he with the biggest Rolodex wins. In a nutshell, business - and often lots of other parts of life - can be all about who you know and networking.

In this computer oriented society, it's easy to forget about business cards. If something comes to you via computer, you may add it to your mailing list but the quickest way to handle a business card is still to stick it in a rolodex. Mine is so old that more than probably a third of the contacts are obsolete and the edges of the cards are tattered.

Think of all the times that your path crosses with someone else's - all the business cards that people hand you (some of them artistic treasures and for the rest of us just Staples variety) - all the nice people you meet. Keep these contacts where you can put your hands on them.

In Don't Worry, Make Money - Spiritual and Practical Ways to Create Abundance and More Fun in Your Life, Richard Carlson, Ph.D. reminds us to delight in the success of others. He fesses up to the inclination that most of us have to want to be more successful than our friends, to be competitive and jealous. "While it can be seductive to try to keep others at your level, it's absolutely, positively not in your best interest. The way to rise to the top is to wish everyone well, to hope with all your heart" that others succeed ... There's plenty of success to go around." While that may sound like a spiritual message (iwhich yes, it is), it's also a business message.

I'm putting the scattered business cards and the Rolodexes - the old and the new - in the same stack as the other things that I like to do when I watch a dvd - that is, ironing, bill paying, and the very occasional sewing. I'll put my stack of personalized postcards (an excellent way to remember to say hello, congratulations or thank you) with them. Networking matters - in a variety of ways.

Things are getting pretty bad out there in our retail consumerist world, with businesses shutting down and people scrambling for good jobs. I hear a lot of negative sentiment regarding foreign manufacturing and how it has cost America many good paying jobs. I have fought in that camp. I'm a manufacturing veteran.

But I'm also a realist, at least most of the time I am . One thing that I think people often forget is that the importation of goods also creates many good jobs. Look at our ports. Someone has to unload all those ships. Someone also has to move those containers from the docks to waiting trains and trucks. The logistical stream employs tens of thousands of people. Shipping, tracking, warehousing and order fill all need to be done. Then there's the retail level where someone sells you the goods. They advertise, they display, they promote, then they deliver. Someone also has to service those foreign made goods in shops and garages across the country.

It just doesn't make good sense to spend valuable energy crying over lost manufacturing jobs. If you have a gripe which warrants attention, get thirty of your biggest, ugliest buddies and make a trip to visit your senator. Show him or her pictures of your kids and the house you'd like to keep. Then show them pictures of the regions where government regulation and union hard balling has sent your jobs. Any constructive suggestions you may have, we'd all be happy to listen to. But if you're just in the game to cry "woe is me," excuse me but I have some business to attend to.

Take stock America, while you're still a bit in control. You're smart, strong and driven, or at least you always were. Let someone else complain that they're ruined. Tell 'em you have something better to do. Starting over doesn't have to be anything less than an adventure. I know, because I've done it several times and now I'm writing about it too.

Gary Sattler is a freelance blogger and he knows exactly what recovering from loss is all about.

Talk is cheap. Or is it?

Last week Bill and Hillary released their tax returns from the years after they moved out of the 1600 Pennsylvania Ave and the numbers were big: Since 2000, the democratic duo have brought in $109 million, some $52 million of which came from President Clinton's numerous speaking engagements. Wow!

Wouldn't it be nice to get paid to talk? The experts say it's possible and it doesn't take ex-presidential status to make a living, or even a second career, from professional speaking.

A year ago, an old buddy of mine lost his job. I commiserated, but assumed, since he was a computer guy, that he was aware that many companies have abandoned the Sunday newspaper's job listing in favor of online sites. I was wrong; he wasted two months before catching on, two months I could have saved him if I'd just shared a simple piece of advice; job search online first.

Your local paper will have an online complement to its print want ads, so that would be a good place to start. Add the top ten national sites, which are, according to TopJobSites.com-

1. Monster.com
2. CareerBuilder.com
3. HotJobs.com
4. Guru.com
5. Indeed.com
6. Jobing.com
7. Job.com
8. Vault.com
9. Jobster.com
10. Simplyhired.com

And don't forget Craigslist.org. Although it's rife with fraudulent job ads, there are occasional nuggets in the dreck.
A reminder, though; as Tracey has wisely warned, posting too much personal info on a site risks identity theft. Use these sites to identify companies with openings, then deal directly with them.

Recent unemployment statistics are somewhat frightening: last week, the Labor Department reported that new applications for unemployment insurance had jumped by 38,000 over the previous week. The number of first-time claims, 407,000, was the highest that it's been since immediately after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.

While your job is probably completely safe, it's never too early to start thinking about what you will do if the bottom falls out. A little bit of planning and preparing right now can pay major dividends if the worst happens.

Do Your Paperwork: Now would be a good time to drag out your resume and polish it up. Add in all the great things that you've done since the last time that you were worried about your future. While you're at it, you might think about drawing up a couple of different resumes. For example, a skills resume could prove very handy if you are applying for a job that isn't in your current field, but uses many of the same skills. Even a traditional resume can be re-tailored to fit a wide variety of job opportunities, so you might want to give a little thought to whether or not you want your next job to be the same as your current one.

In 1848, pioneers in Sutter's Mill, California discovered flakes of gold in a water outflow. Over the next seven years, 300,000 prospectors descended upon the area, desperately searching for gold. In the process, they brought a major influx of warm bodies to California, transforming San Francisco from a tiny town to a sprawling city, creating roads and railways, paving the way for California's statehood, and laying the groundwork for the agricultural explosion that ended up making the state's fortune. While most of the "miner '49-ers" never hit the motherlode, thousands became life-long Californians, helping to transform the state into the economic powerhouse that it is today.

As far as California's gold deposits are concerned, they continued to be exploited for decades, until the cost of extraction outweighed the value of the gold itself. The same goes for Virginia's gold mining, which ended in the late 1940's. The interesting thing, though, is that the cost of gold has a way of fluctuating, and gold that was previously unworthy of extraction becomes a worthwhile pursuit when the cost of gold goes up.

As it is currently doing.