Plastic Surgeon of the Millennium D. Ralph Millard Dies at 92

Plastic Surgeon of the Millennium D. Ralph Millard Dies at 92

Picture:  D. Ralph Millard, MD and Diane Hamilton, PhD

My cousin, D. Ralph Millard, once nominated as one of the 10 “plastic surgeons of the millenium” died recently of heart failure.  The Miami Herald included an article about this amazing man’s life.  According to that article, “He was best known for developing “rotation advancement’’ surgery in the ‘50s. The method conserves tissue that doctors had routinely removed when correcting a cleft lip, producing a natural-looking mouth in much less time. Before he developed it, surgical procedures were performed on patients into their late teens. With his method, most children are operated on by 4 or 5. Millard also made major advances in corrective rhinoplasty— nose surgery—for people disfigured by accidents, cancer, war wounds, even cocaine abuse. “His work is considered pure artistry,” Dr. Bernard Fogel, dean emeritus of the medical school, told The Miami Herald when Millard retired in 2000, three months before the death of his wife of 45 years, Barbara Smith Millard. “He’s a giant.”

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Ralph was an inspiration to me and so many others.  For information about Dr. Ralph Millard and the Millard Society, click here.

Can the Unemployed Manage to Eliminate Debts?

 

Unemployment is at its worst in this recent economic meltdown and these unemployed people are struggling to pay off debts. Are you in a similar situation? Then you can file bankruptcy as it is considered to be the last option of debt relief programs. But if you declare bankruptcy then it might ruin your financial future. Therefore, you can follow a debt management plan to avoid the adverse effect on your financial situation.

Here are a few tips that will help you eliminate your debt without damaging your financial situation:

1. Look for a job:
You can be successful in eradicating your debts if you get a job immediately. You can use your income to pay off the debts and attain financial liberation. You need to work hard in order to get a well paid job therefore start applying for it. Until you get a job try to deliver newspaper, set up a roadside soft drink stand or deliver pizzas and utilize the money towards paying off your debts.

2. Negotiate with the creditors:
The next crucial step to eliminate your debts is to negotiate with the creditors to lower the principal balance and interest rate to make it affordable. You can easily convince the creditors by stating your financially distressed situation. If you directly approach the creditors then you can avoid the threatening calls from the creditors. Make sure that you are aware of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) then you can take action against your creditors if they harass you.

3. Pay the accounts down.
Right now do you have a part time job? Then inculcate the habit of saving so that you can start paying off your debts immediately. If you are unable to manage your expenses then formulate a budget plan as it will help you pay off the debts in an organized way.

4. Keep a track of your credit report:
You need to keep a track of your credit report once you pay off your debts. Make sure that your credit report shows paid in full otherwise your credit rating will drop. Therefore, request your creditors to notify the credit bureau as “paid in full”. You should review your credit report every three months in order to check if there is any discrepancies on it. If you locate any wrong entries on the credit report then ask the credit bureau to remove it.

5. Avoid borrowing:
It is advisable to avoid borrowing in order to secure your financial situation. You can create an emergency fund and deposit a portion of your income in the savings account then you can prevent yourself from taking out new loan.

GUEST POST: Stewart Smith, financial writer.

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Cohabitating: Financial Reward Different for College Graduates

Just because two people live together doesn’t necessarily mean they will have a higher household income.  The Pew Research Center recently analyzed U.S. Census Bureau data and found that there are 7.5 million couples, in the 30-44 age range, that are cohabitating.  This analysis  indicated that an economic advantage was obtained for those that were college-educated and cohabiting but there wasn’t the same advantage for married couples or those without an opposite-sex cohabitant. 

Pew analyzed their economic well-being and that data was reported in  USAToday: “Median adjusted household incomes of college-educated couples were $106,400 for cohabitors, $101,160 for married couples and $90,067 for adults with no opposite-sex partners. But for less-educated couples, cohabiting is an arrangement that looks a lot like marriage and may well include kids: Incomes were $46,540 for cohabiters, $56,800 for married couples and $45,033 for adults without opposite-sex partners.” 

To read the USAToday article, click here.

Who’s living together?

Partnership status by education

All:
Married, 58%
Cohabitor, 7%
No partner, 35%

Not a college graduate:
Married, 54%
Cohabitor, 8%
No partner, 38%

College graduate:
Married, 68%
Cohabitors, 4%
No partner, 28%

Notes: Based on 30- to 44-year-olds. “No partner” includes those living without an opposite-sex partner or spouse.

Source: 2009 American Community Survey, Pew Research Center

via yourlife.usatoday.com
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Baby Boomers Keeping Plastic Surgeons Busy

The popularity of plastic surgery is undeniable.  What may be interesting to note is how much of an impact the Baby Boomer generation has on the number of plastic surgery procedures performed.  Baby Boomers are those born between 1946 and 1964.   Karen Zupko and Sheila Hall from the Aesthetic Society News magazine recently reported some interesting Baby Boomer, cosmetic and plastic surgery statistics:

  • 7,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 per day in 2011 – This will jump to 10,000 per day over the next 18 years according to Pew Research.
  • People age 51-64 account for 28% of total plastic surgery procedures
  • People over 65 account for 7.3% of total plastic surgery procedures
  • Baby Boomers make up 35% of plastic surgery patients
  • The rate of men age 50-64 who color their hair grew from 3-10% from 1999 to 2000
  • 2,437,165 Botox procedures were performed in 2010 (all age groups) – Non-invasive procedures are growing with men accounting for 15% of injectable market and 26% of skin rejuvenation market.

How can plastic surgeons capitalizing on this demographic?    The authors suggest a few ideas to appeal to this group:

  • Have marketing material in larger font for ease of reading
  • Offer a pampering environment
  • Don’t waste patients’ time by making them wait
  • Focus on men too as they are becoming more interested in plastic surgery
  • Don’t focus on age in marketing because according to Pew Research, this group feels 9 years younger than their true age
  • Make things convenient for them

For those targeting Baby Boomers in their marketing plan, they may want to consider television advertising as Boomers watch more television than any other generation.

For more information about plastic surgery and specific procedures, click here.

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Important Facts about IQ Tests

In the old Bob Newhart Show where Newhart plays a psychologist, there is a great episode where his wife Emily takes an intelligence test and discovers she is smart enough to be included in Mensa Society.  Newhart’s score was not nearly as high as his wife’s which leads to his feeling of insecurity.  At a Mensa convention, this painful reality is driven even further home as he mingles with other Mensa members that show off how they can say their name backward.  When they all have an interesting way of announcing their reversed names, they ask him how to say his backward, where he disappointingly replies, “Bob”.

How important are IQ tests?  According to NursingDegree.com, “Even though its accuracy and reliability have been criticized over the past few decades, the IQ test continues to be the most widely used test for assessing mental ability.”  In their article 10 Interesting Facts about IQ Tests, the authors cover areas such as:  The difference between men and women’s intelligence; how IQ relates to breastfeeding; birth order and IQ; and much more.  To see this list, click here.

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