Men want to look good, too

In an era when even George Clooney admits to some eye work, men are more willing to spend thousands to look better. Men underwent more than 1 million cosmetic procedures last year, an increase of 17 percent from 2006, according to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. The major growth area for men has been in non-surgical procedures such as Botox injections, lip plumping and skin resurfacing. Those jumped 21 percent from 2006 to 2007, the society said.

Nationally, the most common surgical procedures for men, ranked by popularity, include liposuction, eyelid surgery, nose work, male breast reduction and hair transplants, according to the plastic surgery society. Gaining ground among men is breast reduction surgery, which corrects a condition universally reviled, thanks to the Seinfeld episode in which Kramer and George’s father invented the “bro” or the “manziere,” the world’s first male bra.

Barack’s favorite snacks on the trail

Barack Obama is a New Age-y kind of guy. So what does he nosh on on the campaign trail? Personal aide Reggie Love says “the boss” likes MET-Rx chocolate roasted-peanut protein bars (available at drugstores like CVS and health stores like GNC) and bottles of what he calls a hard-to-find organic brew — Black Forest Berry Honest Tea (the Honest Tea Web site says the brand is carried by Shaw’s and Dave’s Marketplace; 30 calories). As for meals, Obama will eat almost anything, Love says, but if the options are limited he goes for a cheeseburger.

— With Journal wire reports