Blame the boomers...

"Baby boomers ban smoking in public places to save the health of people and protect the environment; yet freely use bombs, missiles and chemical weapons that destroy nature, pollute the climate and give birth to known and unknown dangerous diseases. They act against the will of God and claim that they are guided by rules set by the Almighty Above. They create havoc and disorder in the world and pretend that justice, equality, equity, order, and peace are on the march." "Who Should We Blame for the Unhappiness in Our World?" Arab News

Hey, Mr tambourine man... Fentanyl for me

"The victims of a powerful painkiller blamed in scores of deaths in metro Detroit were most often middle-age, most frequently men and typically white. It struck equally among those living in the suburbs and the city. Records released Friday by the Wayne County Medical Examiner's office on 110 deaths related to the drug fentanyl from September 2005 to the beginning of June painted a more vivid picture of the victims, many of whom died when the drug was mixed with heroin or cocaine to produce a more intense high." "Most Fentanyl Victims Older" Detroit Free Press

LTE: Boomers made things worse

"The boomers were going to change the world. And how have they changed the world? Thirty-five years later, we have: a federal government with an exponentially growing deficit, corporate corruption devastating businesses and lives, an environmental crisis of global proportions, politicians mumbling meaningless rhetoric on issues without merit, and a cacophony of information communicating sex (look at any ad), drugs (the pharmaceutical industry is booming), and rock-and-roll (a hero is today is an American Idol). So if I were a Generation Me-er, I might throw in the towel because the baby boomers gave me everything they ever wanted, except a sense of empowerment." "River Edge" (scroll down) The Record (New Jersey)

Naked Justice: Boomer jurist convicted of indecent exposure

"A former judge was convicted late Thursday of exposing himself by using a sexual device while he presided over court cases. A Creek County jury found Donald Thompson, 59, guilty on four counts of indecent exposure and recommended one year in prison and a $10,000 fine on each count. The investigation into Thompson’s actions began after a police officer saw a penis pump in the judge’s courtroom. The charges involved four jury trials in 2002 and 2003." "Ex-Judge Guilty of Indecent Exposure" Associated Press via MSNBC

Baby boomers: bad at governing the United States?

"Speaking in St. Cloud Wednesday, David Broder, the Washington Post's national political correspondent, said that the baby boomers have proved to be bad at governing the United States. Broder says boomer politicians are too focused at re-fighting the battles of the past." "Are the boomers bad leaders?" Minnesota Public Radio

Australia: boomers urged to work until 80 or risk "significant strife"

"Australians must grow used to the idea of working until they were 80, rather than 65, if the country was to overcome an increasing welfare burden and labour crisis, Federal Workforce Participation Minister Sharman Stone warned yesterday. The country would be in “significant strife” unless more people kept working for longer to help offset skills shortages in most fields, Dr Stone said. In the 1960s, there were 12 workers for every pensioner compared with four today. At current rates that figure could soon fall to two workers for every pensioner, Dr Stone said." "Baby Boomers Urged to Work Until 80 to Ease Welfare Burden" The West Australian

Boomerspeak: inflated egos, inflated rhetoric

"Gilding the lily — casting the everyday and unexceptional in the most grandiose terms — has always been a weakness of boomers, who in their youth would sometimes compare Captain Marvel comic books to the Sistine Chapel or call Yoko Ono an artist. Overstatement has been George W. Bush's prime rhetorical technique. When he drew our attention to a handful of troublesome regimes, he couldn't just call them troublesome regimes; instead they ballooned into an 'axis of evil.' His hope of stabilizing the Middle East by fostering self-government was not just a geostrategic Hail Mary — it would lead, he said in the stunning capper to his second Inaugural, to 'the greatest achievements in the history of freedom.' Born into happiness and prosperity and languor, American boomers have long compensated by goosing their language, and their self-image along with it..." "The Roosevelt Legacy Bush Shouldn't Carry On" Time

Drunken Boomer pundit claims credit for Iraq debacle

As Hitchens retreated, someone remarked to him, "So your glorious war has turned out to be a total disaster, hasn't it?" "It is glorious," the sodden scrivener blared, "and it IS my war because it needed Paul Wolfowitz and myself to go and convince the President to go to war..." "Hitchens Hails 'Glorious War'" Counterpunch

Retro Hell: "Hippiefest" seeks to recreate 60's

"Veteran booking agent Shelly Schultz recently teamed up with promoter Toby Ludwig and Tattoo The Earth production coordinator Ron Hausfeld to package a festival tour for what they believe is an underserved demographic. Namely, hippies. The Hippiefest kicks off in Brooklyn, N.Y., August 3rd and hits several East Coast markets throughout the month. On board are Felix Cavaliere's Rascals, Mountain, Canned Heat, Lovin' Spoonful, Country Joe McDonald, Mitch Ryder, Iron Butterfly, Vanilla Fudge, Rare Earth, Melanie, Badfinger, Janis Ian, Denny Laine, Terry Sylvester, Dr. Hook, and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Hosting the event is counterculture icon Wavy Gravy." "Feeding the Hippies" Pollstar

Gen X and Y set for new corprate leadership roles

"More than ever, young workers are being hired or promoted as managers earlier in their careers compared with past generations, experts say. The shift is prevalent in part because layoffs and buyouts of more senior workers have pushed 20- and 30-somethings into management jobs. Younger workers also are using their skills at mastering new technologies to move up faster. And increasingly, the old rules of paying dues, climbing the hierarchal corporate ladder and seniority don't always apply." "As Baby Boomers Begin to Fade, Young Workers Climbing into Management" Baltimore Sun via Sun Sentinel Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Healthcare crisis: could Boomers be affected?

"As baby-boomers enter their golden years, most would assume that the hospital business would be a safe bet for investors. Not so. U.S. for-profit corporate hospitals are currently facing a heap of problems ranging from aggressive company strategies to industry-wide weaknesses. Most for-profit corporate hospitals' credit quality have eroded, and hope for a cure anytime soon is not looking good. As a result, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services believes that the ratings outlook for the remainder of 2006 and into 2007 is decidedly negative. Of the 14 rated companies in the sector, 67% have negative rating outlooks, versus 17% in 2003." "Health Crisis Hits Hospitals" Forbes.com

Gunshots in the Garden of Eden: hippie commune leader stalked, ambushed

"The suspect in the shooting of a Staten Island commune leader had a personal vendetta against him, and an arrest record she earned for reportedly stalking him." "Commune Shooting Suspect May Have Stalked Victim" New York Sun

Do you hate 'Roger and Me'?

"Much has been written about the ways Moore manipulates facts and chronology to make the politicians and corporate stooges he interviews look unfairly lousy, but that isn't Roger & Me's real problem. What stinks most about it is the way Moore pretends to champion 'regular folks' while holding them up for ridicule, and the way he makes his self-congratulatory self-righteousness the real subject. The film spawned a generation of pseudo-documentarians who now routinely use real people as punchlines, and display a commitment to 'working people' that ends when those people stand in the way of the filmmakers' trespassing camera crews." "The Eject Button: Classic Movies It's Okay to Hate" (scroll down) AV Club

"The horror": reader recoils at newfound Boomer status

"While David Howard (Booms And Echoes -- letter, June 26) feels he has been propelled into an identity crisis by his statistical exclusion from the ranks of the baby boomers by David Foot, he could only begin to imagine how horrified some of us born in the mid-1960s feel about having been included in the ranks of that generation. I suspect my reaction is a bit like that of someone accused of being a terrorist because he is wearing a turban. I am easing the gut-wrenching sensation by reminding myself that demographic determinism is just a convenient fiction used to market products and sell newspapers." "The Horror, The Horror" Toronto Globe and Mail

Waiting for the boomers to step up

"In 2003, a conference was held on Reinventing Aging: Baby Boomers and Civic Engagement. The conveners were concerned about how boomers might involve themselves in volunteering, since that generation had done less civic engagement, including voting, than their parents. The latest survey results support that concern.It found that older Americans are volunteering less than younger folks but when they volunteer they devote more hours per year to it.The study resurrects the on-going debate about whether boomers as they retire will volunteer more than their parents. Interestingly, the 35-44 age group has the highest rate of volunteerism at 35 percent. The percentage declines to 25 percent for those 65 and older." "Fewer Volunteers Do More; Will Boomers Soon Step Up?" AzCentral.com

Boomer drug war hypocrite detained over pills

"Rush Limbaugh could see a deal with prosecutors in a long-running prescription fraud case collapse after authorities found a bottle of Viagra in his bag at Palm Beach International Airport. The prescription was not in his name. Limbaugh was detained for more than three hours Monday at the airport after returning from a vacation in the Dominican Republic. Customs officials found the Viagra in his luggage but his name was not on the prescription, said Paul Miller, a spokesman for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office." "Rush Limbaugh Under New Investigation" Associated Press via yahoo See: Limbaugh drug war quotes

Boomer "narcissism" shaping American politics

"...They may have once marched for equal rights or interned with poverty-fighting groups, but now the boomers are in favour of tax cuts and opposed to estate duties and national healthcare. With millions of them poised to follow Bush across the 60 threshold, those concerns will soon be foremost on the political agenda. In this fall's elections, boomer issues will be ascendant, wrestling for equal time with the war in Iraq and the war against terrorism. By 2008, many observers believe they will entirely dominate the political agenda." "Report from America: June 26, 2006" CBC News

Former hippie: "we didn't change one thing"

"I laughed out loud at Brett Rosenberg's letter to the Rocky Mountain News of June 1, 'Where have hippies, their idealism gone?' Thank you, Mr. Rosenberg, for making my day. Here's why: I was one of those hippies, and I can guarantee you we didn't change one thing, unless you consider wearing long hair even if it cost us jobs, rarely bathing even if we had fleas, and constantly mooching off of friends, relatives and strangers to be 'social consciousness, awareness and regime change." "Speakout: Perception Aside, Hippies' Effect on World . . . um . . . Limited" Rocky Mountain News (Colorado)

In Canada: Boomer longevity threatened by "environment of excess"

"The baby-boom generation may have invented aerobics, turned tennis into a lifestyle and propelled dozens of diet and medical books up bestseller lists. But the sum isn't as healthy as all of those parts. Recent news indicates that 73 per cent of Canadians 45 to 64 years old are overweight or obese, making extra poundage the biggest health threat in the land. As boomers hit their 60s, heart-disease rates will probably start spiking. Some experts even worry that this age group might not live as long as their parents, reversing a century of trends." "Fat of the Land" Toronto Globe and Mail

Many boomers may outlive their nest egg

"As longevity stretches toward once-unthinkable lengths, many of America's 79 million baby boomers are facing not a brief retirement but 20, 30 or 40 more years of life -- the longest retirements that any U.S. generation has yet experienced. "The top one-third of the boomers will have lots of choices, and the bottom one-third will be working until they drop just to keep food on the table," says Paul Hodge of the Harvard Generations Policy Program at Harvard University. "The middle third will muddle along."' "Retirement Used to Be so Simple" USAToday via WKYC Cleveland, Ohio

Taking from the rich to give to the boomers

"While Baby Boomers prepare to pour upon the nation a Niagara of payment-due slips for Social Security and Medicare, we have the Bush administration and most congressional Republicans still trying to repeal the estate tax _ already reduced in recent years. The latest legislative effort has failed, and that's a good thing. (The priorities in current congressional debate have certainly been curious: same-sex marriage, flag burning, relieving the rich of their onerous burdens.) The estate tax accounts for only about 1.5 percent of all federal tax revenue, but its repeal would result in an estimated $800 billion lost between 2012 and 2020: nothing to sniff at. As things stand now, the middle class will have to disproportionately make up this shortfall. Give the billionaires a tax break and then borrow the money to cover a budget deficit that would yawn still wider." "The Fairest Tax" Scripps Howard News Service The Providence Journal Editorial

Nursing homes will never be the same...

"The Lutheran Home at Concord Reserve in Westlake is in the midst of a $33 million renovation and expansion that will enable it to cater more thoroughly to baby boomers and bring its aging campus up to date.[...] However, residents in all buildings will have access to the new Main Street Commons area, which will serve as an indoor city street of sorts. It will contain a cinema, barber/beauty salon, chapel, library, ice cream shop and physician offices, Mr. Bruce said. At the entrance of the enclosed Main Street area will be a waterfall and small pond for the campus ducks to swim in, an indoor/outdoor garden where residents can tend flowers or plants and an 1,100-gallon aquarium. A toy railroad will wind its way through the garden, and an existing indoor finch aviary will be moved to this area and expanded." "Nursing Home Renovation to Build in New Amenities" Crain's Cleveland Business

Communal living for boomers

"The technical term for Pine Grove is an "intentional community," which is any type of living situation created to foster connections among residents. Elinor Ginzler, AARP's director of livable communities, says they're becoming more popular among adults over 55. Most intentional communities are tightly packed neighborhoods with small, personal dwellings, shared kitchens or gardens, and lots of room for group activities. But Ginzler suspects that other arrangements, such as Pine Grove, will become more common as baby boomers age." The Fowlers were careful to preserve as much history as possible, choosing wallpaper and furniture that echo the farm's 19th-century architecture. The kitchen sink is soapstone, and the dining room is stocked with vintage china. The land behind the building is flat and gets plenty of sun. "We're hoping people will garden, plant vegetables, maybe an apple tree or something," said Steve Fowler, 58." Dorm Life for Seniors Concord Monitor Concord, New Hampshire

Report: by 2050 Federal spending expected to double when boomers retire

"The federal government spent $2.5 trillion in 2005, or about 20 percent of gross domestic product and 33 percent more than it spent in 2001. However, the bigger concern is that Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid spending will explode when the baby boomers retire, doubling the total federal budget to nearly 50 percent of GDP by 2050." "Refining the Budget Process" Daily Policy Digest National Center for Policy Analysis

In the UK: "Hedgestock" combines the ideal past with the cynical present

"Grateful Dead's long departed guitarist, Jerry Garcia, must be spinning in his grave. This week, on spacious lawns surrounding a turreted, gargoyle-encrusted mansion north of London, thousands of hedge fund managers and the bankers and lawyers who love them gathered for their own alternative festival, called Hedgestock." Hedgestock: Peace, Love, and Higher Tax Returns Sydney Morning Herald

Bad vibes: officials block hippie festival

"A request for a permit for what's often described as a huge gathering of hippies was denied Thursday as U.S. Forest Service officials expressed concern over wildfire danger and frustration at trying to work with the group. About 2,000 people have showed up at the Rainbow Family's gathering spot on Routt National Forest land about 30 miles northeast of here. The weeklong July 4th even event is expected to draw between 15,000 and 20,000 people to the Routt National Forest." "Officials Deny Permit For 'Hippie' Gathering" CBS4 (Denver) Related: "Hippies Unhappy About Treatment" "Members of the Rainbow Family of Living Light say they are being unfairly targeted by law enforcement officers monitoring their campsite in Big Red Park in North Routt County." Vail Daily

In Canada: boomer self-satisfaction conflicts with reality

"Despite what the boomers tell us, they are, in fact, an unhealthy lot over all. Diabetes and obesity levels are rising compared with previous generations. As for their generosity, Statistics Canada says the number of Canadians giving to charity has dropped to 25 per cent today from 29 per cent in 1987. In the Strategic Counsel poll, which surveyed 1,502 people and is considered accurate to within 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, boomers said their kids love them, they really, really love them. Forty-nine per cent believe they have a better relationship with their kids than they had with their parents. More than half claim they listen to similar music. Sixty per cent of boomers believe their adolescent or adult kids 'enjoy their company very much.' Only 1 per cent admit their kids can't stand them." "Mirror, Mirror" Toronto Globe and Mail

In Canada: "harsh" job market pits boomer against boomer

"The same baby boomers who are flush with success in their sinecures and who are short years away from a happy retirement do not want to hire their contemporaries to replace them. Indeed, as members of a top-heavy demographic group, they are admonished not to. The baton is to be passed to the next generation, who enter the workforce straight from co-op placements, summer apprenticeships, special youth employment programs or campus recruiting. The Ontario job market is as harsh and cruel a reality for me as it has been for Dhaliwal. And I am a fourth generation Canadian." "Job Market Cruel Reality for Many" Toronto Star

One is the loneliest number...

"Americans are more socially isolated today than we were barely two decades ago. The latest evidence of that comes from a topflight team of sociologists who, after comparing national surveys in 1985 and 2004, report a one-third drop in the number of people with whom the average American can discuss "important matters." Why this sharp increase in social isolation? Both the new study and mine found sharp generational differences--baby boomers are more socially marooned than their parents, and the boomers' kids are lonelier still. Is it because of two-career families? Ethnic diversity? The Internet? Suburban sprawl? Everyone has a favorite culprit. Mine is TV, but the jury is still out." "You Gotta Have Friends" Time.com

New dumbed down game controller proposed for boomers

"Like many baby boomers, even Xbox chief Peter Moore is getting a little confused by all the buttons and joysticks being crammed onto modern gamepads, and some recent comments he made may indicate that Microsoft is actually working on ways to dumb-down the increasingly complex controller. In an interview with Gamertag radio, Moore said that he feels modern controllers and joypads to be a little over-complicated: "...Shoulder buttons, triggers, analog sticks, d-pads, I mean, there's a lot going on there when you compare it to the old Atari 2600 button-and-stick, which everybody could pick up and have some fun with."' "Dumbed-down Xbox 360 controller incoming?" T3

Consumption habits of boomers to be studied by Walmart

"[Wal-Mart Vice Chairman John] Menzer told attendees at a June 16 Credit Suisse conference in New York that Wal-Mart is studying shopping patterns at stores where the customers are primarily Hispanics or black or baby boomers. He also said Wal-Mart’s trendy Metro 7 fashion line, introduced in 500 stores last year, would be in 1, 500 stores nationwide this year. He said Wal-Mart was adapting stores for areas thronged with baby boomers over age 55 with expanded gardening, paint and hardware selections and bigger pharmacies." "Wal-Mart Studying Buying Patterns of Hispanics, Blacks, Baby Boomers" NWANews.com Northwest Arkansas News

LTE: Iraq is not WWII says former serviceman

"The media need to report Iraq for what it is: an invasion of a neutral foreign country that has resulted in the death of nearly as many young soldiers as people who died at the Twin Towers. Bush’s invasion is his futile effort to bring 'democracy' to a land historically unfamiliar with the term." "Iraq a Mistake and Failure" Kansas City Star

People power: Boomers now "dominate" US government

"Baby boomers, generally defined as those born between 1946 and 1964, now dominate the halls of power. As of last year, they controlled 41 of the nation's 50 governorships, exactly half of the 100 Senate seats and 275 of the 435 House seats. With the ascension of John G. Roberts Jr. and Samuel A. Alito Jr., they have even begun to crack that last bastion of the Silent Generation, the Supreme Court, where with Clarence Thomas they now have three of nine seats." "The Boomer-in-Chief" Nears a Milestone: The Big 6-0" Washington Post