Blue Thong Society: where crones gather

Groups like the Blue Thong Society and, earlier, the Red Hat Society, are like the consciousness-raising groups of the '60s and '70s, says Saira Qureshi, a lecturer in women's studies at Arizona State University. Their approach to aging taps into their youthful rebellion, when they fought the strictly coded worlds of marriage, motherhood and the workplace. "No Red Hats For These Thong-Loving Boomer-Gals" Asbury Park Press (New Jersey)

Pushy boomer parents seek to influence their children's job prospects

It’s the next phase in helicopter parenting, a term coined for those who have hovered over their children’s lives from kindergarten to college. Now they are inserting themselves into their kids’ job searches — and school officials and employers say it could hamper some young careers. "Helicopter’ Parents Trying To Land Kids Jobs" The State (South Carolina)

In Australia: life before boomers embraced big brother

Why did a generation that spent the first half of its adult life dedicated to excess, independence, freedom and loud music decide to spend the second half of its life writing rules that tell everybody else how to live? "Grumpy Old Man Describes A Life" Herald Sun

In Canada: Boomer joint replacement fueled by overeating

The youngest of the Baby Boomers are wearing out their joints at a record pace, not because they're growing older but because they're getting fatter, a new study suggests. Across Canada, joint replacements are increasing faster than the population is ageing, with hip and knee surgeries up 87% over a 10-year period ending in 2004-2005. "Boomers Wear Out Artificial Joints" National Post I had a feeling they all weren't out rock climbing...

Boomer reverence for the state a hard sell to younger voters

Well, what happened to the days of questioning authority was that the questioners got old – and the new questioners are asking different sorts of questions. Instead of asking why we can't just be rid of authority, as the baby boomer radicals did in the late '60s, our generation is asking where authority went. Because no matter the efforts of the voter drivers at Vote or Die and Rock the Vote to assert the credibility of the federal government, as in "You should turn out to vote in federal elections, because the federal government can give you good things," our generation senses that if the country is worth anything after all, it must be built on more than voting and more than the federal government. "Rejecting Boomers' Power Politics" Worldnet Daily

Aging hippies rally for one last crusade

The generation of activists who fought for civil rights, against an unpopular war, and started the environmental movement is poised for one last hurrah, one more attempt to cure the ills of American society. They're older now, and perhaps a little wiser. They're settled into their communities, some of them already retired. And they're scared as hell about the lives facing their children and grandchildren once the oil runs out. "New Hippies Are Fighting to Replace Oil" San Francisco Chronicle I believe it was Einstein who defined insanity as the practice of "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

From revolution to just plain revolting

You may be the most insufferable, self-centered, and irresponsible generation in American history. Oh, one-on-one, some of you are tolerable. But as a group, I can't stand you. You seem to be generationally incapable of moving beyond the past, dealing with the present, or planning for the future. At this moment, your generation dominates American politics. And just look at the mess you've made of it! As a nation we have become so divided, so tribalistic about our affiliations, that it is now almost impossible to have an intelligent discussion about any issue of substance. And it's all your fault. "Did The Baby Boomers Screw Up American Politics?" The Moderate Voice

Did boomer "vanity" drive Iraq invasion?

Yet, we can now understand that the war is kind of a vanity war; the president wanted to prove he was a good wartime president. He isn't. The vice president wanted to prove that he was the toughest man in the Beltway. He isn't, save possibly when he has a shotgun in this hands. The neo-cons wanted to reshape the Middle East and take pressure off Israel. They didn't. The national security adviser (and now secretary of state) wanted to prove she was an astute diplomat. She isn't. "U.S. is Casualty in Bush's Vanity War" Chicago Sun Times Note to boomers: Tom Brokaw won't be calling anytime soon. deadhippie