Shooting Stars

[afaceinthecrowd]

Scientology…The Designer Cult

Over the last 45 days I have been being the primary care giver for a friend that is recovering from Major Surgery.

During that time, my friend’s 89 year old father (WWII, US Army Air Corps Vet, South Pacific—P38, Lightning’s, P61, Black Widow’s) took a turn for the worse in the Retirement Home he was in. He suffers from dementia, Alzheimer’s and has had several, moderate strokes.

Long story short, we brought him home to my friend’s house for 6 days and spent exhaustive hours caring for him and finding a Geropsychiatrist to evaluate, treat him and “tune” his Meds.

The Doctor we found was brilliant, very informative and caring. We checked my friend’s father (let’s call him “Bob”) into a Geropsychiatry Hospital under the Doctor's care and, 12 days later, my friend’s father was like a “new man”…He still had dementia, Alzheimer’s and stroke related neural dysfunction but, he was more lucid, tranquil and “awake”. The Doctor recommended another facility for us to relocate Bob to. We subsequently toured that facility…It was remarkable and, honestly, brought tears to my eyes.

Bob was released from the Geropsychiatry Hospital today and we took him to his new “Home”. When I say home I mean “Home”. The physical appearance of his new home is not a palace…it is functional and designed for folks with Bob’s needs. What is most important is that Bob’s new home is staffed by an abundance of licensed, trained, professional and caring staff regarding Bob’s diagnosis, prognosis and needs—currently and into his future. It is well equipped, and quite sensibly and thoughtfully put together.

The Cof$ does not give flying F about Bob and his Brothers in Arms and seeks to glorify (lie) about El Ron’s “Bravado in Combat”. Scn figuratively kisses El Ron’s sacred ass and bathe Hisself's memory in glory but would never stoop so low into the “MEST Universe” as to physically wipe Bob’s more than deserving backside and bathe his withered, frail but still vibrant body.

After the War Bob came home, married and raised a family. He bought WWII surplus airplanes, rebuilt them with his own hands and flew them with his child (my friend). He worked split shifts for over 30 years as a Shop Steward/Foreman for a major manufacturing company (Fortune 500) and started/ran—in his “spare time”—two businesses, built his house with his own hands and was one helluva fine woodsman/fisherman/sailor.

So, what’s all this got to do with this “Shooting Stars” Thread?

Scn is a “Designer Cult” and over the next month or so I’m gonna try and explain just what I mean by that statement.

We all can buy “Designer” britches. Bob wore them britches before they were “Vogue”. H-U-G-E deference.

I’ve had much “pause for thought” and I’ve got a few things more I want to say.

Peace.

Face

 

[sallydannce]

I hear ya Face. I get it.

The mood I am in tonight finds me fiercely saying, "fuck the designer b/s cult!" It doesn't offer a hint of real life - nor compassion or love. It is a JOKE! I am up to my eyeballs here in real life. It is grizzly and challenging. I am doing a dance I do not know the steps of.

I suspect your next installments are going to bring some, timely, insightful stuff to my world.

Thank you for caring so greatly.

 

[afaceinthecrowd]

I hear ya Face. I get it.

The mood I am in tonight finds me fiercely saying, "fuck the designer b/s cult!" It doesn't offer a hint of real life - nor compassion or love. It is a JOKE! I am up to my eyeballs here in real life. It is grizzly and challenging. I am doing a dance I do not know the steps of.

I suspect your next installments are going to bring some, timely, insightful stuff to my world.

Thank you for caring so greatly.

Yes! Me Too.

I know you are wearing the "Britches" that are not currently in "Vogue"...You wear them well.

Face

 

[sallydannce]

Yes! Me Too.

I know you are wearing the "Britches" that are not currently in "Vogue"...You wear them well.

Face

Ya think? lol. To hell with what is in "vogue". I dealt with an incompetent doctor yesterday who had no ears though I swear there were ears on the sides of her head. She just didn't seem to have them plugged into anything. Perhaps her ears are merely for ornamental purposes. Forgive my scathing comment(s) but my frustration is at its highest point right now.

{I am dealing with a fast failing elderly mother.}

One day, when things are sorted, I'm gonna go to a tropical island for a few weeks and just write, take walks, be a tourist and fall asleep whenever I feel like it. I'm seriously considering either Taihiti or Norfolk Island. The sibling arrives this coming week so she can piss everyone off and increase blood pressure levels. Someone save me!

I have found solace in the garden yanking weeds, pruning, etc, and having "conversations" with the delightful Jersey cow as she hangs her head over the fence watching me. She is pure magic! So friendly! I've been giving her tasty treats and we are at that stage in our relationship that when she sees me she comes skipping over to the fence. It is very heart-warming.

 

[afaceinthecrowd]

Scientology…The Designer Cult

So, what do I mean by "Scientology…The Designer Cult"?

This is an excerpt from a post I made several years ago on ESMB...

http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthre...he-Apollo-1973&p=430791&viewfull=1#post430791

This is the post that excerpt is from...

http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthre...he-Apollo-1973&p=430048&viewfull=1#post430048

IMHO, the "Designer Era" was happenstance born of the "Fews", inadvertently fostered by the "Beats" and came to full fruition with the "Boomers".

What is the "Designer Era"?

An era that began with "going outside" yourself, followed by "looking inside" yourself and culminating in "being all" yourself.

The "Designer Era" began with "I'm me, and trying to find my way", went on to be "I'm me, and looking for the way" and wound up "I'm me, and I'm the way".

More later.

Face

 

[RogerB]

Face, the "Bobs" of the world is where true honor belongs: they earned it, they deserve it.

For the Hubbard-ite frauds of the world, give 'em scorn and a good pissing on. (Except if on fire . . . let 'em burn.)

Rog

 

[afaceinthecrowd]

Scientology…The Designer Cult

"Designer" is all about being, acting, "in the know" and "Cool".

The "Fews" wanted to be and appear "Cool", the "Beats thought they were and looked "Cool" and the "Boomers" knew they were and expressed "Cool".

Most of what they focused on was about themselves and not about others. Oh, they cared deeply about others, contributed much to others and sought to make "a better world for others"...that's a fact and very important contribution to the forward progress of Mankind. But, in their "twilight" years they are, IMHO, far too wrapped up in "self" to more detriment to their progeny, progeny's progeny, etc than they wish too accept and realize.

The most significant transfer of wealth in all History is currently playing out. The "Greatest Generation" is the wealthiest Generation ever and the "Boomers" are the wealthiest Generation ever, respective for their current age. Most of the wealth of the "Greatest Generation" will pass on into the hands of the "Boomers". The "Boomers" are also the numerically largest generation (at least, in the "Western World") that has ever been and probably will be for perhaps centuries.

What is "Cool" is born of, fostered by and reinforced by cohort groups and has nothing to do with our innate instinct of what is just, honorable and "the right thing to do" as a Human Being.

A "Designer Cult" feeds our need to be "Cool" and "in the know", and usurps, perverts and abrogates our true Essence, innate Instinct and Nature.

More later.

Face

PS: I'm not pointing fingers...I speak as a grievously flawed, self absorbed and woefully weak "Very Early Boomer" that mistakenly and foolishly gave their youth to Scn to "Help Others", and just doesn't have the "Juice" left to go on "Fixing the World".

 

[Ted]

Re: Scientology…The Designer Cult

"Designer" is all about being, acting, "in the know" and "Cool".

The "Fews" wanted to be and appear "Cool", the "Beats thought they were and looked "Cool" and the "Boomers" knew they were and expressed "Cool".

Most of what they focused on was about themselves and not about others. Oh, they cared deeply about others, contributed much to others and sought to make "a better world for others"...that's a fact and very important contribution to the forward progress of Mankind. But, in their "twilight" years they are, IMHO, far too wrapped up in "self" to more detriment to their progeny, progeny's progeny, etc than they wish too accept and realize.

The most significant transfer of wealth in all History is currently playing out. The "Greatest Generation" is the wealthiest Generation ever and the "Boomers" are the wealthiest Generation ever, respective for their current age. Most of the wealth of the "Greatest Generation" will pass on into the hands of the "Boomers". The "Boomers" are also the numerically largest generation (at least, in the "Western World") that has ever been and probably will be for perhaps centuries.

What is "Cool" is born of, fostered by and reinforced by cohort groups and has nothing to do with our innate instinct of what is just, honorable and "the right thing to do" as a Human Being.

A "Designer Cult" feeds our need to be "Cool" and "in the know", and usurps, perverts and abrogates our true Essence, innate Instinct and Nature.

More later.

Face

PS: I'm not pointing fingers...I speak as a grievously flawed, self absorbed and woefully weak "Very Early Boomer" that mistakenly and foolishly gave their youth to Scn to "Help Others", and just doesn't have the "Juice" left to go on "Fixing the World".

Yeah. Me2.

 

[Udarnik]

Re: Scientology…The Designer Cult

Most of what they focused on was about themselves and not about others. Oh, they cared deeply about others, contributed much to others and sought to make "a better world for others"...that's a fact and very important contribution to the forward progress of Mankind. But, in their "twilight" years they are, IMHO, far too wrapped up in "self" to more detriment to their progeny, progeny's progeny, etc than they wish too accept and realize.

The most significant transfer of wealth in all History is currently playing out. The "Greatest Generation" is the wealthiest Generation ever and the "Boomers" are the wealthiest Generation ever, respective for their current age. Most of the wealth of the "Greatest Generation" will pass on into the hands of the "Boomers". The "Boomers" are also the numerically largest generation (at least, in the "Western World") that has ever been and probably will be for perhaps centuries.

Yeah, Face, I'm a Gen-Xer and I can't say I have a whole lotta love for the Boomers as a group. I am friends with individuals, but as a group, they are a bunch of self-absorbed jerkwads. In academic science in particular (my bailiwick), the Boomers are sitting on all the prime tenured jobs long past the time they have run out of new ideas. Fresh Gen-X and early Millenial talent can't get a position and are stuck adjuncting. The Boomers got all that wonderful aid to go to college, and once they got into power they jacked up the prices thinking that grants and loans will cover the cost as it did for them. Well, there is only so much aid out there, so Gen X and Gen Y are stuck with huge debt right outta school that they never faced. Boomers in Finance caused the recent meltdown. Back in the 60s, they popularized the scourge of drugs in the middle class. Every decade, wherever they happened to be in the power structure, they massively shit in their own nests, and now the Gen-Xers have to deal with it.

 

[Purple Rain]

Re: Scientology…The Designer Cult

Yeah, Face, I'm a Gen-Xer and I can't say I have a whole lotta love for the Boomers as a group. I am friends with individuals, but as a group, they are a bunch of self-absorbed jerkwads. In academic science in particular (my bailiwick), the Boomers are sitting on all the prime tenured jobs long past the time they have run out of new ideas. Fresh Gen-X and early Millenial talent can't get a position and are stuck adjuncting. The Boomers got all that wonderful aid to go to college, and once they got into power they jacked up the prices thinking that grants and loans will cover the cost as it did for them. Well, there is only so much aid out there, so Gen X and Gen Y are stuck with huge debt right outta school that they never faced. Boomers in Finance caused the recent meltdown. Back in the 60s, they popularized the scourge of drugs in the middle class. Every decade, wherever they happened to be in the power structure, they massively shit in their own nests, and now the Gen-Xers have to deal with it.

People are people. Each generation is just as flawed in their own way. It's all arbitrary anyway. I was born in 1963, so technically I am a Boomer - the same generation as my parents. Of course I identify with Gen X - which my two years younger sister was born into - not my parents' generation at all. The whole thing is so arbitrary. Then there are the early 80s Gen X's which actually have more in commone with Gen Y. My own daughter once again is in my generation. It's one of those "you know it when you see it things" which nobody is able to adequately define like "race" and "spirit" and "God" and "slut".

 

[Udarnik]

Re: Scientology…The Designer Cult

People are people. Each generation is just as flawed in their own way. It's all arbitrary anyway. I was born in 1963, so technically I am a Boomer - the same generation as my parents. Of course I identify with Gen X - which my two years younger sister was born into - not my parents' generation at all. The whole thing is so arbitrary. Then there are the early 80s Gen X's which actually have more in commone with Gen Y. My own daughter once again is in my generation. It's one of those "you know it when you see it things" which nobody is able to adequately define like "race" and "spirit" and "God" and "slut".

Yeah, the lines are fuzzy, and it's actually more defined by a mixture of your parent's generation and yours. Most Xers are kids of either very early Boomers or just pre-Boomers (as am I). The kids of late Boomers are Millenials. My childhood was firmly in the 70s, someone whose childhood was in the 80s has a different view, even though we are both Xers. But the Boomers as a cohort are so freaking huge that all of their foibles get magnified. A huge chunk of them were also self-serving assholes, and that smears the whole group, because that behavior is magnified by the numbers.

Whenever I get too mad at them, I try to remember that the same group produced the hippies, the current crop of Wall Street raiders AND about 80% of the names on The Wall.

 

[Enthetan]

Re: Scientology…The Designer Cult

PS: I'm not pointing fingers...I speak as a grievously flawed, self absorbed and woefully weak "Very Early Boomer" that mistakenly and foolishly gave their youth to Scn to "Help Others", and just doesn't have the "Juice" left to go on "Fixing the World".

Based on the results of what typically happens when people try to "Fix the world", that's probably a good thing.

I've decided to keep my own little piece of it in good repair, help my friends with repairs as requested, and raise a few kids who hopefully will do the same, without breaking anything in the wider world.

 

[Ted]

Re: Scientology…The Designer Cult

Based on the results of what typically happens when people try to "Fix the world", that's probably a good thing.

I've decided to keep my own little piece of it in good repair, help my friends with repairs as requested, and raise a few kids who hopefully will do the same, without breaking anything in the wider world.

Good plan! And very workable.

Stupidity, willful ignorance, and willful disrespect abound. Rather than attempting to be Cause over this, that, the other thing, or everything in Hubbardian, authoritarian fashion, I simply try to recognize overwhelming forces and losing situations so as to facilitate my own defense. I encourage people close to me to do likewise. I am too old if not too wise to join another Cause or fight another war that has nothing to do with who I really am.

And, I never wanted to Clear a Planet. Helping the person sitting 3 to 4 feet in front of me was always satisfactory enough.

 

[afaceinthecrowd]

Ya think? lol. To hell with what is in "vogue". I dealt with an incompetent doctor yesterday who had no ears though I swear there were ears on the sides of her head. She just didn't seem to have them plugged into anything. Perhaps her ears are merely for ornamental purposes. Forgive my scathing comment(s) but my frustration is at its highest point right now.

{I am dealing with a fast failing elderly mother.}

One day, when things are sorted, I'm gonna go to a tropical island for a few weeks and just write, take walks, be a tourist and fall asleep whenever I feel like it. I'm seriously considering either Taihiti or Norfolk Island. The sibling arrives this coming week so she can piss everyone off and increase blood pressure levels. Someone save me!

I have found solace in the garden yanking weeds, pruning, etc, and having "conversations" with the delightful Jersey cow as she hangs her head over the fence watching me. She is pure magic! So friendly! I've been giving her tasty treats and we are at that stage in our relationship that when she sees me she comes skipping over to the fence. It is very heart-warming.

Jersey cows are VERY beautiful, gentle and adaptable, and their milk is the richest, most nutritious and finest milk there is. Jersey cows are also the best "wet nurses" of all bovine...they're not always all that happy about it when it's going on but they accept, give and and just don't quit.

Face

 

[afaceinthecrowd]

Face, the "Bobs" of the world is where true honor belongs: they earned it, they deserve it.

For the Hubbard-ite frauds of the world, give 'em scorn and a good pissing on. (Except if on fire . . . let 'em burn.)

Rog

Yes!

My sentiments exactly!

Face

 

[afaceinthecrowd]

Re: Scientology…The Designer Cult

Yeah, Face, I'm a Gen-Xer and I can't say I have a whole lotta love for the Boomers as a group. I am friends with individuals, but as a group, they are a bunch of self-absorbed jerkwads. In academic science in particular (my bailiwick), the Boomers are sitting on all the prime tenured jobs long past the time they have run out of new ideas. Fresh Gen-X and early Millenial talent can't get a position and are stuck adjuncting. The Boomers got all that wonderful aid to go to college, and once they got into power they jacked up the prices thinking that grants and loans will cover the cost as it did for them. Well, there is only so much aid out there, so Gen X and Gen Y are stuck with huge debt right outta school that they never faced. Boomers in Finance caused the recent meltdown. Back in the 60s, they popularized the scourge of drugs in the middle class. Every decade, wherever they happened to be in the power structure, they massively shit in their own nests, and now the Gen-Xers have to deal with it.

I have four children that are Gen Xer's. I left the SO because of my Children and that was, and always will be, the best thing I ever done. I've had some long discussions with all of them, and each of them, about my generation and their generation (I'm a very early Boomer). I've made my apologies to them about my Generation. Boomers, IMO, were given too much and are giving too little. By "Given" and "Giving" I don't mean handouts...I mean given more than they realize and are giving less than they realize. Now, I know that is broad and general statement and certainly does not apply to all of my fellow Boomers by a long shot but, IMO, far too many Boomers "heard some of the words" of their parents without "getting all of the message".

During one of our group "Daddy Talks", when I was trying to explain as best I could "My Generation" to them, I told my children about how much the threat of Thermonuclear War frightened, festered and shaped our young minds. I asked them, "What frightens, festers and shapes your generation's minds?"

Their answer was, "Random violence."

Stunned me...still does to this day.

I'm not blaming...I'm just saying. I still hope that, someday, the majority of Boomers will wake up to the facts that; we hold a potentially "Golden Key" to the future of children's, children's children; we are more "educated" than any generation before us; we are fast becoming, and will become monetarily, wealthier than any generation before us; we are numerically larger than any generation before us or will likely come for many generations after us; we have yet to truly "rise to the occasion".

When my #3 child (a National Scholastic Arts and Writing Award recipient) received her BA from a High Tier University (as have all her Sib's) she presented me with a lovely photograph of her in a field of flowers and in a pewter frame embossed with the following inscription:

"To whom much has been given, much is expected".

I wept when I opened her gift and read those words. She now (as do her Sibs) has an MA from a High Tier University and an accomplished, selfless, giving professional career...they were all born into the Cult when their Mother and I was in the SO. BTW, she spent her last vacation from the internationally renowned media company she works for volunteering for 3 weeks in Africa at an orphanage for children born with AIDS.

I will not live to see what my children see, to know what lives they have touched and view the "canvass" they painted with the "Art" I never mastered but sought to instill in them--the Art of giving yourself away.

I still hold hope that my Generation will wake to the fact that our "Moment" is still before us and that we will "Rise to the Occasion". Personally, I could not sleep at night knowing that I had left my children with the burden of massive debts (in many forms) from ignored planning, selfish consumption and indulgence, and lack of the wisdom of hindsight and the courage for foresight.

Face


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkaKwXddT_I

 

[afaceinthecrowd]

Re: Scientology…The Designer Cult

Yeah, the lines are fuzzy, and it's actually more defined by a mixture of your parent's generation and yours. Most Xers are kids of either very early Boomers or just pre-Boomers (as am I). The kids of late Boomers are Millenials. My childhood was firmly in the 70s, someone whose childhood was in the 80s has a different view, even though we are both Xers. But the Boomers as a cohort are so freaking huge that all of their foibles get magnified. A huge chunk of them were also self-serving assholes, and that smears the whole group, because that behavior is magnified by the numbers.

Whenever I get too mad at them, I try to remember that the same group produced the hippies, the current crop of Wall Street raiders AND about 80% of the names on The Wall.

Damn, that frustrates me about my Generation. Great music and creative "outside the box" ideas, obscene greed and forsaken soldiers.

Face

 

[Panda Termint]

I have four children that are Gen Xer's. <snip for brevity...>

Face

I clicked "Like" but I meant "Love".

 

[CO2]

Last week I spent at a squirell EST seminar in Utah (not only squireling EST but huge undertones of Mormonism) with one of my daughter in laws and her daughter ( my grand daughter).

We. drove there, about a twelve hour drive. On the drive back, we stopped for the night, to get some much needed rest. In the training, not unlike boot camp, we got about 3-4 hours sleep each night for four days. We wanted OUT of Salt Lake City. After graduation at ten PM from the training, we drove a couple hours to Wendover, UT.

My wife has an employee, who changed miraculously from doing these trainings over several weeks time.

Our thirteen year old grand daughter has been in trouble with the law, with her school, with her mother, and with her hormones.

She is the apple of my eye.

When she was two, she would ski between my legs on downhill runs, yelling, "faster!"

When she was five, we were snowed in at Kirkwood for a week. Every day, we spent from 9 to 4 on the slopes in 60 mph wind and falling snow , only breaking for lunch and bathroom breaks. She gave it her all, and never wanted to take it easy.

A couple of months ago, my dog and I had just hit Starbucks and were in town walking by Jamba Juice past these hot teen girls, when I hear, "Aren't you going to say 'hi'?"

It was this grand daughter. I hadn't noticed her, but she saw me. She was with girl friends, but stopped me

Her father at that age used to go with us to dinner at the hamburger beer sports joint we frequented, and eat on the other side of the room studiously avoiding any possible association with us.

So we chatted. She introduced me to her friends. At this point I realized she was wearing one of my shirts, and I called her on it. She smiled and copped to it. In front of her friends she proudly asserted to me that she was wearing my shirt. Hot damn, she owns her own voice.



Sunday,as I was driving with my daughter in law, in the shotgun seat, grand daughter, in the back seat.
My daughter in law read texts to me, and I dictated my words, which she typed.


In the approximately 800 mile trip Sunday from Wendover to home, the three of us chatted and shared constantly. I'm 62, Our daughter in law is 45, our grandaughter is 13. There was no generation gap. We talked about EVERYTHING - the three of us. Things good Mormons probably don't talk about. But we're not Mormon, and we're from California , where Satan rules


This included, but wasn't limited to, OUR Actions and Experiences (this was story telling, not theoretical morality):
Sex - yes fucking, using that word.
Clear Intention and being Committed as it relates to our choices of lover and the item above.
Eating pussy
Smoking dope
Dropping acid
Meth
Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll
Flashing
Sexting
Birth Control
Abortion
Bringing beer and wine to junior high and high school
Making beer and selling it to classmate
Murder in a drug deal gone bad
Police Protection / witness protection
Shooting up
My friends in the music world ( the Dead, the Airplane, Moby Grape, Incredible String Band, Rick Springfield band, etc)
Outrunning the cops
Getting arrested
Shooting
Speeding


Everything we talked about we were totally candid about not only about my wife and me,my girl friends, but my parents, our kids (including the grand daughter's dad), The daughter in law and her parents, and the grand daughter. It turns out we were all criminal, drug taking horny teenagers running amuck.

We didn't talk in the abstract. We named names, ages at the time, and specifics. Like the grand daughter's uncle, who, when he was fourteen , had gone on a long train trip. When he got back home , he had letters from girls he'd met, with photos of them flashing him. That was back before digital. They had to take the film developed in a store. Ballsy chicks, and he obviously impressed them.
That is how specific we were.


We had a great drive and everybody learned and contributed.


When my daughter in law said there was a text from Barbara, that nearly missed a withhold, so I cleaned it right then and there. I said it's about her pool. It was. I told them who she is to me, and our history.She was my girl friend when I was in high school and she was in college. We've been friends forever and off and on we've lived together. I was very specific. The two of us have never kissed when one of us wasn't married. Either one of us has been married with our marriage in trouble when we've gotten together.In 1968, when she was 22,and I was 17, she left her husband for me. In 1976 we lived together when her second marriage was on the rocks. In 1995, we lived together, when mine was in trouble. I didn't pull any punches in my descriptions. I showed them pictures on my phone including a g rated photo of her peering out to me from under the sheets from the 60s. And I asked, "Is she hot?"

She was then. She is now.

I told them how a friend (a one time member of the Dead) and I first saw my wife at the DeAnza Hotel in San Jose. She and her husband were the new class Vllls in town.. Pete and I, both wanted to fuck her brains out, and I did say those exact words in the car too.. She was hot hot hot.------ My grand daughter's grandmother, my wife.


The three of us had such a safe space just flowing for 800 miles non stop.


It was cream on the top to openly share live chat texting with my friend, who has been my live with lover on more than one occasion, with them.

I can't speak for anyone else, but my parents, not only them, but my great grand parents would have been proud of the openness, the candor, the honesty, the ownership and integrity that we three successive generations put forth for ten hours of a long drive.

 

[mclovin]

Re: Scientology…The Designer Cult

I have four children that are Gen Xer's.....

First off, love you Face (in a purely platonic way )! While I am a newbie and never in, I've been lurking for a few years and your threads and insightful comments on all things scilon and not have intrigued me and kept me coming to this site. Figured its time to sign up and say what I think finally.

Now for the current topic, I was a late boomer from early sixties and am probably guilty of the boomer mentality/behavior in some cases. My children (4) are of the Gen-Y or Millennial era. While those are the more academic designations for that era, I don't think it does service to the real behavior that resulted from the effects of the boomers.

Specifically you have spoken of the great wealth accumulated by boomers, I could not agree more. My experience has been that because of that wealth, boomers seemed content to provide their children whatever they wanted without no regard to consequences, or the fact that they needed to earn what was received. I believe this comes from the ability for them to give their kids things that they never could have, hoping that it will make their way in life a bit easier, and not have to struggle as they once did.

The result IMHO is that the parents did not instill the core values of earning ones way through life (both monetarily, emotionally, and mentally), the expectation being "my parents will take care of me if I get into a bind" mentality. Me and the wife are guilty as charged (Mom gave, I protested and lost ), at least on the monetary side. All of my kids have grown up well adjusted and financially independent (the 2008 market crash really woke them up when the Mom/Dad money tree died!). Was also a reality check for the Wife when she realized she had to go back to work, and all of a sudden she was being asked to give HER money to the kids! I love her to death, but it was quite the wake up call.

So now to my point, I continue to see this behavior over and over with my friends and peers, and that is why I prefer to call this era the "Entitlement" generation. We seems to have bred out all of the important things our parents, parents-parents, etc. installed in us: Get educated, get a job.... any job that pays (my kids tried the "I wouldn't be caught dead working at McDonald's" thing... guess who won that battle), work hard and work your way up, respect the money you earned and put it to good use, respect others as you would have them respect you, and never place yourself above another human being.

My hope is that the recent economic trends enable the Gen-X/Entitlement generation to learn from our mistakes, and restore the values we were instilled with by previous generations.

To quote a wise man... just my 2 cents!

McLovin