During the lull between the main snow and the forecasted lake effect snows during this blizzard here in northern Indiana on Wednesday, our new baby decided to accelerate her arrival. A lot. Upshot is that we have a perfectly wonderful new baby girl — her and her mother are both doing fine — and are even back at home. But …
“This Older Generation” by Randolph S. Bourne
Here is a response to the snarky “Letter to a Rising Generation” by the old-fogey C.A. Comer. Bourne was a university student when he wrote this. His style is a bit flowery but it was done for effect. My comments following. This Older Generation by Randolph S. Bourne I read with ever-increasing wonder the guarded defenses and discreet apologies for …
GenX: Prepare to get shafted. Again.
Let’s start out the new year with the fortunes of the so-called 13th generation, the decried Generation X (born 1961 to 1979): you are totally screwed. Here are some interesting facts about this most despised generation, using data for the United States: Test scores for the class born in 1961 include 10% less A’s and 10% more C’s than that …
Why the Current Crisis Is Here To Stay
Let’s turn today to some more generational dynamics, this time to how they influence the economic state of the U.S. and thereby — since “when the U.S. sneezes, the world gets a cold” — the globe. You’d not imagine perhaps that the mood of a bunch of cranky old people could keep the globe down, but it’s true! Here’s how! …
Effective U.S. Tax Rates Across Time
Jim has run the numbers to show effective tax rates (including Social Security and Medicare taxes) over the past 60 years or so. It’s a fascinating look at how taxes have changed over time. Interesting to look at. It seems weird that the total effective tax rate on Jim’s median family was lowered during the Carter administration to only rise …
Warren Kinston on Movements and Their Leadership
Some thoughts on Movements as described by Warren Kinston. I can’t imagine that they are interesting to anyone else, just here as notes for the future. Kinston, Warren. Working with Values: Software for the Mind. SIGMA Centre: London. From Chapter 10 : “G-35 Ideals” : “Social Processes”. Ideals have the power to awaken people permanently to possibilities of social life …
Friedman’s Predictions For the Next 100 Years
I’ve been reading some of the futurists materials. They improved since the old days: now they admit that most of details and technologies are pretty unknowable. And then they predict them anyway! George Friedman — “chief intelligence officer” and founder of Strategic Forecasting, Inc., a private intelligence agency who is sometimes called the “shadow CIA” — weighs in with his …
“But I’m not GenX; I’m a late Boomer!”: Who Is, and Who Ain’t, Generation X in America
Who is this “Generation X” or “GenX” that I keep talking about? Surely, it’s not you, right? And isn’t this whole generations stuff just invented to sell products? The first question comes from the idea that “God, please don’t make me a part of GenX”. Even people who are in it don’t want to be identified with it. Which is …
Why GenX Won’t Be Invited: Generational Politics and Keeping You Down
You’re a GenX-er who has, since the 1980s, done your time waiting for the Baby Boomers to die off so that you can be invited into the corporate office. You’ve worked hard, done the things you were told and waited on that rung of the corporate ladder, stuck while the Baby Boomers ahead of you sat, Peter Principled, fat and …
Wilfred Brown: Most Important CEO You’ve Never Heard Of
I recently wrote an appreciation of Wilfred Brown, the Managing Director of Glacier Metal Company, accomplished management author, and government servant. I wrote this for the recent GO Society summit in Toronto, as a part of their new CEO Honor Roll. I had written the Wikipedia article on Lord Brown ages ago and have intended to do more but haven’t. …