Millennials-Your Time to Shine...Politicians? Not So Much

Another THU edition of whimsical WED

Millennial Whimsy

I've been know to "pick on" millennials from time to time--all in good fun. Actually, it's their parent whom I should be picking on, since their responsible for their children's millennial-like attributes. In any case, here are some helpful general descriptors of generations [which means they are also generalizations], which I clipped from the Omaha World Herald (4/27) in "A Boom for Millennials."

• "Silent Generation. Born:  1928-1945 [my parents]. 'Silent' label refers to their conformist & civic instincts...Most likely to be veterans. Children of the Great Depression & WW II.
• "Baby-Boomers. Born: 1946-1964 [my siblings, my spouse, her siblings--w/one possible exception--me]. Consider their work ethic important...Participated in social revolutions {civil rights, women's rights}; 2nd-highest household income after Gen X.
• "Generation X. Born 1965-1980 [responsible for most of millennials--their attitude AND behavior]. Often depicted as savvy & entrepreneurial. Consider their generation overshadowed or less unique. More than 6 of 10 identify as patriotic. Bridge between mostly white boomers & diverse millennials.
• "Millennials. Born: 1981-1997 [my children & most nieces & nephews]. Most racially diverse generation. On track to become most educated generation. Struggling w/student debt but upbeat about financial future. Place parenthood, marriage far above career, financial success."

I at least skimmed through most of these articles. * 

* As far as you know.

• Also OWH (4/27):  "Boomers, it was bound to happen . . . They like socialism. They don't eat breakfast cereal. They save more money than previous generations. They enjoy a work-life balance, & they often don't think they're millennials. [Just ask my son.] Now, they're the largest living generation in the U.S." [Have I mentioned recently how much I admire millennials?]
• Also OWH (5/16):  "Millennials eat worse, stay skinnier than everyone else . . . " [Any comment I made would only sound like sour grapes.]
• Ditto (5/16):  "Millennials crushing the dreams of marketers . . . " [I didn't read the article. However, I assume that most marketers are baby boomers and/or Gen X-ers, who are responsible for millennials, so what goes around comes around, eh?]
• From Norfolk Daily News (5/24):  "Goodbye, empty nest. Millennials staying longer with parents." [SEE previous comment.]
• From St. Paul Pioneer Press (7/3): "Why millennials are still living at home . . . a new analysis by Pew shows that the trend isn't being driven, primarily at least, by a common stereotype--that of the recent college grad who hasn't found his or her first job. In reality, behind the trend are older millennials, particularly those without college degrees, who are living at home in unprecedented numbers . . . " [College grads or not, they're still eating their baby-boomer & Gen X parents' pop tarts--but not cereal--hacking into their Netflix account, etc.]
• OWH (8/6):  "Harbaugh's style hits home w/millennials . . . " [Harbaugh & millennials--you deserve each other. I'm just sayin'.]
• From USA Today Snapshots (8/12-14):  "Searching for a job in the john. 30% of college & post-grad students have done a video job interview from the bathroom or conference room at their current job." [Helpful advice for millennials from Cornhusker State Blog: 1. Do not flush the toilet while doing a video interview. 2. Do not use your current job's conference room during work hours.]
• Ditto OWH "Breaking Brad" (8/17): "I'm just waiting for a parent group to say Olympic competition is wrong & we need to replace gold, silver & bronze medals w/participation trophies for all." [From Dept. of Shameless Quip Stealing]
• Also from NDN (8/18): "Millennials more likely to be scammed. The stereotype of the little old lady as a scam victim is wrong, & Millennials are actually more vulnerable to scam than Baby Boomers." [As another service for millennials from the Cornhusker State Blog:  Send me $14.95 in cash--no checks, please--& I will send you my helpful dvd, "How to Avoid Being Scammed Like Little Old Ladies."]
• "The rise of the Anti-Millennial Conservative Millennial," by David French, posted on NRO (9/14). I enjoy reading DF almost as much as I enjoy reading my favorite partisan pundit.

Inquiring minds want to know

• While picking up some items at the O St. Hy-Vee in Lincoln on FRI 9/9, I noticed that the breakfast "items" in the freezer section were actually labeled "breakfast solutions." I had not noticed this before, so it's very possible that these items are also labeled breakfast "solutions" in the Hy-Vee store on Taylor Ave. in Norfolk, where I do the majority of my grocery shopping. Seriously? Breakfast "solutions?" [Which got me to wondering:  Are there serious breakfast conflicts that are in need of serious breakfast resolution? As I contemplate my most likely, pending, early retirement in the next few months, is a career as a breakfast conflict resolution mediator on the horizon?]
• Which reminded me of another label. I first noticed this on a sign at a Subway sandwich shop in David City, NE, where Lois & I stopped to pick up sandwiches on our way back from a trip to Lincoln. [This was actually some time ago, so it's possible that I already blogged about this. If so, "Well, excuuuuuse, MEEEE!"] The sign was promoting "anti-biotic free chicken sandwiches . . . " [Which got me to wondering: What would happen if you ordered a chicken sandwich w/anti-biotic ENRICHED chicken? Also, were these "anti-biotic free" sandwiches or anti-biotic "free sandwiches?"]

Political Whimsy

NDN (9/9): "Iran demands money. Obama administration officials told Congress on THU that Iran wanted 'immediate access' to $1.7 billion paid by the U.S. in cash to settle a decades-old arbitration claim between the two countries . . . Christopher Backemeyer, a deputy assistant secretary of state for Iranian affairs said . . . it was his understanding that the money is going to 'critical economic needs' in Iran." [Dept. of Imaginary but Plausible Phone Conversations. Iranian Official: We need that $1.7 billion in cash & we need it yesterday! CB: You need it in cash? Why? I.O. We have a critical need for mis...for, uh, critical economic needs. CB: Is that snickering I hear in the background?]

OWH (9/8): "NOAA: Climate change doubled odds for downpour. Man-made climate change about doubled the chances for the type of heavy downpours that caused devastating Louisiana floods last month, a new federal study has found." [And I just won a bet w/myself.]

LJS (9/14): "Scientists 'besieged' by polar bears." ["We haven't been in the news much lately, said a spokesbear for the animals.]

OWH (9/13):  "Justice spreads blame for nomination fights. Democrats & Republicans are both to blame for the fighting that occurs when a president nominates someone to the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said MON . . . " [I can neither confirm nor deny that RBG also added, "I suppose you could include activist judges like me, who make judicial decisions based on politics & a 'living' Constitution that has no basis in any facts outside our progressive-driven minds."]

Re: She-Who-Spray-Paints-Heavy-Machinery

OWH (9/8): "Stein defends spray-painting bulldozer. SWSPHM is nothing if not polite. The Green Party presidential candidate--who is eagerly courting former "He-Who-Turned-Out-To-Be-a-Sell-Out" supporters--told an Omaha crowd on WED that she had no choice but to spray-paint a bulldozer at an anti-pipeline protest in N.D. after being asked to by Indian leaders." [A campaign aide was quoted as saying, "Thank goodness they didn't ask her to jump off a cliff."]

Re:  He-Who-Will-Only-Be Part-of-the-Debates-in-His-Dreams

From "Aleppogate," by my favorite partisan pundit, via NRO, posted 9/8, via Drudge (9/9). [I thought to myself, the election will be here & gone before you know it, & I won't have mentioned the other candidates a single time.]

Re:  She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named

Taglines from Drudge Report (9/14): [I didn't bother to read all of these articles & I'll just let some of these excerpts stand w/o comment.]

• "Clinton Doctor:  All Good!
• "Chelsea:  Never Seen Mom So Tired . . . "

From Ann Coulter, "Could Hillary Tell Us What % of Muslims Are Deplorable?", posted 9/14, via Drudge (9/14).

From my favorite partisan pundit, "My Brain Injury Made Me Forget, but My Health Is Not an Issue!" posted on NRO 9/6, via Drudge (9/9).

Ditto, "Hillary Humiliated Her Flacks with Her Health Deception," posted on NRO (9/14).

Re:  He-Whom-I-Have-Not-Endorsed

Also from my favorite partisan pundit, "Trump's Moral Equivalence Game Is Right Out of the Left's Playbook," posted on NRO 9/9, via Drudge (9/9). [Concerns DT's glowing remarks re:  his bro Vladimir.]

KUDOs

Tagline from Drudge (9/14):  "Gallup:  Trust in Media Historic Low . . . " [What was left unsaid? Trust in Cornhusker State Blog . . . Historic High!]