[lowem]

Transformers, MASK, Robotech/Macross, Gundam, Galaxy Rangers, Centurions. Knight Rider, Airwolf, Blue Thunder. All mostly wonerfully high-tech, far-out technology. That's what I remember from the 80's.

Today we have Terminator : The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Still technological, but much more violent and grittier and nastier. End of the world. Fits the times.

[lowem]

... and the crowds. 2 million people here in Singapore when I grew up, 4.5 million nowadays, and they're aiming for 6.5 million. All without tripling the land mass. There's been a lot of land reclamation but it ain't magic, we're up maybe 30%, but that's nothing if they're aiming for 200 or 300% population increase.

Getting really crowded here. But of course if the economy goes further south we might expect some of them to return to their home country, and less of them coming in. Could be in for a surprise drop.

Anyone else remember the times when the roads were a lot less jammed, end to end style?

[BlisteredWhippet]

And as time goes by, I see less and less energy to enact the revolutions required mentally and politically. Obama taps into this or he doesn't. If he does not, he is a false leader.

The bottom line is that although I think it is up to Gen X, Gen X is far from being in a confident position. Its like Star Wars, except you start out the quest without the Force or the Old Wise One (Boomers). So much time past on Tatooine while you twiddled your thumbs (or screwed them in thumbscrews) that the Dark Side built TWO Death Stars.

Sympathize with GenY. Their future is being "mortgaged" as we speak. Do they even know they've been robbed, the poor bastards?

And Boomers, hurtling toward social security (NOT), heedlessly clinging to status quo, unable to give up their "investments in everyday life".

In order to reach these recalcitrant assholes, you have to reach back to someone who can box their ears- the Silents before them, like This Guy

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '
')The Future
Jacque Fresco On The Future
Interviewed by Noni Durrani 10.15.07, 6:00 PM ET

What is needed is the intelligent management of Earth's resources. If we really wish to put an end to our ongoing international and social problems we must eventually declare Earth and all of its resources as the common heritage of all the world's people. Earth is abundant with plentiful resources. Our practice of rationing resources through monetary control is no longer relevant and is counter-productive to our survival.

Today we have access to highly advanced technologies. But our social and economic system has not kept up with our technological capabilities that could easily create a world of abundance, free of servitude and debt. This could be accomplished with the infusion of a global, resource-based civilization where all goods and services are available without the use of money, credit, barter or any other form of debt or servitude.

What's something that totally surprised you?

Whatever happens in the world is real, what one thinks should have happened is projection. We suffer more from our fictitious illusion and expectations of reality.

LINK TO THE ORIGINAL POST ON FORBES.COM: forbes.com/technology/2007

[ReverseEngineer]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BlisteredWhippet', 'T')he bottom line is that although I think it is up to Gen X, Gen X is far from being in a confident position. Its like Star Wars, except you start out the quest without the Force or the Old Wise One (Boomers). So much time past on Tatooine while you twiddled your thumbs (or screwed them in thumbscrews) that the Dark Side built TWO Death Stars.

[mos6507]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ReverseEngineer', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BlisteredWhippet', 'T')he bottom line is that although I think it is up to Gen X, Gen X is far from being in a confident position. Its like Star Wars, except you start out the quest without the Force or the Old Wise One (Boomers). So much time past on Tatooine while you twiddled your thumbs (or screwed them in thumbscrews) that the Dark Side built TWO Death Stars.

[mos6507]

One more thing about Generation X. Like I said before, the marketers largely ignored GenX since it was a smallish demographic. Once GenXers started to develop some buying power, they went after them (in a patently obvious way) with things like this:

[flash width=425 height=344]http://www.youtube.com/v/8P6_jMNDL44&hl=en&fs=1[/flash]

Here is one more skillfully done:

[flash width=425 height=344]http://www.youtube.com/v/f_chne5Rg54&hl=en&fs=1[/flash]


So just as the boomers lost their counter-cultural idealism to become the "me" generation of the 70s, GenXers have been in the process of being converted from cynical grunge types to Hummer driving McMansion owners. So there is this passion play at work for the hearts and minds of Xers while they are in their prime consumer age bracket.

[galacticsurfer]

Gen X is supposed to be conservative, patriotic and insular voted more for Mccain 30-49 age bracket. Not liberals definitely. So hummer might do well there and shoot em up games.

[mos6507]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('galacticsurfer', 'G')en X is supposed to be conservative, patriotic and insular voted more for Mccain 30-49 age bracket. Not liberals definitely. So hummer might do well there and shoot em up games.

[PrairieMule]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mos6507', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ReverseEngineer', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BlisteredWhippet', 'T')he bottom line is that although I think it is up to Gen X, Gen X is far from being in a confident position. Its like Star Wars, except you start out the quest without the Force or the Old Wise One (Boomers). So much time past on Tatooine while you twiddled your thumbs (or screwed them in thumbscrews) that the Dark Side built TWO Death Stars.

[VMarcHart]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PrairieMule', 'W')ouldn't it just blow Gen Xer's minds to know that Star Wars was ripped off almost verbatum from a old Kurosawa film called The Hidden Fortress. The princess, the old samurai general, the rebellion, the farmer leaving home to go on a great adventure, the two bumbling servants, and above all else quest to "deliver the package".

[BlisteredWhippet]

Its obviously true that GenXers are a diverse group.

But the format of the stories that people are told that inform their life paths is similar: A call to sacrifice. A rescue mission. A single redeemer. All wrapped up in supernaturalism.

"Lord of the Rings" was another such story.

I do think that a great mass of Xers aren't in any shape to even symbolically fulfill those ideals. They had the stuffing beaten out of them thoroughly as latch-key kids getting a truly second-rate education. Now, most are on a downslope. If it wasn't for medical technology, I'd say they were on their way to early senescence. Take them out of their cars and mass whining would ensue. In many ways they haven't been tested.

But this is the same criticism levelled at Boomers: never been tested. If there is a difference, it has to be that GenXers are more willing to accept a redefinition of everyday life simply because they will have more and more to gain as shit unwinds.

I question whether or not they have the ability to make the changes and adjustments that need to get done. Many Xers successfully made the transition into prototypical Boomer-types. Many have invested their whole lives in the present scheme. To many, the "survival" mindset is couched in terms of survival- for the status quo to which they have hitched their fortunes.

[PrairieMule]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('VMarcHart', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PrairieMule', 'W')ouldn't it just blow Gen Xer's minds to know that Star Wars was ripped off almost verbatum from a old Kurosawa film called The Hidden Fortress. The princess, the old samurai general, the rebellion, the farmer leaving home to go on a great adventure, the two bumbling servants, and above all else quest to "deliver the package".

[galacticsurfer]

Strauss and Howe give Gen-X as 1961-1981 birth dates.

Genearation theory of Strauss and Howe allows for 4 generations per cycle with ca. 20 years per generation. A generation is marked by a critical event. The children who can experience this event consciously (2-3 years old) blong to that generation. So Kennedy's murder was teh event for the backdating of Gen-X to 1961. End of WWII dates baby boomers back to 1943. Therefore the new silent Generation would be backdated from 9/11 2001 2 years or ca. 1999 birth. So-called Millenials or Gen Y they dat from 1982, using Reagan'S 1984 morning in America speech as a pointof departure. The silent Gen they put at 1927, 2 years before the crash of 1929. So this is very systematic and not completely arbitrary. The 4 generational types come in a regular cycle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Strauss

Hero (GI generation-Millenials/Gen Y)
Artist (Silent generation-Gen Z)
Prophet (Missionary/Boomers)
Nomads(Lost gen./Gen-X)

[PrairieMule]

Interesting thing about Star Wars, you can't really talk about Gen X w/o SW surfacing. It's even more interesting when doomers draw on Star Wars when they are discussing doom.

I just think it's ironic that one of the most defining events of our life time was borrowed from different culture and generation. We Gen Xers revel in irony. Of course we didn't invent irony but certainly act like we do.

[Pops]

The Xers ain't stupid or unskilled.

Each generation thinks the ones before ain't so tough. But we have no idea what they know or their capabilities.

We old farts better hope they are smarter than us.

[VMarcHart]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', 'W')e old farts better hope [s]they[/s] we are smarter than [s]us[/s] them

[Pops]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('VMarcHart', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', 'W')e old farts better hope [s]they[/s] we are smarter than [s]us[/s] them

[BlisteredWhippet]

The S&H generational theory is also American. It is not a theory that explains history in terms of other cultures.

As for the SW story, I think its relevance is simply that it is a mass shared cultural experience, of the "Hero's quest" type, which is a story format that probably predates written communication.

Great art touches on and borrows from classic themes. Always has and always will.

On the issue of scarcity, it all depends on what someone expects. Standards, however high, can be adjusted. Even feelings, bent out of shape from adjusting to new realities, doesn't amount to a serious danger to quality of life.

The danger, if my reading of S&H holds, lies with the people who are in power, overreaching in an effort to hold onto it. Boomers represent the majority of wealth and power. If they hoard it and direct its uses toward ends with no future, then obviously that is a problem for everyone.

[mgibbons19]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BlisteredWhippet', '
')The danger, if my reading of S&H holds, lies with the people who are in power, overreaching in an effort to hold onto it. Boomers represent the majority of wealth and power. If they hoard it and direct its uses toward ends with no future, then obviously that is a problem for everyone.

[galacticsurfer]

http://www.generationaldynamics.com/cgi ... ww2010.hom

John Xenakis has extended the S& H concept to other cultures