Newsweek

I read a few interesting articles in the July23-30 issue of Newsweek.  Don't know of many folks who still read magazines, but I try to take a look every once in awhile.  The first article I read talked about a new exhibit  at the Museum of Modern Art.  The exhibit is all about toys that I or my kids grew up with.  The jist of the article is that kids are actually play less with toys and spending more time on the computer with video games.  This saddened me.  I liked toys when I was a kid, and am pretty sure my kids liked their toys.  I do remember the first computer games and what not--they do change lives.

The next article I read had to do with the up coming presidential election.  Many people don't realize they are not actually voting for president, but for an elector to the Electoral College.  I don't have the time or patience to get into what the Electoral College is, but ever since I learned about it in high school I though we should go to direct election.  Anyhow, the author, Paul Begala, figures that the entire election will be decided by six states, Florida, Ohio,  New Mexico, Colorado, Virgina, and Iowa.  He figures about 916,000 votes will decide the whole thing.  95.4 million of the rest of us? Elect College is basically figured out already.  He figures that $2 billion  will be spent trying to sway roughly the population of San Jose---a little over $2000 per vote.  I found this interesting--maybe it's time to do away with the Electoral College?  I don't know...

The third and final article I read really concerned me.  We've heard of the Baby Boomers, and of Gen X and what not.  They are beginning to call the new generation Generation Screwed.  They were basically writing about the current 18-35 year olds.  It talked about the debt they are facing, both personal and for the public.  They talked about how they are over educated--16% of parking attendants and bar tenders have bachelor degrees.  They have degrees, but there is no jobs for their degrees.  About how the 18-29 year old group has 12% unemployment, which is twice the  national average.  About how high school kids now have to compete with college grads for simple service jobs.  About how there likely will be downward mobility.  About how 58% of college grads don't think they will be better off than their parents.  About how instead of buying homes (can't afford them), it will be a generation of renters.  About how some economists are saying this generation has to have lower expectations.  About how nearly 1/3 of 18 to 34 year old people have put off marriage or having children.  I found this article a little ironic because just the other day I had a short discussion with one of Stew's friends strangely about this same kind of thing.  I worry about these next generations.  I want them to have successful and fulfilling careers.  I want them to be able to buy homes, and to have families.   I want them to be better off than I have been.  I don't want them to have lower expectations.  I hope we haven't screwed them over so much that they are in too deep and are never able to get out.