Baby boomers go to Bateman's bay - let the younguns run this town!

The Baby Boomer timeframe for the US wasn’t set by me and I did specifically note it is for the US. I don’t recall making generalisations based on the generational tag, but was pointing out that The Truth was doing so and erroneously.

Those exit polls linked also show that white people, particularly men, vote Republican. Ditto the higher the education level attained the more likely the person is to vote Republican. Let’s not allow our prejudices to assume a single cause.

It is intellectually lazy to claim a moral high ground on foreign data and then dispute the bits you don’t like.

poptop said :

And your evidence for this bizarre claim would be what?

The only way to get a reasonable estimate of the voting patterns the exit polls that showed that once you hit 45 and older you tended toward McCain

see http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/

The whole “generation” thing is so arbitrary and stupid anyway. As a baby born in the early sixties, what on earth am I supposed to have in common with my parents born in the thirties? Yet we are all supposedly “baby boomers” ….

I don’t think so!

More of my friends are from my daughters’ generation in any case, quite accidentally as it happens.

Poptop, I am a ’62 baby and I’m definitely gen x, not boomer – ie I don’t own heaps of stuff like boomers are supposed to, AND I am paying HECS! I suspect the so called boomer timeframe is too wide to make accurate generalisations.

I thought Baby Boomer meant people born from parents who had lived thru ‘the war’ – ie not the Second World War generation, but the one after it.

Gen X and Gen Y have had their day now too.

I’m looking forward to using the new market jargon for the next gen: the Millenials! Truly a sci fi ring to that! M

And your evidence for this bizarre claim would be what?

Debatable – BUT if the vote of the boomers had counted their man was McCain.

LOL

In the US, Baby Boomers are those born up until 1964 – so Obama is still a boomer.

Ahh the last of the babyboomer presidents has past into the night and now the rise of x-er generation (he already looks more hopeful and striking – certainly more articulate)……. its time……

Well here’s the possible answer to the housing availability?!

Granny said :

Euthanasia.

You know it makes sense.

Soilent Green!

… or maybe Logan’s Run.

“From a person from gen-y: stirred408, you’re a complete idiot.”

Either side of the lake 😛

Maelinar said :

@thetruth – on account of your comment Duke nukem (if this a actually exists) already places your pedigree notwithstanding the spare letter which serves as a reinforcement point and your confirmation that you are a Gen X’er in latter posts.

‘Your an inspiration for birth control’ – springs to mind. Go bittorrent a bit of learning while shooting aliens (and watching soft-porn).

What? – I am sorry I have no idea what you are trying to say here. Can anyone help me? Am I missing something?

@thetruth – on account of your comment Duke nukem (if this a actually exists) already places your pedigree notwithstanding the spare letter which serves as a reinforcement point and your confirmation that you are a Gen X’er in latter posts.

‘Your an inspiration for birth control’ – springs to mind. Go bittorrent a bit of learning while shooting aliens (and watching soft-porn).

From a person from gen-y: stirred408, you’re a complete idiot.

In terms of the orginal post – the leader of the opposition is an x /y-er (and second most popular politican by the numbers)and the person that recieved the largest swing against them personally (despite competing against a bunch of nobodys) was the Boomer CM.

Actually when I think about it – I think the assembley is largely x-ers and younger.

Gallagher is an x-er, Barr is an x-er, Dozpot’s a boomer, Stanhope is a Boomer, Seselja is an x / y-er, Corbell is an x-er, Rattenbury x-er, Brendan Symth boomer (just), Jeremy Hanson – x-er (I think), Caroline Le Couteur – Boomer, Mary Porter – Boomer, Vicki Dunne – Boomer, Joy Burch – Boomer, John Hargreaves – Boomer, Amanda Bresnan – x-er, Alistair Coe – y-er, Meridith Hunter – x-er.

Just goes to show I have way too much time on my hands, but once I got so far……

So the electorate most in the grip of boomer-dom is Brinabella – with 80% of its members being boomers. The least is Molonglo with 85% being x / y-ers.

Stanhope is the last of the dinosuar boomer leaders (but when Katy or Andrew take over that era will past into the annuals if history – just like the last of the Boomer presidents tonight

radonezh said :

Granny said :

As Joh would say: “Don’t you worry about that!”

Glad to see that someone else here can remember a Joh quote or two.. I thought it was a dying art.

My personal favourite was during the Joh for PM push “I’m here in Perth for the Melbourne Cup” he was in Perth for the Americias cup

I actually agree with what you say – but as a voting demographic the boomers have dominated the agenda for a very long time.

Yeah, I’ll pay that one, your example is good, too. The baby boomers have certainly been influential in the lives of the Gen X and Y’s. The question is whether Gen X (us) will be as influential in future years, and whether this influence will be remembered favourably.

Granny said :

As Joh would say: “Don’t you worry about that!”

Glad to see that someone else here can remember a Joh quote or two.. I thought it was a dying art.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy said :

Yeah, I’m a 90 year old black lesbian dwarf – how do you think I feel?

I would say you feel leathery..

stirred408 is a no-talent, attention-seeking ar$e clown. Discuss….

Looks like I’ll be your huckleberry

I’m just glad no-one ever has ever had anything bad to say against short fat people.

Don’t get me started on useless short fat people clogging up the career paths…

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy said :

It seems to me that regardless of generation and age there are some people who naturally get ahead and some who don’t. Of course, there are generational tendencies that are fairly plain, but they seem more attitude based to me. It’s worth remembering that a lot of baby boomers grew up with far inferior ‘lifestyles’ to the majority of Gen X and Gen Y, and learnt frugality from parents who lived through the depression. (Personally, I’d be struggling to identify a Gen Y person I know who could even SPELL frugal, but that’s their issue, not mine). The baby boomers worked hard for a long time, and are now reaping the benfits of their hard work. Of course, Gen X are stuck in the middle, but are now working their way into positions of power and influence, and are in many cases earning very well, especially compared to baby boomers of the same age.

FWIW, I’m a Gen X, but I believe personal character and behaviour go a long way toward determining ‘success’ – however you choose to measure it. To me, whinging about other generations and blaming them for your own loserdom is downright pathetic.

I actually agree with what you say – but as a voting demographic the boomers have dominated the agenda for a very long time. The free university education followed by HECS is a classic example of how as a generation with voting power they have dominated the debate of the day. HECS is a very fair system, but most boomers did not have to contend with that expense while they were establishing their economic base. Top tax rates fell as they hit them, GST favor saving over consumption (as you age you have more saving and less consumption as a portion of your income).

That said I have met many boomers that despite all this institutional privilege have managed to rise to their own level of uncompetency and screw it up. Just as i have had the privilege of working with some extraordinary gen y’s and gen xers.

I must say if i was keeping score I think I have seen more boomer space wasters in the public service than truely talented (and I have seen a few of them).

Yeah, I’m a 90 year old black lesbian dwarf – how do you think I feel?

All this ageism, racism, sexism makes me sad.

I’m just glad no-one ever has ever had anything bad to say against short fat people.

It seems to me that regardless of generation and age there are some people who naturally get ahead and some who don’t. Of course, there are generational tendencies that are fairly plain, but they seem more attitude based to me. It’s worth remembering that a lot of baby boomers grew up with far inferior ‘lifestyles’ to the majority of Gen X and Gen Y, and learnt frugality from parents who lived through the depression. (Personally, I’d be struggling to identify a Gen Y person I know who could even SPELL frugal, but that’s their issue, not mine). The baby boomers worked hard for a long time, and are now reaping the benfits of their hard work. Of course, Gen X are stuck in the middle, but are now working their way into positions of power and influence, and are in many cases earning very well, especially compared to baby boomers of the same age.

FWIW, I’m a Gen X, but I believe personal character and behaviour go a long way toward determining ‘success’ – however you choose to measure it. To me, whinging about other generations and blaming them for your own loserdom is downright pathetic.

I too am a peeved gen x’er that is sick of being too young and too old at the same time. Boomers have socialised when they had nothing and privatised when they had everything – and then complain about having to help their kids!!! (as a dangerously sweeping generalisation)

^^ What he said (radonezh in #36) ^^

ROFLMAO

As a cynical Gen-X’er, I have the following to say:

Baby Boomers, hear me now, if you really must block the highways with your wretched million-dollar caravans, go and do it in someone else’s country (like Tasmania), and stop whining about the Gen-Y’ers. Though they are selfish and have the attention span of a gnat, at least you people had access to free education and reasonably priced homes.

Gen-Y: Shut up and stop whining about the Baby Boomers. Though it’s true that they greedily squandered our country’s inheritance (and for that, they most certainly deserve our scorn), they’ll all be dead soon. Have patience, you ironic, self-centered brats. And here’s a tip – invest in poker machine companies, caravan suppliers, and nasal-delivery technology pharmaceuticals.. it’s your best bet at picking up your inheritance again.

🙂

There.. that feels better. There’s nothing like offending two thirds of the population in a fit of sweeping generalizations, is there?

stirred408 said :

Admit it Overheard… I am your favourite RiotAct blogge!!!

If you checked the actual figures you would see that there are only three demographic ages that the ACT has a higher proportion than the national average over 20 to 34 (ie gen x gen Y)

deye said :

stirred408 said :

too right ageism is alive and well.

These people over 50 are clogging up top positions in the public service so it is hard for the younguns (who are struggling to buy their first house) to earn a higher income. While the baby boomers are onto their third or fourth investment property.

Doesn’t seem that bad to me. From a APS5 to an EL1 in two years in my early 30’s seems to indicate no “clogging up” of positions. Of the EL2’s around me only 1/3 would be over 40. The SES are a little older, but not by much.

Good point, well made, deye. These days, very talented younger people get in to the APS higher up the rungs because of their quals, experience and above all else, their aptitude, and they go ahead in leaps and bounds. Typically they leap-frog the older folks who get all bent out of shape while they’re floundering in the mid-ranking APS and upper APS levels.

stirred408 said :

too right ageism is alive and well.

These people over 50 are clogging up top positions in the public service so it is hard for the younguns (who are struggling to buy their first house) to earn a higher income. While the baby boomers are onto their third or fourth investment property.

Doesn’t seem that bad to me. From a APS5 to an EL1 in two years in my early 30’s seems to indicate no “clogging up” of positions. Of the EL2’s around me only 1/3 would be over 40. The SES are a little older, but not by much.

Admit it Overheard… I am your favourite RiotAct blogge!!!

Word!

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

Ah WMC , pithy yet pointless.

stirred408 has written 23 comments for The RiotACT, but has made five front page posts – two in the last two days. These posts have included the gems “What was that noise in Belconnen?” and “Why do people honk their horns?” Its latest post ponders why the second-youngest population in the country is so old.

stirred408 is a no-talent, attention-seeking ar$e clown. Discuss….

Much as I don’t like to stomp on a relative newbie, um, yes, again I have to agree. But I’ll leave it to other to develop the theme as I’ve had my two drachmae on topic.

CTRL+ALT+DEL+IGNORE+TROLL

rosebud said :

Which generation invented hair straighteners! Which generation invented rap music and techno music? Which generation created computer games like Duke Nukem? And other great inventions benefiting the human race?

Duke nukem (if this a actually exists) is just the modern version of cops and robbers, armies and the quintiessentially racially motivated cowboys and indians. Hair straighteners are the opposite of hair curlers. and “oh that modern music sonny with the shaking and the lose words” – so familar? more reason to let go….

Let go with dignity and style in the knowledge that your wonderful parenting skills produced a generation of people that are capable and reasonable…. if not you reap what you sow

Ah WMC , pithy yet pointless.

stirred408 has written 23 comments for The RiotACT, but has made five front page posts – two in the last two days. These posts have included the gems “What was that noise in Belconnen?” and “Why do people honk their horns?” Its latest post ponders why the second-youngest population in the country is so old.

stirred408 is a no-talent, attention-seeking ar$e clown. Discuss….

BerraBoy68 said :

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

Discuss….

F.ck off.

Ah WMC , pithy yet pointless.

Au contraire. I could count on one hand the times I agree with WMC, but on this occasion I must concur.

What a morass of unwarranted, unsubstantiated, opinionated (yet unprovable) pile of geriatric buffalo tur ds. (What stirred said, not WMC.)

Far too much in there to refute, but how about this for starters: “They [the older generation] are opposed to everything new.”

You need to get out more. Do you?

In several of the groups I work with, play with, am involved in events with, meet up with at folking weekends, many (not most) are in the 60+ bracket. And most of these people are the most active, open-minded, creative and enjoyable people to be around.

One example: on Saturday night I was MC for three acts that were absolutely ripping it up in the Guinness Tent at a far-flung festival, and while the main crowd up the front were in the 18-25 bracket, a healthy proportion around the periphery and giving it a bit of a red hot go on the dance floor from the mid section down to the bar at the back were hovering around the 55-70 mark.

In fact, in the front row of the mosh pit was a gnarled old Kiwi poet of indeterminate age that some of you may have seen around town, Campbell the Swaggie.*

By way of academic conclusion to my thesis, may I just summarise: what Woody Man Caruso said.

* Just in the process of loading up my weekend onto picasa, but there’s another one from September there already: http://picasaweb.google.com/OverheardProductions — note the old geezer with the shaved head and purple hair. Rather than being tucked up in front of the footy at home on a Friday night, he was playing song after song after song for all the punters in the front bar at ‘The Friendly Inn’ at Kangaroo Valley.

thetruth said :

There was a great book about 10 years ago called “Ganglands” about how the boomers just will not let go and let the next generation (gen x in this case) have a go…..

Shades of Young Mr Grace from Are You Being Served, eh?

Who knew boomers were immortal and indestructable?
Cool!!

Don’t hold back doormat. Give the bludger both barrels!

Stirred 408 said “These people over 50 are clogging up top positions in the public service so it is hard for the younguns (who are struggling to buy their first house) to earn a higher income. While the baby boomers are onto their third or fourth investment property”

WTF are you on about Stirred 408 – Dont be afraid to work your way up the public service (or private sector) rather than expect some older person to just move out of the way so you can get a larger income and purchase a house because you are a young gun. Perhaps we could introduce a card that allows all young guns access to the front of all lines at shops etc cause you are so important and anti clogging – pull your head in and stop smoking crack!

Which generation invented hair straighteners! Which generation invented rap music and techno music? Which generation created computer games like Duke Nukem? And other great inventions benefiting the human race?

These people over 50 are clogging up top positions in the public service so it is hard for the younguns (who are struggling to buy their first house) to earn a higher income. While the baby boomers are onto their third or fourth investment property

Bastards, they should be shot. How dare they work for 40 years and be earning good money and buying things.

Redistribute the wealth! Viva la revolution! Wait till the capitalist pig boomers are up against the wall and they change their tune!

How dare they earn more money than people straight out of uni or school.

The boomers have been very deft at redistributing wealth their way for some time. Which generation got free university education? Then which generation bought in HECS to ensure that their kids paid for their? Which generation taxed wealth highly, until they became wealthy and then started cutting high end taxes? Which generation made superannuation compulsory and made the employer pay it? which generation made superannuation tax free when you take it out? Which generation got all the economic benefit of pollution and left the next generation to pay for it with a ETS Tax (despite knowing about it in the 1970’s)? Which generation took all the gains from highly leveraged investments for over a decade and then wants Government to step in and pay when the downside of leverage occurs?

Now i don’t disagree with most of these changes, but the time seems to be when the boomers wanted it. You watch them get very toey about health and age pensioners in the next few years.

While it may seem as if over 50s are ‘clogging up’ the system, we should be very cautious about the New Broom mentality – a lot of corporate knowledge goes out the window and productivity falls drastically for some time. We had a Head who got rid of everyone who made her feel ‘threatened’ – ie, those older workers who knew stuff she didn’t – and hired a whole lot of energetic young people (she saw herself as a mentor – admirable, but she did not do the nitty gritty herself!).

Unfortunately, energy and enthusiasm proved not to be a substitute for know how. It all went pear-shaped for some time . . . and (hilariously), this person has retired to become a life coach!

There was a great book about 10 years ago called “Ganglands” about how the boomers just will not let go and let the next generation (gen x in this case) have a go…..Well(depending on how you define generations) – we are about to have our first gen x President of the USA (and he is afro-americian significantly) and say good-bye to the last of the boomer presidents in Bush (good legacy for the boomers to leave huh). Poor ol McCain (who I actually have a lot amount of respect for)he has past his use-by date. His time was 2000 (2004 if there was no incumbent)and the boomers had to put one of their own in…… dear of dear

the quote on the cover of ganglands says it all (remember it was back in 1997 so add 11 years to the age of the quotee)

“I’m 33 and ready for my first cardigan yet whenever I read the paper I feel like I’m back in short-pants. Let go of the wheel, you old farts, and let someone else have a drive”

The financial meltdown is the markets way of saying you held on for too long…….

In the ‘olden days’ kiddies, ladies who worked in the public service but had the temerity to get married were sacked immediately. Because everyone knew that a married woman had only one thing on her mind, domestic bliss. But in the new millenium, where we know that if a women tries really hard she can be just about as a good as a man and keep house, raise children and bring in an income with a full time job – well, instead of discriminating against them, we could now insist that anyone over 30 ‘ride the carousel’ because they are past it anyway. And they’re bludgers too.

Stirred408 can you say how old you are? Just out of curiosity. Give a couple of years either side if you like – or stick to Generations.

Well, look, they should definitely make it 30 I think. That way there will be so many more job vacancies.

I think so. 50, 30, not much in it really if you consider anyone old a bludger.

Wasn’t Logan’s Run over 30?

Canberra could be the first to establish a Logan’s Run republic. Bring on the Carousel. Now who should be first…hmmmmmm…

As Joh would say: “Don’t you worry about that!”

You must have started early is you are a granny at 45!

Woo hoo! Another five years before I hit the firing squad!!

*chuckle*

under 50 can mean 45 aswell as 18 Thumper!

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

Discuss….

F.ck off.

Ah WMC , pithy yet pointless.

*hehehe*

; )

According to the ABS, the median age of Canberrans is 34.6, second youngest after the NT.

More detailed age distribution is available here.

More interesting is the distribution of age by suburb. There are going to be some prime inner north and south properties coming onto the market in the next few years.

But don’t let facts get in the way a good argument.

Euthanasia.

You know it makes sense.

too right ageism is alive and well.

These people over 50 are clogging up top positions in the public service so it is hard for the younguns (who are struggling to buy their first house) to earn a higher income. While the baby boomers are onto their third or fourth investment property.

I know that there is a skills shortage and governments and are supposedly finding it hard to fill public service vacancies – but it is mainly at the bottom level.

What the answer is – I don’t know… but I just feel like having a whinge…

Discuss….

F.ck off.

Ageism is alive and well.

Well I heard something on a radio report a year or two back that some 50% of the Canberra public servants are going to retire within the next 10 years I think they said.

So I guess that means the answer to your question is no. Meaning the career development opportunities for the rest of us should open up nicely.

And the various grad programs continue to bring vast numbers of young people into town, many of whom stay on after their rotations.