random history thoughts

[The Cat]

Oh yeah we are doomed. People can't fathom choosing policy over personality but that's mostly because US media does thought experiments about "who you would want to have a beer with?" These idiots picked Trump, a known teetotaler who despises people that drink, to have a beer with. Speaks volumes his voters but the libs do exactly the same thing.

Manufacture outrage and consent at the same time and you can get away with anything you want because at a certain point the stampede drives itself. Usually right over a cliff.

 

[The Cat]

https://preview.redd.it/op0chvwb2syb1.jpg?width=960&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=f4de1c2ab4ca6f78e29273bc3a4d4cbd9f648138

www.reddit.com

el BJ looking like a cross between Bond villain and aging country singer

I would listen to that album.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

the "sixties" as we think of them are basically 1963-1969, the "seventies" 1970-1981, the "eighties" 1982-1991, the "nineties" 1991-2001. Obvio
And again, this is all based very much on an amerocentric view of modern history and I realize generational cohorts and historical periods are defined differently in other nations and cultures

When would the youngest millenials have been born?

 

[Totenkindly]

Semi-related, I think study of generational cohorts is more interesting and precise when we narrow it down to micro-generations. elder X'ers are a lot more similar to Boomers than they are to the youngest Xers. Elder millennials have more in common with generation X than they do with the youngest millennials, and so on

Well, that would be expected as the "generations" are arbitrary (if even) slices of the American populace. It's a continuum rather than hard brackets.

That being said, Boomers as a whole irritate the shit out of me in a way that all the later generations do not, despite my being close to the older border of my generation (I'm 1968, typically Gen X "starts" at 1965). I held my tongue so much growing up and/or checked out because of the shit I had to listen to and then a lot of other stupid things I've heard them say and do over the years and just the judgments that they would pass, while not being willing to step back and give other generations a chance to shine. I am so much firmly in my kids' camp than theirs overall. I think any connection I have to the Boomers is most apparent to me when I am now watching my kids pass through their mid-20's and finding I have more silent expectations for where they should be career-wise and such in order to enable the best possible future for them, wondering if any of them will ever marry and have kids, etc... getting irritated with what looks sometimes like a lack of motivation or goals. (And again, I'm not even an overly ambitious person myself -- it's more about self-positioning against an uncertain future where I will help others but I am under no pretense that anyone is obligated to look out for me in turn, so I need to prepare for the road ahead. That's pretty Gen X though, in a way. Latchkey kid, you have to take care of yourself.)

I'm actually very aware of it inside and don't really say a lot to anyone including them about it, because I'm also a "fuck you" Gen X kid in understanding the value of independence and walking one's own path -- and needing to accommodate change. There's a lot of change culturally that has occurred that I did not expect but found myself pleasantly surprised by -- and some things I wasn't as comfortable with but was challenged to grow and change with the times... and knowing to keep my mouth shut until I figured it out, rather than doing a more Boomer thing like preaching at everyone. It's humbling to see my own limitations and try to figure out how to be a good parent when I either detached from my own parents and/or they didn't really contribute directly to me aside from the material necessities growing up.

 

[The Cat]

I grew up with a large, long lived and extended family for a time. I grew up invisibly hearing the stories of the youths of my great grand parents, my grand parents and my parents. It was so not like the shows put it. There was just so much that you didnt talk about or aknowledge because when you grow up in hell you could be killed for pointing out the flames. And everyone would just keep on keeping on. It's hard I suppose to relate to kids these days when when you were a kid, you were essentially just meat for predators including animals, and serial killers. When your house is filled with poison and the CIA is programming your upbringing its hard to wrap your head around the new generations wanting to be seen and heard as that would only get the shit kicked out of you if it were a good day. Now Im not saying any of this justifies anything, but its always made me think and wonder when I think of my own perspective with age. There's a reason fables work for people. Your subconscious knows you're an animal regardless of what your frontal lobes want to tell you. it floors me to think that 80 years ago, I'd either be a family secret or with needles in my eye or electro shock. As much as I'd like to I can't judge the older generations as irritating considering that they didnt start the fire. Wow Billy Joel really is a genius. Geroge Carlin and Rod Sterling were prophets. It dont get much more random in history than that.

my adhd so loves random thought threads.

 

[The Cat]

When would the youngest millenials have been born?

depends on which study you want to look at. -sometimes its 1982, sometimes its 1984. The dates don't all agree in the offical sources out there, I think Doc does a much better job dividing the lines above, but that's what a masters in Pop culture as a passion gets you. It's the best education one can hope for these days without pawning your soul.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

depends on which study you want to look at. -sometimes its 1982, sometimes its 1984. The dates don't all agree in the offical sources out there, I think Doc does a much better job dividing the lines above, but that's what a masters in Pop culture as a passion gets you. It's the best education one can hope for these days without pawning your soul.

Really? I always thought it included the entire 80s. My world is shattered.

I guess I need to start being obsessed with TikTok now.

 

[The Cat]

Really? I always thought it included the entire 80s. My world is shattered.

I guess I need to start being obsessed with TikTok now.

It's ok, by the time you're ready to start publicly coming out as letting yourself get into tik tok. Tik tok already has you. Don't panic. This is our universes version of the lament configuration. It's just the puzzle box. The egirls are just cenobites, and they have such sights to show you. What's your pleasure?

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

It's ok, by the time you're ready to start publicly coming out as letting yourself get into tik tok. Tik tok already has you. Don't panic. This is our universes version of the lament configuration. It's just the puzzle box. The egirls are just cenobites, and they have such sights to show you. What's your pleasure?

Little green ghouls.

 

[Totenkindly]

Man, I just don't get TikTok. That is like the clearest sign of my Gen X nature.

I didn't much like Twitter either but I understood it.

*wants to go back to happier days playing Zork on an Apple IIe

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

I was born in 1981, a day after Reagan took office. I consider myself more millennial than X, although the label Xennial is pretty appealing and I think it is pretty accurate for people born between 1977 and 1983. The Star Wars babies, the kids old enough to remember pre-internet/social media and analog technology, but also tended to enthusiastically welcome new technology and the advent of the world wide web. The kids who were promised the world at the turn of the century (many born of boomers who just assumed their kids would have it as good as they had it and reinforced this message ad infinitum), but became disillusioned and jaded by the international and economic crises of the early 21st century. Millennials, especially the elders, were in my opinion the last generation to care and the first generation to give up--or maybe the Xers gave up first, I dunno. Most zoomers I've encountered (my son, his friends) are not overly pessimistic, but just seem to have this resigned attitude about the state of the world, that it's already fucked, and they're just enjoying it while it lasts.

My problem with boomers is they have overstayed their welcome. It's not that their old age is the issue, but the fact they continue to hold so much sway and decision making power, often benefitting their own fears and morals without caring how it affects the younger generations. Look for instance at the generations Presidents were born into. We had a decent number from each but it seems like every President since Clinton has been a boomer. That's more than we had from the WWII generation. Time for new blood.

 

[The Cat]

Change is a result of recognizing the patterns and acting on it. A groundhog day is living the same cursed day over and over again regardless what you do. Society is trapped somewhere between the two.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

When would the youngest millenials have been born?

I would say tail end of the 90s. I think most consider the cutoff '95 or '96. Those just old enough to remember 9/11 and the Bush II admin

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Well, that would be expected as the "generations" are arbitrary (if even) slices of the American populace. It's a continuum rather than hard brackets.

That being said, Boomers as a whole irritate the shit out of me in a way that all the later generations do not, despite my being close to the older border of my generation (I'm 1968, typically Gen X "starts" at 1965). I held my tongue so much growing up and/or checked out because of the shit I had to listen to and then a lot of other stupid things I've heard them say and do over the years and just the judgments that they would pass, while not being willing to step back and give other generations a chance to shine. I am so much firmly in my kids' camp than theirs overall. I think any connection I have to the Boomers is most apparent to me when I am now watching my kids pass through their mid-20's and finding I have more silent expectations for where they should be career-wise and such in order to enable the best possible future for them, wondering if any of them will ever marry and have kids, etc... getting irritated with what looks sometimes like a lack of motivation or goals. (And again, I'm not even an overly ambitious person myself -- it's more about self-positioning against an uncertain future where I will help others but I am under no pretense that anyone is obligated to look out for me in turn, so I need to prepare for the road ahead. That's pretty Gen X though, in a way. Latchkey kid, you have to take care of yourself.)

I'm actually very aware of it inside and don't really say a lot to anyone including them about it, because I'm also a "fuck you" Gen X kid in understanding the value of independence and walking one's own path -- and needing to accommodate change. There's a lot of change culturally that has occurred that I did not expect but found myself pleasantly surprised by -- and some things I wasn't as comfortable with but was challenged to grow and change with the times... and knowing to keep my mouth shut until I figured it out, rather than doing a more Boomer thing like preaching at everyone. It's humbling to see my own limitations and try to figure out how to be a good parent when I either detached from my own parents and/or they didn't really contribute directly to me aside from the material necessities growing up.

I consider 1968 or anything born after '64 pretty firmly in the X cohort. Good year, you got to see a lot of great culture and interesting times. I'm envious, I barely remember Reagan. You got to live through Nixon and Jaws

 

[Totenkindly]

I consider 1968 or anything born after '64 pretty firmly in the X cohort. Good year, you got to see a lot of great culture and interesting times. I'm envious, I barely remember Reagan. You got to live through Nixon and Jaws

Well, I was alive, but I don't remember them first hand. The first political things I recall are voting for 1976 president in elementary school, the gas embargo (having to go to the pump on assigned days), and then Reagan delaying the release of the hostages Carter worked on freeing. After that, my memory is more consistent.

I think it's cool I was alive when we set foot on the moon.

I didn't see star wars in the theater, although I did see bakshi's LOTR. I did see star wars on a betamax home system, and did see tesb in the theater.

 

[The Cat]

Well, I was alive, but I don't remember them first hand. The first political things I recall are voting for 1976 president in elementary school, the gas embargo (having to go to the pump on assigned days), and then Reagan delaying the release of the hostages Carter worked on freeing. After that, my memory is more consistent.

I think it's cool I was alive when we set foot on the moon.

I didn't see star wars in the theater, although I did see bakshi's LOTR. I did see star wars on a betamax home system, and did see tesb in the theater.

The fancy future of home entertainment. God was their anyone who didnt think Betamax was the future back then. I miss our betamax player.

 

[ceecee]

Man, I just don't get TikTok. That is like the clearest sign of my Gen X nature.

I didn't much like Twitter either but I understood it.

*wants to go back to happier days playing Zork on an Apple IIe

Yeah I always feel like an outlier Gen Xer for liking TikTok (although a lot of it is concerning. Using 9 chemicals to clean a toilet at the same time and cop videos should be removed immediately because both of them have the capacity to kill you quickly). However, I really enjoy cleaning and organizing vids and that's generally the orbit I stay in.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Betamax was the superior format, it's too bad it didn't catch on. Smaller tapes too, looked better on a shelf.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Betamax was the superior format, it's too bad it didn't catch on. Smaller tapes too, looked better on a shelf.

I don't think I've ever seen a Betamax cassette. I did pick up in Goodwill once some interesting kind of camera that used a rotary format, reminding me of a ViewMaster in a way. The Kodak Disc 3600, it was called.

 

[Totenkindly]

Aside from just never knowing what I would want to say/record on something like TikTok (I don't like the format), I hate the way if I try to watch a feed, it used to blast immediately at 100% on my system. I think it's had a sound control built in at some point, or at least I might have managed to find one on some content, that I can use to not blow my eardrums out when the vid plays.

---

In regards to historical event recall from a young age, when I was responding to those here who were born later, it's good to recall that in the 70's you didn't have the Internet or in rural areas no cable TV (and MTV came out when, 1981?). Basically if you couldn't get a TV channel reception with your rabbit ears, you were hosed and you basically just got 4-5 channels plus maybe some public broadcasting channel where I lived. So there was newspapers, radio, weekly mags like time or Newsweek, and the main TV networks if you watched the scheduled news hour. This was the age when it was still considered prudent to own hardcover sets of encyclopedias in your house (I had two -- a kids oriented one and the "adult" one) for information. My parents might have watched 60 minutes, we'd watch wonderful world of Disney on Sundays.

So I got no real news when I was a kid until I was in middle school and we'd discuss it in social studies class or there was something huge that hit the TV. Instead of current events, I was either reading a ton of fiction in my room or running around outside or doing crafts in my spare time. It was a really interesting time and not as many distractions as nowadays.