In the comment section of a recent post about an impending "Intra-Generational Conflict" one reader (IM) observes:

I call these trustfund babies the "rage against your allowance" generation.

VDH sees something similar, but afflicting the entire culture in "The Plague of Success:"

What explains this paradox of public disappointment over things that turn out better than anticipated? Why are we like children who damn their parents for not providing yet another new toy when the present one is neither paid for nor yet out of the wrapper?

more...

Posted by: Demosophist at 12:38 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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This article, from the Chicago Sun Times explains why so many of these folks seem like such brats:

Harris, 19, is in her second year at Loyola University. But she has no desire to distance herself from her parents now that she no longer lives at home. Nor does she plan to rely less as a college student on her parents for help or advice.

"Something happens, your first thought is call Mom,'' she says. "Mom will fix it.''

The record number of students now at colleges and universities are bringing with them something not seen as much on campus in generations past: their parents. The current generation of students, experts say, increasingly chooses to maintain strong bonds with their parents. With cell phones and e-mail, they're able to stay in touch to a degree not seen among previous generations. The strings are so tight some experts have come up with a name for these college students -- the "coddled generation.''

I'm sure there are some good things about remaining close to your parents, but the contrast with the folks in this LA Times article by Robert Kaplan (who are from the same generation, ironically) could not be starker:

Regardless of whether you support or oppose the U.S. engagement in Iraq, you should be aware that that country has had a startling effect on a new generation of soldiers often from troubled backgrounds, whose infantry training has provided no framework for building democracy from scratch.

At a Thanksgiving evangelical service, one NCO told the young crowd to cheers: "The Pilgrims during the first winter in the New World suffered a 54% casualty rate from disease and cold. That's a casualty rate that would render any of our units combat ineffective. But did the Pilgrims sail back to England? Did they give up? No. This country isn't a quitter. It doesn't withdraw."

I see trouble brewin' when Group I clashes with Group II. More at The Belmont Club.

Posted by: Demosophist at 04:30 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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A UCLA study linking news media reporting to Americans for Democratic Action political scorecards found a "significant" bias to the left:

"I suspected that many media outlets would tilt to the left because surveys have shown that reporters tend to vote more Democrat than Republican," said Tim Groseclose, a UCLA political scientist and the study's lead author. "But I was surprised at just how pronounced the distinctions are."

Of the 20 major media outlets studied, 18 scored left of center, with CBS' "Evening News," The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times ranking second, third and fourth most liberal behind the news pages of The Wall Street Journal.

Via The Drudge Report.

Posted by: Bluto at 12:07 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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Two finals to give today. A haiku dedicated to the Scantron.

A, B, C, or D?
Number 2 pencil on thee
all hopes and dreams rest.

No blogging for me.

UPDATE: Consider this an open mike in comments section and open invitation for co-bloggers to, you know, pick up the slack.

Posted by: Rusty at 09:35 AM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
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You ever notice that so many grandmothers seem to die during finals week?

Posted by: Rusty at 09:58 AM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
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