By Silver Dollar Dan

Quick, tell me if bicycles were rationed in World War II, because they were not considered being essential to the war effort? Yes, they were, along with the sugar to make bubble-gum, which is why I crashed at age six trying to learn how to ride one of those strange contraptions, while trying to blow a bubble.

My point is that growing up belonging to a generation born at the end of the Depression, and hearing financial horror stories throughout our formative years, and being a member of the smallest age grouping alive today, we were taught certain economic guidelines that have been somehow overridden by generations that followed.

For example in the 1950's 60's, "Happy Days father knows best" family units were told they could afford to buy a house at a recommended government guideline of the purchase price being twice annual income. I know divorced couples where the only thing they will agree upon was that their $10,000 home, even though used to fund a retirement of half a million dollars, that ever-raising local government property taxes that brought about sending the wife off to work to stay afloat, was the real winner/culprit of this philosophy.

Baby Boomers, where both had "carreers", even commuting long distances when gasoline was priced at 20 to 35¢, somehow got past the government broadcasted housing recommendation that no more then a sensible 20-25% of your income go to provide a roof over your head. The prevalent thought here was, as Grandmother had grown up only knowing a "Chick Sales" bathroom, (read outhouse) her children's children totally deserved a separate bath/shower/ and five gallon per flush toilet—which led from a once "stylish" 1000 square feet per ranch house neighborhoods, to today's 3,500 to 6,000 square feet gated ghettos for the rich.

Sorry GenX, and whatever my grandchildren are called. You came along just in time to witness the largest multi-level marketing mess the world has even seen. Even the historic panic involving tulip bulbs in Holland will pale in comparison.