Recently, you may have heard of people talking about the US entering a Japanese-like “Lost Decade”. I’m here to tell you that while that is true, it’s not because of most of the comparisons that are drawn: real estate, inflated credit markets, and currency manipulation. No, the simple truth is that Japan entered the “Lost Decade” because it’s older.

The Japanese are among the oldest per capita. Part of this deals with diet, but a lot of deals with immigration. The Japanese are very reluctant to allow foreigners to live there permanently and very interested in preserving their culture. I’m not passing judgment on this per se, but it’s very important to understand that Japan aged faster than Europe and seemingly light years before the US. Thus as the dominant generation reached its apex there was increasing concerns about the nation’s safety net for the elderly.

Old people, as they don’t like to be called, are expensive for governments. They get sick, they need help, and they generally don’t work. Now, I’m not suggesting “Logan’s Run” as a solution or anything close. Instead, I point this out so that people understand that the New Deal and social insurance programs that encouraged workers to retire with the promise of government aid have turned out to be a Faustian bargain.

The “Lost Decade” was not a crash…but a sort of slow burn that undermined consumer confidence as older workers cut back on spending. This in turn caused the economy to stutter and prohibited younger workers from accelerating quickly. Thus, it became much easier to focus on saving less because there was no illusion that it would lead to a wealthy comfortable retirement.

America, for what its worth, tried to find the Fountain of Youth and avoid all this by…you guessed it….loosening its immigration policies in the 1960s. But so far, that hasn’t prevented the Lost Decade phenomenon because American immigration tends to attracted so called “unskilled workers” that need more social programs to elevate their career potential. (All this means is that most immigrants don’t come here with their PhD and money…they usually come with the need to be educated and the need for capital.)

So one way to look at it, unfortunately, is that 2008 was simply midnight, when Cinderella’s carriage turned back into the pumpkin. And that’s fitting because 2008 marked the year the earliest Baby Boomers would have turned 62.

So if there’s one flaw in all the economic stimulus plans out there for the country its that they only exacerbate a transfer of wealth from the young to the old.  Until there is some tide program that lifts younger Americans’ boats, this “recession” will only continue.

However, some have pointed out that for the post-Boomer generation time is on their side. (And not just for the obvious reason.) One person taking this position is none other than one of my “favorite” academic hype merchants, Richard Florida. He wrote an article in this issue of the “Atlantic Monthly” I’ll discuss next week. I’m actually quite worried:---I might have to agree with him for once.

A lack of free time has limited my penchant for blogging as of late, but now at least, the schedule is freeing up a little bit. As such, I didn’t have time to discuss much of what happened during my mini-vacation over President’s Day weekend. It went something like this.

Pack suitcase for trip to Vegas. Go to work. Meet Chey and Rita after work and head to basketball game between UCLA and Sonoran State. Take luggage with me and close the door on my apartment for nearly a week. Watch perhaps the worst officiated game in the history of college basketball costing UCLA the game, first place, and bragging rights. Spend the night at on Rita’s really nice…but back unfriendly couch.

Wake up. Drive to Vegas. Stop after 90 minutes for a carne asada burrito at the only Filberto’s en route. Allow Rita to sleep. Drive on the Joshua Tree Parkway to the Mohave Desert. Stop. Get gas. Detour to Laughlin. Eat sushi for lunch. Drive from Laughlin to Las Vegas. Pull into hotel parking lot. Find huge clusterfuck. Wait as Rita goes to check in at the porte coche. Have attendant notice flat tire on our car. Pull car aside. Call Triple A. Wait for Triple A to be unable to find my membership because I moved states. Wait for Rita to find out its fucked and uses her Triple A number to get tow truck. Tow guy tells us to get a patch and switches tires. Drive to Discount Tires. Spend first evening in Vegas at tire store. Drive back to the hotel. Rain falls. Buy purse in Grand Canal Shoppes. Stop at food court to buy hot dogs. Fall asleep.

Jolt awake as Rita is covered in hives from an allergic reaction from sulfa drugs she has been taking all week. Call hotel nurse. Find only an EMT. EMT advises reaction is not severe and gives directions to local urgent care center. Rita learns UCC doesn’t take her insures. Calls uncle. Uncle advises her to buy Benadryl and let it handle it. Drive to local Walgreens in the middle of the night. Buy Benadryl and falls asleep again.

Wake up. Rash continues. Watch UCLA choke again to the University of Alta Sonora.  Rita calls uncle back who recommends Cortizone 10. Wait 30 minutes to get car from valet because of large number of people in the World Shoe Convention checking out. Drive to Walgreens. Come back…apply hydrocortisone cream. Head to Fashion Show mall to shop for sunglasses. Eat lunch at NM Cafe. Meet locals. Visit all sunglasses store at Fashion Show Mall. Find out all are owned directly or indirectly by Sunglasses Hut. Walk back and forth. Buy sunglasses. Stop at Dillard’s Head back to hotel.

Stop at restaurant for dinner reservation. See “special menu” because it’s Valentine’s Day and lots of empty tables. Get seated. Eat dinner over two hours in standard French format. Rita goes back upstairs to sleep. Thomas wanders around the Canal Shoppes. Rita calls Thomas after realizing she can’t sleep. Rita redeems gaming credit to use at video blackjack machines. Thomas orders Bellini. Begins to aid Rita’s video blackjack. Couple notice Thomas’s UCLA wristwatch. Start chatting. Thomas helps both Rita and couple improve their odds at video blackjack. Rita loses all her money gets pissed. Storms off. Thomas goes back to room to apologize. Watch Married with Children at 3am. Rita decides she wants to check out early. Thomas tells her he needs more sleep.

Wake up. Preps room to check out a day early. Calls Bell Desk to find 30 minute for bell staff. Thomas decides to check out himself as Rita navigates check out window. Key stops working before stuff is out of the room. Thomas calls Rita. Key reactivated. Thomas dripping in sweat due to case of water schlepped back to trunk. Rita calls. Rita calls Rita calls. Thomas picks up Rita and drives to Costco to fill up gas tank.

Drive to Hoover Dam. Wait for one hour to creep past the Dam. Notice that even five years after visiting the Dam last, bypass is still not complete. Rita gets carsick. Thomas begins to worry. Speeds home on Joshua Tree Parkway. Arrives back in town a little after nightfall.  Drives to Ra Sushi for happy hour. Head back to Rita’s place. She goes to ER after midnight, Thomas watches kids. Rita gets cortisone shot. Hives go away. Rita told by staff her reaction is one of the most severe they have ever seen. Do laundry. Relax. Wonder why the hell people go to Vegas in the first place.

I could go on and on about my trip out of town last weekend to Vegas with Rita…but the truth is…even you don’t have that much time. Worried that our plans might be derailed by not enough money, bad weather, or something related to work….we managed to get settled just in time for Rita to suffer a delayed reaction from sulfa drugs. Unable to find somewhere to take her insurance…we called it quits early and went home. But even this abbreviated vacation led me to a few blogworthy observations:

• At first, it was hard to find any sign of the recession on the Strip. Sure, there were plenty of discounts and deals booking the trip, and lots of foreclosed houses on the freeway into town…but the place wasn’t empty to be sure. After time though, subtle reminders began to appear…from stores advertising 70% off to half-empty expensive restaurants.

• It’s getting really hard to tell the prostitutes apart from normal girls. Short, unflattering cocktails dresses are definitely in vogue. I was already immune to it, but Rita was ready to declare that anyone with thunder thighs should be immediately and forever barred from such outfits.

• Service is really not as good as it used to be. It was obvious that while individuals still give good service…the overall quality suffers because of personnel cutbacks at the various resorts.

• Las Vegas has lost much of its architectural audacity. The transition from the Venetian, with it’s fake canals and high concept, to the Palazzo, with its pit-like casino and boring shopping arcade is stark.  A Las Vegas unwilling to take risks is hardly the Vegas I know.

• The growth in the gaming industry is pretty much tied to the growth of the Asian-American population. Therefore, the industry might suffer for years without growth because of the stagnation of wealth in the AA community. (Not that it’s poor…but that it isn’t getting richer.)

• Waking up every few hours causes one to realize that Vegas still feels busy at all hours of the day or night. It wasn’t intentional, but it sure was instructive.

No sooner did the fax machines quiet down from Signing Day than the weather changed. Gone was the balmy, spring like conditions and back was the cold hand of winter eager to fill the air with a chilly moisture. And in Alta Sonora, that basically killed my weekend plans. No hiking, no mini golf, nothing but indoor activities. And while the rain was not nearly as bad as advertised, it still drove me into the arms of H&R Block to file my taxes.

Still, I had a lot of work to do because I’m going out of town this weekend. And to make matters more interesting, Rita, Chey, their kids, and I have plans tomorrow night too. You see, much as I’ve been a a-twitter about Bruin football…UCLA’s basketball program…you might have heard, is pretty good too. Well as luck would have it, so too is Sonoran State this year….setting up a clash of the titans for control of the PAC-10.

Of course it’s not that simple: UCLA stumbled in some early nonconference games only to rebound (no pun intended) at the start of PAC-10 play. That is, until Sonoran State staged a stupendous comeback and handed the Bruins their only home loss of the season. The timing couldn’t have been worse as the team then went north to the Washington schools. UCLA continued to struggle, escaping with a win (barely) against Washington State and losing (as has been an annual tradition lately) at the University of Washington.

When the Bruins returned home for a four game homestand, they looked reinvigorated, focused, and dominant. But the catch is, victory tomorrow night is not good enough. You see, the PAC 10 Tournament will actually decide who gets the automatic berth to March Madness. But the rumor is that UCLA might struggle to get a top seed in the tournament no matter what, and needs a convincing road victory.

Welcome to Cougar Country.

The campus of Sonoran State though, is actually located in Pointy Rock…not Cougar Country or Pueblo Grande (or Frontierland or Silicon Desert or Menudo Valley). Nevertheless, Alta Sonora isn’t home to that many UCLA (or USC) alumni. There are some, but not nearly as many as one might find in California or Washington. Also, compared to other schools, Sonoran State has hardly been one of UCLA’s major roundball rivals.

It all leaves me to wonder just what I’m walking into….

No, it’s not the world’s worst and most overexposed high school yearbook title…. If it’s the first Wednesday in February, then it’s first day a high school football player can sign a binding letter of intent with a NCAA institution. And lately, I confess, I haven’t paid much attention. But it’s not my fault, really.

By some odd coincidence, the year I graduated high school was also the year that UCLA welcomed the number one recruiting class in the country…both for football AND basketball. It was easy to engross yourself in all the new players (i.e. my neighbors and classmates) who were in the pipeline. But then, for various reasons, the Bruins’s recruiting fortunes declined. By some other odd coincidence, this happened at just about the same time that other school across town was reeling in All-Americans like blue marlin off the coast of Florida.

You know their names: Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, Rey Maualuga, Jeff Byers…okay maybe not…but you know what happened: 3 National Championships. (Nevermind the NCAA propaganda claiming only one of those actually counts.) And really, the main point here is that like any organization…talent is as much a component of success as management and strategy.

So imagine, my surprise when UCLA managed to pull off not one, but four coups on signing day, vaulting the Bruin Class of ‘09 to the Top 25. But you are sitting there asking yourself, who are these guys willing to join a program that didn’t even go to a bowl game last year and who is losing some of its best players to graduation?

Below is a list of the newest Westwood’s newest sons with all the important measurables: Height, weight, speed, and football IQ especially calibrated for UCLA grads.

Jared Koster (MLB): Forget Stan Hasiak, Xavier Su’a-Filo and Randall Carroll….this guy was the real shock of signing day. A serviceable middle linebacker from the Inland Empire, Koster has to be the player that generated the least buzz of them all. He might be good, and he might be great…but he could easily be the guy who has to find a job next season so that the coaches can give his scholarship away to someone else. IQ: Bio 40.

Taniela Maka (MLB): Maka’s defenders argue a serious injury senior year has lowered his stock considerably and that his speed and strength will make us all forget about anyone not named Manti Te’o. Only problem with this theory is that the only other school he took an official visit to was….Washington….yeah…I know. IQ: History 1B, as taught by Teo Ruiz.

Ryan Taylor (OG):  Tyler is the Rose of Texas…but it not exactly Dallas, or even Texarkana. Taylor meanwhile, is actually a JC graduate looking to continue his career in Westwood. Unfortunately he was largely taken as an insurance policy in the event that the school lost out on higher profile lineman. Still his experience might earn him a shot in the line-up. IQ: Astro 3.

Eddie Williams (OG): I don’t know what the allure of Mount Sac is….but plenty of kids seem to like playing there. Williams is in much the same boat as Taylor…having slightly less buzz and time on their hands than say…Stan Hasiak. IQ: Atmo Sci 2

Nik Abele (OT): A player whose stock has been rising steadily, Abele wants (for some reason) to play on the defensive line. He’ll get his shot, we’re told, and then after that he goes back to the other side of the ball. Still, Abele was one reason to hold out hope this time around and he’s likely going to mature into a solid factor on the line. IQ: Pyschobio 15.

Stanjarivus McKay (S): Talented safeties are hard to find, and McKay comes from noted football factory Long Beach Poly. Still with Rahim Moore and EJ Woods hogging the spotlight, McKay will likely arrive in the nickel and dime coverage. Not that I’m complaining…given that the lack of quality depth was brutally apparently in the UCLA secondary when we faced…oh I don’t know….BYU? IQ: Poli Sci 40

Ricky Marvray: (WR): Hoping for that big, tall, fast receiver to soften the blow of losing players like Junior Taylor? Um yeah, Marvray probably isn’t going to help in that department. Ricky is 6 foot, 180 pounds and runs a 4.7 in the 40. Um yeeaaaah. I’m sure he goes over the middle like gangbusters…but probably isn’t destined for greatness. That’s okay Ricky, don’t worry, a UCLA degree is worth a lot more than one from the…Mountain West. IQ: Poli Sci 20

Alex Mascarenas (CB): It’s no secret that Alterraun Verner is going to graduate next year. But that doesn’t explain signing five of them. Allegedly a hold over from the Dorrell days, Mascarenas is one of those guys who I just don’t think will see much time…even though he probably deserves to go to Westwood. IQ: Pysch 10 with Lecture Notes

Sheldon Price (CB):  Sheldon hails from none other than Bishop Amat, the Catholic school counterpart to Long Beach Poly. While that’s good pedigree, its hard to know if Price has the speed to compete for a starting job or join McKay on passing downs. Still, depth is a virtue in college football and he deserves our respect for now. IQ: Anthro 6

Iuta Tepa (DE): A true borderline player, Tepa might actually break on through to the other side (like another UCLA alum) or wallow in serious mediocrity. Given his focus on the defensive line, it’s important to realize he may need serious time to develop and shine. However, any progress will be a welcome development for a defensive line decimated in prior years by the departure of both Justin Hickman and Bruce Davis. IQ: Phy Sci 5.

Dalton Hilliard (DB): Punahou’s Hawaii State Championship was as much the product of Manti Te’o’s phenomenal defense as it was Hilliard’s touchdowns. However, word is that UCLA coaches are making the switch and putting the DH in the secondary. Running a 4.5 40 he’s more than capable there, but you could only wonder how much more Milton Knox must be solidifying his grip on the starting RB job.

Brandon Sermons (CB): It’s going to get awfully crowded in the secondary at this rate. But seriously, Sermons will help build depth at secondary and that’s just about all you can ask for in a pass-happy conference. IQ: ESS 1.

Isaiah Bowens (SLB): If there’s one guy on the team who is happy Manti Te’o wound up at Notre Dame, it’s Bowens. The Bishop Amat senior wants all the tackles for himself.  IQ: PIC 10A

Greg Cappella (OG): Big, beefy Capella was another riser on the draft boards but stayed below the radar of most national programs. He and Abele will probably have the most impact on the caliber of UCLA’s offensive line long term. If he struggles, so will the Bruins. IQ: LS 1

Jayson Allmond (FB):  It’s always tough to get respect as a fullback. Allmond is not being sold as Mike Alstott either. But the season-ending injury to Trevor Theriot opened eyes that depth was needed as much as anywhere else. IQ: Phil 6.

Branden Warner (DT):  Good defensive tackles are notoriously hard to find straight out of school, so UCLA opted to offer Warner as a JC commit. He ended up being one of the human interest stories of signing day, unable to fax in his paperwork because of a charge on his student billing account at Compton College. Good things come to those who wait however. IQ: Math 3A

Damien Thigpen (RB): Coming from Stonewall Jackson High in Manassas, Virginia Thigpen is ironically one of the fastest and dynamic players signed by UCLA. His ball catching skills from the flat apparently compensate for his small stature. Then again, General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was perhaps the brightest offensive mind in the Confederate Army. IQ: Econ 1

Marlon Pollard (CB): Just your typical shut-down corner here. Pollard is likely to anchor the next generation of UCLA’s defense by doing all the things that Verner, and Matt Ware before him. IQ: Physics 6A.

Randall Carroll (WR): If speed kills, Carroll is an assassin. The 2008 winner of both the California state high school 100 and 200 meter relay, the big knock against him is his lack of hands and precise route running. The solution? Let this guy start his collegiate career returning kick offs and take the pressure off Terrance Austin. IQ: Com Sci 31.

Todd Golper (MLB): The very first commit to UCLA in 2009 hails from Arcadia, California which sends plenty of its alumni to Westwood the old fashioned way. While not to be confused with Manti Te’o….Golper plays as the QB of the defense and will add an element missing in UCLA’s defense play…even as dominant as it had been under Dewayne Walker. He did suffer a nasty injury at the end of his senior season however, and has to recover from that to be at top form. IQ: EE 10.

Stan Hasiak (OG): The most reluctant Bruin of them all was thought to be left for dead and playing for California next year when he shocked everyone by coming back to UCLA. A physical, intelligent lineman Hasiak is an instant upgrade to the moribund offensive line and is a real source of optimism. IQ: Physics 1A

Richard Brehaut (QB): Remember when King Richard was THE star recruit of the 2009 class, trying to convince everyone that UCLA was the only place capable of a stellar athletic and academic experience? Well he’s probably busy practicing his timing drills after being outshined by USC’s Matt Barkley at the UnderArmour game. But that’s okay, because after yesterday Brehaut now has the supporting cast to dethrone USC and even go to the BCS Championship game. But first he has to survive spring quarter. IQ: English 10A

Keenan Graham (DE): UCLA’s only victory over USC this millennium was courtesy of frenetic end rusher Bruce Davis who got to then QB John David Booty early and often. While not the biggest of the bunch, Davis used his speed and agility to ruin Booty’s otherwise predicable pace. Funny then, that UCLA would recruit Graham, a rangy guy who needs to hit the weight room but can line up in a position not unlike Davis. Of course, it’s impossible to suggest that Graham alone is going to get the Victory Bell back to Westwood but he certainly will get a lot of help. IQ: Phil 6.

Xavier Su’a-Filo (OG): XSF, as he’s known is the ultimate linchpin towards a rebuilt UCLA offensive line. Shawn Stuart, Andy Meyers, and Kris Ferris are left to shed tears of joy watching UCLA welcome in a player as nasty and developed as Su’a-Filo. Eager to play right away because of a looming Mormon mission, Filo won’t be a factor until 2012 potentially. Still, this isn’t as big a probably as it might seem because unlike skill position players, age will only add to Filo’s ability to build muscle mass. IQ: Hist 125A.

Morrell Presley (TE): The nation’s top tight end prospect, Presley’s defection from USC was proof the football monopoly in Los Angeles is coming to a close. Still, Presley is not a true TE but a H-back that can’t block….What’s that you say why is this guy rated so high? I don’t know but his size and speed mean Kevin Craft (or Richard Brehaut) won’t throw as many INT’s this time around. IQ:  MAE 131A

And of course, who could forget:

Manti Te’o: The Punahou linebacker’s biggest problem has been being overshadowed by that OTHER alumnus who moved to DC this winter. Otherwise, Te’o might have towered over the Islands like no man since King Kamehameha. But no matter, you say, as the Manti Among Boys chose to attend Notre Dame anyway. But rest assured, come 2012 Manti will likely be playing for UCLA. The reason is simple: Charlie Weis isn’t likely to last until he returns from his mission that he is intent on taking, and few schools will want to risk a scholarship on a guy who has been walking through the slums of South America for two years and not keeping himself in great shape. UCLA though, welcomed back Ben Olsen when he was the nation’s #1 prospect and likely would do the same for Te’o. Of course, nothing is ever a guarantee in college football except controversy. IQ: Chem 30BL.

If I say, New Orleans…you say….”Mardi Gras”. I say, Munich and you say…”Oktoberfest.” I say Ko Pha Ngan, and you  might say “Full Moon Party”. I say Calgary, and you scratch your head instead of saying “Stampede”.

So naturally, if I say Cougar Country, I don’t expect you to say “FBR”. But needless to say, if you have to pick one week to be in town, it’s this one. Oh sure, people will tell you that Spring Training is the best time of year to come. That you want weather warm enough to savor the pool…but cool enough to leave the air conditioning untouched. That nothing is better than the smell of bratwurst, armpits, and pretzels.

To which I say….bullshit. You tell your friends, family and colleagues that spring training is not the be all and end all of ones existence. That even if you a huge Cubs fan, a diehard Dodger fan, or just wanted to see the Kansas City Royals in person you say “no thank you”. That is, if you have to choose between that and the FBR.

The reason for this is not because there’s free flowing booze, hot chicks, or even lots and lots of tchochky. It’s also not because there’s lot of people crammed onto a golf course to watch a real, live PGA tour event. And it’s not even because there are bleachers filled with fans that make it sound more like a gladiatorial game than a country club.

No….it’s because (as I realized this weekend) the FBR is Cougar Country. It’s a sign of values, of virtue, and posterity. I went last year largely because I heard it was a fun, party atmosphere. But with Alta Sonora hosting the Super Bowl last year, it was an event filled with the unwashed masses and almost over by the time I had taken a shuttle from the parking lot….bought a ticket….went inside to the food court and found a tuffet to sit on.

This time my partner in crime would be my coworker Brandon, who was eager to go too if not for the libation and sexual energy but for the sunshine, the golf, and the relaxation. And as we sat there watching other lollygag around in outrageous manners…almost as if they were playing the role of fool in a medieval court. But it didn’t matter as they would soon leave and the serious sport would resume.

So what of the these values you say? It occurred to me that among all the cougars and douchebags that there were plenty of normal people who yearned for the type of atavistic sun worship long ago banned by Christianity. That like a tailgate party on the manicured lawn of a college campus, or the start of spring break on a beach…this was nothing more than hanging out, and having a good time. And that the premise of Cougar Country was nothing more than a place to live every day like this moment. Sexual liberty, the cold embrace of liquor in warm weather, and glowing kiss of sunshine….the type of place found only in our dreams.

And like a dream….I soon woke up…and found myself in a very long line to take the bus back to the parking lot. But I was disappointed…no I was overjoyed….because it was at that moment that I really began to understand this place. Sure, you think you know where you are headed when you move somewhere new…but it is only in these Zen-like instances does one really gain insight as to where you have actually come.