Too Easy

VNews Item: Facebook employees at their California headquarters have the following amenities:

Micro-kitchens stocked with Red Bull, chips, and snacks. None of that non-caffeinated stuff for these pioneers of e-business.

Vending machines with free soda or computer accessories. "Damn, I pressed the wrong button and got a USB cable. How can I drink that?"

Storefronts including a bike repair shop and a dry cleaners. "Whoops, I crashed my bike on the way to work and ruined by corporate casual outfit. Not to worry. I'll just hang out in my cubicle dressed in my underwear while my bike is fixed and my clothes are cleaned."

A full-service bar. "Tired of being called a computer nerd and getting beat up by rednecks at regular bars? Come to work at Facebook. Bad haircuts, lousy wardrobes, and questionable personal hygiene are all you see at our on-campus bar."

Two gourmet cafes plus roaming food carts. Facebook offers gourmet dinners along with drinks, repair shops, and cleaners. Why even go home from work?

Not to sound like a crotchety old guy, but kids today have it too easy. The Facebook Generation had Pizza Day and soda machines at their high school cafeterias. We Children of the 60s had lunches concocted from government surplus meat and cheese and drank milk. Like it or lump it. Off to college, the Children of the '00s ate at the Dining Commons featuring hot or cold buffets, a Salad Bar, pizza or cereal around the clock, a dessert bar, and even beer at the more progressive schools. We had Beef-a-Roni, jello with entrained fruit cocktail, milk, or Kool-Aid. Not in the mood for Beef-a-Roni? Too bad. The Snack Bar doesn't open until 8 PM. Now the Facebook Generation goes off to work and gets all this good stuff listed above? When I started at Air Products back in 1972, its cafeteria seated 200 (Campus population was about 1,500), but it was never crowded because it served the same crap we so fondly remembered from high school. The classic was "Porcupine Balls", essentially meat balls with embedded rice that led to no end of sophomoric humor.

No question, the Facebook Generation has it too easy.