Jim Tankersley writes, “My generation, Gen X, is in far worse financial shape than our parents were at the same age” because boomers “soaked up a lot of economic opportunity without bothering to preserve much for the generations to come,” then lavished debt-based spending on themselves. As a final act, boomers expect substantially more from Social Security than they paid for, with the bill handed to future generations. Greenhouse gases are an engineering problem with practical solutions; the baby-boomer-caused addiction to government debt may prove more damaging.

Just Sign an Unknown Off the Street and Rep Him In. It Works for the Patriots. Before last week’s trade deadline, the Broncos, hit by injuries at offensive tackle, tried to obtain Pro Bowler Joe Thomas from Cleveland. According to Mike Klis, Denver offered its 2016 second-round draft choice and its 2017 first-round pick for Thomas and the Browns’ 2016 third-round selection.

Since Denver’s 2016 second-choice will come low in the round while Cleveland’s third selection comes high, basically this exchange of picks would be a gratuity — “Here you are my good man, here’s your 2017 draft choice and I’ve thrown in a little something for your trouble.” And like future money, future draft choices must be discounted to present value. A rule of thumb is that N.F.L. choices discount one round per year: A first-round selection in 2017 is worth a second-round pick in 2016, a second-rounder in 2017 is worth a third-rounder in 2016, and so on. Viewed this way, the Broncos offered a second-round draft choice, plus a dollar in the tip jar, for a Pro Bowl left tackle in his prime. Cleveland was wise to say no.

Trick-or-Treats Defeat Tootsie Rolls in Battle of the Halloween Candy Unis. The Browns might not be 2-7 if Coach Mike Pettine could motivate Thomas and his linemates to stop standing around. Watch the series in which Cleveland, trailing 7-0, reaches first-and-goal on the Cincinnati 4. Thomas brushes his man and then turns around to watch as the Browns’ runner is dropped for a loss. Then Thomas brushes his man and stands watching as Johnny Manziel is flushed from the pocket and throws the ball away. The possession ended with a field goal. On every goal-to-go down, at least two Cleveland offensive linemen simply stood watching, doing nothing.

Cincinnati leading 14-10 in the third quarter, Cleveland faced fourth-and-inches on its 21. When the punt unit trotted in, T.M.Q. wrote the words “game over” in his notebook. Cincinnati needed just five snaps to reach the point where the ball would have been, had the Browns gone for it and failed. A cellar-dweller doesn’t best an undefeated club by using fraidy-cat tactics.

Luke. Recycle the Scripts, Luke. The Wall Street Journal reports Disney asked Penguin Random House to delay the novelization of the next “Star Wars” movie, owing to “fears that printed copies of the book, which would have to start rolling off presses long before they could hit stores, could be purloined by people who want to spill plot details online.”

Fears of leaked plot details for the seventh in a series in which the first six movies have been nearly identical! Sorry, Disney, T.M.Q. will reveal the plot of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”