http://www.sloganeering.org The online magazine of politics and pop culture en-us http://www.sloganeering.org/archive/2005/20050622.html There are many things in this world that just aren't as good as they used to be. People seem less friendly, music is becoming more and more homogenized and bland--even sex has become so routine that a full 99% of the Internet is required to contain the various esoteric fetishes that have proliferated in response to it. But, it gets even worse. Has anybody else noticed that going to the movies just isn't much fun anymore? http://www.sloganeering.org/archive/2005/20050615.html The recent reports claiming that Wal*Mart would stop selling VHS tapes in their stores sparked some pretty interesting reactions, in spite of the fact that the corporate giant released a statement denying the news. The fact that the erroneous reports qualified as “news" on the day after the Micheal Jackson verdict, and Wal*Mart's rapid denial indicates that there's something important going on here. Sure, Wal*Mart was, in fact, not announcing the death of VHS. But it's going happen. Eventually. http://www.sloganeering.org/archive/2005/20050601.html According to a recent study, "cool" kids are far more likely to engage in risky behaviors than their less popular counterparts. Which proves, once and for all, this essential fact: Scientists, apparently, never went to school. Having forgetful parents with an unlocked liquor cabinet is practically a ticket to the top of the social heap in many school districts. http://www.sloganeering.org/archive/2005/20050511.html Compulsion and obsession are not ordinarily well respected personality traits, probably because they're often used to describe either over-zealous fans or the criminally insane. However, amongst those few members of society who manage to be incredibly successful, one of the things we mere mortals are likely to admire is their ability to achieve a laser-like focus. Whether their goals are making huge amounts of money, or winning all-out glory in sports, their single-minded drive is truly inspiring. In fact, those who are able to achieve this monomaniacal focus are rewarded in the most inspiring way possible: with money. http://www.sloganeering.org/archive/2005/20050504.html Think back to those halcyon days of your youth; the leaves were greener, the children were more polite, and as for getting your first driver's license – walk in the park, right? Perhaps not. At least, in most states, getting your driver's license renewed is pretty simple. For now anyway. At the moment, Congress is working to require states to make it more difficult for citizens to obtain licenses. http://www.sloganeering.org/archive/2005/20050427.html What comes into your head when you read the phrase, "The World". A map? A photograph of the Earth taken from space? Go ahead. There are no wrong answers here. That is to say, that most of the answers are either all equally right – or, just as likely, equally not quite right, but not totally wrong. http://www.sloganeering.org/archive/2005/20050420.html The 1.1 billion Catholics out there have a brand new leader, and in record time too. The quickness of the conclave's decision indicates that there was probably a pretty firm consensus right from the start of the deliberations. (Certainly a lot more consensus than during some historical change-overs.) It's going to be hard to explain to our grandkids the spirit of hope and optimism that reigned in the days leading up to the conclave of cardinals' vote. Moderate and liberal Catholics were hoping for someone less conservative than John Paul II; Latinos hoped for a Latino; Africans hoped for an African. Good feelings for the Mother Church were legion. So, of course, the church elders decided to squander them by electing an old white guy, referred to by his friends as "The Pope's Enforcer". Or, perhaps we should say it was the Holy Spirit that did the squandering.