Word: genericism
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...generally fed up. But this morning's Gallup Poll numbers in USA Today suggest otherwise; Democrats may have reason to panic. Bush's approval at 44% isn't great, but it's a 12-month high. Still better news for the G.O.P. is the so-called "generic " - in which likely voters say whether they plan to vote Republican or Democratic in congressional races this fall. The result - a 48-48% tie - is potentially catastrophic for the Democrats. Recent polling history suggests the Dems need at least a 5-point advantage in the generic just to break even in the midterms...
That said, these parental advisories also seem to tap into an even broader need for meaning. Their elevated aims and empty jargon bring to mind the corporate-mission-statement craze of the '90s, when companies composed pithy statements of purpose that were so generic and laden with buzzwords (Optimizing! Adaptive! Empowering!) as to lose all meaning. Even now one drugmaker aspires "to provide society with superior products and services by developing innovations and solutions that improve the quality of life and satisfy customer needs, and to provide employees with meaningful work and advancement opportunities, and investors with a superior rate...
...they held a convention for racial purity, I would never make the guest list. Like most other Latin American families, mine is a multiethnic stew that has left me with the generic black-eyed and olive-skinned look typical of large swaths of the world's population. My father's family is from Peru, my mother's from Chile. Their parents were born and reared in South America. Beyond that, I know nothing about my ancestors. That was fine by me--until the new and growing industry of personal DNA analysis created a need I never knew...
...Generics: A good number of patients still ask for "the good stuff" - the actual brand name drug - not the generic forms. By law the pharmacy has to give you the far cheaper generic pill unless the doc writes "DAW" (Dispense As Written) in the little box on the script. It's easy for the doctor to do this - it takes less time and effort to write the three letters than to convince you you're wasting money. I've never seen any significant difference between the generic and branded versions of the drugs I prescribe. Neither have the colleagues...
...story of how Jackson wished and willed Snakes aloft is already a legendary bit of movie lore. After production began, the studio, New Line, tried to change the title from the so-stupid-it's-brilliant Snakes on a Plane to the hopelessly generic Pacific Air 121 while also cutting out the geysers of scripted violence to get a PG-13 rating. Jackson summoned his "Am I the only sane man on earth?" streak of indignation to encourage like-minded moviegoers--who want to see snakes bite people in painful places while they try to join the mile-high club...