MARCH 22, 2001

Full News Archive

• Headline: Japanese Games: A Growing Obsession. Impact: Thanks to hard-core gamers' insatiable thirst for Japanese titles, we now have an entire subculture of otaku, countless memes about 'nani?!', and a thriving market for overpriced retro games. Who knew that a few pixelated characters could lead to the creation of entire anime conventions?. Fact: Did you know that buying a Japanese game often requires a special console? Because nothing says 'I’m committed' like spending twice as much for a game you can’t even play without a custom system!.
• Headline: German Economic Confidence Hits Record Low. Impact: The plunge in German confidence led to years of economic policies and reforms that ultimately transformed the EU's economic landscape. So, thanks, 1999! You just had to set the stage for a decade of financial crises and bailouts in Europe.. Fact: Did you know that 'confidence' is just a fancy word for 'hope'? And we all know how well hope works in economics—just ask anyone who invested in Beanie Babies..
• Headline: Intense Vote for School Control Ahead. Impact: The battle for those five schools kicked off a trend of privatizing education that would eventually lead to endless debates about school vouchers, charter schools, and whether or not we should just let robots teach our kids. Spoiler: they probably wouldn't do much worse.. Fact: Did you know that the expression 'it takes a village to raise a child' is often replaced by 'it takes a controversial vote to decide which company gets to run the school'? Ah, democracy!.
• Headline: Picasso's Carnal Carnival. Impact: Picasso’s exploration of eroticism not only influenced modern art but also made it acceptable for artists to have an identity crisis in public. Who knew that a bunch of suggestive paintings could pave the way for an Instagram culture obsessed with the 'artistic' nude?. Fact: Did you know that Picasso once said, 'Every act of creation is first an act of destruction'? Pretty deep for a guy who painted a bull's head made from a bicycle seat..
• Headline: Mysteriously, Real Estate Rolls On. Impact: The resilient real estate market led to an era of bloated housing prices, multiple bidding wars, and that delightful phenomenon known as 'house-flipping'. All thanks to the stubbornness of buyers who just couldn't resist overpriced shacks.. Fact: Did you know that buying a house is basically just a fancy way of saying, 'I’m ready to make the worst financial decision of my life'? Because nothing screams 'adulting' like a 30-year mortgage!.