Here's a good presentation of the argument against, one that is accepted by many English speaking countries and the majority of American non-academic styleguides (which, as you suggest, are primarily newspapers and magazines).

Personally, I use the serial comma, but I agree with the con argument that 90%+ of the time it serves no functional purpose and so to the extent that a rule is needed it should be simply that the comma is mandatory only when its use eliminates ambiguity.

Whereas my college courses taught that either was correct.

Ironically, I use (and prefer) the serial comma.

Anyway, everybody knows 'apostrophe' is pronounced "Appa-stroaf". So there. Nee'ner

punctuation
exclamation
indication
declaration

sometimes I think
I'll stick to unguided poetry
this is how my brain works anyway

no worries of crossing lines
outside the jurisdiction
of the grammar mafia

still, appreciate
good usage
have my share of angst






especially elsewhere on the internet.

Okay - who here (besides me) feels the needs to circle the errors? I know that no one else is going to see the page but I really want to circle them all with a big red marker. (as if someone will then make them correct?)

Is that why there is white out and sharpie on your monitor?

If only I could remember this. I am constantly getting this wrong and I've tried to get a good pneumonic device to help me out, but to no avail.

I'm sorry, but . . . bammo!

At least you didn't say "pneumatic device." That would have been quotable.

Mnemonic. I even put my original bad spelling of it into google search to get the "correct" spelling. Apparently there is just no way to get around bad spelling.