At Least They Don't Do The Wave

Summoned by e-mails, random strangers have been gathering at specific times in predetermined places this summer to engage in miscellaneous collective action. If this sounds vague, that's because it is. Whether the phenomenon, referred to as a "flash mob," is a cure for the ennui of the wired generation or an incipient form of social protest may be open to debate. But what is clear is that flash mobbing is global, and it's spreading. One mob recently gathered in New York City's Central Park, mimicked bird calls and chanted "Nature, nature" for 20 seconds at 7:26 p.m. and then left. Another...

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