Mergers and Musical Mobs: The Weekly Poll

Last Week's Poll: We Go Shopping

Last week we invited you to advise us on on what major acquisition or merger the Consilium Consulting Group should be considering. Here was your (as ever) sage and helpful advice.

• Only 5% of the readership thought we should acquire Lululemon - a great disappointment to Ron, who is deeply into both Yoga and recreational fashion.
• 11% of you advised us to buy out Google.  No go. Your move, Mr. Gates.
• There was a two-way tie for second place. 16% nominated Ada's Diner on Bank St., the official Diner of Consilium: and 16% voted for Amberwood Golf Course.

But fully 50% of you told us to get out there and buy the United States of America. Slightly used, recently devalued, but still lots of good stuff. (Disney World! That really nice restaurant Fred went to in Chicago! Myrtle Beach!).

So we're going to put in an offer. The only remaining question - if we actually do buy the USA, where are we going to put it?

 This Week's Poll: Flashmobs

A flashmob, flashmobbing.

Okay, you've seen them on YouTube. Or maybe you've even been there when it happens. A bunch of people are sitting, peacefully enjoying a burger in food court/waiting for a train/reading in a park. And suddenly someone stands up and inexplicably starts to sing. After a verse they're joined by five more people, then ten, then twenty, and  before you know it, the whole food court/train station/park feels like a badly choreographed nightmare of Andrew Lloyd Weber's.

Now, we don't deny that the idea had a certain charm once upon a time. And we will even confess that we have harboured a secret wish to be caught up in the middle of a singin', dancin' Flashmob. But it must be said that they have begun to engender a certain - weariness. Annoyance, in fact. Is that simply the encroachment of curmudgeonhood, or do you feel the same way? Are flashmobs:

a) A fresh and delightful way to promote various worthy causes?
b) A once amusing idea now past its best before date?
c) This decade's answer to mimes?

All right, Cultural Commentators- let's comment, culturally. The Consilium Poll - The Only Poll That Matters - is open!