On the fence? Is it comfortable up there?

Come on, Fagstein, everyone and their sister is against this project. All three municipal parties, the Department of Public Health, neighbourhood residents, environmentalists...the only ones in favor are the Chamber of Commerce and the Trucker's association.

So come out in favor, come out against, whatever you feel is right.

But take a stand, please. You stay up too long on that fence, your butt's gonna get sore.

Speculation aside, a 5-to-1 cop-to-civilian ratio strikes you as inadequate? Then the force really is doing something wrong. Obviously, standing around like totem poles and/or pursuing petty crimes is not a good model for policing when the pressure turns on.

The "flash" part of the flash mob was singing "Ring Around the Rosie" and dropping on the ground. This song, some traditions say, including "The Annotated Mother Goose", has its origins in the Great Plague (see the wiki entry on this concept). And we stayed inside 10 minutes...give us that! how many political demos manage that?

See this little Youtuber (skip the blah-blah and cut to the 3 minute movie): http://tinyurl.com/n9vren

I totally agree with your basic thesis, that the flash mob is dead. You are right.

But it's bastard children are awe-fully fun. I like to think the bastard offspring of Burning Man and "the Interwebs".

Perhaps we need a new name for them: got any ideas?

(PS flattered that you came for a visit!)

Well, clearly our fundamental philosophies differ on this, so I won't take you any further off topic. But I'd love to know (with the exception of post-hockey-game rioting) what "out of control" events you have in mind?

On the other hand, what else could you call it?

A protest?

Anyway, yea, it seems that "flash mob" seems to have entered the language as a generic term which is somehow unsatisfying as it tends to blend the well intended efforts of citizens on local or global issues with marketers who just want to sell jeans. On the other hand, what else could you call it?

Are the lower echelons of Montreal’s police force completely overstaffed, or what?

No. They were overstaffed for this particular protest, but the police have been caught with their pants down too many times when an event got too big for them to control. Better have them send too many than too few.

Are the lower echelons of Montreal's police force completely overstaffed, or what? Can we save a couple loonies and lay these fine loafers off? Surely some of them can go into a useful civic service: Firefighter, paramedic, English interpretation for mayoral candidates, etc.