Flash Mobs: This, like most novel things, seemed amusing the first time, like a brief dada show of hands, gone like a cloudburst down the storm drain:

In New York City, hundreds of people burst into applause on the mezzanine of the Grand Hyatt hotel at 7:12 p.m., then quickly disappeared.

In San Francisco, about 200 came out of nowhere to whirl like dervishes across Market Street, attracting confused stares from tourists.

Now, the new phenomenon called a ''flash mob'' is coming to Harvard Square.

Also, like most things, repetition of it has a dulling effect. Jesus, now everybody's gonna want their own mob network, and the rest of us poor, tired bastards who just want to buy a pack of smokes and go home will have to slog through the provocative absurdity running shin-deep in the streets.