VTam, I completely agree about the herd instinct, and was aware of the marketing geniuses that exploit it. For me, I guess it's an advantage of dipping my toes in the autism spectrum that I mostly stand on the outside looking in, watching the mob and wondering what they're going on about. But just look at USA politics over the past few years and watch the herd swing one way, then the other way, then back and forth- it's kinda scary.