It could be interesting to have a society where dead or fictional characters become part of the conversation, having a voice and a lasting ongoing presence.

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She argues that the herbivores are rebelling against the salaryman generation of their fathers, consciously turning away from the macho mores and conspicuous consumption of that era.

Their low levels of spending and lack of interest in sex invoke two of Japan’s biggest problems: its lackluster economy and declining birthrate.

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As another group of teens burst into the railway station and begin firing, security forces installed there come to see what the commotion is. And it’s entirely clear what the commotion is. There are kids with guns shooting and killing people. But the security guys can’t believe their eyes. And they can’t rouse themselves to action. Some run away. Other just stand there with their mouths open. (Eventually, with great bravery a couple throw themselves into action. One dies as a result.)

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The massive UN peacekeeping effort in eastern Congo has failed to deliver a knockout blow to Rwandan rebels while local insurgents have seized new territory under its nose, United Nations experts said today. Far from resolving the root causes of the violence, the presence of the world’s biggest peacekeeping mission has aggravated the conflict in North and South Kivu provinces, the report seen by Reuters today.

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