Word: fad
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...empire would do well to learn its lessons. In the sacred texts of neoconservatism, imperialism is everywhere. Six articles in the latest issue of the National Interest deal with the subject. In the Weekly Standard, Max Boot - whose recent book, The Savage Wars of Peace, kicked off the whole fad - concedes that "formal empire is passe" while arguing that in carrying out President Bush's policy of democratizing Iraq, "it would be a grave mistake to look for an early 'exit strategy.'" The length of time U.S. troops would have to stay in Iraq, Boot writes confidently, "will have...
...ingrained in the culture to be entirely forgotten. Major sakemakers are targeting new markets, such as young women, with innovative products and sales pitches. A change in the tax laws has encouraged small and midsize kura to produce more profitable, premium sake, a move that has ignited the current fad for jizake, or local sake. And kura big and small see potential abroad, where a sake boom has stepped up demand. Despite its troubles--or perhaps because of them--the industry is producing its best sake ever...
...through skirts from Japan: fad or fiction? Last month, an Australian newspaper reported that skirts with thongs painted on the derriere are the latest fashion craze to hit the streets of Tokyo. Subsequently, according to major international newspapers, photos of Japanese women supposedly sporting the risqué garments were circulated widely in an e-mail that claimed, “What you see below are skirts made to look as if the panties are visible—they are the current rage in Japan...
...interest in all things paint by number resurfaced a few years ago, and the fad seems to be gaining steam. Vintage finished pictures are now being avidly collected, and new sets are being made. The Smithsonian Institution was host to an exhibit called "Paint by Number: Accounting for Taste in the 1950s," which led to a book, Paint by Number, by William L. Bird Jr. Designer Todd Oldham, who has been collecting the canvases for 20 years, recently taught the Today-show audience how to make Valentine's Day presents with paint-by-number kits. Sean Cisewski, inventory-control manager...
...Unfortunately, this new deflation-busting zeal may be nothing more than a reformist fad that mistakes a symptom for the disease. No doubt Japan is experiencing deflation. But with consumer prices falling less than 1% annually for the past four years, it's hardly a deflationary spiral. In fact, much of the price decline stems from increased competition in newly deregulating industries, such as telecom and retailing. What's more, falling prices are generally good for consumers and businesses alike if they come with productivity gains that allow companies to preserve profits even as they cut costs. So today...