Active Shooter! Ahhhh Shoot!

So yeah, I was in Psych class and there was some beeping in the hallway that nobody really paid any attention to. Turns out that means Active Shooter on campus. Anyway, we turned off the lights and locked the door and sat against a wall for like half an hour. Most people were giggling and suspecting each other. It was all rather ridiculous. I was the only one with a laptop and I kept checking the PCC website for news but they didn't post anything until like ten minutes before they let us out of lockdown. I guess (from all the second and third hand reports of the "cell reporters" in the class) there was a suicidal person in the building next to us threatening their life and the lives of anyone who stopped them. Fun.

The Story of Stuff

I think everyone should see this. It puts everything into perspective. If you know a little about the subject or a lot it is still a great way to see The Story of Stuff.

Social Impediment Complications

Lately I have realized as I get older I tend to shorten my salutations to passerbys and/or neighbors. The innocent wish of "Good Morning" has become "Mornin'", "Good Afternoon" becomes "Afternoon" and so on. Then there is the head nod. In a culture that thinks it is rude to look at other people needs an escape route. Enter the Nod. It can mean "Hey, what's up?", "I acknowledge your presence as we walk past each other in silence" or the most common "I was just staring at you and you looked at me too so now without having a conversation or any more awkward ogling we should both agree to an exit plan to get out of this contract we just initiated with our eyes".
I think I might have to get more creative and do a little jig as I go by or just hand out info cards telling all the basics about myself before any other inital contact. Wouldn't things be interesting if we were all blind and had to grope our way through greetings? What if we met like dogs? We could all just tattoo our names on our palms and just wave our introductions. That might cut down on handshake transmitted disease.