A hodge-podge of throw-away gestures

Saturday, cold and heavily frosted. At first glance, out the bedroom window early this morning, it looked like it had snowed. The outside thermostat read 32° F (0° C) when I ambled downstairs. Forecast calls for clear and cold today, but a PNW kind of cold, which is to say low forties.

I didn't post yesterday. My morning commute was to an early morning allergy test to see if the last three occasions when I got violently ill after eating meals which contained either clam, crab, or shrimp meant I had developed a shellfish allergy. The testing came back negative, so I will be able to pick a date (carefully) on which to test a nice bowl of clam chowder (or, to really give myself a test drive: cioppino!) and see what happens.

The testing consists primarily of two rows of little drops of various concentrated flavors running up both forearms, then pricking each bubble to introduce the flavor under the skin. The result looks like a cross between a heroin addict's arm and a box of chocolate, simultaneously attractive and alarming (which is which depends on your point of view, I suppose).

One of the clinic employees sat behind a counter with two or three signs which told patients to check in at the front desk then just be seated in this area because this area would be electronically notified you had checked in. In compliance with this process the employee behind this desk had that well-practiced art of seeing nobody and never allowing eye contact. The art of working at a desk in a fish bowl. The use of body position, downward angled head, brisk intentional pace to all actions, all designed to say, "I am very very busy here and am not just waiting here to answer questions; ignore me as I am ignoring you." I have worked in such conditions before, I recognize the actions, and it is an exhausting way to have to work. She had my sympathy for all but the frequent open-mouth cough she wasn't bothering to cover.

Finally, to my Facebook friends who are changing their FB pictures this weekend to a cartoon from your childhood and encouraging others to do the same in order to, "join the fight against child abuse": my picture is already a caricature of my own face. This is the same face (sans the facial hair and with more hair on top) that I had in my childhood, so I feel I am more or less in the spirit of this new fad. It could even be said I have lead.

However, maybe some of you could help me understand how changing my FB picture to a cartoon from my childhood (which is a fun idea in and of itself, by the way) allows me to also "join" (a term which distinctly implies I am not already on board) the fight against child abuse? This piece of this current FB social experiment is confusing me.

My current theory is that that bit has been stuck on just to create a false sense of social pressure to comply (do this or else be branded as in favor of child abuse!), much like all those email threads which get endlessly passed around because they have cute pictures combined with some tail-line like, "Pass this on to ten people you know in the next three days or you will suffer horrible bad luck and an orphanage will collapse on Christmas day."

So I am starting my own Facebook picture counter-challenge: refuse to change your Facebook picture this weekend to show you are willing to join the fight to end all truly awful human behaviors toward one another, other creatures, and our environment. Also, to not trivialize serious issues with throw-away gestures.

I'm saddened to think my failure to change my FB picture this weekend might now brand me, at least among my FB friends, a child abuser, though. It is a steep potential price to pay for being an intentional social activist.

I thought y'all knew me better. ;-)

No commute music on a Saturday morning, but last night we joined mom for her church's Christmas program. With a very professional production, full band and orchestra, and huge choir, it was a great program and very good music to boot. Tonight we get to enjoy the Roosevelt HS's annual Ellington Nutcracker concert with friends. Good stuff!

- Posted via iPad.