Originally posted by: PimpJuice
Originally posted by: Jeff7
<Cites thread as containing numerous examples of why small-talk can be utterly useless.>
small-talk > akward silence
Silences need not be awkward. Why does silence need to be filled with mindless chatter?
"Oh look, there is dust in the corner. You know, dust is a funny thing. Did you know that most dust is made of dead human skin? Do you like cheese? Isn't cheese weird, I mean, most of the time, when milk turns solid, you throw it out, but cheese is solidified milk that can be months or even years old, and it gets that way partly through bacterial action. Did you know that bacteria appeared almost 3 billion years ago? Some bacteria can even survive the vacuum of space...........wouldn't you have preferred it that we both just rode the elevator in silence rather than having to listen to this mindless babble?"
Originally posted by: trmiv
Went to the store to get kitty litter, totally needed kitty litter since the cat was out. I had been reminding myself all day, "stop at the store for kitty litter." So I get to the store, buy about six other things since I was there, get home and realize I forgot to buy the frigging kitty litter, the entire reason I went there in the first place.
If it's one thing like that, stay focused on the one item you need. Get it in your basket, and
then start browsing around.
Originally posted by: Tremulant
I got a $50 GC to Circuit City, so I decided to buy some DVD-Rs and a movie. Got to the checkout and pulled out my AMEX to pay and was about to sign when my brother pointed out to me that I had the gift card.
I'm usually that way with coupons. They'd get stashed in my pocket or with the cash in my wallet (which I never use anyway), and they'd end up forgotten and expired.
New tactic: put them in front of my credit card. That way I can't miss them when I'm ready to pay.
It's how I remember to bring certain items with me before leaving my apartment - association with things I need, namely my car keys. I'm not going anywhere without them, so if I need to bring something, it gets grouped with my keys. If it's in the way, it gets set right in front of the door, so that I need to do something with it before I can leave.