This "tangential societal glue," aside from being the EXACT NAME of
the band I played drums for when I was in college (really, I swear),
is a very nice term for summing up a group of actions that seem to
serve more than the functions of taking money for gas or dispensing
cash at the teller window--actions that are so fundamental that, in
some way, the prospect of living in a world without them seems to be
at least part of the technophobe's lament (which was the other band I
played with). Maybe it's sort of like how manners are more than
just manners, but a demonstrated willingness to connect. Anyway, a
great idea, and a good post--
s finley