Tim, I'm glad it wasn't more serious.

I think a lot of woodworkers have just had to figure out how to use their tablesaw and never had any real instruction. Two key rules that I was taught are: (1) to never stand directly behind the stock situated between the blade and the fence; (2) NEVER REACH ACROSS THE BLADE... NEVER!

A friend sent me a Youtube link some time ago showing a demo of the SawStop inventor demoing the SawStop. My first impression was that his tablesaw technique was awful, no wonder he had to invent a saw that would protect him from himself.