I agree about 'how are you?' asked by someone the first time you meet them. It feels very intrusive to me. Probably because, unlike 'how do you do?', it seems to demand an answer and 'what the hell's it's go to do with you?' seems the obvious one. I occasionally fantasize about replying, 'Thanks for asking, I've got terminal cancer, but hopefully still a week or two to go!' or 'Actually I think I've got an acute episode of my chronic paranoid schizophrenia coming on', but have never quite had the nerve.