E-mail Manners

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmVd8MT9XyA I love HOWCAST. Here is a great clip on e-mail manners. The interesting thing is, that when I sent out the quetion regarding lol and what it refers too, everyone came back with lots of laughs. In this clip they refer to it as lots of love...at least that's how I interpret it. And this is one of the great debacles about e-mails....where is the inference regarding the message. E-mails are easily mis-interpreted.

It used to be when so much of us used actual paper and pen to express our emotion, desires and situation, we had to wait a week or two for confirmation and then we would be dismayed and have to start all over again when our letter was inexplainably mis-interpreted. EGAD! So at least e-mails have time on our side in our age of INSTANT gratification. When in doubt phone or even better yet, have a face to face.

I am still a paper and pen kind of woman, but I find it best to only write when wishing one well, or congratulations etc. I try and stick to subjects that cannot be mis-interpreted and only succeed in giving the reciver of such an old fashioned communique...joy.

Becareful and considerate when e-mailing.
Manners for everyday situations...

Electronic Manners

This is going to take several sessions of blog time. But to start, check out this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYLJSp9euj4 Seriously, (I had a big win on Seriously at the races the other day at Del Mar) what does lol stand for? I know of several interpretations. Lots of luck, lots of love and lots of laughs. Texting or text language was created to confuse adults. It was like a secret code for the young with nimble fingers and still is for that matter as the older generation struggles with punctuation, capitalization etc.

When is texting bad manners? IN THE CAR if you're driving. SERIOUSLY, people are dying because of this. Sounds stupid, but true. Texting is bad manners at any social event when you are with others. When you are at dinner or at a movie or in some other social realm of society, put your cell phone away!!!!! Enjoy the person you are with. It's a crazy concept but a really enjoyable one. Texting, like talking on your cell is to be done in private or a place that will not interfere with other people's enjoyment.

Manners for everyday situations.

Dinner Party Manners 101

Sometimes I am amazed that people are so inconsiderate and don't think about anything but themselves. A dinner party is just that, a party of people that get to enjoy dinner arranged by a host or hostess.

If you are invited to a dinner party, you may not bring anyone unless it is insinuated on the invitation or you speak to the host or hostess in person. It doesn't matter that your girlfriend flew in from Dubai and is only here for one night. If she can't be accomodated at the dinner, then you will have to excuse yourself. People generally have so much china and silverware to go around or perhaps you are the eternal bachelor that your host or hostess has decided is perfect for their cousin Zelda.

Next, you should bring a host or hostess gift. This can be as simple as some cocktail napkins, the cruder the better, flowers or fresh herbs from your garden or a box of their favorite candy. Never bring something you expect to be consumed. If you bring wine, it may not go with what is served and how rude to predict your host will have bad taste in wine. Once a dear friend bought an entire case of different wines! Then of course we opened some because there was enough to choose from and go around.

If you are choking, do not hesitate to spit your food out, preferably into a napkin. Just get it out and wave your hands, make a scene. Far more practical then dying at their dinner table because you are too polite.

If someone places their hand on your thigh that you find repulsive, stab it with your fork if you must, trust me if their making their move under the table they want to keep it secret. Just try not to draw blood.

After the dinner party it is appropriate to call or send a thank you note to your host or hostess. If you didn't bring any gift you may always send flowers, especially if it was an exceptional night...good or bad.

Remember your manners....manners for everyday situations.

Bar Manners AGAIN

I guess I didn't cover this in my bar manners column. When you drink excessively, you do not go deaf. Why is it that the more people drink, the louder they become? Yesterday was opening day at the races in Del Mar, Californina. Yes, I expected people to drink and for some to become drunk, but I didn't expect to feel like I was sitting at a roller derby rink when I was at the bar! People were yelling not only to one another at their table within a space of 1 foot, but also across the entire bar. There was one table of men who had their sites set on another table of women all the way across the bar. Instead of going over there and using a pick up line they started to yell at each other. "Hey!" the men called, come over here. "No!" the women yelled, "we're happy over here." "Come on over here!" the men yelled again. "No" the women yelled, that's okay." "We've got drinks!" yelled the men. "We've got drinks too." yelled the women. "We've got better drinks." yelled the men and held up their Budlights." "We've got better drinks here." the women yelled holding up their cosmos. It went on and on until finally the men decided to walk, or vere over to their table.

As the bar emptied out it was quieter for a short spell until the other three tables were now drunk and the yelling began again.

Doesn't anyone know that to get attention...one should whisper.
Manners for everyday situations.

pissing in the pool

I'm afraid to go in....public pools have their own set of rules as does hotel pools. There are lots of wily kids let loose in both these places, swimming all day, drinking sodas, belching and yet...I never see any of them use the facilities. SCARY.

I'm not surprised by it though as their parents don't seem to be paying any attention; letting them shove each other underwater, cannonball the lap swimmers and pull girls swimsuits down while they try to get away.

Ah summer at the public pool.
The only difference between the two is that at hotel pools the kids are usually left to fend for themselves with room service.

Naked in the Library

Yes, it's true...there are libraries out there that have naked patrons. I think this is well within good manners if one uses a towel on the chair.

Ever wondered how many people use the communal computers? You might want to wash your hands after using one.

Manners should be in everyone's lives. We deserve to live in a polite society. Encourage good manners. Send me a post of someone showing off their good manners for comment.

Remember, we're not talking etiquette...we are talking manners for everyday situations.

Show me!

I need to see what's going on in your world and universe. I catch all kinds of crazy manners out there and wonder...is this happening to everyone else.

Send me a video post and I'll post it and comment.
Manners for everyday situations.
xoxoamanda

Be Part of the Manners for Everyday Situations Movement

Send me your posts and your questions and be part of the Manners for Everday Situations Movement.

Aren't you tired of people doing gross and innappropriate things around you? I am. I see it all the time. People so involved with themselves they don't even realize they are in a public place. What has happened to modesty?

In the Dallas Airport there was a woman sitting around like she was watching television at home, in barefeet brushing her hair and talking on her cell phone. Yes she was multitasking, but her feet were not the kind fetishes are made for and the hairbrush thing was out of control, then she pulled all the hair out of the brush and let it fall to the carpet!!!!

Who are these people and should they have a place in our society?

So I challenge you, to send me your videos to post on my sites and get the word out...

More Feet

I am not really obsessed with feet, but shoes. Everyone should cover their feet appropriately. I generally wear stillettos except to the beach where I wear flip-flops. The correct shoes for the correct occasion are just as important as good manners.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGoIlXKTsP0

I don't find bare feet a problem on planes, except if they smell. I would NEVER go to the toilette bare foot, especially with long pants. Gross

If you have a manner question to be answered, e-mail me at: amandapipersmith@aol.com and put manners in the subject.

shopping for shoes?

Can you imagine what the poor shoe salesperson goes through. For the ultimate bad manners in shoe shopping check out my twitter post at amandasmanners or facebook me and become my friend.

Next time you go shoe shopping, try and put yourself in the clerks position.

Spitting is never good manners

Why do men spit? I don't understand it. Women swallow...men spit.

Today I was coming out of a building when a boy/man, probably about 16, hawked a flugi across the driveway. It was disgusting, not only watching the spitwad fly across the asphalt, but hearing the sound effect that went along with it. To top it off the boy/man was wearing a ladybug costume.

I know it's worse manners to point out when someone is displaying bad manners, but I felt that besides the bad manners of spitting he wasn't acting appropriately for a ladybug. So that's exactly how I put it....Ahem....I really think that spitting is inappropriate for a ladybug.

Spitting is only appropriate when brushing one's teeth or spitting out poisonous venom.

And when dressed in costume...one must behave in character of the costume.

The real question was: Why was this boy/man wearing a ladybug costume to begin with?