Twas the late autumn season…
‘Twas the late autumn season, and all through the land
The shoppers were rushing, it was all so grand!
Christmas trees were in all the places they could be
Santas were ev’rywhere the eye could see.
Holiday Gift Giving
Guidelines for Gift-Giving, Tipping and Regifting
Whether you're a student or young professional celebrating Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Christmas, the holidays usually involve gift giving and receiving. Here are some protocol guidelines and tips to help make this ritual a little easier and more enjoyable:
You know how to handle gift-giving within your circle of family and friends, but what about all those other people in your life?
The Holiday Office Party
How To Enjoy Yourself While Keeping Your Career Intact
The holiday season is here again, and with it the usual round of festivities, including the notorious annual office party, known in many modern savvy circles as “the annual business holiday party.” Companies sponsor this annual event to demonstrate appreciation to their employees; but underneath the good intentions lurk all sorts of minefields and pitfalls for the unwary employee.
Thanksgiving Day Dinner Etiquette
Echoing the Spirit of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag
According to historical accounts, in November 1621, a year after the Pilgrims arrived on the shores of what would become the USA, they celebrated a successful and bountiful harvest with members of the native Wampanoag Tribe, with whom they formed a bond that lasted more than half a century. We should all have such successful dinner parties! That strong empathy and peaceful alliance that existed between the new colonists and the natives who befriended them should serve as a model of civility and empathy for us in the 21st Century.
As we gather for another Thanksgiving celebration, following are some reminders to make your glorious harvest celebration just as successful as the first Thanksgiving:
Storm Etiquette
How Civility Can Calm Troubled Waters
Hurricane Sandy taught us, once again, that we Earth beings of all species have little defense against the forces of nature when they turn against us. All along the Eastern Seaboard, Hurricane / Cyclone / Storm Sandy wreaked horrific destruction and death the weekend before Halloween. This followed a tsunami in the Pacific and an earthquake in Los Angeles.
But, Superstorm Sandy left the most damage in her wake. Some lost their loved ones and many more suffered damage to their homes and possessions or lost them altogether, and thousands more lost power and many are still coping with, extended outages. And, now to add to the agony are long gas lines and a temporary gas shortage due to a delay in ships being allowed to enter New York Harbor.
The Ethics of Voting
It’s more than a privilege,
It’s a responsibility.
Americans do not have a Constitutional right to vote. However, we do have an implied right to vote as stated in the 15th, 19th and 26th Amendments that prohibit restrictions on voting based on race, gender and age.
But, there is something equally important to consider when it comes to voting, and self-governance, and that is the ethics involved with one’s privilege to have a voice in how his or her country is run.
Your Internet Presence – Part 10: Mobile Etiquette
THE KIND OF SHARING WE
DIDN’T LEARN IN KINDERGARTEN
The Intel Corporation, which manufactures the processors in today’s popular mobile devices, in association with The Emily Post Institute has conducted its first international survey on “Mobile Etiquette." Accordingly, it seems fitting to close (for now) this series on Your Internet Presence with an examination of how people are managing their mobile devices worldwide.
Your Internet Presence – Part 9: Big Brother
BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING…ONLINE
Unlike the character in George Orwell’s dystopian novel, 1984, the Big Brother of 2012 tends to incorporate itself into the fabric of our everyday lives, making us comfortable with wearing it and, like a well-worn pair of shoes that fit us so well, we take its presence for granted and often aren’t consciously aware of it. But, like the omnicient overseer of the science-fiction narrative, our modern-day Big Brother is enigmatic and constantly present in our lives through our presence on the Internet.
Your Internet Presence – Part 8: Facebook Politics
Politics Schmolitics
I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.
~Thomas Jefferson
One major pitfall of online social networking occurs when voicing one’s opinion on a hot topic. It’s bad enough when you read many of the viewpoints by strangers who post comments online on The Huffington Post, Yahoo! and Google, especially those that contain profanity, hurl insults and are short on facts.
But what happens when you read differing political beliefs by your friends on your Facebook page?
Your Internet Presence – Part 7: Email Etiquette
Email Etiquette
Nothing serves more as an ambassador of your Internet presence than your email. Every email you send is a representation of your image, or brand.
It is estimated that nearly 300 billion email messages are sent each day, with roughly 10% of these being legitimate missives that you and I would send, and the rest comprising spam and viruses.
By contrast, the volume of first-class snail was approximately 72 billion 2010, but I could find no statistics that indicated how many of those mailing were actual letters rather than bills, advertisements and other mailing, but my guess is a small percentage were actually letters or greeting cards.
But, I believe we can agree that the Internet – email and websites – have replaced snail mail as the way most people communicate, socialize and conduct business.
With this in mind, an understanding and mastering of email etiquette is vital to your brand and online presence, so you need to get it right. Developing good habits in composing emails will serve you well!
Following are some guidelines to help ensure that you are email savvy:
Jeanne Nelson 