Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Book Recommendation: How To Be A Gentleman by, John Bridges


My Nephew, Chase, is thirteen. He is on Facebook and has his first girlfriend. Ah...young love. A few years ago, geeky Aunt Kathy gave him a book on how to be a gentleman. As usual, I was too organized and jumping the gun a bit, or so both his mother and I thought.
Turns out, Chase has read the entire book. While driving him to summer camp last week, he stated a few pointers he would not be using until he turns 21, but he had found the majority of the book useful. Yes, he is in a gifted school and reads at a 10th grade level, but he's only 13. It is definitely a different thirteen than way back when.
Chase then commented on one pointer from the book. He said when young men go to parties and receive "Hello Air Kisses" from young women on the cheek, they should not wipe off the lipstick (possibly insulting the "Air Kiss" giver) but wear it as a badge of honor (of sorts). Then, other young women will notice it and wipe it off, thus, gaining double attention.
If I do say so myself, I am so proud of my brilliant, diplomatic, cleaver Nephew although he does need to work on his table manners even if he is a "lefty."
Photo: Chase at The Jefferson Hotel

Yeah, No. Actually, It's All About, Like...You Know What?

Yeah, no. Actually, it's all about, like, your speech. Has anyone listened to a news anchor person lately? Never even mind the Today Show. Is anyone else tired and sick of listening to this popular "Valley Girl" speak of the new Millennium? What can anyone do about it?
Do the producers listen to their anchors? Do people even listen to themselves? What about the screen writers? Commercials. If the media personalities do not stop writing scripts and talking like this, in this age of automatic technology and instant messages, how are we ever going to stop it? Are our brains on automatic pilot also?
Trends come and go. Habits die hard. Unfortunately, Valley Girls live on.