"Turn your cell phone off!" Yeah, yeah, we've heard that before. It's up there with "get your elbows of the table" and "wipe your mouth". I've taught this more times than I can count, and while everyone knows it, it doesn't do any good if people don't actually think --...

Most public figures learn to dread what photographs might reveal about them, but President and Mrs. Obama make the grade as ambassadors for our country. Their exemplary manners are caught on camera repeatedly enough to clearly be habit and not just for show. After all, manners aren't just for special...

The Vermont state legislature voted today to overturn Governor Jim Douglas' veto allowing gays and lesbians to marry, making Vermont the fourth state to allow same-sex marriage (and the first by legislative vote). Nine years ago, Vermont became the first state to allow civil unions for same-sex couples. Living in...

President and Mrs. Obama met with Queen Elizabeth of Britain yesterday. President Obama is new to office, and this is their first meeting--the first visit between the leaders of two of the world's biggest superpowers. During a huge financial crisis. And what does the media talk about? The fact that...

My job is weird sometimes, but it serves a purpose. Cindy McCain has her hand crunched in an overzealous handshake in Michigan and I get the chance to school America on the CBS Early Show on one of the most basic social functions: the handshake.

I'm sort of snorting with...

Oh my my my. The things people get up to when I take a little hiatus! My friend in the Windy City, Stefania, sent me a recent Daily Candy Chicago post that she thought might be up my alley. Pardon Moi, a company near Chicago, is producing sets...

While in L.A. on a recent business trip, I heard an ad on the hotel TV for the new BMW Hydrogen 7. I was up to my elbows trying to repack my suitcase, so I didn't actually see it, but back here in Vermont a little googling brought me...

Last Friday I searched high and low on the internet for the new, expanded Sex And The City: The Movie trailer. The last trailer to come out was only about 40 seconds, and it was really more of a pretty slide show set to music than a trailer. When...

Not everyone can pick a fish fork out of the cutlery line up, but most of America made it through childhood with a few ground rules of inviolable etiquette in place: say please and thank you; don't chew with your mouth open; cut the price tag off a gift; if...