The most appropriate way to consume any beverage is from a glass.  However, Americans thoroughly enjoy kicking back while sipping on a cold beer from a can or bottle.

Drinking beer from a can or bottle is fine if you’re casually hanging out with friends at a picnic, sporting event or casual bar.

If you’re having a beer while dining at a restaurant or sitting at an upper end bar, pour the beer into a glass and drink from the glass.

When in doubt, add class with a glass.

In a mailing address:

His Holiness, Pope Francis or His Holiness The Pope

In Correspondence:

Your Holiness or Most Holy Father

 Introductions:

His Holiness, The Pope

In Conversation:

Most Holy Father or Your Holiness

Yesterday, I was trying on clothing in a department store fitting room and 3 women opened my fitting room door in separate attempts.  There wasn’t a lock on the door, but it would have been most polite if any of these women gently knocked on the door before swinging it wide open.  The knock would have saved embarrassment for all of us.

On the flip side, if you are in a room when someone knocks to check on the availability, respond appropriately and be polite in your response.  Be appreciative someone bothered to check before barging in.

If your coworkers are your friends, wait until you are outside the office to discuss  your personal matters.

I am not an advocate of re-gifting.  However, I know re-gifting is a common practice during the holiday season.  If you must re-gift, here are a few guidelines to follow:

1. Don’t re-gift used items.  Gifts must be new and in good condition.
2. Wrap the gift in new gift wrap with a new gift card.  Torn or wrinkled gift wrap is a clear sign of re-gifting.  Besides, it’s ugly and tacky.  If gift bags are in good condition, it’s alright to reuse the bag, but make sure you’ve removed old gift tags.
3. Don’t re-gift if you don’t remember who originally gave you the gift.  Wouldn’t you be embarrassed to give the gift back to the person who originally gave it to you?
   
4. Make sure the new recipient will enjoy and use the gift.  Perhaps you’re re-gifting because you had no use for the item.  Take the time to find a happy home for the gift.
   
5. Don’t re-gift items the original giver will notice are gone.  Even if the giver lives in a different state, they may look for their unique gift item when the come to visit.
   
6. Don’t re-gift personal, customized, hand-made, or one-of-a-kind items.  If the original giver might see it somewhere else, you’re busted.
7. Never tell the new recipient you received the gift and didn’t want it.  This is no different than getting your older sibling’s hand-me-downs.
8. I do bend a little when re-gifting consumable items such as wine, candles, and bath products.  These items will be used and gone before the re-gifting is detected.
9. What happens if you do get busted?  Come clean and apologize.  Explain you were grateful for the gift, but couldn’t use it.  Acknowledge it was a wrong decision and you’ll never do it again.
   

Knowing we have such a responsibility as a driver, I find it difficult to understand why people don’t give driving 100% of their attention.  Look around.  Other drivers are texting, phoning, eating, primping, daydreaming, babysitting, reading, and worst of all, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

We never plan to have an accident, but when we do, lives are at stake.  In a fraction of a second, a good day can turn into a nightmare.  That is, if you are fortunate enough to live through it.

Driving etiquette is not an elective.  It must be practiced 100% of the time.  Accept the responsibilities of driving.  Respect and protect others on the road by ONLY driving when you’re behind the wheel.

However, the sleeveless choice was not appropriate for the business professional setting of the Democratic National Convention.  In fact, sleeveless clothing of any type is inappropriate in any professional setting.

At a time when the job market is tough, I’m disappointed the First Lady did not set a good example for women looking for a role model  to help them enter the professional workforce.

Mrs. Obama, you’ve worked hard for those fit arms, but please wait to show them off in a social or casual setting.

For example, if you receive a phone message, respond with a phone call or a face-to-face contact.  Do not respond to a phone call with an e-mail.  It will look as though you are trying to avoid that person.

Respond to an e-mail with an e-mail.  If you would like to take it to the next level of communication, respond with a phone call.

Social media sites are a great way to share photos, however, save this opportunity for your individual photos.   Share photos taken of others by  sending  the photo directly to the individuals in it.

If you must text, leave the theater.  Otherwise, wait until the movie has ended to send your message.  You did pay to see the movie, so sit back and enjoy it and allow others to do the same.