How To Announce A Birth, Royal Or Otherwise

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s eighth great grandchild, seventh in line to the throne, was just born. The Royal Family understandably guards their privacy, but within minutes of the royal birth, ‘Baby Sussex’ made headlines. The odds makers are betting on everything from the baby’s actual birth date, sex and weight, to the coveted royal name….

Tricks to Remembering Names

There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to remember someone’s name. This is a challenge for many people, present company included. Some consider remembering names an art, and an art it is if you’re in the business of sales—recalling names is a large part of your job. Saying a person’s name when you are dealing with them is the key to establishing business relationships. There’s a reason why name tags are issued at most business functions.

Try these tips:

Secrets of Acceptable Locker Room Behavior

Secrets of AcceptableI didn’t see it coming, nor did I want to see it, but my niece did, and she was grossed out by a woman parading around the locker room in her birthday suit. Of course, you can’t wear a towel when you’re dressing and undressing, but the rest of the time (doing your makeup and hair, walking to and from the restroom, shower, and sauna), remember: locker room towels are there for a reason, so use them.

Which leads us to our first secret of locker-room etiquette:

· Cover up. I’m thrilled that your body is fit as a fiddle, but not everyone wants to see it. Show off by the pool in your bathing suit.

· Avoid the locker room stare.
If you wear a towel at the appropriate times, you won’t have to worry about drawing looks. But if others are into self-display, just ignore them—it’s uncool to stare.

Holiday Travel Tips

Holiday travel is in full swing, which means crowds and flared tempers at our nation’s airports. With the exception of flying on Air Force One, pleasure and flying do not go hand in hand. Airline travel is becoming more and more uncomfortable in today’s world. What are some ways we can learn to live with this challenge?

• Prepare for your trip:
Make a packing list for everything you will need on your journey—don’t wait until the last minute and just throw things in your suitcase.

• Make a second list of things to do
before your trip. Include stopping the paper and calling the bank to give them your away dates and where you are going, so your credit card doesn’t get suspended while you’re gone. Make sure you have someone to care for your plants and pets and to pick up your mail.

The Great Fires of 2017

The Great Fires Of 2017The best portion of a good man’s life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.

—William Wordsworth

The month of October and natural disasters are synonymous, at least in the Bay Area. Historically, many have occurred during this month, from the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 to the East Bay fires of 1991, and now, the worst wildfire in recorded history. At the time of this writing, at least 42 people are dead; 330 square miles have been burned as a result of 17 fires; and 11,000 firefighters are still battling. Tubbs, Adobe, Atlas: fire names and locations that I will long remember. Before last week, terms such as controlled lines, defensible space, and containment were heard only in the movies. Now, seeing hazy red sunsets and smelling smoke in the air seems almost normal.

When Your Candidate Loses

The inglorious TV election drama has finally ended. In Left Coast San Francisco, a post-election pall of fog hangs over our city, much like the hanging chads of 2000.

We finally have a president-elect, but he might not be the one you wanted. Now what? A basic rule of etiquette is to never discuss politics or religion at social events, and this election proved why: polls showed that 48 percent of the voters felt disenfranchised by both candidates. It’s no wonder that post-election rhetoric remains strong.

On November 8, it was the people’s choice, and the people chose Donald Trump. It was the biggest political upset in history, and it’s has been hard for many to come to grips with the outcome. But many voters clearly wanted a change, and Trump was the change candidate.

As one proud immigrant recently shared with me: “America is so prosperous. Through every election cycle we go through a mini cleansing. 2016 is no different, but we must unite for the good of the country.”