Haven’t we all heard the phrase, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say it at all?”
It is a rule we should all try and follow closely although the internet, especially the instant-gratification personality of social media, can cause extreme carelessness. When we are bombarded by literally hundreds of emails, articles, Tweets and status updates each day, it is easy to forget that there are real people involved.
Case in point, I have been a member of Meetup.com’s Tennis Group for several years. As a member, I have participated in a few events and received the organizational emails and responses. One thing about Meetup.com’s default setting – when one person replies to a Group email, everyone is copied. This issue can be fixed by changing your default settings which will control the flow of emails. As one can imagine, if you do not change the default setting, you can receive 70+ emails is one day!
One (self-proclaimed new) member sent a nasty email to the entire group about this large volume of emails and accused everyone of being dumb or inconsiderate since she was getting hundreds of emails sent to her work address.
Without dwelling on why she would use her work address for a personal activity, suffice it to say, she received plenty of feedback and none of it was nice. Imagine my surprise last weekend when a new girl showed up for a local Meetup event. As she proceeded to boss the players around, a jokester asked if she was the one who sent the spiteful email the previous week.
Guess what her answer was? Guess again if she is welcome at future events?
My point for the anecdote is this one – in the virtual world, it is very easy to be brave and rail on others because it is faceless. Or, lose control and your temper because you are having a bad day. Would this girl have stood in front of a crowd of 200 strangers and told them off? Accused each one of them of being stupid? I highly doubt it but she did its online equivalent and received the same sort of playground justice.
How many times have you wanted to respond to someone’s ignorant or downright cruel comment or posting? Or, remind them that you’re smarter or know more about a specific topic? My advice – take the high road and let it go. Not only will you look like the bigger person in the long run but also you just might have someone to play tennis with!
Quick shout-out to the Plaid Racquet, the best tennis shop in the world and first place I ever worked.
sly flipping channels, I landed on a relatively new, old-school episode of Beverly Hills 90201. Intrigued, I settled in for the long haul.
picture. It’s actually quite funny. First, look at how poor stickman is flying away from his bike. I reckon he could sail 20 or 30 yards through the air by the time he’s finished this epic tumble. Second, it looks like he must have stayed upright for a few stairs in order for the bike to gain such a pronounced downward trajectory. Finally, if the sign-makers were going to throw stickman down a long flight of stairs, couldn’t they have added a little helmet?
home. Working out of your house has many positives – zero time spent commuting, controlling your schedule, etc. And, no dress code.
Since I felt fine the following day, I prepared a tasty dinner of stuffed eggplant in marinara sauce, pasta and red wine. Feeling sorry for my sick relatives but determined to enjoy the sweet bliss of being germ-free, I ate several hearty portions.
It did not take long for Roger and Philip to translate their knowledge and success with trailers into another product line – strollers. Working to design and build the “best-looking, best-performing, highest quality jogging stroller in the world” produced the BOB Sport Utility Stroller. This stroller features state-of-the-art suspension, rugged polymer wheels, folding frame and many other innovative details. Crediting their children’s testing of prototypes, Roger and Philip worked to ensure all strollers were high-quality, resilient and durable. After receiving requests for a two-seater stroller, the Duallie was introduced in 2001. Two years later, serious athletes and parents turned to BOB for a stroller worthy of being associated with the Ironman. This stroller has stiff shock absorbers and lightweight, high-pressure tires for superior road running and a tough welded frame for extreme durability.
Having spent many years as a front office manager for several well-respected hotel companies, I wanted to share a few thoughts about stress-free hotel travel with youngsters. With the Holidays just around the corner, diaper bags are restocked and readied, portable snacks are packed but the one of the important parts – where you are staying is completely forgotten! Avoid travel meltdowns and children (and adult) tantrums with these simple steps. 
