A big part of etiquette is knowing how to deal with rude people with dignity and grace.

Let’s face it, you can mind your manners all you want but there’ll always be that jerk that comes along and pushes you off the swing set anyway *cough-Ryan-M-from-first-grade-cough* So here are some quick guidelines of how to deal with the Ryans of this world:

During a confrontation…

1. Ask yourself if it’s really worth it.
If someone’s walking straight at you and expect you to get out of their way, remember that it wouldn’t kill you to move over. Yeah, it’s a pain in the butt and yeah, that person is completely rude, but is it worth ruining your day over?

2. Stay calm under pressure.
As Miss Manners, I really can’t condone rudeness; however, I do understand that everyone has bad days and sometimes people honestly don’t know that they’re being rude. So if you catch an attitude at the get-go, they might see it as you being rude first. Never fight fire with fire. No matter what, speak calmly and rationally and perhaps they’ll realize how ridiculous they sound in comparison.
DO NOT: Act patronizing. If your calmness comes off as patronizing/douche-y, that’ll only set them off again. No one likes to feel stupid and you’ll just push their buttons if they feel like you’re looking down on them.
OR: Start a shouting match, especially in public. Then both of you are being rude. Plus it’s hard to be rational when you’re screaming/being screamed at. Read More »

It’s hard not to pay attention to all the Rihanna news that has been circulating lately. I’ve read it in the newspapers, in the tabloids, on the gossip sites, I’ve talked about it with my friends and even my professors, and still it’s hard to wrap my head around. It’s difficult to see anyone going through a hard time, but when it’s someone you have grown to admire and respect, it becomes that much more difficult.

There have been a number of issues that have been bothering me in the last few weeks that have followed the Chris Brown/Rihanna incident. It bothers me that her picture was released and splashed all over the place, it bothers me that Chris Brown showed little remorse after the alleged attack, and it bothered me that Rihanna went back to her attacker. But most of all, it bothered me that people are now turning on Rihanna and blaming her for what happened. Read More »

[This week has been great for most of us. With Thanksgiving 2008 in the books, most of us are still home, cozy, and enjoying spending time with friends and family. But even though I'm thankful for my loved ones and my health, there are still a few things I'm not about to praise. A few things that have gotten under my skin and fired me up. The following is this week's Pissed List, so if you've got to vent, too, just holla atcha girl!]

1. The Mumbai Massacre

It was not even a month ago that the United States elected Barack Obama as our 44th President, inspiring support and celebration for our fair country all over the globe. But the latest string of terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India have served as a cold reminder of the state of the world today. As our nation prepares to move into a new era of change, it is sickening to see a renewed display of hatred and violence in other parts of the globe. News reports have not yet confirmed who is responsible for the continuing siege on the financial capital of India, and some are noting that as-yet-unheard-of terrorist cells are taking responsibility for the attacks. Regardless of who is responsible, reading reports of the climbing death toll is absolutely despicable.

2. The Stampede Death Of The Wal-Mart Worker on Black Friday

Uncalled for, people. Jdimytai Damour, 34, was literally trampled to death by a raging mob who physically broke down the doors to a Long Island, NY Wal-Mart at 5 am on Black Friday. He was not a Wal-Mart employee but a temp hired by an employment agency specifically to help with the holiday rush. My guess is that he would have much rather been sound asleep at home with his family than awaiting the rush of greedy bargain-hunters that morning. Unlike the careless, selfish crowd who ultimately caused his demise, it was not Mr. Damour’s choice to be at that Wal-Mart so early on the day after Thanksgiving. I hope those shoppers are happy with their mp3 players, because while they may have saved a little extra cash on their purchases, they didn’t save Jdimytai. For shame. Read More »

I know that a lot of people like horror movies. I know this because a lot of people tell me they like horror movies, and also because Saw V is just about to hit theaters (the 5th installment of a plot that basically consists of scary machines and blood). There’s something about watching other humans scream in agony that a lot of people can’t get enough of — but I am not one of those people. I’ve never been one of those people. Since I came out of the womb, I have been scared to freaking death of horror movies.

Here are the Top 5 Reasons Why.

5) When Things Pop Out In An Attempt To Scare, I Always Get Scared

I know that it’s like, part of the fun, or whatever, when the music suddenly swells and a creepy things pop up all creepy, or someone is grabbed ,or a face appears in a mirror, but that sh*t gives me a heart attack every time. I lose my breath and my heart flips out and then I get really violently angry. Like I want to punch the TV for doing that to me. I get scared and then I get pissed and then my whole day is ruined.

4) Weird Noises Always Happen Afterwards

Whether I’m back at my childhood home, in a dorm, or at my apartment, after watching (or accidentally watching) a horror movie, weird noises will keep me awake all night. It never ceases to amaze me that it happens every single time. The wood creaks, my closet door won’t shut all the way, something scurries across the floor…my bedroom isn’t haunted until I watch a scary movie. Then it’s haunted. Totally, Ghostbusterly, haunted. Read More »

Zimbabweans headed to the polls this past Saturday (March 29th) in a historic vote challenging President Robert Mugabe’s 28-year iron grip on the presidency.

The challenging party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), announced soon after the polls closed that they were in the lead. According to the BBC, as of Monday night, (March 31) they claimed that their candidate Morgan Tsvangirai, had won with 60% of the vote.

While Mugabe has intimated that he will honor the people’s decision, the delay in announcing the decision has many fearing the worst.

Nana Ampofo, an analyst for Global Insight, told the BBC that; “It’s still not clear that the election results are fixed but there are definitely reasons to be concerned.”

Rumors abound of election rigging: Read More »

Say you wanted an assault rifle, but being a woman, didn’t want to settle for some boring old black AK-47. Say you wanted to kick some ass in style. What would you do?You log onto glamgums.com and buy yourself a Hello Kitty death machine.

The “Glambo Signature Series “Hello Kitty” HK-AK-47” is a shiny purple limited edition weapon that’s “perfect…for the lady of the house”. For only $1072.95, a girl can keep her feminine streak in tact while still toting a gun that’s guaranteed to do some severe damage.

I’d probably be seriously freaked out by all of this—if I didn’t know the site was a complete joke. Read More »