Topic: Etiquette and Manners

Aishwarya Rai, breastfeeding, tanning: parent etiquette lessons

Aishwarya Rai criticized for her post-baby weight, Patricia Krentcil for her tan, Jamie Lynne Grumet for suckling her 3-year-old on the cover of Time – plus a kid punched out for being noisy in a movie and a first-grader suspended for singing a popular song. What's an etiquette-minded mom to do?

Anders Behring Breivik on trial: A roundup of global opinion

A roundup of opinions on the Anders Behring Breivik trial and the attention it has received from Norway and around the globe.

Readers Write: Charm is no better than incivility; Gun rights vs. gun wrongs

Letters to the editor for the weekly print edition of April 2, 2012: One reader argues that the call for more 'charm' as a remedy for incivility is misguided, as charm can be mistaken for superficiality. Another reader faults partisan media programming for preventing Americans from disagreeing agreeably. A third reader 'has no quarrel with gun rights,' just with 'gun wrongs.'

Why couldn't Rep. Bobby Rush wear hoodie on House floor?

A hoodie won't fly on the House floor, where dress code mandates no hats – and a hoodie counts as a hat, even when its used to bring attention to Trayvon Martin.

Readers Write: Religion isn't exempt; A racist, 'civil' past; Guns and domestic abuse

Letters to the editor for the weekly print issue of March 19, 2012: Supporting Obama's birth-control mandate, one reader says, Religious liberty doesn't give you liberty to impose your views on others. Another asks, Was America's anti-Semitic past really more civil? Another flags an omission in a piece on US gun culture: A woman is more likely to be killed if her abuser has a gun.

Five myths about video games

Why they aren’t as scary or one-dimensional as many parents think.

The etiquette gap: From Newt and Mitt to Facebook and texting

Newt Gingrich calling Mitt Romney a liar, boorish friends texting at dinner, bad Facebook manners: The nation's etiquette gap – from a shove to a shooting – can breed more incivility.

Valentine's Day: 10 literary lessons in love

From 'Much Ado About Loving' by Jack Murnighan and Maura Kelly, 10 lessons in love from literary classics.

Reader recommendation: Emily Post

Monitor readers share their favorite book picks.

10 top etiquette tips for the social-media age

In his new book 'Social Q's,' columnist Philip Galanes offers suggestions for today's social quandaries.

Vinegar of politics needs honey of civility

Personal attacks in politics are a mirror of a society's slide toward social incivility. How can civility be restored? The topic is attracting interest.

Iran bans necklaces: quirky clothing bans around the world

Countries ban all kinds of things, including clothing and accessories. The Islamic Republic of Iran has been in the headlines for unusual bans in the past, and its morality watchdogs have struck again, this time against necklaces. Read our list of some of the world’s strangest fashion bans.

Top 5 myths about starting a business

More Americans became entrepreneurs in the past two years than at any other time in the past 15 years, according to the Kauffman Foundation. But if you’re considering leaving your day job to take the leap into entrepreneurship, first learn the facts behind these Top 5 myths about starting a business:

"Tokyo Vice" author Jake Adelstein ponders the Japanese response to disaster

Is the Japanese response to disaster different from that of Americans? Yes and no, says author Jake Adelstein.

Book club alert: three great January picks

Book clubs in search of fresh material should check out this month's fiction round-up. Judging from these three books – two novels and a short story collection – 2011 is off to a great start.

2011 Caldecott Medal and Honor awards: here are the winners

The Randolph Caldecott Medal is awarded to the most distinguished American picture book for children. These delightful 2011 winners remind readers why a picture truly is worth a thousand words.

Senate's 16 new members arrive on Capitol Hill: Who are they?

Starting this Monday, the Senate welcomes 16 fresh faces to the Capitol’s marbled halls.

Tour de France: Will Contador pay for his breach of cycling's unwritten rules?

Tour de France Stage 15: Alberto Contador won the yellow but some say he committed a breach of race etiquette by attacking in the last climb of Stage 15 just as race leader Andy Schleck's chain popped off.

A pitcher, an umpire, and a lesson in grace

A Christian Science perspective.

Texas Rep. Randy Neugebauer admits he shouted "baby killer" during floor debate

Neugebauer insists that he was not referring directly to a fellow congressman but to an agreement made in the 11th hour.

Maybe Mitt Romney should have tried a 'knee defender'

Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney won't press charges against a fellow passenger who took a swing at him Monday night.

In Haiti earthquake response, Bush distances himself from Cheney

Former Vice President Dick Cheney has been the Obama administration's chief critic, often fueling talk show hosts like Rush Limbaugh. But by agreeing to help President Obama raise money for victims of the Haiti earthquake, George W. Bush is playing by more genteel political rules.

My random acts of kindness versus talk-radio-type rudeness

In my neighborhood, I've found that even small gestures have made a big difference.

It's National Cellphone Courtesy Month: Please silence your ringtone.

Column: We love our mobile phones, if only everyone else would stop using theirs.

Campaigning in Iraq