Photo by Michael Yarish

I have been consumed by Mad Men madness. I think what’s so compelling about the show is witnessing a way of life that is so foreign from our lives today. A way of life that included a three martini lunch followed by a scotch on the rocks afternoon meeting; cigarettes being smoked everywhere including the doctor’s exam room, by the doctor, nevertheless; and a diet of meat, potatoes and canned vegetables.

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This is a guest post from Stacya Silverman, owner of Stacya Silverman and Associates Salon and President of Beauty Alert!

I like to think of myself as not only good at customer service, but in my off hours, I like to think that I am a good customer, too. I have been thinking a lot lately about the relationship between the service person and the customer. I am sure we all have after the Jet Blue flight attendant had his last choice words, and then got out of the plane with the emergency exit!  It was interesting to see how people viewed that incident. 

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I had the honor of serving on a jury for a trial in Seattle Municipal Court. If it had been a state superior court trial I probably wouldn’t have thought it was such an honor, but due to the less egregious nature of the crimes tried in Municipal Court the trial lasted a total of a day and half and a verdict was delivered the next day.

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My husband, Eric, and I just returned from a weeklong bike tour through Eastern Washington. The bike ride, called Ride Around Washington or RAW was organized by Cascade Bike Club. There were about 230 people on the tour.

We had a wonderful time. We saw parts of Washington we’ve never seen before, the ride had plenty of character-building challenges and we rode through some spectacularly beautiful areas. More pictures below.

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Did you know July is National Cell Phone Courtesy month? Yes, indeedy and with good reason. Inappropriate cell phone use has become a huge problem, and is getting worse as more people are using mobile phones. It is also one of the most irritating issues for many people.

My last Puget Sound Business Journal column article was about National Cell Phone Courtesy month. I gave tips on appropriate and inappropriate phone use. The article won’t be available to non-subscribers until July 29, but you can read part of it here: http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2010/07/26/smallb2.html 

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This is a guest blog post by Eric Mamroth - cyclist, benefit auctioneer and wonderful husband to Arden Clise.

If you are following the Tour de France this year, you probably have an opinion on whether Alberto Contador should have waited for Andy Schleck when he had a mechanical problem.  Schleck dropped his chain while launching an attack on the final climb of Stage 15, and had to stop to repair the problem. Later, Schleck expressed anger by what he saw as a lack of “fair play”, and according to cycling etiquette, he says Contador and the other riders should have waited for him. He finished 39 seconds behind Contador, who now holds the overall lead by 8 seconds. 

There is bicycle etiquette in the world of mortal bicycle commuters too. The flow of motor vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic is based on some simple and basic rules of the road. Honor the right-of-way and the flow proceeds more or less smoothly; assuming and/or preempting that right-of-way creates confusion, contempt or worse.

When you pass a fellow cyclist stopped on the side of the road, slow to see if they need any assistance. Whether it is a novice commuter dealing with their first flat tire, or a veteran commuter who inadvertently left the tool bag at home on the workbench, it only takes a few minutes to help out. 

There will always be someone faster, and slower than you. Ride right, pass left, call it out if you can and with a smile if possible. Some of us measure ourselves in the “Commuter 500” everyday; others are content to roll along taking in the sights, sounds and smells. Like it or not, this is the world we bike in.

Eric Mamroth is a regular bicycle commuter, enjoys tandem touring with his wife, and can’t stop smiling during the cyclocross season.

I’m a member of Women Business Owners and am on the Ambassador Committee, which is essentially the committee that greets and orients new members. We had a committee meeting last week and the topic of thank you notes came up. 

One member mentioned she had sent her nephews on both sides of the family high school graduation gifts. One nephew hand-wrote a lovely note thanking her for the pen and the gift card. The other nephew neither wrote a note nor thanked her.

She said she chided the unmannerly nephew and said that the other nephew would be the one who goes further in life because a handwritten thank you note helps you stand out as a job candidate, friend, etc.

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This depressing, unending cold, wet weather is making even the most gracious, positive people complain. I’ll be honest, it’s easy for me to complain, but I had a little flash of insight about complaining the other day while riding our tandem with my husband in the cold rain.

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I sometimes get out my Amy Vanderbilt’s Everyday Etiquette book to see how much etiquette has changed since the book was written in the 1950s. There is a section on when a man should remove his hat and one on where a secretary should put her steno dictation pad when meeting with her boss. While most men don’t wear formal hats, secretaries are now executive assistants and dictation has been replaced by email, those scenarios were about respect and respect is still important for a profitable, happy workplace. 

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I recently asked my Facebook likes how they feel about people talking on cell phones in public places like the grocery store or coffee shop. Several people responded that they hated it and yet some of those same people stated that they do it themselves. I had to admit that often when doing the weekly grocery shopping I will call my husband, who makes the grocery list, for clarification. But, I do it very quietly and out of the way of others.  

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