A gentleman is so much more than a guy in a debonair jacket. That's the conclusion Kirk Chugg arrived at when his five year-old son put the "What's a gentleman?" question to him.
As the head of a formal menswear company Haberdasher Custom Clothing, Chugg knows all about the aesthetic of the gentleman. In trying to answer his son's question, he was forced to dig deeper, embarking on a much larger project about old-fashioned values.
And so the dad of four started "The Gentlemen Project" in an attempt to pin down the personal qualities and social etiquette that define a gentleman (and, er, gentlewoman, gentlelady...).
With his own family, Chugg began compiling "a legacy book together of character-building lessons, goals, ideas, and dreams."
The project ultimately grew to include a line of leather-bound “Things I Learned From My Dad” journals, together with a website where he shares the lessons he learned through his own kids.
Among the characteristics of a gentleman, Chugg suggests showing appreciation to others and learning to balance technology with the need to be present.
He appeals particularly to dads to "take a more focused and deliberate approach to being involved part of their children's lives." Of course many dads already do just that.
And despite its masculine-sounding name, Chugg insists these are the "characteristics that I teach my daughters as well."
Notwithstanding, Chugg has an awesome message, and the world could certainly do with more gentle people, or is it gentle persons? It's high time some "old fashioned" values and social mores made a comeback.
RELATED: How to Raise Well-Mannered Kids
It's a a wistful day for Sesame Street fans as Sonia Manzano - aka "Maria" - who wrote and starred in the classic children's show for 44 years announced her retirement.
In a case of all good things coming to an end, Manzano, who joined the show in 1971, won a total of 15 Emmys for the scripts she wrote for the show.
Many of us grew up with Maria, learning about life and family as we followed her through the decades, through an onscreen marriage to Luis and throughout her own pregnancy.
The native New Yorker wasn't merely a role model to the Hispanic community (who hitherto weren't represented on kids TV), she was a feminist, always ready to fix something with her trusty tool box, confounding Oscar when she took a job at a construction company.
She loved dressing up and (her words) "making a fool of herself." But at heart she was part of a team that revolutionized children's television. Maria and the rest of the Sesame clan taught you more than just ABCs; she taught you how to be a good person - and how to fix a toaster, of course.
"Educating someone is not imparting your body of knowledge on them," Manzano said in an interview. "It's just showing them where to look. It's showing them a door and watching them go [through it]."
Thank you for the memories Maria!
Image Source: Richard Termine
Sofina Foods Inc. has recalled No Name and Compliments frozen uncooked breaded chicken products due to a possible Salmonella contamination.
Distributed nationally, the following products are affected by the recall:
Brand Name - Size - Code(s) on Product - UPC
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency advises customers not to consume the above products, which should be thrown out or returned to the place of purchase.
Although foods contaminated with Salmonella may look and smell fine, they can cause illness. Symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea and even lead to severe arthritis in the long term.
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