DANCING WITH THE STARS
This season's Dancing With the Stars has already had it's share of tragedy with the death of Jane Seymour's mother two weeks ago, and then last night's special guest Gloria Estefan cancelling to be at the bedside of her mother, who is recovering from emergency surgery. It was also a distressing night for boxing champion Floyd Mayweather and pro Karina Smirnoff, who were K-O'd when their paso doble just didn't pass with the Dancing With the Stars viewing audience (we called it, by the way).
Second season Dancing With the Stars champ 98 Degrees' Drew Lachey and his former partner, two-time professional champ Cheryl Burke, livened things up dancing to Wayne Newton performing his classic "Danke Schoen."
As the parting couple had their farewell dance to Supertramp's "Take the Long Way Home," the remaining couples began to prepare for Monday's Latin night when they'll be dancing either the samba or the rumba. Jennifer Lopez is scheduled to appear on next week's Results show.
ARE YOU A MORNING PERSON?
As someone whose livelihood revolves around Americans waking up and functioning in the morning, I've GOT to say this is good news for me. Even if I find it almost IMPOSSIBLE to believe.
According to a new Gallup poll, 55% of Americans say they're morning people. Here's how the poll broke down...
*55% say they're at their best in the morning, from 5:00 A.M. to 11:59 A.M.
*15% are afternoon people. . . they're at their best from noon until 4:59 P.M.
*20% say they're night people, meaning they're best from 5:00 P.M. to 10:59 P.M.
*And 6% are LATE night people, which means they're at their best from 11:00 P.M. to 4:59 A.M.
The odds you're a morning person go up as you get older. 43% of people ages 18 to 34 are morning people... that goes up to 58% for people 35 to 54... and up to 59% for people 55 and older.
Being a morning person is also tied to a higher salary... 70% of the people making at least $75,000-a-year say they're morning people... versus just 40% of people making $30,000 or less.
HOW TO SAY NO
Say No To: Your kids
How: Simple repetition
Parents often make the mistake of speaking in a calm, grown-up voice when their kids lose control. It's better to match their intensity as a way of communicating that you understand how upset they are. Your voice should sound pitiably sad, not stern and cold. And your words should be simple and repetitive: "I know you want those chips. You want them now, but you can't have them until after dinner." The discipline is good for them.
Say No To: Your man
How: Agree with him -- at first
He wants you to meet his parents; you think it's premature. If you reject him outright, you'll probably start one helluva fight. Soften the blow: "I'd love to have dinner with them. But let's do it after we've dated a few more months." That way, you'll have agreed with him initially. You ensure that he understands you're not rejecting the idea because it's his.
Say No To: Your boss
How: Respond with questions, not answers
The next time your boss asks you to restructure the office tech system -- by tomorrow morning -- figure out what you can do, and then outline the plan: "Are you more concerned about the budget or the deadline?" Wrap up your solution by asking a question that leaves the ball in her court: "Does that make sense?" You won't have said no, but you'll also have set the parameters for how the project should go.
