From a recent Royal Philharmonic Society lecture, Alex Ross, a classical music writer for The New Yorker, discusses the history of applause at chamber music recitals:
Then, in the early years of the twentieth century, the idea took root that one should remain resolutely silent throughout a multi-movement piece. By imposing such a code, we [...]

Classical, or chamber, music recitals were not events I went along to a whole lot until I was introduced to the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) last year.
Going to see a band, either in concert or at the local pub, seems – to me – like something that requires no thought it’s so natural, but [...]

Surely being nice to restaurant and cafe staff is the best way to get the good service you deserve in return?
Similarly, going to a popular restaurant at the height of the dinner rush and expecting perfect service is folly. Drew Nieporent, the owner of Corton and many other restaurants around the world, says succinctly, [...]

A few handy pointers for sitting through a movie someone has said you “will love”.
People seldom love movies for rational reasons, so try to avoid being too analytical and dissecting the movie.

Wonderful, how to dine on sushi, including advice on not what to do with wasabi.

Some bands need to focus on performing their music rather than resorting to other methods of entertainment:
“This is something we just worked out backstage [cue huddled conference with the lead guitarist], how does it go again?” Nice try, but we’re not fooled – you said the exact same thing at the Frome Cheese & [...]

Even the way an email is signed off can add significantly-more-than-many-people-might-have-thought tone to the entire message. And here communication experts debate the use of “best” as an sign-off.
Post swears by “Sincerely,” which he describes as an all-purpose, “safe” e-mail close – the little black dress of sign-offs, if you will. “Yours truly” and “Regards” can [...]

If I said these all seemed like plain old commonsense I’d probably look like I thought too highly of myself wouldn’t I? Nonetheless there’s some good advice among this lot…
CC’ing your boss after hours does not impress him.

A collection of posters from the Tokyo subway reminding travellers to show consideration to other passengers.

Scott Sternberg lays down the his rules of style, first up, don’t ask obvious questions, they don’t make you look smart:
Opening a conversation with “What do you do?” makes you sound like a shifty, social-climbing dickwad. Small talk is for sissies, but if you’re stuck with it, you can certainly come up with something better [...]