In a world where standing ovations seem practically mandatory, one reader questions the etiquette behind rising to applaud a performance that fails to impress. As social pressures grow, the line between genuine appreciation and polite compliance becomes ever more blurred.

A letter to the Miss Manners column questions why people seem fixated on receiving written gratitude and even calls thank-you note expectations “brutal and draconian.” The complaint highlights a larger conversation about whether politeness has come at the cost of genuine personal choice.

In Uganda, one of Africa’s largest coffee producers, women toil tirelessly in the fields yet seldom see the profits of their labor. Now, a Ugandan businesswoman is spearheading a movement to form a “coffee sisterhood,” aiming to empower women and shift the balance in this traditional industry.