Dearly beloved… We gather here today to honor a once critical communication conduit that has passed away…

Is email dead???

I rely on email to communicate with my peers, let folks know when new posts go up on this blog and of course receive updates from the many newsletters I receive.

However, I have a big concern. (more…)

Ok folks…

Take a look at the picture here.

Your task: Create a killer caption for this image.

I would like to reward the person who comes up with the best caption by giving him or her a free copy of my book Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged in e-book format.

Contest winner announced Fri. May 2nd.

Ok folks. It seems ALL of my friends and peers are on Twitter.com

So out of the blue, I decided to sign up.

Check me out here.

Now what? I am new to this.

To all my Christian brothers and sisters, Good Friday!

In fact, I really have been blessed.

Take a look at this:

After 18 months, my book is still a bestseller. Thank YOU! I could not have done it without you.

If you are celebrating Easter, please do check out this post I wrote about the facts and myths of Easter. He Has Risen!

I was driving my daughter to school and she said this, “Daddy, I know how to be the sun.”

“How?” I asked.

“Dress up in a big yellow costume and fly up into the air,” she explained.

I said, “How do you fly up in the air?”

“Get up on a hot air balloon,” she stated.

“What do you do then?” I asked.

She quickly responded, “You jump out and melt the clouds–you’ve gotta bring a light bulb”

What kind of amazing insight do your children bring to your day?

Ok folks…

Take a look at the picture here.

Your task: Create a killer caption for this image.

I would like to reward the person who comes up with the best caption by giving him or her a free copy of my book Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged in e-book format.

Contest winner announced Fri. the 1st of Feb.

It was just after Christmas. I thought I should go online and see what the damage was on my Capital One MasterCard.

That online visit sparked a customer service from hell experience. But more about that in a bit…

I saw a bunch of charges from Yahoo that surprised me. I decided to give Yahoo a call. After answering a bunch of questions, Yahoo informed me that they saw some fraudulent activity and it might be wise to change my card number.

Flashes of identity theft went through my mind. I decided the issue was urgent enough to give Capital One a call.

After going through a menu of options on their voice system, I finally selected “Report Fraudulent Activity.”

I was transfered to a lady somewhere overseas. She spoke very broken and slow English, but listened to my story.

She asked, “Would you like me to send you a new card.”

I said yes and asked if the card would have a new number on it.

She responded, “Your new card will arrive in 5 to 7 business days.”

I asked again, “Will it be a new account number.”

She said, “Would you like me to send you a new card.”

I said, “Yes, if it has a new account number.”

She paused a little longer and said, “Okay Mr. Stelzner, I will be sending your new card now.”

I explained I needed a new account number.

She said, “Would you like to cancel your account.”

I said no and she said, “Let me transfer you to someone who can assist.”

I was so frustrated I yelled, “Learn to speak English people!”

Turned out the gal was still on the line. She said, “Um.. Um..”

I asked to speak with a supervisor. After a while, a more articulate English speaking man came on the line.

I told him my story and asked if he understood. He said, “Of course sir.”

He checked what the other woman had done. Turned out she was sending me a new card with my old number on it! She did nothing to indicate any fraud took place on the account.

Had I not asked to speak to a supervisor, fraudulent activity would have continued on my account.

Turned out I was calling to the Philippines. The supervisor did take care of me, but about 40 minutes of my time were wasted.

Here’s my question: “Capital One, Who’s in Your Call Center!?!”

Tell me about your customer service hell story.

It’s that time of year. The time to make plans for 2008. As a writer or marketing pro, how will you invest in your future? What are your plans?

I am trying to avoid the word ‘resolution’ because we all know what happens when we make resolutions.

I want to know what steps you will take to expand your horizons. You do have a plan, don’t you?

Will you take night classes? How about read some new books? Attending seminars?

So what are your plans for next year? I want to know.

P.S. If you’re interested in learning more about my world in 2008 (writing and marketing white papers), be sure to click here.

By the way, Happy New Year!

On this Christmas eve, I thought I might explore the meaning of Christmas.

Is Christmas about gift giving, random acts of kindness, Santa or shopping?

Well, sadly yes and no.

Christmas has become something a bit different from its roots.

Simply stated, Christmas historically is the celebration of the birth of Christ. It is a celebration that the savior of the world was born in a little town called Bethlehem.

Here is a blurb from Wikipedia.org on Christmas:

The Nativity of Jesus refers to the Christian belief that the Messiah was born to the Virgin Mary. The story of Christmas is based on the biblical accounts given in the Gospel of Matthew, namely Matthew 1:18-Matthew 2:12 and the Gospel of Luke, specifically Luke 1:26-Luke 2:40. According to these accounts, Jesus was born to Mary, assisted by her husband Joseph, in the city of Bethlehem.

According to popular tradition, the birth took place in a “stable”, surrounded by farm animals, though neither the “stable” nor the animals are mentioned in the Biblical accounts. However, a “manger” is mentioned in Luke 2:7 where it states “She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Shepherds from the fields surrounding Bethlehem were told of the birth by an angel, and were the first to see the child. Christians believe that the birth of Jesus fulfilled many prophecies made hundreds of years before his birth.

If you are a Christian (like I am), please take a moment and reflect on the importance of Christ’s coming into the world.

Merry Christmas!

With a newborn in the house, time has rapidly slipped by.

Just this Saturday, I drafted up my Christmas letter to friends and family (a tradition of ours).

An aside: I was tempted to replace Christmas letter with holiday letter in my headline here, but only for a microsecond (see Merry Christmas, NOT Happy Holidays).

I think it is healthy to look back on the year and reflect on what has occurred.

Did you write your letter yet? You like to write don’t you?

Even if you never send it, you should consider writing about the year.

Better yet, pull out those old Christmas letters and read them. You’ll be amazed how quickly we forget the milestones in our lives.

By the way, Merry Christmas to you and yours!