In sports, such as the Olympics, results are often ascertained objectively by quantitative measurements, such as time, distance, or score. Other competitions are determined in a more subjective manner based on the qualitative opinions of judges. To help screen out possible bias or bad judgment, multiple judges are used, with the highest and lowest scores […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD I’ve been thinking a lot lately about customer service via the telephone, even more so than usual. There are some things that I am excited about, while others are a concern. On the negative side, consider a large telecommunications company that provides cell phone, Internet, and long distance. Another is […]
I’ve been wanting to talk about writer’s block for quite some time, but I don’t know what to say. Actually, I do know; it’s just that I don’t want to irritate readers because I don’t think I’ve ever truly had writer’s block. That doesn’t mean everything I write flows effortlessly and without delay. It doesn’t […]
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A Telemarketing Failure
Use Customer Communications to Strengthen the Business Relationship, Not Ruin It By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Back in the days when I had a physical phone line, my provider changed names. I’m still not sure if this was the result of new ownership or merely a rebranding effort. Regardless, there was much hype surrounding this news, […]
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Who Do You Write Like?
Check out the I write like website (iwl.me). The premise is simple. You paste some you work into a text box and click “analyze.” The site will then tell you what famous author you write like. It is most interesting, but I’m not sure if it is much more. In testing a half a dozen […]
There are reportedly fourteen punctuation marks. Unfortunately, the lists I consulted do not completely agree. Some include “braces” while others list a “slash.” With consensus on the other thirteen, that makes a possible total of fifteen punctuation marks. Here are my thoughts on all fifteen: Comma: I use them, more then I should, and always […]
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The Total Cost of Ownership
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD I have a love/hate relationship with technology. I love to have the latest, fastest, and most powerful tools and toys, but I hate the time it takes for implementation, requiring that I preempt more important activities to install, fine-tune, and master my new technology. Therefore, I tend to stick with what […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD I’ve been thinking a lot lately about customer service via the telephone, even more so than usual. There are some things that I am excited about, while others are a concern. On the negative side, consider a large telecommunications company that provides cell phone, Internet, and long distance. Another is […]
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Seven Quotes About Writing
Last week, I shared some biblical advice to writers. Here are some more items to ponder: Write on!
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The Bible Advises Writers
I am a student of the Bible, reading and contemplating it daily. (See my blog posts about the Bible for some of my thoughts and observations.) With me becoming more serious about the art and craft of writing, I’ve begun to notice relevant writing insights in the Bible. Yes, the Bible advises writers. Consider these […]