On Thanking Business Blog Readers and a Message from Porky Pig

 

On Thanking Business Blog Readers…

. 

and a Message from Porky Pig

.

As a literary writer and author, it was never my mission to teach you about business. As a businessperson yourself, your knowledge of business probably dwarfs mine. I am, after all, a writer, not a savvy businessperson with an MBA from an Ivy League school.

.

The purpose of this blog has always been about tips, advice and insight into bringing creativity to business writing. My mantra has always been that business writing can be inherently quite boring; business writing doesn’t need to be so!

.

Along the way, this tiny business blog has grown. It has attracted almost 160,000 views. I have reached readers from Australia to India, Nigeria to Guam, Brazil to Sweden…and many points in between.

.

I thank you for the support, feedback, pats on the back and praise which you have bestowed upon me. I am grateful!

.

.

I pointed out in a recent post "My Business Story: How I Transformed Disability and Despair into a Career as a Professional Writer" that I am sick. I mentioned that for the past several years I have been battling two very rare diseases. In fact I am only the second case in medical literature to have the two disorders at the same time. I didn’t write about this to evoke sympathy. Rather I wrote about it in the context of overcoming disability and challenges in the world of business. My only hope was that it proved inspirational to others who were facing obstacles and challenges.

.

.

Lately, three things have happened. Blogging, which at one point was a high priority, has gotten lower on my to-do list. The second is that I am tired, exhausted both mentally and physically…a result of the constant fight to stay healthy. The third is that in the face of serious illness, there are other things I wish to do…things that don’t entail sitting in front of a computer screen. I have places to hike with family and dogs. New places to explore. New birds to hear singing. New ways to look at sunrises and sunsets. And new conversations to have with God.

.

.

To those who made this blog the success that it was, I say "THANK YOU!" I am humbled and appreciative! Thanks to Zvi, the owner of this site and thanks to the readers!

.

As someone who grew up with Looney Tunes, I figured the short clip below was most appropriate:

.

.

.

. 

______________________________________________________

 

.

  

.

 

.

10 Tips for Your Business Trip to Israel Your Travel Agent Might Have Forgotten to Tell You

. 

10 Tips for Your Business Trip to Israel

Your Travel Agent Might Have Forgotten to Tell You

.

.

There are so many tips and pieces of advice which pertain to a business trip to Israel. For a full and comprehensive list, you may turn to such publications as Fodor’s or Lonely Planet. And for those wanderlusts and globetrotters, who take up travelling as an expensive recreational hobby, there’s Traxplorio | Best Travel Community to tend to your travel needs. In this article, I have decided to present 10 tips, pieces of advice of interest to the business traveler. Pieces of advice that you might not find in the other publications:

.

1) Passport Control at Ben-Gurion Airport. The Israeli passport stamp. It looks very nice in your passport! You can show it to friends. It can be an ever-lasting memento of your trip to the “Land of Milk and Honey.” But wait! Keep one thing in mind: if your are planning to travel on to certain Arab or Muslim countries, you will be denied entry if you have an Israeli passport stamp. Examples of these countries include  Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia (to name but a few). If you will be visiting these countries, tell your Israeli Passport Control agent, “No stamp please!” 

.

      

2) Old Meets New. The ancient: places like The Old City of Jerusalem, Acco, Yaffo (Jaffa) and Tsfat (Safed). Great places for tours through history. And the modern. In Israel, you will find all of the amenities of the modern world. Luxury hotels. Fine dining. The largest concentration of hi-tech companies of any country in the world. The second highest concentration of companies listed on NASDAQ. And if you need it, a health-care system second to no other in the world.

.

Uzi

 3) Security. Everywhere, I repeat, everywhere you go in Israel, you will find that security is common-place. From cafes to restaurants, malls to movie theatres, the opera to hospitals, places of business, museums, supermarkets and more. Ex-commandos with Uzis watching over you while you eat at an outdoor restaurant. Army veterans with Jericho 9mms making sure your shopping is a safe experience. You may find yourself tiring of opening your bags for inspection and passing through metal detectors, but you will also enjoy the safest period in Israel in decades! Security is for your benefit.

.

4) Soldiers, soldiers everywhere. Everywhere you go in Israel you will find armed soldiers. Men, women. Some looking so young you’d swear they must still be in high school. On duty. Off duty: traveling to base or home. At the beach. Shopping at the mall. All armed. And if something happens, all there for your protection. Again, in Israel right now, you will enjoy a period of tranquility and safety!

.

5) Diversity. In Israel, you will find a true melting pot, a country of unparalleled diversity. Arabs. Muslims. Christians. Druse. Bedouin. And Jews from every corner of the world: India. China. Russia. The U.S. Australia. Iran. Syria. Yemen. There are literally Jews who have immigrated from every country on earth. 

. 

Ethiopia: Operations “Solomon” and “Moses,” secret, lightning-fast airlifts organized by Mossad, airlifted tens of thousands of Ethiopian Jews to a new life in Israel. Passenger jets landing in the desert in the middle of the night to meet Ethiopians who had trekked in secret for weeks, troops and rebels on their tails. As danger was closing in in April 1991, at the end of a 36-hour saga which saw 15,000 Ethiopians rescued, a world record was set when a single El Al 747 carried 1,122 passengers to Israel!

.

6) Time. Time in the Middle East in general may not be the kind of time you are used to. A business meeting or appointment set for 10 a.m. can just as easily get started at 10:45. It’s just the way things tend to be here. It can be frustrating for the uninitiated! The best advice? Be on time but expect your counterpart might be late. Bring a newspaper, book or some music. You might find yourself waiting a bit.

.

Also keep in mind the timing of business life in Israel. The work-week begins on Sunday and ends on Friday. For more and more people, Friday is now a day off from work. In much of Israel, things close down for the Jewish Sabbath, or “Shabbat” as it’s called here (Friday at sunset until one hour past sunset on Saturday). In Jerusalem in particular, you will find this to be the case. The city becomes a virtual ghost-town for 24-hours. Businesses, bars, clubs, restaurants, museums, public transportation and more all grind to a halt. As a business traveler, you might find things very quiet!

.

7) Driving & Car Rental. Don’t, I repeat don’t pull over to the side of the road every time you see a police car or army jeep behind you with lights flashing. You will find yourself needlessly pulling over hundreds of times a day. Israeli security forces drive with lights flashing all of the time. If they want you to pull over, they will signal you with their siren. Military and police checkpoints are also a frequent fact of life here; nothing to worry about though…pull over, smile and say Shalom! Also, when renting a car, tell the agent everywhere you plan to drive. we used these guys for car rental when visiting LA, and did the same over there. Most rental insurance does not provide coverage beyond the “Green Line” (the 1967 borders).

.

 

8) Dress. Necktie? 3-piece suit? Woman’s business suit? Not so fast. In Israel, business dress is often function over form. It is usually much more casual than in most western countries. Have a meeting with the president of a hi-tech company? Don’t be at all surprised or offended if he meets you wearing a pair of jeans and a shirt that’s not tucked in. Wearing a tie? You might be the only one in the meeting with one.

.

 

9) The Sabra. It is a huge cliche in Israel, but one worth repeating for the visitor. Israelis are often described as being similar to the Sabra fruit. A bit prickly on the outside but sweet on the inside. War, terror and the memories of the Holocaust have shaped the mentality of most Israelis. It has given them a tough exterior. But inside, you will find most people very helpful, quite easy-going, inviting, hospitable…and as a business traveler, you will find that most Israelis have at least passable English, though most can communicate quite well.

.

10) Prices. Souvenirs. Mementos. Gifts for family. Keep in mind: much of Israeli commerce is based on the “shuk” or “souk” mentality. Prices are often not listed. And prices are often not fixed, particulary for souvenirs. Bring your best negotiating skills to bear. Shop around. And when you find what you’re looking for, bargain! Never pay the listed price!

.

.

Israel is a vacationer’s paradise. From the Red Sea resort of Eilat to the Dead Sea. From skiing on The Golan’s Mount Hermon to the Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee). Megido (Armageddon). Masada. Christian, Muslim and Jewish Holy sites. Tel Aviv. Haifa. Bethlehem. Nazareth. And more!

.

Israel is also a fantastic place to do business! And with a little preparation and some knowledge of the system, you can maximize the potential of your trip. Just remember that when traveling to places like this one, you want to make sure to have gotten in touch with the best international health insurance business as possible, this way you are covered in all aspects!

.

. 

________________________________

.

Yonatan Maisel is a professional writer, author and business blogger. He lives in Jerusalem. 

You Say You Want to Boycott Israeli Businesses? Okay, Start by Giving Up These Modern Amenities…

. 

You Say You Want to Boycott Israeli Businesses?

. 

Okay, Start by Giving Up These Modern Amenities…

.

.

Yup, again this morning…another article in another newspaper about another country, university or group of protesters. Another ad. BOYCOTT ISRAEL! Shun her academic institutions. Halt military relations. And yes, most importantly, boycott Israeli business!

.

         

.

My first reaction? It’s not easy being Israeli.

.

My second reaction? Okay honcho…you really want to boycott Israeli products? You really want to use a method of protest that historically has effectively brought segments of the business and corporate worlds to its knees?

.

 

I’m not going to engage in a political debate with you. I’m not attacking your views. You don’t know where I stand on the issue and let’s leave it that way. I abhor bloodshed and suffering on all sides and in all places. I do respect your right to feel as you do. But the boycott? Well why don’t you start with these?

.

 1) Pentium chip and microprocessor technology was developed in Israel. Windows, Windows XP and Windows Vista were developed at Intel Israel. Almost all Pentium-4 chips are produced in Israel.

.

So, I expect to hear the audible sound of millions of boycotters logging off of their computers simultaneously and finding other computers and operating systems.

.

 2) Sorry Mr. and Mrs. Boycotter, the cell phone was originally designed and developed by Israeli scientists employed by Motorola Israel. Almost all modern cell phones still have that patented little device at their core.

.

Next time you place a call to one of your fellow boycotters, I fully expect that it will be done with your land-line telephone!

.

 3) The technology for Instant Messaging was developed in Israel by four young programmers working for Mirabilis; the company and patent were subsequently purchased by AOL. Again, want to get in touch with your boycotting comrades? No IM! That would be cheating!

.

.

 4) Why boycotters…it’s the Pill-Cam developed by Given Imaging of Israel. Presented with the prestigious Wall Street Journal award for technological innovation. Finally, an end to traditional and uncomfortable methods of examining the digestive tract for disorders and disease. Just swallow the pill and images are automatically recorded.

.

But, oh, I forgot…you’re insistent on boycotting Israeli products. So next time you need an endoscopy, looks like it will be that long tube in your…

.

.

 5) Israeli scientists invented the first and most widely-used no-radiation diagnostic instruments to screen for breast cancer. More accurate than ever…and none of the danger.

.

Miss boycotter, I hate to make light about such a serious issue as breast cancer, but next time you are going to be screened, I fully expect you will tell the technician to use the old, radioactive-emitting model.

.

.

 6) The Indian Ocean tsunami. The earthquakes in Haiti and Turkey. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan. And many others. The IDF and Israeli doctors are the first to set up field-hospitals and to begin carrying out life-saving operations. The IDF also routinely carries out search-and-rescue too. Would a boycott mean that if there is a disaster in your country, you would prefer if they stayed home? Well too bad on this one; when disaster strikes, Israel will respond.

.

.

But wait, there’s more: Don’t forget the plethora of Israeli companies listed on NASDAQ, 75 of them, second only to the U.S. in number. Hi-tech companies? Israel has the largest concentration in the world. Airline security? Much of the equipment used around the world was developed in Israel. There’s Baby-Sense, a baby-monitoring device used worldwide to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Yup, developed in Israel. Vacciguard, the first anti-cancer vaccine prototype. The most widely used drugs to treat Multiple Sclerosis. Own irrigation and solar-power equipment? Chances are good it was developed in Israel. Have an Uzi or Desert Eagle? Throw them out. Is your country going to buy the Arrow anti-missile system the world’s first operational system to shoot down ballistic missiles? Tell your government you don’t want it. It’s just a partial list of things you would need to boycott.

.

.

Still want to boycott Israel and Israeli Business?

.

Be my guest!

.

But don’t pick the things you want to boycott… 

. 

…and keep using the things you like or need!

.

That’s not a boycott, it’s hypocrisy.

.

.

 

1) This article is not meant to be political. It is meant to examine the meaning of a business boycott in general and the "Boycott Israel" trend in particular..

.

2) The writer of this article recognizes the seriousness of breast cancer and diseases and disorders of the digestive tract. The examples were used to make a point, not to in any way offend those who have suffered through serious illness.

 .

. 

_________________________________________________________

.

Yonatan Maisel is a professional writer, author and business blogger. He lives in Jerusalem.

How Social Media Addiction Saved Wallace Q. Cadbury III’s Life Not Once, But Twice Yesterday

 

How Social Media Addiction

.

Saved Wallace Q. Cadbury III’s Life

. 

Not Once, But Twice Yesterday

.

.

Wallace Q. Cadbury is literally a man who was supposed to die twice yesterday…

.

The first time was when he was attempting to cross the main intersection on foot in his hometown of Springfield, Illinois. Little could Wallace have known that Earl Cummings, the town drunk…

 

…was, only a block away, barreling down the road at 73 mph with a blood alcohol level almost twice the legal limit stated at RehabNet, after chugging half a bottle of Wild Turkey.

.

But wait! Thought Wallace to himself. Yes, his "Crack-Berry" was broken, his dog having dropped it in the toilet last Sunday, but with an Internet cafe mere feet away, the tension was killing him! Those crazy new pics of himself on Facebook attempting the Guinness world-record for most Q-tips in a single ear; had anybody commented yet?

. 

And with that, instead of stepping into the path of the oncoming ’78 Ford pick-up being driven by an intoxicated maniac, Wallace was spared a gruesome death! But shit, he found out a moment later as the perky barista with the strawberry-blonde locks arrived at his table with his triple espresso…no comments.

.

.

It was thirty minutes later that Wallace emerged from the Internet cafe. Little did our poor protagonist know that Springfield’s newest patrol officer, Casey Blackburn…

 

…one of the officers called to investigate the circumstances of Earl Cummings’ recent marriage with a telephone pole, had just gotten a report over the radio of a liquor store holdup on the other side of Springfield.

.

Officer Blackburn, wired from his third Red Bull of the day, in addition to a good nicotine-buzz from six Marlboros in the past 15 minutes, jumped into his patrol car and was off, wheels smoking the pavement…just as Wallace Cadbury was again crossing the intersection. Mp3 headphones in his ears, Wallace had no chance of hearing the squad car, its racing motor, siren blaring, and its speedometer already registering 84 mph. It seemed all hope was lost; our Social Media addict had a date with death…

.

But wait! Thought Wallace. My latest business-blog post. Just one more Tweet! His adrenaline began to pump at the prospect of another declaration sent into cyberspace! And with that, feet already in the road, Wallace Q. Cadbury turned back, headed back to the cafe, and was spared becoming a police car’s hood ornament!

.

Challenging fate, he would live to Tweet another day!

.

.

Parting Thoughts:

.

Folks, the so-called experts will tell you that Social Media addiction is a BAD thing. It’s right up there with heroin. Don’t believe the hype!

.

It’s the world outside that’s the danger. People die every day on the roads. Lightning kills golfers. Falling trees kill joggers. And man-eating sharks murder snorkelers.

.

Yet, with all of the research on Social Media, all of those pundits who say it’s turning us into mindless, bloodshot-eyed zombies, it’s still a lot safer than leaving your home.

.

So turn down that invitation to party with your co-workers at the local pub after work. Tell your fishing buddy who invites you to the opening day of trout season, "No! I will not go!" And for Pete’s sake, if you already jog, STOP NOW!

.

Stay home. Boot your computer and log on. Get addicted! And be safe!

.

.

 

_______________________________

.

Yonatan Maisel is a professional writer, business blogger and literary writer.

My Business Story: How I Transformed Disability and Despair into a Career as a Professional Writer

My Business Story:

. 

How I Transformed Disability and Despair into a Career as a Professional Writer

.

.

It’s a blog post I have been dreading writing. I never wanted to write it; I still don’t want to. It’s taken almost three years of convincing by other people, the few who really know my story, for me to finally put my words down on paper. I’m doing so in the hope that it will provide inspiration to anybody facing a new disability who needs a dose of inspiration.

.

.

Everything, everything in my life was normal until about five years ago. I worked. I was productive. I was the life of the party. And then everything changed…

.

In late 2006, following several years of many unusual illnesses and hospitalizations, I was referred for many blood tests, a lumbar-puncture (“spinal-tap”), and bone-marrow biopsies. I was diagnosed with CVID, a very rare, genetic immune disorder (not AIDS, not a virus; I have nothing that can be caught). CVID affects approximately 1 in every 75,000 people. There is a part of the human bone-marrow which produces life-saving antibodies; in my case, like a light-switch, it shut off forever. Despite IVIG, the in-hospital treatment, experts say survival-rate is about 60% for 20 years and life-expectancy averages about 14 years following diagnosis. I’ve already used up five or six of those. Eventually a germ, bacteria or parasite that the average person readily fights off, will kill you. The key is to avoid those people and germs.

.

More recently, I was diagnosed with Sweet’s Syndrome, an even rarer, but completely unrelated, blood disorder which affects about 1 in every 200,000 people. I am, it’s still hard for me to fathom, only the second documented case in medical literature to have these two rare disorders at the same time.

.

My case-history, the documentation and progression of these two rare disorders, which will be appearing very soon in a medical journal, can, in the meantime, be found on an informational website I have created: cvidandsweetssyndrome.

.

.

 From Despair and Depression to Published Writer:

.

From the time that my doctors knew something was very wrong until the commencement of treatment, a period of almost four months ensued. The bi-monthly in-hospital treatments cost an insurance company approximately $5,000 per month. That’s every month for life (thankfully I only pay a couple of hundred of dollars each month). No insurance company welcomes that type of news. It was four months of fighting the system…and four months of sitting at home in almost complete isolation…isolation from anybody with any type of germs that could land me in hospital, or worse.

.

For the first few weeks of those four months, I watched a lot of shit on TV…and sank into depression. I could not return to my previous job. Or any job around crowds of people. Ever. What would I do?

.

What I did was something I had never done before:

 

I began to write. At first it was just putting my feelings and emotions to pen and paper. It was cathartic. It was healing. It passed the time: the endless hours, days, weeks and months.

.

Then it became stories. Silly stories at first. I had no experience as a writer. I was going by instinct. If, as the old saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” I truly believe that boredom and almost complete isolation were the catalyst for creativity. 

.

I became better and more adept with more and more practice and experience and began to combine things like a love of history with my new-found hobby.

.

In 2007, I wrote and on a whim submitted a work of historical fiction to the journal Review Americana. “Life After Death in the Bronx” was chosen for publication and appeared in the Fall 2008 edition. “On Splitting Atoms and a Burgundy Dress,” a piece of historical fiction telling the story of two American GIs who were present during 1950s-era atomic tests in the Nevada desert, was submitted shortly after and appeared in the Spring 2009 edition.

.

Later, as my thoughts turned poetic, it was “Self-Esteem, by-Proxy: On How Your Downfall Quells My Angst.” This work of poetry, written in 2007, sat on my desk for a year before I submitted it to the Literary Review. Had I known it was a journal which has featured 22 winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature, I never would have submitted it. I never deemed it worthy of appearing in anybody’s print. Things progressed with full-length features in the Jerusalem Post, Israel’s largest English-language daily. All I knew is that I, who had no real experience as a writer, was addicted!

. 

Had I stumbled upon something?

.

 From a Hobby to a Career:

.

The natural, next-step was expanding my hobby and trying to build a career out of it. I knew there existed a world of people who needed things like speeches, resumés, corporate bios and articles. But I had no experience other than my literary pursuits. I knew I would need a portfolio and testimonials, but with no experience, who would give me a chance?

.

So I advertised my services. And when the phone failed to ring and my inbox remained empty, an idea was born: I would work for free for anyone who would allow me to use the finished pieces in my portfolio and who would pen a testimonial at the project’s end.

.

Slowly, very slowly, things materialized. I built that portfolio and a base of testimonials. A small business was formed, and today I am a business writer and business blogger.

.

.

I have managed to turn lemons into lemonade. And somehow, I was able to turn despair, depression and disability into a career, an income, and perhaps most importantly, happiness and a sense of professional purpose and worth. I will never be able to work in a standard workplace; it’s far too dangerous. But with the skills I have acquired through experience, I have the tools to stand on my own two feet. If you experience hearing problems, find a Scottsdale hearing aid center. Give yourself a chance.

.

On a personal note: We’ve all heard statistics before. I know a man who in 1982, diagnosed with a deadly form of cancer was given six months to live; he’s still alive. I’ve heard the prognosis for what I have. But I’m active. I hike for hours outdoors every day, rain or shine. I run. I exercise. I frolic in the nearby woods with our dogs for hours on end. I have a wife who loves me. I’m 6-foot tall and weigh 210 lbs, not quite wasting away like I should be. And I’m out to prove those damn statistics wrong!

.

.

I would like to take this opportunity to offer a public “Thank You!” to the special medical professionals who have treated me with care, respect and expertise for the past six years:

.

     Professor Amos Etzioni, Director of Meyer Children’s Hospital, Haifa, Chief of the Dept. of Immunology at Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, and a world-renowned expert in the fields of Immunology and Immune-Deficiency.

 .

       And Professors Ora Paltiel and Neta Goldschmidt of the Department of Hematology, the Sharett Institute, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.

.

.

RSS Thanks for stopping by! If you’ve enjoyed this article please consider re-tweeting here: 

.

 

. 

.

  The Immune Deficiency Foundation is the premiere world-wide organization in providing support and information to patients with Primary Immune-Deficiency, their families, and in advocacy.

.

______________________________

.

Yonatan Maisel lives in Jerusalem, Israel with his wife and family.

Israeli F-15 Fighter Jets Over Auschwitz (Inspirational Video)

 

 

 .

Israeli F-15 Fighters Jets Over Auschwitz (Video)

.

.

I guess I’m still feeling a little bit down following the recent Holocaust Remembrance Day here in Israel. Perhaps I still have the last vestiges of the annual two minutes of commemorative wailing of air-raid sirens in my ears.

. 

Perhaps it’s the last fleeting memories of Holocaust movies, newsreels and survivor testimonials that appear on Israeli television for the 24 hours of Remembrance Day. Gas-chambers. Corpses. Ovens. Trains…

.

When I get this feeling, I always turn to the following video.

. 

Perhaps you have seen it before, if so, maybe you will enjoy seeing it again. If this is your first time, I hope that you will find it as inspiring as I do:

.

.

                                                                                                   

.

.

. 

____________________________________________________________

.

.

Yonatan Maisel lives in Jerusalem, Israel. Having lost many ancestors in the Holocaust, his motto is:

.

"Never Forgive, Never Forget, Never Again!"

.

Business and Blogging Satire: The New Blog Commenting App Hits the Market!!!

 

Business and Blogging Satire: 

. 

The New Blog Commenting App Hits the Market!!!

.

.

It’s becoming all the rage in Business and blogging circles…commenting on as many blogs as possible in order to provide back-links to your own blog and website.

.

Yes, I have read countless articles in the past few months by bloggers expounding the virtues of this practice. Some by bloggers and businesspeople who comment on 50 posts a day. Some 75. And one guy? 100! Let’s figure 2 minutes to read each post and another to comment. That’s five hours a day! A full-time job in and of itself!

.

Yup, according to these writers and gurus of all things blogging and Biz, commenting on blogs is no longer something to do out of interest, congratulating a blogger on a job-well-done or providing opinion or feedback.

.

Nope, blog commenting is now a full-blown…

. 

STRATEGY!

.

But ohhh you say with an audible groan. And you would be right. Yup, you want to comment on as many blogs as possible, but who in their right minds wants to read all of those pesky articles that others have spent their valuable time writing, carefully crafting, and injecting their acumen, knowledge, insight, tips and advice.

.

The good news? Now you don’t have to read them!

.

.

The New Blog Commenting App:

.

That’s right readers. All of the great strategic benefits of blog commenting without ever having to read another blog again! Simply choose from the options below and cut-and-paste your way to back-link heaven!

.

.

The Introductory Comment ($1.95):

.

That was really a great article. I mean it was really, really, really great!

.

.

The Mid-Level Comment ($2.95):

.

That was an absolutely exceptional article! I mean, the way you talked about that stuff? Holy moly! You really know your stuff! Anyway, thanks a lot for the great article and all that great stuff you wrote about!

.

.

Top of the Line Comment ($5.95)

.

Man oh man! Am I glad I found your blog! Hell of an article! I mean what wisdom and insight! You are to be lauded and praised for your wisdom, and congratulations to your parents for having the foresight to bring a person of such exceptional wisdom as you into this world! PRAISE the day that your parents united in love and conveived you!

 

Your article has changed my life…no, "transformed" is a much better word…in ways I can’t even begin to explain or fathom. The way that you introduced the subject and spoke about it? I have no words to describe how I feel. Nope, no words. Only THANKS!

.

.

Yes, it’s the Yonatan Maisel Blog-Commenting App!

.

.

Order Yours Today!

.

But Wait! Call in the next 5 minutes, repeat this coded phrase to the operator, "The eggs were prepared over-easy by the cook" and you will receive a 100% discount!

.

. 

_______________Image Credits: Homer Simpson: http://www.nieckelodeon.com; Coffee Mug: www.zazzle.com 

.

.

Yonatan Maisel is a professional writer, freelance journalist and author.

Holocaust Memorial Day 2011: Recalling the BUSINESS of the Holocaust

 

Holocaust Memorial Day 2011:

. 

Recalling the BUSINESS of the Holocaust

.

.

May 1st, 2011."Yom HaShoah," Holocaust Memorial Day begins here in Israel this evening. Tomorrow, at 10 a.m., as happens every year, air-raid sirens throughout the country will wail for two minutes and citizens will stand in silent respect.

.

This is not another blog post to recount the Holocaust. Movies, newsreels, survivor accounts and books can do that far better, more thorougly and with more insight than I.

.

This is a business blog, however. And today, as the descendant of many who perished in the ashes, I have decided to look at the BUSINESS angle of the Holocaust. Because, in many ways, it WAS a Business!

.

At its peak, the Nazis murdered 10,000 Jews a day. It begs the disturbing question: what does it take to liquidate that number of human beings in a span of 24 hours? Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow. The next day. The next. My answer…

.

.

.

1) Brutal Efficiency: Men and women who took great pride in a job-well-done. Workers who might have showed up early and left late. Highly-motivated workers determined to perform their dastardly tasks at the highest level possible.

.

2) Logistics: Trains running on time. Forcing people from trains to "showers" to crematoria in a swift and orderly fashion. Adolf Hitler actually launched a tirade at rail operators who were bringing troops to the front; they were diverting precious resources from concentration camps.

.

3) Supplies: Zyklon-B: the poison gas used in the showers. Ovens. Crematoria. Guns. Bullets. Slave-laborers.

.

4) A Business Plan: To wipe a people from the face of the earth. Planned and instituted by beasts with names like Hitler, Eichmann (later captured, brought to trial and executed in Israel), Goebbels, Himmler and Heydrich.

.

5) Personnel: Brutal killers without morals or regard for human life: SS. Gestapo. Einsatzgruppen. And periphery "employees." Train conductors. Mechanical engineers. Architects. Builders. Chemists. Ordinary people?

.

6) Industry: A steady supply of trains, gas, bullets, shovels, ovens, etc. All supplied by industry which collaborated with the Nazi regime. IG Farben: The chemical/pharmaceutical company that produced Zyklon-B…yes, I too always believed that pharmaceutical companies produced medicine that healed! Siemens, and the list goes on.

.

7) Scale: Massive. Roundups. Transport. Execution pits, concentration camps and extermination camps throughout Nazi-occupied Europe.

.

8) The CEO: Adolf Hitler might have been the incarnation of EVIL…but…can anyone doubt his oratory skills? His charismatic and hypnotic nature? He played the race-card to a "t," utilizing massive German unemployment, horrendous economic conditions and the vision of restoring Germany to its grandeur. All he needed was a scape-goat. He found it in the Jews. And with that, his obedient minions put into effect the extermination of a people.

.

.

Yes, during that dark time in world history, a mere six decades ago, BUSINESS came together perhaps like no other business before or since.

.

The plan was diabolical. The efficiency was ruthless. It was all carried out on an INDUSTRIAL-SCALE. And the results were…

.

.

UNSPEAKABLE!

.

.

Business can be a force for good.

.

And for EVIL!

.

.

PHOTO: Yonatan (Jonathan) Maisel: 2006, Patrolling in Jerusalem, Israel. Six Million brothers and sisters: "Never Forget!"

.

.

Dear Readers, due to several recent anti-Semitic comments and e-mails, I’m closing this post to comments. I don’t like doing it. Sorry.

.

A Businessman Invites His 25,000 BEST Social Media Friends to His Retirement Party!

.

A Businessman Invites His 25,000 BEST Social Media "Friends"…

.

to His Retirement Party!

.

.

Earl Q. Wadsworth was always one of those Social Media braggarts. The kind that impresses some with his outrageous number of followers…and makes others like me grin with doubt.

"I’ve got so many people following me!" he would go on and on…and on. "What do you mean by following you?" I would ask old Earl as we got together to shoot some pool and drink a pint or two of Guinness at the local watering hole every first Sunday of the month after the Chamber of Commerce meeting.

.

"Are those 25,000 people really your followers" I would ask, waiting for the frothy head of my pint of Ireland’s finest to dissipate.

.

"Of course they’re my followers!" he would reply, somewhat taken aback at my line of questioning. "Friends on Facebook. Connections on LinkedIn. Twitter followers galore! Who do you think they are Yoni?" he asked me with a look of doubt?

.

"Well Earl…If my Social Media percentages are any indication, I’d say that 95% of your Twitter followers are pornographers and SPAMmers. 80% of your Facebook "friends" are people you never spoke with in high school. And yes, another 90% of your followers…the LinkedIn crowd…don’t even know enough about you to know what type of business you run!"

.

"So Earl" I continued… "Why are you so caught up about your Social Media numbers again?"

.

"Well," he began, "My retirement party is coming up in a few weeks and I decided to make it something unique…I’m only inviting my Social Media friends. Yup, all of those online friends who have made me what I am! How ’bout helping me out with the guest-list Yoni!"

.

.

And so…while Earl took care of the logistical tasks…renting a hall for thousands of his Social Media "buddies," the champagne, hors d’oeuvres and DJ, I got cracking on the guest list…

.

.

.

As a man of my word, I got workin’ on that HUGE list of Earl’s. I started sending out emails to his Facebook followers. Special RSVP tweets to his Twitter groupies. And over the span of two weeks, I placed over 10,000 phone calls to the followers of this modern-day guru who had mesmerized tens-of-thousands of people into following his each and ever online move. 

.

And here is just a small sampling of the responses I got:

.

-On a phone call: "Earl who?" replied the confused female voice. "But Miss, you’ve been following him for two years on Twitter!" A pause…"I’m sorry, I don’t know any Earl Wadsworth, and please don’t call back!"

.

-Via FaceBook: "Earl Wadsworth? Hah! I used to stick his head in the toilet and flush all throughout elementary school!" My reply: "So why did you friend him on Facebook and LinkedIn?" The response: "I was just trying to get my online list bigger!"

.

-Via email: "Earl Wadsworth? I’m a freaking SPAMmer. I’m ‘muscle-head 440’ on Twitter. I peddle steroids on the Internet, you expect me to remember ever Tom, Dick and Harry on my junk-mail list?"

.

Exasperated, I gave up! I’ll just let things slide, I thought to myself. I’ve sent the invitation and directions to all of Earl’s Social Media mates. Plenty of people will come.

.

. 

.

I arrived at the party late that evening. I heard the DJ from outside of the club. I walked in to find space for thousands. Empty tables as far as the eyes could see, and on each one, unopened bottles of champagne.

.

I made my way to the one full table. Earl’s mom Gladys was there as were his wife, uncle, mailman and a few co-workers from the office. Aside from that, there were three other people, all unknown to me.

.

I went up to one of them, my hand outstretched. "Hi, I’m Yoni" I said. "I’m Frankie" he replied. "I believe we spoke via email" he continued. "I’m the steroid SPAMmer. Hell, I don’t know Earl from the Pope but I heard there was free alcohol." I dismissed myself: "The pleasure is mine Franky, now I’d like to introduce myself to that young lady over there…"

.

"Evening ma’am, the name’s Yoni. So what type of business are you in?"

.

"Hi Yoni. I’m ‘Bunny69’ from Twitter. You lookin’ for a good time tonight Sugar?"

.

.

Got 25,000 Social Media followers?

.

.

50,000? 200,000?

.

.

Impressive numbers, but…

.

How many are really your "FRIENDS?"

.

Thanks for stopping by! If you’ve enjoyed this original article, please consider giving it a Re-Tweet!

.

 

. 

.

Image Credits: Champagne: www.parties-galore.com; Social Media Icons: www.online-today.com _____________________

.

.

Yonatan Maisel is a business blogger, professional writer and author.

Hitler, Nazis, Black-Face and Making Slanted-Eyes: Things That Are NOT Funny

 

Hitler, Nazis, Black-Face and Making Slanted-Eyes:

. 

Things That Are NOT Funny

.

.

.

Very recently, I read a Business blog post in which a video of Adolf Hitler was transformed into a video in which the Fuhrer was dubbed. He was portrayed as a stark-raving lunatic, upset that his Business blog was not getting enough hits or comments.

.

I registered my revulsion at the use of the man who was responsible for the deaths of 50 MILLION HUMAN BEINGS! The author of the post claimed he just wanted "To have some fun." What I found most disturbing is that the blogger is a professional businessman, ostensibly, using this video to attract customers and clients.

. 

On the video itself I was dismayed, but not at all surprised to see some different opinions: "You’re a talented guy!" "I’m laughing my ass off!" "That was hilarious and you did a great job! Classic my friend, just classic!"

.

I was not "LOL!" 50 Million fucking people!

.

More disturbing perhaps is the New York Times article which explains how to create your own funny Hitler video. They call it "refreshingly easy!" Pardon my language, but FUCK YOU!

.

.

Nazis:

.

.

Who can forget Prince Harry "yucking it up" at a costume party in a Nazi uniform replete with swastika. As a Jew, I don’t point to the "six million" murdered by the Nazis, rather to the 50 Million: Americans, French, British, Dutch, Canadian, African, Australian, New Zealanders, Poles, Russians, etc., etc., etc. 50 Million people, not just six-million Jews…it’s just NOT funny! And this guy ain’t a blogger; he just might be king one day!

.

. 

 Black-Face:

.

.

Ahh…College Fraternity life! Alcohol, babes, and "Black-Face" oh boy! At least five U.S. college fraternities have been suspended or lost their charters in the past few years for laughing it up in one of the most racist and painful get-ups known to African-Americans. It was an image used to cement racist attitudes and stereotypes in America for centuries. Let’s take a vote…and the survey says…"Not at all funny!"

.

For an excellent summarization of the pain, anguish and negativity which this degrading and sterotypical imagery has caused to African-Americans, you might be interested in the website black-face.com

.

.

Making "Oriental Eyes":

.

.

And finally, at least for this post, who could forget Spain’s Olympic Basketball Team, pulling their eyes to the slanted position as they were ready to take the court against their Chinese counterparts. Another mocking, dehumanizing bit of rip-roaring comedy. Did they receive the laughs they were hoping for? Nope, world-wide condemnation was the rather predictable outcome. 

.

.

African-Americans, Africans, Jews, Italians, Christians, Catholics, Irish, Native-Americans, Arabs, etc., etc,. So many painful, racist, stereotypes, gestures and ways to mock and cause pain…and so little time. I even saw videos on YouTube mocking The Disabled. Yup, as if these people don’t already have enough challenges and barriers to overcome!

.

One might think that he or she is on the verge of evoking side-splitting laughter and comedic-genius when putting into gear one of the above…and many, many others. But more often than not, and rightfully so…

.

.

It is the "comedic-wannabe" who ends up looking like…

.

.

An I-D-I-O-T!

.

. 

_____________________________________________________________

Image Credits:   "It’s Not Funny": www.myconfinedspace.com; Prince Harry: www.thesun.co.uk;           

                   

..

.

.

Yonatan Maisel is a Business blogger, history buff and author. He specializes in all aspects of Business writing.

From speeches to resumes, from corporate bios to research, from blogging to website content, from articles to ghost-writing