TNG Blog

December 31st… great time to sum up the year that will be left behind in a number of hours. Over the last week, it seems that one can’t stop thinking “Wow! What a ride 2011 was…” while reading articles that summarize 2011 events on one page. Lots of real life events and lots of turbulence transmitted to the economy, both positively (UK’s economy got £620 million boost from Royal Wedding) and negatively (tsunami in Japan damaged its economy for $300 billion)

Absorbing all of this information, one can’t avoid questioning what 2012 is cooking for us, realizing this time more than ever that some unpredictable natural or social events can drive or slow down our businesses and the economy as a whole. If we ignore that the Internet’s ‘2012 predictions’ warn us only about the end of the world, we small business owners are left to prepare for what we know will come:

- The US presidential election, where ‘small business’ will be again in the spotlight

- The London Olympics, where an additional boost of £ 10 billion is forecasted for the UK economy – and UK small businesses should be aware of this the most

- Batman, Spiderman and Hobbit together with the Avengers are coming (back) to movie theaters in 2012;  if you embrace the buzz, your small business could profit from these heroes

While 2012 still holds a dose of mystery for small businesses, it feels good to say that a large number of expected trends for 2012 are much more obvious. If we reflect on what people predicted a couple of years ago about upcoming trends, we can see redundancy from year to year. The green trend, the social media trend, the mobile trend, the blogging trend, the localization trend in small business, etc…. haven’t we heard it all, each year in the recent past?  So, what’s new if we read somewhere that ‘social media’ is still a trend for 2012, when it has been a trend to watch the last couple of years? Haven’t we spoken about mobile websites being a must already for the last couple of years, so why does it continue to be a trend to watch in 2012? What…blogging is also a necessity in 2012?

Last call guys! The trends that we’ve been following the last couple of years are no longer trends, but the way business is going to be done in 2012, so be ready to adapt or die. If you haven’t already taken them seriously and done something along these lines – you have a lot to do in 2012…like now!

Still, when you immerse your business in 2012’s trends, maintain cautious optimism. People across the web are moderately optimistic after looking at current economic indicators. The word on the street is that consumer confidence continues to rise and unemployment claims continue to fall – sounds like good climate for small business, right? If you cautiously accept this optimism and if you do it right, you might save some money, grow your business, and have more flexibility with your time – ah, a small business owner’s dream, right!

Flexibility…I remember when I started my own business: my friends and family didn’t take me seriously. Somehow the only thing they saw was that I was able to reply to their emails at 11AM and to pick up the phone whenever they called – so I was not exactly working…right? What they did not realize was that my working day did not start at 9AM and finish at 5PM, and that some weekends I had to forget about the ‘week-end’. Welcome to my world! That tendency will probably become more notable in 2012. Given that technology has become so accessible and that the world has become a global village, one can really do a lot from his or her bed at 11PM. Small business owners will have easy connectivity to their customers and more flexibility with their time. Saving money and growing your business…technology continues to rapidly evolve and present us with more options to choose from, resulting in much cheaper if not completely free software. Applications are going to boom even more in the following years, and they can finish so much for us. In 2012, you should say it loud and proud…that you are a bit more optimistic than you were at the beginning of 2011. Just please, say it cautiously.

A Cautious Happy New 2012!

Four months ago I started an apartment search in Germany. It seemed to be enough time to find the perfect place that I would call home for the next couple of years. In an initial round, I filtered 8 apartments from 68 on the rental market at that time, each of which seemed to have what I was looking for. No crazy requests, I just wanted a window in each room (read LIGHT, since I don’t want to live in a box), hardwood floors throughout (since lots of places had tiles in the whole place…yes, bedroom too), and a balcony where I would be able to put my patio furniture. From those 8 apartments, only 3 actually had all of what I was looking for. Great! It felt like finding a place to live in Germany was an easy task. The only thing left was to negotiate the price and move into the ‘best deal’ since all of them seemed a bit pricey.

My first negotiating activity was a real disaster. The agent was obviously annoyed and irked by my attempts to negotiate a lower monthly rate. I really had good arguments why I thought that the rate should have been lower – from comparing the price to others on the market to naming all the investments that I would implement in the place and which would stay for the owner (since I’m not planning on taking with me, nor can I resell custom-made kitchen cabinets). No matter how hard I pushed his answer was “No, this is the price for this apartment. The owner knows that the place is worth this much and won’t rent it for less. If you don’t want it, someone will come along who will”.I guess that every product has its customer, one who’s willing to pay a particular asking price. Obviously I was not the right customer for this product.

Ok. Tough luck. 2 more to go.

The second  place, the second agent. Of course I had questions about the apartment! However, the agent found my extensive interest in details….frustrating and pestering . One moment he turned to me and actually said “Since you are asking too many questions, it’s obvious that you don’t like this place.” No! I liked the place just fine! I just wanted to know if holes in walls would be closed and if I could change or remove the curtains…. But, he didn’t have any patience for me. He had this demotivated look on his face, showing me that the visit was obviously over – since I was not the right customer for that place. I had too many ‘issues’ that the right customer would not. The right customer would be just happy, quiet and would take the place without question. I didn’t even get to the point of negotiating the price this time.

In the mean time, I was trying to rent out my own condominium in the Chicago area. After a month on the market, I started to rethink the price – was it too high? After a second month not renting the condo, it was clear that I had to lower the price if I wanted to get a tenant. People started to call and show some interest, and finally an offer came – even a bit lower than my reduced asking price – but hey I couldn’t afford to go on for much longer with paying rent on one side and a mortgage on the other side.

The third place was being rented out directly by the owners. I kind of felt for them since I saw myself for a split second. Decent renovations, decent location, more or less both I and my partner were satisfied…that is until we started hearing about all the conditions that we needed to fulfill “No animals, preferably no children, a garden that was exclusively mine had to be ‘this’ way,  you are not being allowed to paint the walls any color other than white…”. Should I mention that the rent would be raised 10% after a year and even more the subsequent year. Space for any negotiations? I think not! Did they seem a bit more emotionally attached to their ‘product’ than normal? Yup! Were they aware of the rest of the offers on the market ? No. They didn’t have an outsider (an agent) to even give them constructive advice about how to ‘sell their product’. In their eyes, they had a perfect product on the market and only a fool would pass and not rent it. They were doing a favor to the world by even putting their product on the market. I just wasn’t thankful for that (favor)….what an imperfect customer I was! Thank God!

About political correctness, small business, marketing and a better humankind

Growing up in Europe, I must admit that I wasn’t very familiar with the term ‘political correctness’ (PC). Somehow, we just became numb to such things; the diversity of a relatively small continent with nearly 50 countries and more than 20 languages (plus hundreds of local and regional dialects), where after centuries of wars and animosity, we finally found a way to live together and become more accepting of one another and our differences. We joined our free spirits from the south…warm, spicy, and hot-blooded people, who hug and kiss and share their food unselfishly with new acquaintances over a glass of wine, where topless beaches are viewed not as ‘girls gone wild’ but as a normal alternative option that is not a big deal, whether you choose it or not…and the north…where brownies are made with love and another ‘special’ ingredient, where some adult shops do have windows and merchandise displayed to the public. Now that you have an idea regarding what I’m talking about, imagine some of us foreigners coming to a place where being PC is a must…a way of business and everyday life.

I wouldn’t even have written about this topic had I not observed a couple of bothersome PC / non-PC situations in recent professional matters. As business owners, our biggest dream is to attract as many prospects as possible and to convert them into customers, that is, into profit. Right? For a small business, this process of evolving from “have you heard about the new neighborhood business” to “OMG, they were part of the 4th of July parade” to “they donated money for making a new basketball court in an underprivileged part of town” to “they have environmentally friendly uniforms” to “I will shop there regularly because I like who they are, what they stand for, and how they do business” is challenging; I’ve found that we’ve become over-sensitive and that, for every politically correct action, someone is likely to find a politically incorrect perspective.

However, it is generally very simple. A business owner wants to send the world a positive message about his or her business; a message that will motivate interest and ensure favorable standing; a message that will not leave a stain on the business, business name, or brand; a message that the business is not prejudiced and is open for everyone; a message that everyone’s money is more than welcome. Or maybe not that simple???

The Holiday Season

The time right around the holidays is always key for political correctness. Yes, you know that time of sending out greeting cards to your current and prospective clients and vendors. When I was first exposed to this, I just didn’t understand the drama about colors! “No, we can’t use red. No, not green, that’s also a Christmas color. No, not blue, that’s only for Hanukkah.” I still remember one of my former employers forcing that one big snowflake on the card. That seemed safe. A few years later, with a different employer, I remember the same color issue around the end of the year; we ended up using purple and avoiding any potential PC issues.

Should I even mention Happy Christ-Hanu-Wanza being replaced by ‘Season’s Greetings’ (of course)? I guess that humans just want to complicate things. We are afraid of simple, because simple has to mean losing something. Could we proclaim one color as the official holiday season color and just simply use it during the season? Aren’t you sometimes tired of being PC from late November through early January; people seem to lose sight of what’s important, that someone has thought of them and wished them a greeting of joy, luck, and happiness? Isn’t that actually what’s most important?

Pictures and Illustrations

I mean, the picture (e.g., advertisement, brochure) has to have a Caucasian, an African American, a Hispanic/Latino, an Asian, a homosexual, a female and a male representative, right? Else, someone will feel forgotten. Overseen? Unimportant? Untargeted? I mean, seriously. I am ok if a female is not represented in the commercial of a product that I’m considering. I don’t care if they use a Martian as a spokesperson for McDonald’s, I will still indulge in eating junk food…sometimes. Why do people find themselves called out or forgotten so easily and so often nowadays? Why is the sensitivity level so high and self-awareness so low that it has to be proven all the time?

So, what advice can I give to a small business owner concerning this whole PC / non-PC debacle? I guess that shifting attention to Valentine’s Day and welcoming Spring seem like good ‘neutral’ ideas and safe ground. You don’t want to get on the bad side of the community that you work in; you don’t want to be the rooster that crows before time and gets his head guillotined…to set an example for the other roosters. Or, to lose your customers because you wished them a happy ‘wrong’ holiday – you can’t afford that financially. But! PC was brought about by people in a moment when society felt the need for it. Many people feel that it’s time to overcome this forced ‘respect’ and censoring of free speech. Many business owners would act more freely if PC weren’t directly or indirectly enforced. The fact is that marketers continue to point out that PC kills good marketing and restricts creativity. However, PC continues to remain in our society. Yet, who wants to be the lone rooster that crows before the break of dawn?

This is one of those ideologies that begs for a relatively mature society, which has already overcome trivial issues; unfortunately, at this time, it seems possible only if we as humankind are threatened by aliens, or robots, or who knows what else; only then will be united and not feel threatened or disrespected by one another. Until our society grows to the level of self awareness and mutual self-respect that doesn’t need to be ‘regulated’ by PC guidelines, we can all try to make small improvements by talking about what bothers us, trying to explain ourselves, accepting and respecting one another.

Or we can keep making commercials like this. No one insulted, right?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cEFrVdyV9w&feature=related

P.S. Kudos for creativity! The ‘pipe’ people really reinforce the message of the product while not being politically incorrect.

I was told by a very close person that I may have an identity problem. Before you judge and advise me to visit a psychiatrist, or tie my name to some made up scandal, let me tell you that I’m not at all disturbed by this and that I even found it a bit flattering, after this person provided a little clarification. This whole event started with this person’s observation of my ‘overly easy and quick’ adoption of new things in life…starting with a new surname (yes, I got married and wanted to be practical), then deciding to use my nickname for professional purposes (yes, my first name is more difficult to pronounce – again being practical), then being open to new citizenship (yes, I didn’t want to go through a ‘special process’ when traveling much more frequently than my husband – once again practical), and of course moving to a new country and adapting to a new life, customs and culture (yes, a country where my native language is not spoken, where the culture and customs are very different than my homeland)…I guess that I’ve been letting go of who I was and getting used to all these changes way too easily in the eyes of certain people… But, is this really an identity problem? Or a matter of personal growth and development?

Throughout my life, I somehow always viewed this personal trait as being positive; the ability to adapt, to change, to continue to work with what’s given, whether an opportunity or challenge, and making the best of it. Then, one day somebody tells me that I’m a weak person, who doesn’t respect her heritage nor who she was really meant to be in the first place, but instead just accepts whatever is thrown her way without resistance. Being attacked and judged as a reckless chameleon made me think about ‘identity problems’ in a different direction – let’s say  business (of course!). It was not difficult for me to identify with the fact that businesses sometimes also need to modify or completely change their identity – sometimes only to keep up with a trend, at other times to follow the direction in which a market is moving, and sometimes to simply just ‘survive’. But how often do businesses change their identity?

Often enough for us to notice! In business, a ‘corporate identity’ is clearly defined (not like in my case where a bunch of variables were taken into account to proclaim me as a person with identity problems); Wikipedia and Business Dictionary offer very detailed insight on this topic, going even further and chopping a corporate identity into 3 parts: corporate design, corporate communication and corporate behavior. All of these are valuable for different situations but corporate design is the one that the masses somehow notice first.  For most of us, logos and colors – the pillars of corporate design – are the first elements in which we would notice a change in a company’s identity. Hmm, do you wonder what kind of identity problem or other situation would make a company change its logo or colors? Nowadays, it appears that such a change is most commonly initiated through mergers, and less often due to an entry into new markets (globalization), a new revolutionary product, catching up with new trends, or even as a tool to evade bad publicity. Personally, I find corporate identity changes – or rebranding – most interesting when they occur due to a) a merger or b) bad publicity…they’re just so much fun!

Merger

Mergers seem like a popular thing to do in a recession – every once in a while we hear about one in the news. Quite often, mergers seem confusing to us – even if we read a detailed public release, it always feels like there might have been some secret deal behind the closed door that we will never know about. But leaving behind all the confidential details, we can always comment on the visual consequences of the merger. Let me remind you about one of them that happened during 2010: United Airlines and Continental Airlines. Remember how United fans reacted when the famous “U” (which was sometimes perceived as a “W”) and the legendary ‘United colors’ red, white and blue were exchanged for ‘just’ a blue version of the logo that ‘arrogantly’ added Continental livery. People saw/read Continental even if the logo clearly says ‘United Airlines’. Hmm, an identity problem for United? Much more of a Continental feel than some people would like to see, I guess…but knowing another side to the story – that both companies have some bad tales from the past – we shouldn’t be surprised if their identity changes once again in the near future. New identity, fresh start for them, maybe?

Bad Publicity

The second interesting moment for an identity crisis happens when a scandal or other bad publicity occurs. Can you think of any examples this second? How about the hottest ‘bad publicity’ story for 2010…BP…oops, I have to resist the urge to discuss BP since they haven’t yet rebranded, as they apparently aren’t yet suffering from an identity crisis! But there are many more…how about Enron (of course!), Tyco, Arthur Andersen, Philip Morris or WorldCom, just to name a few. What puts Arthur Andersen, Philip Morris and WorldCom (MCI) in the same basket is that they freed themselves of some bad reputation by taking on a new identity – Accenture, Altria and Verizon, respectively.

Take for example ‘Philip Morris’, a name that was most frequently associated with cigarettes, smoking, cancer, addiction, and death. It did not matter that, at the time, Philip Morris Companies Inc also owned Kraft Foods and Miller Brewing Company…people just saw cigarettes.

”When people say ‘Philip Morris,’ people don’t know which company you’re talking about. We’re more than a tobacco company, obviously, but there are a lot of people who don’t understand that” (Steven C. Parrish, the company’s Senior Vice President for Corporate Affairs)

So, renaming the parent company (Philip Morris Companies Inc) to Altria and keeping Philip Morris U.S.A. and Philip Morris International as the only two tobacco companies under Altria’s umbrella should make things clearer and better, right? The new identity ‘Altria’ was supposed to bring a fresh start…but many people and anti-tobacco organizations did not ‘buy’ the new identity.

“It may change its name to Altria, but Philip Morris is still wanted for the death of millions”

But Altria was still a good move – people tend to have short-term memory and generations shift.  I mean, the company has to be good – ‘look at their logo with such a positive collage of colors’!

Identity change is a complex cycle that will not only include this visual component but also other areas of business. It is important to have a strategy and a goal regarding where you want to be after you do go through the change. So, anytime you decide to make a change or to rebrand any part of your business, plan wisely before starting your ‘new company’ and pick a good partner to help you with the new identity!

At this time of the year, everyone is a sage, prophet, visionary. All over the net individuals, some wise – others not so much, are predicting top trends for 2011. I won’t be doing anything like this because in my eyes there is nothing different about January 1, 2011 compared to December 31, 2010. Just another day. Business will be done the same way (unless there are some major legal / tax code changes in this calendar year!).

What I will do is reflect on the last couple of years and the many individuals I have watched suffering, either unemployed and waiting, or employed and…well, still waiting. I’m not so sure which is worse. Turnover across the board has decreased as those that are employed are happy to have that security, even if they are not completely satisfied. Meanwhile, they sit idly and watch opportunities, which might have been phenomenal in the long run, pass by. Companies, which are already in many cases hesitant, have been even more careful during this downturn. As a result, overachieving / overambitious employees are underutilized and told to slow down and play their ‘role’. The outcome is suboptimal for both sides.

Case in example of someone I know – my friend ‘Bob’ (you might remember my previous story about Bob) – an individual that will remain anonymous, but one that has been highly educated at premier institutions, very talented, and one of the most ambitious individuals I know. Too ambitious for this slowdown and the vision of his current employer. Bob brings unique skills to his employer that are for some reason overlooked. So what has happened. Bob has taken the proverbial ‘bull’ by the horns and decided to move on, even if the move may be deemed by all those around him as being “way too risky”. I mean, why should Bob leave a high paying job, with a good amount of tenure and seniority, near family and friends, for a new job at a new company somewhere far away!? Well… that’s my friend Bob – and I’ll stop there to answer.

Is complacency better? I think not. But, what if…? What’s with all the questions??? All the ifs and buts have just one answer – if this opportunity doesn’t work out, there will be others that will. The world has become a global village and, only if you dare leave your tribe, you might, just might, have the opportunity to become a wiser individual, in addition to becoming a much more well rounded and more sought after professional in your field. This world did improve and progress because of individuals that challenged ‘today’ and surpassed the rhythm of the present. My friend Bob is speeding up and hopefully he will surpass the economy – I know he is not alone and that’s why I decided to dedicate this last 2010 post to him and to all of you that are just like Bob.

My message for the new year: the economy is improving but not fast enough. Be proactive! If you feel unappreciated, underutilized, and unsatisfied with your current situation, don’t jump right away but continue to network, stay open to new opportunities, and don’t be afraid of jumping when the opportunity does come. If you have skills and ambition, your chance of success anywhere should be limitless. And yes… Happy New Year!

Have you ever wondered why that promotion has not yet come your way? Or, why you are often not chosen to lead and complete that big project of your dreams? Or, perhaps why you eat alone in the lunch room?

People often claim that they are one person in their personal life and another person in their professional life. I agree that there is a clear separation in most of us – the business hours dos and don’ts and the after-hours personality. Also, most of us claim that we can control and manipulate our personal traits so that they don’t influence and damage our professional life. But, is everything that makes us unique individuals actually under our control? There is an old myth that tries to explain our awareness of our virtues and ignorance of our faults. When God created the human race, he gave each and every one of us two sacks – one with our virtues and the other with our faults. He also gave us a pole, which we would carry on our shoulder and onto which we could hang and balance the sacks. But, humans have always been human. People carried their virtue sack at the front, to proudly show off their qualities, and their flaw sack at the back and out of sight. The myth stipulates that this is why the human race so easily identifies its own virtues and not so well its faults. At the same time, we can easily spot other people’s flaws, which although on their back, are in front of our nose. Back to our story; do we really think that we are aware of and can control all of our flaws?

Here is when we need to let in other people – friends, family members, and mentors – who can help spot our flaws…that is, those who can point out what we carry on the back of the pole. The task is not easy, neither for those who need to be enlightened by the truth about themselves nor for those who need to break the news. But, maybe the truth about your unrealized promotion is hiding just in there, on your back, in your flaw sack. Here are three case studies of common individuals to whom no one pointed out their personal flaws in time to prevent issues in their professional life.

Joe, the Tabloid King

Joe knows everything about everyone. He is a source of information, the local tabloid. When someone hooks up, he is the first to know and the first to spread the news. And not only that! Joe knows the details about that new guy or girl, all the rumors and truths circulating around the neighborhood. Long ago, his friends and family became used to Joe and learned how to accept him and his ways. However, not everyone will deal with an over-informed and an over-communicative Joe. Joe often complains that he has perceived a cold attitude from many of his co-workers and recently voiced his concern over not being invited to his boss’ Christmas party, a party attended by most everyone else in the office.

Jane, the Procrastinator

Jane moved to a new condo…about 2 years ago. Her place is still in a moving-in phase. She is very talented and extremely creative, so a few years ago she promised her friend Susan that she would paint her a picture as a wedding gift. The picture is still at Jane’s place, halfway done, even though the wedding was 3 months ago. Jane has also had some problems at work; some clients have complained about her inability to deliver what was initially proposed and as a result she is now on her manager’s *&^* list. Her manager controls her work all the time and Jane is worried that she might lose her job.

Rob, the Non-Politically Correct Guy

Rob… amazingly smart and informed, fun to hang out with, although sometimes too aggressive, straightforward, and brutally honest, which usually diminishes his good intentions. You gained weight, he will tell you. Your new hair color looks appalling, he will be more than open about that and not so careful with word choice. He always says what he really thinks, without sugar-coating the truth, without making it more bearable for the listener. His friends have told him a million times that the world isn’t ready for a guy like him, that the world prefers political correctness over honesty, white lies over sincerity, and fake grins over stern seriousness. While all of his coworkers went ‘crazy’ over a new book of poems that his boss published, Rob indicated that he was not a fan of poetry written by ‘self-proclaimed poets’. Bam! He never realized why a promotion never came.

All three of these individuals have obvious flaws…obvious to their friends, family, and all others around them, but perhaps not so obvious to themselves. All of us have these flaws and they aren’t at the top of our mind or right in front of our eyes. So, help yourself. Talk to your friends and family. Let them help you…and in turn, hopefully you can help them.

Today I’m the prey. Yes, this perverted and somewhat experienced socio-econo-marketing mind fell into a trap that was set by a business that promotes a ‘make your money now and run as if there is no tomorrow’ policy.

A logical question is raised – ‘How?’ I would say through the typical so-called ‘friend’ trap. You know those! Your ‘friend’ is involved in some kind of business and you want to be ‘friendly’ towards his or her business. ‘Why?’ is a second logical question that is raised. Because you are a supportive, caring person, a great friend, as I am obviously.

But let’s take one step back and go into the mindset of a ‘friend’. Today’s economy is very slow and ‘friend’ is trying to pay all the bills and get those latest Stuart Weizmann shoes for summer. Can’t blame a ‘friend’! Since you are friends, it means that your ‘friend’ may also know your income, spending habits and details about your business. Good Lord, it seems like the worst kind of perpetrator. ‘Friend’ knows that you are there for him or her; even with a friendly ‘semi-passive sales pitch’, you would probably go with the flow and accept the terms and conditions, without reading the small print. Remember, ‘friend’ knows that he or she is a ‘friend’ . ‘Friend’ is making a deal without working his or her butt off and is raking in his or her 30% commission, which goes into the Stuart Weizmann shoe fund.

Let’s step into the victim’s shoes now. You really try to be there for your friends and you want them to know that. You know that your ‘friend’ is working with some ‘cool stuff’, since he or she is always talking about it. One day, your friend becomes extremely enthusiastic about his or her ‘cool stuff’, so you decide to decrease your shoe fund and buy his or her product. You KNOW that you friend is not going to swindle you. However, very quickly you notice that your ‘friend’ no longer has time for you and declines going to the movies or grabbing a beer after work. Three weeks later, after receiving a few phone calls, you realize that your ‘friend’ has scammed you.

Now! There is a day after tomorrow, which I realized during the middle of my #@!?&*% rant! You will never again buy ‘cool stuff’ from this ‘friend’ – so, he or she has lost a valuable customer and future sales. You will use word of mouth marketing to make sure that none of your friends or relatives purchase ‘cool stuff’ from this ‘friend’ – so, he or she loses more potential customers and more future sales. In turn, they will also talk to their friends and relatives and bar them from purchasing anything from this ‘friend’. You will conquer your loss of new spring shoes, two days after tomorrow, believe me – it is based on experience. However, three days from tomorrow, your ‘friend’ will realize that he or she has not only lost a customer, but also lost a caring and supportive friend.

Idiot’s Advice for Small Business Owners: Always act as if there is a day after tomorrow! With your customers, clients, friends, and relatives, the world does not pause at your convenience. You will have to look into their eyes and deal with them once again. Don’t close the door for insignificant gains. Think BIG! Think about a circle – where if you give ‘good’ you will receive ‘good’. Yet be careful, this is still a world where some idiots will think that there is no day after tomorrow!!!