I always wonder when deadlines are real, or imagined.

What I mean is this - I had someone ask me last monday morning to do a rush project. HAD TO HAVE IT BY TUESDAY, he said.

Well, I couldn't drop everything and do it. I told him I couldn't. So he huffs and says "fine, I'll find another writer who WANTS to do it" (as if that will sway me.)

Comes back a day later (which is now Tuesday) saying the only other person he could find couldn't do it until Thursday. So could I please do it Wednesday?

Wednesday? What happened to the Tuesday deadline?

Had he said "Wednesday" IN THE FIRST PLACE, I could have started it Tuesday morning (you're still following this, right?)

It's annoying when when people do this - and it only hurts them in the end. Here I could have started this guy's project Tuesday if he wasn't so impatiently making fake deadlines. Just tell me when you need it, and don't be in such a rush - rushed work is never good work anyway. And I only do good work.

Heh heh, I actually feel there are people out there who would be surprised that I'm not sitting here with nothing to do, just waiting for their emergency project.

I went to go see my nephew Greg a few weeks ago (actually, he's not really my nephew, but he and his brother are kids of my wife's childhood friend, and they call her "Aunt Maryellen", so by virtue of being her husband, I'm "Uncle Dan"... anyway, now that I cleared that up, let's get back to the story:)

Greg got his first apartment and real "adult" job (he's 21), and invited me and his father out to dinner. I'm always up for a steak and drinks, so I happily went.

Greg had a nice apartment - it brought back memories of my first place. But there was one teeny little difference, and it strikes me as profound.

Greg doesn't have a regular phone.

In fact, it's beyond that - he doesn't even see a need for one. He has his cell phone, and that's it. He sees no need - none whatsoever - for a normal "land line" phone. Something that was normal to me  - get an apartment and get the phone hooked up - was totally foreign to him.

So I did a little asking amongst the late teens and twenty-somethings I know.

Know what I found out?? NONE OF THEM HAVE "REGULAR" PHONES.

I'll bet many phone companies and phone manufacturers didn't see this coming.

Isn't that something??

It's now on sale online and in stores.

The book website is www.danfurmanonline.com - from there, you can order it from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or directly from the publisher. Your choice. Or, just cruise on down to your local bookstore and pick it up off the shelf (in the entrepreneur section.)

If it's not there, *demand* they get it in.

Loudly.

In fact, make a scene if you have to. The book is worth it. 

moved to new blog at www.danfurmanonline.com