The Business Plan aka The Anal-Retentive's Procrastination Guide

The richest man who ever lived wrote, "Without a vision The Minions will spend a lot of time on Facebook."

I decided this week was a good one to define the corporate vision beyond just Ka-CH$NG!  We needed plans for our products.  Production plans, marketing plans, distribution plans, suitcases of cash to Switzerland plans.  All these plans required steps, steps required deadlines and deadlines required a calendar.  The good news is we now have a plan, on the wall, of every minute of every day for the next year.  I even inked in blog updates and haircuts.  Now the questions of what? and when? will never be uttered around here again. 

That being said. . .

Have you noticed it's easier to write while painting?  Taking a walk or playing with cameras works for me too.  What is it about not sitting purposefully at my kitchen table that allows me to get more done?  It's like I have to sneak up on writing to do it.  Good thing I have Timpkins and The Minions to do the creative heavy lifting.

I'm still blaming the weather.

The Vice of Virtues

A horrible, confusing and largely cloudy week in the office.  That emotional weather report brought to you courtesy of Any Excuse in a Storm.

This week I explored the gray areas of vices, virtues and how to organize a book where forgiveness appears as both.  Do I play Webster and list by word or cling to having vice and virtue sections?  If forgiveness is both, how to illustrate?  And, why didn't I stick with being a busboy?  There's a question keeping me up at night.  I was really good at it and loved the free food.  I'm vamping now because it moves the cursor along until just maybe it bumps into the idea I'm searching for. . .and. . . nothing.  I'm thinking a little practical procrastination might help the process.  I'll do that when I'm done with this.

The movie division of Jotsalot Media is working on a screenplay or rather one of five depending on Mr B's mood.  I would prefer he finish the one on the drawing board, but he seems inspired by an animated script featuring a dancing pig.  I'm the boss in title, but The Minions only obey inspiration and mood.  Is obedience a vice or a virtue?  Timpkins didn't write anything on the subject and, if she does, she'll probably make it both to torment me.  For Timpkins being a smartass is definitely a virtue.

Ms M is convinced there's a future in refrigerator magnets.  I'm convinced her idea belongs under Practical Procrastination and she needs to be redesigning our logo.  But she's inspired so I'll give her another week.

Maybe next week there'll be pictures of refrigerator magnets posted here.  I'd check back, if I were you.

Love Only Works Weekends

Norma Timpkins wrote, "Love is like trying to blow bubbles with a rock" and then copyrighted it.

It's a Valentine's Weekend which is so much better than rubbing my nose in it for just one day.  The romantic highlight of the weekend, so far, is the mule deer have started eating the official deer food and stopped taking turns tonguing the finch feeder.  Anyway, both sides are happy so I'm calling it romance.

Norma Timpkins delivered her outline and sample entries for Vices and Virtues which is confusing.  Not confusing that she delivered it two months ahead of schedule, but that she uses vices as virtues and vice v----.  For example, Timpkins seems torn between whether chastity is a virtue or a vice.  I think chastity is a virtue unless you have a choice.

We are making progress on Wisdom and the other Top Secret projects and everything is ahead of schedule.

Here's my weekly opportunity.  Have you ever wanted to photograph and write?  Have you ever wished someone would outline the piece and give you a shot list and even pay you?  Must love and own a dog.  A dog is central to completing the work.  A seasoned Labrador with a wise, enthusiastic face is the ideal.

Quality Time Revisited

If you read Friday's post, you'll recall I was going blind from sitting in front of the computer all day and I am. And you might remember I was farming out the busy work, like accounting and web design, to spend more time on the fun stuff.  And just now it occurred to me that I could eliminate even more computer time by posting only once a week.  Jotsalot Media is now posting only on Fridays.

The Virgin's White Flag or SWM Seeks Help

On Monday Jotsalot Media was recovering from a weekend's worth of pondering how to out Norma Timpkins without really outing her and why I was going blind.  Not yippee-I'm-getting-a-dog blind, but I-finally-get-how-Superman-fooled-Lois-with-glasses blind.  I sense you're not drowning in my deep thoughts or even considering hooker shoes to keep your socks dry, but these are my thoughts.


You've read what I did with Norma, now here's how I'm addressing the blind thing.  I quit.  And it's a victory quit like when you stop being polite and ask to use the bathroom.  That's the kind of quit I'm talking about.

Ms. Marigold and Mr. B (aka The Minions) are amazing at their jobs and can't wait to get to them.  Sure they look good hanging around the reception area exchanging glances, but that's not what they were hired to do.  Just like I wasn't born to spend thousands of millions of hours sitting in front of a computer trying to build a website when there are people who enjoy doing it.  They enjoy it and I pay them to have fun.  It's the circle of life at it's happiest.  So, here's how it's going to work around here from now on: The Minions will minion, I'll create and hire accountants, web designers and personal trainers to do what they do.  Everyone is happy and I'll know whether or not it's Athena with highlights (looks good) or Lois in heels.