IN SEARCH OF ZOOT

un-zooty looking spider-kids

          In between books is not a good place to be for a writer.

          I’m glad to have finished the first draft of Sterkarm 3 at last, but I have to let it brew before I start rewriting it, and in the meantime I don’t know what to do with myself.

          So I’ve started to think about the next book, and, because it’s going to be set in the future, I’m in search of zoot.  My brother – the cover-artist brother, not the Blott-drawing brother – introduced me to Zoot.  He’s a science-fiction reader (and writer) and zoot is something he looks for.  If a sci-fi book or film doesn’t have enough zoot, he’s disappointed.

The latest cover, in rough

          What is Zoot?  It’s one of those things that’s quite hard to define, though you know it when you find it.  I gather that it means something outrageous, surprising and imagination-stretching.

          It’s a science-fiction thing.  Now, I love fantasy and ghost stories, but they aren’t zooty.  Even when they’re scary, even horrific, they’re not zooty.  There’s a hard-edge to zoot.  It has circuit boards and shiny cases, perhaps even wi-fi.  It’s often astonishing, but not mysterious.

           Space-elevators are zooty.  Huge mirrors orbiting Mars, to reflect sunlight onto the planet's surface and terraform it - they're very zooty.

          The up-dated Dr. Who is often quite zooty.  The BBC’s wonderful, modern day ‘Sherlock’, with its text messaging and forensics, brims with zoot.  It’s not just the science and gadgets: it’s the audacity and panache.  In fact, zoot may be a kind of science-flavoured chutzpah.

          So far, I’ve got a few characters, and a future setting.  I’m going to set up some notes files for characters,backgrounds and ideas (because my head-space is already getting crammed.)  I shall use navigation pane (or document map) so I can leap about in the files, from note to note.

          And I’m on the hunt for zoot.  I aspire to it, though I don't know if I can bring it off.

A genetically engineered, flourescent cat. I want one!  It wouldn't get run down in the dark!

          I watched that Horizon programme the other night, the one about the spider-goats.  Spider-goats, I feel, definitely have a touch of zoot.  As do yeast colonies that produce diesel fuel. From, if I understood correctly (I was thinking of spider-goats at the time) the grease on the surface of apples.

          I’ve also been reading Roz Morris’ NAIL YOUR NOVEL.  She has nothing to say about zoot (at least not as far as I’ve read), but she has some great ideas for working out and shaping plots.  I’m always willing to give something new a go.

      Last week’s suggestions for the rewrite of Sterkarm 3 were gratefully noted. If anyone has any zoot - ?

          And, as I reach the end of January as fat as I began it, here's a timely Blott - 

Provide Your Comments on the New Proposed Fee Guidelines

The United States Trustee Program (USTP) has drafted new proposed guidelines for reviewing applications for professional fee compensation in larger chapter 11 cases (more than $50 million in combined assets and liabilities, aggregated for jointly administered cases).

According to the proposal, among the goals of the guidelines are to ensure bankruptcy professional fees are subject to the same scrutiny and accountability that apply in non-bankruptcy engagements, and to increase disclosure and transparency in billing practices.

The proposed new guidelines feature six key changes:

1. Electronic Data: Fee applications should be submitted in an open electronic data format


2. Categories and Tasks: New project categories, as well as activity-based sub-categories, have been added


3. Verified and Other Statements: Clients should provide verified statements in connection with a fee application to disclose, among other matters, whether the client reviewed fees and compared them to its approved budget


4. Budgets and Staffing Plans: Budgets and staffing plans will be encouraged


5. Additional Disclosures: The United States Trustee will seek disclosure of the lowest, highest, and average rates billed for the preceding year for estate-paid bankruptcy work and for all other work combined


6. Special Fee Review Procedures: The proposed guidelines set forth models and principles for the use of independent fee examiners, fee committees, and fee committees with independent chairs

Read more about all of the objectives as well as additional details about the six key changes. You also can read the entire draft of the proposed guidelines or view the current guidelines that were established in 1996.

The USTP invites public review of and comment on these proposed guidelines by January 31, 2012. I encourage you to submit your comments by e-mail to USTP.Fee.Guidelines@usdoj.gov. All comments received will be made available for public inspection at www.justice.gov/ust.

Biz Stone Shares Insight and Lessons Learned from Co-founding Twitter

Biz Stone shared colorful insight and lessons learned from the creation of the $7 billion social networking site during an interesting keynote presentation at the 2011 TMA Annual Convention this morning.

Stone, who prior to co-founding Twitter worked on the very platform that this blog is hosted on (Blogger) at Google, provided an interesting glimpse into how Twitter went from being a means for sharing text messages to playing a central role in organizing political uprisings.

He also shared several stories and lessons learned that inspired and motivated him to co-founding Twitter. For instance, looking for an opportunity to meet new friends and fit in during high school, Biz started a lacrosse team and not only did he enhance his social standing, he went on to excel in the sport. The lesson learned – you can manufacture your own opportunities.

He went on to share additional personal stories and encouraged the turnaround and corporate restructuring professionals in the packed audience to use creativity in their work and to have the willingness to fail spectacularly in order to succeed spectacularly.

Stone ended his presentation by sharing his seven assumptions for business:

1. We can change the world, build a business and have fun.
2. We don’t always know what’s going to happen.
3. There is a creative answer to every problem.
4. There are more smart people outside our company.
5. We will win if we always do the right thing for our users/customers.
6. The only deal worth doing is a win-win deal.
7. Your co-workers are smart and have good intentions.

Following his presentation, Biz participated in a question and answer session and discussed Twitter’s business model and ways attendees can use the social networking site to enhance the marketing of their firms or clients.

Follow TMA on Twitter to learn about the latest TMA and industry news.

TMA Sets Sail for San Diego

I have arrived in beautiful San Diego to join more than 600 turnaround management, corporate restructuring and distressed investing professionals for this week's 2011 TMA Annual Convention.

I look forward to TMA’s annual event every year, but this year I am particularly excited. Not only because of the great Southern California destination, but because this year’s event promises to be a memorable one due to a number of unique events and new features – including a TMA smartphone app – that have been added to enhance the education and networking offered at the meeting.

Led by co-chairs David McReynolds and Omar Mirza, the 2011 TMA Annual Convention Planning Committee has put together an excellent program.

It all starts on Tuesday afternoon, with a special advanced education session panel on ethics, led by moderator Jack Butler. That evening, the networking gets underway with several receptions leading up to the California Wine Walk in the Exhibit Hall – a unique take on the traditional exhibitor reception.

The Tuesday night receptions conclude with an event I think everyone is eagerly anticipating – the Opening Reception Aboard the USS Midway. A truly unique venue, attendees will not only be able to enjoy a great evening of networking and developing business relationships, they will also have the opportunity to check out an aircraft carrier that was once the largest ship in the world.

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone gets the educational component of the Annual Convention underway with the keynote presentation on Wednesday morning. Biz will share business insight developed through his experience with the $7 billion social networking site and while he was working at Google and as a strategic advisor for several companies and organizations.

Wednesday morning also is the debut of a new education session format. Designed to provide more interaction and idea sharing, five workshops have been added to the schedule and will cover technology turnarounds, forensic accounting and more.

Also included in the agenda for the first time is a session created specifically for young professionals – Rainmaking: Business Development for the Next Generation. An experienced panel will share their knowledge on what it takes to excel in the turnaround management and corporate restructuring profession.

On Wednesday afternoon, Lynn M. LoPucki will instruct attendees on how to use the UCLA-LoPucki Bankruptcy Research Database (BRD) during the Keynote Luncheon. (Thanks to the support of the TMA Cornerstone Board-designated Endowment, TMA members now have access to the BRD free of charge).

These are just some of the many highlights. The convention also features an exhibit hall, a full education schedule and numerous networking opportunities during the meeting and in the evening.

There’s a lot to look forward to this week. I hope to see you in San Diego and if you haven’t registered already, you can still register onsite or online. And if you can’t make it to this year’s TMA Annual Convention, I encourage you to mark your calendars and plan to attend the 2012 convention in Boston, November 1-3.

TMA Adds Interactive Workshops to the Annual Convention

As a way to improve networking and promote interaction among conference attendees, TMA is introducing the workshop concept to the 2011 TMA Annual Convention in San Diego, October 25-27.

While the larger general and concurrent sessions focus on broad topics and consist of presentations by a panel or speaker, the workshop concept was conceived to involve smaller audiences and cover more niche topics. With a goal of 10-25 participants per workshop, the format is designed to promote interaction among the attendees and provide for more give and take than is possible in the larger sessions.

Three workshop topics are being presented at this conference:

• Social Media – Educates professionals on the use of social media including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other networking tools. Speakers consist of both a social media and communications consultant.


• Technology Company Workouts – Focuses on the unique aspects of technology companies and the complexities of workouts where intellectual property rather than hard assets provide the collateral. Speakers have backgrounds in founding, lending and consulting to technology oriented companies.


• Starting Your Own Practice – Whether due to a desire to break away from the large corporate structure, or forced to because of a layoff, many TMA members have successfully formed their own firms. Speakers will focus on the aspects and realities of starting your own firm and all have first hand experience in doing just that.

The workshops are geared toward a smaller audience in order to promote discussion among the group. The speakers will not be “presenting” to the group, but will instead lead a discussion on the topics where members of the audience will be expected to ask questions and contribute. The goal is to promote interaction among the group and give conference attendees another avenue to meet and network.

Survey feedback for the TMA conferences indicate that many would like more networking options for meeting other attendees. The workshop idea is one of the initial steps toward providing additional networking options when attending a conference. Any other ideas are always welcome and please feel free to contact either myself or Jennifer Bethke at TMA Headquarters with your thoughts.

Register and reserve your hotel room at turnaround.org.