Blog Archives
Seven Years Later & I’m Still Looking to the Storytelling Horizon
After logging into WordPress this morning, I had a new — yet expected — notification:
Happy Anniversary with WordPress.com!You registered on WordPress.com 7 years ago.Thanks for flying with us. Keep up the good blogging.
Seven years ago today, I attended a WordPress conference here in Columbus, OH inside the Ohio Union on the campus of THE Ohio State University. My interest in blogging, which I had dabbled with a bit in the past, took on a whole new dimension and meaning by discovering the online publishing platform WordPress. After listening to a few panel discussions, I immediately went up to the open-aired, impromptu customer service lounge on the third floor of the Ohio Union and sat next to an expert (I knew this person wasn’t a genius because I wasn’t in an Apple store) and asked him to help me set up my blog that would be called Jimmy’s Daily Planet.
One of my first blog posts published here — of which there were two I wrote on July 13, 2012 — was titled ‘Eight Years Later & We Look to the Horizon’ that focused on what would be the next societal game-changer. Hence part of the inspiration for today’s title. The other half of the title will be revealed in the second half of this blog post.
FYI – I explained the name of my blog in a post four years ago today. Here’s that summary.
Paying homage to the greatest (albeit fictional) newspaper of all-time, The Daily Planet, this blog was founded on my love of my favorite superhero and disguised human of all-time: Superman and Clark Kent. The scene from Richard Donner’s 1978 classic ‘Superman’ that showed us Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent walk through the bullpen of The Daily Planet for the first time was the moment I knew I wanted to be a journalist. The chaos, palpable energy, and big city, skyscraper setting flew from the screen and landed directly into my impressionable imagination.
These few minutes showing reporters preparing to get the scoop, watching exciting individual and group dynamics (papers scattered, people typing, talking and moving) and hearing creative storytelling pitches is arguably my favorite journalistic hook.
Plus, my name is Jimmy.
And here’s that aforementioned scene.
This ‘Superman’ clip resonates as much today as it did when I saw it for the first time as a kid.
Breaking News: I’m going to step away from publishing new blog posts on Jimmy’s Daily Planet. While Jimmy’s Daily Planet and all of the blog posts — written about a wide range of topics and current events — will remain available online in its exact current form with this same web address, there are other pressing writing projects that I am excited about that I need to commit more time and energy towards. As a matter of fact, it’s been my self-imposed Monday-Friday schedule of having to come up with and write new content on this blog for so many years that has given me the time management skills and confidence to now apply to new storytelling projects.
I wish I had the time to keep writing my daily blog — I really do — but the inspiration for my future projects will be rooted in and connected, in some way, to my writing style, experience, and association with my favorite headline/title I’ve ever come up with: Jimmy’s Daily Planet.
Here’s TV producer, writer, and storyteller extraordinaire Chuck Lorre with the right words at the right time.
I’ve loved writing Jimmy’s Daily Planet. I’ve had so much fun. And now everything that’s been put into this creative storytelling venture throughout the past seven years will be used to tell new, exciting stories that I hope people will connect with and like as much as I do.
Dr. Ian Malcolm, the fictional chaos theorist in ‘Jurassic Park,’ famously said that perfect turn of phrase — by way of the late author Michael Crichton — “life finds a way.”
I’m hoping that brilliant literary and cinematic adage can be amended to “writing finds a way.”
Thank you to everyone who read Jimmy’s Daily Planet and supported me along the way!
The Apotheosis Countdown
Sitting in the studio audience during the pilot–an unforgettable experience with my dad back in the spring of 2007–‘The Big Bang Theory’ was immediately clear for take-off into the stratosphere of successful network television sitcoms. And it’s still a smash success more than a decade later in 2019.
This NASA-like launch was significantly helped (perhaps fittingly) by eventual NASA astronaut on the show Howard Wolowitz, who is played by the very funny Simon Helberg. His character’s introduction into the show is simply among the best in sitcom history.
And Penny’s intro, played by the funny and beautiful Kaley Cuoco, falls into the very same category, just for slightly different reasons.
Well, I made sure to save this scene for my blog.
Now in its twelfth and final season, the show about men and women who are equal parts science geniuses and socially awkward nerds (plus Penny and Zack) is reaching its summit with less than twelve new episodes remaining.
After tonight, the official count is nine new ‘Big Bang Theory’ episodes.
And there are still plenty of questions to be answered regarding current storylines for major and supporting characters. These lingering unresolved questions will help ensure a thoroughly entertaining final stretch for the show. Relating back to the pilot, there are key questions that need to be answered before the show takes its final bow:
- What is Penny’s last name?
- Why has Howard been wearing an unexplained alien pin on his shirt during every single episode of the series?
Before we discover these fun tidbits in the next couple of months by sitcom royalty Chuck Lorre and Co., let’s venture to a preview of tonight’s episode. Amazingly, I was in the audience for the taping of the following episode, “The Donation Oscillation,” with my mom and dad just a couple of weeks ago!
‘The Big Bang Theory’ is just as funny and entertaining live as I remembered it to be:
Witty and laugh-out-loud hilarious.
Bazing–
It’s getting a little tougher to say it without getting teary-eyed.
‘The Big Bang Theory’ airs on CBS on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET.
Happy Monday!
Live the life this Monday.
Sure, it sounds a little cheesy when put like that. Perhaps the profound meaning of it is lost in translation. And what better translator than music, specifically via Coldplay singing one of their smash hits.
Live the life Viva la Vida, ladies and gentlemen.
Have a Better Week Than Last Week.
A 3-3 Win for the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Today’s match between rivals Spain and Portugal fulfilled all the drama–before and during the game–short of a game-winning goal. And let’s be honest…this is one of those games where I should just point you to the highlight of the night.
Click PLAY, then click “Watch this video on YouTube” (FIFA stuff) and then please return to Jimmy’s Daily Planet.
Instant Reaction:
Spain will view the 3-3 tie as a loss as they were pre-game favorites. They had the chance to win the game, collect three-points and sit atop Group B in pole position.
Portugal will likely view the 3-3 tie as a win as they were pre-game underdogs. Led by superstar Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat trick that served as the scoring bookends for the day (4th and 88th minute), the Portugeuse now have an opportunity to sincerely challenge Spain to win Group B.
Slightly More Reaction:
It’s a little difficult to tell if Spain and Portugal will continue at this pace, both in style and proficiency, throughout the tournament. Was this performance by both nations more of an isolated rivalry game that, like Ohio State and That Team Up North, just ignites an unexplainable fire that fuels players to accomplish the spectacular? Time will certainly tell, particularly outside of Group B against comparable top competition.
Either way, the hype is real–and was heart-poundingly real in Spain vs. Portugal–for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
From Russia with love for the beautiful game.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 