Blog Archives

Merry Christmas!

Jimmy’s Daily Planet would like to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas!

As we celebrate the birth of Christ, while giving and opening presents to and from our loved ones, please take a couple minutes to enjoy one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite Christmas movies: The Santa Clause.

As Little Elf Judy would say, “Seeing isn’t believing. Believing is seeing.”

Merry Christmas!!

Writing the Next Chapter of Our Most Interesting Story

Half-way.

Encouraging, yet frustrating.

How have I gone so far, but still have so far to go?

The horizon is teasing me by barely revealing my ultimate destination.

Of course, timing is entirely relative to the individual and his or her situation, whatever it may entail. This arduous journey of ours could require a dedicated half-hour, a long day, a marathon week, an enduring month, year or precisely 16-months of slight variations of feeling like the shell-shocked Bill Murray character in Groundhog Day.

What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same…

This quest of sorts could present metaphorical (or possibly literal) steep mountain faces, hot, sweaty and overwhelmingly never-ending jungle terrain or a maze of mathematical madness that looks and feels like an alien planet.

How does one become a master of administering the internal guidance for these types of convoluted circumstances? How does one trek through and ultimately survive the expedition?

The answers for each person (obviously) will vary. However, there is someone who has discovered a universally advantageous approach, mindset and style to facing life’s many battles with what seems like ferocious lions in the center of a magnificent, sprawling coliseum filled with a cheering crowd.

While his name is unknown, his stories are not. Whatever he faces in his life, he has managed to turn lemons into gold. His inspiring tales of adventure are incomparable. He makes every challenge look like an amazing opportunity (easier said than done). But, regardless, he wins…every time.

He is the most

Sometimes, all it takes is a sip of a particular honey-colored nectar to refresh one’s ambitions, confidence and assurances of their original goal. And doing so in the most interesting way imaginable.

Well, that’s my forecast anyways…(Operations Management: Check)

P.S. Do you know why there are two XXs on the bottle?

Because when the bearded adventurer found his treasure, he was so impressed, he had to mark it twice.

Stay positive my friends!

Happy Monday!

The work week can feel like a treacherous labyrinth with a myriad of turns and trick doors that lead to only one rewarding exit. And once Monday morning hits, it can hit hard. Loosely planning our schedule for the week Sunday evening is instantly translated from an outlook to reality when our alarms abruptly ring Monday morning. It’s here and it’s real.

How are we supposed to approach the work week with this unwelcome jolt of musical tunes/tones?

Some days require laughter, some days require inspiration and some days require the mental equivalent to coffee with shots of acute cognitive awareness…with a timer.

This may even come from somewhere you never expected. But when you arrive and realize how to play the game, you never want to leave that place.

Happy Monday!

The Sound of Something Familiar

“The Sound of Music” is widely considered to be one of the best (if not the best) musicals ever written and performed, both as a play and as a major motion picture in 1959 and 1965, accordingly. Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer both gave unforgettable performances as Maria Rainer and Captain von Trapp in the film adaptation (plus we can’t forget about all the von Trapp children!). The movie received great acclaim with an Oscar for Best Picture.

It’s a beautifully entertaining classic now and forever into the future.

Last night, NBC attempted to revive the magic of “The Sound of Music” with a live 3-hour performance (with a commercial here and there). Favorite scenes and songs were portrayed and sung by the cast, led by Carrie Underwood, who took on the iconic task of Maria. Of course, there was “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” and “Do-Re-Mi.” However, let us not neglect for even another second about all of us universally recalling “My Favorite Things.”

Did Carrie Underwood do well? Was the high-pressured production worth the extraordinary effort? That answer will likely vary depending on one’s allegiance to the masterful film and Julie Andrews herself, but I found myself thinking of a different adaptation last night. Well, maybe just one specific scene 20 years after the sensational release of “The Sound of Music” movie.

It came to me like a dream…

Julie Andrews vs. Chevy Chase: It’s a toss-up (not really, but both give classic performances, just for different reasons)