By Service or Practice

Sheldon strikes big bang for Geeks at Emmys

Last night was a big night for nerds. Jim Parsons (aka Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory) won an Emmy for best actor in a comedy series, beating out front-runners Matthew Morrison (Glee) and Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), neither of whom would ever be accused of being a nerd. Parsons, however, plays the nerdy theoretical physicist Sheldon well enough to be on his way to icon status. (A physics major I know tells me that people in her class refer to especially geeky fellow students as “sheldons.’) That’s what writing is all about — making it real. That’s true no matter what you are writing. 

What is especially impressive about Parsons’ win is that his character was not originally planned as the series lead. Rather, he was the break-out character (a la Kramer on Seinfeld, or Dwight on The Office). But his characterization of Sheldon stole the show. Some even say he has made geekiness cool. If so, that’s the acting equivalent of splitting the atom.

‘Shot heard round the world’ was the sound of baseball’s spirit

I was surprised that it didn’t get more attention when Bobby Thomson passed away the other day. In October 1951 he was probably the most celebrated person in America (and the most cursed in Brooklyn.) Thomson blasted what was known as the ’shot heard round the world’ — a 3-run homer off Ralph Branca to lift the New York Giants to a 5-4 ‘miracle’ victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers in the special National League tie-breaking playoff series.

Thomson’s home run was one of the most famous in baseball history. More than anything else, I think, what gave it such appeal among baseball fans is that it demonstrated that, in baseball, it truly ain’t over till it’s over (as Yogi Berra would say).

Energy Company

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Car Company

Gave the legal team of a major automotive manufacturer the confidence to aggressively respond to the threat of antitrust action by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Hoover Institution

Raised the Washington, D.C., profile of one of the world’s great centers of independent thinking.

CSX Transportation 2

Saved a client from a “death penalty verdict” by assembling a team of legal experts to expose the unreasonableness of a runaway jury. 

CSX Transportation 1

Secured the regulatory approval of a major railroad merger by working with customers to organize a grassroots campaign.

Northrop Grumman

Orchestrated a thought-leadership campaign that effectively countered a policy proposal to virtually eliminate America’s ICBM deterrent.

Verizon Communications

The White House Writers Group has consulted to the Washington and General Counsel’s offices at Verizon since 2001.

Mining Company

Crafted a satisfactory response to an EU inquiry for a global mining company that was in the crosshairs of a well-funded NGO attack.