New Blog Site

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http://gaffneyjournal.wordpress.com/blog/

Thank you!

Chocolate Time Paradox

Took two pieces of chocolate.

Dove’s first piece of advice: “Try something new tomorrow.”

Dove’s second piece of advice: “Love like there is no tomorrow.”

According to my love advice, there is no tomorrow, so I can’t do anything new, but I’m supposed to do something new tomorrow, which means I’m not loving properly today, but if I love like there’s no tomorrow…

Now my head hurts so much, I don’t feel much like loving or trying anything new.

I guess too much chocolate can be bad for you…

Just my thoughts,

Sean

Glimmer of Hope: Seconds of Beauty

A collection of one second long films with the theme of "beauty."

Enjoy.



Seconds Of Beauty - 1st round compilation from The Beauty Of A Second on Vimeo.

Duck

The video below is nothing special; just a duck following a dude. Amusing.

I'm posting it because it stirs up deeper meaning for me.

The only pet I've had in my life that was just mine was a duck. Used to follow me around too.

Second grade, I won a contest that allowed me to take home one of the little fellows that we hatched as a classroom project.

Found out after the fact that parents would define that as "losing" a contest, but oh well.

I liked my duck for the short time I had him (he was a victim of our house burning down. There are some good stories that go with that - remind me to tell you them sometime.)

So, for the memories, here is a clip of a man and his duck.

Just my thoughts,

Sean

Christology of Who: Dalek

A look at a few of the spiritual themes in Doctor Who, episode “Dalek” by Robert Shearman.

SPOILER ALERT:  I will be giving away the end of the episode.

Episode bits pulled from Who Transcripts.

One of the ongoing themes of Doctor Who is the question of “what does it mean to be human?”

(Before I go on, I realize that this line of thought might seem like a cheat – the blog series I am writing is supposed to be about Christology after all. But it does/will tie in, as the claim my faith makes is that Christ was fully human and fully G-d. So a study of “what does it mean to be human” plays to both The Humanism of Who and The Christology of Who.)

The Doctor has always been fascinated by humanity, bordering on an unhealthy obsession. He dithers on about how special they are.

How special are they?

The 21^st Century reboot takes a long look at that question by starting with a race that is very, very much not human: the Daleks.

The Daleks are, well, here’s the Doctor to explain:

THE DOCTOR
A nightmare. It's a mutation. The Dalek race was genetically engineered - every single emotion was removed except hate.

The Daleks have one function: to exterminate anything that is different, that is not a Dalek. They live to kill.

The Time Lords (the Doctor’s race) and the Daleks wiped each other out in the time war, with only the Doctor surviving. (That’s not quite true, but it was the common wisdom of the day.)

In the episode “Dalek,” it is discovered that one Dalek somehow survived, was thrown to earth, and is being held captive by a collector of such things.

Rose touches the weakened Dalek (out of sympathy), and the creature absorbs her DNA and uses that to regain its strength. Then the Dalek proceeds to break out of its prison, going on a killing spree along the way.

A problem arises though – the Dalek is no longer pure Dalek, but now has a slight case of the Roses: the absorbed human DNA is affecting the creature, as shown when it prepares to exterminate Rose:

ROSE
And now what? What're you waiting for?

DALEK
I feel your fear.

ROSE
What do you expect?!

DALEK
Daleks do not fear. Must not fear.

It shoots its death ray wildly at the wall either side of Rose.

DALEK (CONT'D)
(slightly hysterical, even scared)
You gave me life. What else have you given me? I am contaminated! 

The poor creature finds that it can not kill without feeling (killing now has a cost), knows fear, knows pity, knows compassion.

At the climatic moment of the episode, The Dalek, long held underground, blasts a hole in the ceiling, revealing the sun. Noticing that Rose longed for the sun, the Dalek exposes itself to the beams – to feel the warmth of sunshine.

That is a joy that the Dalek can not live with; such feelings are to be disdained – they are messy, uncontrollable, not pristine like the killing machine should be. 

The television series will continue to explore what it means to be human – but the first step was made here in this episode:

Humanity feels.

Just my thoughts,

Sean

Next up: The Parting of Ways

Sling Baby

I worked on the team for two commercials for the "Doritos Crash the Superbowl" contest. Pretty proud of them, especially the first (I was more involved with Sling Baby).

Enjoy.

Sling Baby

Kitty Heist

Revealing-ations

Self explanatory. Enjoy.

Blowin' in the Wind

If the answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind, then So Cal just got a whole lot of answers.

I hope somebody was taking notes.

jmt,

Sean

Pangs of Moralizing

As one who has his feet in both the world of writing and the world of the church, I am often asked to create a piece of writing (play, screenplay, story) for faith based organizations.

I like doing so, as it gives me a chance to blatantly blend two important areas of my life – faith and art. (These two areas are blended in everything I do, just not always so blatantly.)

But there are times when my producers try to push me to lean away from story and focus solely on getting a message across – less art, more propaganda.

It is tricky to try and explain why that is counterproductive. Coming from a world where sermons can lead audiences in droves to the altar, the people from the church business can’t help but to think of story as just another way to preach.

But story is a lousy preaching platform; and if you get those same folk to honestly talk about the stories that impacted their lives, you’ll likely find them sermon-free.  Preaching just isn’t a strength of the medium.

A story works emotionally first; if there is a message, it comes through the experience, not by stating a moral.

My pastor last week talked about the difference between exposing people to truth, and experiencing truth. Unless someone experiences truth, it doesn’t quite stick.

Storytelling is a way to get people to experience; at least that is what it does best.

Take a look at Jesus’ parables – while there may be preaching and teaching around the stories, there isn’t much within the stories.

Even stories that contain great speeches – think On the Waterfront, or Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, or Some More Recent Movie That I Just Can’t Think of Right Now, the monologues are earned by the speaker through experience, and are almost commentaries on the story rather than sermons.

So what does one do when they want to tackle a big issue within a story?  The Bitter Script Reader has a nice write up on the topic, examining a Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode written by Jane Espenson.

A captive audience...

Well worth the look, as an experienced script reader digs into a work by one of the better writers in television.

The summary: serve the story first, and give all sides their due.

Favorite line from the blog post: 

“Even if Jane Espenson had a point she wanted to make, she seems to be smart enough to know that simply preaching an idea that goes unchallenged isn't the way to win converts to your side.”

So, if you want to hire me to write a piece that includes a message, expect me to fight for the story first – only because I really care about the message.

Just my thoughts,

Sean

Clarifying

My fancy hotel didn't have the typical teeny bottles of shampoo.

Instead they provided their guests with "Clarifying Hair Cleanser."

Yep, they used the word "clarifying" to obscure their meaning.

Nicely done, irony hotel.

Just my thoughts,

Sean

Thankful for: Childhood Magic

Jeffrey Overstreet's nostalgic review of the newest from the world of the Muppets.

Thankful for: Her

Thankful for: Dear Friends

Thankful For: Random Reminders of Family

Thankful for: Books

For as long as I remember, I have been immersed in books.

When I was in elementary school, our teacher had a competition for who could read the most books in a month. I decided to start by reading all of the Happy Hollister books.

There were 33 of them.

I got through them before the month was out.

The other kids never had a chance.

My house was the perfect setting for a serial reader. My dad got a hold of a bunch of gun ammo cases, took off the lids, flipped them on their side and made book shelves for the front hall.

Floor to ceiling of books, many with covers blackened, a reminder that they survived the fire that claimed our earlier house. But the pages inside were clean.

But that wasn’t nearly enough space, so when the back porch was walled in to create an extra room, it became the de facto library. (Some joke that our bathroom was a library - it wasn't. It was a reading room. There's a difference.)

Three of the four walls were bookshelves; again, floor to ceiling, every nook and cranny crammed with reading material.

When I would encounter my various bouts of insomnia, I would sneak downstairs, grab my coat (the room was not insulated) and spend hours in the back room.

I’d climb on the furniture, pick an upper shelf, and run my thumb along the book spines until I found a title that held my interest.

Maybe one of the dozens of RD condensed book collections, or a biography, or a mystery, or a science book decked out with illustrations or a legal textbook (I was enthralled with the law). If the title grabbed me, I would pull out the volume and start reading, perched precariously on the back of the sofa or the arm of a chair.

If it didn’t hold my interest, it would go back on the shelf. (I tried reading Peyton Place like this; the cover promised it would be shockingly fascinating. It wasn’t.)

If the book grabbed my attention, I would slowly sink down into the furniture and read until my eyes drooped. Then off to bed.

I have been thinking about my childhood reading habits because of Disney and Don.

Disney is making a movie of the John Carter of Mars books; I saw the trailer and realized that I hadn’t read any of those adventures.

Even though I promised Don that I would.

Don was one of my best friends, and also a voracious reader. While my reading was wide, his was deep.

Sci-fi was his game, and the Dune trilogy or Foundation series were light reading for him.

We would constantly recommend books to each other – usually I was pushing murder mysteries of the Nero Wolf / Ellery Queen vein; he was trying to get me to follow him through Herbert and Asimov.

He was the one who pushed me to get past the movies and read TARZAN, for which I am very grateful. (One of the best looks at sociology out there.)

And as Tarzan author Edgar Rice Burroughs also wrote another favorite series of his – the stories of John Carter’s adventures on Mars -- it didn’t take much to get me to agree to read some of those books as well.

Except, I never did get around to it.

Until now – just finished A PRINCESS OF MARS; a ripping good tale. (Burroughs tackles another foreign society – but of another planet rather than just a jungle on earth.)

So, Don – thank you for the recommendation.

And thank you for not holding me to a time limit on my promise…

Just my thoughts,

Sean

Kids Rolling in the Deep

The singer is ten; the drummer thirteen; all other instruments played by their fifteen year old brother.

Don't want to brag or nothin', but when I was her age I could play "Drink to Me with Thine Eyes" on the accordion.

Both hands.

Enjoy.

Buttons and Bows

Young girls should be dainty, and dress with bows in their hair.

Or at least bows in their hands.

Here are two such girls that I am looking forward to seeing on the big screen.

Dandy Dance

Today's glimmer of hope:

Christology of Who: Boomtown Part Two

A look at a few of the spiritual themes in Doctor Who, episode “Boomtown” by Russell T. Davies.

SPOILER ALERT:  I will be giving away the end of the episode.

Episode bits pulled from Who Transcripts.

For part one, go here.

The story so far: Margaret (aka Blon Fel Fotch), is about to be sent back home to a waiting death penalty by the Doctor. She has made several efforts to convince the Doctor to let her go, none of them work.

So Margaret forgets arguments, turns the table on the Doctor, and prepares to use the Tardis to blow up the world and ride her surfboard to freedom.

But in doing so, she exposes herself to the Heart of the Tardis.

Bathed in its light, really. 

Breathing heavily, Margaret stares into the light, as if forgetting everything else. Her voice becomes dreamy and vague.

MARGARET
It's ... so bright...

THE DOCTOR
Look at it, Margaret...

MARGARET
... Beautiful...

THE DOCTOR
Look inside, Blon Fel Fotch. Look at the light. 

Margaret is transfixed by the light, and her grip on Rose relaxes. Rose stumbles out of the way and back to Jack. Margaret continues to stare into the light, a blissful smile spreading across her face. Then, she looks up at the Doctor who smiles slightly.

MARGARET
(softly, genuinely)
Thank you ...

She is engulfed by the light, and when it clears, her body-suit flops on top of the extrapolator, empty.

She’s not dead, as one (or at least Jack) might suppose.

Rather, the Spirit that has engulfed her transforms her back into an egg. 

ROSE
She's an egg?

THE DOCTOR
Regressed to her childhood.

JACK
She's an egg?

THE DOCTOR
She can start again! Live her life from scratch. If we take her home, give her to a different family, tell 'em to bring her up properly, she might be all right!

JACK
Or she might be worse.

THE DOCTOR
That's her choice.

ROSE
She's an egg.

THE DOCTOR
She's an egg.

And thus, has a chance to be saved.

It’s not pity, or good deeds, or promises or threats – the only way to be avoid the death penalty, the only true grace, is to be bathed by the Spirit and born again.

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

Just my thoughts,

Sean

Next up: Dalek and Parting of Ways

Christology of Who: Boomtown Part One

“You come to the help of those who gladly do right,
   who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
   you were angry.
   How then can we be saved?”

Isaiah 64:5

A look at a few of the spiritual themes in Doctor Who, episode “Boomtown” by Russell T. Davies.

SPOILER ALERT:  I will be giving away the end of the episode.

Episode bits pulled from Who Transcripts.

Here’s the story:

The Doctor catches Margaret (aka Blon Fel Fotch), a Slitheen (alien race, don’t ‘cha know) hiding in a human skin, who has twice now tried to destroy the earth. First go around it was to sell off bits of radioactive earth for profit; this time to power a vessel (cosmic surf board, really) to escape earth.

The Doctor decides to take her home – and turn her over to the authorities.

But here’s the twist: Margaret’s homeworld has the death penalty, and Margaret has already been tried and sentenced in absentia. Going home means being punished by death.

Before they can go, the Tardis needs to be powered up, so they have some time to kill.

I should mention a thing or two about the Tardis – the space/time ship that the Doctor travels in. It is powered by something called “the Heart of the Tardis” – a sentient energy within the big blue box.

The Heart of the Tardis is an ephemeral force, a spirit form. She is telepathic, and can guide the Doctor even from a distance. The Doctor travels where he likes, but the Heart will often nudge him (or push him) to specific times and locales.

And the Heart has the gift of tongues – she is the universal translator for all who travel in the Tardis. 

Margaret is very impressed by the Tardis.

MARGARET
I almost feel better about being defeated. We never stood a chance. This is the technology of the Gods. 

THE DOCTOR
Don't worship me - I'd make a very bad God. You wouldn't get a day off, for starters.

 

Anywho, the Doctor and company are waiting for the Heart to get refueled, and that leaves some time for Margaret to plead her case with the Doctor. 

And she has all kinds of reasons why she feels the Doctor should let her avoid the death penalty.

First she tries a little guilt: if the Doctor takes her in, that makes him a murderer, right? The argument is ignored – another’s transgression doesn’t make Margaret any less guilty.

Then she tries to get the Doctor to pity her – and he does. But having pity on someone doesn’t erase their guilt, nor their debt.

Then she argues that she has changed, that she won’t be trying to destroy the world again. The Doctor counters that change isn’t in her nature. After all,she tries twice to poison the time lord while making these pleas.

Then she provides proof that she can be virtuous. There was a woman that she was going to kill, but she didn’t. See, she did a good thing!

THE DOCTOR
It doesn't mean anything.

MARGARET
I spared her life. 

THE DOCTOR
You let one of them go, but that's nothing new. Every now and then, a little victim's spared. Because she smiled... because he's got freckles... 'cos they begged... and that's how you live with yourself. That's how you slaughter millions. Because once in a while, on a whim, if the wind's in the right direction... you happen to be kind. 

In other words, doing some good doesn’t erase doing bad.

Her last attempt for clemency is to argue that she is not responsible for her own behavior. It is just the way she was raised; it was her community, her environment, not her.

Yeah, the Doctor doesn’t buy that either.

There is nothing that Margaret can do or say to be saved.

To be continued…