Brendan Shea's Blog, page 40

Who Dis? …Give Me the Gun

Just saw end of BOyz N the HOoD. Recall seeing the whole thing in the past. Such a good movie. Tragic, but some hope too. Thanks to the late John Singleton for this important picture.

Watching the last half-hour today on arriving home late from a work event, I watched a scene that really resonated with me having not had a dad for my youngest years. My mom did her part, but Laurence (then known as Larry) Fishburne shows the deep love of a father for his son, as my stepdad later did. My dad also made amends as I must needs make to others.

(please see the remainder of the movie to understand the full impact of the scene)

I admit my ignorance, but even though I’m white, I grew up in a neighborhood with many Hispanics and African Americans. Some, like Cuba Gooding Jr.’s character, were on a trajectory for better things, while some had seemingly tougher circumstances I sincerely hope they all made it… not to fame and fortune per se, but to salvation, life, provision and peace.

There were few who did not support this often ignorant white kid, in that neighborhood. Notably one African American who stood up for me when two kids tried to take my basketball. Like Adam Baldwin’s hero protected Chris Makepeace’ character in My Bodyguard, he basically told them to ‘Leave the kid alone”, and made them give me back my ball. His initials are J.R.C… I will never forget him.

On a humorous note, I hope it’s not offensive to say that I love the “Who dis?” scene in Singleton’s opus, & also recall my ‘hipster’ Grandmother, who was slightly “off” on one rare occasion, in a funny way, asking me, “What was that movie? Boys Under the Hood?”

Same Kind of Different (sin) as Me?

On the topic of sin in general, and sexual sin in particular, I began life as somewhat of a libertine at heart, became ultra-conservative, and am now one who tries to keep my mouth shut because I am the worst of sinners and the most ignorant of men.

Nonetheless, I’m writing a general treatise here because I think it’s worth mentioning if it bails others out. I hope it draws me back to Jesus, and does not subject me to His judgment. As I write I sense fear, so either the enemy does not want me to write this or The Lord is saying,

“Take heed as you’ve sinned in this area so badly and need to abandon this practice.”

Likely it is both.

To generally define high-level as I see it –

Masturbation: Self-sex
Pornography: Visual material intended to stimulate sexually
Fornication: Sex between unmarried persons
Adultery: Sex between persons when one or more is married
Homosexuality: Sex between persons of the same gender

All of these are defined as sin, or falling short, by the Bible as I understand it –

Genesis 38:8-10; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Matthew 5:27-28; Job 31:1-4
Ezekiel 16:35-43 *; 1 Corinthians 6:18
Mark 7:18-22; 2 Peter 2:12-14
1 Corinthians 6:9-11: Romans 1:18-32

(*I don’t believe this excludes men)

I guess my basic premise was that sin is sin, but scripture does not back that up entirely –

God says that He is no respecter of persons (with regard to salvation)
He also said, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
And, There is no temptation that has seized you, such as is not common to man
Finally, Jesus was tempted in every way but was without sin

However the Bible also says:

But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

– 1 Corinthians 6:17-19

My initial premise is simply that we should not censure people because their sin is different from our own. I’ll stand by that statement. As to the idea that some sins aren’t worse than others, I think that is false, but I’ll leave it to God to “worry” about others’ sins as much as possible…

I don’t want to be judged, nor to be guilty of the same things.

I can also testify that a man and a woman enjoying mutual sexual intimacy in the bond of a firm marital commitment under God, can experience more pleasure, joy, and divine ecstasy, than any other type or sexual encounter. I have had illicit sex, and it simply does not fulfill nor provide as much enjoyment, further, it leaves a wake of discouragement and turmoil.

This article was inspired in part by viewing the movie The Imitation Game, as real-life code-breaker Alan Turing was a tortured youth who becomes a homosexual, and it becomes apparent that his shame around his twisted feelings, particularly in the oppressive climate of his era causes him to resort to reprehensible behavior.

I’m not advocating homosexuality, and feel our society has “gone too far in the other direction”, but in Turing‘s time, he’d no hope of reconciling his heart or solving his issues. Society was so frightened of his repulsive feelings that he killed himself by eating an apple laced with cyanide.

I don’t personally know the solution to this issue, but The Imitation Game helped me feel the plight of someone who was totally a prisoner in his own body. I guess we are all prisoners in our own way, but know the love of Christ can set us all free. He promises that if we confess He is God and believe His Father raised Him from the dead, we’ll be saved… period. But it is only His love and truth that make it possible.

Maybe we all have the ‘same kind of different’** (sins) as anyone else… may God’s grace & mercy be yours in abundance…

– FitzGerald Press

[image error]

(Safely Home: Artwork by Ron DiCianni)

(**title of blog post adapted from movie adaptation of book by Ron Hall, Denver Moore, Lynn Vincent)

West Coast Beef Co.

I was thinking today about whether I could do more to help feed people at the holydays so was thus a bit chagrined at seeing the bill, worthwhile as it was. We were wanting to get out of the cold and the rain after church, and there was fortunately no wait at West Coast Beef Co. Based on our experience, a short wait might not always be the case.

I later asked my better-half how her brisket was, to which she replied, “lots”. She later asked me how my pasta salad was. It was well-conceived  but of the Mediterranean persuasion. I love European food but was in the mood for an American version, something more pedestrian.  I think also that there was too much vinaigrette, but they used orzo, which I like. It was nobody’s fault about the type of pasta, as she had ordered for us at the counter.

My West Side burger was one of the best I’ve tasted, and what’s more, I’m somewhat of a vegetarian at this point in life. From the high-quality grass-fed beef to the thick, perfectly cooked bacon, this burger was great. The pickles and grilled onions also blended perfectly with the bibb lettuce and sunflower with sesame seed bun.

The service was good and the place was clean. I think the tasty root beer was Sprecher, but I’m not sure. I know I’ve not had it previously. When leaving, I felt okay to refill my drink as I normally would, and as I’m not a big, soda-guy anymore, I next selected unsweetened Pepsi-Lipton brand Brisk iced tea and added a bit of Sobe Life Water, Yumberry Pomegranate to jazz it up.

If you’re in San Jose and looking for an exceptional burger in a somewhat upscale fast-food type atmosphere, then West Coast Beef Co. may be right for you.

[image error]

On Donner Strikes Again!

Before releasing the last Lethal Weapon film entry, whose co-producers included longtime collaborator Joel Silver, Donner directed another excellent suspense romp, Conspiracy Theory, with Mel Gibson, Julia Roberts, Patrick Stewart, and Cylk Cozart.

Gibson plays taxi driver Jerry Fletcher, eccentric and unstable conspiracy theorist, who either stalks, romances from afar, or watches over Julia Roberts’ Justice Department attorney, Alice Sutton. Patrick Stewart is Dr. Jonas, whose agenda is not immediately clear, and Cylk Cozart, an FBI agent, involved in the hunt that develops.

Jerry is constantly visiting Alice’s office, trying to convince her of multiple, clandestine goings on to affect solutions, and Alice is kind to Jerry, but a bit frustrated and flummoxed as he distracts her from her typical work agenda.

Jerry keeps experiencing flashbacks, tormented by memories attached to physical pain… memories he can’t evade that don’t make sense to him. These various plot strands coalesce into a thrilling plot with a clever crescendo finale. I won’t give away the plot, as this movie is just too good to be true.

-FitzGerald Press

[image error]

 

Wait! 1, 2, 3 Then Go, or Go On 3?

I loved the Lethal Weapon movie series, directed by Richard Donner, who co-produced with Joel Silver. For the uninitiated, Passion of the Christ director Mel Gibson plays troubled widower and sergeant detective Martin Riggs, newly partnered with, to the fear and chagrin of said latter cop, The Color Purple’s Roger Murtaugh, played by veteran Danny Glover.

Murtaugh is not far from planned retirement, and being thrown in with Riggs could jeopardize his family’s security if Riggs gets him killed in some careless or suicidal attempt to apprehend crooks. Despite this, a strong friendship develops between the two, and they help each other grow in positive ways.

Murtaugh’s loving family figure throughout all the films, well-portrayed by Darlene Love, Traci Wolfe, Damon Hines and Ebonie Smith. The cops in the series include portrayals by Steve Kahan as the put-upon captain, Mary Ellen Trainor as the overly-concerned police psychiatrist, with Jeannette Goldstein, Nestor Serrano and Grand L. Bush among others.

In Lethal Weapon, a rather dark tale of drug-dealers is told, with Gary Busey, Mitchell Ryan and Tom Atkins co-starring. A prostitute dies from a fatal overdose, sadly and ironically to a Holiday tune. Murtaugh and Riggs have to find out who’s selling deadly drugs before more people die.

In the still dark sequel, South African Arjen Rudd and his henchmen are smuggling Krugerrands. Our guys stumble on the loot in a bust gone wrong, and actor Joe Pesci as Leo Goetz lends comic relief as an accountant in witness protection the boys must guard. Patsy Kensit as Rika van den Hass provides a bright, pretty love interest for Riggs.

The third film brightens a bit and adds Rene Russo as tough and lovely female cop, Lorna Cole, more than a match for Martin Riggs. Pesci returns, and the quartet battle bad guys who’ve infiltrated police secrets in their misdoings. Things get rough for our crew at the end and there’s a near cliff-hanger. I loved it at age 25, but the critics did not.

As to some of the printable humor, Riggs’ jokingly referred to his two love interests as Rita van Häagen-Dazs and Lorna Doone, naive and insecure Leo Goetz’ doctor assures him he’ll get the real medicine (“…the other guys I just give Tic-Tacs.”), & Riggs manages to make friends with a vicious guard dog by sharing his dog biscuits with the later docile Rottweiler.

I don’t recall too much about Lethal Weapon 4. Maybe I was weary of the series, but I don’t believe I saw it more than once. Chris Rock joins the gang for still more comic relief, and Jet Li plays the bad guy. I’d like to go back and watch LW4 again, and have also heard that a LW5 is being talked about, but maybe the “four musketeers” were enough…

Wait! 1, 2, 3 and Go, or Go On 3?

[image error]

 

 

Star Trekogy

I was born during year-two of the original Star Trek series, 79 episodes including the pilot, in 1967. The show ran through 1969, and while NBC successfully killed the series after only three seasons, Star Trek was picked up by Kaiser syndication, and today, Google reports Star Trek has made $10 billion overall, among the highest franchises ever.

Star Trek was also one of the most innovative shows, introducing multi-racial casts, commenting on controversial political topics, and sparking one of the biggest fan-mail writing campaigns of all time as die-hard Trekkies made multiple attempts to stave-off NBC’s attempt to cancel the show.

I recently read someone credible give certain reasons why the J.J. Abrams Star Trek movies weren’t stupendous, but aside from the “lens flares” mentioned in a comment on that blog, I loved all of the characters and the films. I don’t see the need to compare the new to the originals to a great degree. Both are well-played, interesting and entertaining.

Star Trek (2009) provides an excellent if brief, Batman Begins type origin for Kirk, including how Commander Pike figured in the story. We see a different Spock from Trekdom lore, but still a conflicted human/Vulcan, trying to navigate life. McCoy is true to jocular form, Scotty is hilarious, and we learn more about Hikaru Sulu.

Star Trek: Into Darkness skillfully recounts the story of Khan Nguyen Singh, from the original series’ Space Seed episode which resuscitated  the original movie series after Star Trek: The Motion Picture’s interesting and overlong debacle. Benedict Cumberbatch uses his talents to portray Khan’s vicious brilliance, and Peter Weller joins the cast as the malevolent & misguided Marcus.

In Star Trek: Beyond, Sofia Boutella and Idris Elba join the cast, as the crew of the Enterprise embark on a new mission that takes them to a planet where a quirky adventure reminiscent of an original television series episode transpires. While the first film provides origins and the second hearkens to the biggest nail-biter, the third movie goes back to basics.

I loved all three of these films. I was not a big fan of the TV series spin-offs, but enjoyed some of the actors and characters. I especially enjoyed seeing Whoopie Goldberg as Guinan, perhaps because I got to meet her and see her perform in person years ago. Whatever the case, I think Abrams did a bang-up job with the latest movie series.

With Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, John Cho, Eric Bana, Bruce Greenwood, Benedict Cumberbatch, Sofia Boutella, Idris Elba, and many more.

-FitzGerald Press

[image error]

DVR Rewind: The Imitation Game

Dr. Strange’s Benedict Cumberbatch plays the part of an awkward genius tasked with the impossible chore of cracking an unbreakable code. His real-life character, William Pitt the Younger, in Amazing Grace, noted that he was too young to know what he “couldn’t achieve”, whereas The Imitation Game’s real-life character Alan Turing was too tortured emotionally to allow intellectual failure.

Keira Knightley (Pride & Prejudice) plays Joan Clarke, the woman who proves Turing’s intellectual match or superior, who is sadly barred from aiding him in his mission solely due to being of the fair-sex. She wants to work with him because their minds think alike, but she is also frustrated on a personal level due to fallout from Turing’s traumatic childhood.

Charles Dance (The Jewel in the Crown) plays gruff Commander Denniston, who hires Turing and then tries to fire him when Turing seems to have lost his mental compass. Matthew Goode (The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society), Allen Leech (Downton Abbey), and Matthew Beard perform well as Turing’s colleagues, frustrated in turn that their top-notch minds can’t hold a candle to his relentless if inconsiderate brilliance.

Mark Strong (Kingsman: The Secret Service) is MI6 agent Stewart Menzies, playing all sides of the puzzle – on England’s side – but shrewd and deceptive, foiling even Turing, as Strong’s EQ seems to rank parallel to his IQ. Turing’s IQ might only be exceeded by Joan, but his EQ is evidenced by his social blunders.

Since you may not be familiar with the story, I’m not going to spoil it here. I just wanted to provide some of the puzzle pieces. You can see the movie and put them together if you choose. It’s not the most cheerful tale, but it is a story that deserves to be told.

-FitzGerald Press

[image error]

 

 

The Actor Who… Free Preview!

Thanks to those who bought my book; please submit a rating or review of any kind to Amazon.

Just one more mention in 2019… paperback price reduced to $8.99 for the rest of the year… or the eBook’s normal price of $5.99:

The Actor Who…

Whatever the case: Merry Happy Christmas!!!

A Buck-Fifty!

Hopefully it does not dismay you to know that mine is a blog with a small audience. However, I am glad to report that people from 70 countries, or about 36% of the world’s nations, have visited FitzGerald Press. In light of that, I also hope that there is something of value here.

I am also writing to let you know that while we don’t have 150,000 followers, nor even 15,000, we just hit 150 recently! The blog is about 7 years old, and while I began it to encourage, inform, and inspire, there was no expectation around popularity.

I need to learn marketing and SEO around the blog, but I also don’t want to over-commercialize the site. The site is intended to give me a voice and to help others who may enjoy it. I appreciate each and every one of the people who read my blog.

I would like to see more feedback in the comments over likes. Likes are very encouraging for me! But comments let me know more about you, and also tell me if I am off-base, if there is something in my writing that can improve, or just to get your opinions.

You may be aware I have published 4 eBooks… 3 of them are also available in paperback. Here is a link to my Amazon Author Page. There are two works of fiction, one sales booklet, and a memoir about the theater. Thanks again for your readership, and best for 2020!

FitzGerald Press

 

 

Please Stand By…

When the night.. is young… actually, when you’re no longer so much a little boy and your mate needs help, you need to stand by. I should say, I need to stand by.

Even if your wife doesn’t typically want help, you should still be at the ready. I once heard a husband who clocks off work at the office ought never clock out at home.

I thought that was a little extreme but it’s true. The same goes for sin. I  was told awhile back to live intentionally. I may have tried, but it sounded cliché.

Today, I realize this is necessary and requires practice. Sometimes I sin knowing of certain consequences, but sometimes they don’t cross my mind.

Practicing  intentional living seems crucial in order to better avoid sin. I typically think I can avoid a sin for awhile, but then I fall into it again.

If I am intentional, I’m better prepared for whatever comes my way. God is merciful but also righteous.  There are consequences to sin, and they can hurt not just myself, but my family also. The consequences are to point me in a better direction.

Did I get all that from Ben E. King? Not hardly. I got it from the school of mess-ups. The trick is to learn and change for the better.

Please pray for me to change and I’ll pray for you in the same way. Feel free to comment below.

Fitzgerald Press