Monday, April 07, 2008

Walk the line

Rainy day yesterday. Silvi and I went out for breakfast together while Annie and Ian chilled out; Annie's chin deep into a Murder She Wrote marathon on Netflix Instant Viewing. I spent much of the weekend revamping my business website, making it more corporate (gack) and minimalist. A bit embarrassed by the *yawn* booooring videos I've put up as samples, but - that's all I's gots.

Also embarrassed by the cheesy Christian videos up there, but again... Man, I've made a lot of crap over the years. Sold out to the man. That's part of the reason I've started my own company, to create videos that I can be proud of and that won't come with a warning to not watch my videos late at night or before operating heavy machinery.

Lately, I've been working with a corporation on the side that is paying enough for me to invest some of the extra money into my own projects, which is pretty stinkin' exciting. (Thanks, Jim, for throwing the business my way.) I'm looking around for a writer for my philosophy video series; need to find someone who can walk the line between curriculum and documentary. So if you know anyone...

Speaking of walking the line, I'm delving into two books in my attempt to better understand, know, learn about, comprehend, find, discover what Jesus was like, who he was/is, etc. One book was written by an atheist, Jose Saramago and the other by an evangelical Phillip Keller. When Saramago, who wrote the killer book Blindness, published his novel - The Gospel According to Jesus Christ - it was renounced as heretical by almost everyone, Protestant and Catholic alike. Not hard to see why, since, according to Saramago, Joseph was the real daddy.

Keller, best known for his classics A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 and Lessons from a Sheepdog, is no doubt a fine writer, and more accurately reflects my own beliefs concerning these events, but, man, some of his book on the life of Jesus that I'm reading - Rabboni - is just downright cheesy. Stuffed crust cheesy. He's got Mary and Joseph sneaking lovey-dovey looks at each other, Mary not complaining (why add this interpretation) about riding - pregnant - on a donkey across the desert, Joseph a strapping tanned young man, etc.

That's why I have to read Saramago, a brilliant writer, in the other hand, to balance the story out. Same goes for a lot of other stories or books I read: If I'm holding Kierkegaard in one hand, the other hand's got Nietzsche.

Of course, I'm defaulting back to the original stories recorded by the Jewish writers of old to give me sure footing on this path, walking the line, struggling along the narrow ridge.

7 comments:

Lori said...

Checked out your biz site. I was sooooo wanting to see the dental film. Is it out of post-production yet? :)
How wonderful that your "bread & butter" is financing your "dessert"!

Anonymous said...

I think that you and my DH should hang. Don't really know why. He has a blog, but doesn't post often. Mostly he spends his time perusing pipe forums on-line. So spiritual. Anyway, he really likes a guy in NY, Timothy Keller. Which is actually why I digress, b/c of the Keller konnection. The guy's sermons are really, quite good, and he has a new book out that DH is really liking. He wrote about it on his blog, http://www.atthesignpost.blogspot.com/
Sorry, I got all chatty.

John G said...

The website rocks!

Seems like things are clicking. You will be your own Fred soon.

Jeffrey Goble said...

The site looks pretty good. Can't view the vids from here, will later. . . as to the rest, I think I'll wait and study at your feet when you've got it all sorted out. Hurry up, wouldya?

terri said...

i like your mind an awful lot tom.

and the way you described that author who apparently confused jesus with fabio...icky.

Kim Ayres said...

looking around for a writer for my philosophy video series

Feel free to email me with more details.

And if you ever need an English accented voice over give me a shout :)

dave hall said...

Hey, I think I know just the guy to write for you. He's a real well balanced guy. If he's reading a book on one end of the issue he's makin sure he's got the other one on hand aswell. I think you know him, cuz he's YOU! Let me know if you need any models.