Nothing Important Happened Today

I ended up having a slight change in plans and ended up going to see X-Files: I Want to Believe with Alex. While I was never a hard core X-Files fan, I generally liked the series -- personally, I enjoy the premise of the true believer and the skeptic trying to uncover the unexplained. I liked the experience of challenging the types of things that we'd like to ignore or deny. It was entertaining to believe that there really was much more out there than we see in our day to day existence...

...and the sexual tension between Mulder and Scully was off the charts.

Flash forward to the present movie. The original series is best summed up with the iconic phrase, "The truth is out there." Sadly, the latest film is best described by one of the episode titles in season 9 (for the record, I looked it up) -- "Nothing important happened today." I won't go into the plot -- perhaps some of you might actually go see it... not that there's much to spoil.

I didn't have any expectations going into the film, so you'd think it I wouldn't be disappointed... but I was. Why? Because by the end of the film you realize, it was all hopeless. Mulder is still tortured that he hasn't found his sister, the abducted sister that even HE admits is dead. Scully is still tortured and raging against God. This time, there's no conspiracy, at least nothing out of the ordinary. Just tortured people chasing more tortured people... and that's the saddest part: the realization that there's nothing left of Mulder & Scully, only their withered shells that STILL. CAN'T. LET. GO. What's worse is hearing them go back and forth about how they just can't be together because neither of them can do much more than not let go. It was like the final episode of Seinfeld where the writers make it clear that at the end of things that everyone is exactly who they were when they started. It was all for nothing.

It's really surprising how many people I heard expressing their disappointment in things as the credits started. Why? Because by the end of the film the only thing that happened was that Mulder & Scully decide they'll go back to being miserable together. Great. Back to where you started. SO glad we went through that. Nothing important happened today.

More On Folsom

The Catholic League has jumped in on the whole Folsom Street Fair debate, posting a variety of "extremely graphic" photos from the 2006 Fair:







Boy, San Francisco sure looks different than the last time I was there... A nyway, they're right, I find these to be shocking and offensive. The madness has to stop.

Turn Back The Clock

Okay, okay, I know I've said that I'm going to reduce my bitching on this blog but I was raised Catholic so I can't help but marvel at the Pope's recent statements. Its been clear for a while that that the Catholic Church's prime effort is to try to turn back the hands of time.

Pope Benedict recently released the Apostolic Exhortation, which, among other things, attempts to exert Church control over Catholic politicians, especially on "moral" issues such as abortion and gay marriage (but perhaps not on war and the death penalty?) -- it reads in part, "Catholic politicians and legislators, conscious of their grave responsibility before society, must feel particularly bound, on the basis of a properly formed conscience, to introduce laws inspired by values grounded in human nature..."

Yes, Benedict isn't even trying to hide it anymore, he's expecting strict obedience from politicians and even the laity on the very issues where a person's conscience is most likely to cause him to disagree with the Vatican -- case in point, a lesbian couple in Wyoming was just informed that they are no longer permitted to receive communion... now here's the kicker -- its not because they're lesbians. No, they've been denied communion because they publicly opposed a bill that would deny Wyoming from recognizing gay marriages. Yes, dare to oppose the Vatican and be punished.

But wait, there's more! Along with the staples of any papal missive, railing against divorce and gay marriage and referring to priestly celibacy as "a priceless treasure," Benedict is championing the return of Latin and Gregorian Chant. Turn back the clock, indeed. Holy 1400s!

Soulforce Visits Notre Dame

The recent incarnation of the Soulforce Equality Ride made its first stop at my alma mater, the University of Notre Dame. As the video explains, several of the riders were issued citations by ND Security/Police and one current ND student who was walking with the riders was issued a disciplinary notice. While I find it disappointing that the current administration displayed such a hostile reaction and still refuses to recognize the students' Gay & Lesbian student group, AllianceND, from what I've heard, the University has made some progress in becoming a more accepting place for gay and lesbian students. Even if we haven't accomplished our goals, its important to recognize the progress we have made. Here's the Observer's writeup of Soulforce's visit.

Bishops to Gays: 'Shut Up and Stay in the Closet!'

I know its hardly news that the Catholic Church isn't the most gay friendly of organizations. The country's Bishops are doing their best to reinforce that image. A recent story describes the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' 194-37 vote to adopt new guidelines to "support gay parishoners." Their advice: Stay celibate and don't make "general public self-disclosures" about your sexual orientation in Church. Boy, that's helpful -- you'd think that they'd mention some helpful redecorating tips to make your closet feel more comfortable, as they'd like you to stay in there.

It seems as if the Church is doing everything it can to make itself even less relevant. For example, American Catholics reportedly ignore the Church's teaching on birth control -- only 4% of Catholics in this country reportedly adhere to "natural" birth control. Apparently, the Church wants to alienate any remaining gay parishoners -- perhaps they'll be able to duplicate the 4% level with gays.

Clearly, the Church prefers to ratchet up its attempts at social control above all else. Bishop William Skylstad, leader of the U.S. Conference, describes the atmosphere in the Church these days -- "The point seems to be not to seek the truth or to build up the Body of Christ, but to strive for a sort of victory by overcoming others, preferably by crushing those who disagree." I think the Church might as well quit fucking around and bring back the Inquisition.