Thoughts in a File Marked X

With the vacuum to be abhorred, the tussle for power will determine those to be shuffled into the basement while others take their places in the clouds. Power isn’t about ability or doing the right thing. Power is all about how I see myself, in relation to myself and to others. Those who have a healthy sense of self – and, therefore, don’t see others as mere pieces to be maneuvered around at a whim – will, when faced with an opponent who sees only their own glorification as a goal – and, thus, give little thought to others – willingly ascend the elevator to the basement. Common sense may dictate that those who sit perched on the seat of authority are elevated above the masses, whom they manipulate and dispose of at their leisure. Unfortunately, climbing so high necessitates the shedding of one’s humanity, as a snake sheds its skin, for the person who wields the lives of others to their own ends is not necessarily the same person who first put his/her foot on the bottom rung of the ...

We are gathered here today to remember the dearly departed. The X Files is dead. Long live the X Files. At times like this, it is appropriate to look both to the past and to the future. If we cast our minds back a season and four episodes to ‘ The Unnatural ’, we see how the end can actually be a beautiful thing. Not to spoil the image, we must, however, keep in mind that the X Files has already had its resurrection experience. The series was originally scheduled only for five seasons, so maybe the title of the episode in which Josh Exley had his Pinocchio moment was more prophetic that we might have realised at the time. Cast your minds one season and two episodes into the future; the penultimate scene of ‘ Nothing Important Happened Today II ’ in which we see Shannon McMahon, who we thought must be dead after having Knowle Rohrer’s arm thrust through her chest, lying on the sea bed. Of course, we know what is about to happen. Anyone who has ever seen a modern so-called ‘horror...

So, what would you wish for if you had three wishes? Two views of genies and their wish-granting: Genies as metaphor Those of you who believe in God are likely, occasionally, at least, to pray for this or that. And, miraculously, sometimes it may appear your prayers have been answered and that which you prayed for is given unto you. More often than not, however, you are left with a distinct impression that God isn’t listening as the bills mount up and Auntie Flo’s varicose veins go unhealed. Those of you who really believe will console yourselves with the thought that God’s ways are not the ways of humanity. You know that your prayers have been answered just in not so obvious a way. This will inspire you to greater faith and further discernment – in principle, at least. Those of weaker faith will suffer dejection and loss of faith – temporarily or permanently – giving up on a God who seems not to care. Genies serve to help us understand this relationship of prayer with God. ...

Carl Jung ’s theory of personality generates sixteen ‘types’ into which each one of us fits. Jung’s theory isn’t exclusive – having a preference for particular attitudes and functions doesn’t preclude participation in others. The subtleties and nuances are infinite yet recognisable making it possible to be the same type as another while remaining distinct individuals. Identifying type doesn’t prohibit uniqueness of personality. If Jung’s theory accurately describes the many ways it is possible to be a human individual, there must be certain essential qualities common to our species. This is not a dominantly popular idea today; all too often being dismissed out of hand. Before doing so, however, ask how the F.B.I. is able to construct ‘ profiles ’ of ‘ unsubs ’ if there were no connecting factors between human personality and behaviour? We have seen, over the years, both Mulder and Scully construct such profiles. For this tool to be as effective as the F.B.I. obviously believes it to...

“At the same time,  Hollywood A.D.  is not  quite  as cynical as it claims to be. As much as Micah Hoffman might have been a huckster who used his artistic skills to extort money from Cardinal O’Fallon, the script suggests that Hoffman found something genuine in his forgery.” them0vieblog.com Let’s start by noting that ‘ Hollywood A.D. ’ aired in 2000 and Dan Brown’s ‘ The Da Vinci Code ’ was published in 2003. Duchovny thus proves that there is not a single ‘secret’ contained anywhere in the whole of Brown’s truly crap novel! That said, Duchovny’s Cardinal O’Fallon reacts to the supposed Gnostic Gospel in a way in keeping with Brown’s less than earth-shattering ‘revelations’. As clever as Duchovny’s script is for ‘ Hollywood A.D. ’ it suffers from the same weaknesses as Brown’s calamity of a novel. Simply put, there isn’t a Catholic Bishop or Cardinal anywhere in the world who would feel threatened by a Gnostic Gospel. Jesus is generally thought to have bee...

Oh dear, cigarettes are bad! Bummer! Not the most memorable monster-of-the-week, especially for someone who started smoking when he was nine years old. And, at 6’4”, they didn’t exactly stunt my growth either. Fortunately, no one I know has ever had their face eaten away by tobacco beetles! As is universally acclaimed, the best thing about this episode is the performance of Tobin Bell , an actor I’ve seen in many things but whose name I know only because of this one episode of the X Files. If it was the only thing of note he’d ever done it would be a worthy legacy. How many of us can say that, at least once in our lives, we have risen to the challenge and pulled off such an accomplished piece of work? As you think of an answer to that question, bear in mind that we are discussing an episode of the X Files in which corporate America is painted as black as a cigarette-smoker’s lungs! economicsnline.co.uk is frankly open with its definition of globalisation , which it claims “refer...

A coincidence is a surprising concurrence of events, perceived as meaningfully related, with no apparent causal connection. Persi Diaconis & Frederick Mosteller, ‘ Methods for Studying Coincidences ’ No apparent causal connection there may not be but coincidence can sometimes be awfully fortuitous. One time, when I was in seminary, I was due to travel back to the North of England for the holidays. Problem was, I had no money for the train fare. That didn’t stop me going to the pub, The Rising Sun in Mill Hill. Walking home, I somehow noticed something that I, for some reason, stopped to pick up. It was a small pile of cash. Only thirty odd British pounds but, coincidentally, just enough to pay for my train ticket. That should show how long ago this happened. Of course, there was no causal connection between my finding just the right amount of cash and my need for that amount. But, I was in seminary, so prone to believing that a small miracle had just occurred. I certainly ...

The Chimera , a strange beast even by the standards of the Greek bestiary, was a fire-breathing female monster dispatched by Bellerophon. He thrust his lead-tipped lance down its overheated gullet, thus choking the beast on molten metal. The Chimera served no purpose other than to ravage the countryside. Only later was it granted metaphor status, being said to represent the local volcano. An apt title, then, for this particular episode of the X Files, though the beast that is Ellen Adderly’s alter-ego looks nothing like the Greek Chimera. Nevertheless, Ellen’s is a beast that serves no real purpose. It makes little sense that she be so outraged as to become a monstrous destroyer of her husband’s extra-marital interests. He did try to leave her previously, only for her to get pregnant as an incentive for him to stay. Having adopted a perfectly natural way of keeping her man it seems a little extreme that she should then become so deranged as to take on a whole different aspect in o...

When the Devil decides to be friendly, you’d be wise to bat away his proffered hand and return his smile with a scowl. The con-man seeks out the gullible rather than the cynic. Is it a sign of decency that we see – or, at least, look for the good in everyone? Certainly, it would be a queer do if we only saw the bad. I am firmly of the belief that most people are probably quite decent, though, by no means, perfect. Even a person who has committed the odd crime or two is not necessarily a bad person. I have met, in my time in the prison education department, some who have committed the ultimate crime of murder and yet remain pretty decent human beings. I have also met a few who were just out and out bad. There are, whether we choose to accept it or not, some of us who lack any sense of decency. There was this one guy, for example, let’s call him Devil for convenience, who choose to sit my course in personal psychology. Without him completing a single test or questionnaire, I felt t...

With the full array of modern scientific medicine at his disposal, it is understandable that Dr. Wieder is confident of winning when all he has pitted against him is a backwoods witchdoctor with a nifty set of pin cushions. But, as no less a figure than Richard Dawkins has noted, when science goes up against superstition in the X Files, well, there’s only ever one winner. It is the kind of outcome that those of a more rational bent might find annoying. It is also indicative of their lack of understanding – both of the X Files, itself, and of human life. Dr Dana Scully has spent the best part of seven years experiencing the same exasperation; just how can her scientific approach to life, science which has given us such marvels as modern medicine and cell phones, be so wrong case after case? That she has managed to keep herself invested in the X Files without throwing up her arms and demanding a transfer is testament to her stoicism and, no doubt, her love of Mulder – though getting ...

If a feminist sought revenge on men, would she create a figure like Maitreya? If the feminist be a game programmer, she would be somewhat limited in her options. One can hardly imagine a successful video game heroine whose special ability is to "undermine and subvert all significations, the logic and the closure of the phallocentric language". (cf. Literary Theory and Criticism Notes: Ecriture Feminine ) Phoebe, in ' First Person Shooter ', has little option but to design a female character capable of taking on the male at his own game, though would a feminist, raging against the male oriented work-place, dress her 'only way to strike back as a woman' quite so provocatively? Maitreya makes Lara Croft look conservatively dressed. And isn't that an interesting name for a feminist avatar? The best that can said for him is that he is ' Buddha yet to come '. Maitreya will come after the teachings of Gautama Buddha are "no longer taught and ...

It's one of those artificial distinctions - like nurture vs. nature - that we create when we find it difficult to grasp the whole complexity of human life. I like Stuart A. Burns' more descriptive terms - Inside-Out are the Idealists and Outside-In are the Realists. (Burns' website, Evolutionary Pragmatism , is a great resource that explains philosophical concepts in a way that makes them understandable.) Burns comes down unequivocally on the side of Outside-In and lays out his argument so cogently one wonders how anyone could disagree. When you realise that the list of those who might disagree includes the likes of Rene Descartes and Immanuel Kant , you realise that this is maybe not so straightforward. But, then, on the other side, we have Aristotle - and who the hell can argue with Aristotle? The question is nothing less than a matter of what we can know to be real. Either one starts from the human and asks how we can encounter in any real way the world beyond...

' Closure ' is such an American term. By definition, it implies an inability to cope with life. Life is continuous and fluid. In life, closure is death. Mulder finds closure only when he is able to accept that Samantha is dead. Pillar, who has supported Mulder through the search, weakens and crumbles when having to carry the weight for himself. Pillar finds no closure because he is unable or unwilling to face the reality of the world in which he lives. In the real world, bad things happen to good and innocent alike. We don't know what Pillar's son had to endure before death; we do know what Samantha suffered. Like Iphigenia , she is sacrificed by a father whose cause requires the life of a child. After suffering through six years of unspeakable tests, Samantha finally ran away. At fourteen, she died under mysterious circumstances. Or she was taken away in starlight. Either way, she is dead. The only closure we can ever hope for. Nancy Berns, in ' Why People H...

They come in the night and they take that which is most precious. Is it any wonder we have a need to imagine monsters? Is it any wonder there is a need for God, however one wishes to imagine God to be? Is it any wonder that our faiths are strongest in the light of day and at their most fragile in the dark of the night? However mighty we imagine our God, still they come in the night and take what is most precious. And sometimes, they come in the day. There is no good time to be alive. Martin Heidegger titled his magnus opus Sein und Zeit because, for him, life is being-in-the-world. Being and time go to constitute what it is to be human. Being, in fact, is time, for we are temporal creatures, bounded by the moment in time that is our birth and the moment that is our death. In that short time that is our life we are of the world - the world itself is part of our constitution. As the song says, " We are the World ". Because we are here for so short a time, it behooves...

Where believers go, these signs shall go with them; they will cast out devils in my name, they will speak in tongues that are strange to them;  they will take up serpents in their hands, and drink poisonous draughts without harm; they will lay their hands upon the sick and make them recover.  ( Mk. 16:17-18 ) Be sure you do not perform your acts of piety before men, for them to watch; if you do that, you have no title to a reward from your Father who is in heaven. ( Mt. 6:1 ) Those who believe in a literal reading of the Bible must select only those parts of the Bible that suit their purposes. Never do they take the whole Bible literally: Your heavenly Father will forgive you your transgressions, if you forgive your fellow men theirs; if you do not forgive them, your heavenly Father will not forgive your transgressions either. ( Mt. 6:17 ) There is little sign of the wonder of forgiveness in the Reverend O'Connor's tone as he informs Scully and Mulder that ...