Since I bought a copy of Brokeback Mountain I tried to watch it again last night. Big mistake. Aside from the emotional relevance of the movie to my own life, after seeing only about 1:15 min of it, I was abuzz for who knows how long before I could fall asleep. I was thinking about Richard, Mark, then, Richard again, and David, and Richard. Yeah, Richard is all the same person. I had some of the same dialogue with Richard as Jack had with Ennis. If only…

“We keep trying to explain away American fundamentalism. Those of us not engaged personally or emotionally in the biggest political and cultural movement of our times—those on the sidelines of history—keep trying to come up with theories with which to discredit the evident allure of this punishing yet oddly comforting idea of a deity, this strange god. His invisible hand is everywhere, say His citizen-theologians, caressing and fixing every outcome: Little League games, job searches, test scores, the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, the success or failure of terrorist attacks (also known as “signs”), victory or defeat in battle, at the ballot box, in bed. Those unable to feel His soothing touch at moments such as these snort at the notion of a god with the patience or the prurience to monitor every tick and twitch of desire, a supreme being able to make a lion and a lamb cuddle but unable to abide two men kissing. A divine love that speaks through hurricanes. Who would worship such a god? His followers must be dupes, or saps, or fools, their faith illiterate, insane, or misinformed, their strength fleeting, hollow, an aberration. A burp in American history. An unpleasant odor that will pass.” read full text…