Fr. Z's Blog

First, since it’s Columbus Day, a friend texted:

“We remember Columbus, who brought racial diversity to a previously mono-racial continent.”

God Bless, Christopher Columbus.

Next, this is worthy of some of Zuhlio’s album covers.

Also, you saw the video of the lunatics clawing at the doors of the SCOTUS when Justice Kavanaugh was sworn in.  You heard the infernal shrieks of the loons.

Here is something funny and really not.

At Vox:

We “refuse to be silent any longer”: magic as self-care after Kavanaugh
Modern-day witches are creating rituals to foster solidarity, activism, and healing.

Then, pour some salt into your hand.

Then, keeping the grains in your palm, take a pen to write out a thank you to Christine Blasey Ford, the woman whose allegations of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee — and now justice — Brett Kavanaugh, stunned a nation.

Or, if you prefer, simply say, “I believe you.”

It’s just one of the many quasi-religious rituals circulating the internet — particularly pagan and #resistance circles — in the wake of Kavanaugh’s confirmation. These rituals help self-identified witches process trauma, anger, and grief.

The Gratitude Spell was authored by Instagram user @celestight (who did not respond to request for comment) for the pagan political organization WitchtheVote, which mobilizes voters to support candidates that defend progressive and feminist causes. In this open-ended spell, participants might choose to make a sigil — a sacred sign — on the paper, or vary their tribute to Ford in accordance with their own personal experiences and history. They might, if they so choose, send their note to Ford directly.

No matter what, the message is the same. We’re in this together. I believe you.

Modern Wicca and other New Age traditions in the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s were tied to second-wave feminism. Witchcraft and ritual have become more prominently associated with progressive political causes in recent years with the rise of the contemporary #magicresistance. Last year, for example, a 13,000-strong Facebook group formed to cast regular binding spells on Donald Trump.

But in the aftermath of the bitter fight over Kavanaugh’s confirmation, during which the judge firmly denied sexual misconduct against Ford or other women who came forward with similar allegations, rituals have become more than just an emotionally rewarding part of political energy-raising. They’ve also become a form of self-care.

[…]

First, these poor people are seriously dopey. Second, they are seriously foolish, and not just for their politics. It isn’t a sin to be dumb, unless you can help it. But it is seriously dangerous to do anything like this, because it invites demons to get involved in your life.

And I note the reference to “second-wave feminism“.

Yesterday, I heard some audio clips of real-feminist Camile Paglia on Rush’s show in the 3rd Hour. She DESTROYS modern idiot feminists, with their self-centered, brain-jettisoned shrieks. HERE Go listen. It’s amazing.

PAGLIA: … The period of the 1920s, 1930s. That, to me, is my favorite period in feminism, because these women admired what men had done. There was no male bashing as became systemic, okay, to second-wave feminism. It’s an absolute poison that has spread worldwide. A feminism based on denigrating men — trivializing what men have done, defining men as oppressors and tyrants through history — okay? It is an absolute lie. There have been crimes against women. Where they have occurred, we must condemn them, all right? But men throughout history have given their lives, okay, and their labor for the support of women and children. This is an element of second-wave feminism that, to me, is an extrapolation of neuroticism on the part of these fanatics, okay, who have been attracted to this movement.
[…]
PAGLIA: Human beings need religion. They need a religious perspective, a cosmic perspective, and getting rid of the orthodox religions — because they were too conservative — has simply led to the new religion of political correctness. All right? It’s the same kind of fanaticism. I mean, I’ve found that the second-wave feminists, it’s like the Spanish Inquisition. I’m not kidding. Like anything with any form of dissent, even within feminism, is treated as heresy, okay, and they actually try to destroy you.

She wrong about the Spanish Inquisition. Alas, she’s swallowed the lies about it. But what she said is dead on.

Camile Paglia has some monstrous ideas, but I can at least respect her for her honesty. She is about the only big name feminist for whom I have respect, as a matter of fact, though I deeply reject some of her positions. For example, I utterly reject her support for abortion, but she honestly says that abortion is murder, and “the extermination of the powerless by the powerful”. She rejects the stupid claims of new feminists and Dubmocrats about removal of “tissue”, etc. She acknowledges that it is murder. It’s just that, frankly, we don’t care, because it’s about power. Again, I hate what she says, but at least I can respect her honesty in calling our today’s feminists and the Dumbocrat Party of Death, the cowards who dodge the ethical implications of abortion

Okay, that part wasn’t so fun for Friday. But it was satisfying.

UPDATE:

Here’s something funny.

At Fishwrap (aka National Sodomitic Reporter) Madame Wile E. Defarge writes:

Wuerl hounded from office for becoming face of abuse crisis

Yes, you read that right.   Never mind that he submitted his resignation a couple years ago: he was “hounded” from office.

Not only:

Was he guilty of bad PR? Guilty as charged.

Bad PR.  Yep.  That’s what it was.

UPDATE:

I’ve found something funny for Friday: A BBC show, Upstart Crow a send up of Shakespeare.  It’s a bit naughty, like Shakespeare’s works themselves, when understood, and there are returning gags which pay dividends.  US HERE – UK HERE

Upstart Crow Titles + Credits from kate sullivan on Vimeo.