Looking for the Devil?

I'm glad this is a blog and I won't be burned at the stake (or will I?), but could the pope be more stupid, hateful, destructive, mistaken, evil? It seems that he's not just continuing the 'great work' of his predecessor who set back Poland (and other) places by over a hundred years in terms of gender equality and sexual health--he's got grander things in mind. Why, no less than the extermination of Africa.

I thought that after this the Catholic church could not beat its record at misogyny and hate-spewing for this month, but the Vatican is like a Pandora's box of surprises.

Let's recapitulate: there were the Crusades, the Inquisition, ages of christianization by fire and sword, so catalyzing the agony of a people decimated by AIDS is... much desired? Why?

I'm really curious to know why the Catholic church wants AIDS to spread without inhibitions, nine-year-old rape victims to die in childbirth, and the world to become overpopulated asap. Is that really the apex of moral development?

The best method for finding the devil that I'm aware of comes not from Christian witch hunters but from Zitkala-Sa's short story "The Devil":

On the following morning I took my revenge upon the devil. Stealing into the room where a wall of shelves was filled with books, I drew forth The Stories of the Bible. With a broken slate pencil I carried in my apron pocket, I began by scratching out his wicked eyes. A few moments later, when I was ready to leave the room, there was a ragged hole in the page where the picture of the devil had once been.

More poignant than any expression of outrage I could add to the list.

Additional Reasons for Happiness (If You're Not Polish)

Please raise a glass to not being Polish (unless you're Polish):

you don't have to deal with Polish pseudodiplomacy, you're not dependent on those people's whims. Since your legal needs are not sabotaging their deepest desire to sit on their asses and do nothing all day, you are already so much better off.

Without going into all the disgusting detail, after waiting for our appointment for an insane amount of time and paying through the nose for the legal proceedings and ceremony, we learned that we cannot set the date of our own wedding. The date will be announced to us perhaps on the phone, who knows, some three or two weeks before the wedding, that is maybe, you never know...

Having told me and Mr. G. as much (after we had paid, of course), the official smiled and said: "Don't worry, we'll let you know at some point. I guess it's an important day for you."

No, you know, not at all. Let's all relax and screw it all, because it's not like we have jobs or any sort of responsibilities, and certainly the witnesses and guests don't have any of those stinking job-things. Also, we all spend our days hanging around Manhattan, so no one needs to book anything. No one has to fly to NYC, why we'll walk over water to get there for the ceremony. We'll put on our seven-mile boots and get there in five minutes, so actually, I don't even have to know when it is exactly. You can tell me on that day just as well. I will come in my bathrobe and rubber boots, au naturel, and sans photographer or flowers. And as for hotels and such crap, I suppose we can stay under a bridge, it will be like camping. Fun, fun, fun...

#@&!!!%

I never had a fantasy about my wedding day being 'the most beautiful day of my life.' But that doesn't mean I wanted it to be the worst. As scandalous as it may sound, I wanted it to be a good day on which I sign a bunch of documents and then me, my brand new husband, and our guests go and have ice cream.

I never would have guessed everything would depend on a bunch of knobheads who first cheat me out of money and then try to make it all impossible, disgusting, and sad.