Messages

[Women who say they were tricked into servitude for Opus Dei to meet in Argentina]

I knew I'd find something sinister about these guys before too long:

Women who say they were tricked into servitude for Opus Dei to meet in Argentina

Pope said to have urged organisers to hold conference after 43 women alleged they were exploited as minors by Catholic group

As per this article:

"Buenos Aires will on Tuesday host the first-ever international gathering of former Opus Dei members who say they were tricked and trafficked into domestic servitude as minors – allegations that have drawn scrutiny of the powerful, secretive Catholic group. Pope Leo XIV privately urged organisers to convene the conference, the Guardian has learned.

Forty-three women in Argentina say they were lured to Opus Dei schools as children and teenagers under promises of receiving an education. Instead, they say they were forced into working up to 12-hour days, cooking and cleaning for the elite male members, without pay.

They say they faced extreme levels of control, with their letters censored, family visits discouraged, and the reading of anything other than children's books or religious texts banned. When the women eventually escaped, they say they were left without money, clothes or qualifications."

Well ... that does sound like something a powerful, secret, cult-like society might do. But, all snark aside, it does sound like the government of Argentina is taking the women's testimonies seriously. 

And, now that that crime is receiving worldwide attention, perhaps some effort will be devoted to investigating why Opus Dei utilized it's considerable influence in Argentina to encourage the invasion of the Falkland Islands in 1982. It would be interesting to know if there's any truth to the rumors that Opus Dei wanted carte blanche to search the Falkland Islands for shipwrecks from the Knights Templar's attempts to transport artifacts from the Holy Land to a secret place of safe keeping far way from the Old World, or that the Templar's actual secret place of safe keeping is thought, or even known, to be in the Falkland Islands.

[How swearing makes you stronger]

I don't know ... if this is true, I should be one of the strongest people on the planet.

How swearing makes you stronger

As per this article:

"Letting out a swear word in a moment of frustration can feel good. Now, research suggests that it can be good for you, too: Swearing can boost people's physical performance by helping them overcome their inhibitions and push themselves harder on tests of strength and endurance, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

"In many situations, people hold themselves back—consciously or unconsciously—from using their full strength," said study author Richard Stephens, Ph.D., of Keele University in the U.K. "Swearing is an easily available way to help yourself feel focused, confident and less distracted, and 'go for it' a little more.""

Well ... okay. That's probably true. Still, swearing is a habit I wish I had never gotten into in the first place.

[DAMMIT It's Not Alzheimer's! Here's Why It's A Far Worse Nightmare Scenario]

I thought the Secret POSOTUS Alzheimer Conspiracy Theory was a perfectly good "Discordian Worthy" conspiracy theory. But, there's just no pleasing some people:

DAMMIT It's Not Alzheimer's! Here's Why It's A Far Worse Nightmare Scenario
 
You deserve the facts, not conjecture. Alzheimer's diminishes a person. Trump's not diminishing, he's escalating, and you need to know the frightening reason why.

As per this article:

"A serious symptom analysis quickly debunks Alzheimer's.
 
Trump's symptoms are consistent with another, less common but more disruptive and, in his case horrific, disorder — Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). There are a couple of subtypes with important distinctions, but his changes in personality and behavior, along with specific language and physical problems, are consistent with FTD variants."

Now, to be fair, this is also a really good conspiracy theory. And, the bottom line is that the POSOTUS is still brain damaged, and his Turd Reich is still attempting to cover it up.

[The Original Snub]

After realizing I had ignored the importance of the Cypria in both the Epic Cycle, and the story of The Original Snub, I reread what little remains of the epic poem. Then, I further realized I had no memory of some details that affect the timeline of the overall epic, because I had not attached any importance to them.

Now, I'm still tempted to ignore the details that alter the timeline I outlined above. As, in what remains of the Cypria's documentation, Herodotus himself provided a quotation that would allow me to weasel out paying attention to some of those details, as follows:

"Fragment #10 --
Herodotus, ii. 117:
For it is said in the "Cypria" that Alexandrus came with Helen to Ilium from Sparta in three days, enjoying a favourable wind and calm sea."

But, as I have already stated, what remains of the Cypria is a really big deal to Discordians, as those pesky details that contradict my original timeline are written on the same fragment that tells the story of The Original Snub.

So, I'm going to review my timeline, and probably make some corrections that will push back the year of The Original Snub.

Last, it occurred to me that when the ancient poets and playwrights cast the mythical characters for roles in their epics, they really got their money's worth out of them, as they not only expanded upon the character's original roles, they continued making references to those characters throughout their works. And, isn't that exactly what Discordians do when composing our own scriptures? So, following the example of what the ancients did back in their day, what Discordians are doing when composing our own scriptures is all good.

Hail Eris!

All Hail Discordia!

[Trump appointee Bongino leaves FBI after less than a year]

It appears that, after all this time, there will soon be one less well known turd in the Turd Reich's septic tank.

Trump appointee Bongino leaves FBI after less than a year

As per this article:

"As a conservative podcast host, Bongino spread a range of conspiracy theories, including the claim that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen" from Trump.

He was especially vocal about two conspiracy theories – one relating to the Jeffery Epstein sex-trafficking case and another about pipe bombs discovered in Washington on the eve of the January 6, 2021, storming of Capitol Hill.

In his podcast, Bongino had long pushed for reform of the FBI, which he said was needed to uncover the truths he claimed were hidden by the federal government.

On the Epstein case, Bongino had previously challenged the official ruling that Epstein had taken his own life in jail soon after his arrest in 2019. He backtracked on this, however, earlier this year, saying that he now believes sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein killed himself.

As for the pipe bombs placed outside Republican and Democrat headquarters on the eve of the January 6 riots, Bongino said as recently as 2024 that he believed it was an "inside job" that involved a "massive cover-up."

But after the FBI arrested a man with no evident connection to the federal government earlier this month, Bongino again backtracked on his previous claims."

Now, I can't get too excited about this. As, I don't know if this is a case of the Turd Reich threatening to give itself an enema to encourage a self-flush, or a completely voluntary self-flush. But, as this particular turd was only a co-deputy director, a highly unusual position within the FBI, we may not need to worry about him being replaced by someone even more vile, and incompetent. So, there's that.

[What to know from Susie Wiles' interviews with 'Vanity Fair,' according to the writer]

In spite of the title, I don't know what the current White House Chief of Staff is up to with this stunt:

What to know from Susie Wiles' interviews with 'Vanity Fair,' according to the writer

As per this article:

"In Whipple's reporting, Wiles doled out criticism for multiple colleagues in and around the White House – including saying Attorney General Pam Bondi "completely whiffed" on her handling of the Epstein files, and calling Vice President J.D. Vance a "conspiracy theorist," among other characterizations. Whipple's profile showed Wiles was equally blunt about her boss, describing President Donald Trump as having "an alcoholic's personality," a characterization Trump, who does not drink, later echoed himself to another news outlet, saying, "She's right. I do have an obsessive and addictive personality."

I mean, there ain't no way in hell a seasoned political operative like Susie Wiles would have thought that anything she said to an actual journalist would be kept 'off the record.' So, my first thought was that Wiles' simply intends this series of interviews to be another distraction from the Turd Reich's many other more serious scandals. But, my next thought is, why bother, given the massive number of vile, incompetent characters in the ensemble cast of this 'Merican reality TV show?

[now]

Now, I'm no expert, and there's very little in any record of that wild ride of a a wedding to indicate when it happened, but there's some clues and Discordian-style leaps of logic we can make to get closer to an ideal time for the holiday.

First- we know that the wedding took place on an "auspicious day"

Second- we know Peleus was Thessalian, so that narrows down our good days

I'm slowly working my way through your "Discordian-style leaps of logic." But, I believe you are definitely on solid ground using the Thessalian Calendar.

Not only was Peleus Thessalian, the wedding ceremony and wedding feast were held on Mount Olympus. Now, Mount Olympus may now be on the border between the regions of Greek Macedonia and Thessaly, but Macedonia didn't even exist during the Trojan War. So, being the nearest Greeks to Mount Olympus, it stands to reason that the Thessalians would have, out of respect and reverence, not to mention fear, readily adapted the Olympian Calendar for their own use. To put it another way, why reinvent the wheel? So, there's simply no good reason why the Olympian Calendar and the Thessalian Calendar would not be the same, identical calendar.

Our primary scripture, the Principia Discordia does not mention the location of the marriage and wedding feast of Peleus and Thetis.

But, according to the few fragments that still remain of the Cypria, the fifth title of the Epic Cycle, the marriage and wedding feast of Peleus and Thetis took place on Mount Pelion in Thessaly, rather than on Mount Olympus. Still, the logic for believing the Olympian Calendar and Thessalian Calendar are identical applies to either venue.

I'm making this correction because, in general, I like to stick to the facts when writing about the  happenings in the Epic Cycle, unless the 'facts' are ambiguous, or I really don't want to be burdened with sticking to a particular 'minor fact,' or other. However, the Cypria is special, as I believe it to be the only title in the entire Epic Cycle that clearly tells us mortals the origin of The Original Snub.

[Trump levels political attack on Rob Reiner in inflammatory post after his killing]

Trump levels political attack on Rob Reiner in inflammatory post after his killing

If Turdsley had any class at all, the POSOTUS wouldn't have posted a goddamn thing about Rob Riener and his wife's unfortunate murders. Further, he could have easily exhibited a modicum of class by simply lamenting the apparent senselessness of his political enemy's death.

But, Turdsley can't even fake it. It's not who, or what he is.

[More redistricting bad news for Republicans: Texas may not net five GOP seats like they planned]

Sometimes things just don't work out the way you planned:

More redistricting bad news for Republicans: Texas may not net five GOP seats like they planned

As per this article:

"The Republican plans to pick off five Democratic-held congressional seats in Texas once seemed like a sure thing. Not anymore.
 
President Donald Trump's flagging approval ratings, particularly among Latinos, and strong Democratic performance in this year's special elections have changed both parties' assumptions. Now, the cushion the Texas GOP drew into its new map – Trump won every Republican-favored district by 10 points or more a year ago – seems like it might be too small."

A lot can, and will happen between now and the November 4th, 2026 midterm elections. But, the Greedy Oligarchy Party (GOP) has to be concerned right now about how their Texas redistricting plan is actually going to work out for them.

Tis the 50th day of the Season of The Aftermath, in the Year of Our Lady of Discord 3191. And, verily, I say unto you, 'tis time to celebrate Afflux, the Season's Holyday.

I'm still unsure about how to properly celebrate Afflux. But, I think it's safe to assume that knocking back respectable quantities of alcohol, after, of course, pouring out a libation to our Blessed Goddess Eris, is in accordance with the spirit of any and all of our Discordian holydays. (And, if it isn't, to my knowledge, no Discordian sage has ever argued otherwise.)

But, perhaps, as we near the end of another Year of Our Lady of Discord, it's time to contemplate the seasonal cycles of our POEE Calendar (While consuming a steady stream of alcoholic beverages, of course). For, in the real world, it is self evident that Chaos, Discord, Confusion, Bureaucracy, and The Aftermath of what came before, happen in infinite numbers, at any time, all the time. And, the naming of our five calendar seasons after the five conditions merely serves as a constant, symbolic reminder of the true, unvarnished nature of the universe we inhabit. And so, Afflux, similar to all of our Discordian 'flux holydays,' serves as a specific reminder that The Aftermath is not a static condition, and that it will slowly morph back into the type of Chaos that originally birthed our entire universe.       

Hail Eris!   All Hail Discordia!

[BREAKING: Did a Medical Pro Crack the Health Crisis Secret/Alzheimer's Code?]

I found this conspiracy theory this afternoon, and one of the best things about it is, if it's true, we'll know within 3-5 months! Now, of course, many conspiracy theories make specific claims about when some sensational event will occur. But, if this one is completely wrong, it's going to be a tough one to repeatedly resurrect. And, it goes without saying, there are other things to like about it too.

BREAKING: Did a Medical Pro Crack the Health Crisis Secret/Alzheimer's Code?
   
A Deep Dive into the One Story MAGA Cannot Escape

As per this article:

"Trump's deteriorating physical and cognitive condition stopped being a punchline somewhere around the moment he fell asleep in a Cabinet meeting (23 times this week alone), got angry when asked about his MRI, and sent his entire comms team out to claim he had a "preventative MRI" — a procedure that, like his inauguration crowd size, exists only in his imagination.

But now?

It's not just neurologists and psychiatrists whispering behind closed doors.
 
A certified medical professional with 14 years of experience treating dementia patients may have just cracked the whole f***ing code — complete with a specific drug, specific side effects, and specific behavioral symptoms that perfectly match what we're all watching happen to Donald J. Trump in real time."

Now, this is a good one! I don't believe anyone who disrespects the POSOTUS a fraction as much as I do will regret reading this.

The Turd Reich's septic tank is clogged.

There are so many derogatory analogizes one can use to describe the current administration, it's difficult to chose among them. But, for this screed, I'm sticking with this favorite, as I just realized using the terms "Turd Reich" and "septic tank" in the same sentence is almost redundant. Anyway, there's clearly a blockage in there somewhere. And, apparently, there's no one willing to, or capable of, dealing with the problem.

Now, in his first term, the POSOTUS fired high level, high profile, people right and left. To clarify, I'm I'm talking about his White House chiefs of staff, and his cabinet members, not the many lower level women, and minorities he's targeted this time.

So, I've wondered, what's different about the POSOTUS's second term? He's still just as greedy, and still just as narcissistic. And, I still pity anyone who inadvertently gets between him and a dollar bill, or a camera. But, he hasn't fired any of his many totally incompetent cabinet members, no matter how ugly their scandals. So, again, what's different this time around?

Well, I believe the POSOTUS is now afflicted with dementia, and worsening mental illness, as well as the normal, adverse effects of old age. But, even if I'm wrong about the causes, something is definitely different this time around.

And, I've also been wondering, who's in charge during the POSOTUS's second term? I realize that may appear to be a strange thing to wonder about. But, for a long time I've suspected there was a Machiavellian figure in the administration, someone who was the true "power behind the throne." At first, I though it was the Unelected Shadow Co-president Elmo the Oligarch (USCEO). But, he didn't last anywhere near as long as I thought he would. Then, I suspected it was Pee Wee Goebbels the Jewish Nazi, as I reasoned that intentionally keeping a relatively low profile was excellent cover for allowing him to carry out his nefarious plans. In addition, the multiple scandals of this administration's many incompetent cabinet members gave Pee Wee even more cover.

But now, I'm beginning to suspect no one is really in charge. Otherwise, many of this administration's scandals would have been easily dealt with by simply flushing some of the biggest turds out of the septic tank. And, of course, I'm well aware the POSOTUS is sort of in charge, but barely "phoning it in."

So, again, the Turd Reich's septic tank is clogged. And, apparently, there's no one willing to, or capable of, dealing with the problem.

['Made-up quote' in Canadian satire site The Beaverton fools Time Magazine]

'Made-up quote' in Canadian satire site The Beaverton fools Time Magazine

Writer surprised fake story about U.S. ambassador to Canada tripped up publication

I did not know The Onion has a Canadian competitor. And, no one will ever accuse me of being an English Major. But, the number of typos, spelling errors, and grammatical errors I spot in my daily reading has been high for a long time. And now, stuff like this is happening at publications that are, supposedly, staffed by professional journalists. I've seen this type of factual carelessness on small political sites, but ...

As per this article:

""We don't try to trick people," said MacIntyre, who's also an editor. "I promise I wrote that line thinking this is the silliest joke I can write and people will obviously think it's a joke."

The Beaverton is a parody publication and doesn't claim otherwise.

"We're not trying to make fake news or hoodwink people, and it's always baffling when anyone thinks we're real, let alone a guy that was an important journalist," MacIntyre added."

I can't help but wonder if the author of the Time Magazine article utilized AI to do his/her research and/or writing. I've found that AI search engines are often a major time saver, but are not remotely close to being 100% accurate.

Yours is a timely work.

[The Original Snub]

I think I'd enjoy trying my hand at some genuine Erisiana. Would definitely be fun

You surprised me with how fast you came up with your concept for the date of The Original Snub. While you went right to the heart of the matter, I was still playing around with simply pinning down the calendar year.

And, while it's not critical to the story, I'll give you my thoughts on what I believe is the year of The Original Snub. It may, or may not, be of any use to your story, but here it is:

1. I'm inclined to go with Eratosthenes of Cyrene's dates for the Trojan War, 'cause if the guy who ran the Library of Alexandria isn't a reliable source of information, then who in Eris's Holy Name is?!

Now, Eratosthenes dated the Trojan War as occurring between 1194 BC and 1184 BC. So, I believe it's no stretch to assume that The Original Snub occurred a short time prior to 1194 BC. And, I'm assuming the start of the war is dated from the time the Greeks made their beachhead landing at Troy.

2. With five (5) squabbling goddesses on his hands, as per Discordian mythology, I doubt Zeus wasted much time setting up that infamous Judgment of Paris peace conference. So, maybe that took a week at most.

3. Even if Paris basked in the attention, and salivated over the offered bribes, of the five (5) goddesses, maybe the the Judgment of Paris took another week at most.

4. Once Paris selecting his bribe, and pronounced his judgment, I'm certain he wasted no time hightailing it back to Troy to badger dad for the keys to the royal yacht. And, being a royal yacht, I doubt it took more than a day or two to round up provisions and a crew, and head off down to Gytheio, the ancient port of Sparta.

5. Now, the Mediterranean around Greece is famous for it's Boreas, the North Wind, in the fall and winter. (And, having once steamed past Mount Olympus in the winter, I can verify it's a real thing.) So, I estimate the trip south took no more than three weeks, even with some stops.

6. The Odyssey is full of stories of heroes showing up unannounced at Mycenaean palaces and being wined and dined. So, Paris probably knocked on the door at Sparta, seduced Helen within a week, and then fled back to Troy.

At that point, it was maybe two months after The Original Snub, when Menelaus heads up to Mycenae to ask big brother Agamemnon for help. So, that meeting should still be within the calendar year of The Original Snub. But, even if it isn't, that meeting isn't the major factor for the period of time after The Original Snub required to gather ships, muster troops, and threaten the city of Troy.

7. Now, having read the stories, seen the movies, and having had the privilege of seeing a number of Mycenaean fortresses, I have little doubt those boys could gather ships, and muster for war lickety-split. And, while the average Greek hoplite may not have given a damn about Menelaus's honor, I'm sure the thought of looting a city as rich as Troy was ample incentive to get a move on.

8. Ancient armies are famous for going to war after the harvest, so they would be well provisioned.

And, I believe the Greeks had ample time to, gather their ships, harvest their grain, and muster their troops before setting off for Troy before the end of August at the very latest. Further, with loot on their minds, I doubt the warrior class would have been too concerned about leaving the grape and olive harvests to those staying home.

9. We've been told Achaean fleet was held up at the port of Aulis, in Boeotia, by a plague and lack of wind, because Agamemnon pissed off Goddess Artemis. And, this delay went on for so long that the King of Mycenae sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia to appease the wrath of the goddess.

So, just how long was the fleet delayed in Aulis before setting sail for Troy? I can't find a quick source for the length of that delay, but I don't believe it could have lasted anywhere near three (3) months, or the length of an entire season. Actually, given that, every day, Agamemnon would have had to deal with and army full of loot crazed, heavily armed hoplites standing around with nothing to loot, I doubt the delay could have lasted for more than two (2) months.

10. Given the much shorter distance from Aulis to Troy, and assuming Artemis had put in a good word with Boreas, and the other winds, after receiving her sacrifice, that trip could have been done in less than two weeks.

And so, I don't think it's unreasonable to assume the Achaean fleet made it's beachhead landing at Troy before the end of 1194 BC. And, with the above estimated chronology, that places The Original Snub happening in 1195 BC. Or, as per our Discordian Calendar, happening in 128 BYOLD (Before Year of Our Lady of Discord). (Our calendar includes the year 0 YOLD. The other guys didn't know about zeros.) On top of all of that, it's a fucking myth! So, for that alone we should get some slack for Goddess Eris's sake.