How Not To Blog ?

Wow. Not only will they make money from donor donations, Terry Schiavo's parents will also fuck over donors by selling their personal data to a marketing company.

Talk about taking advantage of human kindness. Do they think these people had to give money to support a brain-dead humanoid and her plight? Middle America is such a sucker for a sob story. At least a dead pope is worth crying about, but crying over someone very few people cared about or knew existed a few months ago is pathetic.

I'm sure they'll get a million or so for "their story" to be made into a television show, if they haven't already.

Here's a quote from the New York Times:

Pamela Hennessy, an unpaid spokeswoman for the Schindlers, said she was initially appalled when she learned of the list's existence.

"It is possibly the most distasteful thing I have ever seen," Ms. Hennessy said. "Everybody is making a buck off of her."

They are worse than the lowlife scum who run the "Terry Schiavo Blog"

In continuance of the Jason Kottke saga*, today we find Elliot Back's analysis of just how lazy the dude has become.

The "now-a-full-time blogger" is actually posting less than he was when he was only a part-time blogger.

As I've been saying all along, folks, it's all a sham. Milk users' pocketbooks for his pathetic cause then introduce "friendly" advertising in a month or so after. Do people really expect him to "experiment" with blogging full time, surviving only on the kindness of user donations (which, by my calculations have added up to a little over $20,000 for this begging season - it'll be much less next season), and still being able to keep up with his Manhattan digs and life in one of the most expensive cities in the world?

*the blogger who quit his job to blog full time. See:

Kottke looks to BoingBoing for inspiration
The Kottke Saga part IX-573
Kottke's Begging Goes Corporate...slowly
Begging... I mean blogging

Oh, Flickr. I really want to love thee. But it's been nearly a week, and you haven't 'approved' my fckng account yet. I suppose now that you've been bought out you don't need to tend to very basic administrative tasks anymore. Do you really want me on your bad side, oh Fuckr? I can be a real pain in the ass, you know.

I had a feeling Alan Greenspan was full of shit.

"According to sources at the Fed, Greenspan even takes pleasure in his obfuscation. Sometimes he will return from one of his speeches before Congress and order a video of his testimony, marveling out loud as he watches: "What in the world does that mean?" Obstruction, then, is the name of the game.

I think I recall taking a leak with him at a party once. Dude's gotta be at least one of the richest persons in the world, if not the richest.

Looks like the Pope is just about dead.

Excerpt:

Pope John Paul II is receiving liquid feedings through a tube that has been inserted through his nose and winds down into his stomach, Vatican officials announced today, raising new alarms about the pope's deteriorating health and his ability to lead the Roman Catholic Church.

After reading the story, you wonder how coincidental it is to the current Terry Schiavo drama.

Well, what happens when the Pope dies in a couple of days? This article mentions some pretty old-fashioned rituals:

As soon as the pope dies, the Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church -- a senior Vatican cardinal -- takes over. Usually referred to by the Italian title of 'Camerlengo' (chamberlain), he is the official who must ascertain that the pope is dead.

As recently as 40 years ago, the Camerlengo did this by tapping the pope's head three times with a small hammer and shouting his family name close to his ear, but that colorful ritual is not mentioned in the 1996 revisions made by Pope John Paul II to streamline the process, and referred to by the opening Latin words of the document as "Universi Domini Gregis..." -- The shepherd of the Lord's whole flock...

However, the Camerlengo is still required to slip the papal ring off the dead pope's finger, and smash the official papal seal.