Holy See, Holy Do

I'm getting a lot of comments like this one by Concerned Canadian:

I think it would be in your best interest to use this site to better humanity. Use it to donate to some sort of Catholic charity, or use it to write about the history of the Catholic church. Cashing in on it would be very typical, and if you have any personality at all, you won't want your 15 minutes of Internet media fame to be seen as typical.

I haven't decided what to do with the benedictxvi.com domain -- my goal was to keep it away from pornographers, not grab a domain for some kind of papal superstore.

But now that my weblog has 120,000 new readers, just counting yesterday, I'm using the opportunity to promote ModestNeeds.org, an organization that's like a charitable eBay: They match up donors with people who have short-term, under-$1,000 emergencies (such as repairs to the family's only car), helping them get out of the crisis.

SmartMobs describes how the charity got started in 2002:

The founder Keith Taylor began Modest Needs by giving 10 percent of his $350 a month earnings as a way to return a no-strings kindness paid to him when he most needed it. He told me, "Those who need help can always ask for it at Modest Needs, absolutely for free. How much money we raise matters less -- to me, anyway -- than simply providing a vehicle for human kindness."

Here's the latest donation-to-expenses report on Modest Needs from GuideStar and the charity's full financial statistics, for people who want to research the group before contributing.

Domains · 2005/04/21 · 65 COMMENTS · Link

Comments

I have an idea for what you could do with this address. A serious one, actually. If you don't want to sell it to the highest bidder or give it to the Vatican, and don't feel like having it redirect to your blog forever, you could redirect to the information about the pope at Wikipedia, which you'll find here: en.wikipedia.org

This would ensure that people who wanted in-depth information about the guy actually got it, without any ads or anything like that.

#1 · fluffy bunny · 2005/04/21

Mr. Cadenza,

I'm a filmmaker who specializes in Catholic pornography. We're making a film called "Sceptre of Power, Mitre of Shame" that is going to be quite the dilly-o. I think we need to talk about your domain name. How does twenty thousand dollars (Lira) sound? How about fifty thousand (Lira)? How about a bevy of topless women in nun's habits appearing at your door next week? You just let me know.

#2 · Albert Hoffey · 2005/04/21

Rogers? How about selling that thing to the highest bidder and get yourself a couple new servers and some bandwidth. These acts of God are killing some of us man!

#3 · Scotty · 2005/04/21

Mr-a Caden-a-head-a,

I sella the pizza, and deliver-a the pizza online-a. I would-a like your-a domain-a-name-a for my-a own-a. I-a pay-a you-a in-a pizza. Sounds good? You-a call me. I make you a nice-a pie with-a the sausage.

Yours,

Camilla Parker Bowles

#4 · Sella the pizza? · 2005/04/21

I think what you did is just being smart in a good way nobody could guess that that benedict xvi will be the name of the new pope. Why you don't make a blog what Fluffy was saying with all the info about the pope and what does the word "pope" really mean ? I think thousands of people or more don't even know what a pope needs to do or what he is.... love to hear your input from it as well Fluffy ?

Terry

#5 · Terry Mitchell · 2005/04/21

HOW CAN YOU SIT BY WHILE BABIES ARE BEING FED TO SEALS WITH THEIR HEADS SCOOPED OUT BY DEVIL CHILDREN WITH PINKING SHEARS? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE THAT THE DEVIL HAS THE INTERNET NOW? PLEASE STOP GOING WASSAILING AND GET IT TOGETHER MAKE THAT SITE STOP ABORTION THE POWER IS IN YOUR HANDS BY GODS NAME AMEN SIGNED SUSANNAH PATRICK OKLAHOMA CITY OK CATHOLIC MY WHOLE LIFE SAVE THE BABIES NOT THE WHALES

#6 · ABORTION IS EVIL · 2005/04/21

The problem with the financial report you link at Modest Needs is that outflow is just listed as "expenses," which could be payments to the needy or salaries of employees. I'm not doubting the organization, just saying that this isn't the sort of thing to help anybody make up their mind...

#7 · acm · 2005/04/21

TO ABORTION IS EVIL: YOU CAN FIGHT ABORTION ALL YOU WANT AND I'LL KEEP THE DEATH PENALTY. SEEM FAIR? OTHERWISE THIS COUNTRY WILL BE RUN OVER BY THE FOREIGN ELEMENT OR OTHER. I'VE BEEN A LATTER-DAY ADVENTACOSTALISMIST MY ENTIRE LIVE AND NEVER TRUCKED WITH DEVIL-COOKIE EATING MARY-WORSHIPPING PAPISTS. BIG SHOUT OUT TO CHINGY.

#8 · Tom Finney · 2005/04/21

Yes, the world needs to know what pope really means. The site must redirect to www.m-w.com . There must also be grammatical usage and a thesaurus. Dinosaurs aren't real!

#9 · A CONCERNED PHYSICIST · 2005/04/21

Are you saying that creating "a domain for some kind of papal superstore," as though that's a bad thing?

#10 · Lone Star J.R. · 2005/04/21

here's the one you want:
www.modestneeds.org

#11 · acm · 2005/04/21

My blog is so awesome. I would have registered the pope's name if I hadn't thought it was SO LAME TO DO SO. THIS IS SO LAME I thought of it and was like, forget it, I don't need the pope's name.

Visit my blog. Rogers, you are so awesome! I hate you. Link to my blog. I deserve the media coverage you're getting. For my blog. Awesome. Sincerely, A Prominent Blogger

#12 · A Prominent Blogger · 2005/04/21

You know Rogers, you ought to post the column that you wrote in the Shorthorn back in the late 80's that was in the voice of Robin Leach concerning the Pope's visit to Texas. Probably the funniest thing I have ever read.

#13 · Lone Star J.R. · 2005/04/21

I loved your appearance on the Today Show, it was entertaining and refreshing. Good for you for winning the domain name. Do you live in St. Augustine? I'm right down the road in Jacksonville.

#14 · GreenTeaGirl · 2005/04/21

Troll-nado. Troll-nami. Same difference.

I'm fairly sure your Cruel actions have increased the Earth's mean productivity exponentially.

#15 · RangerX · 2005/04/21

Rogizzle!

Dizzle my izzle!! What the dizzle! Dog - I don't know bout all this pizzle, benedictizle, it's crizzle!
Yo Dog, pimpin till six in da monin.

Snoop, OUT!

#16 · Snoop · 2005/04/21

Rogizzle!

Dizzle my izzle!! What the dizzle! Dog - I don't know bout all this pizzle, benedictizle, it's crizzle!
Yo Dog, pimpin till six in da monin.

Snoop, OUT!

#17 · Snoop · 2005/04/21

I just watched you on the TODAY show, you are funny!

Good Luck on your wish to stay at the Vatican Hotel. Get me a room too!

I'm glad to see you don't take thing too seriously either.

Visit my "new & improved" blog for a bit on the whole POPE thing...

-- Enjoy!

TM
Lodi, CA

#18 · T M · 2005/04/21

Ranger! Horse wants you to drop by!

#19 · Scotty · 2005/04/21

I want to see a picture of you in that Pope hat once you get it. Maybe they'll put your name in glittery glue across the forehead! Bad ass! :)

#20 · Junniper · 2005/04/21

I love the link to MODEST NEEDS! What a great idea!!

#21 · Tanj · 2005/04/21

Well done, great strategy.

Compliments from holland

#22 · Jack · 2005/04/21

Just saw you on TODAY. i'm not Catholic - i'm what you call Catholic-Lite, or Episcopalian. ...Actually, I'm not even that anymore, really. I'm sort of cautious, i guess, by the notion of jumping thru hoops and smoke to get closer to God.
Anyway - my note to you is one of admiration. I am happy to have gone to your site to find the link for ModestNeeds.org. For whatever reason human beings find themselves between a rock and a hard place, it's comforting to know that compassionate folks can act locally from a global venue, without having to subscribe to a religion.
Thank you for securing benedictxvi.com.

#23 · mac · 2005/04/21

Eh :/ very bad idea

#24 · andrej · 2005/04/21

Mr. Cadenhead, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Managing to narrow down what the new Pope's name might be to six names was admittedly clever, but how dare you ask for a papal hat or a night in the Vatican hotel in return for it? If your intentions were half as pure as you claim they are, you would simply GIVE the domain to the Pope instead of trying to hold it over his head in exchange for special privileges. You already made back the money you invested in this scheme through advertizing, and for the Pope to give in to your selfish, completely unreasonable demands would be no better than to see the domain turned into a porn or gambling site. People like you give the rest of us true Catholics a bad name, and I hope that your supposedly devout grandmother tells you as much.

#25 · Rebecca · 2005/04/21

Thank you. You seem like a cool Catholic and helpful too.

#26 · Mary · 2005/04/21

I am not a catholic -- actually, i'm more of an episcopalian (well, in truth i'm a presbyterian [all right, a unitarian -- with agnostic tendences (okay, I'm an athiest [to be honest, I'm not fully human (I'm more of a great ape [well, okay a small ape (okay, honestly, I'm a dog that his been taught to speak by science [not really, I'm an artificial intelligence construct (okay, not actually. I am, however, a salamander)])])])]) and my point is, the pope is wearing dark eye makeup.

#27 · I AM NOT A CATHOLIC · 2005/04/21

Rebecca, you are annoying. Bugger off, before I shove my papal staff of joy up your tight festering shit ringed puckerstar.

Whore.

#28 · Not Rebecca · 2005/04/21

Enjoy your 15 minutes!

;)

#29 · SC · 2005/04/21

What kind of nonsense charity have you chosen? Duh. Try again.

#30 · Your charity sucks, Cadenhad · 2005/04/21

When this is over, Cadenhead, your Cruel family are going to stick a hot poker up your ass for dissing us while you prance around on the Today show like LeatherDruid, you sassy pooftah!

#31 · Panties, nice, Catholic panties. · 2005/04/21

Rashers,

I work with a charity that helps Hitlerjunge get their lives back together. Given the occasion, I would suggest you help us instead of ModestNeeds.org. I insist! Transfer all funds to us or hear the sound of jackboots kicking in your door.

Sincerely,

Rolf Heidelsteiner
Hitlerjungerevitalischaftenschmerzen.com

#32 · A BETTER CHARITY · 2005/04/21

Someone should mention to the idiots out there that the Pope doesn't have an internet connection, he uses smoke signals.

#33 · Lucifer · 2005/04/21

Hey, idiots! The Pope doesn't have an internet connection, he uses smoke signals.

#34 · Someone · 2005/04/21

Not Rebecca, it is obvious that you are not me as I would have known that empty threats and juvenile insults are meaningless. I may be annoying, but at least I'm not a sick, perverted ignoramus like you. I also have better things to do with my time than argue with the likes of you (as it is probably pointless anyway), so this will be the final and only response. Don't quit your day job, dear.

#35 · Rebecca · 2005/04/21

So black smoke = 0 and white smoke = 1. Simple binary. I wonder what baud rate that chimney is.....

#36 · Someone Else · 2005/04/21

Arguing on the internet is like running a race in the Special Olympics. Even if you win, you're still retarded.

#37 · Also not Rebecca · 2005/04/21

Actually, I just went your site, and wanted to thank you. Whether you give it to the papacy or not, I really dont care. You ahve a link to the Vatican, and that is more than enough. I am just so glad that you are keeping this site away from pronographers, and gamblers. Those kinds of site would be hit alot, and I have come across some awful things on accident researching my new pope.
I am Catholic, and really appreciate you keeping this site clean, and linking to the Vatican. You are helpful, and that is appreciated. Thank you.

#38 · just a normal kid · 2005/04/21

Its about time someone saved a domain name from a porn site or gambling site. As soon as I heard the name Benidict XVI i rushed to register it. Glad someone was thinking the same way I was.

#39 · Augie · 2005/04/21

No one's asked the obvious question -- Rogers, what are you going to do with the other domain names you registered? Just let them expire? Hold on to them given how hold the Rat is?

#40 · Brian Carnell · 2005/04/21

how dare you ask for a papal hat or a night in the Vatican hotel in return for it?

I agree. Come back to your roots... we'll give you a hat. And a night in a cheap motel with Emily Strange.

You already made back the money you invested in this scheme through advertizing

The Pope hasn't done badly either. I don't think it unfair that he share some of his wealth with the well intentioned Mr. Cadenhead.

People like you give the rest of us true Catholics a bad name

Catholics like you give the rest of us a bad name. Pray for a sense of humor, Rebecca.

#41 · GNH · 2005/04/21

Operation Security requires you to look in to the Horse's oats.

#42 · Mysterious stRanger · 2005/04/21

Well, you may look into the Horse's Oats, or the Horse's Ass, either way you should post a link next time.

#43 · The Horse's Oats · 2005/04/21

Yes, the OATS! THE OATS!

#44 · the fucking OATS, man! · 2005/04/21

I was looking at the Modest Needs financials and it looks like their admin costs run at around 30% of income. This seems a bit high to me. Any comments?

#45 · Bill · 2005/04/21

You rule I hope you get your hat I WANT ONE TOO!

#46 · You Rule · 2005/04/21

i'm sure you have to weed through umpteen million comments since all of this pope hype so i apologize for adding one more. fortunately, i for one don't have any advice for your benedict site. i'm kate and happen to be dating your nephew, CJ (on your wife's side.) he told me about your Today show appearance and i decided to check out your blog for fun.
okay basically the point of this was to say hi so.. good luck and have a nice day.

#47 · kate · 2005/04/21

Great interview on the Today show. No longer a church goer...the catholic church needs to update it's doctrine, especially concerning women.
I really hope you get the pope hat and wear it proudly- might be a good look on New Yr's Eve.

Congrats on your minutes of fame and keep that great sense of humor.

Bless you!

#48 · bad catholic · 2005/04/21

This site is hilarious. I saw you on The Today Show this morning and couldn't stop laughing - not many can make Katie grasp for words (though I do believe more effort should be put in that direction). I think you're idea is great, and I hope you hang onto this name for as long as necessary.

#49 · Stephanie, South Dakota · 2005/04/21

Operation Security requires you to look in to the Horse's oats.

I am unable to get there from here. Resolves to a create page.

#50 · GNH · 2005/04/21

There must be a clue around here somewhere GNH.

#51 · Equine Antagonist · 2005/04/21

Ops, are you serious? Just hit refresh, it's workign for everyone else.

Or are you being a smartass.

#52 · RT · 2005/04/21

white smoke?

#53 · ART IN MIND · 2005/04/21

Seriously, I can't get to it. Did you ban my ip?

#54 · GNH · 2005/04/21

"People like you give the rest of us true Catholics a bad name, and I hope that your supposedly devout grandmother tells you as much."

Gee, Rebecca... I think that the priests caught up in the molestation scandal have done more to tarnish Catholicism than this guy.

Apparently you are working hard at redefining "moral relativism".

#55 · Body Bagger · 2005/04/21

Is this the substitute link board and is the limit still 3? If so Scottie I think you are over and Ops has some catching up to do......man I need a link fix bad...

#56 · PsychoA · 2005/04/21

Psycho, come hang with the crowd over at the Horse Blog. Everyone from cruel is there mostly...

#57 · Roger_That · 2005/04/21

this is hilarious! I heard about you registering this site on the radio here in VA and I remembered I had you linked. = )

#58 · mel · 2005/04/21

Saw you on the today show. You are funny. I do not think it is any big deal that you got the domain name. Better you than someone else. I am not Catholic, but Baptist. Do not even know why I felt the need to through that in.

#59 · CC · 2005/04/21

Have been and left a link . ...ya know RogerT inviting me anywhere will not endear you to Crueldom and that always works for me.

#60 · PsychoA · 2005/04/21

I saw you on the news, and heard about benedictxvi.com. I think you're really a nice, quite intelligent person, and enjoyed reading your blog. You're the kind of person I'd like to have for a neighbor. God bless!

#61 · Paige, a Protestant Christian · 2005/04/21

Give it.

I know people...

#62 · Joseph Ratzinger · 2005/04/21

Listen to me... For I know from whence I came. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

And the Lord wants this domain name.

Do it, or it shall be decreed The End of Days. And that would be bad.

"Oh so bad" sayeth the Word of God.

Your pal, JP2

#63 · Karol Wojtyla · 2005/04/21

This rules, man.

Good job. Am glad to see someone actively seeking out pope domains. I thought about doing that, but I was too busy recording our new record, which doesn't have a name yet, but it will "rock." We're recording it for J Records/BMG because Epic screwed us so bad. So, yeah, we're *sorta* indie now, but more mainstream I suppose. We've got, god, like 20-30 songs and we've been really taking our time with it. It's got a Who-ish, sort of mod-punk feel to it, really rockin' really loud. I've been told our last record sucks. Oh well. The new record will rock and will be out sometime next year, so keep updated at http://www.pearljam.com!

So yeah. Popes rule! - ev

#64 · Eddie Vedder · 2005/04/21

I saw you on the Today show this morning, and I thought you were WAY funnier than the actors who have sitcoms named after themselves. I hope you make a lot of money off your 15 minutes of fame. You deserve it for being smart and thinking ahead. I hope the Daily Show invites you to New York. You and Jon Stewart would have a great time making each other laugh. All the Pope "pomp and circumstance" has been fascinating to watch. I would much rather the Pope be my local news top story than Michael Jackson or Iraq. Cheers!

#65 · A Jewish Gal · 2005/04/21