Bitchy but 'nice'.
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Editor's Note: The following text was to be my post for the day, but I decided last night to wait to publish it. It was meant to be tongue in cheek, humourous, witty and somewhat satirical. While proof-reading I realized something a friend said to me concerning my 'writing style' was true. He described it like this: "Making an insinuation, then stepping back from it with a hedge is that particular form of Midwestern nasty-nice that damages reputations and sows a spirit of distrust as much as forthright accusations."
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'If a good man reproves me it is kindness.'
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O Lord, from my hidden faults aquit me. It should be obvious to most that I wasn't trained as a writer - I've only taken a few classes over the years which were not at all beneficial. Therefore I'm not really conscious of the effect of my writing on readers, nor my style. My friend's criticism was very helpful - and most welcome. I immediately disagreed of course, because it was not my intention in the post he referenced to do any harm. Only after the another post on 'asking for donations' and the following addendum I composed last night did I understand what my friend was pointing out to me in charity.
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That said, I decided to publish my post - albeit severely edited - crossing out most of the 'rhetoric'... But leaving it in so my readers can see what an ass I am. The following is the original post with edits:
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Bingo!
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I got another email from my
This is the only time of the year I ask for donations from readers, so what about it? I reckon a donation of twenty bucks is not much for a daily blog that not only inspires and educates, but also entertains.
Fr. Longenecker writes books, and I believe he lectures, in addition to some sort of a salary - I can only imagine, since I know nothing about his finances. Anyway, there is absolutely nothing wrong with looking for supplemental income through donations. Nothing. Most bloggers Father cites in his post ask for donations all year long. (Shea, Fr. Z, and so on.)
So by all means, donate to your favorite Catholic blogger
Just once through the year I ask you faithful readers to hit the 'Donate' button and help me with the expenses of running this blog. Think how much you might have been expected in the old days to pay for a subscription to a magazine or newspaper that informs, entertains and inspires. You'd pay a good bit for a monthly or weekly subscription, but this blog is updated daily. (Well, almost...)
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Think how many hours I spend thinking up blog posts, moderating comments, finding pictures, getting myself into my various alter egos, blogging when I could be writing articles that pay for magazine and website who are calling me several times a day begging me to write for them and offering me large sums of money. (well, maybe that's a little bit of an exaggeration)
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Donations are good
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N.B. The other reality here is that what other people do on their blogs is none of my damn business. Please accept my apologies and pray for me. Thank you.
+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteROFL! You're my kind of ass, Terry! ;-)
+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteOh, speaking of asses . . .
I just wandered back into that first combox and shared an anecdote about Picasso charging a fan thousands for a doodle on a napkin. And I wondered whether he was an artist who knew his commercial worth (which isn't a bad thing--especially if you consider how much that doodle could sell for!) or a pompous, conceited ass.
(Hmmmm. Now I wonder if that story is just apocryphal =S If it is, I apologise to Pablo!)
I seem to recall that Picasso anecdote. I think his answer was a little of both - knowing his commercial worth and perhaps being an ass - I wonder if the fan wasn't a bit obnoxious as well. The story I heard is that the fan left in a huff without the doodle.
ReplyDeletePicasso very often seemed to lack charity.
+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteI do agree the fan was a bit much.
On a totally irrelevant note, a parent I just gave a huge discount to because her daughter was a former student of mine (and a beloved one!) recently thought I'd be okay with tutoring two students at the same time, at the same discounted rate. As much as I love interacting with young people--and as often as I "give it away for free" a lot--I really had to put my foot down.
What I like about these supposedly controversial topics you bring up, Terry, is that they're not merely about what they seem to be about. (Aren't they???)
I wandered back into that combox and provided you with the actual quote and a link to a source.
ReplyDeleteBy the way Mr. Button, I believe what you meant to write was, "Please accept my apologies and pay for me. Thank you."
ReplyDeleteOooh, I'd forgotten about Crescat fundraising for her trip.
ReplyDeleteVery good stuff! Yes, I would probably pay for the privilege of reading your thoughts, Terry.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Midwestern nasty-nice thing;I'd take THAT over the Northeastern "in your face verbal assault" coming outta nowhere (forgive me, northeasterners!...well, sorta); my friend in the CFRs, Long Island Native (as Sicilian as they come) always remarked how kind, gentle and mannered Midwesterns are...and I agree...I hate passive aggressive; but there's nothing wrong with having some manners!
ReplyDeleteAnyway...this post is a hoot!
I'm just luvin' it!! Thanks, Mr. Terry.
+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, Owen! =)
And, as a further thought.
ReplyDeleteI don't want anybody's damned money.
All I need is Jesus, okay? Alright?
Got that?
LOL!
Terry - if I'm reading you right, I'm guessing you're short on cash. What, did Ray and Cathy stick you with the bill for last Saturday's breakfast again?
ReplyDeleteOne (non-Catholic) disabled woman I know who blogs asked people for donations to help her pay for a servce dog she could not othrwise have afforded. I also have a friend who swam accross a lake for charity, and got people to sponsor her via a blog. I think these are pretty legitimate things - they are things people might ask for donations for in the flesh - they're just asking a larger audience if they ask online.
ReplyDeleteThere is also the fact that if you have a www.blogname.com site (rather than www.blogname.blogspot.com, or www.blogname.wordpress.com or whatever), you have to pay for the domain name and hosting.
If I ever desired to make moey from blogging (I don't write often or well enought to do so) I'd do it by advertising, though.
Hahaha! Oh how you do crack me up, Mr Ter.
ReplyDeleteI don't read Fr Longnecker, either, but I have seen him speak at a Catholic conference in Raleigh this past year. He has kids, and a wife, did you know? Convert from Anglicanism and all that. Of all of them, he's probably got the best reason to supplement his income from Catholic blogging.
Stop the insanity. ROFLOL! I'm laughing soooooo hard at these comments.
ReplyDeleteGette - that is for sure - Fr. L deserves to ask for donations. I'm saving up to buy him a cape.
What? I'm kidding.
Golly the only think I could think about while I read this was that baking soda makes everything smell better - even ass's.
ReplyDeleteand fishy smelling hair
BTW. You haven't cornered the market in "assdom" I consider myself an aficionado extraodinaire.
belinda, dear; I just about choked reading you comments...life at your house must be about as much fun as around here(organized chaos; psychodramas galore; laughing until you spit!)...and I mean it!
ReplyDeleteHey, I didn't even ask for a car, but a blogger in Texas gave me one. Saved a lot of months of begging using the PayPal button.
ReplyDelete(True story. But I really do thank God for what that blogger did for our family all the time.)
I love your sense of humor. Too funny.
ReplyDeleteBoy did this ever hit home. I blogged a few posts like this once that were mighty immature.
There was local blogger who once a month it seemed would go on ad infinitum about the sufferings of being a blogger. People reading without hitting paypal were thought thefts.
This guy's peccadilloes annoyed the crap out of me.
If something happened in the news or in the diocese, he'd act like everybody watching the news would rush to their computers to see what he thought about it. The big rush was always on to get his thoughts out there so people didn't have to keep refreshing their browsers every few seconds.
The Pope said something, he was right there to crack the code, the twin towers go down, the first thing everybody in Christendom was thinking was excuse me but I just have to go read what ___ thinks about this.
Everything the Pope did, he could connect the dots to something he wrote about. Everything that happened in time and space he was puppeteering. Pope, President - you name it, his blog was central command center.
For a couple of years, an hour after I'd post something, a post would go on his that he was very similar. I couldn't care less, figuring whatever glorifies God and helps His Church, it is all good. But then one day, a blogger who was working on a campaign with me about some crazy sex ed program or something,posted something he wrote and forgot to link to his blog so the traffic would go there and he waged a holy war on these poor, meek kind people. His thoughts were proprietary. Every thought the guy had was worth money other people around the internet were stealing from him.
Let us just say I put up a few blog posts that are shining examples of why I don't ever have to worry about a mausoleum going up in my diocese with my name on it.
Carol - now we all wanna know who that was. LOL!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteOkay, that was an awful comment. It's gone now.
A trip I never got to take because of a volcano and most of that money was spent on nonrefundable trip deposits. The rest I used on heart medication. I thought about resurrecting the paypal button when I had to use my rent money to pay for my cat's surgery... but you know. I wouldn't want people to speculate about my wildly lavish lifestyle jetting setting around the globe off the prosperous funds of blogging.
ReplyDeleteWould you like an accounting?
Kat - now I feel really, really bad. I mentioned you as a 'success story' so to speak - an example I think asking for donations and sending donations is good - to prove I'm not 'gainst it'. I actually have done a post or two telling people to donate to you.
ReplyDeleteYou know if I were a rich man I'd have paid for everything and would be sending you monthly checks.
My apologies if this seemed to be an insult to you. It wasn't meant that way at all.
It is a sore spot of contention, yes. I don't have the stomach for accepting donations. I even offered to refund all monies after the trip got cancelled. It sucks having to beg for alms. I don't know how some can do it so freely. I hated it... Hey, everybody I'm poor!
ReplyDeleteMy financial situation in not unique and I can think of millions of people who need it more than me. Which is why I did not resurrect the paypal button for Kitty's surgery... I still haven't paid the rent. God will provide. I started selling drawings and making handcrafted holy cards.
I apologize for getting so defensive. I would just appreciate my name not being brought up in the same breaths as the lucrative campaigning of Fr. Z and the likes.
And what expense of blogging?! blogger is FREE. Even image hosting is FREE. well I do pay photobucket $12 a year to host my pictures bc I exceed their monthly bandwidth with the number of blog visitors.... but still. $12 a YEAR. So I don't get the reasoning.
I sure didn't mean to lump you in with all that. It is tough and getting tougher for ordinary people to meet expenses - single moms and families especially - My prayers for you and I do want people to push your button - in a good way.
ReplyDeleteCresat,
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to explain but Terry is not talking about somebody in some kind of pinch.
It's a peculiar phenomenon that takes takes on a life of its own similar to the one I described above. The ego gets larger than life. The focus shifts from servitude to Christ to something selfish. It's not just asking for money it's entitlement, with a long list of how painful it is to grind out your thoughts in your pajamas and the persecutions of take lip service from detractors.
Blogging looks like an easy thing to do but it spiritually is a loaded minefield.
Terry - Me thinks the world is a better place if I keep the identity to myself !
"Blogging looks like an easy thing to do but it spiritually is a loaded minefield." This is plain and simple one of the most factual things I've heard about the nature of blogging (regardless of the issue at hand in the post).
ReplyDeleteHA! I was gonna snag that quote too and you it to expand on some thoughts that have been swimming around in the gumbo of my brain.
ReplyDeleteNow, gimme me all your money.
use of the above quote with full attribution of course.
ReplyDeleteTerry, I still love you. You're brutally honest.
OK, ok, can we phlease stop tripping over one another now, forget the love'in and get back to some nice Catholic b*tch'n? I get paid good money to read Mr. Button you know.
ReplyDeleteMr.Owen, I love the love in with our blogger buddies and it's cootie free! Believe you me, nothing is better than cootie free love.
ReplyDeleteI also love our blogger buddies.
(and even the ones who don't love me back. Your all pretty terrific people:)
I love you. I love us all. I do. I love Mr. Button (he knows) I'm just poking around a little, having fun like other buddies. Honest. Cootie free love, rocks.
ReplyDelete"How touching. I think I'll vomit."
ReplyDelete-Prof. Snape
Ah hah, now we're at it.
ReplyDeleteAwww, a big hug to Kat- all warm and fuzzy
ReplyDeletejust like a Hallmark card. It only hurts for a second Kat.
I never give those long and lingering awkward hugs either.
Terry, Dearest Terry, (I say this with utmost "pastoral care"...even though I have care of some fifty who-knows-where-faithful../I am indeed incardinated into the Diocese of La Crosse..oh yeah!)
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about it bro.
It doesn't really matter in the eternal things of which we are to be really held in account for.
Just pitch it in the shit of the wind.
Yeah.
That's my penance for ya.
I'm probably goin' to hell for it; but you won't.
No way.
You'll be just doin' what the damned priest says.
Yeah.
Blessings, love and prayer to ya'
FrJM