Dooce
 

http://dooce.com/about

I know I've mentioned her before. But I'm still cracking up. Basic story--girl goes to BYU. Girl hates BYU. Girl sleeps around. Somewhere in that goes apostate. Starts blog. Fired because of blog. Blog becomes popular. She retires from "real" work with ad support from blog. Husband also retires and supported by her blog.

The part I didn't know: she is married to a former editor of Student Review. Jon Armstrong. Don't know the guy. But I did come across Dooce's description of meeting this Armstrong (when he was married to someone else). The part where she thinks this dude is cool and sexy cracked me up.

But here's the kicker. Am I (or you) interesting enough to support myself (yourself) financially through a blog? And if the answer is "yes", would you do it?

I don't know if I am interesting enough. I doubt it. But even if I was, it wouldn't work out well for me, I'm afraid. I need the kind of freedom where I can give my audience the middle-finger. And that wouldn't be good for finances.

Someone from CUF told me that in "one day" CUF had become more financially setup than CG. No $%*&, really? I had no freaking idea I was throwing money away!

Making your living writing drivel on the internet, no matter how witty, badass, jaded, intelligent strikes me as a complete waste. Frankly, 99% of CG is complete garbage. I know that. Everyone knows that.

.....

Back to the Student Review. Here's the thing that really gets me. Not only did the morons kill it, they are not ashamed that they did so, because in their stupidity they think it was due to forces out of their control.

Garbage in, garbage out, my friends. I don't know much about Dooce.com, but I'm guessing it's 99.9% garbage. Which makes CG 10x better, at 99% garbage.

My friends, the universe is giving you a message. It's everywhere you look. Embrace it.

http://www.myspaceantics.com/images/...dle-finger.jpg

LOL. Waters, why are you doing this! Come share your brilliance with the multitudes.

If I'm going to entertain people it's not going to be with a blog. It's going to be ripping their guts out with the written word.

She's got a serious following and appears to make good money. She travels around and presents at conferences, etc. She's been featured on CNN, Time, and more. I think her blog is mostly junk but I'd love to have her job. Work a few hours each day, hang out with family. Not a bad life.

not for me. sounds boring.

I have no idea who would have any interest in my blog. Nancy Grace perhaps.

</barf>

I think I've figured it out.

The very fact that she does *nothing* but blog is the very attraction to the blog itself.

"I have no particular academic qualifications, no notable education, no career accomplishments (other than getting fired--and I made myself famous for it*), and I can make a living just talking about myself." The audacity of it is the invention.

A certain sheen, or veneer is required to pull this off. Substance? No. Style? Yes. Panache? Yes. You just got hipper, by listening to me. That is the trade, so to speak, between the reader and the blogger.

Is this a life to be envied? After I put down Gandhi's autobiography, and after turning the last page of Juanita Brook's bio, and when I finally finish the Ryoma biography, am I to then read Dooce's autobiography. In real time, as it were. Day by day?

God help us all.

The ironic thing is that if and when CG finally crumbles into nothing, it will have actually restored my faith in humanity, rather than the reverse.

------

*"famous" with a small "f", not a capital one.

You can't let it go. Your legend is only growing, maybe as never before.

Yeah, spending more time with Farrah would be a drag. ;)

Why do you think he has so many hobbies?