You don't want your obituary to be a footnote to Jerry Falwell's, do you??

With my luck, my obituary would be a footnote to Frank Perdue's.

I'm thinking Bernard Cardinal Law would get pretty long odds.

Ya think? When the only special interest group backing you is the pederasts' lobby, your chances are kinda poor.

Admittedly, I'm getting this from "Eurotrip," Aimee, (just because it was the most recent place I saw mention of it) but don't all the cardinals (or is it dioceses? The high ranking peeps, anyway.) go into seclusion, and pick someone, and then they have smoke from a special chimney, and a bell, and then the new pope who is chosen goes out onto a balcony, or something, so everyone can see who is chosen.

That vague "Eurotrip" explanation did resonate with the vague memories of high school European history I have at any rate.

But I'm positive that someone who is more expert will answer soon. ETA: Or someone will answer before I can post this, of course.

Bernard Cardinal Law

Now, I assume that they change their name when they become Pope, much like nuns and monks do? Cause Pope Bernie just doesn't seem right.

Remember, betting on the next pope is an excommunicable offence: [link]

NOT DEAD YET, MAYBE

Here's the latest TV scoop. I'm not in the same room as the TV, so heaven only knows what's happened now.

First, Italian Media reported the pope passed away.

Then, they said that wasn't true.

Then, there was a rumor that there was brain death, as per an EEG. However, if there is "only" brain death, that would indicate that he was on a respirator, because if your brain dies, the rest of you follows suit.

So, yeah. It's Schroedinger's Pope right now.

BTW, hayden, I don't know if I've congraulated you yet, so I'll do it now. How's the baby?

Thanks! He's ok generally, but still very fussy at night. I'm working on another 4 hours of sleep again today after a 2 am crying jag. Anyone know a good exorcist?

Now, I assume that they change their name when they become Pope, much like nuns and monks do? Cause Pope Bernie just doesn't seem right.

Yup. The current Pope's real name is Karol Wojtyla.

I have used this book several times in setting up random sequences for experiments or analyses. There's usually one old guy in every science department who has a copy in his office.

Admittedly, it is a very strange book.

Okay, here's a very mathy-ignorant question:

Once they're published in book form, where anybody can look up the srting, which would now be in the same order every time you looked, aren't they no longer random?

Well, I think his real name is Pope John Paul, just as Elizabeth HP is my real name now, although I was born Elizabeth H.