America's Registry of Outstanding Professionals

[Arthur Rubin]

I received an invitation to join this "exclusive" Registry at http://www.whoswhoregistry.net/ . As I'm in Marquis Who's Who in America, (which is real, as I asked here a few years ago), I was wondering whether this one is real or phishing.

[Demosthenes]

Visit AboutUs.org for more information about whoswhoregistry.net
<a href="http://www.aboutus.org/whoswhoregistry.net">AboutUs:
whoswhoregistry.net</a>

Domain Name: whoswhoregistry.net
Registrar: Name.com LLC

Expiration Date: 2010-05-02 14:12:24
Creation Date: 2009-05-02 14:12:24

Best case scenario is that it's owned by the vanity publication. Worst is that it's a phishing scam. That creation date is not comforting.

[Pottapaug1938]

This registry stinks to high heaven, as far as I'm concerned. it reminds me of the old history books which got sold by traveling salesmen in the 19th century, back in New England. These books purported to list the outstanding citizens in each community -- but, surprise surprise -- they didn't list EVERYBODY. They listed only those people who paid the salesman to include their biography (photos cost you extra). In fact, one of my favorite stories from that era concerns two lawyers who got hit up for a spot in such a book. They agreed to buy one apiece if the salesman could get the town miser to buy one. When the salesman somehow pulled that off, the lawyers paid the salesman the money but asked him NOT to include their biographies, so that the people in their town would still respect them and not take them for gullible fools.

[Prof]

Most such directories are created to be sold to the persons listed therein. I no longer get asked for bio infor from Marquis' Who's Who, although I still get solicited by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, etc. (I once bought a copy of Best Lawyers, and the firm took an add out for those of us listed as Super Lawyers.)

School Alumni directories operate on the same premise -- well, vanity plus a directory. I buy three, so that theory works, I guess.

[Mr. Mephistopheles]

Any organization that has the word "whore" in their URL can't be too impressive.

[Nikki]

This appears to be the sort of club to which Groucho's famous remark should be applied.

If they wnat you as a member, you shouldn't join.

Instead, you can spend around the same amount of money and get a star officially named after you.

[Pottapaug1938]

That star-naming ad is one that makes me reach for the tuning buttons whenever it comes on the radio. I especially try to avoid the reference to the record of the naming being deposited, in book form, with the US Copyright Office. If I want to give an example of lawyered-up weasel words when I talk to people, this is one of my favorite examples.

But, in the interests of full disclosure, I should mention that I do own a star in the Milky Way. My mother bought me the deed at Boston's Museum of Science, 50 years ago, and I still have it somewhere. The deed has no official validity, of course, and the MoS staff has never pretended otherwise; but as everyone understands fully, this is merely a nice fundraising gimmick. If I ever hear anyone saying that they are going to pay a fat chunk of cash to the Star Registry scammers, I direct them to the MoS (or their local equivalent), and ask them to send their money where it will do some good, not benefit some scam artist.

[Pottapaug1938]

Actually -- I have a better name for this thing: the Comprehensive Registry of American Professionals....

[Famspear]

That star-naming ad is one that makes me reach for the tuning buttons whenever it comes on the radio. I especially try to avoid the reference to the record of the naming being deposited, in book form, with the US Copyright Office. If I want to give an example of lawyered-up weasel words when I talk to people, this is one of my favorite examples.

Yeah, that one always gets me grinning -- having someone name a star after you.

I'm thinking of starting my own registry -- just to make some money. It's going to be the Registry of Famous People's Body Parts That Have Been Named After You or One of Your Loved Ones.

Example: Guys, you could have one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's biceps named after you.

Girls, you can have one of actress Sharon Stone's ear lobes named after you. (Now, now, I said "ear lobes", "ear lobes". Don't let your mind wander.) I'll even offer a reduced rate if you want to buy names for both lobes.


As you can imagine, the prices will vary, depending on the body part and the "famous-ossity-tivity-ness" of the Famous Person "involved."

This is America. It could work.

[Judge Roy Bean]

...

Example: Guys, you could have one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's biceps named after you.

Girls, you can have one of actress Sharon Stone's ear lobes named after you. (Now, now, I said "ear lobes", "ear lobes". Don't let your mind wander.) I'll even offer a reduced rate if you want to buy names for both lobes.


As you can imagine, the prices will vary, depending on the body part and the "famous-ossity-tivity-ness" of the Famous Person "involved."

This is America. It could work.

Dolly already has Shock and Awe taken.

[Famspear]

...

Example: Guys, you could have one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's biceps named after you.

Girls, you can have one of actress Sharon Stone's ear lobes named after you. (Now, now, I said "ear lobes", "ear lobes". Don't let your mind wander.) I'll even offer a reduced rate if you want to buy names for both lobes.


As you can imagine, the prices will vary, depending on the body part and the "famous-ossity-tivity-ness" of the Famous Person "involved."

This is America. It could work.

Dolly already has Shock and Awe taken.

I think I saw Dolly Parton tell this joke on the Johnny Carson TV show many, many years ago. She said she was in the audience at a Mel Tillis country music concert one night. Between one of the songs, Mel noticed that Dolly was in the audience, and announced to the crowd, "Look everyone, up in the third row there..... pretty little Miss Dolly Parton!"

(round of applause....)

But then Mel came back with, "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm mistaken. That's just two bald headed men sittin' together."