Vanitas

With his death, the Kenneth Lay page has now changed genres. It is no longer the web page of an allegedly wronged person, like the long-running page for Mumia Abu-Jamal. It is now an in memorium page, with a photograph of the deceased at the center and a eulogy for his life as a captain of industry.

His vanity site showcases the best possible side of the former Enron executive and refers to him by his honorific as "Dr. Kenneth Lay." We are told that Lay's life exemplified Galatians, specifically the section in the Epistles about "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" that shows the true energy trading management style. My favorite part: when his family encourages donations to the "church or synagogue" of the individual person's choice. My second favorite part: when the bereaved survivors point out that Lay is going before the "one true Judge" (capital J) . . . unlike the insignificant judge who found him guilty of a stock swindle.

For those who still want to see litigious arguments on behalf of a criminal defendent, you can check out the Help Baby Riley page for the mother who set off an Amber Alert by sneaking her ailing baby out in a diaper bag rather than subject the child to transplant surgery.