Alarming News: I like Morgan Freeberg. A lot.
American Digest: And I like this from "The Blog That Nobody Reads", because it is -- mostly -- about me. What can I say? I'm on an ego trip today. It won't last.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: We were following a trackback and thinking "hmmm... this is a bloody excellent post!", and then we realized that it was just part III of, well, three...Damn. I wish I'd written those.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: ...I just remembered that I found a new blog a short while ago, House of Eratosthenes, that I really like. I like his common sense approach and his curiosity when it comes to why people believe what they believe rather than just what they believe.
Brutally Honest: Morgan Freeberg is brilliant.
Dr. Melissa Clouthier: Morgan Freeberg at House of Eratosthenes (pftthats a mouthful) honors big boned women in skimpy clothing. The picture there is priceless--keep scrolling down.
Exile in Portales: Via Gerard: Morgan Freeberg, a guy with a lot to say. And he speaks The Truth...and it's fascinating stuff. Worth a read, or three. Or six.
Just Muttering: Two nice pieces at House of Eratosthenes, one about a perhaps unintended effect of the Enron mess, and one on the Gore-y environ-movie.
Mein Blogovault: Make "the Blog that No One Reads" one of your daily reads.
The Virginian: I know this post will offend some people, but the author makes some good points.
Poetic Justice: Cletus! Ah gots a laiv one fer yew...
I’ve told you a few times how much I enjoy the letters-to-the editor section of The Naples Daily News. Here’s a gem from yesterday’s paper. Sit down before you read this:
Editor, Daily News:
Until I read Jack Tymann’s guest essay, I thought the $4.94 gasoline price had absorbed every available erg of popular anger.
Tymann’s defense of the oil companies should warrant an explosion of outrage.
Unfortunately, here in Naples we appear to have an acquiescent and oblivious public. In Florida and across the nation it is inevitable that there will be a public revolt. Nationalizing the oil industry abolishes the economic power of the oil companies. It will enable the government to provide for the common welfare. Presently the oil companies are exploiting the people and their profits seem like thievery.
The oil companies constitute a clear and present danger to democracy and must be put under state control. Nationalizing the oil companies means hiring managers at fair salaries, not the average
$10 million annually for each CEO. Take the profits and revenues from their private pockets and use them for the public good. Use their profits to pay teachers and provide for state budget health-care needs.
Make the oil companies non-polluting energy resources to deal with global warming. Now they are responsible for the destruction of the environment and the reason for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the militarism of this country.
Some will rage socialism or worse. But nationalization is in the tradition of democratic and capitalistic countries everywhere.
— H.H. Hermann
How in the hell do you grow to adulthood in this country and still be intellectually dense enough to write a letter like this to a newspaper? Oh … forgot. Government education.
Notice the line in the letter about profits that seem like thievery. Do you think the writer would have a clue as to what the profit margins of these oil companies would be?
First … let’s take ExxonMobile. First quarter 2011 profits for Exxon Mobile were $10.7 billion dollars. Maybe it’s just the sheer size of this profit figure that causes the Naples letter writer to talk about thievery. Remember, though, that ExxonMobile is a HUGE company operating in 100 or so countries. Do you think Mr. Herman could tell you how much ExxonMobile paid in taxes to the federal government? Not only no, but HELL no. So here’s a little education for you.
First Quarter 2011:
ExxonMobile earnings on operations in the United States. $2.6 billion.
ExxonMobile taxes paid to the U.S. Government. $3.1 billion.Now just hold on a minute here, Mr. Hermann. Paying more in taxes to the U.S. government than you actually earn on your operations in this country is “thievery?”
See, there’s a hazard involved in deciding such issues emotionally…and then shooting your mouth off.
Get the word out.
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First … let’s take ExxonMobile.
Well, first let’s take the pot calling the kettle black. Is Boortz talkin’ about some Exxon station in Mobile, Alabama? Or is he talkin’ about the corporation? The state of American education, indeed. If you’re gonna rant in this space it would do ya some good to get the fucking spelling correct, wouldn’t it? Fail.
- bpenni | 05/22/2011 @ 12:32My wife is more or less apolitical, albeit conservative at heart. When I told her that oil companies made 2 cents/gallon of gas but the government made 40 cents or so (including state and local?) /gallon, she wondered why the Senate was holding show trials.
Did I ever mention that I married a much nicer, sweeter person than she did? She always thinks the best of people, which is why she married me. It’s also why she cannot understand our current political class.
- Physics Geek | 05/23/2011 @ 19:19