First Door on the Left

Perhaps if George W. were to take a few more hand-in-hand strolls through the garden with a few more dictator-princes, his friends in the oil business could make even more money.

Exxon Mobil Posts Profit on Crude Prices

IRVING, Texas – Exxon Mobil Corp., the world’s largest publicly traded oil company, said Thursday that first-quarter earnings soared 44 percent from last year, due mainly to strong crude and natural gas prices. The company said it will boost its share repurchase rate by $1 billion in the second quarter.

Net income surged to $7.86 billion, or $1.22 per share, from $5.44 billion, or 83 cents per share, a year ago. Excluding a $460 million gain on the sale of Exxon’s stake in China Petroleum and Chemical, the company earned $1.15 per share in the latest quarter.

Total revenue climbed to $82.05 billion from $67.60 billion last year.

Just something to think about the next time you fill up.

(This photograph almost makes you want to watch Revelations, doesn’t it?)

There hasn’t been much to write about this month, so I haven’t been writing about much. Sure, there was that whole pope thing, but I’m not a Catholic and never much agreed with the man anyway.

Besides, I haven’t really been feeling all that well this month… a situation I am working on improving. I’ve even made an appointment with the optometrist for Tuesday morning… the first one in about five years. Undoubtedly I will be walking out with a much stronger prescription.

Even on the political front there has not been much to talk about. If you voted Republican, you are pretty much getting what you deserve. If you voted Democrat, you are getting tired of saying “I tried to tell you.”

So I will resist the temptation to say I tried to tell you.

I don’t think there was ever any doubt that Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) would be the nominee (that dude from Married With Children never had a prayer), but I’ll be the first to admit that they surprised me with Leo McGarry (John Spencer) as the vice presidential nominee.

I did not see that coming. Did you?

Now we wait for the fall. Will it be Vinick or Santos? (I think my money is on Santos.)

Eric Boehlert has an amazing story on Salon.com: A tale told by an idiot.

Look closely at the picture.