Essay 412

Minding others’ business with a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Now Verizon has been slapped with a $20 billion lawsuit, accused of helping the federal government spy on American citizens. According to the suit, “Verizon has provided and continues to provide the government with direct access to all or a substantial number of the communications transmitted through its telecommunications facilities.” AT&T has also been allegedly providing similar assistance. Can you hear my private conversations now? Good.

• Procter & Gamble plans to cut 300 jobs in its pharmaceuticals unit. Creating and producing drugs can be a long, complicated process, and P&G would prefer to speed things up by buying and licensing products from other corporations. There’s a drug dealer analogy to be made here — feel free to write your own smart-aleck remarks.

• RadioShack’s 62% earnings plunge has prompted plans to eliminate 400 to 700 stores (see Essay 409). Additionally, Chief Executive Dave Edmondson publicly apologized for fibbing about his academic credentials on his resume. “I clearly misstated my academic record, and the responsibility for these misstatements is mine alone,” Edmondson said. Nothing like a company in turmoil headed by a lying leader. You’ve got questions. We’ve got answers. Of course, the answers may not be honest.

• Speaking of apologizing liars, Rush Limbaugh back-pedaled for his remarks about a political candidate in Ohio. Limbaugh had criticized the New York Times for not reporting the Democrat’s preferred candidate in Ohio’s U.S. Senate race is Black. Turns out the politician, U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown, is actually White. When informed of his mistake, the conservative blowhard replied, “Uh, Sherrod Brown’s a White guy? Then I’m confusing him with somebody. OK, I’m sorry.” When email messages continued to correct Limbaugh during his radio show, he remarked, “We have corrected this, and I, you know, I’m not gonna apologize because I don’t think it’s an insult to be Black.” Tell that to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.