by pseudonym October 02, 2004
(1) ' Mineral rights are property rights that confer upon the holder the right to exploit an area for the minerals it harbors. Ownership of mineral rights is the right of the owner to exploit, mine, and/or produce any or all of the minerals lying below the surface of the property. The mineral estate of the land includes all organic and inorganic substances that form a part of the soil.' -- Wikipedia.
(2) Selling a mining company the rights to whatever minerals might lie beneath your land is a "Shylock's bargain" because in selling your mineral rights you agree that the mining company has the legal right to destroy all your property above the ground while the miners dig down to where the minerals supposedly are. If only William Shakespeare's Portia* were a real woman lawyer, she would have gotten the miners' case thrown out of court lickety-split -- as is only right and proper, considering how idiotic and truly insane the notion of "mineral rights" really is. And yet, it unbelievably is the law of this great country of ours, where EVERYONE is said be equal, NOT just the billionaire owners of mining companies. -- Dinkum
* Portia is a character in Shakespeare's play "Merchant of Venice".
PLOT SUMMARY: Shylock makes Antonio a loan which says: if Antonio is unable to repay, Shylock may take a pound of Antonio's flesh. Shylock takes Antonio to court; if Shylock wins, he intends to cut out enough of Antonio's heart as would satisfy the terms of the loan -- and kill Antonio.
(2) Selling a mining company the rights to whatever minerals might lie beneath your land is a "Shylock's bargain" because in selling your mineral rights you agree that the mining company has the legal right to destroy all your property above the ground while the miners dig down to where the minerals supposedly are. If only William Shakespeare's Portia* were a real woman lawyer, she would have gotten the miners' case thrown out of court lickety-split -- as is only right and proper, considering how idiotic and truly insane the notion of "mineral rights" really is. And yet, it unbelievably is the law of this great country of ours, where EVERYONE is said be equal, NOT just the billionaire owners of mining companies. -- Dinkum
* Portia is a character in Shakespeare's play "Merchant of Venice".
PLOT SUMMARY: Shylock makes Antonio a loan which says: if Antonio is unable to repay, Shylock may take a pound of Antonio's flesh. Shylock takes Antonio to court; if Shylock wins, he intends to cut out enough of Antonio's heart as would satisfy the terms of the loan -- and kill Antonio.
EXAMPLE:
' "Don't matter if you care," the old miner said, "if you don't own what you care about." He pointed out that the mineral rights to the entire county in which they sat were owned by the Rosewater Coal and Iron Company, which acquired these rights soon after the end of the Civil War. "The law says," he went on, "when a man owns something under the ground and he wants to get at it, you got to let him tear up anything between the surface and what he owns."
' The truth was that Rosewater . . . had been among the principal destroyers of the surface and the people of West Virginia. '
-- From Kurt Vonnegut's 1973 novel "Breakfast of Champions" -- Chapter 14 (page 125 - 126).
* Portia's closing argument at trial: In court, Antonio's lawyer is a woman in lawyerly disguise, who just happens to be Portia, friend of Antonio. Portia deftly appropriates Shylock's argument for 'specific performance', and points out that the contract only allows Shylock to remove the flesh, not the "blood", of Antonio. Thus, if Shylock were to shed any drop of Antonio's blood, his "lands and goods" would be forfeited under Venetian laws. Further damning Shylock's case, she tells him that he must cut precisely one pound of flesh, no more, no less; she advises him that "if the scale do turn, But in the estimation of a hair, Thou diest and all thy goods are confiscate."
' "Don't matter if you care," the old miner said, "if you don't own what you care about." He pointed out that the mineral rights to the entire county in which they sat were owned by the Rosewater Coal and Iron Company, which acquired these rights soon after the end of the Civil War. "The law says," he went on, "when a man owns something under the ground and he wants to get at it, you got to let him tear up anything between the surface and what he owns."
' The truth was that Rosewater . . . had been among the principal destroyers of the surface and the people of West Virginia. '
-- From Kurt Vonnegut's 1973 novel "Breakfast of Champions" -- Chapter 14 (page 125 - 126).
* Portia's closing argument at trial: In court, Antonio's lawyer is a woman in lawyerly disguise, who just happens to be Portia, friend of Antonio. Portia deftly appropriates Shylock's argument for 'specific performance', and points out that the contract only allows Shylock to remove the flesh, not the "blood", of Antonio. Thus, if Shylock were to shed any drop of Antonio's blood, his "lands and goods" would be forfeited under Venetian laws. Further damning Shylock's case, she tells him that he must cut precisely one pound of flesh, no more, no less; she advises him that "if the scale do turn, But in the estimation of a hair, Thou diest and all thy goods are confiscate."
by Dinkum August 06, 2013
Christopher Hitchens warned not to let people take away your right to complain. When he said it he was talking about Islam specifically but I think it speaks to a broader point about what's happening in society today.
Hym "No. Don't fuckin listen to Matt. He knows and has conceded entirely that he is not fit to be a mustache-man. He lives a life of shame as a disgusting smooth-face and should be treated with nothing but contempt and derision. The right to complain, however, IS fit to be a mustache-man. It is our fundamental right. The CARDINAL right from which all other rights are derived. The conservatives are trying to take that away from you (not in a legislative capacity but a social capacity) with their 'Stop complaining and get back to work, slaves' rhetoric and the Liberals are trying to take that right away ( again, not in a legislative capacity but in a social capacity) with their 'Anti-aggrievement' rhetoric that presupposes the grievances of the under-class that you are allowed not to give a shit about are illegitimate. Reject this blatant and repugnant attack on our rights! I am aggrieved! I have a right to BE aggrieved! And my rights will not be denied!"
by Hym Iam August 23, 2024
Hym "Yeah! I couldn't have put it better myself! A right-wing conspiracy nut's worst nightmare. Well, I mean, I COULD have put it better myself because I'm a genius and the greatest mind who has ever lived but it's-that's pretty good, yeah... And it's like 'Do you really have a stalker or are you just saying that because you know who I am and you know that I have a stalker and you want use my response to you SAYING you have a stalker (regardless of whether or not it's true) to justify your participation?' You know? Or 'Do you really have a paranoid schizophrenic brother or are you just saying that because you know who I am? Would you be saying any of this if I wasn't here?' It's like you want your behavior to be contingent on my behavior... Without my behavior being ONLY SELECTIVELY CONTINGENT on your behavior. If I do what you want, you're responsible. If I don't, it's on me. And it's NOT ANALOGOUS to MY behavior, because I take FULL CREDIT for the good and the bad. From dead kids to saved souls. Full credit."
by Hym Iam January 06, 2024
Doesn't get me to do the thing Jordan Peterson wants me to do. So it isn't useful. He wants me to stop seeking recourse for what is happening and accept not being paid for my own labor. I do not have to amd will not do that. I will murder a child before I do that. Lucky for you, I haven't accepted not being paid nor have I stopped seeking recourse. You're welcome.
Hym "Being right us that only thing that matters. It doesn't matter what mitigates conflict in a relationship. The things you are saying either comport with objective reality or they don't."
by Hym Iam June 13, 2024
When Brad's got you really good, and there's no longer a way out of a situation. You're in his crosshairs.
Me: "Mom and I went for ice cream last night, and it was delicious, however when I got home I spilled some on my rug"
Brad: "I was with your Mom last night, so we know that wasn't ice cream on the rug."
Me: "Shit. Brad's got me dead to rights."
Brad: "I was with your Mom last night, so we know that wasn't ice cream on the rug."
Me: "Shit. Brad's got me dead to rights."
by mybusinesscardsaysfuckme August 04, 2022
by Her Name August 23, 2023