And yet, top bloggers include academics and commentators whose work would qualify them as public intellectuals by any traditional measure for example, Tyler Cowen, Daniel Drezner, James Fallows, Steven Levitt, Lawrence Lessig and Andrew Sullivan.

ECONOMIST: And what it says about the role of public intellectuals

"We had a very antiquated system which just about kept us going, but we were very pessimistic about our future in this locality, " says Andrew Lawrence, whose family business owns several petrol stations.

BBC: Business

I've listened to Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Flip Wilson, Lisa Lampanelli, Bill Maher, Rick Ducommun, Bernie Mac, George Lopez, Martin Lawrence, Don Rickles, Carlos Mencia, Andrew Dice Clay, Kathy Griffin -- and the list can go on and on and on.

CNN: Tracy Morgan and the limits of comedy