Diagnosis Wenckebach

Three weeks ago I would have had no idea what they're singing about in this spoof. Clever Canadians.

Disgusting...

Here's an article to read (or, rather, skim over) at 1:30 AM, instead of studying the mechanics of cardiac muscle: 20 Under 25: The Top-Earning Young Superstars

i have one word: disgusting.

does lebron james really need to get paid $15 million per year for running back and forth on a court? he's only 22 year old! don't get me wrong, i love to watch basketball, but at a price of $15 million per year for 1 athlete? i'm sorry, but that's ridiculous.

though tiger is not under 25, i want to vent about him anyway. get this: tiger woods earns $100 m from just endorsements. that is not right when you consider that through his 5 year nike contract, mr. woods earns US$55,000 a day, while a thai worker producing nike clothing would have to work for 14,000 days, or 38 years to receive this same amount. yessirree, nike spends the equivalent of 14,000 workers' daily salaries to pay tiger woods for just one day. another translation: a worker would have to work for 26.5 million days, or 72,000 years to receive what tiger woods gets during his five year contract with nike. don't believe me? here are my sources:
Clean Clothes Campaign
Work Conditions

or how about tyra banks' $6 m for wearing skimpy underwear and strutting down a runway and posing for the camera (Forbes)?

go here for an interesting time in comparing salaries --> Salary Timer
it's rather disturbing.

was there ever a time in history when there existed no disparity between different social classes? i think not. i'm a believer in social justice and equality, but i also believe that it is fair for someone to earn a higher salary if he/she has gone through years of schooling and training to practice medicine, to perform research and find treatment options/cures for diseases, to manage large firms, to safely fly a plane, to teach, fix cars/other machinery, or to develop advanced and efficient technology, as compared to someone who needs little training to answer phone calls, to fold clothing, to sell cars, or to flip burgers. no offense. i hope i don't appear to be an elitist, but i think that my reasoning is justified. one additional thought that i have is this: there sure as hell is no justification in my mind for a movie star, an athlete, a model, or a singer to be earning about 1,500 times the amount that an average person in the U.S. would earn. seriously, go to that salary timer and make the comparison.

i don't know the answer to making the poor richer, or on the other end, making the rich poorer, but there are ways that we can lessen the economic gap between societal classes... yes, a CEO may make a 6-figure income that is rightfully deserved, but we can cut down on his/her $50,000 annual bonus, the trips to paradise destinations, the $100 course meals, among many other benefits (i learned of these benefits on 20/20 or dateline episode once). physicians need not go to $100 course dinners thrice times a week, paid for by pharmaceutical companies, or receive expensive gifts...

of course, we can factor in individual habits of saving and spending when looking at any societal class. can you say money management and budgeting? even if two people earned similar incomes, one who saves, invests, budgets, and spends wisely would live comfortably, while the other who spends frivolously and rarely saves or invests will find himself strapped for cash in the long run.

bah. what an unfair world. all these stars who are earning millions upon billions need to spend one month in a third world country. the people paying for these stars' salaries might benefit from doing the same. maybe then will they learn the value of a dollar.

but who am i to be talking? i know i have contributed to this appalling trend of paying stars the big bucks. yes, i have purchased tickets to go to sporting events. yes, i've been to concerts and the movies. yes, i've bought cd's and dvd's, watched tyra's shows, gone shopping, etc.

damn. we're all screwed.

i conclude that we all need to re-evaluate our values... perhaps i have said too much..

thanks pete, for being contagious and putting me on my soapbox today.

good night.