Showing posts with label Money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Money. Show all posts
Sunday, February 3, 2013

The Beyonce Concert or: You Made HOW Much?

Stevie Nicks Called. She Wants Her Song Back
Like many folks, I honestly couldn't care less about professional sports if you paid me. Personally I think it's criminal that professional athletes, musicians and movie actors make millions, while teachers; cops; cancer researchers; nurses; EMTs and any number of people working in fields which actually add to the quality of our lives often live paycheck-to-paycheck. Not that I would deny anyone the right to make money but it seems our values are rather screwed up when it comes to professional salaries.  Think about this - Adam Sandler makes $20M for every awful, unfunny movie he makes. A high school English teacher who has been working for 20 years; dealing with uninterested, bored and even drug-addled students; is lucky to make $50K a year. 

I don't even want to know what Beyonce Knowles was paid for her 13-minute half-time appearance* at tonight's Superbowl. 13 Minutes. Surgeons can spend hours on end saving lives and are paid a very small fraction of what Ms. Knowles made for singing and dancing  in a leather and lace bathing suit for 13 minutes during the break in a game.

"But Uncle P, you're an actor/director/designer/writer. Shouldn't you be paid for your work?" 

Of course. As should everyone, no matter what they do for a living. And as much as Sports and the Arts contribute to the quality of life, it just seems insane to me that people who play games, sing songs and pretend to be people they're not should make so much more money than someone who teaches children to read; removes a life-threatening tumor; comforts the dying or protects us from those who would do us harm. There's a strange disconnect here, don't you think? Why does a guy who can kick a football earn more than a person who can literally save your life? Why does a woman who can sing and dance earn more than a woman who can make us understand the squiggles and symbols that make up the written word? 

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for Capitalism and the right to earn as much money as one can. I just think that our value system is a little more than askew. Beyonce is indeed a talented woman who deserves to be paid for what she does. But ask yourselves this: Does she deserve to be paid more for singing and dancing for 13 minutes than the surgeon who spends six or more hours removing a complicated tumor from someone's brain or the cop who puts his/her life on line to protect you from criminals? I think not.



*Some are reporting that Knowles actually lost money by performing at Superbowl 47. I can only imagine that such an appearance just added to her future revenues.

And I'm so glad that so many Superbowl winners are going to Disney. Like they need more money...

More, anon.
Prospero
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Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Never Make Plans for Money

A 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe VERY Much Like Mine

I got a pretty decent refund from the IRS this year and had planned to do so much with it. I was going to pay down some credit card debt, buy some new clothes and maybe even take a trip into NYC to see a show on Broadway.

I own a 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe. It's really good on gas; has room for my friends and the many props, costumes and set pieces I transport; is fairly attractive and very comfortable, especially for a big gay bear like Uncle P. Since I bought it, I've only had to replace windshield wipers and tires. Until this weekend, that is. 

Sunday morning, as I attempted to venture to a local convenience store for some breakfast food, 'Mean Josephine Green' didn't want to start. And after she finally did, it felt like she wanted to stall and it was all I could do to make it around the block and back to my house before she actually stalled out completely.

With Monday being a holiday, it wasn't until yesterday morning that I was able to have her towed to the shop. And today I got the bad news... a cable integral to Jo's electrical system had gone bad and required replacement. Of course, said cable is not part of the car's power train and therefor not covered by her 10-year warranty. The total cost of the repair came to more than half of my tax refund. I'll be picking Jo up in the morning and plunking down the money, because I need her to be functional, but I'll be damned if I'm happy about it. It seems like every time I think I might get just a little bit ahead, something comes along to say "F*ck you, Uncle P! Hahahahahaha!"

The point is, don't make plans for money you don't have yet. You never know when the gods are going to melt those wax wings and send you plummeting back down to Earth.

More, anon.
Prospero
You have read this article Cars / Crap / Hubris / Money / Ramblings / Taxes with the title Money. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2012/02/never-make-plans-for-money.html. Thanks!