Boom!

Okay folks, or the cosmos, whichever.  I know I don’t post often, and by often I mean almost never, but occasionally something skips across my consciousness and I am driven to pause and reflect on the unfairness that abounds throughout the world in all walks of life. 

I come today to this blog to express my deepest sympathy to the underpaid (or those who feel they are underpaid) masses.  It is you to whom I address todays post.  A great travesty has occurred, of which some of you may not have been privy.   In the past we have heard of great strikes caused by this underpayment injustice.  Entire sporting seasons have been cast aside as a result of the grossly unjust payments to players of these worthy endeavors.  And today, news of another injustice just like this has come across my desk.  I am shattered.

A television program, that has become very highly rated, winning Emmys and all sorts of other awards is a mere few weeks out from being shooting its newest season of episodes and the powers that be have not “officially” signed on some, if not all, of the main cast members.  According to various media outlets, that may be because, I know, brace yourselves, the actors have asked for wage increases, because as all of us who are underpaid generally feel, their current compensation is really not enough for all that they must do.

Outrageous!  I can hear you all screaming in outrage as I am sure you all feel they should indeed be adequately compensated for all that they do for our society.  I mean without their show our entertainment severely dwindles with lack of adequate television programing.  So let’s take a quick look to see how severely underpaid these important individuals are:

Current compensation per episode:  $325,000

Requested compensation per episode: up to $1 mil

Now, I do not know how much work goes into doing an episode of a top show on television today.  I do not know how many other people must be paid from the salary that these individuals make per show.  Not knowing “the business” I realize I may be way off in my estimations and calculations, but this is my blog and I can be wrong or grossly unjust and it’s okay.

So, let’s say they work 5 days in a week to create one episode.  That would be $325,000 right now for a week worth of work.  I know it’s scandalous.   They definitely are not being adequately compensated.

Now, for comparison sake, let us look at a potential “average” citizen – again my blog, inaccuracies abound, if you don’t like the inaccuracies, please stop reading.

So here we go:

An “average” salary PER YEAR: $40,000 (I know some people are screaming, that’s an insane amount, average people don’t make that much, but work with me here okay)

So we take the average YEARLY salary for our citizen and we multiply it by OHHHHHHH let’s say 9 years.  That gives us (I’m terrible at math folks so please take pity) $360,000 over 9 YEARS.

Now, to be fair we have not included all the extras that either group has to pay, you know, the essentials, medical, dental, life insurance, etcetera, etcetera and so forth. 

So here is where we end up:

Television actor per EPISODE:  $325,000

“Average” person salary over 9 YEARS:  $360,000

And there it is, in a nutshell – the actors are being severely mistreated and underpaid, so get on the stick powers that be of the television show and station that shall remain nameless.  WE the “average” people need our entertainment and feel that those who provide it should be paid accordingly.

That’s all.

Can we just skip it?



I would like to skip this day.

I would like to have skipped this day last year.

I would like to have skipped this day the year before.

I would like this day to never have happened.

But it did.

So here we are. Again.

Each year we get here and each year I expect this to be different.

Less sad, more distant, less vivid, less crushing….anything.  

But it’s not.

It’s different, for sure, because time moves forward, with or without my help. 

I don’t want to appear the martyr, because I’m not, and that would have made him mad anyway.

I don’t want to appear cold, because I’m not, and that would make me mad.

I can do the birthday.

I can  do the wedding anniversary.

I can (almost) swing moments of “gee ya know if Sparky were here …”

I just want to skip this day.

Is that really too much to ask?

I suppose it is.

So here it is again, but for the record, I’d really rather skip it.



They're Older Now



They’re older now. 

The time has sped past, and life has pushed forward, and things have changed.

You’re still gone, and we still miss you. 

They’re older now.

All  you’ve missed, the birthdays, the holidays, the bumps & bruises, the triumphs & tragedies – always “present” but not quite “there”.

Noticeably, you’re still gone, and we still miss you. 

You’re still gone and we all still miss you. 

There are times when you are very present in what we do and who we are, and moments when we think, gee ya know Sparky would have ….

But you’re still gone, and we still miss you.

They’re older now.

And getting older by the minute, him longer and leaner, every bit a little you.

She’s taller and wiser, and more feisty each day that goes by – but you knew that was coming.

And yet, you’re still gone, and we still miss you.

We’re all older now.

All of us have aged, more it seems in the last two years than ever before.  Change is inevitable, and the grays will come –I know you’re laughing about those!

Except you of course - all eternity as the young, handsome, vital spark (pun intended) that you were when you left. 

And you’re still gone, and we will always miss you.

Love

Me