29-year-old graduate student in international relations at a state university in California (known mostly for its football) and all-around person. This is where I talk about stuff and show you things.
Earlier, I noted that Mr. Buffett’s secretary only makes $60,000 a year—not a bad living, but pretty meager when compared to her boss’ $50 billion net worth. As the chart above shows, the average CEO secretary makes more than this; indeed, $60,000 would place Buffett’s secretary around the 25th percentile. And I think we all know that Buffett is not the average CEO—he’s the richest CEO in the United States.
Isn’t there something fundamentally weird about a man who is willing to use his secretary’s economic situation to make a political point without any embarrassment whatsoever about his responsibility for her income? Again, she’s been his secretary for two decades; she’s been at the company for 38 years. Instead of crusading for his own taxes to be higher, maybe Buffett could try to pay his employees a little bit more.
Someone should start a petition.
The irony of a Libertarian stating that anyone other than the individual is ultimately responsible for their own income is too rich too pass up. Seriously? She’s a secretary in Omaha who clearly likes her gig enough to remain there for nearly 4 decades. He must be doing something right by his employees. She can walk anytime she wants. Hell, if she played her cards right she could walk into any other high-profile CEO’s office and ask for 5x that salary, probably.
Should the pay for a given position be based on, or evaluated in light of, the personal wealth of the person doing the hiring (or even the overall financial health of the company itself)? Or should it be based chiefly on the task for which the employee is being hired and the comparative wages in the workplace for similar positions while being considered alongside the relative value the company places on the tasks it needs performed?
It should also be noted that the cost of living in Omaha, Nebraska, is considerably lower than the national average, so relative to where she lives, she’s probably doing pretty well.
(via drinkthe-koolaid)
Michael Solomon cast the GOP primaries for us and found some striking similarities. Ian McKellen as Ron Paul?! Yes. Ed Helms as Rick Santorum? Of course! And Cuba Gooding Jr. could play a mean Juan Williams. See the rest.
Flawless victory.
Mind-Melter of the Day
It turns out that if you divide 1 by 998,001 you get all three-digit numbers from 000 to 999 in order.
Except for 998.
(via Futility Closet)
Mathematics is a beautiful, beautiful thing.
What, is 998 too good to be here?
Within the 20th century, the ‘90s were hands down the greatest decade for a boy to be born and raised through. The pop-culture and technology was simply at its prime. We’ll start from the beginning. What do kids at the age from just being born to about six years old care about? That’s simple, breast milk; but more importantly, toys. Although the breast milk in the 90s was most likely delicious, there is no existing cryogenically frozen breast milk lab for me to prove it. However, I sure as hell can sell you on how awesome the toys were.
…
![thedailywhat:
How To of the Day: Ready-to-mix portable hot-chocolate sticks, complete with mini-marshmallows. Just dip in hot milk and stir!
Easy-to-follow instructions ahoy.
[dudecraft.]
hummina hummina hummina](http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxx1obx0Ef1qzpwi0o1_500.jpg)
How To of the Day: Ready-to-mix portable hot-chocolate sticks, complete with mini-marshmallows. Just dip in hot milk and stir!
Easy-to-follow instructions ahoy.
[dudecraft.]
hummina hummina hummina
(via daily-food-blog)
Reminder: The State of the Union address beings in 1 hour!
Watch on essentially any news station.
Well, I would, but I have to go discuss international relations research questions at that time.
Oh, nothing just laundering money in my Super-Pac machine.
(Photo via @tromney)
Mitt washes his clothes in apartment-complex laundry rooms on the campaign trail? He truly is the common man.
Of course, this was just a photo op. Undoubtedly he had the people he pays to wash his clothes standing just outside of frame, waiting to take over once the cameras were put away.
GOP presidential nominee Rick Santorum, apparently unaware of ironic acronyms, wants you to participate in the Conservatives Unite Moneybomb, or C.U.M. This is real.
(If you’re having a hard time understanding why this is ironic, Google the word “Santorum”)
A lesser-known ingredient in the frothy mixture that is the Santorum campaign.
