Let's Kill Hollywood
"Movies for Adults" (Slate)
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Fun Facts About Lawyers
All statistics from US Dept. of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, and use November 2004 data.
There are over 500,000 lawyers in the U.S. There are about 420,000 professional "hard" scientists and social scientists in the U.S. There are approximately 250,000 general and family practice doctors, pediatricians, dentist, and optometrists.
The annual median wage of a lawyer is around $100,000. The median wage of a biochemist or biophysicist is around $70,000. The median wage of a police officer is $45,000. The median wage of a civil engineer is $65,000. The annual 90th percentile income of a civil engineer is approximately $100,000. The annual 10th percentile wage of a civil engineer is $43,000. The annual 10th percentile wage of lawyers is about $50,000.
The total income of all lawyers is $58 billion. The total income of all non-specialist doctors is $43 billion. The total income of all high school teachers is $50 billion.
By amateur economic analysis of these statistics, and assuming that wages are equal to the economic value of work, the U.S. economy requires more lawyers than scientists or general doctors; the work lawyers do, given availability, is more valuable than that of biochemists, police officers, or civil engineers; the work of less-skilled lawyers is more valuable than the work of police officers or less-skilled civil engineers; the work of an average lawyer is more valuable than the work of a skilled civil engineer; and the economic value of the work of all lawyers is greater than the economic value of the work of all non-specialist doctors or all high school teachers.
The legal representatives have increased. There's too many of them.
All statistics from US Dept. of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, and use November 2004 data.
There are over 500,000 lawyers in the U.S. There are about 420,000 professional "hard" scientists and social scientists in the U.S. There are approximately 250,000 general and family practice doctors, pediatricians, dentist, and optometrists.
The annual median wage of a lawyer is around $100,000. The median wage of a biochemist or biophysicist is around $70,000. The median wage of a police officer is $45,000. The median wage of a civil engineer is $65,000. The annual 90th percentile income of a civil engineer is approximately $100,000. The annual 10th percentile wage of a civil engineer is $43,000. The annual 10th percentile wage of lawyers is about $50,000.
The total income of all lawyers is $58 billion. The total income of all non-specialist doctors is $43 billion. The total income of all high school teachers is $50 billion.
By amateur economic analysis of these statistics, and assuming that wages are equal to the economic value of work, the U.S. economy requires more lawyers than scientists or general doctors; the work lawyers do, given availability, is more valuable than that of biochemists, police officers, or civil engineers; the work of less-skilled lawyers is more valuable than the work of police officers or less-skilled civil engineers; the work of an average lawyer is more valuable than the work of a skilled civil engineer; and the economic value of the work of all lawyers is greater than the economic value of the work of all non-specialist doctors or all high school teachers.
The legal representatives have increased. There's too many of them.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Odd Link of the Month
"Warm and Fuzzy TV, Brought to You by Hamas" - New York Times:
"Warm and Fuzzy TV, Brought to You by Hamas" - New York Times:
Hazim Sharawi, whose stage name is Uncle Hazim, is a quiet, doe-eyed young man who has an easy way with children and will soon preside over a children's television show here on which he'll cavort with men in larger-than-life, fake-fur animal suits on the Gaza Strip's newest television station, Al Aksa TV.
But Captain Kangaroo this is not. The station, named for Islam's third holiest site, is owned by Hamas, the people who helped make suicide bombing a household term.
"Our television show will have a message, but without getting into the tanks, the guns, the killing and the blood," said Mr. Sharawi, sitting in the broadcast studio where he will produce his show.
"I will show them our rights through the history," he said, "show them, 'This is Nablus, this is Gaza, this is Al Aksa mosque, which is with the Israelis and should be in our hands.' "
[...]
When asked if the animals will have names, Mr. Sharawi looked slightly nonplussed and said: "Bob. Bob the Fox, for example."
[...]
The show, which will be broadcast on Friday mornings, the beginning of the Muslim weekend, will be preceded by an hour of cartoons, including a serialized life of the Prophet Muhammad, and that universal send-up of deadly conflict, Tom & Jerry.