‘Play hard, Earn harder’ … This seems to be the mantra of the athletes across the world these days. Be it their salaries or endorsement deals, contract payments or a simple public appearance, sport is definitely a money spinning profession for the talented. This list looks at the top earners of 2009:

1. Tiger Woods
Tiger has amassed riches worth $110 million in the year 2009 taking his total income to a staggering $900 million. Aged 33, he is sure to be the first sportsperson to reach the $1 billion milestone during a career. His earnings have comprised of appearance fees, prize money and endorsements some of which include Nike, Accenture and Gillette etc.

2. Kobe Bryant
Aged 30, this basketball great has already earned his name in the all time greats of NBA by winning his fourth NBA title and thereby adding to his ever increasing coffers. His famed No.24 jersey is a constant rage among fans in South East Asia, Europe and USA. His total career earnings this year have already surpassed $50 million.

3. Michael Jordan
Though it comes as a surprise but Michael Jordan has been pocketing a cool $45 million through the sales of the brand ‘Jordan’ made famous by Nike. He is even short listed as a potential buyer of the Charlotte Bobcats where he currently heads the basketball operations.

4.  Kimi Raikkonen
Known as “Iceman”, this Finnish superstar earns a cool $42 million through his salary at Ferrari and other endorsements which includes Tag Heur. He has extended his contract at Ferrari which will keep him till 2010 which will result in doubling of his personal riches.

5. David Beckham
Although David Beckham is in the twilight of his football career, his earnings graph doesn’t seem to indicate that. He has pocketed around $40 million through his salary at Los Angeles Galaxy and his endorsement deals with Giorgio Armani, Adidas and Pepsi Co. His football jerseys are still a rage with his fans as they account for a major part of his earnings.

6. Lebron James
Crowned the MVP in the last season of NBA, he is also known as ‘King James’. He has earned around $39 million in this fiscal year courtesy his salary at Cleveland Cavaliers and his personal endorsements which include a mega deal with Nike, Vitamin Water, Upper Deck Trading and Sprite.

7. Phil Mickelson
The highest earner in professional golf league after Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson has earned over $38 million in the year 2009. His deals with Barclays, Rolex, KPMG and Callaway have been lucrative enough to get him the seventh rank in this list of high profile earners.

8. Manny Pacquiao
The surprise entry in the list this year, Manny has earned his way by beating Oscar la Hoya and Ricky Hatton in the two biggest blockbuster fights of boxing history. This achievement led to Manny earning cool deals with Nike, Alaxan, Mcdonald’s and EA Sports to name a few. His total earnings this year has amounted to $35 million.

9. Valentino Rossi
After losing two straight World championships in 2006 and 2007, Rossi fought his way back in 2008 to prove his detractors wrong and earn a fortune worth $35 million. His endorsement deal with the energy drink Monster gets him a cool $28 million while the rest is courtesy Yamaha Corporation with whom he has a long term contract.

10.  Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Despite being a winner in a single race in the past two seasons, Dale Jr has won all the popularity contests in Nascar Championship. This has led to his endorsement deals with Adidas, Sony and Chevrolet etc. His total earnings this year has totaled to $34 million. Merchandise bearing his name has been a huge hit among the Nascar fans.

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… C: wait…

Popularity: 8% [?]

Ever since we have been able to keep records and take accurate measurements we have been fascinated by the heights of the unusually tall people of this world. Here are some short snippets about 9 men and 1 woman, who can easily be categorized as being the Top-10 in height, in the 20th/21st century.
Most of them achieved this height due to some abnormality in their growth hormones, and for many of them it was a drawback rather than a boon.

1.    Robert Pershing Wadlow – He has been confirmed as the tallest person in this world, ever since correct records have been maintained. He was 8.11”in height and 490m pounds in weight, when he passed away in 1940.Born a healthy 8 pound 6 ounces, in Alton Illinois, he grew at a rapid pace and at the age of eight he was a whopping 6.2’and 195 pounds. His extraordinary height was attributed to an overactive pituitary gland, which produced an excess of the growth hormone. Known as the “Gentle Giant”, he endeared himself to all those around him due to his peaceful manner and his endearing nature. He spent the few years of his youth traveling all over the country, representing the International Shoe company. When he passed away in July 1940, due to complications from a foot infection, it needed 12 pallbearers, assisted by 8 other men to carry his casket. 40,000 people from his hometown signed the visitor’s book, and in 1985 a statue was erected in his memory.

2.    John Rogan – One of the dozen people in recorded history to go beyond the 8 feet mark, John Rogan was 8.9”tall, but he weighed only 175 pounds. Due to his angular structure and a bone disease, he was unable to stand and could be measured only after he passed away in 1905 at the age of 37.Till date he has been the tallest African-American in history. Not much is known about his life, except for the fact that he lived in Tennessee.

3.    Leonid Stadnyk – He is the tallest living human being according to most records. There is some uncertainty regarding his exact measurements, since he has not let the official Guinness Book adjudicators measure him, but all records seem to state that he is 8.5”, though a lot of people feel that he appears to be 7’.6”. He weighs about 440 lbs. and is a practising veterinarian in Podolyantsi in Ukraine. Born in 1970, his extraordinary height is believed to be the result of a brain surgery when he was 12 years old, after which he developed an overactive pituitary gland, similar to that of Robert Wadlow.

4.    Don Koehler – From 1968 till his death in 1981, Don was recognized as the world’s tallest living man, a resplendent 8’.2”. He had a twin sister who was 5’.10”in height, his own amazing height being a result of an ailment known as acromegalic gigantism. He spent most of his later life unable to stand up straight due to a severe curvature of his spine.

5.    Zen Jinlian– the tallest woman who has lived in the 20th century – she grew to the height of 8’.1.5” before she died at the very young age of 17 in 1982. She lived in Hunan in China, and like most extraordinarily tall human beings, suffered from severe spinal problems. Like most other 8 footers, she was born to average height parents, but grew at a rapid pace from infancy.

6.    Zhao Liang – Living as a circus performer in Henan China, Zhao is believed by many to be the tallest man living today, surpassing Leonid Stadnyk, who has not really been accurately measured. He was originally a basketball player, but that career had to be cut short due to an injury to his foot. Presently he earns his living by the playing the saxophone and the flute in a circus in China.

7.    Vaino Myllyrinne – The tallest Finn ever, standing at 8’1”, he was an active soldier in the Finnish Army. At the age of 21 he stood at 7’.3.5”, but in his late thirties he had a second spurt of growth and grew to be over 8’ in height. When he died in 1963, he was recorded as the tallest soldier that ever lived.

8.    Gabriel Estevao Monjane – From the year 1988 till his death in 1990, Gabriel was officially the world’s tallest man at 8’1”. Born and brought up in Mozambique, he also earned his living by performing in a Portuguese circus. He is believed to be the tallest African ever.

9.    Suleiman Ali Nashnush – A Libyan by birth, at 8’.1/2’ he was the tallest man who ever played  basketball. One of the few very tall people who underwent surgery to check his exponential growth, he lived life as a player and as a bit actor in films. He had the unique privilege of doing a small role on one of Fredrico Fellini’s films. He died at the age of 1991 in Tripoli in Libya.

10.    Gogea Mitu – was a Rumanian Boxer and achieved a great deal of fame not only due to his extraordinary height of 7’9” but also due to his prowess as a boxer. Nicknamed then “Giant of Marsani”, he was trained by the famous scout Umberto Lucia, who also later became his manager. His enormous appetite was a matter of great interest to everyone, since he was known to consume 2 lbs of bread, two dozen eggs, 2 litres o9f milk and at least 2 lbs. Of chicken for lunch, not counting the sweets and half a litre of wine. His custom made bed was `11 feet long and 6.6”wide.

Popularity: 19% [?]

With today’s economy nesting on shaking grounds, the question on everyone’s mind is “How much country leaders make?” The answer might come on a surprising note for those countries that seem to struggle the most in this downfall of the economy ladder.

1.    Lee Hsien Loong – current Prime Minister of Singapore. Not only this man is married to Ho Ching, who happens to be the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Singapore, but also his annual salary consists of  US$ 2,856,930, making him the highest paid head of a government today. The numbers comes as a surprise considering that the gross domestic product of Republic of Singapore was only 181,939 million USD for 2008. Now talk about keeping it in the family…

2.    Sir Donald Tsang Yam-Kuen – current Chief Executive and Head of Hong Kong Government. He is also a member of the Tung’s inner cabinet of Executive Council, which is also the highest policy-making body in Hong Kong. Sir Donald’s salary is equivalent to $516,000 USD. With the gross domestic product of Hong Kong at 206,706 million USD, Sir Donald should be considering the investments into his home economy.

3.    Barack Obama – current president of the United States – does not have any reason to complain over his personal budget. The first ever-elected black president brings home $400,000 USD annually. Comparing to the gross domestic product of United States of America at 14,264,600 million USD for 2008, Obama’s salary seems to be a fare share.

4.    Brian Cowen – current Taoiseach – head of the Government of Ireland. Cowen has been accused of a lack of leadership at a time of national crisis, and of seeking to rely on consensus building instead of strong decision making. The negative perception is partially caused by his $341,000 US dollar salary, while the gross domestic product of  Ireland was 254,970 million dollars of USD for 2008.

5.    Kevin Rudd - current Australian Prime Minister. There is a saying, “Kevin Rudd gets paid $1 every 30 seconds….” which fuels many speculations. In reality, this Prime Minister is the highest paid member of the parliament with annual income of $330,300 USD. The Remuneration Tribunal’s Report Number 1 of 2006 confirms “the Prime Minister’s additional salary as 160% of his parliamentary salary”. This means that Rudd earns in total 260% of the salary of an ordinary parliamentarian. Comparing to the gross domestic product of Australia 1,010,699 million USD Mr. Rudd is doing not too bad.

6.    Nicolas Sarkozy – 23rd President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andor-ra. After divorcing his wife, and remarrying a singer and former model, this shameless French lover decided to give himself a raise, as one of the first actions in presidency. Although his personal wealth net is 2 million Euros, his annual income is now €240,000 or 318,000 US (from €101,000! Talk about being in the right place at a right time). On top of his salary, Mr. Sarkozy also receives a yearly council pension as a former member of the council of the Hauts-de-Seine department. With gross domestic product of France being 2,865,737 millions USD for 2008, we say hooray to Mr President.

7.    Angela Dorothea Merkel – current Chancellor of Germany. Merkel is the first female Chancellor of Germany. From 2006 to 2008, Forbes Magazine has named her the most powerful woman in the world. In 2007, she became the second woman to chair the G8 after Margaret Thatcher. Although married twice, Mrs Merkel remains childless and gives all of her love and attention to politics, by doing so she is earning €228,000 or 303,000 US dollars. With Germany’s gross domestic product at 3,667,513 million USD we say ho ahead Mrs Merkel, spoil yourself!

8.    James Gordon Brown – Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party. Brown has a PhD in history from the University of Edinburgh and spent his early career working as a TV journalist. However, as Prime Minister; he now also holds the positions of First Lord of the Treasury and the Minister for the Civil Service. After being accused of forging his ex-penses by allegedly claiming to pay his brother in excess of £6,000 for cleaning services and claiming the same plumbing repair bill twice, Mr. Brown is still making a whooping $279,000 US annually. With United Kingdom producing 2,674,085 million USD in gross domestic products, we say Mr. Brown can afford a little help with housekeeping from his own budget.

9.    Stephen Joseph Harper – current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. On top of being 1.88 meters or 6’2” tall Mr. Harper is a family man and a huge hockey fan of “Toronto Maple Leafs”, ever since he was a child. Not many people know that he is currently writing a book about history of Hockey in Canada, as well as occasional articles on the subject. With Canada being the seventh largest economy in the world, Mr. Harper is making close to $280,000 CAD. With Canada earning 1,510,957 million USD in 2008 we see Canada’s PM as rather modest…

10.    Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin – former President of Russia and  current Prime Minister of Russia as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. By many claims, Putin is the richest person in Russia, while being confronted with the same accusation Putin said “This is true. I am the richest person not only in Europe, but also in the world. I collect emotions…” His annual official income is $81,190 US dollars and with Russia’s gross domestic product at 1,676,586 million dollar USD, Time magazine’s “Person of the year” award winner for 2007, Putin not only “pulled Russia out of chaos”, he also manages his finances on the same scale.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Let us make a rundown of the top 10 highest grossing movies to come out of tinsel town.

1.    Titanic, 1998, $601,000,000 – This epic movie about the tragic sinking of a big ship has been a gigantic blockbuster at the box office tallying record sales that ran for 13 weeks. It is also the most expensive movie ever produced.

2.    Star Wars, 1977 & 1997, $461,000,000 – This sci-fiction spectacle has led to many lesser imitations which tried in vain to ride on the success of the movie. What is amazing about the success of this movie is that it follows a forlorn and oft repeated formula of story line where good triumphs over evil.

3.    Star Wars: Episode I-The Phantom Menace, 1999, $431,000,000 – It is quite amazing that this Star Wars offering was regarded as a flop, just because it failed to make a billion dollars at the tills. How can you top a performance which is already considered a historical success? Nonetheless, this “failure” is still good for 3rd spot of top grossing movies.

4.    E.T.: The Extra-Terrestial, 1982, $400,000,000 – This is another sci-fi movie that made to the 4th spot. It also paved the way in launching the careers of two notable actresses, Drew Barrymore and Erika Eleniak.

5.    Jurassic Park, 1993, $357,000,000 – This is one movie we allowed our kids to watch and enjoyed watching them shriek with fear and excitement. It used the revolutionary and cutting edge computer animation technology to put to life the big bad dinosaur.

6.    Forrest Gump, 1994, $330,000,000 – This is one feel good movie that deserves all the recognition and successes that it has achieved. It anchored its success on the acting genius of Tom Hanks and the melodramatic impact of highlights in American history.

7.    The Lion King, 1994, $313,000,000 – If there is one surprise big winner in our circle of top 10 bestselling movies, then it has got to be Lion King. This juvenile personification of Darwinism is so cutesy that it is indeed for the viewing pleasure of the young segment of the viewing public.

8.    Return of the Jedi, 1983 & 1997, $309,000,000 – The Return of the Jedi is the final installment of the Stars Wars trilogy. Most consider as the weakest link for the entire Star Wars saga.

9.    Independence Day, 1996, $306,000,000 – This rounds up the sci-fiction lineup for the A-list of top grossing movies. The special effects used in the movie are good enough reason to propel this movie to the top 10 list.

10.    The Sixth Sense, 1999, $293,000,000 – If you want to get spooked big time, then this movie is one big hit to our senses. This is one welcome addition to our circle of top 10 highest grossing movies.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Let us have a look at the top 10 highest paying careers of men and women for 2009. These men and women are expected earn more than in any other career within the next five years.

1.    Anaesthetist/Anesthesiologist – This medical professional makes patients unconscious before any surgical procedure or any other medical procedure is done. These specialists assess the level of medical risk associated with the medical procedure and determine the type of anaesthetic that is most appropriate for the surgical or medical procedure. These medical specialists also monitor the patient while undergoing a surgical procedure.

2.    Medical Internist – This health professional diagnoses the patient and provide non-surgical intervention in the treatment of a medical condition or injury affecting the internal organ.

3.    Gynecologist/Obstetrician – This medical professional handles the diagnosis, treatment and management of diseases and other medical condition affecting the female reproductive system.

4.    Maxillofacial and Oral Surgeons – These are dental specialist who handle operation of the mouth, jaws, neck and related head structures. These medical interventions are done to correct and damaged structure as a result of an accident or birth anomalies. These professional also do surgical procedures to remove tumors and correct abnormalities in the jaw structure.

5.    Orthodontists – These are dental professionals who specialize in the diagnoses, examination and treatment of dental problems. They specialize in the design and creation of braces to correct anomalies and abnormalities of the teeth and jaws.

6.    Physician/Surgeon – These medical practitioners specialize in the treatment of injuries, diseases and abnormalities by surgical methods.

7.    Psychiatrist – This medical professional provide intervention in the prevention and treatment of mental and psychological disorders.

8.    Chief Executive – This business professional leads, coordinates and directs activities within the upper management level. He is the overseer of the affairs of an organization and works through levels of middle managers and division heads.

9.    General Practitioner – This medical professional handles the diagnoses, treatment and management of common diseases and injuries affecting the general population.

10.    Pediatrician – This medical practitioner specializes in the diagnoses, medical intervention and management of common diseases and injuries affecting children.

Popularity: 2% [?]