Imagine my pleasant astonishment at finding that Nicole Kidman is to become the highest paid public speaker ever! For the sum of $435,000 (gulp!), Nicole will address the 5th Annual Forbes Global CEO Conference at the Sydney Opera House, Australia. But the Female First Newsletter states that Nicole isn't quite yet committed to appearing there in person. Honestly Nicole, for that kind of money you should at least let them get a first-hand look at that classic face of yours!

All kidding aside, it pleases me to see that this woman has taken the top spot for earnings in a category largely dominated by men. I don't want to hear about any ulterior motives or hidden agendas on how it happened, the principle is what I'm writing about. There is no logical reason to justify the continued disparity in incomes between men and women doing similar work. It's just that simple.

Kudos to Nicole, regardless of how it came about or what may happen. I see this as another call for us to raise the bar a bit higher. I'll sum it up with a bit of wisdom that was imparted to me long ago. It goes something like this:

With the possible exception of tasks that require brute strength, a woman can perform any job that a man can and do it just as well. Additionally, most women can and do perform tasks that men can't or won't, and in the cases of those jobs that do require brute strength, put two or three women on it and generally they'll kick your butt.

Oh, and shame on Donald Trump for not changing diapers . . . what a putz. (I've been waiting for a place to put that for awhile.)