BehindTheMedspeak: Michael Ovitz [late of Disney] and his home X-ray machine

Today's New York Times Business Day front page story lists the device as one of the many perks Ovitz received from Disney as part of his employment package for the abortive 14-month stint he put in there in 1995-96.

You will recall that Ovitz, not at all slow in the finance department, cleverly negotiated a $140 million severance package for himself.

That's a lot of shekels for screwing up. But I digress.

What fascinates me is that Ovitz actually had an X-ray machine installed at his house.

That it was on Disney's dime - or, in this case, $6,100 - is beside the point.

Perhaps Ovitz doesn't read the medical literature quite as closely as I do.

If he did, he'd have known, even back then, that erroneously calibrated X-ray machines can cause cancer.

You can bet that having one at home, you're not gonna get the same maintenance done as if the machine were working in a hospital setting, cranking out X-rays by the hundreds.

What a jerk this pompous man is.

He may be smart with money, but when it comes to Roentgens, he's a dolt.

Bottom of the class, Mikey.