REFRESHING PAUSES

Most people find $50 million a lot of bucks. So how can we comprehend the $50-million endorsement deal that Pepsi-Cola announced last week with Michael Jackson? Let us count the cans.

If you brought $50 million to the corner 7-Eleven store, figuring 70 cents a can (65 cents plus 5 for taxes), that amounts to 71,428,571 cans.

Michael’s home folks in Encino (pop. 36,453, at latest census) would have to drink 1,959 cans each. Or 5.4 cans a day for a year.

If the people of Encino would get together, as would be wise, they could get economical six packs (at $3.09 plus 20 cents tax) and everybody would get 542 extra cans.

For Encino families, all these cans would be difficult to store in the house. But that’s their problem.

Of course, Michael doesn’t drink Pepsi. So we would need a volunteer for his share.