Why I didn’t cash my multi-million dollar lottery ticket until the required date?

Imagine, you find out you have one millions in a national lottery. Of course, you are silly with excitement but you realize there is no advantage to cash the ticket. Why?

Well, in my state all winners have to collect their prize in person and disclose their identity. For obvious reasons, I prefer not to do that. So, in order to stay anonymous for as long as is legal, I will sign the ticket and place it in secure place.

Now, the “fun” begins. 

My first challenge will be: do I engage an attorney or an accountant first? Which attorney or accountant do I choose? How do I find these experts…online or make telephone calls? In order to prepare for the millions, do I get cash or stick it in a bank? Do I spend the money I have now or borrow against the winnings? Do I buy now and pay later?

Artificial Intelligence—AI

Who would have thought we would have ever had a need for fake (artificial) intelligence? I mean, don’t we want REAL intelligence?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the latest trend of 2023. It’s here to stay. Big companies have embraced it. 

I have had first hand exposure to the effects of AI through customer service communication. My real person emails to various entities have been answered by phony emails. Using first names like Beth or Jennifer, these customer service “agent” respond in a timely manner with obvious canned words. They make you think there are providing effective customer service when in fact they are placating you. When I try and call they “agents” I instead get another human who informs me the email response “is our internet service representative”  with no authority or power to get anything done. 

We're all classy!

Whenever someone in the media talks about what "class" you may be in because of the economy, I have to laugh.

It seems pundits are obsessed with putting you in either the lower, middle or upper class.

The definition of the various classes is ambiguous at best. One reporter states that having a $50,000 annual household median income puts you into the "middle" class.  That may be true, but if you have $55,000 in annual expenses, does that put you into the "low" class?

That got me thinking. 

I really think it is a matter of what we have and do that's puts into the various classes, and that fluctuates with what we do and have.  For example:

I drive a Lexus, so I must be "upper" class.
I drive an "old" Lexus, so I must be "low" class.
I have a newer Lexus and it is paid for, free and clear, so I am "upper"
 class.
I owe $43,000 on my $45,000 Lexus, so I am "middle" class.

I have a home with a mortgage, that makes be "middle" class.
I rent a house or apartment, so I am "low" class.
My house is appraised at $500,000, so I am upper class.
I owe $525,000 on my house, so I am lower class.

I go out to eat once a month at a sit down restaurant, so I am middle class.
When I go out once a month, I eat steak or lobster, so I am upper class.
I go out to eat 4 times a month and eat at fast food restaurants, so I am low class.
I only eat at restaurants with white table clothes, order food I can't pronounce and tip 25%, four times a month, so I am upper class.

You get the picture. It's not what you earn, it's what you do that makes you classy! Some people act "upper" class, but have a middle or lower class living standard.

I like it when they say, "the rich are getting richer and poor are getting poorer."  There is no middle class any more. Like politics, you're either liberal or conservative.  Moderates are really people who can't make up their mind.

Some people feel comfortable being in the middle. Like me. I've been up-front (upper) and I've been out-back (low) but I like the middle the best. 

We've all "classy" as far as I concerned. It has nothing to do with money...It has to do with how we live.  Let's just say I have an "upper" class attitude with a middle class existence in a "low" class world!

Barbershop Blood Pressure Program

A recent New England Journal of Medicine study reported that black men who visited a barbershop at a pharmacist request has significantly lowered blood pressure levels six months later.

They attribute the lowering to the fact that these men would go the barber every two weeks and this resulted in more frequent measuring of blood pressure and regular follow-ups. 

Now, that got me thinking.

There are probably millions of people walking around with high blood pressure and are unaware they have it.  I mean, when your pressure is high, there are no symptoms. There are no early warnings.  The only time you learn you might have hypertension is when you go for your annual physical or have a reason to be seen for an unexpected medical problem.  Your blood pressure has to be measured with a blood pressure cuff (although I understand they are working on a fitbit-like monitor that you can wear on your wrist which automatically measures your blood pressure.)

I think it's time American business takes the initiative to make it easy for your blood pressure to be measured.

I am proposing that in order to make it easy and convenient to check your blood pressure, blood checking stations be set-up in various establishments strategically location in every city throughout America.

Fast Food Restaurants:  Yep, eat and measure. While sitting and eating your favorite meal, you reach up and wham, the digital blood pressure machine spits out the results.

Coffee shops:  Pre-caffeine and post-caffeine measurements are offered, of course. 

Gas Stations:  While your gas is pumping. your heart is too.  So why not find out which is working harder. 

Banks:  People still visit banks and there is no reason you can't find out which is higher--your blood pressure or your account!  Bank and blood do mix!

Convenience stores:  I mean, their name says it all..convenience.  "Give me a lottery ticket and blood pressure to go."

Bowling alleys:  After bowling a complete game, a blood pressure cuff pops out at your scoring table and you find out if your blood pressure is higher or lower than your score.  Bank and bowl.

Supermarkets:  Attention shoppers:  Checkout 5 takes your money and blood pressure at the same time. 

Health club:  Now this is a natural.  Exercise and learn if all that sweat is paying off.

Shopping Malls:  (Do people still shop at these?)   Conveniently located right next to the diaper changing stations in the restrooms.

Movie Theaters:  Blood Pressure concession stand.  "I'll have a popcorn, drink and blood pressure, please."  

Dry cleaners:  If you're going to be taken to the cleaners, why not get a blood pressure reading where your not "pressed" for time?  

Car washes: If your gonna have to wait anyway while your car is detailed, get cleaned and checked?   
And finally:  Airports:  Wait a minute, don't those Homeland Security Agents have enough to do? 

 What's in a Name


In our society, it is important that you have a professional designation or an acronym of some sort that is prominently placed after your name.  For example, a medical doctor is an MD. An accountant is a CPA.  A chiropractor is a DC. A person with a doctorate degree is a PHd. Even my interior designer is referred to as a CID.


When doing any research on people in the business or professional world, it is important to know if they are certified, licensed and qualified.

However, it is interesting that these designations vary widely and are misleading at times.  The organization backing the designation is sometimes questionable or doesn't even exist. They sometimes vary state-to-state and some designations are meaningless yet imply a proficiency that really doesn't exist.

The other day, I went to see a specialist in mortgage financing      and I was given his business card which read,   John Smith, ANG, RTS, ADTP, RYF.  Now, I had no idea what those designations stood for even after "googling" them.   But they were impressive. As I departed my appointment, I asked Mr. Smith what all these initials stood for after his name and he tells me that ANG stands for A Nice guy, RTS stands for Ready to serve, ADTP stands for  Always Determined To Please and RYF stands for Refer your friends.

That got me thinking. I believe that EVERYBODY should have designations after their name. Here are my suggestions for designations that would be appropriate for business and professional purposes:

Tree Trimmer:  John Smith, SALE-- Shade and Leaf Eliminator

Heating and Air Conditioning:  John Smith, HOT,  AIR  (Speaks for itself)

Tire Specialist:  John Smith,  FTF--  Flat Tire Fixer

Postal worker:  John Smith, DPMO--Don't piss me off

Travel agent:  John Smith, ICFA— I can Fly Anywhere

Bank Teller:  John Smith, FCWBRO— First Contact When Bank Robbery Occurs

Reporter: John Smith, FAKE — First At  Knowing Everything

Fast Food Worker: John Smith,  SWAE—Serving what America Eats

Used Car salesman; John Smith, UCFS—Used Car For Suckers

Barber: John Smith, ALOTTS— A Little Off The Top Specialist

And finally, a Mortuary Assistant, IHPPAFG- I Help Put People Away For Good

Clubs

You know how easy it is to form a Club?  Get two people together with similar interests and meet once in a while.  Some clubs collect dues, some ask you to wear similar clothes. Some are exclusive, some are public.

When I was in high school and college, clubs were very popular. Drama club. Debate club. Math club. Chess club. Pep Club. Basically, clubs were an excuse to socialize.

We've all heard of the Rotary Club, Toastmasters Club and the Boys and Girls Club.  And the much bragged about Mile High Club.Strip Clubs have been around for a long time. The Optimist club probably a lot longer. We have all heard of Sam's Club and the once popular Price Club. Then came the Breakfast Club.  The Second Wives Club.  Your everyday Book Club. The Hair Club. The Shave Club. Health Club. And of course, who hasn't been to a Night Club.

Nowadays, I think successful clubs serve a different purpose.  They not only bring people together, they are formed by marketing experts to celebrate a common cause or make a statement.

That got me thinking.

I’ve looked around and searched tiredlessly and have been unable to find any indication that the following clubs ever existed:

Zit club.  Members with blemishes and acne who never meet because nobody really wants to be a member.

Suicide club. Where the members are a dying breed.

Diarrhea club.  Where membership is really a 'load of crap.”

Tweeters club.  No longer seeking members because can compete with Donald Trump?

Stroke club.  For members who have had a cardiovascular event but have never taken tennis lessons.

Dumb club.  For members who have watched the movie Dumb and Dumber more than once.

Hemorrhoid club.  For members who have been the butt of someone else’s joke.

Joke Club.  For members who continually laugh at each other.

Elevator Club.  With just a little push, members can experience life's ups and downs like everyone else.

Ventriloquest Club:  A club which, well, it speaks for itself!

Owie Club. A club where a little hurt never hurt anyone.

Shark Club:  A club for surfers that can end up costing you an arm and a leg.

Tomorrow Club.  Where members can join day after day.


We all should form or join at least one club in our lifetime. And I know of a perfect place to have your first meeting:  The Country Club. 

Club National Anthem



,

POTUS, SCOTUS and .....

I took an online survey recently which informed me that over 100 words have been added to our ever dynamic dictionary.  The acronym's POTUS and SCOTUS were among them.

It occurs to me that are an unlimited amount of acronyms that can qualify as new words.  Let's see, how about LAIR (Liberal and Irritating Reporters),  HPTS (Heavy People That Smell), FOWTNM (Friends Only When They Need Money) , IWWPMS (Irritating Wives With PMS)