Charity for the rest of us!

Remember when you spent too much money and to make the months rent you would throw a party and charge by the head, so you could get together enough money to pay the rent? How many times have you been to a fundraiser for some charity organization, or for someone who is in dire need of some financial assistance? Ok, now take these two ideas and merge them into one thought. Perhaps the time has come to throw a few " get someones ass out of hock" parties!!

The idea is this: throw a party like any fundraiser for charity, charge at the door, do 50/50 raffles, and some door prizes. But each person will have the chance to be the beneficiary of the party. by putting their name in the fishbowl along with one bill that they must apply the money to. Somewhere near the middle of the party the name is drawn. On Monday morning the deposit is made in their bank account and the check is written to the designated creditor. This person then must attend the next party for the next name drawn from the bowl. In order for it to work, each winner must continue to help the cause. One may not win and then not help the next party. no selfish bastards allowed!

If by some miracle of the divine winds, someone is not in need of assistance, they may put in the name of somebody that they feel is deserving of the assistance. These days there are far too many people who are on the edge, and helping a few of them is a great idea. Why do you have to be sick to get some help? why not help some of the working stiffs who are barely making it?

It sounds odd, but for most people, just getting one big bill out of the way, could free up the finances enough to make the ends come together again and keep the knee breakers from knocking on the door.

So who's in? and rememeber the bigger the party, the bigger the benefit!

Such a loser!

Well, I guess it all depends on how you are defining loser. In many ways I find that I am a pretty lucky or if not lucky, well positioned, individual. When I refer to loser here I am referring to nothing less that the NY State Lottery and specifically the multi-state game Mega-Millions. I saw the other day that the jackpot was up in the $70 million range and I decided to spend 2 dollars on a dream. I didn't win, but I did match the mega-ball so I got $2 that I used for another ticket. This one got me nothing, but oddly enough I had a bunch of numbers that were just one-off, and the pot has now grown to nearly $150 million. That's a stimulus Package! Needless to say I'm gonna go buy another ticket . I just feel lucky!

What is my dream? Nothing less than winning the whole freakin' thing all by my lonesome! Yeah baby! What would I do with that kind of money? I have thoughts and ideas, and I am sure that they change with the wind. I can say that there are a few small things that I would do immediately and without fail. Depending on the size of the Jackpot I won, ( I am DREAMING here!) I would set up a trust fund for each of my nieces and nephews. It would be contingent on either a college education, or a real job with a future, and the possibility of a career. With college I would ask that they at least try to attain a masters degree, but would offer a bonus for Doctorate. If they forgo college for the work route, the funds would be available to them in a few different ways. I would first give them the option of using them as an annual "bonus" that match their annual income for that year, ( I would set it up so that they would receive, free and clear, the sum that is equal to their annual gross pay ) Without their knowledge I would put some extra bonuses in there for certain milestones, but they would only be informed of these bonuses after they had met the preset requirements, they would not be "trying" for them.

Each person in my immediate family would get some sort of gift, dependent upon the size of the jackpot. It would be a One time thing. I will give them the amount of my choosing, and that will be ALL. They are still family and I will of course help them in the future if they need it, but as for monetary packages, it will be a one time thing and it will be their responsibility to invest or squander it. Little Brother would most likely be the one to use it in some way to make money, and Sis would be sure to stash a pile and use it sparingly. I would set up Pops for his retirement. Wherever in the world he chooses. He has given me a great life and upbringing and I am grateful for all that he has give and taught me. Both of my Mothers would get something too. It would be a discussion though. I don't have a set amount in mind, and I think each of them would be a different case.

Now I have done stuff for the family, what about my friends? It all depends. It is hard to say that I would definitely do anything for anyone else that is not a blood relative or married to my next of kin. Now, what about myself? Again it depends on the size of the Jackpot. I think that if I had a couple Millions left after spreading the winnings through the family economy, I would live one of my biggest dreams which is to travel. I would see the world. I would do my motorcycle trip through Europe. I would make a home for myself in Ukraine where I have fallen in love with the people, the country and especially the women! I would spend a few years studying languages so that I could travel anywhere, understand and be understood. If I only had 1 million or so to work with, I would build my house, and buy the land around it that I have been wishing for, then I would travel occasionally.

There is much evidence that winning the huge payout can ruin ones life, and there is also evidence that it can change one for the better. I think that it depends on the type of person you are in the first place. I actually know someone who won a jackpot and he's now in prison. Why? He was an asshole to start with, and the money gave him the feeling of invincibility, and he found out the hard way that he wasn't. After 3 DWIs inside of 5 years, he did some prison time, then he got out and decided to use his prison contacts to become a pot dealer. Not the brightest bulb on the tree. Anyway he got caught, and he went back to prison. Dumbass! I know another guy who won one of the "Win For Life" pots, his is $1000 a week for the rest of his life. He has used it to his advantage. He invested the entire first year of payouts. Then he began using 1/4 of the payout, while depositing the other 3/4 in the investment account. Now after 15 years he lives easily off of the interest of the invested amounts, while still saving the weekly payout. He has done well for himself and he is still the decent levelheaded guy he always was. I hope that I would have the good sense if I ever have the good luck to win a huge pot of gold.

The odds of getting hit by lightening are almost twice as good as winning the Mega-Millions jackpot, but people keep winning. There are people out there who have been hit by lightening more than once. You ever say to someone, " Ah hell, it's a one in a million chance!" ? So is this, but someone is going to win eventually, why not me?