Win Lottery?

Well. I would be very surprised. I don’t participate in such. My small fortune is far too valuable to my wife and I.

If I may, I will explain what I might do if, as in the “Fidler on the Roof” song, I Were a Rich Man.

I guess the first thing I would do would be to guard it from the dems. I am sure that there are the 100s who would all know all these wonderful places for money. Did you know there are over a million registered charities that would be glad to take small, or larger sum from you. They are all wonderful organizations, I am sure. Only thing is, if I started with a million and gave each a dollar, I’d be penniless.

Some might want to sell me gold. That might be nice to have, but I can’t eat gold. I think I would rather have a year or two of survival food. Moreover, gasoline would be more useful. Did you know gold is very soft. That makes it a pretty sorry material for building. I think steel and aluminum would be far more useful.

A small plot of land seems a good investment. Old Joe and Obama seem to like the idea ocean coast property, despite the threat they keep telling us about. The ocean is about to rise 10 feet you know. Well, I’ll just make sure I’m 20 feet above the current tidal levels.

I think I would really like to start a really good school for teaching people of all ages to read. It would not be expensive. Rent a little space, hire a few teachers and pay the electric bill. If I didn’t have enough for teachers, I would just start teaching. Perhaps, I could find a volunteer or 2, or 3.

Of course, none of this would ever happen. I don’t buy lottery tickets. I have not once been in any of the local casinos. I have no desire.

It is likely because I never could win at gambling as a kid. I learned very young. Gambling, even if you win, is a bad idea. Besides, I do have a good understanding of math. I know my chances. Don’t like giving money away.

Bloganuary writing prompt
What would you do if you won the lottery?

Baseball

I was actually pretty good at it. At 12 I was scaring 6 ft so I had an advantage at first base. I guess my biggest problem was speed. It is an adage. A coach can teach catching, hitting and throwing. Just can’t teach speed.

At any rate, it all got interrupted with a broken wrist a few weeks into the season. Bummer.

I did watch Dodgers, later Angels and Lakers. Big fan of Drysdale, Koufax, Steve Garvey and Maury Wills. I guess cause he had the speed I lacked. For basketball, I was a big fan of Jerry West. I suspect many others liked to watch him too.

I did like playing basketball too. I was excellent on defense. Not so much at shooting. I think they kept moving the basket. What else would explain it. All my basketball playing was pickup, hours at a time. Kept me in good shape.

Never had much interest in football. Not only was I skinny, but I never could get used to the strange shape.

As an aside, I got good at ping pong while in the Marines. I had a lot of practice and I could put a lot of spin on the ball. Strange, not all that many that interested in ping pong after I left the Marines.

Bloganuary writing prompt
What are your favorite sports to watch and play?

Son of my Right Hand

Benjamin is common in Hebrew. Indeed, the word Ben is son of. Hence the book Ben Hur based on the name, Judah Ben Hur.

In somewhat more modern times, there is Benjamin Franklin, who some think I was named for. I was named after my grandfather. I also had a cousin with the same name, but he called himself Frankie for the middle name.

I guess I am in good company. There are many good men with the name Benjamin including the priminister of Israel. Unfortunately, the name is also tarnished by a former member of Obama’s staff. Still, as I said before, it was my name a long time before he was born.

I guess if I could say 1 thing concerning it, I wished I brought more honor to it than I have. Maybe in the time I have left, I can bring a little more reason to remember the name.

Bloganuary writing prompt
Write about your first name: its meaning, significance, etymology, etc.

Challenge, singular

Although I have never been officially diagnosed, I have many of characteristics of dyslexia. I am slow at reading especially aloud. I am prone to spelling errors and I repeat words, even phrases as write. Well, the list goes on. I am sure it would have been much better if I realized it as a child but I was past 50.

The main reason I say this is that it would be far better if teachers and parents would keep their eyes open.

By the way, it might also help when you see I have used there instead of their… or visa versa. It might still irritate you, but at least you will understand why. I really do understand the difference between there, their and they’re. I just don’t always use them right. [Does anyone know the difference between peddle and petal?]

Bloganuary writing prompt
What are your biggest challenges?

Auto Air-bags

History has proven them dangerous and not effective. Less injuries and deaths before them. It would be far better to build better stronger bumpers.

Already the lawyers are out suing the who make the air-bags and, of course they increased the cost of cars and insurance. I would say the only ones benefiting from them are those that make them but that isn’t true. It would seem the lawyers who really get the biggest advantage. Then again, isn’t that the way with everything? I am sure those trial lawyers just can’t wait to start suing the self-driving cars.

Wait a minute. They have all ready had a few court cases. Before it’s all over, they might put a stop to Self-driving automobiles before they get a real start. Them lawyers don’t care about much besides lining their pockets.

Bloganuary writing prompt
If you could un-invent something, what would it be?

Bricks

I came up with the idea watching a commercial advertising a vacuum smaller. Consider clear plastic bricks made of clear plastic.

What could you do with them? They could provide insulation… windows, walls, ceiling, who knows? Maybe tents, cars, RVs.

The bricks could be of varying sizes, shapes or thicknesses.

Kind of my problem. I can make them but I am too lazy. Maybe a bit too old too.

Bloganuary writing prompt
Come up with a crazy business idea.

Grand Canyon

About 1984, my wife, 2 sons, and I went out to California to visit relatives, about 1800 miles. Being as we were going close by the Grand Canyon, we decided to drop in, figuratively.

The first thing I noticed was that, just south of the canyon land was being advertised…dirt cheap. A hundred dollars an acre. A while later, I discovered the reason was no water. Even the local McDonald’s had to haul water in.

I don’t know for sure what the prices are today, but I do wish I had figured a way to buy 10 acres. I would suspect the prices have gone up a bunch, even though there is not much demand for farmland without water.

At any rate, after a short stop at McDonald’s, we drove to an overlook. There, before us was one of the most majestic scenes and all 3, the wife and kids couldn’t be bothered with it. They wanted to watch the baby squirrels crawl fearlessly up and down the sheer cliff.

I guess they were fascinating but we have squirrels in Desoto County, bunches of them. So much for seeing the Grand Canyon. Better to go to the local park and watch the wild life. Incidentally, much less expensive.

Now, let’s see. Had I bought a few acres, I could have charged the passerbys to see squirrels. Do you suppose it would have worked. I suppose it still will.

Bloganuary writing prompt
Think back on your most memorable road trip.

Leadership

When in the Marines, I had to memorize the traits of a good leader. To be sure, they are a good thing to know military or not. However, it is not enough to know them. I did and I was a lousy leader.

I can’t remember all of them anymore, but here are the highlights. I think few will disagree with them. Honesty, integrity, courage, knowledge, humility, example & a few others I can’t think of right now. I am sure you can look them up on the internet. Nonetheless, I knew men who were good leaders who lacked many of the traits. I knew many bad leaders who had most of the traits. There does seem to be the untangable that is difficult to define.

However, I cannot talk on the subject without bringing up one important fact. One man not only had all these characteristics, but in perfection. Jesus Christ the son of the living God. You look up those traits on the internet and you will find He had them all to perfection.

You cannot say this of any other leader.

On the other hand, Old Joe has none of them; certainly not honesty.

Bloganuary writing prompt
What makes a good leader?