Powerball fantasies

So the huge Powerball payout has been won. I very rarely buy any lottery tickets and did not buy one for this drawing, either.

But sometimes I wonder what I would ever do with so much money. What would you do with a billion dollars in winnings?

I would enjoy traveling. At my age (73) my personal needs are small. I'd move out of my apartment and back into a house, knowing that I could afford the upkeep and to hire people for things I can't do myself. It would be a small, one story house, though, with priorities on space for a library/office and a fully equipped kitchen. Location in a blue region of a blue state, suburban or semi rural, with space to add a dog (probably a border collie, maybe a golden retriever) as companion for my cat and me.

I'd get a new car, but have no need for, or interest in, an expensive one.

The rest of the money would go into donations, trusts, and foundations for favorite causes: legal and counseling aid for victims/survivors of domestic violence; recruiting and promoting diverse liberals for public service as candidates and government appointees; funding for projects developed and operated by and for Native American communities, e.g. education, health care, preservation of language and land.

What would you do if you won a lottery of a billion dollars or more?

Help for Ukrainian people this winter

Power shortages are common in Ukraine now due to Russian attacks on civilian targets. Ukraine rations its electrical power in order to keep hospitals and other essential services operating.

Ukrainian winters are brutally cold.

Is it feasible that we could provide Ukrainian people with heat and light through a massive fundraising and purchase of battery powered lanterns and blankets, with a huge supply of batteries? Some battery operated blankets, sleeping bags, and camping heaters are rechargeable. People could recharge then during periods when rationed power is available to them.

It would mean purchasing several thousand of these items and shipping them to Ukraine.

Could this be done?

"Voter Integrity" group in my county

Local stations have carried an announcement from the County Board of Elections that a group calling itself County Voter Integrity has been going door to door questioning people about their past voting history and location.

The people using this group name had one person's voting registration from a previous address plus current registration and asked if they were the same person. The individual being questioned asked if the group was from the county government or Bd of Elections and when the canvasser said no, he was asked to leave.

So the Board of Elections has been making public announcements that the "Voter Integrity" group does not represent them and people do not have to answer these questions. If people feel any intimidation is being used by these questioners, they should call the county sheriff's office.

Bubble catchers

NPR news is leaning heavily into criticism

of Fetterman in last night's debate, saying that Democrats are reassessing their ability to win in PA due to Fetterman's "obvious" difficulty in speaking. They sounded so upbeat in reporting on this that I half expected to hear the report end with "Yay Oz."

What are other media saying?

Strange instructions on supermarket beef.

Did some shopping today and noticed something on a package of beef that I have not seen before. Maybe it's been there and I just never noticed.

The package had a warning that said, "Do not microwave while in original packaging."

Really? People need to be warned about that? I am guessing that the warning is there because someone has done it before.

Oh my.

Smart animals

To cats, gravity is just a suggestion.

Ember the cat freaked out over a skeleton today.

I bought a skeleton to put on the outside of my door. It has a skull with sunken eyes, arms with bony fingers, and a raggedy, gauzy, orange and black material draped over it.

When it moves, the eyes light up in a flashing Satanic glow and it makes groaning sounds.

When I took it out of the bag at home, the movement activated it. Ember was on the window sill and perked up immediately. So I walked over to let her see it, which caused the glowing eyes and groaning to continue as I walked. She arched her back and turned sideways, ready to attack.

But when I stood still, the action stopped, so she stretched her neck out to sniff it. She stared into its eyes, close enough that her nose touched and triggered the eyes and groaning. Instant jump backwards. But then I could see her body language change as she mustered up her courage and moved in on the flashing eyes as if to say, "Huh! I am not afraid of you."

She got close and stood her ground until it stopped. Then she laid down on the window sill. "Some monster. Didn't even try to hit me when I stared it down. I think I'll take a nap."

More Trumpist insanity revealed by Jordan Klepper