A friend and I drove to nearby Tupelo, Mississippi, yesterday, and on the way, we talked about the lottery. You know, the one that’s now $541,900,000.00. (Thank you, Edward, for pointing out I didn’t have enough zeros. No one has ever asked me to balance their checkbook)
And as thoughts sometimes do, one hit me upside the head.
If I won the lottery, what would I do with it?
Oh. Wow. I mean, can you imagine suddenly having a half billion dollars drop into your bank account? I have two questions.
- Once you set up trusts for your family and tithed on the money, what would you do with the rest?
- Could half a billion dollars be too much?
Now for last week’s Mystery Question: A man’s house caught fire and he began unloading his most important belongings out a window and carried them to his car. A week later he was arrested for arson. Why?
- When asked if he’d bought any type of accelerant in the past month he said no, but a hardware store receipt found in a part of the house that didn’t burn showed he’d purchased a gallon can of paint thinner just days before the fire.
- A nine-year-old boy who lived in the neighborhood told his father he had seen the man pouring something from a can around the house and then throw a match on it. They reported it to the police.
- When the police checked his pacemaker, it showed no high heart rates that would indicate strenuous activity during the time in question.
- The fire marshal found copper clips and nails at the source of the fire and deduced that he had used a lemon, copper clips, nails, wire, and tissue paper to start a fire next to the cotton curtains.
And the answer is…#3. I wondered if it would be legal to use his pacemaker data to convict him of a crime. This is what a judge ruled this past July:
HAMILTON, Ohio (AP) – A judge says data from the pacemaker of a man accused of setting his Ohio house on fire in 2016 can be presented as evidence at his trial.
The Hamilton-Middletown Journal News (http://bit.ly/2vawZWl ) reports the judge ruled Tuesday in Ross Compton’s case. The 59-year-old Middletown man has pleaded not guilty to aggravated arson and insurance fraud charges.
Police say Compton described packing belongings when he saw the fire, throwing them out of a window and carrying them to his car. Investigators say a cardiologist reviewed Compton’s cardiac device and concluded his medical condition made the actions he described “highly improbable.”
Ross’s attorney had argued that the data should be thrown out because searching the device violated Compton’s constitutional rights.
But the judge says the individual data is no more private than other things. By ASSOCIATED PRESS
So there you have it.
Now for this week’s Mystery Question: Below are four outrageous scenarios. Which is false.
- A longtime employee for a state court system accidentally butt-dialed a Post reporter – yukking it up about how he barely showed up to work while pocketing a $166,000-plus salary.
- A man claimed he could not walk more than 15 feet – and that he needed support to help him carry his shopping and help outside because he was likely to stumble and fall. He pocketed disability benefits until he was filmed dancing with a dance troupe.
- A man who claimed he needed round-the-clock care was caught donning frocks, high heels, and wigs and miming to songs by Tina Turner and Diana Ross
- After her husband died, a wife continued to collect his Social Security check for ten years. Her death was the only reason it was discovered.
Okay Super Sleuths, what’s the fake scenario? Leave your answer in the comments to be entered in a drawing for this month’s drawing for a copy of Justice Buried when it’s released.
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Comments 32
This may be your toughest challenge yet!! I know that Disability Fraud cases get busted all the time for just such shenanigans as those you have described & I have heard of people continuing to draw Social Security checks after the passing of a spouse. I’m going with # 1 even though I’m sure plenty of that goes on the workplace as well!
Author
Lisa, I’m always amazed about the shenanigans that people pull on insurance fraud! Thanks for stopping by and joining the conversation.
Working for the state, can you make $166,000-plus? I’m going with #1.
Author
🙂 We’ll see next week what the correct wrong answer is, Sally.
My hubby used to play the lottery every week using the same numbers which were our birth dates. The week my son landed in the hospital with appendicitis he didn’t get to buy a ticket and the numbers came in. I wasn’t supposed to be rich. So I no longer dream. Lol
Author
That is so funny, Jennie. I actually think that much money would be a burden. And, I can’t wrap my mind around that much money. Thanks for stopping by!
Pat, $541,900.00 is only a half a million. I don’t play the lottery and never keep track of it unless a sign along the highway catches my eye when I’m traveling. To be half a billion, it would have to be $541,900,000.00. Which is it?
Author
Thank you, Edward! it’s actually $650 million now. I fixed my zeros–you can be sure no one has ever asked me to balance their checkbook!
After commenting, I decided to check the internet out of curiosity and saw that it had increased. Either there are a huge number of people playing the lottery or a smaller number who play huge sums. I don’t understand how all of that works, but I do balance my checkbook. 🙂
Author
Oh, Edward…the stories I could tell about balancing my checkbook… 🙂
As you have probably figured out before, especially with my replies last week, I seem to overthink these. I think I need to just make a random selection. Since I think the man in #3 clearly needs round-the-clock attention, I am guessing that is the false one.
Author
Edward, your #3 answer is noted…but it is the same number as the correct answer last week…would I be so sneaky? Maybe. 🙂
No, surely you would not be sneaky. LOL! What would be the fun in it if you weren’t? Last week I guessed 1, thinking 3 was the least likely. This week I’m thinking 1 is the least likely and selected 3, so it will probably be 1. I’m just shooting in the dark on these.
Author
It’s so much fun, Edward! And really and truly, as crazy as people are, my fake one could be any of them. lol
I’ll say #1. As for lottery….I can’t imagine that kind of money!
Author
Jackie, neither can I imagine that kind of money.
If the man had round-the-clock care, it seems someone would have already seen him in the “frocks and heels”? I’m going to guess No. 2, just because it’s kind of subtle. 🙂 About the lottery, I used to work with a doctor in IL whose brother had won the lottery in another state (he received income from it for 10 years.) I remember the doctor telling me his brother first of all quit his job, then many, many people were always houding him for money. Finally, after the 10 years, he was absolutely broke and no longer had a job! I think if you look up the outcome of many who have become instantly rich….it usually doesn’t work out too well because they may or may not have already learned about good money management. Thankfully, not having any money, and never gambling, I’m pretty sure this will not be a problem in my lifetime. 🙂
Author
Jan, I’ve done a little research on lottery winners and what you pointed out is all too often what happens. Money can be a burden. And do you know I’ve never bought a lottery ticket? I really don’t know how. lol
I am going with #3.
Author
Hi Gloria, and thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! We’ll see next week if you’re correct.
Just to be different, I’m going with 2. I don’t know if I would want the headaches that go with so much money! I believe I will just “grow where I’m planted”. God will take care of me no matter how much money I have! Thanks again Pat!
Author
That’s the way I feel, Paula. I want enough to pay my bills and maybe a little extra…although I would like to set up an education fund for my grands! Thanks for dropping in.
I’m shocked about last week’s as I have a pacemaker. Amazing that it’s record can be a legal witness. And today’s all seem horribly believable to me, but I’ll go with #2 as my gut feeling.
Author
I thought that might get your attention, Delores! It hasn’t wound it way through all the courts yet, so we’ll see. And welcome home, world traveler!
I tend to overthink these things because you know any one of them could be true! I’m going for #2 this week.
I think our powerball is up to 700 million!! Like you said, after tithing, taking care of your family, paying off morgages/cars & etc, what would you do with the rest? I’ve often thought of that myself…would I invest it for the future, hide it in a mattress, or?? Would be fun to imagine though, wouldn’t it?
Author
Seven million! Wow. Trixi, I think I’d let someone else manage it and set up foundations to give it away except for enough to live comfortably on. 🙂
That’s Seven HUNDRED million Patricia! Blows the mind, doesn’t it?? I can’t even imagine :-/ I mean even after they take out taxes, you’d still have way more than you could ever spend in a lifetime, I would think 🙂
Author
Oops! I knew that. Typo. lol. 700,000,000. Look at all those zeroes!
I’m going with #1, though it’s scary to say ALL of these scenarios seem sadly plausible!
Author
It is sad that all of the scenarios seem plausible, Jerusha! Thanks for joining in the conversation.
I’m guessing #2.
There are so many things I would love to do if financially able. Such as travel, build a home with a fabulous library, donate to worthy charities and the list goes on.
Author
I agree, Caryl! Sometimes I wonder how the other 10% lives. lol. Thanks for stopping by.