Does Anyone Know How I Can Acquire $1.25 Million Stat?

I really want to buy this place:

 

Here's the listing details:

$1,250,000
New Listing

Status: ACTIVE Listing

Type: Unit/Flat

Year Built: 1913

Style: Contemporary

Number of Bedrooms: 2

Baths: 2

Subdivision: OLD CITY

County: PHILADELPHIA

Remarks

Perfectly located in a boutique building steps from Historic Independence Park and the best Old City restaurants and shops, The Penthouse consists of 2,250ft of interior space and an 800ft spectacular roof deck that provides a quiet oasis of sophisticated urban living. Private elevator access into the triple-mint, light filled unit w/hand-crafted details, high-ceilings, whole-house entertainment system + the finest materials throughout. Gourmet kitchen is complete with 50-inch Thermador Pro Range, Subzero refrigerator + wine cooler. The master suite includes large walk-in closet w/built-ins, gas fireplace and beamed ceiling. Both baths are spa quality w/marble, steam, whirlpool and awesome shower fixtures. The uber-private roof deck provides true outdoor living space w/hot tub, gourmet outdoor kitchen, gas grill and a must see outdoor movie theater. These amazing amenities combined with sunrise to sunset views are unmatched by any property at any price in Philadelphia. 1-yr prepaid parking at local lot.

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It sits on top of a few really fine restaurants and overlooks some historic parks and buildings in Philly, I always wanted a loft, and what's better than this one? The only thing is, I don't see any storing space at all in the pictures and I wonder where people would put stuff, stuff like a mahjong table and I do need one to entertain my friends. After I win the lottery that is...

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7 Requests For Santa

Dear Santa,

Since I've been such a good boy this year, I thought I'd write to you and give you my list. I don't think I've lived in any house that has got a chimney, so I figured you owe me quite a bit.

So here it is:

1. I want a new leather chair! My old one is tearing up and styrofoams are sticking out of it. I like brown leather but since I have a black leather foot rest, I wouldn't mind either way. A high-back office ones on wheels would do.







2. I bought a new leather wallet with a zipper on the side, but the leather got torn within a week. Can I get another one?








3. My bookcase is bent and broken from the weight of the books I have. I'm quite ambivalent about it being crooked, but my ocassional guests might think otherwise. I've heard your elves are quite crafty, so what say you?








4. My vacuum is not working properly either, maybe it's getting old. It's not bending anymore and it doesn't suck as good (which sucks!!!) I've seen enough Dyson commerical to crave one, can you throw in a small dust vacuum as well? I hate dusting and wiping, at least a vacuum or two will ease my pain.






5. Speaking of broken stuff, my iPod is also breaking down. I can only hear from one side and those Mac "Geniuses" can't do anything to help other than offer me a 10% discount if I return the hardware to them. The discount can't even be used for iPod Touch. Santa, can I get an iPod Touch?


6. How about a job? I think a lot of things above can be solved. Do you need an extra pair of hands at the elf factory? Or someone to feed the reindeers?





7. At last, maybe I'll ask you for my very own man. A sane, attractive one with a hairy chest and a good job and good sexual chemistry? Is that too much to ask? Can you deliver him all tied up Shibari style?




Hope you will could grant me these wishes, I'll have the milk and cookies waiting for you.

Sincerely, Paul.

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Places I've Been

Took a little map like this to tell me that I've actually not been to that many places. When I was young, I thought I would travel all 7 continents, but so far, I've only been to Asia, Europe and North America. I don't really know if I would get a chance to travel Antartica at all, and Africa seems distant and too foreign. It might be possible to go to Australia and South America.

When I was young I also though I wanted a family with children of different colors, I should be happy to know that even if I can't realize my dream Angelina Pitt did.



(I didn't count places where I have to change flights or the planes stop to refuel, or else, I would have to add Detroit, Denver, Saudi Arabia and Tokyo.)

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Let The Games Begin

I picked up the local gay newspaper the other day and there was a story about some local folks were starting a website called LoveGAM that acts as a dating/social site for Gay Asian Men and their admirers in a MySpace format. Since they are Philadelphia based and Asian based, I thought I'd give it a try. It is something else to do you know, and who knows, I might get a decent guy out of it. The article specifically says if you join before June 15, you'd get full access to it. So I logged on, created a profile and check out who else digs Gay Asian Men.

There are about 52 people around my area who fits the age bracket of my ideal mate, 25% of them non-Asian and it seems like I was the only guy on the site. The site is on its beta version and we'll have to play tag if we are REALLY interested. When is the last time I got REALLY interested in someone just by reading their profile?

So I was reading some fellow Asians profile and this guy says he was looking for someone to play Mahjong with. Huh!?! Bingo! I probably had mentioned on this blog about a dozen times on how interested in Mahjong I am. I have tried to teach my white friends how to play the game to no avail, written a manual, some people are okay with the elementary stuff, but when it gets a bit complicated they back off right away. I do enjoy a challenging high level game but there's no one with that skillset available. I've joined the local gay and lesbian center who host a so-called mahjong game with American rules, which is bullshit. And my Gay Afro-Asian Mahjong brigade are no yet skilled and they are more a social group of people, I need Mahjong-focused people. So without another word, I emailed the guy to let him know how interested I am in playing.

The guy emailed me back and said that he was trying to get a game together this week, and that he already found two other people at Pride who wants to play. After exchanging some info, he told me he has already found a place to meet up tonight, he has put his Mahjong table in his trunk, offered to pick me up and planned to order pizza. Huh? What have I done to deserve this? A guy who's seriously into Mahjong, planned everything down to the tee and offered to pick me up? It's like winning the lottery. I almost shat my pants with excitement, I haven't been this excited for a long, long time.

He also told me that we are by playing Cantonese rules, and asked me to bring money and we'll probably be playing for 6 hours tonight from right after work until midnight. Pure. Hog. Heaven. If he tells me he "plays with flowers" and "starts at 3 Fans", I will marry this guy or stalk him so far up his ass that he wouldn't know what hit him.

I'm telling you Mahjong is the ultimate game for me. I have been trained from my grandma's back since I was a baby, it is in my blood. Do you think I should pretend to lose the first time we meet to build a good relationship first? I DO want to keep going back, you know?


It is also my retirement plan


Good cardiovascular exercise, especially when you get pissed off from losing to your opponents and start yelling. I think that's what keeping my grandma alive sometimes.

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My Dreams

Well, we all have dreams, don't we? Of course I want to be rich or famous or madly in love with a hunk of a man. But let's get specific.

1. I want to win the lottery - well, everybody does and feels like they deserves it, like god is the one who chooses the winner. lol. Maybe I should say I don't want to worry about money for the rest of my life.

2. I want to own a duplex - ES laughed when I told her that's what I want and called me easy. Well, I want a nice spacious one in the city, It has been one of my dreams since I was a kid, that and being able to fly.

3. I want to find a good man, settle down with him and start a family together - I think that's every gay man's dream, or is it that we want tons of sex swith tons of good looking guys?

4. I want to get a dog - Preferably an Alaskan Malamute or a german shepherd. I know they like cold weather and they shed like crazy, but aren't they cute?


Alaskan Malamutes (aw...)

5. I want to adopt - Given I can't reproduce with my guy, I think it's important to give kids a home.

6. (This one is a big one, ready?) I want to start a non-profit "feel good" restaurant - I have given this quite a few thoughts, here we go:

I want to start a restaurant in which the revenue is donated to a different worthy cause each month. A feel good restaurant in which the diners will eat good food while feed good knowing they are doing something good just by patronizing the establishment. Of course, there will be a report with figures of donation or the good that the restaurant has done near the entrance updated monthly available for reading.

In order to maximize the amount donated to the cause:
A. All wait staff could be volunteers. (More charming and don't have to pay)
B. Tips should be part of the donation.
C. Sous chefs will be interns from nearby culinary institutes. (Don't have to pay)
D. Negotiate with local farmers/fisherman/alcohol companies to donate or sell produce for a special rate and they can write it off as a tax deduction.

Spending that could not be avoided:
A. Rent
B. Equipment and kitchen supplies
C. Interior design plus furnishing
D. Inspection and licenses including an alcohol license
E. Salary for chef, dessert chef, bartender, maitre d, accountant, PR person.
F. Some alcohol and food costs.

Other potential bits:
A. Healthy food? (Hopefully not too healthy)
B. Organic food? (Depends if it increase production costs)
C. Water fountain (If people are encouraged to throw coins, that could be part of the donation)
D. Email newsletter (It's a must)
E. Guest chefs (From other restaurants to donate their time as a tax write-off)

If this business model works, I can turn it nationwide or even worldwide.

From what I've heard after sharing my ideas to my laughing friends, this is not exactly new. They have business models like that in Thailand and perhaps DC, but I do think it is achievable, if I have the dough. But oh, one can dream.

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Book Review - Randy Pausch "The Last Lecture"

I don't know how many of you have heard Randy's story but he has become quite the celebrity lately. He is a tenured professor of computer science in Carnegie Mellon and he has recently given a lecture on how to live your life which made its way to YouTube. What makes him such an expert on the subject? He's dying of pancreatic cancer and has less than 6 months to live.

Of course one cannot claim to be the expert of living just because he's dying. Randy has also fulfilled most of his childhood dreams. He has floated in zero gravity, won plenty of giant stuffed animals, became a Disney imagineer, authored an entry in the World Book encyclopedia, and being (at least very close to) Captain Kirk. And with Diane Sawyer's help he has (sorta) played in the NFL "Brick walls are there to show you how much you want it." Randy says. "They are there to keep the other people out."

As a tradition, professors in universities are asked to do a lecture as if it was the only lecture they have left to do in their life entitled "The Last Lecture". What would you teach people if that is the only chance you have? Randy took this opportunity to leave a message to his kids, 6 years old Dylan, 3 years old Logan and 18 months old Chloe. His lecture is on pointers on living a fulfilling life, a life without regrets. "Would you rather be Tigger or Eeyore?"

With all the other values installed on him by his free-loving and charitable parents and his nurturing family and friends, Randy told lessons he has learned throughout his life to his children, so as they grow up they would understand what kind of a man their father was and the good intent he had for all of them and the fortunate people who happened to be touched by his words.

"Make your childhood dreams come true and enable the dreams of others."

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The Ideal Relationship

I was catching up with DC last night and we talked about relationship and my recent dates. Although monogamous, DC has the same thought as I did in grade school, in that it is hard to imagine spending the next 50 years with one and only one person. More like he has a hard time imagining having sex with one and only one person.

Understandable, I have been with Principe for six loving years but near the end our sex life was reduced to once or twice a week, comparing to the hot start we had. Sex up to a point will get mundane and routine and it cannot support a relationship on its own. While love may grow, sex dwindles. So it is important to recognize them as two different things.

Instead of cheating behind your lover's back, some couple choose to have an open relationship. Once a trust and understanding has been established firmly, they could sleep around with other people as long as it is okay with their partner. That way they still get their affection and love from their partner while getting their needs for sexual adventures fulfilled from someone else. Of course, that might invite doubts and jealousy, or maybe you go out and meet someone better and ruined the existing relationship.

Some couples insist on playing together when they invite a third sex partner, it could spice up the love life and there would be less chance for problem. Or playing with other couples, that way everyone know who they belong to, minimizing the chance for problems and gain some friends.

Polygamy is another interesting topic. It's illegal in the states, but so is gay marriage. So for us homos, we don't have to conform to the traditional format of "Marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman". For us, it could be whatever we want it to be. Personally, I have been in a relation with a gay couple for a year. I recognized that this kind of relationship has a great potential, you'll be in a high income household, the sex is more interesting with the various combinations, it's not as easy to be bored, but it is a very difficult balancing act. If the participants are not mature enough, there would be jealousy and insecurity. "Oh, you like him more than you like me!" It's hard to find equal grounds and it's hard to be attracted to each other equally as much either.

Maybe it's my fondness for RPG games, I can fantasize myself being in a polyamory relationship. Ideally, having 5 participants just like any good RPG games and just enough to fit in a car. Everyone should have different things that they are good at, whether it's cooking and cleaning, car and home repair, gardening, accounting, computers and such... Four of them would have jobs and the other one can be the homemaker, and of course equal parts of tops and bottoms. Better yet, one of each race. And most importantly all of them should be drama-free and know how to play Mahjong or if not, Texas Hold'em. I like the self-sufficient brotherhood/friends/lovers combination of a relationship. I realize it is quite selfish and hard to find but it is, of course, just a fantasy.

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Fueling My Addiction

Since I watch so much TV, the thought of getting a new HDTV becomes very pleasant. A Thin, slick, high-tech looking wide machine sitting on top of my entertainment system sounds very cool. God knows the crummy walls in my apartment will break down by the sheer weight of the TV, I don't care if the wall breaks but I really don't want the TV to go with it.

I really don't have a clue on what's good and what's not, so I browsed online to see if they have any info and reviews on these TV. They did explained what's the difference from LCD to Plasma, but their reviews don't seem objective or recent enough for me. The No. 1 recommended products on those lists are from some crummy brand that nobody has ever heard of before and it only exist on one list. Why is it No. 1 on your list but not even recognized in another list? Shouldn't it be generally recognized as good? I think they must have been paid off for saying that.

I found this consumer guide at Borders with similar problems, but the No. 2 is from Sony, It's a Bravia KDL-40XBR2 I believe. I've always trusted Sony products and it's 40 because it's 40 inches diagonally. That's would be so sweet to have one.

Well, I went out to dinner with Principe and told him that I want a new TV, in which he replied that there's nothing wrong with the one we are using right now. I think he's right, but I have had this one for the past 9 years. I know that even we have a new TV we won't be able to use it to its full potential because the neighbor would just complaint if we turn it on too loud and our square footage is not an environment where we need a big TV, but still... It would kick so much ass to play videogame on a big screen and watching movies would be awesome.

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Great Love

Since I've made up my mind to be unproductive at work, I'm literally bored to tears these days. (Well, my allergy supplied the tears but still...) So I'm lookin gon you tube and stumble across one of the hottest hunk in the planet and find out that he has a boyfriend. Aw... why can't I be his boyfriend? Anyway, here it is:



Francois is the shorter one, I simply adore him. His "haircut" is tattooed on his head, which he looked very cute with it. He remains to be one of the hunkiest guy I've ever seen, an ideal in my head. I know I probably won't ever meet him in my life and not in a million years will I get a person that good looking as my partner, but I can dream. I am happy for him to find someone he apparently love and from the looks of it Francesco is a very decent human being as well. Good looking, fit and nice.

After browsing links after links online, I found Francois' and Francesco's blog. If you're planning to read them beware, there might just be some nudity. They are both porn actors. It got me thinking how amazing and unpredictable life is. Two people living in different countries met in a third country and falls in love. Although one is living in Paris and the other in Madrid, they still maintained a great relationship. I see a little bit of myself in Francesco, a bit dorky, unsure of himself. While Francois maybe silly at times, and quite cheesy, he is the type of protector that I'm looking for. Is it too late for me to move back to Paris? Probably so, huh? lol.

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Reallocation

A friend of three years just called me out of the blue during the weekend telling me that he left his job and is planning to reallocating to San Francisco. Of course, in order to do that he has to find a job over there first. I told him that it is such a great idea and that I wish I can do that. He ask me "Why not?"

Why not? Well, if you know me, you know that I have an excuse for everything. If I really wanted to do something, I would have done it. My boyfriend will be leaving me in August, so I guess he's not one of the more important factor. I'm applying for a green card and that's important. I need to find a job out there and that's difficult. The rent and living expense out there is a lot more expensive. Other than that I'm all for it.Me and my friend can be roomates and life seems so much more exciting in SF. It's one of the more gay-friendly cities in the States. With luck, I might be able to get my green card in May. (Knock on wood...)

Although I don't think it'll make a big difference if I restart or jump start my life yet again in another place. I'm still me, you can't run away from your shadow. But just think of how much more exciting life can be in a gay mecca and the Asian capital of US. I'll be a double majority. (Hold on... is that a good thing?)

Lately, I've identified Brazil as a place where good-looking men are from. I think I wouldn't mind learning Portuguese and moving there either. But I just saw a news article about a little boy playing around a small river and almost got eaten by a 15-feet anaconda... I'm so scared of snakes that I jump from the sight of curly branches on the sidewalk. If I see an actual anaconda in from of me, I'll definitely freeze and just let the anaconda eat me alive. So although I'm developing a liking to Brazilian men, maybe moving there is not such a good idea. Will I even dare to travel?

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Why Can't I Be Rich?

During the weekend, I finally saw some episodes of the series "Real Housewives of Orange County" on Bravo. I was folding my laundry, so I have to give up playing video games and watch TV. It's about the latest, hottest topic on tv networks - housewives in gated community. We saw that on Desperate Housewives, we saw that on Weeds, so why not make it a reality show, right?

So I watched the drama unfolds between different characters. One of them is a good-looking social climber who is engaged with a young, handsome and rich business starter. (Obviously, she's not really in love with him, she only wants his money.) An overbearing mother that is about to drive her kids insane or into drugs and alcohol with her "interrogating" parenting skills. (Why does her insecurity with herself have to affect people around her?) A former playboy centerfold got old and fatter but she became a very, very successful real estate agent. She just sold a $15 Million mansion formerly owned by Prince and she gets $450,000 commision. She has tons of properties, she has already bought each of her kids a $1.5 million house that comes with swimming pools and memberships to golf courses. (Why can't she adopt me?)

That makes me wonder how a person can be that successful? And why can't I be that successful? Orange county and the gated community has always been depicted as a place where the social elite lives in. But what exactly makes them better than everybody else? How do they acquire that much wealth? obviously, it's a lot easier if you come from money. You need money in order to make money, if you don't have any to start with, you are pretty much going to be bond to poverty, unless you are very smart, or you go by the way of crime. This TV show just shows you how unfair reality is. In the meantime, since I'm not smart enough and I don't have the guts to rob a bank, I'll just stick to my lottery ticket and hope for luck. (Or maybe I can marry a rich guy like Anna Nicole)

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Another Sunday

Weekends are so short. Not that I have anything planned for them usually, but I would love to just work four days a week like the European and have a long weekend every week. I usually do my laundry every Saturday after struggling to get out of bed for half a day and once laundry is done the weekend is almost over. My colleague suggested me to do laundry on week nights, but I usually get quite lazy after work, with that and cooking dinner I don't want another chore at night.

I think I need a real vacation, to leave my actual life behind and go experience stuff, to forget all responsibilities. I could go to another city and snap artistic pictures or paint some paintings or write stories. Follow a different path for a while and see how I like it.

It's not until recently that I find that I'm not that bad looking. I guess I never had much confidence in any department, and after living on my own for a few years I'm starting to build it. I guess since I'm financially independent now and quite comfortable with my own lifestyles, not to mention finding someone who truly loves me for who I am, my confidence starts to build on its own. It's a great thing. If it continues to build, my goal of happiness might not be that farfetched. Maybe since my value of self is rising, I would really stick to the gym and start taking care of myself and my appearance in general.

I have seen some people pretend to be happy and wear a smile on their face all the time. I can't ignore the fact that soem people can truly be happy all the time, but nature told me that worry is present more than half of the time because it is a natural response to potential threats of the environment and happiness is just a reaction to fulfillment. But most fulfillment is temporary and we know that nobody can be content of what they have. We are always seeking for more, more money, more food, more lovers, bigger house, bigger cars. Therefore, happiness can never lasts. The only way that one can be happy is learn to be content of oneself and what one has. I think being confident in oneself is a good place to start.

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Away

I want to go away. It seems everybody around me are somewhere else but me. My boss and his concubine are going to be in Hollywood, the one in Florida but still they are going to be in Hollywood before winter comes. My best friend DC and his partner are on a mediterranean cruise. My friend ES is going to be in Minnesota. A colleague drove up to Montreal, another one is going to camping this weekend somewhere with his friends. AC was gonna go to Phuket and Jill is going back to Hong Kong two months from now and perhaps Bangkok. Lately I'm just on the treadmill walking 2 miles a day going forward but in fact going nowhere.

I want to go to Greece being around white houses looking out to the blue skies and blue waters. I wanna get lost in the streets of little european cities. Maybe going back to Hong Kong and get to a cooking class or eating and shopping my heart out. What about Las Vegas or LA, even Provincetown sounds good. I'm tired of being here in the city, I need to be away.

If I go to the gym after work like I'm planning to, I would have gone to the gym 5 times in a row. I think I might be hooked to the endorphins that my body is procuing through exercise. They say endorphins can be as strong as morphine. I can offically tell people that I go to the gym "5 times a week" now, it's quite an accomplishment for myself. Tomorrow I'm going in surgery, and the doctor told me that I might not be able to exercise for the next 2 weeks. Well, we'll see.

Met a guy online and I'm thinking maybe I should start a local Mahjong group so people can meet up and play regularly. There are like 23 people who's interested, but if I want to contact those people I would have to pay like $20 a month to set it up. I don't think it's worth it. Especially I don't have a place to host the game, and I don't really know if those people are for real or not. But if i do sign up I might have a great social life and I do love mahjong. I really have to think hard on this one.

ES asked me to go to Mitsuwa with her next week, so it may count toward my wish to do an outing. Maybe I'll just go to NYC again or Atlantic City to calm my nerve a bit. Why can't I be rich, if I had money, I would have just gone anywhere I like and not even worry about it. (Lottery ticket, lottery ticket...)

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Dreams

Dreams are wonderful stuff. I enjoy all of my dreams and I'm fascinated about them. The details in your dreams are all made up in your head, it all comes from your unconsciousness. It's like a movie that you self-directed, self-written and you are the star of it. It's so entertaining and so relevant to your daily life. The strange thing is sometimes you can't even remember what you dreamt about, all that's left is the lingering emotions. You search through your head and all the details are gone, drawn back into your subconscient. How peculiar?

My favorite ones are the ones which I can fly in them. That has been my wish since I was little, I want to fly. Doesn't matter if I grew a pair of wings like Warren Washington III or propel myself through the air like SunGoku, I just want to fly. When I was little I had dreamt that I was traveling on a flying carpet at night in London, that was nice. Of course, I had dreamt that I was a superhero too, I'm a guy after all. And of course, if I dreamt that I was a superhero, on of the power I had whould be flying. Unless that was the kind where I use a metallic robot. Every asian boy must have dreamt those kind of dreams, those robots were in all the best cartoons.

I used to have sleep paralysis. A reoccuring dream in which I woke up in my bed but I couldn't move my body or say anything at all. I always scared shitless when that's nothing worse that can happen to me. I would kinda scream and yell inside and eventually snap out of it. After doing some research online, I realize that it is only a dream. So when that happens the very next time, I wasn't scared anymore and just because I knew that was a dream, I flew up in the air and left. After that my sleep paralysis was cured. I'm self-conscious like that. Sometimes I would realize I'm in a dream and slap myself in the face. When it doesn't hurt and I know I'm in a dream, I start to do things that I want to do. It never lasts long enough, but it's a good way to relief stress.

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Paths and Runways

'Project Runway' has been one of my favorite TV shows since it had started, it's a show about fashion designers competing to show in New york's fashion week and potentially get their clothing mass produced and sold to the general public. The thing that drawn me to the show is the sheer creativity that these people have, to work around the same topic but create different garments based on their own styles and values.

For some reasons, I never thought making clothes from scratch was possible. Although my mom did made me several outfits when I was in France. There are paatern stores that you can get patterns for anything you want in any sizes. When I was in school in Paris, students were required to put on a drama show every year for Saint Baptiste Day or something like that. I played a cat-cooking chef one year and a cow-baron the other, and my mom made me both costumes, they were very well made too. We had a little Singer sewing machine at home.

There is a saying in Chinese to describe 4 basic needs of us humans; "Clothing, Eat, Shelter, Transport." While I can pretty much walk to any place I want and I can cook. I can't build shelters and I can't make clothes. Although lately, I ahve the urge to learn how to do things in order to fulfill my potentials. I was learning the ppiano for a semester, I'll be interested to learn another language or get professional training in my cooking, maybe a class in photography or sculpting or painting. Watching 'Project Runway', designing clothes is like another way to express your own creativity. They make it seemed so easy that I wonder if I can do it. I really want to know what I'm good at, and I'm really want to know if I'll be good at this. They say god gives everybody an unique gift, I feel like I've yet to open up my box and see what it is.

Like I said, I'll probably have to win the lottery in order to do any of these things. Funny, once you've started your career, you've entered a predetermined path and it's not often that you get the opportunity to change that path.

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The Mirage that is Sixty-Six Million Dollars

Every year around my birthday I buy a lottery ticket, thinking someone in heaven will reward me for being a good boy again for yet another year. It's like making up a list before X'mas, hoping that Santa will forgive the bad things I've done during the year and give me something nice.

So I bought a ticket Friday after work. For me, it is not about winning, really. Of course, winning would be nice. But for a measly $5, I get to imagine what I'll do when it does pay off. It's far more entertaining than a movie. I don't even have to be educated to know that my odds are against me. Then, every math course I have ever attended, the professor always spend a little time to tell you what the odds are for winning the lottery. Last time I check is around, 14 million to 1. But I always thought that if somebody has to win it, why not me? You can never win if you don't play, you know.

To extend my imagination, I would intentionally not check the results. It was suppose to draw Saturday night and I still didn't find out the winning numbers yet. Deep down, I know that I have wasted another 5 bucks. But it's fun to imagine. Hell, I'm not even an U.S. citizen. If my number does match (cross my heart and hope to die), I'm not even qualify to claim the prize. I would have to find somebody else to claim it and then I'll have to share it with that person. That is, if he doesn't grab my ticket and run. I already made a pact with my friend, if it ever happens he'll claim it for a quarter of the winnings.

As long as I don't check the numbers, I can think about how to spend it if I had won. Again, that's what I paid my money for. The jackpot this time is for something like $110 Million, given if they pay you part of it every year for the next 30 years. (Now come on, who wants that really?) If you want it paid all at once like I do (and every sane person in the world would!), you'll get $66 Million. After paying tax, it's probably around $44 Million.

I would immediately hire myself a lawyer, and accountant and a financial adviser. Pay off my student loan. Spend $2-4 Million to buy myself a house or a loft in the city. (The real estate has recently inflated) Give my grandma a quarter mil for raising me, give my three aunt and two uncle each a hundred thousand. Give the uncle whom I hate fifty thousand dollars. Help my friends out if they need help paying their mortgage or get them a car. I will go back to school, study culinary arts and restaurant management and opening up a nice restaurant according to my idea. Of course I would be in charge of it, but then I would go to school to fulfill my other interests and potentials like photography and various arts.

I would be use about $15 Million to acquire a property by a beach to be my summer home. The rest, say another $15 Million, half of it is going to savings or IRA and the other half would be used to invest for my retirement. I had known the potential of Yahoo and Google or even Martha Stewart when they first came into the stock market. If I had money then, I wouldn't be thinking about buying lottery tickets now.

So that's my $5 dollars for you. Thinking about who to give money to and who to not give money to because they treat you one way or the other. I am still thinking about whether to check the results or not. It's like mental-masturbation. It's the best 5 bucks I've ever spent, really.

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