640 effing million

Not even slightly.

Let me edit that: Do I have a desire to do things that help? Yes. I volunteer at the Humane Society. I have signed up to volunteer somewhere else as well.

But "great deal of pressure?" No.

 

Impact on friends? Impact on family? Don't care about any of that?

 

Again, you said "pressure." I guess I need to ask what you meant by that.

 

What I mean is that right now, you can rationalize not spending every waking moment at, say, the Humane Society, because, well, you still have to make a living. And you are only a woman of so much means to do so. With $500 million in hand, I think that you'd feel like you should be able to exponentially improve your contributions. Or that you should be solving other problems, as well. Our jobs give our lives quite a bit of meaning. A reason to get up in the morning, so to speak. But with all of our money issues solved, we'd have to make our own meaning entirely. I think that would create a lot of internal pressure.

 

Not for me. I would do more time at the Humane Society. But I would also spend more time with my own animals. I'd get to visit my brother in prison more often than twice a year. I'd get to go see my family.

So "pressure" to solve world hunger, or to take care of every problem? No. But I'd sure as shit use that money to do the things I can't do now.

 

And I love that waking up means you have meaning. My job MAKES me wake up in the morning. It's a means to an end. It's not a calling, or something that means I'm doing something for society. It's a necessary evil. Without that, I could sleep the schedule my body wants me to (4 a.m.-noon) and give me my afternoons to do with as I please.

 

I mean, this isn't me, Dick Whitman, telling you, IJAG, that your job gives you meaning. What I'm saying is that, psychologically, jobs frequently give people a reason to feel that their life means something. That it matters. That may not be the case for you. I'm sure there's a continuum, but I bet you would be part of the tail of a bell curve.

 

Right. And I'm not speaking for anyone else when I post. I'm just saying that I, IJAG, would feel no pressure to "do good" after a random computer spit out six numbers for me. I feel more pressure now, making more than my parents, to help them pay their bills after a bankruptcy, my dad's heart attack, and my mom being forced out of her full-time job. To send money to my brother so he can afford toothpaste (did you know they don't give you SHIT in prison? and that toothpaste is like $6.50 a tube? It's ridiculous.) To pay for my car, and my house, and my four pets. To help those around me who need it and not feel guilty for taking care of me too.

THAT'S pressure. Being able to sleep in and spend anything I want to? NO pressure at all.

 

Dick, thank you for your PM. I sent a very thankful, thoughtful response. It was blocked.

 

Don't be mad about that, please. Must have somehow been from before. Will correct. Have more interest in sliding down a banister of razor blades than getting into any personal pissing matches with anybody today.

 

I wasn't mad. Was just telling you I appreciated the gesture. I figured it was from before.

 

I surprised no one posted this. Michigan will enact a law restricting SNAP benefits for lottery winners after a handful of people continued to get benefits after winning.

A couple of my Facebook friends posted this as a reason to end SNAP, because few open abusing the system should be a reason to end it, right?

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/03/08/michigan-woman-who-won-1m-lottery-but-kept-using-food-stamps-loses-benefits-141935620/