A Closer Look … (@ MegaMillions!!)

with Anthony Newcombe

March 13, 2025

This month’s topic: The Lottery ($5 now)

I don’t understand something. Perhaps you can help me. I noticed last week that the California MegaMillions just announced that starting this April, the entry fee going forward will now be $5 – up from $2.

The rationale went something like this: “Now, MegaMillions wannabes will be able to LOWER their odds of winning…blah, blah, blah…”

I’m not a big fan of the lotto (too much of a control freak regarding my finances) but I can’t help but notice the plethora of citizens who partake in the contest (many of them as often as possible), and I know they all really have faith they will one day hit the big jackpot.

I guess for the purposes of this blog entry, I’m more concerned about the “little guys.” You know, the ones who can’t seem to make their monthly nut, yet squirrel-away just enough ducats to participate whenever possible.

So, lotto entries are ALSO subject to inflation?

Now, being that we are facing some odd and widespread inflationary issues right now, I can’t help but wonder why the lotto bosses thought this was a good time to “raise the ante.” Let’s face it: Americans are bellyaching over the price of eggs, gas, mortgages, rent etc.

I agree with said aches & pains. HOWEVER, I don’t see the logic in paying 150% more for a gambling ticket while they are enduring said inflation. I mean, it’s like saying to someone:

“Let me help you out with that inflation. I know you’re in need of making some big money but first just give me some extra money and I promise you your odds of winning big will move UP from being struck by lightning while a Great White Shark is devouring you – to simply being struck while relaxing on a random park bench.”

Coo coo, isn’t it. I don’t know what to say. HELP! S.O.S.

What do YOU think?

Oh, and “happy spring season!”

– A.N.

PROFILE

Anthony Newcombe is a 4-time entrepreneur, published author & narrator, and full-stack web developer. He can be reached for appearances via our CONTACT PAGE.

RELATED WORKS BY THIS AUTHOR

https://writeplus.biz/a-closer-look-17/

A Closer Look … (October, 2024)

with Anthony Newcombe

October 24, 2024

This month’s topic

DON’T YOU THINK THE ELECTION PROCESS IS TAKING TOO MUCH ENERGY, TIME (AND CASH) FROM OUR LIVES?

I don’t know about you, but I am more than a bit concerned about the time, effort and patience, etc. that are tossed upon us during the extended process demanded of us to participate in. I get it, we are doing our civic duty, and we care tremendously about the success of the country. That said, what more can we be asked of/ demanded to do here?

DONATION TEXTS

Why are most of my new texts for donations? Is there NO AMOUNT of money that will fill the political bucket? Record numbers have been donated up til now, but you’d think all the candidates were dead broke. What is that all about? I mean, do we need to start funding the issues ourselves, or what?!

MAIL

I haven’t seen a piece of “wanted mail” in many months. All that appears is “candidate mail” – vote for this guy, that guy, this initiative, that initiative, blah blah blah. Face it, it’s just tons of extra paper for my shredder to slice and dice up.

COMMERCIALS

There were probably reruns of the same commercial 3-4 times in minutes interrupting a sports event I really wanted to watch. Why? Don’t they know we got the message once or twice? Do we need all these stimuli? We’re not busy enough?!

RALLIES

Have you ever seen so many rallies going on?! It’s impossible to keep track of them all these days. And who is keeping track of all the messaging? It looks to me like some of the rallies are doing some things that may be, shall we say, illegal …

MY FINAL VERDICT

In a nutshell, I think we have gotten a little too romantic looking at our candidates. We need to rein in some of the fantasy and refocus on some of the more obvious issues that need attention right here and right now!

Your turn now. What do YOU think can be done? 🙋

Hope your fall season is off to a great start! 🍁

-A.N.

PROFILE

Anthony Newcombe is a 4-time entrepreneur, published author & narrator, and full-stack web developer. He can be reached via our CONTACT PAGE for appearances.

A Closer Look (Aug. 2024)

with Anthony Newcombe

**Let’s take *a closer look* … at CHIA stuff!**

August 7, 2024

This month’s topic: How did “Chia” become edible?

This month’s topic: How did “Chia” become edible?

Good morning/afternoon/evening wherever you may be. I was thumbing through our provisions cupboard the other day when I noticed something very, very odd. Let me digress a bit first: not to “date” myself too much, but I recall as a youngster that we were inundated with television commercials about a new toy: the Chia Pet.

You’ve probably heard of it too! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzY7qQFij_M

Don’t quote me on it (it’s been a minute) but I believe the goal was to sit it on any desk, hope chest, G.I. Joe© builder set, etc. and sprinkle the chia seeds on a bald-backed beast (a goat, bear, dog or something), add a lil’ water and …VOILÁ …sometime later, that thing would sprout … HAIR!!

Fast forward to the other day in the cupboard. After all these decades, I ran into something called “Chia seeds!” What made it so strange is that nowadays, well, it appears that young people (I house a few of them part-time during the hottest months) have chosen to EAT the same seeds that we sprouted hair with. In fact, I had NO IDEA my Chia Pet was so healthy! Did you?!

Ch-ch-ch-CHIA! https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-chia-seeds

Are they aware of this? If so, do they even care? I’m hesitant to ask because I don’t want to have to mop my kitchen floor after they hear they are unknowingly ingesting “hair growth products” and proceed to yak all over the joint.

Do I need to tell them? Or should I do what the parents did in our day … either just say nothing or tell them to “go out in the street and PLAY!”

What do YOU THINK?

Hope your summer is going as effin’ boiling hot as mine is!

Peace,

-A.N.

PROFILE

Anthony Newcombe is a 4-time entrepreneur, published author & narrator, and full-stack web developer. He can be reached for appearances via our “CONTACT US” PAGE.

“SURGE PRICING,” “DYNAMIC PRICING,” ETC.

(And whether they all perhaps are just different terms for, well, “GOUGING”)

I don’t know about you, but I think this one might be well worth a shout down. Just imagine being a businessperson and suddenly being able to decide at what time(s) of day (or night) that you would choose to charge for a price for your product or service?

First, I completely understand the “wish” for this to occur, but what makes no sense whatsoever is how it all fits into a lawful and fair process for those who PAY YOU for your product or service.

Let’s take ***a closer look*** … @ some PRICE SURGES!!

Case Study: The Donut

Peering in from the customer side of things, I would think that a customer who buys a donut at 5 a.m. (before the morning rush) would expect that, with surge pricing, he or she should obtain the BEST price for the donut purchased. This, not only because said donut is certainly “fresher” at 5 a.m., but also because LESS people are competing to purchase the donut at the time. A different argument could say that the customer should pay MORE because it was just made and will taste best at this hour.

So, where does that leave us? Should the donut be MORE expensive at 5 a.m.? Or, should it be MORE expensive around 7 a.m. when the traffic numbers are much higher? At any rate, trying to even give intelligent answers to these questions seems like a recipe for disaster and it looks like the only places these matters will end up in are the courts!

RELEVANT LINKS

UBER 🚗

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/03/business/dynamic-surge-pricing-nightcap/index.html

Wendy’s 🍔

https://apnews.com/article/wendys-surge-pricing-tanner-burger-dynamic-9417bc235bbcd13d82966d04a6ba42bd

Jet Blue’s Latest: ✈️

https://viewfromthewing.com/desperate-jetblue-ups-ante-with-new-record-high-dynamic-pricing-for-checked-bags/

PROFILE

Anthony Newcombe is a 4-time entrepreneur, published author & narrator, and full-stack web developer. He can be reached directly via our CONTACT PAGE.

How about an AI CEO?

A Closer Look …

with Anthony Newcombe

This month: Here’s an idea: let’s build an A.I. replacement for CEOs!!

You’ve heard it, I’ve heard, we’ve all heard it recently. “Artificial intelligence is going to replace me, and no one is going to be able to do anything about it!” Whether it’s Hollywood writers & actors, as well as other creators of duplicative content or services, it seems everyone is at risk of being replaced (substituted?) by AI.

WHY THIS MAKES SENSE

Call it alarmist, paranoid, or anything else you wish. The fact is that it’s coming – and FAST! I recall when I was very young going to the movies and seeing Westworld with Richard Benjamin and a very intimidating Yul Brenner. I might be too proud to say I was shaking in my boots, but let’s just settle on the fact that I NEVER forgot that movie. If only I’d known that it was simply a precursor …

Fast forward to today. It seems the only working people who are the most frightened by this concept are those whose decisions are being made on their behalf. Combine that with a general lack of trust for those in charge and BOOM – we are left with the anger, disbelief, and anxiety that is here.

CONTENT CREATOR P.O.V. VS. CEO P.O.V.

I think about things like this all the time. As a content creator, I understand fully the importance of “having a say over my creation(s).” Conversely, as a CEO, I understand the need to stay ahead of the business/technology curve and to keep costs in check, etc. However, in this situation, I’m going to side with the creators. I’m going to do this for the purposes of this blog entry simply BECAUSE-I-CAN!

THE WRAP UP

Finally, I’m going to propose that we embark on inventing a brand-new CEO in A.I. It won’t be overpaid, it won’t chastise and intimidate its workforce, and it won’t force others to (Return to Office or “RTO”) drive to the office every day should they prefer to work from home (WFH).

Pretty cool, huh? You’re welcome.

What do YOU think?

Hope your very hot summer is not so horrible.

Stay hydrated.

-A.N.

PROFILE

Anthony Newcombe is a 4-time entrepreneur, published author & narrator, and full-stack web developer. He can be reached for appearances via our CONTACT PAGE.

HE DID WHAT?! THE SUPREME COURT

⚖️What’s going on in our Supreme Court? ⚖️

A Closer Look …

with Anthony Newcombe

⚖️This month’s topic: Allegations of bribery in our Supreme Court ⚖️

I guess it really does not matter which side of the aisle you put yourself. The bottom line is there cannot be rampant bribery allowed at the highest levels of the judiciary! Period.

Even if we were talking about a Supreme Court Justice whom you agreed with, the fact that we are even in the midst of something so destructive to our country should be enough to make your skin crawl.

Let me digress. Imagine if we simply sat back and allowed criminals to rob us of our belongings, kidnap our children, or beat us to a pulp when we are standing in a line at a convenience store.

Imagine if we allowed a random shooter to wind his way through the city and mow down everyone and everything in his sight. How about thinking about enabling a rogue police officer to roam about the city having his way with anyone he encounters?

The answer is (or at least hopefully is) we would never stand for any of these. So, if we really want to show the country that we care for it, we’d better hitch up our straps, think seriously and DO SOMETHING before NOTHING IS PUNISHED.

We cannot keep looking the other way. We need the concept of law & order to come from the very top. If not, we cannot expect our citizens to behave. No “self-policing,” “honor system,” or the like. We spend enough taxpayer money on so many things that aren’t nearly this consequential to our future. We can do better in this area too, correct? What is there to hide?

We need independent oversight with teeth. If we do not get it straight, we cannot expect those committing the crimes to do it for us. Exactly like we expect it done in our communities.

What do YOU think?

-A.N.

PROFILE

Anthony Newcombe is a 4-time entrepreneur, published author, narrator, and full-stack web developer.

Make up your minds people!

A Closer Look …

with Anthony Newcombe

I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit befuddled by the “wishy-washiness” (for lack of a better term) of our current approach to running our country. Let’s just get right to it.

First, we need to figure out what our actual priorities are. I just received a weather report yesterday that over two feet of rain (yes, that is correct) was expected for the south Florida region in less than 8 hours. Normally, hearing that rain is headed to south Florida is nothing unusual. However, when the Ft. Lauderdale Airport becomes frickin’ Lake Okeechobee in less than an hour (requiring extensive closure), it registers. It really registers.

So, if political and corporate leaders wish to tout Florida as “the place to be,” shouldn’t they also pay the same attention to how people plan to navigate these apocalyptic conditions? In other words, it seems a fool’s errand to pack a state with people, homes, businesses, etc. while simultaneously ignoring the fact that the state can’t handle the worsening weather conditions, right?!

By the way, not to pick on Florida, but we can see this happening pretty much everywhere. Heavy snowfall one week, and dry fire conditions the next (see New Jersey or California). Tornadoes roaring through the mid west, south and also touching down in California.

I guess my point is: at what point do we figure out that we are in over our collective skulls? Do we need to see one of our states literally “fall off the map” in order to do more? Does some location need to sink?

What do you think?

A.N.

Profile

Anthony Newcombe is a 4-time entrepreneur, published author & narrator, and a full-stack web developer. He enjoys most outdoor activities and hopes to be able to survive the probable apocalypse at some point …

The “New” Lazy

A Closer Look

with Anthony Newcombe

This month’s topic: The “New Lazy”

la·zy

/ˈlāzē/

adjective

adjective: lazy; comparative adjective: lazier; superlative adjective: laziest

unwilling to work or use energy.

“He was too lazy to cook”

Or, how about, “We were too lazy to drive to the drive thru”

Our household just received the latest “new thing.” It is, in fact, a digi-coupon from DoorDash informing us (don’t quote me) something like “… save 15% on our orders from Del Taco in the next 15 days!”

Del Taco? Do you mean the drive-thru Del Taco?” Seriously?! So, let me get this straight. We can’t even rally enough to throw on some clothes and drive ourselves to the drive thru?! In just a few short years of Covid-19, we’ve now become so lazy that we can’t even bring ourselves to do what the formerly lazy people did before the shutdown.

It says a lot about how easily we can be persuaded “after the fact.” We’ve normalized something as simple as getting into our cars and driving a few blocks down the street. We’re even now willing to include a “delivery charge” just to be able to keep ourselves firmly planted in place. What’s next, having someone to bring the delivery into our homes and arrange our plastic cutlery for us prior to engorging?

Hold on a sec. My security cameras just informed me that “Dasher” is here with my lunch.

Gotta go!

See you in the new year – have a safe holiday and don’t eat too … well, you know you will! <);^)

A.N.

PROFILE

Anthony Newcombe is a 4-time entrepreneur, published author & narrator, and full-stack web developer. His insta handles are @50AINT30 and @anjet123

#ImmediateGratification #WhatHaveWeBecome #LowEnergy

CAST YOUR BALLOT!!🗳️

A Closer Look …

with Anthony Newcombe

This month’s topic: Why are there so few prerequisites in running for congress?

BACKGROUND

Like some of you (okay, many) the past few weeks, we’ve been perusing and marking our bingo cards – I mean, election cards- in the hopes of putting in charge the group that is destined to either botch our next several years or rescue them from the “evil ones” (you feel free to pick your sides – my job is hard enough here folks!).

Then, we patiently endure seemingly endless hours/ days/ weeks in tallying everything up. Then, we huddle up around our televisions (or computers) and moan, groan, cheer, and sigh as the results slowly and methodically drift across our screens. We’ve even been conditioned to wait for “run-off results” later in the year. How does that help to increase “voter turnout?” Koo-koo, right?

My question is: why are we putting ourselves through all of this when it seems all the “elected” must do is find enough people to mark their ballots in their direction? I mean, I don’t know about you, but I personally think it’s irresponsible to run for office to create the laws of the land when you can’t even prove that you know anything about anything.

Are members of congress lawmakers – or very expensive seat fillers with rubber stamps?

I mean, some of these “candidates” couldn’t get elected dog catcher because most American voters love their dogs (cats too) way too much to put them through hell dealing with an incompetent “d-catcher” for the next 2-6 years. There must be a better way.

REQUIREMENTS FOR RUNNING FOR CONGRESS

So, basically, there are age and residence restrictions. Should the candidate be required to know anything about the law? Why not? Why would a lawmaker not be required to know anything about the law before occupying a spot that pays nearly $200,000 per year of tax-payer dollars?

SOLUTIONS/ PROPOSALS

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A Closer Look

with Anthony Newcombe

Topic

This month’s topic: Why are NFL players allowed to get behind the quarterback and push him into the end zone, but the defense can’t sack him in the pocket?

Issue

Many of my followers follow me to get a giggle or two once a month. However, today, I’m not playing around anymore. I know we’re only about a third of the way through the 2022 campaign, but it’s starting to look like this is going to be an infuriating season. Right, non-Philly fans? You’re undefeated at the time of this writing and your MLB team is in the NLCS. So, sit down and shut up for now.🤓

I just hate to see such an exciting, addictive sport like football turn into a hapless medley of contradictions. One example is the allowance of pile-driving the quarterback (running back or “wildcat back”) into the end zone or across the first down marker. Does this jibe with all the other rules like: hitting a defenseless receiver, leading with the helmet, striking a quarterback during a running slide, or myriad pass interference calls in the secondary?

What about the flags they constantly throw when a field goal defender launches himself off the backside of a wide-haunched teammate? I thought they were “trying to protect the safety of the players first and foremost?” How is that achieved in this matter? Oh, and don’t get me started on the quarterback sack issue. You know, the one where certain quarterbacks (wink, wink – not any of my team’s!!) are afforded the launching of the yellow laundry while others are completely ignored?

Personally, I’d think a player would prefer his own teammate place his cleats on his cushy tushy while he leaps into the air to “Mutombo” a field goal kick (“NO, NO, NO!”) rather than dig his helmet into my spine and heave ho forward like some ancient Spartan of the past just to get me another yard or two.

My wishes aside – seriously, is one really “safer” than the other? I think not. It’s kind of ridiculous if you ask me. I think the game is getting so far away from its intended roots that we might want to call it something else soon. How about “Pickleball?” No?

What do YOU think?

P.S. Apologies for being such a serious stiff this month …

-A.N.

PROFILE

Anthony Newcombe is a 4-time entrepreneur, published author and narrator, full-stack developer, and a very humble guy. He thinks he’s “super-skilled” around the house, but his wife would definitely say otherwise …