This was in an environment where LA County unemployment was around 12% and there were media comparisons between CA and Greece and so forth. 

Just checked.Currently at a record 476 million for Friday's drawing for Mega Millions.They said either 51 or 52 people drew 5 numbers last night when it was at 363 million but nobody hit the big power ball number.There are already 3 hour lines across the country.I think the amount could be pushed to 500 million before the drawing as the lotto could could much more revenue paying out 24 more million to that 1/2 billion payout mark.I think form shear volume someone will win it on Friday because too many tickets will be sold not to.

@Tim Walls PowerBall drawing tonight at 10:59PM $80,000,000.

Hi Noah,I can share a bit of my experience with you since I'm doing something kind of similar and I have a vaguely similar background, banking in emerging markets (in particular but not exclusively Latin America), which included emerging markets risk analysis.While I could invest in land because a) it is very speculative, b) it doesn't produce any cash flows, c) you cannot borrow against it and d) this is not were the money is.Instead, I buy condos well below market value to rent them short term in countries like Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Brazil, Spain, Portugal or Greece.

I opened up a successful beach bar in Greece.

If it was working I would probably use it to win at blackjack or the Powerball.

All you need to do is cash out your retirement accounts and buy powerball lottery tickets.

Thanks for proving my point Tim, that just about every other civilized country out there has universal coverage.As far as life expectancy goes, I read that small villages in Greece and China hold the record.

I look at all the countries who are facing real devaluation of their currencies Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain to name a few and realize that it can also happen here.

He uses Greece as an example however they had a forced default.