The Norman Transcript

Editorials

Discussion

December 2, 2012

Powerball mania abounds

The Norman Transcript

NORMAN — The frenzy surrounding this past week’s record $588 million Powerball ticket sales is beyond our comprehension. National news shows joined in the hype. A local television news crew camped out in front of a lottery billboard promoting ticket sales.

The odds of winning were astronomical and grew by the hour. Tickets were selling at a rate of 130,000 a minute. The math just didn’t compute, but still we dreamed and thought of how we would spend all that money.

Two winning tickets have emerged, and neither were sold in Oklahoma. Tickets were sold at a convenience store in suburban Phoenix and a gas station in Dearborn, Mo. The Missouri winner was named Friday. A 52-year-old mechanic and his wife will share the winnings with the Arizona ticketholder.

Some of us even had lawyers and financial professionals on standby, since that was the advice given by previous winners. Hey, you never know when someone is going to be $588 million richer. One thing is for sure: You would make the Christmas card list of a lot of new best friends and distant relatives.

For local news and more, subscribe to The Norman Transcript Smart Edition, or our print edition.

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Editorials
  • There’s no answer for ‘Why?’

    Just hours before, there was breakfast and laughter. Pictures were on the walls and memories were in every room. But in seconds, those joys of life were reduced to a concrete slab by a rage of nature that man will never fully understand....

    May 22, 2013

  • Moore’s amazing resilience

    Our hearts, already heavy from Sunday’s deadly tornado in far eastern Cleveland County, sunk even further Monday afternoon as we watched the tornado rip through Moore. The monster storm that hit Monday followed nearly the same path as the ...

    May 22, 2013

  • Relying on private prisons

    Oklahoma began contracting to place inmates in private prisons during Gov. Frank Keating’s administration in 1995. Today, more than 5,000, or 23 percent, of our inmates are in the custody of three private prisons....

    May 21, 2013

  • Thanks for warnings

    We can’t say there wasn’t enough warning this time around....

    May 21, 2013

  • Airline changes coming

    In the airlines business, time is money. American Airlines wants to try and speed up its boarding process. Passengers who travel with only a personal item such as a purse or a brief case can now get on first....

    May 19, 2013

  • SEC should act on conflicts

    Money talks. In the continuing dispute over the all-too-cozy relationship between the people who create and sell financial products and the people who rate their risk, the money says: Shut up and let us do what we want....

    May 19, 2013

  • We all deserve better

    The tough treatment of the Tea (Taxed Enough Already) party and other conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service is being assailed by leaders of both political parties....

    May 19, 2013

  • Tax plan gets projects going

    A deal to divert state use taxes to fund completion of the American Indian Cultural Center Museum in Oklahoma City and build the Museum of Popular Culture in Tulsa looks like a good way to get some momentum on both projects....

    May 18, 2013

  • Keeping the state’s promise

    A college education or professional certification will not guarantee a successful career, but the odds are much better when such accomplishment is achieved. Access to post-high school education is often problematic. Oklahoma’s Promise, ...

    May 18, 2013

  • National Bike to Work Day

    Norman visitors and new residents often comment on how flat it is around here. Indeed, Norman is at the crossroads of the flat western half of the state and the more hilly eastern half....

    May 17, 2013