I’d find out when the last super big lottery jackpot was won and go back to the drawing before the big one (since, historically, nobody wins the previous drawing leading up to the biggie, I would take this one, otherwise I’d have to share my winnings with the other ticketholders who also had those numbers.)
I’d go back to the days when Microsoft was barely known and buy up thousands of shares. Then, just before the big dot-bomb crash occurred I’d sell it all.
In any case, when September 10 came around I’d have to do something like cause a major blackout on the east coast in order to thwart the terrorists from proceeding with their plans. I’d bring the September 12 copy of The New York Times with me so that if I were arrested for causing a blackout people would at least see the catastrophe that I had prevented.
Go back to 1940 and have a chat with J.R.R. Tolkien about the world that he made up and maybe get him to teach me some elvish!
Id bring back a copy of FOTR to see if he liked it, because dispite that fact that he didnt like ‘new technology’ I think hed be impressed with the film.
Back to a time before all the land was ‘owned’ with an SAS survival book. I’d have a treetop city with pullys and ropelifts built within a month, and all the most beautiful forest women would adore me and want to have my children.
Back to medieval times (probably the same time period as above) with some modern currency. It would somehow make me a very rich person, Id own a castle and be a knight stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. And all the most beautiful village women would adore me and want to have my children.
Back to the time when the UK lottery had it’s highest jackpot (42 million I think) with the winning numbers. With the winnings I’d move to California or Florida where all the most beautiful beach women would adore me and want to have my children.
I’d go back to the latter half of the 1700s and I wouldn’t bring a darn thing with me. I’ve always thought I was better suited for that time, and I just don’t feel right in this era. (Except for the occassional bright spots in technology. Like you folks. And webcomics.)
I’ll go back to medieval Europe, and live the life of a court mystic. With scientific knowledge of science and engineering, life is going to be fun [Rubs hands together in a sufficiently evil manner]
The only thing I would bring is an entire set of hardcopy encyclopedias. And get all the necessary vaccine shots done before departure too.