[holmes]

lottery = PONZI

[eastbay]

Spec's problem, as we all know, is with simple and common grammar, not math.

However, if he admits to buying lotto tickets then we must add poor math skills to the list of his cognitive deficiencies, but not until then.

[mekrob]

I don't know about in TX, but I think some states or at least the big lottos let you have a choice whether you take it in a lump sum or over time.

[eastbay]

Whoa cowboy,

You don't collect 'it' in a lump sum, you collect somewhere around .6 'it' if you choose lump sum.

[mekrob]

It's pretty obvious what I meant. I was just disputing what he was saying about taking it out over an extended period of time.

[JoeW]

while i agree the lottery is a scam, it is not as bad as made out to be here... the statement that 9,999,999 others get nothing is not true. most games give a smaller pay-out for matching 2 or more numbers. it's not a lot, but it's not "nothing," either.
still, it is for suckers, and anyone who understands the math can see that very easily. you are much better off going to a casino and playing just about any game you like.

[Strontium_Dog]

Don't forget desperation, many people buy lotto tickets not because they are dumb, they know how unlikely their chances are, saying they are motivated by greed lets us comfortably think they only have themselves to blame, they're fucked and they know it, they cannot see anything less than a miracle helping them out of their situation, pray and gamble against the odds, not so much idiots as hopeless fools.
(although part of me thinks most have allowed themselves to fall into a state of mind were they are unable to effect positive change in their own lives, reactive instead of active, ie wait for shit to happen instead of making shit happen) yeah hopeless fools without the inner stength to make positive changes to their circumstances, prime pickings for the army or religious wackos offering salvation.

[mekrob]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Strontium_Dog', 'D')on't forget desperation, many people buy lotto tickets not because they are dumb, they know how unlikely their chances are, saying they are motivated by greed lets us comfortably think they only have themselves to blame, they're fucked and they know it, they cannot see anything less than a miracle helping them out of their situation, pray and gamble against the odds, not so much idiots as hopeless fools.
(although part of me thinks most have allowed themselves to fall into a state of mind were they are unable to effect positive change in their own lives, reactive instead of active, ie wait for shit to happen instead of making shit happen) yeah hopeless fools without the inner stength to make positive changes to their circumstances, prime pickings for the army or religious wackos offering salvation.

[12amps]

Its not just the lottery issue. This happens all around us.
Anyone been to Jack-in-Box lately? I was there for lunch yesterday and now it seems they have this new policy where instead of giving you the receipt and calling you by number they ask you to write down your name on the receipt and they keep the receipt and call you on a first name basis to pick up your food. Not only that, they also go into detail about a number you should call and to do a survey by phone with Jack-in-the-Box and have a chance of Winning $10,000 US falling dollars.

If I ask, who benefits from this? Jack in the fucking box or ME the customer?
Anyone with so much of half a brain (Specops is an exception) will know that it’s a ponzi scheme all the way up and down. The really funny thing is where I live all the fast food restaurants have been taken over either by Hispanics or Blacks. I hardly ever see a Caucasian anymore and I have never ever seen an Asian working at McDonalds, Jack in Box, etc. And before you say that all the Asians have taken the REAL jobs, that is simply not true. I know of plenty of Asians here who have tried to get a job at McDonalds but always rejected..

SO I have this Mexican with a strong accent telling me how I can ‘WIN’ $10,000 just by calling this number and participating in a survey. I wanted to explain to him the truth. I wanted to tell him its all motivation of greed on every level, or else it would never work. I wanted to tell him that the only reason anyone would ever fill out that survey was for the astronomically small chance of money and not because they are genuinely interested in helping out Jack-in-the-Box but because of desperation and wishfully thinking some will always fall for the trap, and that the only reason you the cashier are coercing me to fill out that survey is because you want to promote your store location and you *might* have a astronomically small chance of doing better at this survey participation scheme than all the other Jack-in-the-Boxes across nation and thus you *might* stand to benefit by getting as many people to call as possible, and it is precisely because of your desperation and blind optimism that you are doing so right now, and lastly I wanted to tell him that only one that is certain to actually benefit is the top, they on the top will have more to gain if this ‘survey’ scheme works like they intended it too, yet there ‘gain’ is our ‘loss. How many stupid people are coaxed into wasting their time to fill that stupid bullshit survey and get NOTHING in return? If a million people fill out that survey and each take five minutes then thats 83,000. Even at minium wage thats $450,000.
Time is money. So if you are a minimal wage worker expect to lose
50 cents every time you are foolish enough to fill out that fucking survey. If you earn $250,000 a year expect to lose out $13 per survey. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

I didn’t explain this to him because it would have taken too long, and besides he would have moved on to the next customer in order to provide his ‘service’ and do ‘business’ and be an obedient worker and make money for the restaurant.

I feel sorry that most of the people like him don’t have a clue what is about to happen to the US and the World in the next few years.

Cashier: “Sir, you just have to call this number and you can win $10,000 dollars!”

Sir: “why the fuck are you still working here you stupid asshole, why the fuck aren’t YOU calling that fucking number and winning your $10,000 dollars!!?”

The world is full of stupid people.

[12amps]

And Yesterday night I was watching “DEAL OR NO DEAL” and this lady who works at a restaurant in New York was playing for half a million. DEAL OR NO DEAL (and Apprentice and others, etc) have this thing where you could win $10,000 by calling in and voting on your cell phone.

If the general public just knew what stinky pyramid scheme this really is they would never fall for it. I’m glad I don’t have a cellphone… And at the rate PO is coming true, I may never have the need to get one….

So this girl on DEAL OR NO DEAL gets $131,000 offer from the banker and Howe asks her if $131,000 would ‘change her life’. And she’s all fucking excited and saying ‘OH YES! THAT MONEY WOULD SO CHANGE MY LIFE’.

And she’d be right. $131,000 would change anyone’s life. (useless you are already filthy rich) But the thing of it is this: for every New York Shitty Nobody that goes on shows like this, the network is ripping MILLIONS of people off who watches shows like this…
How are they ripping them off you ask? Subliminal adverstiments.

We are a consumption culture. We want to spend, spend, spend, consume, consume, consume. And let be frank, even without advertisements shows like Deal or No Deal and Apprentice Don’t teach sustainability and don’t reflect reality.


I mean just take the AMERICAN INVENTOR show for example. It talks about one person getting the American Dream. Are all Americans fucking retarded or do they have the memory of a goldfish? The definition of American Dream is that it could be for EVERYONE in America. (at least the vast majority) The believe that ALL (most) who worked hard, persevered, had good morals and business ethics, had the American spirit, can eventually prosper in this free market, capitalism, democratic, land of the free home of the brave from sea to fucking shiny sea… That is a important part of the American dream, that EVERYONE can have this dream is the dream itself! It’s want made America so different from all the other nations in this world. Any country has its “RICH” people, even China during its 30 year backwards revolution still have RICH people, what make America so different was the standard of living was pleasant to ALL those lucky enough to be call an American Citizen. THAT was the American Dream.

So here we are, on a show called AMERICAN INVENTOR. Tens of thousands of people where potential applicants. Of these only a thousand make it to the next level. Of these only a few will make it on the show. Only ONE person will get the ‘AMERICAN DREAM” that “AMERICAN INVENTOR” is bragging about. The chance to CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER, is for ONE person out of tens of thousands……

THINK ABOUT THAT……

The American Dream is DEAD.

[Specop_007]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('eastbay', 'S')pec's problem, as we all know, is with simple and common grammar, not math.

However, if he admits to buying lotto tickets then we must add poor math skills to the list of his cognitive deficiencies, but not until then.

[Specop_007]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('12amps', '
')
Cashier: “Sir, you just have to call this number and you can win $10,000 dollars!”

Sir: “why the fuck are you still working here you stupid asshole, why the fuck aren’t YOU calling that fucking number and winning your $10,000 dollars!!?”

The world is full of stupid people.

[12amps]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', '
')

No, his math is fucked.

What Mr. Science has forgotten to tell you is theres a break even point where it feasible to play the lottery.

[Specop_007]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('12amps', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', '
')

No, his math is fucked.

What Mr. Science has forgotten to tell you is theres a break even point where it feasible to play the lottery.

[12amps]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('12amps', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', '
')

No, his math is fucked.

What Mr. Science has forgotten to tell you is theres a break even point where it feasible to play the lottery.

[12amps]

Specs, can we just be friends??

[JoeW]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('12amps', '[')b]Use your fucking brain dipshit.
The Lottery aint no goddamn welfare program, why the fuck would
the state run a money LOSER??

Why you so retarded spec??

[12amps]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('JoeW', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('12amps', '[')b]Use your fucking brain dipshit.
The Lottery aint no goddamn welfare program, why the fuck would
the state run a money LOSER??

Why you so retarded spec??

[Specop_007]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('12amps', '
')You and spec are greedy SOB's that are scamming the money of the dumb, poor, and desperate.

[entropyfails]

For all you SpecOp bashers, this is one area that he has it right. Sorry. Go bash his insane political stance. It’s easier and more fun! *laugh*

The utility of the $1 I spend at the lottery is very small to me and most Americans. The utility of the million dollars I’d get if I won is very large. Small risk for large reward is a formula for investing success.

Of course, if you spend a LARGE amount of money on the lottery, then you are a fool who doesn’t understand probability theory and economic utility.

Read this for more info:

http://www.plover.com/blog/risk.html


As the article points out, saying that lottery is a tax on the stupid is like saying that Fire Insurance is a tax on the stupid, because you usually loose money on both. But when you NEED the fire insurance or when you win the lottery, the payoff is very large indeed.

Now some people have a moral stance against gambling. But don’t try to pretend that “the math” agrees with you, because it does not and by claiming it you show that YOU do not understand the math.