In message , Nick Maclaren
writes

In article ,
"Mike" writes:
| "Sacha" wrote in message
| ...
|
| My step daughter describes Lotto as 'a tax for the stupid'.....
|
| Well you would say that wouldn't you? I started the thread :-))

Well, so would I - and it has nothing to do with you personally. As
many of us predicted, the promise that it would be only for things
that were not appropriate for funding out of taxation was kept only
for a couple of years. And the fact that much (most?) of the money
isn't spent for extended periods is definitely a hidden form of
taxation.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

It's more precise to describe as a tax on the innumerate, or on those
who don't understand probability, or on those for whom the hope of
winning is more important than the actual prospects of winning.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

"Stewart Robert Hinsley" wrote in message
...
In message , Nick Maclaren
It's more precise to describe as a tax on the innumerate, or on those who
don't understand probability, or on those for whom the hope of winning is
more important than the actual prospects of winning.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley


Ah! Probability!! I posted this on another group I subscribe to and there
has been a very healthy debate on that very subject! The final consensus of
opinion is, stick with the same numbers, but the cost/waste/loss of money
came up as well. As I posted earlier, I have a choice as to whether I leave
the money in my pocket and it goes 'I know not where', or I have a flutter
and it either goes, or not depending on the balls.

The subject of Premium Bonds came up as well. I have had a few since the
year dot and not had any winners on those. It is the big blocks which get
the prizes. Check them out on the Premium Bond web site and see what I mean.

But back to the Lottery, the choice is the purchaser's. They can if they
want to, or leave it alone. Another tax? OK, but when we work and HAVE to
pay tax, well ..... :-(( no choice there and as I pay tax on my pensions ...
:-(((((((((((

Mike

In message , Mike
wrote

The subject of Premium Bonds came up as well. I have had a few since the
year dot and not had any winners on those. It is the big blocks which get
the prizes. Check them out on the Premium Bond web site and see what I mean.

That's because the lot of people who own bonds bought them in bulk.

In the month when the maximum holding limit changed from £20000 to
£30000 the total new investment for that month was £1.1 billion or
equivalent of around 15 percent of the total at the time.

I n the last couple of years the million pound 'prize' has been won by
someone who only had £17 of bonds.

--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

In reply to Mike ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

What would you do?

Since the Lottery started I have had the same 6 numbers. 5 have come
up tonight.

Would you now change numbers or stick with them?

I would certainly enjoy the £1,019 I had just won.

Congratulations!

In reply to K ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

I think the moral is - don't start.

According to Mr Fry on QI (I hear on the Jonafon Woss show, so it is not
that reliable) you have more chance of dying than winning the lottery.

Perspective.

"Uncle Marvo" wrote in message
...
In reply to Mike ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

What would you do?

Since the Lottery started I have had the same 6 numbers. 5 have come
up tonight.

Would you now change numbers or stick with them?

I would certainly enjoy the £1,019 I had just won.

Congratulations!



:-))

£44.00 actually! One was the Bonus Ball so didn't count! Match 4

But over on another group, a very lively discussion took place on
probability etc etc and the general thought is ........ keep the same
numbers. So that is what I will do.

One of them said he was £1000.00 better off since he stopped buying tickets
2 years ago. I went back and asked him to calculate how much better of I am
for not smoking 20 cigarettes a day from when I first received a pay packet
in October 1951!!!!!.

He came back with £109,000.00 :-(((

What a lot of smoke

Mike

In reply to Mike ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

"Uncle Marvo" wrote in message
...
In reply to Mike ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

What would you do?

Since the Lottery started I have had the same 6 numbers. 5 have come
up tonight.

Would you now change numbers or stick with them?

I would certainly enjoy the £1,019 I had just won.

Congratulations!



:-))

£44.00 actually! One was the Bonus Ball so didn't count! Match 4

But over on another group, a very lively discussion took place on
probability etc etc and the general thought is ........ keep the same
numbers. So that is what I will do.

In the grand scheme of things it makes absolutely no difference at all which
numbers you use, although it is evident that many people choose birthdays
and ages so statistically you would end up sharing your milions with more
people if you use numbers less than or equal to 31. Fact.

You have more chance of dying before the draw than you do of winning the
jackpot. Fact.

You have more chance of meeting a stranger and guessing his telephone number
correctly than you do of winning the jackpot. Fact. (complicated explanation
of why this is available on request, but it really is true).

If you do not buy a ticket, you reduce your chances even further :-)

Despite this, I buy a ticket if I'm in a shop buying something else on
Wednesday or Saturday and I've got a spare quid. I don't know why. When I
win the jackpot, I will have a big party and everyone can come.


One of them said he was £1000.00 better off since he stopped buying
tickets 2 years ago. I went back and asked him to calculate how much
better of I am for not smoking 20 cigarettes a day from when I first
received a pay packet in October 1951!!!!!.

He came back with £109,000.00 :-(((

I buy mine in Spain, otherwise I'd be as badly off ;-)

What a lot of smoke

Enjoy your £44 anyway! And it's your pound, spend it how you like.

"Uncle Marvo" wrote in message
...
In reply to K ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

I think the moral is - don't start.

According to Mr Fry on QI (I hear on the Jonafon Woss show, so it is not
that reliable) you have more chance of dying than winning the lottery.


I'd say it was eminently reliable since we all have a 100% certainty of
dying.

Steve

In reply to shazzbat ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

"Uncle Marvo" wrote in message
...
In reply to K ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

I think the moral is - don't start.

According to Mr Fry on QI (I hear on the Jonafon Woss show, so it is
not that reliable) you have more chance of dying than winning the
lottery.

I'd say it was eminently reliable since we all have a 100% certainty
of dying.

I'm not very good at wording things today, am I?

:-)

"Uncle Marvo" wrote in message
...
In reply to shazzbat ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

"Uncle Marvo" wrote in message
...
In reply to K ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

I think the moral is - don't start.

According to Mr Fry on QI (I hear on the Jonafon Woss show, so it is
not that reliable) you have more chance of dying than winning the
lottery.

I'd say it was eminently reliable since we all have a 100% certainty
of dying.

I'm not very good at wording things today, am I?

:-)

Well, we all have days like that. One day I said "I do" :-))

But your post reminded me of a thread in another NG about the most dangerous
roads/racetracks etc. Whereas I am of the opinion that the most dangerous
place is....
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/

Bed.

99.9% of people die in bed, but you still go there every night don't you,
you risk-taker you.

Steve

"K" wrote in message
...
michael adams writes

"K" wrote in message
...
"David (in Normandy)" writes
Since the Lottery started I have had the same 6 numbers. 5 have come
up
tonight.

Would you now change numbers or stick with them?

Doesn't make much difference. This is what John Haigh of Sussex
University says about your chances of winning:

It's not your chances of winning that matters. Its the admittedly
highly unlikely possibility of your numbers coming up very soon after
you give up entering. Or after you changed your numbers. And how you
would feel if that ever happened, even in the case of relatively minor
prize.

The same question used to arise with the football pools. As apparently
many people only carried on entering regularly week after week, for fear
that their chosen numbers would come up the very first week they stopped.

The moral being, to choose a different set of numbers every week.

I think the moral is - don't start.

I did it for a while then I thought what the hell am I wasting my money like
this for!

Although it was a very pretty girl at the till!

Alan

--
Kay

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 1/10/06 14:47, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article ,
"Mike" writes:
| "Sacha" wrote in message
| ...
|
| My step daughter describes Lotto as 'a tax for the stupid'.....
|
| Well you would say that wouldn't you? I started the thread :-))

Well, so would I - and it has nothing to do with you personally. As
many of us predicted, the promise that it would be only for things
that were not appropriate for funding out of taxation was kept only
for a couple of years. And the fact that much (most?) of the money
isn't spent for extended periods is definitely a hidden form of
taxation.

Sigh....I hadn't even seen the start of the thread but never mind... The
way in which the money is currently misused has put enormous numbers of
people off buying tickets. And IMO, it would attract more buyers not just
by improving the distribution to good causes but by making more and
smaller
prizes instead of one huge one of e.g. £8 mill. Eight prizes of £1 mill.
each would be more attractive in terms of 'possibility'.

Here, here, I've always thought more prizes of smaller amoputs would be more
sensible, this week there is supposed to be a prize of £74 millon and
millions more people have been taken in by it!

They would be better off putting their money into Premium Bonds, at lest
there is a chance of getting your money back.

Alan


--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

"Alan Holmes" wrote in message
...


The moral being, to choose a different set of numbers every week.

Sticking with the same :-))



I think the moral is - don't start.

Glad I did ;-)))



I did it for a while then I thought what the hell am I wasting my money
like this for!

I'm not :-)))



Although it was a very pretty girl at the till!

ALL girls are pretty :-) Some are prettier than others :-))



Alan


Delighted to say that the Lottery AND the Premium Bonds are doing very
nicely thank you :-))

Having known people who have lost a lot of money on the stock market in the
past :-(( mugs, and knowing what I know about the Premium Bonds and 10%
Interest on Building Societies, I will stay how I am thank you :-))

Just under a month to the next cruise :-))

Mike

--
.................................................. .........
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
www.nsrafa.com

"Mike" wrote in message
...

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 1/10/06 14:47, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article ,
"Mike" writes:
| "Sacha" wrote in message
| ...
|
| My step daughter describes Lotto as 'a tax for the stupid'.....
|
| Well you would say that wouldn't you? I started the thread :-))

Well, so would I - and it has nothing to do with you personally. As
many of us predicted, the promise that it would be only for things
that were not appropriate for funding out of taxation was kept only
for a couple of years. And the fact that much (most?) of the money
isn't spent for extended periods is definitely a hidden form of
taxation.

Sigh....I hadn't even seen the start of the thread but never mind... The
way in which the money is currently misused has put enormous numbers of
people off buying tickets. And IMO, it would attract more buyers not
just
by improving the distribution to good causes but by making more and
smaller
prizes instead of one huge one of e.g. £8 mill. Eight prizes of £1 mill.
each would be more attractive in terms of 'possibility'.

--
Sacha
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/


So, don't buy tickets!!

Easy!

Just as I don't smoke.

But I don't make derogatroy comments and statements about those who DO
smoke.

Then you should do, as these idiots cause other people problems, and they
just ignore the problems they are creating for themselves.

It is a foul, stinking, antisocial, unhealthy habit.

Alan


Mike

"shazzbat" wrote in message
...

"Uncle Marvo" wrote in message
...
In reply to K ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

I think the moral is - don't start.

According to Mr Fry on QI (I hear on the Jonafon Woss show, so it is not
that reliable) you have more chance of dying than winning the lottery.


I'd say it was eminently reliable since we all have a 100% certainty of
dying.

You speak for yourself!(:-)

Alan


Steve