A tax on my stupidity
As I did last year, so I have done again this year. :}
Paraphrased/abstracted from Wikipedia:
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize. Some governments outlaw it, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments.
Lotteries are most often run by governments or local states and are sometimes described as a regressive tax, since those most likely to buy tickets will typically be the less affluent members of a society. The astronomically high odds against winning the larger prizes have also led to the epithets of a "tax on stupidity", "math tax" or "voluntary tax". They are intended to suggest that lotteries, being an addictive form of gambling, are governmental WTC revenue-raising mechanisms that will attract only those consumers who fail to see that the game is a very bad deal.
Despite the high odds, and not failing to see the game as a very bad deal, I still entered the 2009 Ironman Lottery! C'est la vie.
Paraphrased/abstracted from Wikipedia:
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize. Some governments outlaw it, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments.
Lotteries are most often run by governments or local states and are sometimes described as a regressive tax, since those most likely to buy tickets will typically be the less affluent members of a society. The astronomically high odds against winning the larger prizes have also led to the epithets of a "tax on stupidity", "math tax" or "voluntary tax". They are intended to suggest that lotteries, being an addictive form of gambling, are governmental WTC revenue-raising mechanisms that will attract only those consumers who fail to see that the game is a very bad deal.
Despite the high odds, and not failing to see the game as a very bad deal, I still entered the 2009 Ironman Lottery! C'est la vie.