Providence proves Wicca the true religion

[panther.jd]

link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070902/ap_on_re_us/mega_millions_jackpot)
Wicca teacher claims 1 Mega ticket

By TODD HALLIDY, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 2 minutes ago

NOTTINGHAM, Md. - Elwood "Bunky" Bartlett says a New Age book store made it possible for him to become an overnight multimillionaire.

He and his wife, Denise, were on their way to the shop where he occasionally teaches Wicca and Reiki (RAY'kee) healing when they stopped at a liquor store and bought two $5 Mega Millions tickets for Friday night's estimated $330 million jackpot. On Sunday, he said one ticket was a winner.

"If it wasn't for this place I wouldn't have won the lottery," Bartlett said Sunday at Mystickal Voyage, the New Age shop.

Four winning tickets to the Mega Millions jackpot were sold in Maryland, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia. Lottery officials said Sunday they cannot confirm the validity of Bartlett's ticket before they meet with him on Tuesday.

"There's no reason to believe it's not legitimate, but it has to go through security," said Maryland State Lottery Director Buddy Roogow, who said he has spoken with Bartlett.

Bartlett, an accountant from Dundalk, said he made a bargain with the multiple gods associated with his Wiccan beliefs: "You let me win the lottery and I'll teach." Both tickets he purchased had numbers chosen randomly from the computer.

Bartlett had not decided if he will accept his winnings as an annuity or choose the lump sum cash option. The jackpot could get larger once ticket sales are tallied, Roogow said, but the lump sum payment would be at least $48.7 million, or about $32 million after taxes.

According to preliminary calculations, each ticket would be worth about $82 million if the prize were taken in 26 annual payments.

Bartlett said the money won't change him, although he plans to invest in Mystickal Voyage. "I'm going to live my life like I have been," he said.

The odds that any ticket would match all five numbers — 8, 18, 22, 40 and 44 — and the Mega Ball number — 11 — were one in 176 million.

If estimates of the jackpot hold true, it would be the fourth largest in the lottery's history. It was known as The Big Game when it awarded jackpots of $363 million in 2000 and $331 million in 2002.

Mega Millions tickets are also sold in California, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Washington.Well with odds of one in 176 million, that must prove Wicca is the true religion. I guess I should convert.

[Keeper of Secrets]

link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070902/ap_on_re_us/mega_millions_jackpot)
Well with odds of one in 176 million, that must prove Wicca is the true religion. I guess I should convert.

I would be more impressed if the numbers were:
4-8-15-16-23-42

[Dacke]

I would be more impressed if the numbers were:
4-8-15-16-23-42
I was considering doing some variation of those for the Swedish lottery (which only has numbers up to 35), but decided against it. My reasoning went something like:

Either the numbers don't work, in which case I lose, or
the numbers DO work, in which case I will be cursed.Doesn't seem like a winning proposition either way.

[Keeper of Secrets]

I was considering doing some variation of those for the Swedish lottery (which only has numbers up to 35), but decided against it. My reasoning went something like:

Either the numbers don't work, in which case I lose, or
the numbers DO work, in which case I will be cursed.Doesn't seem like a winning proposition either way.

I have heard stories of people using those numbers on a regular basis. Fools!

[NRG]

I have heard stories of people using those numbers on a regular basis. Fools!

They are fools. They are much, much more likely to have to split the jackpot with other knuckleheads who use the same well-known numbers than if they used random ones.

NRG

[Keeper of Secrets]

They are fools. They are much, much more likely to have to split the jackpot with other knuckleheads who use the same well-known numbers than if they used random ones.

NRG

Bullshit! Society NEEDS these numbers, man! If you don't use them then Hanso wil-

[Northcott]

Pffft. If the universe was wonky enough to have those numbers work, I'd rather split a hefty jackpot with a bunch of other shmoes than get nothing at all. :)

Bigger question: does anybody actually play the lottery and seriously hope to win?

[cnath.rm]

Bigger question: does anybody actually play the lottery and seriously hope to win?I used to drop $6 a week on the tuesday mega millions drawing, figured if I ever won that I'd get my folks and sibs(family of 6 including myself) together and have them each give me $1 and then split the thing. Never really though I'd win, :) but figured I could lose just as easy as anyone else. At this point I don't normally play any lottery, though I would be interested to hear exactly how much money actually goes to schools and such that we hear are the point of the whole thing.

[BOZ]

Bigger question: does anybody actually play the lottery and seriously hope to win?

everyone who plays it? :)

if you knew for a fact that you were wasting your money and would never win any significant amount (let's say you've got a 98+% accurate crystal ball), would you keep doing it?

[doc]

I just wish the Bible Brigade would let the Lotto in Arkansas, has it helped the states it in ?

[cnath.rm]

I just wish the Bible Brigade would let the Lotto in Arkansas, has it helped the states it in ?I'm not sure, at least in Michigan I don't think they ever actually let out any hard numbers on what percentage of ticket sales went to the schools. (there were non-percentage numbers tossed around if I remember right, but I can't remember them)

[BOZ]

I just wish the Bible Brigade would let the Lotto in Arkansas, has it helped the states it in ?

it brings in revenue, but who and what does that go to?

[Ancalagon]

(there were non-percentage numbers tossed around if I remember right, but I can't remember them)

that is VERY fishy. Some charities for breast cancers were revealed as semi fraudulent around here recently. The way they would operate is that they could give a flat amount to reseach, support centers whatever, and whatever more they got, they kept... even if it was a LOT more than the amount they were giving.

[cnath.rm]

that is VERY fishy. Some charities for breast cancers were revealed as semi fraudulent around here recently. The way they would operate is that they could give a flat amount to reseach, support centers whatever, and whatever more they got, they kept... even if it was a LOT more than the amount they were giving.Well it's the state itself that is running the lottery here, and the commercials were talking about how many millions were raised for the school system, my issue has always been wondering how much of a $1 ticket goes to the retailer, how much for overhead, how much for prizes, and finally how much for the schools. (I'm going to guess that they aren't going to release it, I'm not sure that i would were I in charge of it)

[Xavier Lang]

Well it's the state itself that is running the lottery here, and the commercials were talking about how many millions were raised for the school system, my issue has always been wondering how much of a $1 ticket goes to the retailer, how much for overhead, how much for prizes, and finally how much for the schools. (I'm going to guess that they aren't going to release it, I'm not sure that i would were I in charge of it)

I used to work at a convenience store and there was literature (hah!) on the lottery near where you could buy/check tickets that described how much went to what. I don't remember well enough what the percentages were for how much went where, though I do recall the overhead amount being small and prizes being the largest percentage.

[Varaj]

For Kansas
http://www.kslottery.com/WhereTheMoneyGoes/WhereTheMoneyGoes.htm