The lottery is hanging around the billion dollar mark again. Well, the truth is you won’t get a billion dollars if you win, least wise not at once. If you take it at once, it will only be half a billion minus taxes.

Still, half a billion dollars minus taxes sounds irresistible. I wonder just how many are buy the tickets, maybe a dozen at once. The logic, of course, some one is going to win. Might as well be me.

Well, there is one other thing to consider. Two, three, or maybe four might hit it. Even so, a third or a quarter billion ain’t nothing to sneeze at.

It is true, money can’t solve all problems. However, I don’t know about you, but it could sure make a bunch of mine disappear. If I won, I wouldn’t turn it down.

But alas, it won’t be me. It won’t be me because I’ll not give those people running the lottery my hard earned money. I know someone will win; if not this time, the next time. However, I am also realistic enough to know that the dollars I would spend on a lottery ticker will never return to me. Not in part, certainly not in full.

Out of all the thousands that risk the bet, the vast number will lose. I happen to know, I won’t be among them.