I came across a story this morning that began with the sentence "Despite the recession, New York lottery sales continued to rise."

Despite the recession? No. I would venture to guess lottery sales are rising because of the recession.

Some people will do anything for a possible fast buck when times are tough, and, sadly, pinning their hopes on big wins in long-odds games is one of those things.

A friend of mine has referred to lottery games as "a tax on the poor." That's a bit of an exaggeration, but there is some truth to it.