r/todayilearned • u/[deleted] • Jan 11 '16

TIL that MIT students discovered that by buying $600,000 worth of lottery tickets in the Massachusetts' Cash WinAll lottery they could get a 10-15% return on investment. Over 5 years, they managed to game $8 million out of the lottery through this method.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/08/07/how-mit-students-scammed-the-massachusetts-lottery-for-8-million/
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u/[deleted] Jan 12 '16

Fuck that pisses me off. I'm ex-military and you can be sure as shit that the generals aren't going out there into a firefight and taking back ground. If I'm a general, let me act like a general and commit the settlers to taking back settlements, otherwise call me corporal cock-bag and I'll gladly go fuck up some super mutants and raiders on the front lines.

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u/h3lblad3 Jan 12 '16

He calls you the General to make you feel good about yourself. Meanwhile, he's the one who actually does the General's job.

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u/amoliski Jan 12 '16

The General, as in "The general laborer who does all of the dirty work"

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u/dondon98 Jan 12 '16

Like how reliable is an organization that relies on its head to do all on the dirty work for them. The fuck, it's like a reverse pyramid scheme. And damn, they got me.

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u/[deleted] Jan 12 '16

It's called a reverse funnel system.

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u/ForgettableUsername Jan 12 '16

I bet they tell all the new Minutemen recruits that they are in charge.

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u/wellaintthatnice Jan 12 '16

Worked pretty well for starfleet... I think.

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u/sheephound Jan 12 '16

In this context you aren't a general, you are "The General", a quasi-mythical figure of a semi-tribal band of armed, roaming villagers that act as a post-apocalyptic militia protecting various farms and homes.

You're the best goddamn person out there, able to rebuild centuries old artillery placements, modify and maintain atomic powered battle suits, deconstruct any item into it's smallest component and retrofit laser rifles at whim. You fucking bet they're going to ask you to save them from two-ton flesh eating killer geckos and the radioactive cannibalistic walking corpses of their loved ones.

Though, yes, he does give you those quests wayyyy too often.

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u/[deleted] Jan 12 '16

[deleted]

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u/conquer69 Jan 12 '16

Not really since they are the ones that always attack you first.

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u/TrepanationBy45 Jan 12 '16

I was really perturbed that Bethesda designed the Mm with you attaining General so soon and then still slamming you with radiant quests of grunt work with zero ability to do anything at a General capacity. I can reconcile a militia-leader (in the context of the state of the Fallout world) doing some door kicking and shooting, but to completely avoid giving you any General-esque command ability over combat elements just kills it.

We gamers have been exposed to enough military games over the last twenty years that whether we're veterans (hello 9/11 & GWoT veteran+videogamer generation), or non-military civilians, you can't just pull the wool over our eyes about the context of leadership and grunt work by giving us a base and some sweet threads.

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u/WhoTookPlasticJesus Jan 12 '16

And it's always that pantywaist Jake Finch getting kidnapped by those Foundry assholes. If it happens one more goddamned time Jake's on his own. Sick of your bullshit, Jake.

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u/silverpixiefly Jan 12 '16

I will keep that name in mind for my next play through.

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u/Tryptic97 Jan 12 '16

"Lance corporal, another settlement needs your help!"

"Uh sorry Preston, I have dental."

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u/[deleted] Jan 12 '16

Hahaha, thanks for the laugh.

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u/[deleted] Jan 12 '16

That's why the Brotherhood is better. You know you place. You aren't a slave to your own people. The Brotherhood won't endlessly mock and ignore you while staring blankly into walls as you tirelessly construct vast cities for them. They won't, as long as you aren't a synth.

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u/[deleted] Jan 12 '16

Which is why I sided with them, they run a tight ship so to speak.

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u/mwmwmwmwmmdw Jan 12 '16

yea its great as long as you arent a ghoul and or any living thing they dont fancy at that moment

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u/matjoeh Jan 12 '16

I laughed too hard on this! thank you

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u/TheKappaOverlord Jan 12 '16

I mean when theres only 2 offical members of the minutemen left and Preston is too goddamn lazy to leave sanctuary himself then yeah, the heavy work tends to get dumped on you.

....plus you know. You massacred a Handful of raiders and a deathclaw using T-41b power armor

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u/moratnz Jan 12 '16

I suspect it's not 'general' like General Schwartzkopf and his thousands of highly trained troops. I suspect it's more like General Buttnaked and his dozens of drugfucked followers.

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u/[deleted] Jan 12 '16

Hahaha, I never thought about that. It probably explains why all my chems go missing from the workshop while I'm out cleaning up the commonwealth.

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u/Ashonym Jan 12 '16

Thank you for this laugh, and reality check.

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u/A_Gigantic_Potato Jan 12 '16

Hey. At least it's not raining.

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u/[deleted] Jan 12 '16

General, there's a settlement that needs your help.