1 Host: It's too late to change your answer, but luckily Abuja is the capital of Nigeria! Now, for $500, which of these is a financially responsible investment plan?
2 Host: A. Clicking web browser pop-ups on file-sharing sites. B. Playing the lottery.
3 Host: C. Responding to unsolicited e-mails with your bank account details. D. Buying stocks and bonds.
4 Nigerian Finance Minister: Well, they all look pretty good to me. Although D can be a bit risky sometimes.

I was incredibly amused when driving through the USA some years ago and an ad for a lottery came on the radio. After delivering the cheerful message that you can win heaps of money, a sombre voice intoned, "Lotteries are games of chance and should not be played for investment purposes."

Well gosh, you learn something every day.

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2023-06-04 Rerun commentary: I can't really talk. In the years since, gambling has become a ridiculous problem here in Australia, and the gambling ads are ubiquitous, cringeworthy, and insidious. Much of the population wants gambling ads banned, but the government hasn't made any moves yet.

One particularly bad ad I saw the other day said that the gambling company was sponsoring a children's hospital, so you gambling your money away was good because it helped sick kids. (Well, not literally those words, but that's what it meant.)

Disgusting.