XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien   
   From: invalid@microsoft.com   
      
   Sandman used his keyboard to write :   
   >   
   > It's not just a matter of semantics or quotes. It's a matter of math and   
   > probability as well.   
   >   
   > Consider this, we have 20 great rings, right?   
   >   
   > Three of these ...   
      
   Being the three that were forged by Celebrimbor alone, without the   
   assistance of Annatar.   
      
   > were worn by five different persons, ...   
      
   But only when Sauron was not wearing his ring.   
      
   > four of them elves, one   
   > an istari, none corrupted   
   >   
   > Seven of these rings were exposed to at least seven dwarves, none corrupted   
      
   Debatable.  It did inflame their greed.   
      
   > Nine of these rings were exposed to nine men, all corrupted   
      
   Nine specifically (not randomly) chosen men.   
      
   > The last ring was exposed to nine persons, of which four were men, two were   
   > corrupted.   
   >   
   > This means that out of 30 "exposures" to 20 rings, only 43% of those were   
   > corrupted by the rings, of those 43%, 85% were men.   
      
   Its not just maths, it's more statistical analysis.  It doesn't really   
   matter what the numbers say if the underlying assumptions do not stand   
   up.   
      
   --   
   Michael Cole   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)