Winning the Lotto and striking it rich is a concept that’s been around for ages, but it’s something that’s rarely witnessed. To many of us, the Lotto is just a gimmick that’s fun to try out once in a lifetime just for kicks. We’ll buy a ticket, lose as expected, have a good laugh and then throw it away. However, there are those who will buy ticket after ticket, waiting for their luck to turn, to the point that it seems like by the time they win the Lotto, they’ll just be breaking even. Whether their persistence is admirable or foolish is subject to debate. Sometimes these sweepstakes can make you wonder whether Lotto is lying about there being a winning ticket at all. If you think about it, the chance of winning is so rare that no one would ever be the wiser.

Winning the Lotto takes luck and a bit of strategy that can raise your chances, albeit very little. When thinking about how to win the Lotto, buying as many Lotto tickets seems like the best way. However, this doesn’t necessarily increase your chances of winning—the chance of winning is so rare that this isn’t likely to help much. You might as well just buy every so often when you can afford it.

Knowing how to win the Lotto means understanding that there’s very little you can do to increase your chances of winning. What you can do is to increase the chances of the prize money being higher in the event that your numbers are picked. A trick that might help increase your earnings is to pick random numbers. It’s a bad idea to pick “lucky” numbers, birthdays or numbers according to sequence, because many people will pick those numbers. Being random doesn’t ensure a higher chance of winning, but it helps to prevent you from having to share the prize money with others.

People shouldn’t hinge their lives on winning the Lotto. More important than knowing how to win the Lotto is how to not get too wrapped up in it. If you’re “lucky” enough to win the Lotto, remember that it doesn’t mean you’ve got it made. For one, you won’t necessarily get all of that money all at once—even if you choose to receive it in a lump sum instead of annually, you’ll lose a bunch of the money to taxes. Also, they do say that money is the root of all evil. When you come into a lot of cash, you might start to find out who your real friends are. Winning the Lotto is a life-changing event, but it could be a change for the worse if your life revolves around it. People should play Lotto for the fun of it and not take it too seriously.

I don’t really care much about fashion at all, and rarely buy any kind of accessories. In fact, the only accessory that I regularly put on is a watch — and that’s only if it can do more than simply tell time. Hey, I figure as long as I’m spending money on something like this and am going to use it every day, it should serve a legitimate purpose, right? My cell phone can tell me what time it is, so I actually expect more from my wristwatch, if that makes sense. That’s probably why I like military style Army watches so much.

I’m not talking about Swiss Army watches here. Those are made by the famous knife manufacturer and are geared towards the fashionable crowd rather than people who want a rugged timepiece. Instead, I’m talking about what men and women in the armed forces would actually wear while on active duty. Those kinds of Army watches are far more durable than anything you’d find at a jewelry store, and they happen to look very cool too. That’s a combination that I can get behind.

There are lots of different kinds of military and Army watches available. For instance, there’s a Navy SEALs line that put ordinary diving timepieces to shame. Along with a chronometer that can measure hundreds of meters deep and finely tooled parts that can withstand water pressure at those depths, the famous SEALs Luminox watch features a self-contained illumination system that doesn’t need to be charged by an external light source. This means your dial illuminates in darkened conditions for as long as necessary — all without requiring so much as the push of a button to work. This hands-free operation is sure to come in handy as well, since you never know what kind of situations you’ll end up in.

I’ve come across a bunch of other terrific military and Army watches while shopping online. I looked at a pilot’s watch that had a nifty circular slide rule on it. This could be used for a bunch of different calculations and conversions, which are useful for pilots in the cockpit. I know they have on-board computers to handle most calculations, but again, you never know what could happen. It’s better to always be prepared, right? And from some of the reviews I’ve read, real pilots actually appreciate this so-called “whiz wheel”, so who am I to argue?

As for me, I went with one of the more conventional Army watches that don’t quite have the fancy features I mentioned above, but are durable, reliable, and good-looking. I am very happy with this particular wristwatch, and am even thinking about adding another one to my growing collection. Maybe I’ll even go for something a bit more exotic next time!

African American history month presents teachers and parents with a wonderful opportunity to engage children on the topic of Black history. By no means does this require a dry recitation of the facts of African American history, nor a dull review of the same tired topics. On the contrary, African American history month is rich with possibilities for fun, hands-on, creative activities which will really involve children’s interest even as they educate.

Black history related activities can cross the curricular spectrum and be integrated into every subject area (not just history).

In Science, students can incorporate African American history month themes by studying important African American scientists from Benjamin Banneker to Mae Jemison. Of course they can learn all about George Washington Carver by making their own peanut butter, which they can also eat.

In English Language Arts, students can compose any number of inspired writing projects, including pop-up book biographies, letters to Black heroes, or imaginary interviews with African American achievers. A fun idea is to have an African American History Month biography fair, during which each student gets to dress up as one famous black achiever.

In reading, consider a read-aloud or whole class novel which brings out the personal, emotional aspects of African American history month. “Bud, Not Buddy” by Christopher Paul Curtis tells the story of the Great Depression through the eyes of a young African American boy. “The Other Side” by Jacqueline Woodson is a picture book about friendship and prejudice which can appeal to younger or older children, and lead to very rich and thoughtful group discussions.

African American history month also provides a wealth of opportunities for art, music and drama projects. Students can draw or paint scenes of important moments in African American history. They can act out plays. They can play music composed by African American musicians. Black history month is a great time to have a Black arts celebration.

Finally, of course, there’s History class. African American history can come alive for students through group activities and projects. Consider working together as a class to compose a giant timeline of Black history. The timeline can cover an entire wall – or multiple walls – of the classroom, and include photographs, illustrations and artifacts.

Really, there is no end to the amusement and creativity students can enjoy during African American history month. With a little imagination, activities can be incorporated throughout the school day and in every subject area. So have fun!