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Alcohol Affects Your Ability to Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Have you ever returned from a night out and wondered why you can’t seem to fall asleep? Drinking before going to bed can affect your ability to get a good night’s sleep. The food website Spoon University tells you why:

1. Not all of the alcohol has been metabolized in your body. It typically takes about an hour for the alcohol to be completely digested. If you go to bed immediately after you stop drinking, the alcohol is most likely still in your system and hasn’t been fully digested yet. The alcohol in your system wants you to keep partying, but your body wants to sleep.

2. Drinking before bed reduces REM sleep. Disruptions in REM sleep may cause daytime drowsiness, poor concentration and rob you of much needed sleep. It’s important to get a restful night’s sleep, and alcohol limits your ability to do that. Disruptions in REM sleep may also cause you to be less productive the next day, so if you plan on tackling a bunch of tasks the morning after a night out, think again.

3. More likely to sleep walk. It’s okay to sleep walk occasionally. However, sleepwalking on a regular basis can be problematic and somewhat dangerous. Think of all of the dangerous things in your home that you could encounter while sleepwalking.

4. More likely to sleep talk. Similar to sleepwalking, sleep talking is another effect of consuming alcohol before you go to bed. While it isn’t necessarily dangerous, talking in your sleep can cause you to say things that you might not have wanted to share with the world.

5. More likely to have problems with your memory. If you consume an excess amount of alcohol before you go to bed, you can also have problems with your long-term memory. Alcohol makes you forget things that happened throughout the night, but it can also lead to long-term memory issues.

6. Alcohol is a diuretic. Alcohol causes your body to lose extra fluid through sweat too, making you dehydrated. This can lead to other negative side effects like feeling light-headed and lethargic. Since alcohol is a diuretic, it causes you to wake up in the middle of the night and have to go to the bathroom. Or you may wake up in the morning and realize you didn’t quite make it to the bathroom (whoops), leading alcohol to negatively affect your kidneys in the long run.

7. You spend more time awake. Alcohol can prevent you from having a restful night’s sleep. You spend the night tossing and turning, without really getting the sleep you need. Alcohol messes with your brain and therefore can keep you awake all night , preventing you from getting a full night’s sleep.

8. You have fewer dreams. Alcohol prevents you from entering into a deep sleep, which is when most dreams are formulated. So don’t bank on any great dreams.

9. You have an elevated heart rate. Alcohol makes the peripheral blood vessels relax to allow more blood to flow through the skin and tissues. Therefore, in order to maintain blood flow to the organs, the heart rate increases. An increased heart rate is what happens when you exercise, and you wouldn’t be asleep for that.

Oscars Snubbed Some of the Classics

The Oscars are coming on Sunday, Feb. 26, with a strong slate of nominees for Best Picture: “Arrival,” “Fences,” “Hacksaw Ridge,” “Hell or High Water,” “Hidden Figures,” “La La Land,” “Lion,” “Manchester by the Sea” and “Moonlight”.

OscarsMaybe some of these will be like some of the films listed below – snubbed for the Best Picture Oscar, but enduring classics nonetheless.

Here are some of the now classic films snubbed for Best Picture in their day:

Brokeback Mountain (2005)
“Crash” was 2005’s big winner. But a decade later Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain,” a romantic drama about two gay ranch hands, is the movie everyone remembers. The ranch hands were played brilliantly by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Like Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg is a great director who has often been given short shrift by the Academy. Spielberg won the Best Director award for “Saving Private Ryan,” but the Academy Award for Best Picture went to the period comedy “Shakespeare in Love.” It was one of the biggest upsets in Oscar history.

Pulp Fiction (1994)
“Forrest Gump,” starring Tom Hanks, had its charm, but Best Picture? Many believe that award should have gone to Quentin Tarantino’s dazzling “Pulp Fiction,” a movie full of surprises and scenes at once frightening and hilarious.

Goodfellas (1990)
Nobody even talks about 1990’s Best Picture winner “Dances With Wolves” anymore, except to note that its Oscar should have gone to Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece, “Goodfellas.”

Tender Mercies (1983)
Exquisite and understated, this film is a small gem. Yet the Academy preferred the big-budget tearjerker “Terms of Endearment.” “Tender Mercies” star Robert Duvall did, however, win his first and only Oscar for his performance.

Taxi Driver (1976)
“Taxi Driver” is positively twisted. Martin Scorsese’s vigilante drama stood out as one of the most brilliant and original movies of the ’70s, a great decade for films in general. Sylvester Stallone’s “Rocky,” on the other hand, was strictly formulaic, though a rousing entertainment, and it won the Oscar for Best Picture.

The Graduate (1967)
One of the most groundbreaking and entertaining films of the ’60s, Mike Nichols’ “The Graduate” seduced an entire generation, just as Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) seduced Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman). But apparently no one clued in the Academy. On Oscar night, the award for Best Picture went to an old-school mystery, “In the Heat of the Night.”

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
This one isn’t so surprising when you remember the competition. “Lawrence of Arabia,” which won Best Picture and still stands up as a spectacular epic. Even so, it’s strange to think of the beloved “To Kill a Mockingbird” as one of the year’s losers.

Some Like It Hot (1959)
“Ben-Hur” swept 11 Oscar categories, including Best Picture, and its chariot races were undeniably impressive back in the day. But Billy Wilder’s “Some Like It Hot” never gets old. It ranks No. 1 on AFI’s list of the 100 funniest American movies. Not to mention it’s Marilyn Monroe’s best film.

Vertigo (1958)
In 2012, a poll of leading critics named Alfred Hitchcock’s psychological thriller “the greatest film of all time,” knocking “Citizen Kane” out of the top spot for the first time since 1962. Yet “Vertigo” received only two Oscar nominations, for sound and art direction, and it didn’t win either. The Academy’s pick for Best Picture was the musical, “Gigi.”

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
“Rebel Without a Cause” is the masterpiece of director Jean-Luc Godard. It’s also the movie that defined James Dean. Yet the Academy Award for Best Picture went to a touching but now dated romantic drama, “Marty.”

Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
A musical that really deserved to win Best Picture, “Singin’ in the Rain” wasn’t even nominated for that award, which went to Cecil B. DeMille’s circus movie “The Greatest Show on Earth.” Stanley Donan’s classic – famous for Gene Kelly’s iconic dance scene – lost in the category of Best Musical Score to “With a Song in My Heart.”

Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Few would argue that “All About Eve,” the witty and engaging classic about an aging actress (Bette Davis) and the world of Broadway theater, didn’t deserve all nine of its Oscars. Even so, it’s hard to imagine Billy Wilder’s “Sunset Boulevard” – about another aging actress (Gloria Swanson) – failing to win Best Picture.

It’s a Wonderful Life (1947)
William Wyler’s “The Best Years of Our Lives,” about difficulties faced by GIs returning from World War II, was certainly of the moment when it won the Oscar for Best Picture. Today it seems pretty dated – especially compared to Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which remains a cultural touchstone, a perennial holiday favorite and AFI’s pick for the most inspirational film ever.

Double Indemnity (1944)
It’s the original film noir. Director Billy Wilder collaborated with Raymond Chandler on the screenplay, based on James M. Cain’s tale of a femme fatale (Barbara Stanwyck) and an insurance salesman (Fred MacMurray) plotting to kill her husband. But “Double Indemnity” was too dark for the Academy, which gave Best Picture honors to the warm and fuzzy Bing Crosby flick “Going My Way.”

Citizen Kane (1941)
This one is often called the greatest film of all time. But despite nine Academy Award nominations, Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane” won only one – for screenwriting. Meanwhile, John Ford’s more sentimental “How Green Was My Valley” made off with five Oscars, including the awards for Best Picture and Best Director.

The Philadelphia Story (1940)
The Academy routinely snubbed Alfred Hitchcock, nominating him five times without giving the Master of Suspense a single Oscar for Best Director. The only Hitchcock film to be voted Best Picture was 1940’s “Rebecca,” a fine movie but not even one of his Top 10. “The Philadelphia Story,” one of the nominees it edged out, ranks No. 5 on AFI’s list of the all-time greatest romantic comedies, thanks partly to the magic combination of Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
When Hollywood types got wind of Walt Disney’s plan to make an animated feature based on one of Grimms’ Fairy Tales, they dismissed it as “Disney’s folly.” It went on to become a critical and box-office sensation, and six decades later the American Film Institute (AFI) named “Snow White” the best animated movie ever. As for the Best Picture of 1937, the Academy gave that honor to a sober biopic, “The Life of Emile Zola.”

Engineers Made It Happen, Sometimes By Chance

Observation and developmental work by engineers that followed led to the development of products from Silly Putty to Velcro, according to the American Council of Engineering Companies.

While trying to create a rubber substitute, chemical engineers made a bouncy mistake – Silly Putty was the result.

A Canon engineer inadvertently rested his hot iron on his pen, causing ink to eject from the pen point moments later. This accident led to the creation of the inkjet printer.

A mechanical engineer saw a spring fall off a table. This led to creation of the Slinky and made toy history.

Engineer Perry Spencer stood in front of a radar magnetron tube he was testing in 1947. The candy bar in his pocket melted. This led him to develop the microwave oven.

Engineer Wilson Greatbatch was working on a heart rhythm recorder when by mistake he used an incorrect value resistor in a circuit. The circuit pulsed for 1.8 milliseconds, stopped for one second and repeated like a heartbeat. Greatbatch worked on this to invent the implantable cardiac pacemaker.

George de Mestral, an electrical engineer, returned from a hunting outing in 1941 and noticed that burrs were stuck to his clothing and his dog’s fur. Using a microscope, de Mestral saw how the tiny hooks of the burr seeds attached to fabric and hair. The observation led him to develop Velcro, now used in everything from sneakers to spacesuits.

You Can Age Yourself with Words

Face it, your grandkids already think you are nearly as old as Methuselah. Reader’s Digest suggests that if you use any of the 10 terms listed below they might be right!

Dungarees
Today, we call them “jeans,” but people once referred to pants made out of heavy denim as “dungarees.” The name comes from a cheap coarse type of cloth imported from Dongari Kilda, India. The word “dungaree” eventually transformed into “jeans” when clothing manufacturers began importing the cloth from Genoa in Italy, which is referred to as “Genes” in French. Despite its antiquated terminology, you still might periodically hear old timers referring to heavy work pants as dungarees.

Floppy disk
If you used a computer in the 1980s and ’90s, chances are, you used a square floppy disk for file storage. As CDs became more ubiquitous, the need for floppy disks faded away, so much so that computer makers stopped manufacturing computers with built-in floppy disc drives. Asking a colleague to save something on a disk will certainly make you sound old, as tiny “thumb” or “flash” drives have since replaced bulkier storage media.

Grody
In the 1980s, California subculture – in particular, “Valley Girl” speak, began to spread east and into the vocabularies of teens across the country. Words like “grody,” a synonym for “gross” or “revolting,” became commonplace, much to the chagrin of parents everywhere: “Did you see Bridget’s new outfit? It’s totally grody to the max!”

Groovy
The origins of this word date back to the jazz age of the 1920s, when it started as a slang term for good music – found “in the grooves” of a vinyl record. It gained widespread prominence during the 1960s and ’70s, when it was used as a synonym for “excellent” or “cool.” By the 1980s, the word was pretty much out of fashion. Today, if you refer to someone or something as “groovy” (without a hint of sarcasm, that is), you’ll sound anything but hip.

Icebox
Before people had refrigerators, they used to keep food cold by placing it in iceboxes, which, quite literally, were insulated metal or wood boxes that held large blocks of ice. Once home refrigerators became more commonplace in the 1930s and 40s, iceboxes were no longer necessary. For those older folks who grew up without mechanical refrigeration, however, the word “icebox” is forever etched in their vernacular.

Pocketbook
This European word dates way back to the 1600s, when it was used to describe a small bag used to carry coins. The name comes from a small book that used to be carried in one’s pocket, and also held bank notes and money. While your grandmother might still use the term, younger women tend to call their bags “purses” or “handbags.”

Stewardess
In the early days of air travel, a woman who attended to her passengers’ needs was called a stewardess. As years went on, the term took on a negative connotation, because of the restrictive emphasis put on the way women looked. As more men entered the profession, and as women fought back against gender bias in the 1960s and 1970s, the term was replaced with the more gender-neutral title of “flight attendant.”

Tape
If you came of age in the 1980s, chances are you still use the word “tape” when it comes to recording your favorite music or TV shows, as in, “I’m not going to be home tonight to watch ‘60 Minutes.’ Could you tape it for me?” With the advent of digital media, there’s obviously no longer a need to record anything on magnetic tape, but old linguistic habits die hard.

Whippersnapper
This word, which is an alteration of the term “snippersnapper,” first appeared in the 1700s, making it abundantly clear that even our earliest ancestors were easily annoyed by petulant children. In its more modern form, the term relates to an overconfident child or young person who acts more important than he or she actually is: “That clueless whippersnapper doesn’t know a darn thing about life!”

Xerox
Xerox launched its first commercially available copy machine in the 1960s. Due to its rapid success, the brand name Xerox soon became interchangeable with the word “copy,” much like the brand Kleenex has become synonymous with “tissue.” Today, there are many new printing machines, and most workers refer to making copies as making copies. Therefore, if you ask a younger coworker to “Xerox” a document for you, you might be met with a blank stare.

Top Jobs for Getting Ahead in 2017

What is a great job? Salary comes to mind when contemplating that question, as does a healthy career track and speedy promotion for quality work. A great job also has to show growth – an indication of increasing importance and demand.

Recently, LinkedIn.com – a massive career information hub and communication platform – released a report on the positions the organization deems the most promising for this year – ones that allow for good pay and opportunities to move up.

TopJobsIn compiling its report, LinkedIn rated positions using weighted criteria important to job seekers. The most important criteria – amounting to 30% of a job’s score – was salary. Career advancement – based on the percentage of members employed at the end of 2015 who then started a new position at the same company during 2016 – accounted for 25% of the score. The number of current job openings was weighted at 20%, and the year-over-year growth of job openings for title represented 15% of the final tally. Also tabulated was regional availability at 10%, which is the number of different regions in the U.S. hiring for each job title.

The number one job on LinkedIn’s roster of promising positions for 2017 is Hospitalist – a doctor who works exclusively within a hospital. In the U.S., the median base salary for such a role is $222,000 a year and, on LinkedIn, there are over 1,000 positions open for the title – an 87% increase, year-over-year. For career advancement, the job scored a 6 out of 10.

In second place on the list, Pharmacist. Pharmacists in the U.S. make an annual median wage of $123,000 and there are more than 3,300 open positions for that profession on LinkedIn, increasing 45% over last year. The job earned a career advancement score of 5 out of 10.

In third place on LinkedIn’s list is the position of Sales Engineer. A sales engineer is tasked with selling technically complex machinery or tech products and must be knowledgeable about said gear. The median base salary for the position, according to LinkedIn, is $80,000 per year. There are over 3,000 listings for the title on LinkedIn and the number of openings has gone up 159% since last year. The occupation was given a career advancement score of 6 out of 10.

Here are the remaining jobs ranking in the Top 10:

4. Site Reliability Engineer. Median Base Salary:  $140,000
Job Openings (YoY Growth): 300+ (93%)
Career Advancement Score 8 out of 10

5. Product Manager
Median Base Salary: $97,500
Job Openings (YoY Growth): 3,000+ (11%)
Career Advancement Score 8 out of 10

6. Financial Analyst
Median Base Salary: $64,000
Job Openings (YoY Growth): 2,500+ (27%)
Career Advancement Score 8 out of 10

7. Technical Program Manager
Median Base Salary: $129,000
Job Openings (YoY Growth): 500+ (49%)
Career Advancement Score 8 out of 10

8. Program Manager
Median Base Salary: $97,400
Job Openings (YoY Growth): 2,300+ (17%)
Career Advancement Score 7 out of 10

9. Data Engineer
Median Base Salary: $105,000
Job Openings (YoY Growth): 900+ (85%)
Career Advancement Score 8 out of 10

10. Scrum Master. Median Base Salary: $100,000.
Job Openings 400+ (104%)
Career Advancement Score 8 out of 10
A Scrum Master is accountable for removing impediments to the ability of a team to deliver product goals and deliverables. The Scrum Master acts as a buffer between the team and any distracting influences.

Modern Inventions Eased Our Lives

We take the tools of modern life for granted. But it was the genius of inventors in various nations that provided them for us. Life would be far different without them. Here’s the background on some of them that originated after 1850.

The internal combustion engine – France, 1859
In 1859, Belgian-born Parisian engineer Jean Joseph Étienne Lenoir invented the world’s first workable internal combustion engine, which used coal gas as a fuel. Nowadays, internal combustion engines power almost all land and water vehicles.

The telephone – USA/Canada, 1876
Like many game-changing inventions, the telephone was developed over many years by a number of individuals, but Scottish-born innovator Alexander Graham Bell is credited with inventing the first practical model in 1876. Bell worked on his invention at his home in Canada and at his lab in the United States.

The radio – Italy, 1895
Although a number of pioneers were involved in the development of long-distance radio transmission, it was Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi who created the first viable radio apparatus and wireless telegraphy system back in 1895.

The airplane – USA, 1903
Aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright are credited with inventing the world’s first airplane, which they flew for four miles over South Carolina in 1903, forever altering the way the human race travels, transports goods and fights wars.

Modern air conditioning – USA, 1902
The first workable electric air conditioning unit was invented by American engineer Willis Carrier in 1902. Artificial cooling enables people to live comfortably in hot places, and cities such as Phoenix and Dubai would be virtually uninhabitable in summer without this technology.

Penicillin – England, 1928
In September 1928, Scottish physician Alexander Fleming first isolated penicillin in his basement lab at St Mary’s Hospital in London. Quite possibly the single most important medical advance of the 20th century, antibiotic penicillin has transformed medicine and significantly increased human longevity.

The transistor – USA, 1947
Believe it or not, many experts regard the transistor as one of the most important inventions of the 20th century. An essential component of most modern electronics, the first working transistor was created at AT&T’s Bell Labs in 1947 by engineers John Bardeen and Walter Brattain.

The cell phone – USA, 1973
Most people these days would be lost without their mobile device. The first handheld mobile cell phone, a bona fide brick of a device, was invented by a team of Motorola engineers led by John F. Mitchell and Martin Cooper and unveiled in 1973.

The World Wide Web – Switzerland, 1989
While the internet was developed in the US during the late 60s, British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee invented the first system for distributing information on the global network in 1989 at CERN in Switzerland, and named his creation the World Wide Web. The rest, is of course, history.

Where Things Came From

The simple, and not so simple, things that make our lives easier and that power our civilization originated over the centuries from all parts of the world. Here’s the background on some of them that originated before 1850.

The sailboat – Ancient Mesopotamia, 6000 BC
Ushering in the Age of Sail, which transformed early trade and transport, the ancient Mesopotamian Ubaid culture (modern-day Iraq) was the first to use sailboats, as a means of crossing the Tigris and Euphrates rivers around which the culture was based.

The nail – Ancient Egypt, 3400 BC
Not just renowned for building the pyramids, the ancient Egyptians invented one of the fundamentals of carpentry and construction – the humble but mighty nail. Three millennia later, the Romans were the first to mass-produce nails, which they forged from wrought iron.

The abacus – Ancient Mesopotamia, 2700 BC
Precursor to the electric calculator as well as the computer, the abacus emerged in ancient Mesopotamia around 2700 BC and was used to make calculations based on the Sumerian culture’s relatively complex numerical system. This clever device was an essential tool for monetary systems and trade in the ancient world.

The compass – China, 206 BC
The invention of this key navigational gizmo transformed seafaring and eventually helped bring about the Age of Discovery, as well as a huge expansion in world trade. Invented in China in 206 BC as a fortune-telling aid, the compass wasn’t used as a navigational tool until the 11th century AD.

Gunpowder – China, 142
The quintessential explosive was developed in China over many centuries, but it was first mentioned in an Taoist text written by alchemist Wei Boyang in 142 AD. This invention has had a major impact on world history, changing the way humans wage war, and gunpowder is still the basis of many modern weapons.

The mechanical clock – China, 725
Another super-important invention from China, the world’s first mechanical clock was created by mathematician Yi Xing and military engineer Liang Lingzan in the eighth century. This accurate way of telling the time pushed humanity forward in a big way, facilitating everything from seafaring to agriculture.

The printing press – Holy Roman Empire, 1440
Johannes Gutenberg’s seminal invention enabled the spread of knowledge to the people and heralded the era of mass communication, giving the wider public access to information that was formerly the preserve of the elite. Its importance cannot be overstated.

The thermometer – Republic of Venice, 1612
Modern medical practice, scientific research and manufacturing all call for accurate temperature measurement. Galileo Galilei developed the first thermoscope, a device that shows temperature changes, in 1592. The first true thermometer, a thermoscope with a scale, was created by Venetian physician Santorio Santorio in 1612.

The modern steam engine – England, 1698
A major driver of the industrial revolution, the world’s first commercially available steam-powered engine was invented by English engineer Thomas Savery in 1698. The pioneering contraption was used to power mills and pump water out of mines.

The computer – England, early 19th century
Regarded as ‘the father of the computer’, English math genius Charles Babbage invented the world’s first mechanical computing devices, the Difference and Analytical Engines, during the early 19th century.

The electric telegraph – England, 1816
English scientist Francis Ronalds is credited with inventing the first workable form of electrical telecommunication in 1816, while American Samuel Morse developed the first commercially-viable telegraph system in 1837, which revolutionized long-distance communication.

Modern anesthesia – USA, 1842
Without effective anesthesia, modern surgical procedures would be all but impossible. While alcohol and opium have been used as crude anesthetics for millennia, modern anesthesia dates back to 1842, when surgeon Crawford Long used ether for the first time to operate on a patient’s jaw.

Modern oil refining – Scotland, 1848
Everything from modern vehicles to plastics exists thanks to refined petroleum. The process was developed by Scottish chemist James Young, who figured out a way to extract kerosene from crude oil in 1848.

Whatever Can Go Wrong Will Go Wrong

We know that whatever can go wrong, will. But what goes wrong in our homes need not be disastrouis if we are prepared.

Burst Pipe
Whether it’s a broken water line or a rusted-out drain, a burst pipe can cause a lot of trouble in a short period of time. If water is gushing, close the valve closest to the link first, then shut off the main water valve into the house. Once you’ve turned off the main water supply, reopen the smaller valve and slowly drain any remaining water into buckets.

PowerOutagePower Outage
During a power outage, the safest course is to disconnect all appliances and electronics. That way, you’ll avoid damage from power surges when the power comes back on. Take great care using candles for illumination, exercising proper fire safety, and be sure to stock up on batteries and flashlights.

Gas Leak
If your carbon monoxide detector sounds or you simply detect a gas odor, evacuate the house immediately. Once you’ve relocated to a safe location, call the gas company’s 24-hour help line and ask them to send a technician to check your home for leaks.

Basement Flood
Before you charge into a flooded basement to rescue your belongings, be safe. Turn off the circuit breaker to the house (or, if you can’t reach the circuit box, call your utility and ask them to do it for you). Wear thick waterproof boots and gloves to protect against toxic elements in the floodwater.

Roof Damage
For patching a storm-damaged roof, tarps nailed down with wood strips are the quickest and easiest fix. Just be sure to let any weather pass and take all precautions before climbing up – or even better, call a professional to do it for you, then arrange for more permanent fix to be made as quickly as possible.

Furnace Malfunction
Somehow, the furnace always seems to give out on the first frigid evening of the year – and Murphy’s law states it will happen on a Saturday night, when the repairman charges double his usual rate. Before you pick up the phone, check to see if a clogged filter or a tripped circuit breaker might be the culprit.

Locked Out
Getting locked out of the house is a little embarrassing, and, if you have to call a locksmith, can be mightily expensive, too. Keeping a hidden key poses security risks. So remove your extra key from inside the hide-a-key garden stone or from under the back porch door mat, and consider leaving it with a trusted friend or neighbor instead.

Kitchen Fire
First, don’t panic. Keep a box of baking soda in a handy spot for dousing flare-ups in a toaster or stovetop pan. Avoid tossing water on the blaze, and don’t try to smother the flames with a dishtowel or anything that could catch fire. You may be able to use a pot lid to extinguish the flames. If it’s an oven fire, don’t open the door – close the oven and the fire should extinguish itself. Although some fire extinguishers are rated to extinguish grease fires, those handheld fire fighters can spread flames rather than extinguish them when used improperly. Educate yourself on the types of extinguishers and how to use them so you’re always ready in case of a disaster.

Flush Fail
Obviously, a plunger is your first line of defense for a clogged commode. If you’ve cleared the clog but flushing troubles persist, open the tank and investigate. The handle may have gotten disconnected, or part of the flush mechanism may need to be replaced.

Where the Things We Use Originated

We take so much for granted – simple things that we use frequently, complex things that make our lives easier. But don’t you wonder sometimes where they came from? Well here are the origins of a few of those “necessities” of ife.

The wheel – inventor unknown, but came along around 4000-3500 BC
The wheel revolutionized the movement of people, livestock and goods, not to mention pottery making and milling. Experts can’t pinpoint exactly when and where it was invented, but Bronze Age Mesopotamia or Eurasia are the most likely candidates.

fridgeThe refrigerator – Scotland, 1755
One of the most important innovations in food history, the first artificially-cooled refrigerator was developed by Scottish physician William Cullen in the mid-1750s, but the first commercial domestic model wasn’t introduced until 1913.

Soap – Ancient Mesopotamia, 2800 BC
Improvements in human hygiene have enabled civilizations to flourish. The first indoor toilet was created at Skara Brae in northern Scotland way back in 3000 BC. Around the same time, the first cleansing soaps, made from wood ash and animal fat, were invented in ancient Mesopotamia.

Paper – China, 105 BC
The invention of paper is crucial as it enabled civilizations to share knowledge and keep records more effectively. While the ancient Egyptians developed woven papyrus reed ‘paper’ as far back as the fourth century BC, real paper, which is made from mashed-up fibers, was invented in China by Han Imperial Court official Cai Lun around 105 BC.

Photography – France, 1816
The first photograph was created in 1816 by French inventor Nicéphore Niépce using a do-it-yourself camera and paper coated with silver chloride. A key 19th-century invention, photography profoundly changed the way people communicate, learn, entertain, record events and express their artistic creativity.

FirstCarThe car – Germany, 1886
It’s hard to imagine what our lives would be like if the automobile hadn’t been invented. German engineer Karl Benz is widely credited with inventing the first true car, the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, in 1886.

The light bulb – USA, 1879
Where would we be without the light bulb? Several inventors, including English scientist Warren de la Rue, created rudimentary versions earlier in the century, but the first practical incandescent light bulb for the mass market was patented by Thomas Edison in 1879.

Thirteen for the 13th

With Jan. 13, 2017, falling on a Friday, here are 13 facts about the date that is synonymous with bad luck and superstitions.

friday13The apprehension surrounding Friday the 13th may have biblical origins, as Christ’s crucifixion is believed to have taken place on a Friday. Thirteen was also the number of guests present at the Last Supper, and the apostle Judas, who would later betray Jesus with the infamous Kiss of Judas, supposedly was the 13th person seated at the table, according to the New Testament.

The scientific term for the fear of Friday the 13th is “paraskavedekatriaphobia,” derived from the Greek words “paraskeví” meaning “Friday” and “dekatreís” meaning “thirteen.” Another term used to refer to the irrational fear of Friday the 13th is “friggatriskaidekaphobia” with “Frigga” referring to  the Norse goddess and seer Frigg, after whom Friday is named in English.

During World War II, five German bombs hit Buckingham Palace in the U.K. on Friday, Sept. 13, 1940, and destroyed the Palace Chapel, as part of Adolf Hitler’s strategic “Blitz” bombing campaign.

On Friday, Oct. 13, 1989, the U.S. stock exchange suffered a major crash. The day is sometimes referred to as “Black Friday.”

It is estimated that every Friday the 13th costs the U.S. economy approximately $800 million to $900 million in losses, according to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute, as many people refuse to do business or travel by air.

British filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense, was born on Aug. 13, 1899, which was a Friday. He was supposed to make his directorial debut with a film called “Number 13,” which never saw the light of the day owing to financial troubles.

The Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapels in Las Vegas, Nev., offers special zombie, vampire and horror-themed wedding ceremonies on Friday the 13th.

On Friday, Oct. 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered his officers to raid the homes of the Knights Templar, who were warrior monks during the Crusades. Hundreds of the Knights Templar were subjected to excruciating torture in order to force confessions from them. More than a hundred succumbed to death in the process.

For a month to have a Friday on the 13th day, it must begin on a Sunday.

Hotel and hospital buildings often skip the 13th floor, and airports sometimes don’t have a gate no. 13.

Former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt reportedly had a great fear of Friday the 13th. He avoided starting a trip on a Friday, wasn’t keen on traveling on the 13th day of any month and would never host 13 people at the dinner table.

Pop star Taylor Swift believes 13 is her lucky number and has some connections with Friday the 13th. “I was born on the 13th. I turned 13 on Friday the 13th. My first album went gold in 13 weeks. My first #1 song had a 13-second intro,” she told MTV in 2009.

You get another dose of Friday the 13th later this year since it occurs twice in 2017 – in January and October.