Outdoor lighting provides homeowners with the ability to make their property safe and easier to walk around at night. Not only will you feel more comfortable knowing what’s in your front yard, but you will also add visual appeal to your home too. If you want to improve outdoor safety through lighting, and at the same time add a little character to the outside of your home, then follow along to understand the potential upgrades you can make for outdoor lighting options.

As part of our series on pop culture from 15 years ago – a continuing celebration of our 15th anniversary as Pegasus Lighting – here are 15 moments from March 1999 you may remember. Monica Lewinsky’s book on her affair with Bill Clinton goes on sale; the Dow Jones average beats 1000 for the first time; and The Matrix is released. Ah, the sweet 90s. Where were you?

1. Jar Jar Annoys Basically Everyone

At the Golden Raspberry Awards, better known as the Razzies, the award for Worst Supporting Actor went to Ahmed Best, who voiced the character Jar Jar Binks in STAR WARS: EPISODE 1, THE PHANTOM MENACE. Poor Jar Jar, you-sa not much appreciated by STAR WARS fans.

2. The Worst Picture of the Year

The Roth 401(k) combined elements of the Roth IRA and the traditional 401(k). In a traditional 401(k), you contribute income without paying taxes on it. You then pay taxes on the funds when you withdraw them during retirement. With the Roth 401(k), however, you pay the taxes upfront so that you can withdrawal funds tax-free during retirement.

 5. The Melissa Worm Attacks the Internet

At the end of March 1999, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above the 10,000 mark at 10,006.78. This was unprecedented! People made “DOW 10,000” hats and celebrated. In hindsight, people wonder whether that day represented the peak of our economy’s health up to that point or the peak of market excess that was responsible for the economic instability of the 2000s.

7. You Are the One, Neo

Legendary film director Steven Spielberg was once again named Best Director at the Academy Awards for SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. In fact, the director of early 80s movies like E.T. was on a real tear, just coming off of the JURASSIC PARK series and SCHINDLER’S LIST. He continues to direct great movies today.

9. Roberto Begnigni Is Exuberant 

Roberto Benigni won Best Actor for his role in LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL at the 1999 Academy Awards. His reaction immediately became more popular that the movie itself. I’ll have a glass of whatever he’s drinking!

10. Gwyneth Wins Best Actress

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE was the most awarded film of the night of the Academy Awards. Perhaps the most touching award acceptance, though, was Gwyneth Paltrow’s. Try to watch her acceptance speech without getting teary. I dare you.

11. Lewinsky Tells All

In March, 1999, The Supreme Court of the United States upheld the murder convictions of Timothy McVeigh for the Oklahoma City bombing, which left too many dead and wounded to even go into detail here. It was a tragic and totally unnecessary crime, and the Supreme Court decision echoed the feelings of many Americans.

14. Stanley Leaves Us

On the day after we lost Stanley Kubrick, we lost another beloved American hero, the legendary baseball player Joe DiMaggio. His death was caused by lung cancer. He was 84 and sure saw America from an interesting point of view. The loss of this former star was felt all over the nation.

It’s fun to think back to these moments in the popular culture of 1999, even though not everything that happened was happy. Most of us lived through all these events and remember them well. Come back next month to see what we resurrect next.

There has been a sea change in electrical safety systems for residential and commercial properties and these systems are significantly safer than the ones that existed even up until 5 years ago. Even if you have new installations on your property, you need to make some effort to prevent electrical accidents.

This means you have to ensure that the electrical infrastructure in your home is of a high-grade and that it’s well-maintained. It’s also important to make smart choices with reference to using various heat-producing appliances and extension cords. Here are some tips that will help make your home a safer space:

Electrical safety is about ensuring that every fixture, fitting and installation is updated and in a good condition. The power points are one of the most important electrical components on your property. Since these are the ones you come in contact with very regularly, they do become worn and damaged sooner than the other parts of the system.

Since they are the points of contact for various electrical appliances in your home, there is also the possibility of sparking. This is how they become a very common source of residential electrical fires. If you have noticed consistent sparking from these points or if any of the wires appear to be damaged or loose, it’s important that you call in a licensed and reliable electrician to get these fixed.

It’s a good idea to get a full electrical audit of your property. The electricians will quickly identify whether there is any damaged, deteriorated or faulty electrical system that has the potential to cause a fire. If you find the circuit breakers on your property tripping too often, it could mean that circuit is unable to bear the load of the appliances that are operating on it. If this is left unattended, it too could pose a fire risk.

If you find that you are using too many heavy duty appliances like gas stoves, dryers, microwaves and dishwashers on the same circuit, it’s important to spread them across different circuits. Your electrician will be able to handle this job expertly and will provide advice on what the best option would be.

While power strips and extension cords may seem like a convenient solution, they should never be used a permanent option. Long-term use might be required in areas like entertainment rooms or for computer systems; however these should be checked with regularity and replaced at the first indication of a defect/damage. It’s also very important that you don’t overload the extension cords and power strips.

These appliances can also become the cause of an electrical fire. These can’t be strictly categorized as electrical fires; however, if there is any kind of combustible material in the vicinity of these appliances, the heat that emanates from the latter can ignite the materials and cause a fire.

As a thumb rule, it’s important to keep combustible materials away from all heat and electrical sources. For instance, if you use space heaters it’s important to follow the safety instructions mentioned by the manufacturer. Newer model space heaters have more reliable fire prevention features and its best to consider buying a new one.

We at Allround Electricals are a reliable company with years of experience behind us. Our experts can come and conduct audits and provide preventive electrical maintenance services for your commercial and residential property. For more information, contact our friendly team at this number – 1300 169 263. Alternatively, you can also write to us at this email address.

Thanks for reading,1300 169 263