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It turns out that few of us in Illinois are as unique as we might like to think. Each New Year's Day, the common longings that unite us all come to the surface in the form of our resolutions, many of which are identical from one person to the next. How many of the top ten most common New Year's resolutions sound familiar to you?
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Just as the fresh, white flakes of a snowstorm seem to leave no surface untouched, so does December's festive mood effect virtually every aspect of our lives: family, food, finances, and even work. We reconnect with relatives we only see once a year, prepare and devour elaborate feasts, and spend time and money hunting for the perfect holiday gifts. And many of us will attend-or, if you are a business owner, actually plan-holiday office parties.
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Things change around the house during the holidays. One family member is perched on a sky-high ladder hanging up festive lights on your home's exterior. Another is slaving over a hot stove for hours on end. Youngsters are playing on all sorts of unfamiliar, newfangled toys. And there's often a huge, flammable tree in the living room. Needless to say, the opportunities for accidents are many during this time of year. While we hope to let a sense of joy and gratitude reign over this month in Illinois, it's also prudent to be cautious and take a few steps to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your property during this vulnerable time.
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Railroad crossing collisions and casualties are more common than you might think. Last year, the Federal Railroad Administration reported 1,967 collisions at train crossings, 949 injuries, and 273 deaths.
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Nobody in the Illinois wants poor old Santa to emerge from the chimney looking like a scary, sooty monster. Now that the weather is truly chilly and the generous man from the North Pole is on his way, it's time to think about your chimney and/or make sure your wood stove is in fine working order. Hiring professionals to do this for you is certainly one option, but during a time of year when your pocketbook is already likely to be a bit on the depleted side, you may be motivated to do it yourself. Here are some tips for safe and effective DIY assessment and cleaning of chimneys and wood stoves:
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Social media has many faces. A few social media sites, like Friendster, have been relatively short-lived, while others, like those listed below, appear to be here to stay.
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Asbestos is a hidden health hazard that can lurk right in the place where you should feel the safest: home. While those who work in the construction industry are considered the most vulnerable to asbestos exposure, especially repeated exposure, it's important to keep in mind that even very limited exposure-such as what you might experience during a simple renovation project-can have long-term negative effects. Make it a priority to prevent you and your family members from coming into contact with this dangerous material.
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Is Facebook still a "friend" to the social media user who values some semblance of privacy? With the advent of Graph Search, Facebook's internal search engine, which allows users to search for comments, photo captions, photos, and other material posted by themselves or anyone else, many Facebook users are feeling that their privacy is a thing of the past, like those other casualties of technology, such as the handwritten letter and the answering machine.
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