The celebration continues! Pegasus Lighting is 15 this year, and to commemorate our anniversary we’re creating monthly blog posts about popular culture 15 years ago. You know, just to remember where we came from. July 1999 was a tumultuous month. There were some inspirational moments, tragic moments, and just plain bizarre moments, like when we intentionally crashed a spacecraft into the moon. Enjoy this walk down memory lane. Don’t forget your baggy pants, hair gel, and Christina Aguilera CDs.

1. Moon Boom

via Wikipedia

Mercury-Redstone 4, the second U.S. spaceflight, which launched in July 1961, resulted in the near-death of astronaut Virgil I. Grissom and the sinking of the Liberty Bell 7 spacecraft. The vessel was rescued from the depths of the Atlantic in July 1999.

 3. Lance Does a Victory Dance (Possibly Drug-Induced)

Good old Lance Armstrong of LIVESTRONG and doping fame won his first Tour de France in July 1999. It was the beginning of an Armstrong era that would later be tainted by the fact that Armstrong was doing unethical things to give him the edge to win. Live Strong? Even if it means cheating? Thanks a lot, Lance. Great role model. Pshh.

4. Crash in Martha’s Vineyard

Off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, a plane piloted by John F. Kennedy Jr. crashed, killing him and his wife Caroyln Bessette Kennedy and her sister Lauren Bessette. Very sad. Sorry for depressing you. But this is what was – phew! – I almost said “This is what was going down.” That would have been indelicate phrasing. This is what was HAPPENING in July 1999.

5. HARRY POTTAH!

In July 1999, the third novel in the HARRY POTTER series, HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN, was published in the UK. It sold 68,000 copies in the first three days and won a bunch of prestigious literary awards. Cha-ching!

6. A Blur of a Man

In a bizarre event, a Japanese man named Yuji Nishizawa hijacked an All Nippon Airways Boeing 747 and stabbed one of the pilots with a 8″ kitchen knife before being subdued by the crew. The pilot died shortly after the emergency landing, and the perpetrator was apprehended. Because he was diagnosed with mental illness, he was given a sentence of life in prison. Weirdly, he had discovered a way to smuggle weapons on planes, and, shortly before the incident, he had written to the airline alerting them to the security flaw and asking for a job in airport security. No one listened, until the hijacking. Then, the security flaw was fixed in all Japanese airports. Some people, man. Makes you want to go back in time and slap some sense into him.

8. Woodstock Again… Again

They tried to recreate the Woodstock music festival in 1994. What happened? Violence and destruction. So they figured, hey! Let’s give it another go! So, in July 1999, Woodstock 99 was held in Rome, NY. What happened? Violence and destruction. And sexual assault. Sorry Limp Bizkit fans, this is not going to work out. There were no more Woodstocks. (Or Limp Bizkit fans, incidentally.)

9. Andre Is Wimble DONE!

On the Fourth of July, in Wimbledon, England, under a blazing sun, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi were battling it on the grass out for glory and riches. And a real big trophy. Pete Sampras defeated Agassi in three sets and called the match the “best tennis of [his] life.”

10. It’s Electric! (I know. Sorry.)

Florida commits its last act of execution by electric chair. The convict? Allen Lee Davis. I won’t go into detail about his heinous crimes. Or his execution. But it was shocking enough – oops I did it again! – I mean APPALLING enough for death by electric chair to be considered cruel and unusual punishment from then on in the state of Florida.

11. Hello Safeco

The inaugural baseball game was held at the Seattle Mariners’ Safeco Field in July, 1999. The field looked great. But the Mariners lost to the San Diego Padres, 2-3. Womp womp.

12. American Why? Just Why?

Stanley Kubrick’s latest film EYES WIDE SHUT was released in the middle of the month. Mask party, anyone?

14. Teenie Genie in a Bottle

Spirited lighting designs are trending toward the dark side, and that’s not just because it is Halloween.  Style spotters and top designers are embracing bold fashions and dramatic hues.  Take a look at the top three themes in the world of illumination…

1.  Deep, Dark Hues:  It is said to be a sign of the times that we are embracing rich, dark colors.  From politics to cultural rebirths, a positive vibe is in the air and we are changing it up with dramatic designs and darker hues.

“Momento De Mori” from Shannon Koszyk’s dramatic collection for Currey and Company features an Antique Nickel skull, black base and Inky Black parchment shade.

2.  A Cleaner Contemporary:   The ease of clean contemporary goes hand-in-hand with energy-efficiency and LED illumination.  From intricate geometric cutouts to textured Mercury glass compositions, the call for contemporary design has never been greater.

“Sovereign” table lamps from Dimond Lighting showcase Antique Mercury glass combined with energy-efficient LED illumination.

3.  Fearless Fashions and Surprise Twists:  Engaging new mediums run the gamut from natural palm leaf panels to a fusion of slate and metal.  Experimenting with hundreds of different textures, organic and synthetic materials, designers are coming up with new lamp shades, lamp bases and chandeliers that offer a magnificent blend of elements.  Novel lamp styles are making the A-list from designers who are not afraid to take a risk!

“Free Fall” from Kenroy Home introduces natural slate within a rugged iron lamp base for a statuesque presentation.

Lighting showrooms are abuzz with new lamps and chandeliers for the holiday season.  From High Point to Hong Kong, top lighting vendors are giving us plenty to celebrate.  Visit a Capitol Lighting showroom or 1800lighting.com to see the latest fixture fashions.

Breaker boxes or commonly called electrical panels are the modern day replacements for fuses boxes.  Breakers are the electrical devices that go into a panel or breaker box.  Breakers can easily be reset by flipping there switch versus having to unscrew and completely replace a fuse.  A circuit breaker can automatically open or trip upon an overload or a short circuit protecting the circuit and the appliances plugged into the circuit from possible damage.  For larger equipment such as those used in commercial or industrial applications switchgear is commonly used to protect and control equipment.

There is a lot of brands of breaker boxes or electrical panels on the market with some better than others.  Most breakers boxes on the market have been proven to be reliable and operate correctly and safely.  Brands such as Seimens, Square D, and Cutler-Hammer offer superior products and can provide the best protection possible with installed correctly.

Most brands that we currently know have safety and fire hazards have been pulled off the market.  However a lot of these brands that have been pulled off the market are in thousands and in some cases hundreds of thousands of homes across the nation.  One of the worst brands of electrical panels we see in the Des Moines market is Federal Pacific brand breaker boxes.  Federal Pacific panels were most commonly uses from 1960’s to the 1980’s.  These panels have circuit breakers that simply do not trip or open the circuit properly to provide the necessary protection.  Federal Pacific panels have been linked to countless fires and have even resulted in death.  If you have a Federal Pacific breaker box in your home we highly recommend it be replaced by a licensed electrician as soon as possible.  Another brand we advise immediate replacement on is Zinsco panels.  Certain types of Zinsco panels have been linked to several fires.  If you own a Zinsco panel we recommend it be replaced by an licensed electrician.