Etc...

Gotcha!

In Toronto, sharp-eyed attorney Jennifer Myers has beaten a traffic ticket that could have cost her a small fine. Instead, it's the city that may have to pay ... and pay ... and pay. Myers noticed that a no-left-turn sign she was accused of violating wasn't bilingual. And never mind that she speaks only English. A court agreed with her that Toronto is bound by law to post public notices in French too; thus, the sign in question was itself illegal. A spokesman for the city said it has hundreds of thousands of traffic signs ... and converting them would cost $167 each.

When the long-running TV series "This Old House" made its debut on PBS in 1979, few do-it-yourselfers (DIYers) were brave enough to attempt major home-improvement projects. At the time, as show creator Russ Morash points out, retail giant Home Depot was just a fledgling company. Since then, TV series on home improvement have proliferated - as have DIYers, who helped to make "This Old House" the most popular half-hour show in public television history. Today, it airs on commercial stations and is the centerpiece of a universe of programs and products. From the November 2002 "This Old House" magazine, some DIY milestones:

1863: Linoleum is invented
1868: Tape measure is patented
1872: First mail-order tools and household goods catalog is published by A. Montgomery Ward
1901: Gustav Stickley introduces The Craftsman magazine
1912: The phrase "do it yourself" first appears in print
1917: Sheetrock-brand gypsum panels are introduced
1921: Debut of the Skilsaw
1929: Craftsman introduces its first power tools
1934: Federal Housing Administation provides guaranteed loans for home alterations
1940: Paint roller is invented
1946: Jigsaw is invented
1961: Black & Decker introduces the first cordless drill