16. REMOTE CONTROL

Lets you change the channel without changing your seat

* Actually, at my house in Maryland, I don't even have a remote control. But my brother Nick came up with this simple miracle, in response to an assignment from our mother. It has hung on the wall in our breakfast nook in Pennsylvania. Now, it is on my blog too.
* At this time of year, a remote control can be very valuable, though, to switch from those awful commercials during breaks in NCAA tournament action to something less scandalous like the Weather Channel.

15. UMBRELLAS

The one and only roof on a stick

* This morning in Maryland, it is raining. After work, I am driving to North Carolina, where it is also supposed to be raining. I am glad that there was an umbrella in my trunk.
* This simple miracle originally appeared in the spring of 2004 at CWRU, where it is very important to have an umbrella while walking to class.

14. BIRDS A-CHIRPING

Early in the morning, they sing, "Hooray! Here has come Spring!"
* The birds start to sing at just about the time of year when it becomes warm enough for us to open our windows and hear them.
* Thanks to Teresa Myers for the idea for this simple miracle. On my way to work today, a little after 7 AM, I checked: Yep, they were cheerfully singing. In combination with the blue sky and sunshine, it was wonderful encouragement to start the day.

13. COLLEGE BASKETBALL IN MARCH

Just as in life, the favorite is formidable and has an edge. But the underdog, though unlikely, has a chance.

* Have you filled out your bracket yet? Go Pitt!
* I watched a lot of college basketball when I was in high school. My mom would come into the living room and ask, "Who are you rooting for?" But sometimes, I wouldn't be rooting for anyone, instead just a general, genuine fan, enjoying the game.
* I think that to see a group of players pull together and work hard to accomplish their goal, especially when it's unexpected, is very exciting.

12. COPY MACHINES

What deft duplicators!

* One of my favorite things that comes from a copy machine is the Missy Times, a newsletter published by my younger sister Melissa. Originally handwritten with clever illustrations, my issue arrives in the mail once every few weeks.
* A copy machine illustrates that a "simple miracle" need not necessarily be simple in composition. One could point out that a copy machine contains numerous parts that are not simple at all. But many such complicated gadgets are among these things that make our lives much more simple and that we simply take for granted.
* This simple miracle originally appeared at CWRU in the fall of 2003.

11. CAR HEADLIGHTS

Because they are bright,
we can drive at night

* Just last week, I was alerted that one of my front headlights had burned out. How long had I been winking at the cars in front of me? What had they thought?
* Many days, I drive home from work in the dark, especially in the winter. Often, when I go to see my family in Pennsylvania, I drive in the dark. How many fewer places we would not be able to visit if we didn't travel at night!

10. ZERO

Our place-holding hero

* Without zero, this simple miracle (number one-zero) would not be possible.
* It originally appeared at CWRU in the fall of 2004. I think that we were thinking of the song, "Zero, my hero," on the Multiplication Rock tape to which I listened when I was very young.
* At CWRU, there are many engineers and scientists whose appreciation for a mathematical innovation like zero was very strong.

9. DOOR HINGES

Lets you go from inside to out without having to take off the door

* Alternatively, I guess that you could just have curtains in front of all of your doorways. But that would be very bad for insulation, and squirrels could scurry into your living room whenever they wanted.
* This simple miracle originally appeared at CWRU in the fall of 2003. At that time, I was living in a suite with five other guys. There was door to our dorm, one to our floor, one for our suite, and one for my own room.

8. SALT

Works great on pretzels and icy sidewalks

* Some advise using calcium chloride on your sidewalk. But the same sodium chloride works just fine on both sidewalks and pretzels.
* In Pennsylvania, sometimes in the winter, you can almost taste the salt that has been applied to the roads and sidewalks. I've noticed this especially while jogging. The taste reminds me of being near the ocean.

7. ELBOWS

Making teeth-brushing much easier
* This simple miracle originally appeared at CWRU in the fall of 2003.