Good evening. Cue the Home Depot theme🎶: It’s getting so expensive to hire a contractor that DIY projects are booming, as more Americans pop open YouTube and roll up their sleeves to tackle problems around the house.

• In Q1 2022, around 67% of homeowners were doing their own home projects.
• Today, that’s up to 81%, with nearly half of all owners currently mid-build.

Most of these projects are smaller, often must-do undertakings that can be paid for in cash—while bigger home remodeling projects are being pushed into the future, Home Depot chief financial officer Richard McPhail said in a recent interview. However, analysts predict this will start to change once the Fed slashes borrowing costs, which is widely expected to happen next month.

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Each of the following events happened on August 25. Your challenge is to put them in the order in which they occurred by year, earliest to latest. Answers at the bottom!

• A) New York's The Sun begins running a series of news accounts falsely claiming that British astronomer John Herschel had observed all sorts of life on the Moon, including bison, single-horned goats, mini zebras, unicorns, bipedal tail-less beavers, and four-foot-tall, bat-like winged humanoids who built temples. It becomes known as the “Great Moon Hoax,” though The Sun never retracts the stories.
• B) To help address the food shortage crisis in Japan after WWII, inventor and businessman Momofuku Ando develops Chicken Ramen, the first-ever instant noodles. Today, 100+ billion servings of the just-add-water meals are consumed annually.
• C) US President Woodrow Wilson signs the “Organic Act,” establishing the National Park Service.
• D) The Wizard of Oz, the famous MGM musical starring Judy Garland as Dorothy, debuts in US theaters. And history will soon come full-circle, as many Americans are off to see the Wizard once again: The Las Vegas Sphere this Thursday will start screening the movie’s original version...but this time the presentation will include 167,000 audio speakers, haptic seats, and 4D effects, as well as the highest-quality resolution for a movie ever.

Hint: #2, if we can be of Service.

P.S. Just to be clear—the headline in this section is satire.

Wonder why your second cup never feels as good as your first? Caffeine and its side effects build-up with every cup, linger throughout the day and fog your focus, crash your afternoon, and keep you from getting quality sleep.

Meet Rarebird. Developed by a PhD scientist, it’s the only coffee that replaces caffeine with paraxanthine. 

The result??

• Better energy: Yep, still gives that boost
• Better focus: Each cup performs better—without brain fog, overstimulation, or crash
• Better sleep: Even after afternoon sips (yeah, it’s sleep friendly)

Or hot beans, if that’s what you’d prefer. Drink up!☕👇

The first clue of today’s sequence is: “Ceramic kitchenware that you pour your java into”...

Mini

Beware: Today’s mini crossword is so captivating it may cast a spell on you.

• Play today’s puzzle here, and see if you avoid the fate of many others.

P.S. Minor levitation is normal. But if your symptoms persist for more than four hours, call a doctor.

Sudoku

The feeling of completing today’s sudoku puzzle has been compared to frolicking barefoot through a soft, grass-and-wildflower-filled meadow at sunrise. It’s that primally satisfying.

• Play today's puzzle here, and experience it for yourself.

Click to play any (or all) of the three GOATWars’ challenges below, then pick the GOAT through a series of head-to-head matchups. This data-driven process was developed to create definitive best-of-all-time lists using a more objective approach than random bloggers just publishing controversial opinions for clicks.

• 🥣 THE GREATEST CEREAL MASCOTS OF ALL TIME
• 🍟 THE GREATEST FAST-FOOD FRENCH FRIES OF ALL TIME
• 🦃 THE GREATEST THANKSGIVING SIDES OF ALL TIME

🔫 THE GREATEST LIAM NEESON PERFORMANCES OF ALL TIME

1. Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List
2. Bryan Mills in Taken
3. Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace

Explore the full list.

🧑‍🦲 THE GREATEST JASON STATHAM MOVIES OF ALL TIME

1. The Transporter (2002)
2. Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
3. Snatch (2000)

Explore the full list.

🦸 THE GREATEST GAL GADOT MOVIES OF ALL TIME

1. Wonder Woman (2017)
2. Red Notice (2021)
3. Death On The Nile (2022)

Explore the full list.

Note: Results are as of the published time; these lists are dynamic and may change.

A, C, D, B

• A) 1835: New York's The Sun begins running a series of news accounts falsely claiming that British astronomer John Herschel had observed all sorts of life on the Moon, including bison, single-horned goats, mini zebras, unicorns, bipedal tail-less beavers, and four-foot-tall, bat-like winged humanoids who built temples. It becomes known as the “Great Moon Hoax,” though The Sun never retracts the stories.
• C) 1916: US President Woodrow Wilson signs the “Organic Act,” establishing the National Park Service.
• D) 1939: The Wizard of Oz, the famous MGM musical starring Judy Garland as Dorothy, debuts in US theaters.
• B) 1958: To help address the food shortage crisis in Japan after WWII, inventor and businessman Momofuku Ando develops Chicken Ramen, the first-ever instant noodles. Today, 100+ billion servings of the just-add-water meals are consumed annually.