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Humans are different in many respects but we also share a lot of conserved traits. For example, humans being mammals we, like all other mammals, produce milk to sustain our young, we also have hair/fur like other animals, and we also have internal reproductive organs including the uterus that we use to gestate out young. If you go back a little further you see that humans share a lot of characteristics with other animals - we all seem to have four limbs, two eyes, two nostrils, one heart, two kidneys, lungs, a liver, etc. We share all these things because all animals share a single common ancestor. That ancestor was a tetrapod species. Go back even further and you see that we share some pretty interesting and old traits that date back to our earliest common ancestor that was a vertebrate aquatic animal - thats why humans and fish both have backbones (vertebrae). You may be interested in the book Your inner fish, which was also made into a PBS documentary. "Why do we look the way we do? Neil Shubin, the paleontologist and professor of anatomy who co-discovered Tiktaalik, the “fish with hands,” tells the story of our bodies as you've never heard it before. By examining fossils and DNA, he shows us that our hands actually resemble fish fins, our heads are organized like long-extinct jawless fish, and major parts of our genomes look and function like those of worms and bacteria. Your Inner Fish makes us look at ourselves and our world in an illuminating new light. This is science writing at its finest—enlightening, accessible and told with irresistible enthusiasm."

But you are correct in your observation humans have a lot of unique characteristics, even among the primates. First we share a few of the traits that primates have - opposable thumbs, forward facing eyes, good colour vision, long gestations, few offspring per litter, and it takes a long time for us to reach sexual maturity. But we do know why we have some of our unique traits.

1. Loss of hair: either hypothesized to be a adaptation to living in hot environments which enables use to cool or hypothesized to be a part of sexual selection (individuals with less hair were more likely to mate and so over generations humans became less hairy simply because thats what we thought was 'sexy') or it could be some combination therein.
   
2. Bipedal stance: this one is a bit more tricky since the first bipedal apes evolved about 3-4 million years ago. Lucy is an australopithecine hominid that lived just over 3 million years ago and would walk on two legs. We also know that the upright stance preceded an increase in brain size by about 2 million years. So what drove Lucy, or Lucy's recent ancestors to become upright bipedal apes? It could be because the forests were receding and tall grasslands were taking over. Walking on two legs enabled us to see over the grass. It could be that walking upright freed our hands for other tasks like carrying, using, or making objects. Maybe there is a reason we just don't know about because this change occurred so many million years ago.
   
   Finally, our big brains even though they may seem like a single trait have enabled us to do things that no other species has been able to accomplish. It enabled us to diversify in a way that no other species could. Other species might have a few unique combinations that allow them to be really great at a few things but humans have taken another approach, be ok at a lot of things. We decided to take the "jack-of-all-trades" route...and there are a few other species that have taken this strategy as well. Most of these species are the ones that live right along side us as "pests" - rats, mice, racoons, pigeons, and crows are some great examples of species that have learned to do things a bit differently. Instead of focusing on one single skill or trait be good at a bunch of different things. This is especially important skill to have when you live in an environment that is rapidly changing. Species that live in stable environments are more likely to become very selective in what they do, what they eat, or how they live. But if you live in an environment where your food sources change rapidly, or the environment changes quickly then you best be able to deal with a bunch of different problems. Humans quickly became that species. The species that was able to exploit any habitat, the species that was able to eat just about any kind of food, the species that no longer was constrained by any particular ecosystem. We could go anywhere and do anything and we would survive. This comes at the cost of being very good at one thing, like swimming or flying.
   
   Finally one of the reasons why a single species can't be good at everything (e.g. why we can swim like a tuna, fly like a bird, dig like a vole, or run like a cheetah) is because each trait is a trade off and comes at some kind of cost. For example, in order to attain the mass of an elephant you need to able to eat tons of food each day, which simply isn't possible for an animal living in the Arctic where food is scarce. There is no single best species and you can't really create a super species either.

You mean like heart, liver, kidney?

Its probably not going to be a satisfactory answer but they are shaped they way they are because they have always more or less been shaped that way. For example, the basic structure of the heart hasn't changed much in...well 500 million years. I suggest reading the book your inner fish which really explains how many of the features we have today are simple modifications on a theme that was well established over half a billion years ago. The age old adage "if it ain't broke don't fix it" applies nicely.

Of course there is variation, and variation arises through different selective pressures. For example, take a look at the heart of different animals (ignore the spider): they all have chambers, they all pump blood, and they all have a similar structure. A basic structure modified to meet the unique demands of those species. A blueprint that has been slightly modified over time. Each new iteration of the "heart" is shaped to fit the needs of that species based on the selective pressures its ancestors encountered. It would be impossible to explain each iteration and its unique function, for that we would need to consider the unique environment, life history, and evolutionary history of that species. All these factors coming together to create organs which function for that animal. The basic blueprint isn't tampered with too severely, because the underlying function and and basic physiological mechanisms are conserved across species. All hearts need to pump blood, that is the underlying function of the heart. Moreover, the basic physiological mechanisms that allow a heart to beat and the types of cells that make up heart tissue are conserved. What changes are the number and orientation of chambers. The reason why the number and orientation of chambers changes is because the ancestors of those species encountered unique obstacles and pressures that favoured these slight changes. Why are the organs shaped the way they are? Evolution.

Edit: Maybe an analogy would help. Its really easy for evolution to tweak what has already been designed. You design a chair...but now you want a bench...take the same chair and just stretch it out, or copy and paste. Using this technique you are more likely to end up with a functional product at the end of the day that is user friendly. Something that resembles the original but with slight modification. Drastic changes in design can result in disasters, so its better to just work with what you have and go from there. Evolution works in a similar way. You have a heart that functions well with two chambers. Its fairly easy to modify that and make four chambers by splitting the two that already exist in half. But to restart and create a whole new way of pumping blood is inefficient and risky. Its like trying to take the blueprint for that chair and modify it into a bean bag...not going to work. We are more or less "locked in" to the blueprint we have. Slight changes can work, but total rewrites aren't going to happen. So the organs are shaped the way they are because their shape helps fulfill their function. Their function, being determined long ago, with very few changes has resulted in a conservation of form throughout the ages and across species.

I've taught a lot of people how computers work, or more precisely how to program them. I am sure you can learn too.

First, let's make it fun.

There is a lot of material for people who like the Raspberry Pi out there that is fun and simple. You don't even need to own a Raspberry Pi to understand what they're talking about.

It's fun and simple because it's designed for youngsters who find long/complex books a bit too boring. I think you might enjoy it, because you've said you've found the books you've tried too boring.

Here is a load of magazines about the Pi - on each issue you can click on "Get Issue" and then under the cover "download the PDF" and read it and see if you enjoy that.

Next, have a play with Scratch. It's designed for kids but the exact same concepts are in professional programming languages.

The reason I recommend it is not because I think you are a child, but because it's a lot of fun and makes a lot of the dull and boring bits of programming go away so you can focus on the fun bits.

You have to remember all the things going on inside a computer are basically the things going on in there - just a lot more complex.

If you ever want to learn a programming language that professional developers use, I think you'll like Ruby.

It's very forgiving for new developers, but still lets you do what we would call "production grade" code. It's what I work in most days.

Also, why's poignant guide is quite funny, but you might find it a bit weird and confusing - I know I did the first time I read it. :-)

I also recommend this book to you: Code by Charles Petzoid. The first few chapters don't seem like they're about computers, because they talk about flags and electrical circuits - that's because you need to understand those things first.

If you can read and understand the whole thing you will know more about how computers work than half of the professional software engineers out there. And they're normally quite a clever bunch.

If you find it too difficult, slow down and think. Each paragraph has something in it worth thinking about and letting it mull over in your mind.

IQ is not a measure of how much you can learn, but perhaps how quickly it can see patterns and understand things.

You having a lower IQ than somebody else does not mean you can't see those patterns or understand things, it just means it might take you a little more thinking to get there. I'm sure you will.

If you ever have any questions about computers, I'd love to try and help answer them - feel free to ask me.

Mmmmk... so I've been awake for like 23 hours at this point but I'm going to work a 12 hour shift tomorrow so I'm going to try to answer now without sounding loopy.

Okay so, it's kinda shitty that the doctor threw so many prescriptions at you. I mean, I'm not a doctor, so obviously their word always trumps a tech. I just really don't like when doctors hand out prescriptions to try to fix problems that might be solved without them. I want my husband to try nuvigil because he DOES have OSA, and he's getting treatment, and still super tired.

Anyway, so I mentioned delayed sleep/wake phase disorder earlier. The name of this disorder is kinda misleading because it makes it sound like there is something wrong with you, but in reality it's a set of behaviors that got you there. It would be super nice if your body just did exactly what you told it to do, and you could sleep exactly when you wanted right when it was convenient, but unfortunately it doesn't always work that way. So, you mentioned having issues where you'll be tired through most of the day but then you get a boost at like 11pm. This is, for the most part, normalish. Your circadian rhythm is kind of like a rolling tide all day and all night. For the average person there is a specific time of day you're most awake (10am) and going to get groggy (4pm) and it happens when you're asleep too! IIRC 4am, while you're sleeping, is when you're the most "awake" during sleep. So with delayed sleep phase disorder, you've basically conditioned your body to do this normal circadian rhythm process but not at the right hours. This actually is super super common for teenagers to do, and I actually do it myself. I have very serious problems being on a 1st shift schedule and when I was on first shift I would find myself drifting towards staying up till 4am on the weekends and then I would be fucked trying to sleep Sunday night. So this is what I think has happened to you. The "best" way they say to fix this is to set your sleep time later every day in increments of like 30 minutes until you've made it around the clock and land at a more normal people time to sleep. That is completely and totally insane though and I have no idea who would be able to do that, you'd have to have no job or school or obligations at all. The easiest way to do it is on a weekend stay up all night long until you're fucking exhausted and then go to bed at a normal people time, like 10pm. After that, you have to force yourself to commit to it. You will definitely find yourself drifting again if you allow it, but you have to be firm about your bed time, and eventually it'll stick. So that's my first set of advice.

My second advice is to buy a light box. Most of them are really expensive but I bought this one which is pretty reasonably priced and unobtrusive. Use that fucker every. single. morning. Make it part of your getting ready process. Alarm goes off, you turn on your light, and then sit in front of it for like 20 minutes while you go through your phone, eat breakfast, whatever. This should help you a ton, like you have no idea. Your body needs this light to tell it to wake the fuck up, and it should help with grogginess a lot. It won't happen overnight but in a few weeks if you stick with it there should be improvement.

My other general tips that I'm sure you've heard before: take melatonin like an hour before bed every night. I actually do this and it really helps the quality of your sleep. Doing this goes hand in hand with the light therapy in telling your suprachiasmatic nucleus when it should and should not be signaling sleep. Also if you're determined to look at your phone leading up to bed (I'm guilty of this) then install an app to filter out your blue light. I have one and it's on a timer so I don't even have to remember to turn it on. But if you really can be disciplined, read a book before bed. And don't get in bed until you're ready to sleep. If you still can't sleep, don't just lay in bed tossing and turning. Get out of bed for like 20 minutes and read a book and then try sleeping again. Sleepytime tea also can be helpful if it has valerian root in it, which is proven to make you drowsy. And of course, never ever ever ever EVER drink caffeine after lunch. This is my firm rule here, this will fuck with you in ways you don't even realize. Once you've tapered down your caffeine, if you try drinking it again you'll notice how fucking wired it makes you.

That's all I've got, hopefully it was helpful. Let me know if you have any more questions, I don't mind answering at all!

Yea, you shouldn't have to, but sometimes you just do. Every time I go to a doctor and they peek in my ear they tell me I have a lot of wax.

I clean the outside of my ear with a q-tip. The trick here is to not go any deeper with a q tip than your finger can get to. Absolutely no q tips in the actual ear canal, only on the outside cartilage area. I've found that q tips with a little bit of unscented lotion get any bits of wax or dirt off easier than my fingers do.

One time I did stick a q tip in my ear canal, and besides being really painful, it pushed so much wax backwards that my ear "clogged" and I had a hard time hearing. After about a week of being nearly deaf in one ear I went to an urgent care clinic and they rinsed me out. They used a product like this filled with a mixture of 50% warm water and 50% hydrogen peroxide. The doctor stuck the tube in my ear, squirted a bit in, and then had me lean over so everything could fall out. And EVERYTHING fell out. It was disgusting how much wax came out. But afterwards I felt like I had supersonic hearing in one ear.

Obviously I wanted the other ear to feel just as clean, so when I got home I filled a regular spray bottle with the same mixture and gave it a squirt in the other ear. It didn't work as well as the product linked above because the nozzle didn't get as deep, but the hydrogen peroxide fizzles a little and definitely cleaned it out. I feel like this method is safer overall because it still leaves wax in your ear to protect you, versus clearing everything out completely.

I swim a lot and sometimes ear wax traps water in my ear and it can lead to infections, so I now do this once or twice a year. I checked with my GP and she said its fine as long as I don't overdo it.

Your mileage may vary.

Kind of a combination of things - but in general the age old adage "if it ain't, broke don't fix it" applies here.

See about 500 million years ago the basic body plan for tetrapods was decided upon. From this basic body plan very few modifications have been made. For whatever reason four limbs, two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, two kidneys, two lungs, two ovaries/testes, but one heart and one liver worked for it so it works for us.

Its not just humans that have these basic structures - birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and other mammals all have this basic body plan. Yes some have lost their limbs - like snakes, and others have lost an ovary - like birds...but underlying it all is that same basic blueprint. You may be interested in the book your inner fish.

Would you rather wash poop off your hands with water, or with a piece of paper? Which do you think would get your hand cleaner? Using a bidet is a bit like taking a shower after each poop; your rear end will be squeaky clean. They're also cleaner because you don't need to rub your hand close to your dirty butt like you do with toilet paper or wet wipes. You only need to.. dab your rear end a couple times to dry it off.

For those who are curious, bidet attachments run about $40 on Amazon. https://amzn.com/B00A0RHSJO

I also recommend the book named Thing Explainer which uses the 1000 most common words to explain complicated things. It has a lot of simple, funny pictures and is fun to read overall (the tone is not serious at all). I'd be happy to ship you a copy if you like. Just PM me your address.

Read Watchmen by Alan Moore. It's not really a traditional superhero comic, but it's excellent and it's the most famous comic book / graphic novel in the world. You'll enjoy it.

Sure thing! One thing that may help you as well is getting a daylight lamp, something like this is small and reasonably priced. Use it before you start a lecture and your circadian rhythym will think it's morning and help keep you awake. Just be careful not to use it very close to bedtime or it could cause insomnia.

I'll be honest, I have ear wax issues. Despite others here saying wax is SUPPOSED to drain from the ear, mine does not. I've had issues my whole life. I don't use Q-tips because I was also told it was bad.

When I can tell my ears are getting bad, I will use hydrogen peroxide (HO2 H2O2), of which you can buy a lifetime supply of for $1. That with a bulb to force water in usually helps for the average person. I like this method just to listen to all the fizzing. It's like pop in your ear.

Every once in a while I need to go to the doctor to get my ears cleaned. I only do this when I'm losing hearing though since it can get pretty expensive. They use a squirt bottle to with a small funnel on the end and force warm water into your ear. This is the result. Gross as all get out, warning you.

I recently bought the tool they use on Amazon, but there is something that the doctor does a lot better than me. They can get a lot of nasty gunk out of there.

In summary, warm water with force, and funny chemicals. All much better than a Q-tip.

There are headphones that come in headbands like these that would probably be comfortable and stay on:

https://www.amazon.com/AcousticSheep-SleepPhones-Classic-Headphones-Medium/dp/B0046H8ZHS

Otherwise I'd recommend the kind that clip behind your ear too.

http://www.amazon.com/Astor-Non-Electric-Mechanical-Toilet-Attachment/dp/B003TPGPUW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414115897&sr=8-1&keywords=astor+bidet

Best 30 bucks I've ever spent. Just get it dude, you won't regret it. You can thank me later after it changes your life.

Get a bidet. They aren't expensive and they will save you so much time. Seriously, it's the best life choice you'll ever make.


https://www.amazon.com/Luxe-Bidet-Neo-120-Non-Electric/dp/B00A0RHSJO/ref=sr_1_4?s=kitchen-bath&ie=UTF8&qid=1498093189&sr=1-4&keywords=bidet

By continuity, do you dislike not knowing the backstory of the characters, or you literally can't decipher which order the cells on the pages are supposed to be in?

There are a lot of graphic novel paperbacks that are collected story arcs (or even the whole series).
Watchmen and Sandman (10 volumes) you can read from beginning to end. And they are awesome.
And there are one's like Ms Marvel that are several individual comics collected so you can follow a whole story. You'll get enough backstory at the beginning to understand what all is happening.

/u/johnnycomet has you covered if you don't like the "graphic" part of graphic novels.

You can buy bidet attachments on Amazon for US toilets - fairly affordable. Congrats on grad school. (https://www.amazon.com/Luxe-Bidet-Neo-120-Non-Electric/dp/B00A0RHSJO/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1500912639&sr=1-4&keywords=bidet+attachment+for+toilet)

I bought this stuff, which has been pretty helpful so far. Problem is - and maybe it's because I don't know how to apply nail polish - the stuff gets on my food when I eat.

At the lowest levels, computers flip between two electrical states: off and on or 0 and 1. From there, you can build logic gates such as 1 AND 0 = 0. Logic gates can be combined to start doing math. And pretty soon you’re off to the races with a full processor! So the first computer programs were just series of ones and zeros on punch cards.

There’s a great book called Code that goes into far more detail than this.

There is a nice little contraption called an "Elephant Ear Wash" that doctors use to clean clogged ears.
Amazon link

> Id suggest you use this.

That's the most awesome thing I've ever seen in my life.

You should use ToppCock Silver hygiene gel. Works like a charm.

Here are my tips:

• Use https://sleepyti.me/ to figure out when your alarms should start.
  
  
• You said you have roommates, so try an alarm such as this one. It is capable of super loud sound which I don't use but also has a big vibrating disk you can put under your pillow or wherever is comfortable, and that shit would wake the dead, but isn't louder than a cell phone alarm
  
  
• You said you use melatonin. Make sure your dose is right. Some pills are sold at 5 mg or even 10 mg in a single pill. You need like 1 mg maybe 2 mg. Try adding in some 5-htp as well, always helped the grogginess from melatonin for me.
  
  
• If these things don't work, start to examine lifestyle. Caffeine, nicotine, alcohol affect sleep. Are you eating well? Are you in shape and getting exercise? Are you using your phone or computer or TV then going straight to bed or even in bed?
  
  Beyond those, there are sleep disorders you can get checked out.

I bought something similar to this and really like it!
Verilux HappyLight Compact Personal, Portable Light Therapy Energy Lamp https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K08ZDBI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_JlKwCbN0YPHBR

What gadgets are you talking about? If they are things that /u/PhpXp described then yes, those are useless.

If it's something like a Kill A Watt Monitor then kind of. All that device does is tell you how much energy you're drawing from something plugged into it.

It doesn't directly save you any money, but once you realize how much energy you use from stuff that is plugged in but not 'on', you may be more inclined to unplug electronics so they are not drawing power at all times.

They make ones that are designed for sleeping. My girlfriend has a pair and she claims they're very comfortable and the sound quality is decent.

Here's an example.

Astor Bidet Fresh Water Spray Non-Electric Mechanical Bidet Toilet Seat Attachment CB-1000 - - Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/Astor-Non-Electric-Mechanical-Attachment-CB-1000/dp/B003TPGPUW

This may also interest you:
https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Harvest-collection-semen-based-recipes/dp/1481227041

You're going to want a tin like this to make it happen http://www.amazon.com/Wilton-2105-5038-Giant-Cupcake-Pan/dp/B000UPRAXA

Do yourself a favor and install a $30 bidet.

Never squat or cheek-lift again. Life changing.

Some ToppCock might help

I would recommend this book to start out.

Dude, if you're concerned about it, get a bidet.

Your asshole will smell fresh.

Or rather, it WON'T smell.

Read this book.

The author recants the history of the notion of nothing and how that notion shaped our current world. Or something. I was ordered to expand on my post so here I am doing that.

https://www.amazon.com/Yum-Gum-Vanilla/dp/B00I475X8K
There is, but as vanilla is not a super strong flavor I don't think it's very popular.

I recently had a blockage due to wax and my Dr. used one of these. I have since ordered my own from Amazon and use it occasionally.

No because while the water turns off, the nozzle also goes back in the guard. It all happens in one motion. Also your asshole is pretty far away from the nozzle unless you have a prolapse anus 😂

The one I use is the Astro Bidet and it works so well for $25. I know it sounds like an ad but honestly, after getting the damn thing, wet wipes became a thing of the pass and I use far less toilet paper now as well. Only use it to dry myself. Also has pressure control so you can control how much pressure the nozzle is giving out, just in case you are having a very very bad stomach virus giving you the runs.

https://www.amazon.com/Elephant-Washer-Bottle-Doctor-Easy/dp/B005M2B5P0

Everybody poops.

Well...

Everyone Poops (Turtleback Binding Edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0613685725/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_e2XUDbVGV4A7E

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0544668251

Even complicated stuff can be easy.

Here’s a definitive field guide

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BPXRKLI/

Trident makes it:

https://www.amazon.com/Trident-Splash-Vanilla-Sugar-free-Pellet/dp/B00BPXRKLI

https://www.amazon.com/Trident-Splash-Vanilla-Sugar-free-Pellet/dp/B00BPXRKLI

Does It Fart?: The Definitive Field Guide to Animal Flatulence

>Dogs do it. Millipedes do it. Dinosaurs did it. You do it. I do it. Octopuses don't (and nor do octopi).

https://www.amazon.com/Does-Fart-Definitive-Animal-Flatulence/dp/0316484156

The answer to all your "Does _ Fart?" questions.

Start using ToppCock

They also have vanilla.

https://www.amazon.com/Yum-Gum-Vanilla/dp/B00I475X8K

https://www.amazon.com/Yum-Gum-Vanilla/dp/B00I475X8K

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000YUXI0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rZrxCbGDYVCEY

Depends on how many, how big, and how loud.

Get one of these and you can see power usage https://www.amazon.com/P3-P4400-Electricity-Usage-Monitor/dp/B00009MDBU

There is a cookbook you can buy with recipes for semen.


Natural Harvest: A Collection of Semen-Based Recipes

https://www.amazon.ca/Natural-Harvest-Collection-Semen-Based-Recipes/dp/1481227041

source

It stands to reason that they would. Everyone poops

Of course, reason doesn't exactly apply to zombies.

Various companies make these:

https://www.amazon.com/AcousticSheep-SleepPhones-Classic-Headphones-Medium/dp/B0046H8ZHS

Muffins are a form of quick bread, so if you poured all your batter into a larger pan, such as a pie pan or a loaf pan, youd basically just be making blueberry/banana/cranberry orange/etc bread. You might experience a change in leavening, it might turn out kinda dense and hard to bake through without burning, but with a few tweaks you could do it. Id suggest you use this.

I would suggest you the reading of the wonderful book [Does It Fart?: The Definitive Field Guide to Animal Flatulence] (https://www.amazon.com/Does-Fart-Definitive-Animal-Flatulence/dp/0316484156). It'll answer 99% of your farting existential crisis.

Cost effective wtf? Just get this https://www.amazon.com/Astor-Non-Electric-Mechanical-Attachment-CB-1000/dp/B003TPGPUW/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1485990939&sr=1-1&keywords=astor+bidet

You can buy anti fingernail biting polish that essentially puts a bitterant on your nails so you at least notice when you start biting them subconsciously. It pretty much makes your nails taste awful.

IIRC it takes about 2 weeks to break a habit, so just keep at it for a while and you should be golden.

Here's an example of the polish.

Still use alarm clocks, just one that vibrate instead of buzzing. The vibrating part is usually on a cord so that it can be placed under the pillow. See also https://www.amazon.com/Sonic-Alert-SB200ss-Vibrating-Shaker/dp/B000EX7LNM

Disclaimer : I am not deaf myself.

The concept of zero is relatively new. If you really want your mind blown, read Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea.

Go with the bidet, it's only $25 and a 5 minute install. When you're done using it, you should only be using TP to dry yourself off.

Flushable wipes aren't actually flushable and end up causing problems for everyone.

My dad's deaf but I'm a heavy sleeper so I borrowed his alarm clock once and had to get one for myself because it was so effective:

Sonic boom with bed shaker

Here is a really good ass book about the subject:

Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea

They have this on [Amazon](P3 P4400 Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00009MDBU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_J4rQybGCNA1PE)