If you feel a special, hair-raising electricity in the air today, well that’s no wonder — it’s National Static Electricity Day. Static electricity is the result of an imbalance between negative and positive charges in an object. These charges build up on the surface until they are discharged. This commonly happens when you shuffle about when the humidity is very low and then touch a conductor, such as a door handle or your pet’s wet nose. Static electricity has uses in air purifiers, photocopiers and painting automobiles. Also sticking party balloons onto walls. Generating and distributing more practical electricity is a $445 billion a year business in the U.S. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.