2015.08.31 13:00 - What do do in a blackout

The Guardian for this meeting was Aphrodite Macbain. The comments are by Aphrodite Macbain.

Aphrodite Macbain: Hey Bruce
Aphrodite Macbain: Hiya druth
druth Vlodovic: hey bruce
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Aph and druth.
druth Vlodovic: we're talking infrastructure
druth Vlodovic: BC got a partial blackout for a few days
Bruce Mowbray: kk, I'll listen.
Aphrodite Macbain: Do you live off the grid Bruce?
Bruce Mowbray: Well, sort of.
Bruce Mowbray: I do have electricity.
Aphrodite Macbain: After having a power outage for 2 days I am thinking about alternative sources of light and heat
Bruce Mowbray: so I guess I'm still on the grid.
druth Vlodovic: you don't generate your own?
Bruce Mowbray: The longest outage here has been five days...
Aphrodite Macbain: wow
Aphrodite Macbain: I hope it was in the summer
Bruce Mowbray: Wonderful idea, but isn't it expensive to get started with that?
Bruce Mowbray: nope it was five days before Christmas.
Aphrodite Macbain: erk
Aphrodite Macbain: how did you keep warm?
Bruce Mowbray: Heavy heavy ice storms brought down all the wires.
Aphrodite Macbain: you have a wood burning stove?
Bruce Mowbray: and this rural area was the last to get back up.
Bruce Mowbray: I am well equipped to heat the place -- no need for electricity for cooking or heating.
Aphrodite Macbain: that must be reassuring
Bruce Mowbray: In fact, I almost never use my electric radiator.
Aphrodite Macbain: What do you use for alternate light?
Bruce Mowbray: One learns to have alternatives.
Bruce Mowbray: I've used kerosene lanterns and candles.
Aphrodite Macbain: Do you have a LED batteried lamp?
Bruce Mowbray: Did you get a bad storm in BC?
Aphrodite Macbain: wow yes
Aphrodite Macbain: Huge winds
Aphrodite Macbain: all along the coast
Bruce Mowbray: I do have, yes, LED batteried lamps.
Bruce Mowbray: Oh my.
Aphrodite Macbain: over 450,000 people were without power
Bruce Mowbray: OMG.
Bruce Mowbray: I will check that out on the news.

Aphrodite Macbain: Yes- it's major news here
druth Vlodovic: my problem is finding my lamps with the lights off
Bruce Mowbray: You need to lay them out somewhere that you can find them. One never knows out here in the boonies.
druth Vlodovic: it gets dark inside
Bruce Mowbray: I have my flashlights all over the house, just in case.
Aphrodite Macbain: The trick is to have an easily accessible flashlight
Bruce Mowbray: I guess you would call them "torches."

Aphrodite Macbain: the British among us would call them torches
druth Vlodovic: of course (cell) phones are nice, you carry them everywhere and they light up
Aphrodite Macbain: perhaps kept in the car
Bruce Mowbray: I don't have cell phone.
Bruce Mowbray: Too far away from a good signal for that.
Aphrodite Macbain: I read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by candle light last night! Interesting experience
druth Vlodovic: I wonder what it would take to black out cellphone service in an area
Aphrodite Macbain: It blacked out my internet
Aphrodite Macbain: I suppose it depends on the server
Bruce Mowbray: All of these electronic wonders are over my head.
Aphrodite Macbain: :-)
druth Vlodovic: all those animals falling over due to lack of rechargers
Aphrodite Macbain: I ended up almost living in the local cafe
Bruce Mowbray: Have they given you any prediction of when your service will be back, Aph?
Aphrodite Macbain: It's back on now...that's how I'm able to be here
Bruce Mowbray: Ahhh. Good!
Aphrodite Macbain: It came on at 12:30 AM this morning
Bruce Mowbray nods.
Aphrodite Macbain: There are still many w/o power
Aphrodite Macbain: The experience has been a heads up for me. One day soon they say we will be hit by an earthquake, and I'm not ready.
druth Vlodovic: but it is funny how we have so much more than our ancestors due to infrastructure, and thus more (and less) vulnerability due to that
Aphrodite Macbain: yes :-)
Aphrodite Macbain: we have become so dependent on technology
Bruce Mowbray: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/britis...ving-1.3208911
druth Vlodovic: I thought the earthquake was only going to hit LA

Aphrodite Macbain: Hiya Zen
Bruce Mowbray: Heya, Zen.
Zen Arado: Hi all
druth Vlodovic: hey zen
Aphrodite Macbain: I think it's on the same fault line druth
Zen Arado: got stuck underneath here
Aphrodite Macbain: they say we are due for one... an earthquake
Aphrodite Macbain: Zen, what would you do if your power went out?
Bruce Mowbray: There's no question that you and the entire West Coast will be hit by multiple earthquakes.... They come with the territory.
Aphrodite Macbain: yes
Zen Arado: big problem
Aphrodite Macbain: oh?
Aphrodite Macbain: does your building have emergency lighting and heating?
Zen Arado: I live on the edge of being able to cope already
Aphrodite Macbain: nods
Aphrodite Macbain: Are there no organizations that would make sure you were OK?
Qt Core: Hi all
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Qt!
Zen Arado: Hi Qt
Bruce Mowbray: Heya, Qt.
Zen Arado: I have careworkers but they are time limited
Aphrodite Macbain: Qt, we are talking about what we would do in an emergency - like losing electricity
Aphrodite Macbain: ....or loosing druth....(druth poofs)
Zen Arado: even if the internet went down there would be chaos
Bruce Mowbray: oh dear.
Zen Arado: did anybody try Bright Canopy?
Bruce Mowbray: ?
Aphrodite Macbain: what is that Zen?
Bruce Mowbray listens.
Qt Core: this i think: http://www.brightcanopy.com/ SL in a web browser
Zen Arado: yes
Bruce Mowbray clicks.
Zen Arado: free trial
Zen Arado: but $17 per month
Bruce Mowbray: Hmmm. To run SL in your web browser....
Aphrodite Macbain: Have you had a look at it?
Zen Arado: nope
Bruce Mowbray: no thanks. I'm a freebie sort of dude.
Aphrodite Macbain: I would still need access to the Internet
Zen Arado: but hear it works great
Zen Arado: might be answer for someone with slow computer
Bruce Mowbray: ahhh, for sure... I see, now.
Aphrodite Macbain: How does it work? Your browser becomes the viewer?
Qt Core: but then it would work at the nearest working internet cafe
Zen Arado: you connect to a really powerful server apparently
Bruce Mowbray nods.
Aphrodite Macbain: Interesting
Aphrodite Macbain: Perhaps the way of the future
Bruce Mowbray: I already have a fast ISP and a good graphics card, so I don't think I'd need it.... but a good idea, nonetheless.
Zen Arado: run in ultra graphics and no lag
Qt Core: it basically runs on a virtual machine somewhere in the web and you see the output in your browser
 

Aphrodite Macbain: What would you miss most if you lost (electric) power?
Bruce Mowbray: Well, today I would miss my air conditioning, because it is very hot and humid here today.
Qt Core: fridge ?
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, and the refrigerator, too.
Aphrodite Macbain: lol
Zen Arado: depends on duration of outage
Aphrodite Macbain: I missed being able to connect with people via Internet and email
Qt Core: i just started taking some (non life level) meds that have to be stored in the fridge,...
Zen Arado: imagine having to do without Facebook :)
Bruce Mowbray: When we had our 5-day power outage, it was so cold outside (ice on everything) that I just put everything from the fridge into 5-gallon buckets and put it outside.... sealed, of course, so critters couldn't get it.
Aphrodite Macbain: so ideally you would need a power pack for your fridge, your stove and your lights!
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Xirana!
Zen Arado: Hi Xirana :)
Bruce Mowbray: Heya, Xir!
Aphrodite Macbain: We are talking about electrical power loss
Xirana Oximoxi: hello Aph, Zen, Qt and Bruce ;)

Qt Core: but such long blackout around here would means that something is horribly wrong, so just the net would be a luxury for me
Aphrodite Macbain: I have been w/o power for 2 days- just came on 5 hrs ago
Aphrodite Macbain: wb druth
Xirana Oximoxi: thanks Aph :)
Zen Arado: why was that Aph?
Aphrodite Macbain: would you have access to the net if yr power went out?
Aphrodite Macbain: Huge windstorm Zen
Aphrodite Macbain: all over the west coast. Over 450,000 homes were affected
Qt Core: !
Aphrodite Macbain: power lines down, many fallen trees
druth Vlodovic: I get my internet through my phone lines, so probably, but I would have no modem to connect to it
Aphrodite Macbain: Yes- my modem and router that were annihilated!
druth Vlodovic: modems pull about an amp though, which is nuts
Aphrodite Macbain: I spend 3 hrs in a local Internet cafe on line and drinking coffee i couldn't make at home. Ended up going out both nights to restaurants and movies
Aphrodite Macbain: Some weren't so lucky
Zen Arado: do you have gas?

druth Vlodovic: did you meet a lot of other internet refugees?
Aphrodite Macbain: no
Zen Arado: I could use that
Aphrodite Macbain: I may get a camping gas cylinder and little stove
Aphrodite Macbain: I used to use one of those when I was a poor student
Bruce Mowbray: That's how I heat my bedroom sometimes, Aph.
Zen Arado: lots of fumes though
Aphrodite Macbain: with camping gas Bruce?
Zen Arado: dangerous
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, with bottled propane.
druth Vlodovic: sounds dangerous, you should vent it out a window
Aphrodite Macbain: yes....it didn't seem to be a problem back then. I only had it on to heat soup or make tea
Bruce Mowbray: I've done that for at least 12 years. No problems so far.
Aphrodite Macbain: Bottled propane....are there stoves that use that?
Bruce Mowbray: It's the same propane that's used in a gas cooking stove.
Bruce Mowbray: Sure, Coleman stoves... for camping.
Zen Arado: yes but they have vents to outside
Zen Arado: mine does anyway
Bruce Mowbray: I don't have vents, and so far no problems with it.
druth Vlodovic: Coleman brand propane stoves, Coleman stoves use Coleman fluid which tastes awful on toast
Bruce Mowbray: :)
Aphrodite Macbain: Not recommended for toasting!
Zen Arado: remembers paraffin heaters
Aphrodite Macbain: I think I'll go to some big hardware store and see what I can find
Zen Arado: what do Americans call paraffin?
druth Vlodovic: I have no idea what a lethal dose of monoxide is
Zen Arado: kerosene ?
druth Vlodovic: kerosese
druth Vlodovic: only with an "n"
Zen Arado: I have a co meter for safety
Aphrodite Macbain: I didn't know that.
Xirana Oximoxi: I use butane for my kitchen...it's good in case I don't have electricity in winter, I can cook anyway
Aphrodite Macbain: I thought paraffin was a form of wax
Zen Arado: because I use a gas boiler for central heating
Xirana Oximoxi: and gasoil for the heat
druth Vlodovic: we call candles paraffin, so it is a bit confusing
Qt Core: i cook and heat water with methane, something else that in a crisis can stop being available
Bruce Mowbray: paraffin = "wax"
druth Vlodovic: friend of mine showed me how to make ethanol stoves with two soda cans and a nail
Aphrodite Macbain: I thought we had too much methane in the world.....
Qt Core: and heat the house too
Aphrodite Macbain: Oh? I thought that was how to make a walkie talkie druth :D
Bruce Mowbray: ha ha.
druth Vlodovic: they have methane pipes in your town? or do you buy it in cylinders?
druth Vlodovic: no string required :)
Aphrodite Macbain: Qt- have there ever been emergencies when you don't have access to methane?
Qt Core: no, but i never went without electricity for more than a couple hours too
Zen Arado: we get a lot of gas from Russia
Aphrodite Macbain: !
Aphrodite Macbain: How is it shipped?
Zen Arado: pipelines
Aphrodite Macbain: Have there ever been leaks?
Bruce Mowbray: I have no connections to natural gas, methane, or propane here on the farm. Only cylinders of propane that are either delivered or I have to go into town to have filled.
Zen Arado: gas is piped where I live
Bruce Mowbray nods.
Bruce Mowbray: brb.. need to check something.....
Zen Arado: rural areas don't have pipelines
Zen Arado: too expensive
Aphrodite Macbain: There are so many variables
Aphrodite Macbain: so many things to consider
Qt Core: same here, and just had a couple meters of the pipes on the outside walls changed as they had micro-leaks but here methane is added with something that make it very easy to smell it
Zen Arado: don't remember any leaks
druth Vlodovic: I heard we mix propane with skunk juice for that
Aphrodite Macbain: Ideally what we use for power should be cheap, easily available, safe, and...
Zen Arado: renewable
Aphrodite Macbain: lol druth
druth Vlodovic: what we use for power ought to depend on where we live, really
Aphrodite Macbain: yes Zen renewable
druth Vlodovic: if it is windy, or tidy, or oily, what have you
Aphrodite Macbain: :-)
Zen Arado: too much dependence on fossil fuels still
Aphrodite Macbain: yes
druth Vlodovic: we have wind farms here in Ontario
Bruce Mowbray nods.
Zen Arado: here too but not enough of them
Xirana Oximoxi: if the place is sunny you can also have solar energy
druth Vlodovic: quite picturesque, though I understand it takes out birds with distressing regularity
Aphrodite Macbain: The province of Alberta has depended on gas/petroleum for too long and now that it is cheaper, they are facing an enormous deficit
Zen Arado: yes Germany is into solar power in a big way
druth Vlodovic: maybe put bird squealers on the blades like I have on my car
Aphrodite Macbain: Solar and tide power- we have lots of that here but we don't yet use it much
Bruce Mowbray: Those are for deer, aren't they druth?
Aphrodite Macbain: ???
Aphrodite Macbain: You have both lost me... what is a squeeler?
druth Vlodovic: when I meet deer they just stand and stare at me until they get a chance to play chicken with me
druth Vlodovic: so, it doesn't work for deer :(
Bruce Mowbray: A lot of folks have squealers for deer around here - because there are so many deer...
Aphrodite Macbain: In Newfoundland, moose are a major danger...
druth Vlodovic: little whistles you put on a car to scare animals away from becoming road kill
Bruce Mowbray nods. In Anchorage, too.
druth Vlodovic: supersonic
Aphrodite Macbain: how do they work? Do you press a button?
Bruce Mowbray: a squealer is a little whistle-like thing on your car that alerts deer you're coming.
druth Vlodovic: no, just paste them on the car and the wind runs them
Aphrodite Macbain: do they work?
Bruce Mowbray: and is supposed to scare them away from the road.
druth Vlodovic: mine work for birds
Aphrodite Macbain: :-)
druth Vlodovic: but deer is what I need
Bruce Mowbray: I've never had one, but I know people who do.
Aphrodite Macbain: Have you ever hit a deer?
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, I have, sadly.
druth Vlodovic: I had a deer hit me
Bruce Mowbray: Just once. That was enough.
Aphrodite Macbain: ! druth?
Qt Core: urban pigeons would not be scared by that ;-)
Aphrodite Macbain: lol
druth Vlodovic: they wait until you are really close then dash across the road in front of you
Bruce Mowbray: It is very common around here, though. It happens hundreds of times every year in Ohio.
Bruce Mowbray: Yikes!

Aphrodite Macbain: Xiri- what would you do if your power went out?
Xirana Oximoxi: I have butane to cook and wood to lit a fire :-) and candles
Aphrodite Macbain: So you are prepared!
Xirana Oximoxi: and a radio to keep informed about what happens in the world:)
Aphrodite Macbain: Nods. My radio let me down
Zen Arado: you don't need any heat in Spain
Xirana Oximoxi: yes...it happens time to time here, rarely, but it can happen
Bruce Mowbray: :)
Qt Core: ah, yes, my uncle, living in the same building has a working fireplace, that could help too
Aphrodite Macbain: I have a solar powered radio, but the quality of sound is abysmal
Xirana Oximoxi: that's a topic Zen...in Spain we have high mountains with snow and very cold weather too
Zen Arado: ah ok
Xirana Oximoxi: :)
Aphrodite Macbain: Can you get snow where you live Xiri?
Zen Arado: I always think of coastal regions in Spain
Zen Arado: because that's where you go on holiday
Xirana Oximoxi: yes...I live 1000 m altitude..so each winter I have a bit of snow
Zen Arado: wow
Aphrodite Macbain: The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain
Bruce Mowbray: laughs
Aphrodite Macbain: and the snow falls on the mountains
Aphrodite Macbain giggles
Xirana Oximoxi: yes...it rains a bit everywhere luckily
Xirana Oximoxi: :)
Bleu Oleander: hiya
Zen Arado: Hi Bleu
Qt Core: in this part of sunny Italy we have (little) snow most winters, and i have felt temperatures at -14C (6.8F)
Aphrodite Macbain: Part of me rather enjoyed reading by candlelight and not having a radio or TV. I got a sense what it might have been like when there was no electricity. Going to bed earlier... getting eyestrain ....

Qt Core: hi Bleu
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Bleu; we are talking about what we would need in a power failure
Xirana Oximoxi: hi Bleu! :)
Bruce Mowbray: Heya, Bleu.
druth Vlodovic: I lived without electricity in high school a few years
druth Vlodovic: didn't miss it much
Bleu Oleander: a/c
druth Vlodovic: though I did have to shower at school
Aphrodite Macbain: Weren't u cold in the winter?
druth Vlodovic: wood stove
Bruce Mowbray nods.
druth Vlodovic: actually wood stoves explain the condition of old houses in Ontario
Bruce Mowbray: and coal stoves, too.
Aphrodite Macbain: what do you mean druth?
druth Vlodovic: you don't need insulation or no leaks with wood
Xirana Oximoxi: during winter I lit the fire place everyday...I like it
druth Vlodovic: your main concern is not broiling yourself
Aphrodite Macbain: :-)
Zen Arado: we are dependent on a huge infrastructure of interconnecting utility services that we hardly notice
Bruce Mowbray: I also enjoy my fireplace, Xir..... Very cozy.
Aphrodite Macbain: smoke is not great for the lungs tho - or for the air
Bruce Mowbray: actually not a fireplace -- just a wood burning stove.
Xirana Oximoxi: yes, Bruce :)
Bleu Oleander: we would need lots of fans!
Bruce Mowbray: but still very cozy.
druth Vlodovic: better than the mold we got when we started sealing houses
druth Vlodovic: can't win for losing
Aphrodite Macbain: why would you get mold?
Bruce Mowbray: Hmmm. Good point, druth.
Bruce Mowbray: The humidity is trapped inside the house.
Bruce Mowbray: and it forms mold.
Zen Arado: I expect fully stocked shelves when I go to the supermarket and forget all that requires in people's labour
druth Vlodovic: sealing air inside (to avoid heat loss) prevents humidity flowing around
Aphrodite Macbain: I would have thought it would get very dry...
druth Vlodovic: and I should remember to look at the screen when typing
Aphrodite Macbain: :-)
Bruce Mowbray: The burning of methane, propane, or butane always releases water vapor.
Zen Arado: yes
druth Vlodovic: stop traffic three days and city people are going to be in big trouble
Aphrodite Macbain: maybe an open window... just staying cool
Aphrodite Macbain: Bleu - I imagine you never have to worry about being too cold
druth Vlodovic: I might have to open the cans of stuff I bought when I moved into the house and, you know, eat the contents
Bleu Oleander: nope
Bruce Mowbray: :)
Bleu Oleander: although it sometimes freezes for a night or two
Aphrodite Macbain: Do you have emergency lights?
Bleu Oleander: not having a/c would be a big problem!
Bruce Mowbray: same here, Bleu.
Bruce Mowbray: but I only use A/C in one small room, not in the whole house.
Zen Arado: I never lived in a house with a/c in Australia
Zen Arado: just had to put up with the heat
Aphrodite Macbain: Didn't know you lived in Australia Zen!
Bruce Mowbray nods.
Bruce Mowbray: and the humidity.
Xirana Oximoxi: I don't need a/c here ...the inside of the house is fresh
Zen Arado: only big stores had A/C back then
Bruce Mowbray: Qt sometimes uses just the de-humidifier, not the A/C.
Bleu Oleander: well it can get up to 115F/46C here
Bruce Mowbray: ouch!
Aphrodite Macbain: erk
Bruce Mowbray: Yikes!
Bleu Oleander: tell me!

Xirana Oximoxi: aww ....too hot!!
Qt Core: and i never had a/c in my house until 4 -3 years ago
druth Vlodovic: a/c is funny, if they just built their houses out of clay and such the houses would stay cool
Qt Core: it started being an household thing in past couple decades
Aphrodite Macbain: would they?
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, or built the house partially underground.
druth Vlodovic: throw down a few trees and close the windows in the morning and you're gravy
Zen Arado: not required in Ireland
Bleu Oleander: I don't think Phoenix would be nearly as big a city without a/c
Aphrodite Macbain: Yes- I like some of those mud-brick homes they have in New Mexico- very practical and cool
Zen Arado: hardly ever gets hotter than 25 C
druth Vlodovic: a lot of old civilizations build houses half in the ground, in both cold and hot places
Bruce Mowbray: Without A/C the whole Southwest (of US) would be far less populated.
Bruce Mowbray: underground houses are also good if you have tornadoes.
druth Vlodovic: wattle and daub? something like that, sort of mud over wicker, not good for high rises though
Bruce Mowbray: or hurricanes.
druth Vlodovic: you don't want a half in ground house with a lot of water
Xirana Oximoxi: have you always lived there Bleu?
Bleu Oleander: no
Bruce Mowbray: right. One would need good sealing.
Bleu Oleander: east coast mostly
Aphrodite Macbain: Heat can be as aggressive as cold....we humans are really sensitive- Our survival temperature is very narrow.
druth Vlodovic: friend of mind told me about a place in Belize where people sheltered from a (hurricane?) and drowned
Aphrodite Macbain: how?
Bruce Mowbray: omg.
druth Vlodovic: the building was below ground level
Bruce Mowbray: ahhh.
Aphrodite Macbain: too close to water level
Bruce Mowbray: Then better for tornadoes than for hurricanes, I guess.
Aphrodite Macbain: how awful
druth Vlodovic: we try to build European buildings everywhere in the world
druth Vlodovic: but Europe had lots of trees and fairly mild temperatures overall
Aphrodite Macbain: now they have few trees...
Zen Arado: really Irish climate is good..no hurricanes, earthquakes and no very high or low temperatures
Aphrodite Macbain: :-)
Zen Arado: it's because of the Gulf stream
Bruce Mowbray nods. and LOTS of pubs!
Xirana Oximoxi: :-))
Aphrodite Macbain: and lots of green growing things
Bruce Mowbray: [`·.] APPLAUSE!! [.·´]
Zen Arado: not many pubs where I live
Zen Arado: dying out
Xirana Oximoxi: oh! why?
Bruce Mowbray thinks, "too Protestant"?
Zen Arado: more restaurants these days
Aphrodite Macbain: Maybe I should move to a place with a temperate climate and build a mud house next to a stream
Aphrodite Macbain: and some fast growing trees
Qt Core: but uphill
Zen Arado: stiffer drinking and driving laws are one reason
Bruce Mowbray: hmmmm.
Xirana Oximoxi: ah yes...same here
Bruce Mowbray: The faster a tree grows, the shorter its life-span.
Aphrodite Macbain: "Time gentlemen please"
Bruce Mowbray: Slower-growing trees live much longer.
Aphrodite Macbain: I was thinking of using them for firewood
Bruce Mowbray: need to be going no.
Bruce Mowbray: Time for me to scrape up supper.
Bruce Mowbray: May all be well and happy.
Xirana Oximoxi: bye Bruce! tc
Bleu Oleander: bye Bruce
Aphrodite Macbain: Scrape away Bruce!
Aphrodite Macbain: Byee
Qt Core: enjoy Bruce

Zen Arado: bye Bruce
Xirana Oximoxi: I will also go, take care all and see you soon! :)
druth Vlodovic: I read about a guy who figured out how to make fire logs from weeds and debris by compressing it...lived in a refugee camp which from the pictures must have been ten years going at least
Aphrodite Macbain: smart
Bruce Mowbray: oooops.
Aphrodite Macbain: feeling hot Bruce?(Bruce wanders into the pool)
Bleu Oleander: bye all take care
Aphrodite Macbain: Byee
Zen Arado: byé everybody
Aphrodite Macbain: thanks for joining us
Bleu Oleander: keep cool
Qt Core: thinking that something to manually charge my Smartphone may be useful ;-)
Aphrodite Macbain: yes!
druth Vlodovic: they have trickle current solar panels for car batteries
Aphrodite Macbain: cant you get an energy/battery pack? They are available here
druth Vlodovic: though that is for storage, rather than charging
Qt Core: yes, but then you have to keep it charged
Aphrodite Macbain: yes- you have to be prepared. Maybe they can make some that are solar charged
Qt Core: something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Innovative-Dig...manual+charger
druth Vlodovic: slap a generator and battery on your bike for use at home
Aphrodite Macbain: I have a little crank on my solar powered radio
Aphrodite Macbain: but then you'd have to ride yr bike!
Qt Core: for the radio a few spare batteries can go for weeks
Aphrodite Macbain: (looks at web site) wow- that's really tiny!
druth Vlodovic: list price $50 on sale for $13 doesn't bode well for the technology
Aphrodite Macbain: Only one left in stock!
Qt Core: maybe pedaling to make electricity can solve not only the no electricity, for warm the house too ;-)
Aphrodite Macbain: :)
Aphrodite Macbain: great idea
Qt Core: there is a full list there, Aph, I think
Aphrodite Macbain: I would just need someone to do it for me :-)
druth Vlodovic: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...r+%2Caps%2C286
Aphrodite Macbain: This stuff is great. I'm going to have a look and see what is available here
Qt Core: this is even nicer (as no one says there is sun in an emergency): http://www.amazon.com/Eton-BoostTurb...0_SR160%2C160_
druth Vlodovic: you can hook one up to a skateboard, carry it back up the hill
Aphrodite Macbain: lol
Aphrodite Macbain: I will have to find a teenager
druth Vlodovic: harder to carry up the hill
Aphrodite Macbain: the teenager?!
Aphrodite Macbain: lol
druth Vlodovic: I couldn't charge a watch on the energy in my teens :(
druth Vlodovic: you need a five year old
Aphrodite Macbain: LOL druth.

I'm going to feed my rabbits now. They may end up being food one day
Qt Core: ;-)
Qt Core: bye Aph
Aphrodite Macbain: Come and see them Qt
druth Vlodovic: I like the solar backpack
Qt Core: i/m going to logout, need the sleep
druth Vlodovic: of course you'd need a river or wind for backup
druth Vlodovic: have fun qt
Qt Core: it depends on the dream :-)
Qt Core: bye