Powerless
So, we let someone turn our power off today, in order to upgrade something. I’m not sure of the details, they’re not important. What amused me was just how stranded I was without power. But my brain kept trying to make the oddest compromises with my situation.
When there’s no power…
- You can’t use your computer, not even just for offline stuff.
- You can’t cook hot food — not even toasted cheese sandwiches.
- You can’t play Xbox. Not even the free, crappy version of Top Spin you got with it.
- You can’t watch DVDs. No, not even if you don’t want to see any of the special features.
- You can’t make a coffee. Not even instant coffee.
- You can’t vaccuum. Every cloud has a silver lining.
In other news, the rating sticker on my Doctor Who Box Set did come off, but the first disc is damaged and I think I need to take it back. Which is a pain. I think I’m also going to have to spend $120 to get both the Neverwinter Nights expansions for the Mac. I could hack it and spend $40 on the PC versions but I’m uncomfortable with hacks.
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ben
December 13th, 2005 at 8:10 am
I guess thats the payoff for an ageing iBook – the sweet sweet battery :D
Tom
December 13th, 2005 at 8:43 am
Batteries! Genius! Where can I get me an iMac battery?
I tried to persuade Paul to ride a bicycle hooked up to a generator but he wasn’t amenable to the idea. Also I don’t have one.
Andy
December 13th, 2005 at 5:06 pm
I recommend you hack PC NWN version, especially since I know you already have.
You can make a dynamo with a magnet and some wire and a bicycle and a Paul. I’m just not sure how much voltage a Paul can produce. Maybe several Pauls working together.
Now if only you had some kind of machine that ran on batteries, some fantastical gizmo that could play games while the power’s off. SounDS like someone neeDS to heeDS their frienDS advice and get their hanDS on one of these gaDSgets.
ben
December 13th, 2005 at 8:07 pm
Perhaps if you set up a particularly obvious computer running WoW, and set up the dynamo about two metres infront of it, facing it, and strapped Paul in, Paul would be more amenable to the idea.
Once the madness had cancelled out the absurdity of the situation, that is.
Tom
December 14th, 2005 at 5:49 pm
Are the Pauls connected in series or parallel? Apologies to Ben who probably doesn’t want to hear any more electrical physics again. How did your exams go?
I expected Paul to lose interest in WoW by now but he’s still going strong.
There’s a subtle message hidden inside your post, I think, Andy. But I can’t quite place it. My phone should turn up in the mail today which is all the gadgetry I’ll need for a while.
The NWN hack continues to work with no problems — just install on a PC, and copy the common-looking files into and over your mac installation (not things like .exes or .dlls. It was a bit scary seeing .dlls. There’s no equivalent terror-inducing file on macs that I can think of.
hayko
December 15th, 2005 at 2:20 pm
Ha, if only you had a UPS like me. Then you can work on your computer for another 15 minutes, when everyone else is already blackedout.
Or make that 30 minutes if you don’t need a monitor.
Andy
December 15th, 2005 at 4:28 pm
I’ve tried subliminal, liminal and superliminal with you Tom and nothing’s worked. I’m beginning to think you don’t want one.
What about watching a DVD on large CRT tv? How many minutes do you think I could get from one ups? What if Jackson wants to make a coffee and Matt makes a jaffle? Also the xbox and iron are on because nobody turned them off.
.dll files aren’t scarey I delete them all the time to Windows on its toes.
ben
December 15th, 2005 at 5:20 pm
The Pauls would probably be best connected in series, to provide the optimum voltage. If they were connected in parallel, wouldn’t they all just provide the averagevoltage?
Im fairly confident about my exams, enough for commerce, nonetheless, however, we’ll have to wait and see.
So long as Blizzard keeps bringing out new things for WoW, expansions and the like, I think it will be difficult for Paul to lose interest.