12-11-2002, 01:57 AM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,060
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Back In the World of the Connected
I don't know if it's been much of a news story where you live, but I've just spent the last week marooned by a huge ice storm, finding out what it would be like if Hell froze over. Ice storms aren't very common in Durham, North Carolina, so our entire world came to a screeching halt (I guess the area just has too many trees, too many above-ground power lines and not enough sane automobile drivers). Millions of us in the area have had to get by without electricity, landline phones, mobile phones and -- gasp! -- Internet access.
After the storm hit last Wednesday and knocked out the power, it was kind of exciting for the first couple of days. My family and I would sit huddled around the fireplace, playing games and listening to MP3s with our Pocket PCs. We even watched a couple of movies on my Pocket PC in the evenings, using the battery extender I had built. As you can guess, though, for such a gadget-focused, Internet-loving, wireless-centric, technology-hungry geek like me, the adventure lost its excitement once my various batteries went dead and it became clear that the wireless towers would not be fixed anytime soon. Never mind trying to keep warm. Never mind keeping the house's pipes from freezing and bursting. I WANTED TO BE CONNECTED AGAIN!
The good news is that my family and I finally got electricity after five days and Internet access one day later. I hope nobody has to go through such an experience again, but it made me wonder...
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12-11-2002, 03:08 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 143
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Re: Back In the World of the Connected
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Originally Posted by Brad Adrian
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You poor thing :wink: ! Why I remember back in 1998, Maine had it's own ice storm. Still remember it, even to this day. Almost two weeks without power and ice everywhere! It looked spectacular, but alas, it made driving quite dangerous 8)
Having been through an ice storm, I can honestly say that I didn't miss the internet quite as much as you must have, but then again no major national cell phone provider covers Maine; no high-speed internet except in the middle of the cities, and my family doesn't even have a microwave!
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12-11-2002, 03:09 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 144
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Where I live, we sometimes have had to go days without electricity because of hurricanes. The problem then becomes no connectivity, no electricity and no air conditioning. I would much rather sweat than freeze; that's why I live here. I always have a gas grille for just such an emergency.
My parents live in N.C. and were without power for a few days and they have an electic grille 8O
In these situations, I use my several UPSs to power compact fluorescent lights. I get many hours of light from that combination. My neighbors are sometimes heard to comment "how come they have power?".
When the power is out, it really reminds us how dependent we are on electricity.
L.B.
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12-11-2002, 03:15 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 342
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as long as you have Electricty you can add a heater so No heat, but plenty of electricity and connectivity is a no brainer
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12-11-2002, 03:28 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 38
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The worst I've seen here in Phoenix was a cold snap last winter that lasted a few days, got so cold that my nipples poked through my golf shirt. I actually had to chew some cinnamon gum to warm my body... :P :lol:
Obviously just kidding, Glad to hear you and the family are doing good! 
And I don't know what I would do if I lost connectivity, I feel for you man.
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12-11-2002, 03:37 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 725
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I have two problems with this poll:
A: My electric company owns me, I have no gas whatsoever, so no electricity kills me.
and
B: Where do the chips and salsa factor in the other choices? If I'm freezing, or in the dark, I'd really like some comfort food! 
Seriously, I picked 'C' because I'd rather not freeze to death and my connectivity isn't going to do a whole heck of a lot of good without electricity
Anyway, back to complaining about the cold at my house (it's 63 degrees right now, brrrrrrrr)
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12-11-2002, 04:01 AM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,060
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Actually, I think the worst part was when the wireless towers went down, and I could see the little battery gauge on my mobile phones sinking, too. Including my Pocket PC Phone Edition, we had a total of five mobile phones, and not one of them was working. More than once, my wife turned to me and said, "So, just how amazing are all your toys NOW, Gadget-Boy?!?"
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12-11-2002, 04:11 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 185
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I remember the strom we had here in Quebec in 1998... many didn't have electricity for a month! We were lucky we only ran about 2 hours out of power...
Story here and pict http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWSIceStorm/home.html
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12-11-2002, 04:19 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 399
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Oh man, I am getting flashbacks of my life in the post communistic Ukraine!!!!.......No, I like Europe. It seems ever since I left they've improved soooooooooooooo much. Now we they get hot water, electricity, and a GSM network that is about one gagillion better than the one in US.
Back to the topic: SNOW RULES!!!!!.....unless you get snowed in with a hot supermodel, then it ROCKS!
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12-11-2002, 04:57 AM
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Swami
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 4,396
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Heat & Electricity
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Originally Posted by ThomasC22
Seriously, I picked 'C' because I'd rather not freeze to death and my connectivity isn't going to do a whole heck of a lot of good without electricity |
My thoughts exactly. I suppose you could get connectivity without electricity, but eventually, as Brad found out, your batteries will die.
Steve
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