Were you here for H. Floyd? That put us out of electric for five days due to all the downed trees, but most everyone around us was restored quicker so we just went out when we got tired of grilling.
The blackout of 2003 was kind of cool because of the diminished light pollution at night. Good sky viewing.
The last 16 D batteries I've bought were dead in the freshly dated package. All made in China, btw.
oh, man
you sound like my friend Judy, whose new permanent career is unwinding failed banks for FDIC
Judy takes a dim view of imports from China. I think she said her office ordered a bunch of lamps from China & all of them were defective. Costs too much to return them, so no point.
And for those people for whom it was easy to memorize the times tables, what's the explanation then?
It was easy for me, and I attribute that fact to my autism genes. I don't **know** whether I should attribute it to my autism genes, but I believe it to be the case.
I also believe the fact that my own adult error was the exact opposite of the "normal" one Dehaene describes is part and parcel of my autism genes.
Another thing: I've noticed over the years that writers tend to have unusually good memory for detail, which is what the times tables are: an exercise in precision memorization.
I wonder whether the charming literal-mindedness of a person with autism becomes 'precision memory' or unusually good memory for detail in their non-autistic relatives.
Seeing as how C. has commandeered the TV to play video games, which means a forced break from Hurrican Irene coverage, I'm going to see what Dehaene has to say about people who can't identify simple quantities.
Turns out we have crank flashlights, too! Not only do we have them (or at least one of them) but Ed was able to find it.
Great suggestion about the rechargeable batteries.
We lived in Los Angeles when the Northridge earthquake hit, and after that we spent EVERY weekend cruising the valley searching out earthquake-proofing supplies. (Turns out boat shops have a lot of what you need to earthquake-proof your house, which makes sense when you think about it.)
We were able to buy a bunch of ... hmmm. I guess they're flashlights with rechargeable batteries. You keep them plugged into your wall and they turn on automatically when the electricity goes off, so you've got wall lights all over the place.
Over the years, they started to break, but we've still got a couple that work, though we don't keep them plugged in.
Funny story: in Los Angeles, of course, everyone had lived through beaucoup earthquakes, but only some had been there long enough to have lived through big ones. That group didn't include us, of course. Two days after the earthquake I was pouring Evian water on Jimmy's foot, trying to clean out a cut he'd just sustained walking on all the jumbled construction materials in our back yard.
We had friends who told us about friends of theirs who had grown up in Los Angeles, and so had been there for the big Simi Valley earthquake back whenever.
These friends were so earthquake-proofed that when the Northridge earthquake hit their whole house lit up with earthquake lamps and the place was lit brighter than it was normally during the daytime.
The wind is kicking up again, which it was supposed to do, so I'm in suspense again as to whether we'll keep our power. Life without power -- and with Andrew (who is autistic) -- is not going to be easy.
Speaking of Hurricane Andrew, he was desperate to go outside and get in the hot tub around 4am this morning. Ed was up with him for two hours. Which turned out to be just as well because Ed discovered that the sump pump wasn't working, so he spent that time nursing it back to health. Our basement floods horrifically in all rainstorms; without the pump, Ed's office would be underwater.
Crank radios are very helpful as well. I've got two of them and I realized that the boredom of just being in the dark was greatly alleviated by being able to listen to music or something, anything. Of course, the batteries lasted the two days, but if you have a problem with that, you can just crank away.
After our last blackout (48 hours), I invested in a couple of battery charged fans. I was also glad that I had bought those lantern type lights at the Home Depot. They are much easier to read to at night than candle or flashlight. Even the cheaper, small ones work better.
Coming late to the party, here, having just spent three days without electricity or running water (electric-pumped well!) at my parents' house in Virginia, land of many downed trees...
I totally forgot to bring the crank-operated flashlights and radio with me when I flew up here, and now I'm flying back home to Texas, where we haven't gotten any real rain since January. I think the weatherguy said we're 45" behind for the year... or maybe we're supposed to have had 45" so far and we've had about 10 (all in Jan).
Sure wish I could sneak some rain in my carry-on luggage, but TSA confiscates all the liquids these days. :)
Hey! I lived through the Simi valley quake - that is, if you mean Sylmar?. We were pretty far away, up in the San Jacinto mts, but felt it.
Late to the party here too, no power outage but lost internet. We cut our vacation short to get back & rig up a back-up power supply for the sump pump - you might want to add that to the list of emergency preparations if you've got an office that floods.
Don't worry about it. The last 16 D batteries I've bought were dead in the freshly dated package. All made in China, btw.
ReplyDeleteWere you here for H. Floyd? That put us out of electric for five days due to all the downed trees, but most everyone around us was restored quicker so we just went out when we got tired of grilling.
ReplyDeleteThe blackout of 2003 was kind of cool because of the diminished light pollution at night. Good sky viewing.
The last 16 D batteries I've bought were dead in the freshly dated package. All made in China, btw.
ReplyDeleteoh, man
you sound like my friend Judy, whose new permanent career is unwinding failed banks for FDIC
Judy takes a dim view of imports from China. I think she said her office ordered a bunch of lamps from China & all of them were defective. Costs too much to return them, so no point.
We weren't here for Floyd.
ReplyDeleteAnd we missed the earthquake this week!
I'm sorry C. missed that. Ed and I have been through zillions of earthquakes, so it was no great loss for us.
And for those people for whom it was easy to memorize the times tables, what's the explanation then?
ReplyDeleteIt was easy for me, and I attribute that fact to my autism genes. I don't **know** whether I should attribute it to my autism genes, but I believe it to be the case.
I also believe the fact that my own adult error was the exact opposite of the "normal" one Dehaene describes is part and parcel of my autism genes.
Another thing: I've noticed over the years that writers tend to have unusually good memory for detail, which is what the times tables are: an exercise in precision memorization.
I wonder whether the charming literal-mindedness of a person with autism becomes 'precision memory' or unusually good memory for detail in their non-autistic relatives.
palisadesk- interesting story
ReplyDeleteSeeing as how C. has commandeered the TV to play video games, which means a forced break from Hurrican Irene coverage, I'm going to see what Dehaene has to say about people who can't identify simple quantities.
My hypothesis is that shoe tying qualifies as a biologically determined category of
ReplyDeleteknowledge.
Hah!
You mock....but there may be.
Wish I could remember what John Ratey explained to me years ago. "Fine motor" tasks that seem like the same aren't the same....
Oh!
I remember.
I once asked him why I'm so good at knitting & typing but have awful handwriting.
He had an answer, which I now don't recall.
Rechargeable batteries are a good investment. We also have crank flashlights, which don't need batteries.
ReplyDeleteTurns out we have crank flashlights, too! Not only do we have them (or at least one of them) but Ed was able to find it.
ReplyDeleteGreat suggestion about the rechargeable batteries.
We lived in Los Angeles when the Northridge earthquake hit, and after that we spent EVERY weekend cruising the valley searching out earthquake-proofing supplies. (Turns out boat shops have a lot of what you need to earthquake-proof your house, which makes sense when you think about it.)
We were able to buy a bunch of ... hmmm. I guess they're flashlights with rechargeable batteries. You keep them plugged into your wall and they turn on automatically when the electricity goes off, so you've got wall lights all over the place.
Over the years, they started to break, but we've still got a couple that work, though we don't keep them plugged in.
Funny story: in Los Angeles, of course, everyone had lived through beaucoup earthquakes, but only some had been there long enough to have lived through big ones. That group didn't include us, of course. Two days after the earthquake I was pouring Evian water on Jimmy's foot, trying to clean out a cut he'd just sustained walking on all the jumbled construction materials in our back yard.
We had friends who told us about friends of theirs who had grown up in Los Angeles, and so had been there for the big Simi Valley earthquake back whenever.
These friends were so earthquake-proofed that when the Northridge earthquake hit their whole house lit up with earthquake lamps and the place was lit brighter than it was normally during the daytime.
I believe it!
The wind is kicking up again, which it was supposed to do, so I'm in suspense again as to whether we'll keep our power. Life without power -- and with Andrew (who is autistic) -- is not going to be easy.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Hurricane Andrew, he was desperate to go outside and get in the hot tub around 4am this morning. Ed was up with him for two hours. Which turned out to be just as well because Ed discovered that the sump pump wasn't working, so he spent that time nursing it back to health. Our basement floods horrifically in all rainstorms; without the pump, Ed's office would be underwater.
ReplyDeleteWhich of course is another reason we're going to be in a royal fix if the power goes for longer than a few hours.
ReplyDeleteCrank radios are very helpful as well. I've got two of them and I realized that the boredom of just being in the dark was greatly alleviated by being able to listen to music or something, anything. Of course, the batteries lasted the two days, but if you have a problem with that, you can just crank away.
ReplyDeleteAfter our last blackout (48 hours), I invested in a couple of battery charged fans. I was also glad that I had bought those lantern type lights at the Home Depot. They are much easier to read to at night than candle or flashlight. Even the cheaper, small ones work better.
SusanS
Coming late to the party, here, having just spent three days without electricity or running water (electric-pumped well!) at my parents' house in Virginia, land of many downed trees...
ReplyDeleteI totally forgot to bring the crank-operated flashlights and radio with me when I flew up here, and now I'm flying back home to Texas, where we haven't gotten any real rain since January. I think the weatherguy said we're 45" behind for the year... or maybe we're supposed to have had 45" so far and we've had about 10 (all in Jan).
Sure wish I could sneak some rain in my carry-on luggage, but TSA confiscates all the liquids these days. :)
Hey! I lived through the Simi valley quake - that is, if you mean Sylmar?. We were pretty far away, up in the San Jacinto mts, but felt it.
ReplyDeleteLate to the party here too, no power outage but lost internet. We cut our vacation short to get back & rig up a back-up power supply for the sump pump - you might want to add that to the list of emergency preparations if you've got an office that floods.