The other day I was sitting at my computer when suddenly-- fyumpt. "Fyumpt" is my onomatopoetic creation for describing the brief noise heard as every piece of electronic equipment simultaneously shuts down when the power goes out. A look through the window confirmed that the problem wasn't in the home-- the whole neighborhood was in darkness. I waited a brief period for my eyes to adjust, and then I fumbled my way to the closet to get a flashlight, along the way feeling for things that I ... read more