You're welcome, Billi, and thanks for the kind words.
Interestingly, members of Occupy Wall Street set up a battery-recharging bike on Avenue C between 9th and 10th Streets. Apparently,
another organization is now offering the same support outside ABC No Rio.
Moments after the power died on Sunday, the only way I was able to listen to the news was by using a flashlight/radio with a physical crank to power it (the next day, I bought fresh batteries for the same device). The OWS battery-charging bike works on the same principle but is far more efficient.
* * * * *
One thing you never read about in news coverage of a blackout is the reality of the cold. Many here have nowhere to go beyond outage territory even in the direst emergency.
Yesterday, I wore three layers of long underwear and still shivered as I tried to sleep. Tonight, the temps are expected to go even lower. I'm currently looking up a friend on the west side, but I'm worried that others here might die of sickness exacerbated by exposure (and other things the press won't trace to the cold or possibly even know about despite exposure being the determining factor).