Avel Ureño

We’ve made it through the Black Friday rush.  The one that started on Thanksgiving, right after dinner’s dishes were washed and lasted clear into the next week.   On average, people spent $423 each that single day! Then, we successfully passed the end of the world.  12-21-12 didn’t have the same apocalyptic kick that the hype led us to believe.  Maybe this is because the Mayans were completely wrong.  After all, this isn’t the first time the calendar has ended and the world kept on turning.  Remember when BC switched to AD?  Or, perhaps, December 21st would have been a global celebration rather than destruction, since the ancient civilization traditionally celebrated the New Year on that day.  I particularly like to believe a recent commercial in which the company Jell-O makes a sacrifice to appease the angry gods. After that, came Christmas itself.  Continue reading →

Batteryman comments: "Summer or winter, batteries that are not being used should be protected." Winter is almost here.  The seasonal change from green grass and short-shorts to Jack Frost, scarves, and gloves can bring about many adjustments to daily life.  Out with the roller blades and in with the ice skates.  Flip the switch from leaf blower to snow blower.  It’s time to pack up motorcycles, jet skis, speed boats, etc. and rip the cover off that snowmobile.  Nobody, though, could possibly enjoy getting the entire family bundled up in winter gear for an afternoon of kicking up fresh fallen powder, just to find a dead battery that could take an hour to get charged.  In this transitional time of the year, it is important to consider how to properly maintain the battery in a power sports vehicle during extended periods without use.  First, what causes a battery to lose its charge when not being used?  Then, what can be done to stop it? Continue reading →

Hurricane Sandy has already left over 8 million families without power, and estimates predict it will not return for up to 10 days.  She caused devastation up and down the East Coast of the United States, in places tropical storms rarely ever touch.  Stamford, Connecticut saw a storm surge 12 feet high.  A dam burst in New Jersey, leaving several towns under 6 feet of water.  Flooding such as that, as well as the high winds toppled cranes, trees, and parts of houses.  Fallen power lines pose fire danger, and over 50 houses have caught fire for this reason. One third of the nation was hit by Sandy, and this was only one storm.  Every year, dozens of hurricanes, winter blizzards, and earthquakes cause power outages around the world.  Whether they qualify as “Superstorm” or not, all of us are at one time or another impacted by the power of Mother Nature.  It is important to prepare.  To help with this, Good Morning America today did a segment called “Cooking Without Power after Superstorm Sandy.”  And for years, the American Red Cross has suggested that every family keep a disaster preparedness kit nearby with easy access. Continue reading →

With summer coming to a close, many people are biting their nails over the electric bill because of all the A/C used on those sweltering days.  Maybe you’ve considered solar power as an alternative before and were overwhelmed by all the components required to actually set up a system.  Where does someone even get started setting up for solar? Unveiling the Magic The science of it may seem complicated at first: photovoltaic arrays, AC-DC inverters, photons, etc.  When you think about it in terms of everyday life, though,  it’s actually quite simple.  Everything starts with the sun, which produces light and heat, and that is turned into electricity.  Lightbulbs function with the same concept reversed.  Electricity causes microscopic particles (known as photons) to escape the atoms and bounce around, which produces light and heat.  A solar panel works in the other way, catching these escaped photons that come from the sun, which creates electricity. Continue reading →

All he wants is a friend to enjoy lemonade with. Enjoy Issue #2 and PLEASE LEAVE FEEDBACK!!

This is the debut of Battery Man, Batteries In A Flash's comic creation.  Follow him on his journey to fight crime and save the world, or to just take a peek at his everyday life.