I find that LED lights are bright but don't throw a great distance. I only have tiny LED flashlights, so I don't know how effective a larger one would be. Those big Maglites are always great for bonking someone over the head, if necessary.

anyone have suggestions about smoke alarms? I have two alarms in particular in my house (I think there are like 8 alarms in the house total) that are so high up, that it is a herculean task to change out the batteries. Furthermore, it beeps CONSTANTLY until we can change out the batteries. If I could, I would remove the alarms where they are and put them lower down so that we don't have to get out the huge ass ladder move all the furniture to change out the batteries.

I have a similar issue LeN, had to go buy a ladder just to change one. But I was told for firecode it had to be at the highest point in the room. Which...smoke rises, yeah, but wouldn't it rise past a lower one too?

not to mention that in my house, there is a smoke alarm right outside the bedroom (the room with the high ceilings) in the hall. Any fire that set off the BR smoke alarm, would assuredly set off the hallway one. and the hallway one is set lower.

I heard there are smoke alarms that you can pull down with a lever or something. is this just mysticism?

So I see this headline in the NYT Tuaregs Use Qaddafi’s Arms for Rebellion in Mali

I thought Tuareg was a European coffee product or car. So I was very confused.

edit: I am not crazy.

Timelies all!

Trying to defend my lunch from Nova, who seems rather interested in my sandwich.(Of course she is, it's food the human is eating, therefore it must be good.)

Is that a policy thing, or a technical issue?

Technical. The instructions say not to use them because smoke alarms pull more current than rechargeables can supply (I think, it's been a few years since I read my smoke alarm's manual), but of course I tried because I would like everything in my life to be rechargeable. Basically the alarm aways thinks the batteries are about to run out of juice so it's beeping at you to put new batteries in all the time.

I have a little LED flashlight from the auto parts place tucked into the Toyota's console, and biggish flashlights with handles (that probably came with emergency kits) in each trunk. I should check the batteries in those, they are probably really old as they never get used.

VW makes a Tuareg.

Rechargeable batteries lose their charge faster than traditional batteries. NiMH rechargeables are good for high-draw, frequently replaced batteries such as those in portable electronics. You can argue that traditional batteries are better for things you use infrequently, such as flashlights. There are newer low-discharge rechargeables that keep their charge longer.

(I just wrote an article.)

Burrell, I'm always going to recommend Appleton when it comes to rum. It goes all the way from mixing to sipping, depending on which one you buy.

Hmm. I think it's time for more tea and chocolate bacon cookies.