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Thursday, June 21, 2001

By David Radin

How difficult would it be to live without your computer? You can find out tonight for a few hours while you participate in a power play intended to shock state and federal legislators and utility companies into reason. It's a self-imposed rolling blackout. From 7 to 10 p.m. in all time zones, the organizers hope you'll turn off, unplug and de-energize your life.

The idea is to protest current energy policies, which are already playing havoc in California, where power companies are creating rolling blackouts to conserve energy. They have been selectively blacking out sections of the power grid; and the price of electricity has grown tremendously in the past year. Many experts are concerned that the situation in California may spread to other states, particularly the states that have deregulated electricity pricing.

The organizers of tonight's blackout suggest that rolling your own blackout to show your opinion is preferred to having the utilities determine where the rolling blackouts will take place. They are using a grass-roots campaign of e-mail, news groups and public relations to support their cause, and have posted information at www.rollyourownblackout.com.

So what do you do without electricity for three hours? The organizers have plenty of suggestions, including talking with your children, watching the stars come out, watching the sunset on the longest day of the year, having a slumber party, kissing and taking a stroll. I'm sure if you think about it, you'll come up with a great list of your own.

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I applaud the idea behind the roll your own blackout. However, I don't believe that enough people will inconvenience themselves enough to make a real difference to the energy policy. It's difficult to be without electricity -- especially when almost everything you do depends on it -- watching TV, cooking on electric ranges, watching night baseball games at the ballpark (Wow! What a great energy hog that is!). Plus, I'm not convinced that a large enough percentage of the population will even hear about the roll-your-own blackout to have any effect on energy policy.

However, it could have a major impact on our lives. Recently I gave up my car for six months, and rediscovered walking, public transportation and a more active lifestyle. I'm in better shape and have a better life because of it. Occasionally, my wife and I take away TV, computer or electronic game privileges from our children. Suddenly, our children rediscover their toys, nonelectronic games and books. They become less hyper and get more rest.

Undoubtedly, many people participating in the roll your own blackout will find new ways to enjoy their lives -- even if only for an evening. Our national psyche will be uplifted, and there may be a lasting effect as some of us say: "That was fun. Let's do it again soon."

Just don't expect too much action from our legislators because of it. Use the evening to roll your own living improvements instead.

Q: How do I match colors for various text in my documents?

A: You can do it manually, by using the font color capability of your software. In MS-Office applications, you use the Icon that looks like an "A" with a thick underline. The underline color is what you'll get. Or you can use the format painter (the paintbrush icon). Place your cursor on the text with the color you want. Then click on the format painter icon. Then highlight the text you want to match the original. This will change color and all font attributes, so you may need to change the face, size or format when you're done.