Paying a fixed rate for utilities really changes your lifestyle dramatically. I didn't realize the freedom I had until my landlord offered to install an A/C unit in my room for free. He's partly doing it because he's a nice guy and partly because, if he doesn't do it, I'm going to end up installing an old 100,000 BTU unit. I can do it because I pay a fixed rate for utilities. When the situation finally settled in my brain, I started realizing that I could totally have a night-light again. And it could consist of five 60-watt bulbs.

I've essentially tapped an unbounded source of power, somewhat akin to harnessing the zero point energy. I could sell some of my room's electricity to Warwick and Pawtucket (indeed, the only other towns I know of in Rhode Island). By my calculations, which come exclusively from playing SimCity, I could make around $1000 / month on power alone.

I'm actually using most of the energy to play Ninja Gaiden II. My Xbox has started making occasional odd sounds, like a deep low-frequency hum that shakes my floor, which I attribute to having to pump additional megawatt-hours into my ninja so that he can keep up with all the bullshit in that game, like packs of wolves with what I think are knives. Let it be known that ninjas do not require limbs or a direct means of locomotion to be able to attack you from far away.