Prepare for the Frankenstorm you say?

In sharp contrast to the work week, I don't spend too much time on my computer on the weekends.  The internet is my main source for news, current events, popular culture, information etc.  So it wasn't until last night that I really got a clear picture of the severity of Hurricane Sandy and how she could affect Toronto-area residents.  I have a somewhat skeptical view when it comes to weather warnings, having lived here almost my whole life, most weather warnings we get often wind up being embarrassing incidents over-preparedness - ie. the mayor calling the army for a snowstorm that never materialized.  However I've experienced a very real eastern seaboard blackout and a number of other power outages in my home over the last decade.  So here are my tips on how a movie maniac should prepare for a potential power out:

• Charge everything.  If Aftershock director Nicholas Lopez taught me anything in both his TIFF 2nd screening intro or in the movie itself, it's that our fancy smartphones quickly become nothing more than expensive flashlights during natural disasters, and when the batteries on those devices die they will become even more useless.  I don't imagine too many of us will lose our internet connections to the Frankenstorm, so let's make sure we have multiple ways to connect to it.
• Use a powerbar to charge everything.  Wouldn't want any of our precious devices to get fried in a surge if the power were to suddenly go out.
• Load some movies and back episodes of your favourite TV shows onto your iPads and tablets now.  I don't know about you, but my movies are stored on an external drive that connects only to my computer, which is a lot harder to get powered up in the event of blackout than my tablet.  In the event my internet (which in this case means my Netflix) goes with the power, I don't want to find myself grudgingly playing Angry Birds all night knowing that I could have been watching movies.
• Know where your devices are.  Seriously, when you misplace your phone in your home in broad daylight it's already a pain in the ass to find.  Imagine if you misplace it in the dark!
• All kidding aside, do take the necessary precautions and be safe.  Keep some bottled water in your home, have some canned or dry foods (I vote for Smart Food popcorn to snack on while you watch your movies in a blackout!)  Check to make sure your flashlights have batteries (because you could be reserving your iPhone battery for other apps instead of iTorch), and keep an extra blanket on hand.
• In your travels to and from the movie theatre (cause I know not everyone has a movie theatre just across the street like me) make sure your car has an emergency kit, and if you're out and about during bad weather, it's always a good idea to let someone know where you've gone and approximately what time you'll be back (letting them know what movie you're seeing is optional, I'd understand if you don't want to own up that you're at Alex Cross).
• [Optional] Add Twister to your movie viewing list!

Keep dry.  Keep safe.  And keep watching movies!