Rationing Spells and Battery

January 4th, 2014
magic, phone
Magical universes all have some way of limiting how much magic you can do. Perhaps you have to prepare spells before using them, or draw on local Mana, or perhaps it just tires you out when you do a lot. But there's a big difference between Harry Potter going about the day casting spells as is convenient and a D&D wizard carefully rationing their prepared spells. One gives you a world in which magic is ubiquitous and used casually, the other a world where it's used only when important.

Getting a new phone with better battery life [1] feels like moving between these universes. Now I can just use my phone when I feel like it, not worrying about what else I'll need it for later in the day. Similarly I don't have to think about places to charge it while I'm out or traveling: I just plug it in every night. Removing a need for rationing has been remarkably freeing. I should have done this sooner.


[1] My new Moto X has much better battery life than my Galaxy SII ever did, and by the time I switched the SII didn't have the capacity it used to.

Referenced in:

Comment via: google plus, facebook, substack

Recent posts on blogs I like:

You will not be a member of the permanent underclass

I see some people worrying about being in the “permanent underclass.” AI will be better than humans at everything, and automate all the jobs, and then no one will be able to earn money through their work.

via Thing of Things April 5, 2026

Microfictions

A few microfictions, very much inspired by Quiet Pine Trees. I hope to add more over time. No LLMs.

via Evan Fields March 27, 2026

Daycares and the Brown School

As someone in Somerville I notice that there are quite high prices regarding childcare. The average family in Somerville pays $1,100 to $3,500 for daycare per month, and I want to make the costs more affordable. I have also noticed that housing is quite …

via Lily Wise's Blog Posts March 22, 2026

more     (via openring)