‘Milly Watt’ Research Yields New Approach to Managing Computer Electricity Use

Have a look at this ghastly adaptation of Reddy. Even if it’s for a good cause I have to say, um, yuck! :-)

Duke University computer scientists are developing a new approach to managing electric power use by computers. Their “Milly Watt” project not only promises to greatly increase the energy efficiency of computers, but alleviate the frustration of computer users who find their laptops or desktops abruptly shutting down because of drained batteries or unwanted “decisions” by the machinesâ power management software.

Dad’s Reddy hat




Dad’s Reddy hat

Originally uploaded by ★keaggy.com.

Took this pic of my dad’s cool old hat last time the folks were in town: It’s one of the odder Reddy drawings I’ve seen. The waving arm is strangely elongated, his legs stubby, his light bulb nose oversized and his head rather small. Plus, he has no knees.

Willie Wiredhand History

Willie WirehandWas Willie Wirehand Reddy Kilowatt’s arch-nemesis or just a rival? Was he a compatriot, a co-worker or part of a wicked collaboration against Mr. Kilowatt? Well, it seems he was just the coops’ response to the fact that Reddy’s creator, Ashon. B Collins, thought that electricity cooperatives were socialist entities:

Electric cooperatives initially wanted to use Reddy Kilowatt as their spokescharacter. Reddy—depicted with a body, arms and legs of jagged red lightning bolts and a round head equipped with a light bulb nose and outlets for ears—had been around since 1926 and was being used by 188 of the nation’s private power companies as of 1951. However, Reddy’s creator —Ashton B. Collins, who had licensed his character to the private utilities—believed that electric cooperatives were “socialistic” because they borrowed money from the federal government. Not only did Collins refuse to let Reddy be associated with cooperatives, he instructed his lawyers to warn NRECA that any rival character cooperatives might develop would infringe on his exclusive trademarks.

Who was Walter Tetley?

Walter TetleyWFMU’s Beware of the Blog has a great post on Walter Tetley, the man who voiced the Reddy video I linked a couple weeks ago.

Walter Tetley was a prolific character actor in the mediums of film, radio, and animation for many years… Walter Tetley had the voice of a pre-pubescent schoolboy. Born with a rare hormonal disease that prevented him from fully experiencing the changes that puberty normally brings, Tetley’s voice is best remembered today as the bespeckled cartoon nerd Sherman, boy companion to Mister Peabody on The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show. Many would surely be surprised to discover that the brainiac dog’s boy companion in all ninety-one segments of Peabody’s Improbable History was actually a man in his late forties.

1956 comic book

The Wizard of LightIt’s interesting how time and wear affect the value of all memorabilia. This 1956 comic book featuring Reddy Kilowatt is worth just US$7 in Fair condition, but goes for US$136.25 in Near Mint condition.

Put out by Education Comics, it’s titled The Wizard of Light and tells the story of Thomas Edison. Cool!

Reddy Kilowatt @ Bhamwiki

Here’s another Reddy bio over at the Birmingham Wiki. It includes some info I hadn’t seen before, including the fact that the 1947 series of animated cartoons was produced by the Walter Lantz Studio (they also did Woody Woodpecker). One of those Reddy Kilowatt videos is viewable here.

The character debuted in promotional materials for Alabama Power dated March 11, 1926. He was offered to other electrical utilities under license and quickly appeared in consumer billings, promotional giveaways, billboards, stationery, advertisements, comic books and educational films across the country and around the world. In Spain he was called “Don Kilovatio”. He was “Zet Kilowatt” in Brazil and “Le Bon Genie de L’Electricite” in Belgium)