Is There Alternating Current in Harry's World?

[tommy_m_riddle]

No: HPFGUIDX 184221

Sarah:
I think the reason for not using technology is just cultural too.  
What is on television that they would want to watch?  The pureblood 
wizards seem to consider mundane sports laughable.  The twins' 
packaged daydreams are probably better than Beverly Hills: 90210.  I 
guess they could watch History Channel and laugh at all the coverups 
and say things like "Egyptian tomb archeology: you're doing it wrong."

Kitchen appliances are seemingly just not needed.  And the internet 
is very new technology.  When the books started in 1991 I think there 
was only like Compuserv, and it really wasn't all that interesting.  
Though by book 7/1997 I guess Arthur could use it to find out how 
airplanes stay up, but he doesn't realize that.

justcorbly:
> Except for the 
> flavor of the music played by the bands that show up a few times to 
entertain the kids,  it's 
> as if the 1960's never happened.

Sarah:
The Wyrd Sisters?  I actually thought they were supposed to be less 
modern than they were in the movie.  And for some reason I pictured 
Bill and Fleur's wedding band as doing jazz and big band type numbers.

justcorbly:
> 3. One of those intersections would be between Muggle parents of 
wizards and everyone 
> else in their world.  Do Hermione's parents simply lie all the 
time?  Does she?  Or does she 
> never come home for a visit?

Sarah:
Yeah, they probably just make up a name of a boarding school and say 
that's where she is.  Like the Dursleys do, except that Hermione's 
fake school is probably more impressive-sounding.

She does go home, but in later years she starts cutting out early 
most of the time to go hang with the Weasleys.

justcorbly:
> And how 
come Muggles 
> haven't noticed all those owls flying around with little scrolls in 
their beaks?

Sarah:
They haven't noticed the letters but they've noticed the owls.

PS/SS:
'[Vernon] didn't see the owls swoop ing past in broad daylight, 
though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-
mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most of them had never seen 
an owl even at nighttime.'

'"And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the 
nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls 
normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there 
have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every 
direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls 
have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern." The newscaster allowed 
himself a grin. "Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with 
the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?"'


justcorbly:
> 5. Getting back to electricity...  Harry and his friends could have 
used cellphones on more 
> than one occasion.  :-)

Sarah:
Yes, but they were usually either at Hogwarts where the phones 
wouldn't work, or like camping somewhere in the countryside where 
they might not have a signal.  And there's nowhere to charge it.  Ron 
can't even handle a regular phone, I'm not sure what he'd do with a 
cell phone.  But he can use the Deluminator, which apparently, that's 
what it was for.