If your car's electronics go dead, it's probably due to a blown fuse. You can change fuses yourself easily and cheaply. If your stereo goes dead, your turn signals don't blink, a light goes out, or ...

The lights blink, the kettle dies mid-boil, and the house exhales into silence. You’re left squinting at labels and rummaging a drawer where bent nails, old batteries and a crumpled strip of kitchen ...