@Kellenjb - IMO, he's asking about a design problem. You're right, connecting 4 AA batteries with a USB cable isn't exactly the kind of question we want here, but the answers are good.
That's one way we evaluate questions: If they garner good, on-topic answers, they're probably OK. If the result of this question was answers to the tune of "Here's a premade battery pack with USB output", I'd be more concerned.