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From our "aerie" on the side of the hill, we watch storms cross our desert
valley at the end of each summer. The whole blustery thing plays out in wide
screen drama, especially at night when the lightning and thunder seem so
much more primal...well, to me anyway.
So many of us in the industrialized nations have become numbed to the ways
of nature. We have parceled and covered the ground and put Mother Nature
in the context of a problem to be solved on the way to whatever project or
errand we are doing that moves us even farther from our environmental
heritage. Such arrogance.
Here we think thunderstorms are a big deal. We’re impressed; so much so we
have named them. I don’t mean we name the individual ones, like they do
hurricanes, but we call August the “monsoon” season,. Southeast Asians
would scoff at the paltry amount of water that actually makes it to the
ground.
The old timers say the buildings and pavement that cover the ground has
actually decreased the rainfall over the years. It’s not like the old days, they
tell us. I have not seen records, and old desert guys lie a lot about other
things, but I think they might be right on this one, even though they
shamelessly make up a lot of stuff about how weather works to explain it all.
Our storms are mainly noisy braggarts, boisterous teenagers, full of strength
and brash promise, and they swagger about beating their chests, force
themselves on you, then prematurely ejaculate, leave town, and never call
back.
In Seattle I found the weather fronts more satisfying. The rain is tender and
has personal relationship skills. Here we have one-night-stands. In the
Northwest the relationship is deep and long lasting…to a fault. The citizens
of Seattle, during the endless winter, often yearn for the occasional
excitement of a non-committed affair in the desert.
When I say not much water actually falls out of the sky during the monsoon, I
mean the total amount, but what we do get, and we get less than ten inches
yearly, tends to fall all at once in small areas. This habit accounts for the
menacing reputation of our storms because it can cause “flash floods” you
hear about or see on the news. These are scary things. It is one thing to hear
about them, another to be where they could actually happen. You can be
standing out in a gully, under the blue sky and sun, miles from a cloud, and a
second or two after you feel a rumble, you are swept away and buried under
many feet of mud, never to be found. Even though they are rare, one never
feels entirely safe standing around in a ravine here. I have never actually
seen one, and I do not know anyone who has, but a couple of years ago a
group of tourists from France disappeared in a gorge near Las Vegas. This
was before Iraq, so everyone felt bad about it at the time.
Sharon is spooked by even the idea of a flash flood, so I will say, “Oh look at
the sign, we’re driving through a flash flood plain! Are those clouds over
there?” I am terrible.
The most impressive thing about the desert storm is the fact that they occur
in the desert, which means there is nothing in the way of seeing all the
lightning strikes for many miles around. The whole storm is visible between
the distant mountains! What an awesome light show! And there are no trees
you can ignorantly hide under either. That is probably good, but in fact,
there is no place to hide at all.
It is supposed to be pretty safe in the car, as long as you do not touch metal,
which, come to think of it, may be fairly easy to do in today’s vehicles.
Recently I sat in my car through a particularly violent storm. I did not dare try
to make it the twenty yards from the driver’s seat to the shelter of a building,
not while the lightning was overhead. I sat very still, with the nagging
thought of how close the metal springs of the seat might be from my butt,
and meditated, trying to levitate. But I am not that good yet.
There are other precautions you can take, but the thing is, sometimes you
can do all the right things and still get a jolt. Every year the Arizona and
Nevada papers carry stories about people who got struck, even though they
were taking precautions. But sometimes guys are outside during lightning
doing just the wrong thing, and I say “guys” because the majority of lightning
strikes hit men because they are outside more often than women, and often
doing the wrong thing, like playing golf.
Maybe they think they can hurry up and finish the round, or the hole they are
on, even after the thunder has started. Don’t they know?! Maybe they feel
lucky, or cavalier, or maybe they are members of that macho group of men
who proclaim bravely that a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do, and if you
die doing it, well, there are worse things than dying doing what one loves to
do. These guys are the perfect lightning rods, all self-fulfilled, zapped in
mid-backswing. My friend who is an avid golfer thinks such martyrs to the
game get more than their fair share of virgins in The Hereafter. But then
golfers have such perverse humor; who can believe them?
Below are some answers to FAQS I looked up. When you see the odds of
getting hit, you realize worry is not justified, though precaution is. Just do
the sensible thing. Yet, if you read what I did not include below, namely the
detailed descriptions I found on the Internet of what happens to the finer
instrumentations of the eyes, ears, and cardiovascular systems when they
come in contact with lightning, you might, like me, never be able to be fully
relaxed in a storm.
Lightning Trivia, Statistics and News
Lightning strikes the Earth 1,800 times at any moment.
Lightning puts 10 million tons of nitrogen into the Earth each year.
The Earth has 100 lightning strikes per second - 3.6 trillion per year!
The Earth has 2,000 thunderstorms at any one time!
Without thunderstorms, the earth would lose its electric charge in less than 1
hour.
Rwanda, Africa is the lightning capitol of the world, receiving nearly 2.5 times
the amount of lightning as Florida
(Source: Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission Satellite, 2002)
Florida is the Lightning Capital of the U.S. Central Florida, from Tampa to
Titusville is "Lightning Alley" in the U.S.!
The central California coast has the least lightning activity in the U.S.
Lightning is the #2 weather killer in the U.S.
Lightning is the #1 weather killer in Florida - more than all other weather
deaths combined!
Florida leads the U.S. in lightning deaths, injuries, and casualties
Texas is #2.
Pennsylvania leads the U.S. in lightning damage.
The U.S. has 20 Million cloud-to-ground lightning flashes each year - up to
70 Million lightning flashes aloft are also counted!
The U.S. has 100,000 thunderstorms per year.
The Odds Of An Individual Being Struck By Lightning Each Year In The U.S. Is
About 300,000 To 1
Lightning injures many more than it kills.
Lightning often causes life-long severe debilitating injuries.
Lightning kills about 100 people in the U.S. each year.
Lightning injures about 1000 people in the U.S. each year.
In the U.S., lightning kills more than Hurricanes and Tornadoes, combined.
Only floods kill more!
Lightning causes $5 Billion of economic impact in the U.S. each year.
Most lightning strikes occur either at the beginning or end of a storm.
Lightning is 50,000° F - three times as hot as the Sun.
Lightning is only 1 inch in diameter.
Lightning has been observed over 100 miles long.
An average lightning flash has the energy of a 1-kiloton explosion.
Lightning voltage can be up to 300 million volts.
Lightning current averages 30,000 amps, but ranges from 10,000 to 200,000
amps - 100 To 1,000 times as strong as a steel welder.
Corded telephones are not safe and should not be used during
thunderstorms. The usual way that current enters a telephone is through the
wire. Cloud-to-ground flashes tend to hit tall objects such as utility poles.
When a pole is struck, its current enters a building through the wiring, then
to the phone, and then straight to your head. Cell phones and cordless
phones are safer, but be sure to stand away from the cordless phone's base
as a strong current can possibly arc a few feet from the base to the handset.
There is still a risk of ear damage from loud static and "pops" associated with
cell phone and cordless phone use during thunderstorms.
(from lightningstorm.com)
Lightning damage to home electronics usually occurs when lightning strikes
to nearby utility poles or wires, then enters the building through power,
phone, and TV wires. For direct or indirect hits, the only sure way is to pull
the power, phone, and cable plugs on sensitive electronics before
thunderstorms threaten. Never touch wires during a thunderstorm, even to
unplug your equipment. People have been electrocuted while unplugging
their electronics during thunderstorms. Better your computer than you!
(from lightningstorm.com)
Jul 10, 1926: Lightning Exploded A Navy Ammunition Depot, Mount Hope NJ.
19 People Died, 38 Wounded, And Cost $81 Million To Rebuild.
May 6, 1937: Hindenberg Airship Destroyed By An Electrostatic Discharge 36
People Died.
June 1998: Lightning Struck An Outdoor Rock Concert With 35,000 People In
Baltimore, MD. 13 People Were Injured, Despite The Installed Lightning Rods.
July 1998: 5 Firefighters Were Injured When Lightning Struck Their Firetruck
In Las Vegas, NV.
October 1998: Lightning Killed 11 Soccer Players In Congo, Africa (All On The
Same Team)
Dec. 8, 1963: A Pan Am 707 crashed in flames in a Maryland field in 1963
after lightning hit the Boeing jet and ignited a wing fuel tank. All 81 people
aboard were killed.
The NTSB believes lightning caused the in-flight explosion of an Iranian Air
Force 747 in May 1976 near Madrid, Spain.
May 9, 2001: HONG KONG –According to media reports a Cathay Pacific
Boeing 747-400 was struck three times by lightning close to Chek Lap Kok
airport today. The airline confirmed the event and said a cockpit window was
damaged. Nobody was hurt in this incident. Cathay Pacific Flight 250 from
London Heathrow with 245 passengers on board was still approaching the
Hong Kong airport when suddenly the series of lightning strikes hit the
Jumbo Jet. One of the lightning strikes cracked the right side cockpit window,
said the airline. The crew informed the control tower at Chek Lap Kok and
then safely landed the aircraft.
Florida meteorologist Mike Lyons tells WPBFChannel.com in West Palm Beach
a man has reported seeing what only about 1 percent of the population will
ever see -- the rarest form of lightning called ball lightning. "It was a bright,
glowing orange ball about the size of a basketball," the man said in the
report. "It entered my house through the glass in the front door. It went right
past me or possibly even through me into the living room. Then, it left the
house through a large window where it hit a tree in the backyard." Lyons says
ball lightning has "scared the pants off folks" as the bright spheres seem to
appear out of nowhere. They've been seen in buildings, coming through solid
walls and in airplanes. Lyons says science may never be able to explain ball
lightning -- all researchers know is that it's real.
LONDON - Two women were killed by a bolt of lightning in Hyde Park when
their underwired bras acted as conductors, a coroner said Wednesday. "I think
this was a tragic case, a pure act of God," coroner Paul Knapman told an
inquest into the deaths. He recorded a verdict of death by misadventure. The
two women, Anuban Bell, 24, and Sunee Whitworth, 39, had been sheltering
under a tree in the park during a thunderstorm. Pathologist Dr Iain West said
both women were wearing underwired bras and had been left with burn
marks on their chests from the electrical current that passed through their
bodies. Death would have been instant, he said. The bodies were not
discovered until the following day because passers-by thought they were
vagrants.
October 1997, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
published findings of some 35 years of USA lightning statistics. Fatalities,
injuries, and damage were compiled for the years 1959-1994. We summarize
the Report (1) as below:
1. Location of Incident:
40% Unreported.
27% Open fields & recreation areas (not golf).
14% Under trees (not golf).
8% Water-related (boating, fishing, swimming…).
5% Golf/golf under trees.
3% Heavy equipment and machinery-related.
2.4% Telephone-related.
0.7% Radio, transmitter & antenna-related.
2. Gender of victims = 84% male; 16% female.
3. Months of most incidents = June 21%, July 30%, Aug 22%.
4. Days of week of most incidents = Sun./Wed./Sat.
5. Time of day of most incidents = 2 PM to 6 PM.
6. Number of victims = One (91%), two or more (9%).
7. Deaths by State, Top Five = FL, MI, TX, NY, TN.
8. Injuries by State, Top Five = FL, MI, PA, NC, NY.
BTW - When population was taken into account, Wyoming and New Mexico
(and the rest of the sparse, western, mountain, desert states (like Nevada) led
the nation in death, injury, and casualty rates.
In Reply to: Stormy Weather posted by Jim H. [879.1238] on August 26, 2004 at 07:49:23:
HI Jim,
Can I assume that you are a golfer?
From our "aerie" on the side of the hill, we watch storms cross our desert
valley at the end of each summer. The whole blustery thing plays out in wide
screen drama, especially at night when the lightning and thunder seem so
much more primal...well, to me anyway.
So many of us in the industrialized nations have become numbed to the ways
of nature. We have parceled and covered the ground and put Mother Nature
in the context of a problem to be solved on the way to whatever project or
errand we are doing that moves us even farther from our environmental
heritage. Such arrogance.
Here we think thunderstorms are a big deal. We’re impressed; so much so we
have named them. I don’t mean we name the individual ones, like they do
hurricanes, but we call August the “monsoon” season,. Southeast Asians
would scoff at the paltry amount of water that actually makes it to the
ground.
***RIGHT YOU ARE.... IT IS THE PRECIPITATION THAT FALLS IN THE FORM OF SNOW WHICH FILLS THE RESERVOIRS AND FEEDS THE LAKES AND RIVERS ON WHICH WE DEPEND FOR HYDRO-ELECTREIC POWER AND DRINKING WATER.***
The old timers say the buildings and pavement that cover the ground has
actually decreased the rainfall over the years. It’s not like the old days, they
tell us. I have not seen records, and old desert guys lie a lot about other
things, but I think they might be right on this one, even though they
shamelessly make up a lot of stuff about how weather works to explain it all.
***THE DEINDUSTRIALIZATION OF THE USA HAS REDUCED POLLUTION
WHICH IS A CATALYST FOR THE FORMATION OF WATER DROPLETS
WHICH PRECIPITATE THE HUMIDITY OUT OF THE PASSING CLOUDS.
MY GUESS IS THAT IT IS NOW RAINING A LOT MORE IN ASIA.***
Our storms are mainly noisy braggarts, boisterous teenagers, full of strength
and brash promise, and they swagger about beating their chests, force
themselves on you, then prematurely ejaculate, leave town, and never call back.
***IF YOU ARE SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE, YOU MUST LIVE IN THE
6-YEAR-DROUGHT-STRICKEN WEST... ***
In Seattle I found the weather fronts more satisfying. The rain is tender and
has personal relationship skills. Here we have one-night-stands. In the
Northwest the relationship is deep and long lasting…to a fault. The citizens
of Seattle, during the endless winter, often yearn for the occasional
excitement of a non-committed affair in the desert.
When I say not much water actually falls out of the sky during the monsoon, I
mean the total amount, but what we do get, and we get less than ten inches
yearly, tends to fall all at once in small areas. This habit accounts for the
menacing reputation of our storms because it can cause “flash floods” you
hear about or see on the news. These are scary things. It is one thing to hear
about them, another to be where they could actually happen. You can be
standing out in a gully, under the blue sky and sun, miles from a cloud, and a
second or two after you feel a rumble, you are swept away and buried under
many feet of mud, never to be found. Even though they are rare, one never
feels entirely safe standing around in a ravine here. I have never actually
seen one, and I do not know anyone who has, but a couple of years ago a
group of tourists from France disappeared in a gorge near Las Vegas. This
was before Iraq, so everyone felt bad about it at the time.
***WERE THEY ABLE TO "BLAME BUSH" FOR THAT TOO? ***
Sharon is spooked by even the idea of a flash flood, so I will say, “Oh look at
the sign, we’re driving through a flash flood plain! Are those clouds over
there?” I am terrible.
The most impressive thing about the desert storm is the fact that they occur
in the desert, which means there is nothing in the way of seeing all the
lightning strikes for many miles around. The whole storm is visible between
the distant mountains! What an awesome light show! And there are no trees
you can ignorantly hide under either. That is probably good, but in fact,
there is no place to hide at all.
***YOU MUST BE VISITING VEGAS TOO OFTEN.***
It is supposed to be pretty safe in the car, as long as you do not touch metal,
which, come to think of it, may be fairly easy to do in today’s vehicles.
***DON'T CONFUSE THE GUIDELINES THAT PERTAIN TO HAVING POWER LINES FALL ON YOUR VEHICLE WITH THOSE FRO LIGHTNING.
BEING IN THE VEHICLE IS ALWAYS SAFER THAN STANDING BESIDE IT.***
Recently I sat in my car through a particularly violent storm. I did not dare try
to make it the twenty yards from the driver’s seat to the shelter of a building,
not while the lightning was overhead. I sat very still, with the nagging
thought of how close the metal springs of the seat might be from my butt,
and meditated, trying to levitate. But I am not that good yet.
***IF YOU HAVE THAT MUCH TIME TO WORRY, YOU ARE SIMPLY AN AN OVER-ANXIOUS PERSON AND SHOULD STAY HOME MORE.***
There are other precautions you can take, but the thing is, sometimes you
can do all the right things and still get a jolt. Every year the Arizona and
Nevada papers carry stories about people who got struck, even though they
were taking precautions. But sometimes guys are outside during lightning
doing just the wrong thing, and I say “guys” because the majority of lightning
strikes hit men because they are outside more often than women, and often
doing the wrong thing, like playing golf.
***HAVE Y-O-U EVER HAD A J-O-L-T? 'NUFF SAID! ***
Maybe they think they can hurry up and finish the round, or the hole they are
on, even after the thunder has started. Don’t they know?! Maybe they feel
lucky, or cavalier, or maybe they are members of that macho group of men
who proclaim bravely that a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do, and if you
die doing it, well, there are worse things than dying doing what one loves to
do. These guys are the perfect lightning rods, all self-fulfilled, zapped in
mid-backswing. My friend who is an avid golfer thinks such martyrs to the
game get more than their fair share of virgins in The Hereafter. But then
golfers have such perverse humor; who can believe them?
***FOUL-WEATHER GOLFERS SHOULD ALWAYD PLAY WITH FIBERGLASS
CLUB-SHAFTS.***
Below are some answers to FAQS I looked up. When you see the odds of
getting hit, you realize worry is not justified, though precaution is. Just do
the sensible thing. Yet, if you read what I did not include below, namely the
detailed descriptions I found on the Internet of what happens to the finer
instrumentations of the eyes, ears, and cardiovascular systems when they
come in contact with lightning, you might, like me, never be able to be fully
relaxed in a storm.
***IF MORE GOLFERS WERE AS WORRIED ABOUT LIGHTNING AS YOU
SEEM TO BE, THERE WOULD BEW MORE DEATHS DUE TO HEART-ATTACKS
ON THE COURSE, THAN DUE TO LIGHTNING STRIKES.***
Lightning Trivia, Statistics and News
Lightning strikes the Earth 1,800 times at any moment.
Lightning puts 10 million tons of nitrogen into the Earth each year.
***WHY DON'T THEY MENTION THE TONS OF NNEDED OZONE THAT
ARE PRODUCED TO REPLACE THAT, WHICH WERE ARE TOLD WE ARE DEPLETING WITH CHLORO-FLUOROCARBONS?***
The Earth has 100 lightning strikes per second - 3.6 trillion per year!
The Earth has 2,000 thunderstorms at any one time!
Without thunderstorms, the earth would lose its electric charge in less than 1
hour.
Rwanda, Africa is the lightning capitol of the world, receiving nearly 2.5 times
the amount of lightning as Florida
(Source: Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission Satellite, 2002)
Florida is the Lightning Capital of the U.S. Central Florida, from Tampa to
Titusville is "Lightning Alley" in the U.S.!
The central California coast has the least lightning activity in the U.S.
Lightning is the #2 weather killer in the U.S.
Lightning is the #1 weather killer in Florida - more than all other weather
deaths combined!
***I GUESS THAY ARE NOT COUNTING THE 25,000 DEATHS PER YEAR DUE TO AUTO ACCIDENTS WHICH MAY HAVE SOME CONNECTION TO THE WEATHER? ***
Florida leads the U.S. in lightning deaths, injuries, and casualties
Texas is #2.
Pennsylvania leads the U.S. in lightning damage.
The U.S. has 20 Million cloud-to-ground lightning flashes each year - up to
70 Million lightning flashes aloft are also counted!
The U.S. has 100,000 thunderstorms per year.
The Odds Of An Individual Being Struck By Lightning Each Year In The U.S. Is
About 300,000 To 1
Lightning injures many more than it kills.
Lightning often causes life-long severe debilitating injuries.
****SHHHHHH!! THE INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE JUST WAITING TO ADD SPECIAL LIGHTNING INSURANCE PREMIUMS TO ALL OUTDOOR
ACTIVITIES... BASBALL, FOOTBALL, WATER-SKIING, GOLFING,
NECKING IN THE PARK, CLIMBING TREES, BOATING,
WALKING ACROSS THE WALMART PARKING LOT, LOITERING,
SQUIGEEING CAR WINDOWS, WILL ALL COST MORE TO DO. SO SHHHH!***
Lightning kills about 100 people in the U.S. each year.
Lightning injures about 1000 people in the U.S. each year.
In the U.S., lightning kills more than Hurricanes and Tornadoes, combined.
Only floods kill more!
Lightning causes $5 Billion of economic impact in the U.S. each year.
Most lightning strikes occur either at the beginning or end of a storm.
Lightning is 50,000° F - three times as hot as the Sun.
Lightning is only 1 inch in diameter.
Lightning has been observed over 100 miles long.
An average lightning flash has the energy of a 1-kiloton explosion.
Lightning voltage can be up to 300 million volts.
Lightning current averages 30,000 amps, but ranges from 10,000 to 200,000
amps - 100 To 1,000 times as strong as a steel welder.
***WRONG!!! THE AMPS MAY BE THAT PERCENTAGE, BUT TO GET THE REAL POWER COMPARISON, ONE MUST CALCULATE THE W-A-T-T-S
OF POWER, MULTIPLY THE V-O-L-T-S TIMES THE A-M-P-S...
OR 300 MILLION VOLTS TIMES 30,000 AMPS TO GET THE NUMBER OF
WATTS... OF COURSE THIS IS ALL DISSIPATED IN A FRACTION OF A SECOND SO YOU HAVE TO BE QUICK. ***
Corded telephones are not safe and should not be used during
thunderstorms. The usual way that current enters a telephone is through the
wire. Cloud-to-ground flashes tend to hit tall objects such as utility poles.
When a pole is struck, its current enters a building through the wiring, then
to the phone, and then straight to your head.
***IN A PROPERLY DESIGNED AND PROPERLY INSTALLED PHONE SYSTEM, THE LINE COMING IN IS PROTECTED BY CARBON BLOCKS WHICH ARE MEANT TO DRAIN THE FLASH SAFELY TO GROUND.
IF YOU LIVE IN A RURAL AREA WHERE THERE ARE FEW HIGH POINTS
ASIDE FROM THE POLES, YOU ARE RIGHT TO AVOID THE TELEPHONE DURING STORMS, BUT IN THE CITY WHERE MOST PHONE LINES ARE BURRIED AND THERE ERN NO TELEPHONE POLES, THE PHONE IS QUITE SAFE EXCEPT FROM THE SOUND OF STATIC THAT YOU MAY HEAR WHEN A BOLT HITS NEARBY.***
Cell phones and cordless
phones are safer, but be sure to stand away from the cordless phone's base
as a strong current can possibly arc a few feet from the base to the handset.
There is still a risk of ear damage from loud static and "pops" associated with
cell phone and cordless phone use during thunderstorms.
(from lightningstorm.com)
Lightning damage to home electronics usually occurs when lightning strikes
to nearby utility poles or wires, then enters the building through power,
phone, and TV wires. For direct or indirect hits, the only sure way is to pull
the power, phone, and cable plugs on sensitive electronics before
thunderstorms threaten. Never touch wires during a thunderstorm, even to
unplug your equipment. People have been electrocuted while unplugging
their electronics during thunderstorms. Better your computer than you!
(from lightningstorm.com)
***THAT IS WHY "SURGE PROTECTORS" WERE INVENTED... DO YOU HAVE THESE DEVICES INSTALLED ON YOUR IMPORTANT AND SENSITIVE
APPLIANCES AND TOYS? ***
Jul 10, 1926: Lightning Exploded A Navy Ammunition Depot, Mount Hope NJ.
19 People Died, 38 Wounded, And Cost $81 Million To Rebuild.
May 6, 1937: Hindenberg Airship Destroyed By An Electrostatic Discharge 36
People Died.
June 1998: Lightning Struck An Outdoor Rock Concert With 35,000 People In
Baltimore, MD. 13 People Were Injured, Despite The Installed Lightning Rods.
July 1998: 5 Firefighters Were Injured When Lightning Struck Their Firetruck
In Las Vegas, NV.
October 1998: Lightning Killed 11 Soccer Players In Congo, Africa (All On The
Same Team)
Dec. 8, 1963: A Pan Am 707 crashed in flames in a Maryland field in 1963
after lightning hit the Boeing jet and ignited a wing fuel tank. All 81 people
aboard were killed.
The NTSB believes lightning caused the in-flight explosion of an Iranian Air
Force 747 in May 1976 near Madrid, Spain.
May 9, 2001: HONG KONG –According to media reports a Cathay Pacific
Boeing 747-400 was struck three times by lightning close to Chek Lap Kok
airport today. The airline confirmed the event and said a cockpit window was
damaged. Nobody was hurt in this incident. Cathay Pacific Flight 250 from
London Heathrow with 245 passengers on board was still approaching the
Hong Kong airport when suddenly the series of lightning strikes hit the
Jumbo Jet. One of the lightning strikes cracked the right side cockpit window,
said the airline. The crew informed the control tower at Chek Lap Kok and
then safely landed the aircraft.
***PLEASE NOT THAT NONE OF THE ABOVE COULD BE DIRECTLY BLAMED ON GEORGE BUSH.***
Florida meteorologist Mike Lyons tells WPBFChannel.com in West Palm Beach
a man has reported seeing what only about 1 percent of the population will
ever see -- the rarest form of lightning called ball lightning. "It was a bright,
glowing orange ball about the size of a basketball," the man said in the
report. "It entered my house through the glass in the front door. It went right
past me or possibly even through me into the living room. Then, it left the
house through a large window where it hit a tree in the backyard." Lyons says
ball lightning has "scared the pants off folks" as the bright spheres seem to
appear out of nowhere. They've been seen in buildings, coming through solid
walls and in airplanes. Lyons says science may never be able to explain ball
lightning -- all researchers know is that it's real.
***I THINK ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE CALLLERS TO THE ART BELL SHOW.***
LONDON - Two women were killed by a bolt of lightning in Hyde Park when
their underwired bras acted as conductors, a coroner said Wednesday. "I think
this was a tragic case, a pure act of God," coroner Paul Knapman told an
inquest into the deaths. He recorded a verdict of death by misadventure. The
two women, Anuban Bell, 24, and Sunee Whitworth, 39, had been sheltering
under a tree in the park during a thunderstorm. Pathologist Dr Iain West said
both women were wearing underwired bras and had been left with burn
marks on their chests from the electrical current that passed through their
bodies. Death would have been instant, he said. The bodies were not
discovered until the following day because passers-by thought they were
vagrants.
***ALL THE MORE REASON WHY WOMEN SHOULD GO BRALESS IN THE INTERESTS OF THEEIR OWN SAFETY.***
October 1997, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
published findings of some 35 years of USA lightning statistics. Fatalities,
injuries, and damage were compiled for the years 1959-1994. We summarize
the Report (1) as below:
1. Location of Incident:
40% Unreported.
***DOES THIS INCLUDE THE DEATHS IN CAMBODIA DURING KERRY'S SERVICE IN VIET-NAM? MAYBE HE WILL TELL US ABOUT IT WHEN THE NEED ARISES.***
27% Open fields & recreation areas (not golf).
***WHAT!!! FARMERS DON'T MATTER AS MUCH AS GOLFERS??? ***
14% Under trees (not golf).
8% Water-related (boating, fishing, swimming…).
5% Golf/golf under trees.
3% Heavy equipment and machinery-related.
2.4% Telephone-related.
0.7% Radio, transmitter & antenna-related.
***IT IS SAFER TO BE 800 FEET UP A TOWER THAN PLAYING
GOLF. COULD ALSO MEAN THAT HARDLY ANYONE WORKS ON TOWERS
OR ANTENNAS ANYMORE.***
2. Gender of victims = 84% male; 16% female.
**SOUNDS LIKE THE RATIO OF MALE AND FEMALE GOLFERS.***
3. Months of most incidents = June 21%, July 30%, Aug 22%.
***ALL GOOD MONTHS FOR GOLFING ACROOS THE COUNTRY.***
4. Days of week of most incidents = Sun./Wed./Sat.
***ALL GOOD DAYS FOR GOLF.***
5. Time of day of most incidents = 2 PM to 6 PM.
***ALL GOOD TIMES FOR GOLF.***
6. Number of victims = One (91%), two or more (9%).
***MORE PEOPLE PLAY GOLF IN PAIRS AND NOT FOURSOMES.***
7. Deaths by State, Top Five = FL, MI, TX, NY, TN.
***LOTS MORE RETIRED PEOPLE AND THE RICH PLAY GOLF WHEN ON HOLIDAY IN FLORIDA.***
8. Injuries by State, Top Five = FL, MI, PA, NC, NY.
***ALL STATES WITH HIGHER POPULATIONS AND MORE GOLFERS.***
BTW - When population was taken into account, Wyoming and New Mexico
(and the rest of the sparse, western, mountain, desert states (like Nevada) led
the nation in death, injury, and casualty rates.
***NORAL.... IT IS SAFER TO PLAY GOLF IN FLORIDA THAN IT
IS IN NEVADA... THE BARS ARE CLOSER TOO. ***
In Reply to: Stormy Weather posted by Jim H. [879.1238] on August 26, 2004 at 07:49:23:
Hi Jim:
My existence would be somewhat less fulfilling without a rousing thunderstorm every now and then. Ever since childhood, I've felt rejuvenated whenever a storm approached. So, what is it about those whip-snapping, crackling kabooms that never fail to get my juices going?
In Reply to: Stormy Weather posted by Jim H. [879.1238] on August 26, 2004 at 07:49:23:
Thanks, Jim.
As usual!
Namaste`
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Stormy Weather posted by PhillyLady [1906.1315] on August 26, 2004 at 15:26:41:
Hi Philly,
Lightning is the stuff of gods. It is violent and impersonal and is neither
impressed by bravado nor sympathetic of ignorance. Scientists can explain
what draws it, but lightning does not favor intelligence, or even goodness.
Humankind's eons of history with the natural elements have probably
elevated the pulse raising sound to the level of a junior, apprentice survival
instinct.
I am deeply moved by all things natural, most especially a simple unspoiled
field to trek. But I love a noisy storm too, if I am in relative safety. I no
longer take pleasure in tempting danger, as I once did. Well, maybe just a
little.
Jim
In Reply to: Re: Stormy Weather (a critique by Ron ) long too posted by Ron [1013.81] on August 26, 2004 at 15:17:17:
Hi Ron,
Thanks for your comments on my parched humor and hyperbole, and for
showing me the politics in lightning. I think I should make use of smiley
faces. :)
I especially like your bra-less conclusion, which I hope catches on around
here.
How do you suppose they got that figure that 40% of fatalities, injuries, and
damage are unreported?
Jim
In Reply to: Re: Stormy Weather (a critique by Ron ) long too posted by Jim H. [879.1238] on August 27, 2004 at 09:23:20:
Hi Jim,
I also wondered about that huge 40% number..
(maybe those were simply homeless golfers? :)
or maybe golf is also played in Iraq?...
Do you think that they were actually door-to-door recruiters for the democrats who were trying to assure that the
vote in Florida goes the other way in November?
If somone came to my door with the intent of converting
me, I might be tempted to use a 6 iron rather than rely
on Jed Bush to wield his power.
Ron
In Reply to: Re: the allure of lightning posted by Jim H. [879.1238] on August 27, 2004 at 09:12:45:
Hi Jim:
Yes, thunder and lighting are most alluring. I do believe the appeal comes from the recognition that these intense powers also lie deep within our beings but don't manifest themselves in polite society. They're so primal, so raw...yeah, sort of like some of us inside:-)
In Reply to: Re: the allure of lightning posted by PhillyLady [1906.1315] on August 27, 2004 at 11:04:03:
You know people that remind you of the power of lightening, or you yourself ? That sounds Scary. I have a HEALTHY respect for it but wouldn't want to be around anyone it reminded me of. T-Rex comes to mind. Low voltage but lots of power sounds like a better image.
In Reply to: Re: the allure of lightning posted by Jim H. [879.1238] on August 27, 2004 at 09:12:45:
You reminded me of a visit to a close by wildlife preserve, partly within city limits. A thunder storm erupted and maybe luckily I was near the small stone information center which was closed. Rains came and I stood under a 4x8', concrete and steel cover over the entrance and rode out the storm. Some rains came but not enough to blur the lightening strikes all around me. The car may have been safer but 75yrds away so I took my chances under the canopy.
I considered the saftey of the location and wether the steel flapole 20' from me was an advantage or danger, since if lightening hit it, would I get Charged from the energy? The light show built up and then subsided and I survived. It was like being in a steel cage with sharks swiming around. Risky but protected and I Didn't get wet.
Sometimes a simple trip to go to a relaxing place, turns out to be an adventure. Being capable of dealing with it helps a lot.
In Reply to: Re: the allure of lightning posted by Vince F [173.9] on August 27, 2004 at 11:19:21:
Hi Vince:
Do not mistake "powerful intensity" for "out of control". A spirit that is intense can be inspiring, almost life-giving, to those it touches. Nothing scary about that, right?:-)
In Reply to: Re: the allure of lightning posted by PhillyLady [1906.1315] on August 27, 2004 at 11:59:33:
I wouldn't want to be around anyone who reminded me of lightening. Strong and determined, Yes. Lightening is LOUD, BRIGHT, and DANGEROUS !! I guess it depends on how close you have been to a storm and hav seen damage.
In Reply to: Stormy Weather posted by Jim H. [879.1238] on August 26, 2004 at 07:49:23:
Hey Jim,
Wasn't it a couple of years ago that a guy got shot playing golf somewhere in Arizona?
In Reply to: Stormy Weather posted by Jim H. [879.1238] on August 26, 2004 at 07:49:23:
Hi Jim,
When I lived in the high desert, I was enthralled by the beauty and energy of approaching storms. They were wonderful!
Best wishes,
Jan
In Reply to: Re: Stormy Weather posted by Happygal [2070.350] on August 27, 2004 at 21:09:36:
HappyLady,
What part of the dessert did you live in?
In Reply to: Stormy Weather posted by Jim H. [879.1238] on August 26, 2004 at 07:49:23:
Worse than golfers during storms I've seen youngsters playing ball with metal bats near chain link fences while it stormed.
Once when one of the players asked the ump to let them go in he replied" I've been struck several times No big deal"
Good thing I found out about it after the game cause I would have had a few chioce words for him at the time.
In Reply to: Re: Stormy Weather posted by D [15.1176] on August 27, 2004 at 21:25:01:
I should say Happygal
Shouldn't type while having a headache
In Reply to: Re: Stormy Weather posted by D [15.1176] on August 27, 2004 at 21:04:46:
Hi D,
Was it a disgruntled wife with no tollerance?
Ron
In Reply to: Re: the allure of lightning posted by Vince F [173.9] on August 27, 2004 at 11:56:54:
Hi Vince,
I wondered where you were. I was sure a subject such as this would remind
you of something.
Glad you were not toasted in that storm. We can laugh from the distance of a
story, but the now of it is breathtaking.
You can get a lot of conflicting information on the Internet about how-to's
and where-for's of lightning; however, we've all been struck many times,
every time the little spark snaps our fingertip on the door knob after we've
traipsed across a carpet. Lightning is just BIG static electricity, a good
explanation for those who favor the scientific tendency to reduce something
of majesty to a "just" status.
I find "just" to be a very suspicious word. My opinion is all science, and many
"justs" lead ultimately to God, or whatever word one uses to describe the
Great Whatzit. Perhaps that is why lightning is both beautiful and terrible.
This is not a reason to abandon inquiry, just an idea that recommends
humility.
A most pleasant experience for me is the storm fragrance of ozone mixed
with the earthy smell of damp eucalyptus leaves, a childhood memory. It is
not as strong as it used to be. I mourn the dimming of my nasal vision
almost as much as I loved the hair-flying endless running. Nostalgia.
And here I am at the doorstep of aging again, another subject entirely, but for
me, exquisitely connected to everything.
Jim
In Reply to: Lightning...Eternity in a flash posted by Jim H. [879.1238] on August 28, 2004 at 06:55:30:
Electric shocks come in ALL sizes, from walking across carpets to the Big ones. The ones when you touch someone Or a hound funny but Not taking apart a camera with a built in flash and holding it with Both hands and working the flash and Discharging the capicator Across ones Chest. That teaches you fast and glad that your wireing is heavey enough.. MAYBE it is a recisitator, but I think something has to be timed.
If your nasal vision is geting dim, then you need Stronger scents. Maybe fertilizer would increase the auroma, or a more fragrant species. They probably will Engineer things like that some aday, after they do all the serious stuff. Could make things smell like Anything you wanted. Flowers smelling like food, fries and a burger..
In Reply to: Re: Lightning...Eternity in a flash posted by Vince F [173.9] on August 28, 2004 at 15:08:59:
Thanks for the Vince fix. Good laugh. You are an inventor in the Gyro
Gearloose tradition.
In Reply to: Re: Stormy Weather (a critique by Ron ) long too posted by Ron [1540.81] on August 27, 2004 at 10:41:21:
Well, Ron, since the negative in a cloud seeks a positive on the ground, no
Democrat or Republican politician would ever need to worry about getting by
lightning.
In Reply to: Re: Stormy Weather posted by D [15.1176] on August 27, 2004 at 21:37:59:
Hi D,
I used to live in New Mexico, and when I was in Taos I lived on top of a mesa and could see the entire valley. It was so beautiful, especially during sunrises/sunsets and when storms were coming in. Also when it snowed. Well, it was just a beautiful place all the time. The desert has a special enchantment.
Best wishes,
Jan
In Reply to: Re: Stormy Weather posted by Happygal [2070.350] on August 29, 2004 at 13:13:08:
Happygal,
My husband was born in NM while his dad was stationed in the army there.
He's lived in various states but says NM is the best for beautiful sunsets.
I've only flown over it but would love to visit ther someday.
D
In Reply to: Re: Stormy Weather posted by Ron [1540.81] on August 28, 2004 at 01:46:07:
I expect you are the only one who would ask that.
But seriously I have some memory of a man being shot while golfing there.
It seems it was near the time I visited Scottsdale in 02 but thats all I remember.
Maybe it was a dream?
In Reply to: Re: Stormy Weather posted by Happygal [2070.350] on August 29, 2004 at 13:13:08:
Hi Jan,
I lived in New Mexico too, but in the other end of the state, Las Cruces. There
is good reason the state motto is "land of enchantment".
Arizona and Nevada aren't too bad either. For some the desert is bleak. For
me it is an inspiration. Big sky!
Jim
PS Tomorrow the kids arrive!
In Reply to: Re: Stormy Weather posted by D [6.1176] on August 29, 2004 at 14:52:31:
Hi D,
I hope you get the opportunity to go there someday. It's best if you can stay a while, to spend some time and really see and experience the subtle beauty.
Best wishes,
Jan
In Reply to: Re: Stormy Weather posted by Jim H. [879.1238] on August 29, 2004 at 15:32:10:
Hi Jim,
For me, too, it is an inspiration. Part of my heart will always be in New Mexico.
Kids back? So you are starting back to school. What grade will you teach this year?
Best wishes,
Jan
In Reply to: Re: Stormy Weather posted by Happygal [2070.350] on August 29, 2004 at 17:54:32:
Yes Happygal,
I'm sure I'd love it.
I spent a few days in Arizona and fell in love with the openness of the sky.
Of course I was staying in a nice spa hotel and they bumped us up to a two story, two bedroom room at no extra charge so that had something to do with my love of the place.
If anyone was near our room while I and my sister were enjoying their chocolate crusted chocolate crem brulie with rasberry sauce they may have susppected we were lovers engaging in a heated moment.
I was suprised in seeing citrus trees and the palm trees.
It was so interesting to see landscape so different from ours but Flagstaff came close to NC mountains.
My favorite area was Sedona although I didn't have time to visit the Grand Canyon.
I'll never forget my trip there and plan to return sometime.
In Reply to: Re: The politics of weather posted by Jim H. [879.1238] on August 29, 2004 at 08:46:26:
Hi Jim,
If ALL politicians are "negatives", no wonder they seem to repel eachother and never visit the same state on the same day.
Does that mean that the wives of politicians are more likely to be struck by lightning?.. (positively speaking)
Ron
In Reply to: Re: Lightning...Eternity in a flash posted by Vince F [173.9] on August 28, 2004 at 15:08:59:
Hi Vince,
If you still have the trust of your dog after discharging your finger on his wet nose, there must be truth in the
saying... "Man's Best Friend"
I will bet that you can not ever point a finger at him when you scold him without eliciting a gutteral growl.
When one's "nasal vision" begins to dim, there is always a
liberal sprinkling of Cayenne Pepper to rejuvenate it.
How was your sense of smell after those nasal rinses with
cayenne pepper?
Regarding making things smell different by adding other scents... Could that be why perfumes have been so popular?
PS... also "After Shave lotions" (just in case I upset the ladies with the perfume comment) :)
Ron.. (spicing up the commentary)
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