[SGVLUG] Re: [going off-topic] Lightning strikes (was How does [linux trademark] affect user groups)

[Tom Emerson]

On Wednesday 24 August 2005 8:22 pm, Dustin wrote:
> <pedantry>
>
> To start with,
>
> http://www.struckbylightning.org/news/dispIncidentdb.cfm lists over thirty
> people struck by lightning worldwide in the last week,

Ahh, but there is a rather skewed data point -- 19 soldiers are included as 
one "incident" -- most other items listed are one or two people, on up to 
about half a dozen for any given incident.

Then again, there is the sad case of Travis Brooks of Hurley Mississippi:
     "A Hurley teenager has been released from a hospital after lightning 
struck his computer this past weekend. Police say 19-year-old Travis Brooks 
was using the mouse attached to the computer when lightning flashed about 
4:40 Sunday afternoon. Brooks complained of chest pains and numbness in one 
of his hands after the lightning strike. When police got to the home, Brooks 
was lying on the floor with his mother by his side. Brooks was treated at 
Singing River Hospital and released."

given the inclination of our membership to "be at a computer using a 
mouse...", I'd say that increases our local population's chances somewhat 
(and makes a rather good argument for putting a new battery into my wireless 
mouse and using that instead of the trackball...)

Another skew to the data points (though outside of your one-week sample) is 
Carl Mize:
     "NOBLE, Okla. It's lightning striking again for an Oklahoma man. Carl 
Mize was hit in storms August fifth. But the electrical jolt is nothing new 
for him. This is the fourth time he's been struck. He was working with a crew 
on the University of Oklahoma campus, when they saw storms approaching. A 
co-worker familiar with his history retreated, saying "I'm getting away from 
you." The bolt struck soon after that. Mize spent four days at Norman 
Regional Hospital and he's well on the road to recovery. Other than 
complicating his heart condition and numbing his toes, Mize apparently is 
fine."

"apparently" fine after four strikes?  I always thought it was "three strikes 
and you're out"

Of course, that brings to mind a well-worn baseball saying: "kill the ump", 
but it looks like the powers-that-be intervened in Mexico recently and took 
it literally:
     "A REFEREE was killed by lightning during a football match in Mexico. The 
referee was the only one hit by the lightning bolt, and none of the players 
were injured, according to local officials in the town of Acapetagua"

and one that I got a chuckle out of -- harking back to the days of Mad 
magazine and the like -- here's what happens when you don't pay attention to 
consecutive headlines:
     "... Two Jackson Jurors Say They Regret Acquittal Teen Killed By 
Lightning Bolt Man In Critical Condition After SUV Collides With TARC 
Bus ..."

(Well, if "Lightning Bolt Man" was acquitted after killing a teen while in 
critical condition after colliding with a TARC bus, I'd find that rather 
regretable as well...)

Here's also what happens when you don't pay attention to bylines:
     "Three women struck By VANESSA BURROW August 4, 2005..."

(hey, I'm not making this stuff up you know!)

We of course have an up-and-coming Darwin Award contender:
     "I think I was struck by lightning last week during a storm. I was 
>standing in my doorway barefoot looking at the lightning and wind"

(hmmm... should I continue?  yeah -- it gets better...)

     "it >was blowing > >our lawn chairs away. The next thing I know it felt 
like someone drew >back and punched me as hard as they could in the jaw. I 
thought it may >have been debris from the wind, but it was blowing the other 
direction. >I walked back in and my face was all tingly and numb on one side. 
It >was been 8 days and the left side of my face is still all tingly- any 
>thoughts >or comments."

(apparently forwarded a few times via e-mail as evidenced by the ">" chars - 
perhaps I should check this on snopes first...)
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