OMG, this post probably won't reflect the true scariness of what just happened but bare with me.

I was just sitting at the computer and the skies were looking a bit dark and I heard some thunder in the distance....obviously I didn't think much of it as it's not exactly rare in Manchester :)

Anyway the phone went and I was chatting to a friend and looking out of my parents bedroom window with my two cats sitting on the bed next to me. My dad was taking my nan to the airport to catch a train (yeah that sounds strange I know). So anyway we had been chatting for about 10 minutes when the _biggest_ flash of lightening I have ever seen struck something (I assume a house) right infront of my eyes....I'm talking 100 yards away. There was a bang so loud that my cats jumped off the bed in unison and landed about 5 metres away from their starting position. I've never seen or heard anything like it....to see lightening in the distance is one thing but to see it 100 yards away from your house right in your line of vision is quite another. To give you an idea that I'm not exaggerating, all the car alarms and house alarms within a few hundred yards of my house all started ringing. My dad came back from the airport and asked why loads of people were out on the street.

I was watching a tv show the other day on lightening and it said never to use electrical equipment in storms as the lightening can travel through wire networks so if it had been like 100yards towards my house I'd be dead right now.

Yeah, quite dramatic, huh? I've seen this quite a few times. Living by the sea is fantastic for thunder storms. After a night out, we've often gone down and sat on the beach and watched a crazy thunder storm light up the sky and earth itself in the sea. You can see it producing the biggest 'tidal' wave. It's quite amazing.

Hope noone was hurt, however.

- wil

That stuff makes great crop circles too!

So what are the odds that the same building will be hit twice? That is after it has been hit once.

When I was a kid a house blew up due to a gas leak. We heard and felt the BOOM, then after a short delay saw curtains and clothes drifting down, and that from a quarter-mile away. No one was hurt.

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So what are the odds that the same building will be hit twice? That is after it has been hit once.
<<

Exactly the same I'm guessing, just as the odds of winning the lottery with numbers 1,2,3,4,5,6 are the same as choosing random varied numbers, yet people still seem to think 1,2,3,4,5,6 has less chance of being drawn

You've actually got a higher chance of being struck by lightning though, compared to winning the lottery

Andy (mod)
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Had lightning strike a big tree next to my old apartment - about 15 ft from my kitchen window. Lots of oak debris all over the place as the water within the tree superheated and the gases sought routes of escape...the results were pretty darn dramatic. Tree was still standing, but split almost entirely in two.

Lost a microwave (mine) and the apartment owners had to replace the other appliances. My stereo & computer gear survived nicely.

I however needed a good stiff drink!

And further on lightning, I offer this link: http://lightning.pwr.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp/lrg/temp/plane_slow.gif

Planes have lightening conductors and passengers within are safe as the lightening disperses around the plane surface....same with cars....you are fairly safe inside a car.

Granted, but it's still a damn cool series of images :-)

Whatever floats your boat I guess.

Btw what is the avatar you have?

Awesome pics...wow

It's a mushroom cloud, hope it doesn't offend you! ROFL...

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It's a mushroom cloud,
<<

Really?...damn good job you told me, I thought it was a reverse toilet angle after eating beans on toast.

>>
hope it doesn't offend you! ROFL...
<<

ha ha ha....well that depends which mushroom cloud it is and why it is there.

If you look real close on the lower left side you will see Sadam flying head over heels towards Irans side of the picture...

On that note, have any of you seen the show that was about the President stuck in a diner in Colorado and having to drop a nuke on Iraq? Very good program.

Beans on toast? Now that's a war crime!

If it is one which dropped on innocent people, then I would be offended.

If it is a cool effect from a movie, excellent!

You have a web cam in my toilet?


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You must have a web cam in my kitchen


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It's a real live nuclear blast. However it's not from either Hiroshima or Nagasaki, images from both are easily recognizable by their angle and shape. You can clearly see that this image was not taken from altitude.

Although a historical image would be timely since we're between both the 6th and the 9th.

Well despite this being August and the 57th anniversary of the two bombings, the image is only in my avatar rotation because some ninny complained about a previous avatar image of mine.

You notice that the media does not talk about that at all? I wonder why as it is a significant historical event.

How are the beans prepared? This unusual delicacy intrigues me.

I have eaten many odd things around the world, but this is not one of them.

Because history is the first thing the ignorant forget or attempt to rewrite

The veterans remember. Particularly all the guys who were forward deployed to Okinawa, the Philipines, Tinian, Guam, Saipan, etc, all waiting the big invasion. The Japanese also hold commemorative events on these dates.

For those who don't remember their history, Japan finally capitulated on August 14th, and President Truman declared V-J day on Sept 2nd.

The bombing on August 9th was not the final mission flown against Japan despite appearences to the contrary. It was of course the final atomic blast.

-Scott

Microwaved out of a tin, an toast.

I think they are baked in the factory and mixed with a smokey bacon sauce.

Not something I eat very often - or would recommend in eating very often.


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I like the dog BTW.

Beans on toast isn't so bad now that I think about it. It's the juxtaposition of products you don't normally think of together (or at least I don't).

A bit like having corn on pizza in Japan, you can't figure out why they'd put corn on pizza, but upon tasting it's not terribly offensive

-Scott

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Well despite this being August and the 57th anniversary of the two bombings, the image is only in my avatar rotation because some ninny complained about a previous avatar image of mine.
<<

Is a person a "ninny" for being offended?....if I put a child porn picture up as an avatar would the 10,000 people that complained be "ninnies"?

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that comment wasn't directed at me, if it was then perhaps you should apologise because it was not me that reported your avatar.

>>
It's a real live nuclear blast. However it's not from either Hiroshima or Nagasaki,
<<

So which is it?

>Is a person a "ninny" for being offended?....if I put a child porn picture up >as an avatar would the 10,000 people that complained be "ninnies"?

If all they did was complain - Yes they are. They should report the crime to the proper authorities.

As to which blast, it could be any one of many conducted prior to the "atmospheric test ban treaty"* in 1963.

* really the Limited Test Ban Treaty, but best known for eliminating atmospheric testing.

So you are for or against testing?

Why would you need to test a nuclear weopon anyways (sorry I dont know). Don't they know if they work yet?

I know a corel atoll in the pacific ocean off australia is no longer, thanks to a French nuclear 'test'. The bomb went off and destroyed a lot of things, so I guess it was a successful test.


ArmyAirForces: Yep, the dog is Jerry. My 3 yr old Shep. He is american actually from kansas.


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They like to test 'um mostly to show off. IMO

If China never tested, US would not respect them.

I can say that I'm firmly against friends of Saddam testing one on my house.

Are you asking about above ground testing? While pretty, it's a bit bad for you to stand next to. Since there hasn't been an above ground test since 1963 those tests aren't relevant and I suspect the next above ground blast will not be of a testing nature.

The US and Russia have kept to the Test Ban Treaty of 1996, but China, Pakistan, and India obviously aren't parties to it. England, another nuclear family member, hasn't tested since I don't know when but as a NATO member they're party to the treaty. The French...are the French...but I think got fairly well pasted by public opinion for their test. But I know they're big fans of Greenpeace.

There has been some talk in recent years of doing some limited US testing. It's good for stockpile verification purposes...and I suspect they want to test out some bunker buster applications.

I've seen two strikes close up (a couple of feet away). The whole world goes red when that a happens. I've seen one strike from a hilltop hit the ground a couple of miles and since it was a night the whole sky turned to a green glow. It was really cool.

Nothing like a bowlful of "Creamed by a Mushroom" soup to keep some people in line Hmmm, good. Hmmm, good...

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Bunker buster? I wonder who that will apply to?

Well the obvious answer would be Iraq, but in fact many of the world's militaries have gone to great lengths to go underground.

From protected sub pens in Russia (a former enemy), to weapons labs, command and controll complexes, and munitions storage in places like North Korea, China, Iran, and Iraq. And if they aren't digging in other places...they will be.

It makes sense to have a capability within the inventory to deal with them, should the unfortunate need to use them arrive.

-Scott

@hiroshima / nagashima

I visited Hiroshima's memorial. Those images will remain with me for the rest of my life. I think it's BS that America won't show any part of the exhibit in the States. The one in Hiroshima was very neutral and let the images and artifacts speak for itself.

@ corn on pizza
hmmm ... Try mayonaise and corn ... sorry I only order the one's labeled "American style"

@sub pens
There is one supposededly connecting San Fransico Harbor to somewhere in-land. Let's not forget all the hidden sites along the Californian coast line. I saw a rocket lanuch that made the news while in High School. They mentioned Anderson's Base. My friend on leave at time said the tragetory was more like a sub launch.

@ lightening

My mother's friend got nailed while chatting on the phone. It burned a hole through her tongue.

I was watching a show on TV where a chap was hit 3 times. He got knocked real hard and was hospitalized. Poor guy is now totally paranoid of thunder storms. This was somewhere in the mid-west I think and not too long ago.

lightening is cool sh_t. Just hope you got yourself good lightening rod protectors on your house

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openoffice + gimp + sketch ...

> I think it's BS that America won't show any part of the exhibit in the States.

Qooq, there's nothing stopping anybody from showing any exhibit in the US. I'm sure there are plenty of groups that would gladly sponsor such an exhibit if it hasn't already been around. They could probably even get a standing invitation to Berkley, CA.

A similar question might be to ask why Japan still won't teach any substantive W.W.II history in its classrooms? It would also be nice if Japan apologized for the enslavement of 'Comfort Women' across Asia. They've gotten close, but they just can't seem to say they're sorry. Not to mention an apology due combatant & noncombatant prisoners for the atrocities done to them...or to the family members of prisoners killed by the Japanese. The Germans in contrast were down right friendly to their combat prisoners.

Don't get me wrong, I spent nearly 4 years in Japan and loved every minute of it. The people were warm, friendly, and almost always welcoming. I look forward to returning again in the future.

Some people do have trouble putting the war behind them, on all sides. I have two acquaintances who were prisoners of the Japanese during the war. One was so starved (nearly to death) that he couldn't even leave his hospital ship bed in Tokyo harbor to view his comrades in the 20th Air Force as they flew overhead. Just a few ships over the armistice was being signed on the USS Missouri. He was lucky not to have been executed like so many other B-29 airmen. But he put the war behind him and returns frequently meeting with Japanese veterans and other groups.

The other former prisoner was a close family friend I looked up to tremendously while growing up. He refused to even allow me to send him post cards from Japan. For him, I guess the torture is something he could never let go of. He has since passed on and I regret that I never had the chance to take him back to Japan to see if he couldn't face down his demons.

My paternal grandfather was part of the Army forces waiting to invade Japan at the end of the war. Instead he became part of the first wave of the Allied Occupation Force, his memories are of a country in ruins. He really enjoyed the pictures I'd send him of a rebuilt Yokohama.

My maternal grandfather was killed in the skies over Germany in 1944.

What does all that mean? Nothing I guess. But Hiroshima and Nagasaki mean many different things - depending on who you were and what you were doing at the time.

But I agree, lightning is cool shit...as long as you and it maintain good separation!!

I agree Japan should finally stand up and do the right thing.

It's just too bad that the politicians only dilly dally with the whole episode. Also, the Ministry of Education should also finally take a stance and teach more of what truly happened rather than a 90% watered down version.

My uncle died somewhere on/in Russia. A great uncle was knighted in Denmark. And my Grandfathers ... well, they were on the loosing side. My grandmother took the family secrets to the grave with her so I don't know much more than her side of the family.

War just sucks.

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openoffice + gimp + sketch ...

I don't think too many would disagree with you on that point.

If your relatives were American or British I could tell you all kinds of resources to pursue if you were interested in researching their history.

Is there any kind of Imperial archive that Japanese families could access to learn details? With so many war dead spread far across the region I would bet there is some sort of organized service.

In the long shot category, there is a Japanese collection at the National Archives II facility in Maryland but I believe it is more oriented to toward war crimes documents. It might be worth checking to see if they have other more generic captured records, http://www.archives.gov.

I've been able to obtain copies (translated versions and originals) of some Luftwaffe documents that I needed for my own research.

-Scott

Nope, they were Danish and German at the time. Makes learning history quite interesting.

Wow, digging into all kinds of records. My mothers side was from East Germany. So, it's pretty hard to find things these days, after the KGB had their fun.

oh well, the war has past. I look forward to the future

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openoffice + gimp + sketch ...

There are many more resources in Europe. If you're truly interested I could point you toward some German researchers.

Actually my mother more than I would be interested.

Would you mind? We'd both appreciate it

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openoffice + gimp + sketch ...

Be happy to. Do you know which branches of service you believe they served in (army, air, navy, home guard)? It's not overly critical but would help to narrow down the research specialties. Also general region of origin may be helpful.

Most of my guys are Luftwaffe oriented, but they have contacts all over and I should be able to get a couple of names in short order.

Also would you prefer to communicate in English or German with the researchers?

Feel free to shoot me a PM.

-Scott