William Wagner wrote:
In article ,
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:

"William Wagner" wrote in message
...
WOW just a heads up for you gardeners that like music.

Bill

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/.../198?query=TOC

Thunderstorms and iPods ‹ Not a Good iDea

PubMed Citation

To the Editor: The potential for permanent hearing loss due to prolonged
use of personal stereo equipment, such as portable compact-disk or MP3
players, at high decibel levels has been well described in the
literature.1 We have recently become aware of an additional, albeit
uncommon, hazard associated with the use of such devices.
A 37-year-old man was brought to the emergency department at our
hospital. He had been jogging in a thunderstorm, listening to his iPod,
{snip}

I don't see that they've made any clear connection between the iPod and his
injuries, unless they're implying that the device kept him from noticing the
thunderstorm. If that's the case, he got hurt because he's an idiot, not
because of the iPod.

I read it different.

"The patient had second-degree burns on his chest and left leg. In
addition, two linear burns extended along his anterior chest and neck to
the sides of his face, terminating in substantial burns in the external
auditory meatus bilaterally, corresponding to the positions of his
earphones at the time of the lightning strike. Both of his tympanic
membranes were ruptured, and he had a severe conductive hearing
deficit."

I thought of conducting energy into his ears via the Ipod device.
Eight feet away and hurt.

Bill


I would still read it as "This idiot was out running in a thunderstorm
and...". There is no way that being struck by lightning, even an
indirect hit, is beneficial and the extent of anyone's injuries in case
of a strike are totally unpredictable. The real lesson is that, in case
of lightning in the area, get your butt to a safe area, kick back, and
drink beer until the storm has passed.

--
John McGaw
[Knoxville, TN, USA]
http://johnmcgaw.com