Re: Lightning (was Re: Weathe
  By: Daryl Stout to Damon A. Getsman on Sat Oct 31 2015 18:34:00

 DS>  Unfortunately, with the law of entropy, sooner or later, in this life,
 DS> everyone and everything is doomed to failure.

  Very true.  I try not to focus on that too much right now.  I've had plenty
of opportunities to learn that it's true already.  I'm just trying to learn to
be more consciencious about living each moment as though it might be my last...
This while not focusing on the grim horror that comes with this meat reality. 
Thoughts of losing myself don't hurt me.  Thoughts of losing people that I
love, or even knowing that bad things may happen to them, stress me out way too
much.  Especially after the multi-year stretch of terrible luck that I've had. 
I saw a joke on TV the other day on some comedy show where the character
commented that his bad stretch had been a year, and it was funny strictly
because it had been so long.  So where does that put me at this point?  Heh.
 
 DS>  I'm ignoring the "upgrade to Windows 10" option on the main BBS
 DS>  computer. I'm happy with Windows 7 32-bit, and have everything working
 DS>  the way I want it. The original BBS computer wouldn't boot up in April,
 DS>  and I haven't powered it up since then. I'm seriously considering
 DS>  donating it to the local shop for parts. The other 2 laptops I have have
 DS>  Windows XP Service Pack 3 on one of them, with the MagicJack (tm) line I
 DS>  use for voice mail...and Windows Vista Home Basic, with the MagicJack
 DS>  Plus (tm) on it that I use with a Us Robotics modem for faxes. I had
 DS>  bought a used laptop from a fellow Sysop, with Windows 7 on it, but the
 DS>  power adapter kept heating help too quickly. So, I'm just using that one
 DS>  in an emergency.

  I would be ignoring that, as well.  Seven performed wonderfully whenever I
used it on machines with enough resources.  The main things that I've heard
about versions since then that I haven't liked are how much data it sends back
on user activities.  I know that you can avoid portions of that by refusing
certain patches and the like, but it's just evil software, if you ask me.  I
like XP a lot; it's a shame that it's not kept up any more.

 DS>  Both of my strikes were indirect...at 3 and 16 years of age...but I
 DS> still got the severe shock...and both were in south Florida.

  Ouch.  I took my OSHA tests, I've seen some examples on film of horrifying
electrical encounters.

 DS>  Lightning hit the tree, and it engulfed the house "in a red glow of
 DS> fire", although the house itself did not catch fire. I had my hands on
 DS> the metal frame of the window, and moisture had condensed around it.
 DS> When the strike occurred, the surge, the metal, and the moisture gave me
 DS> a severe shock. I started screaming bloody murder, and for 10 years
 DS> afterward, you couldn't take a flash picture of me, as I'd scream in
 DS> terror from the "flash back"...no pun intended.

  That's intense.  Sounds like maybe a bit of PTSD from it, as well.  I've got
some from some previous traumas that I've been through in my life, as well.  I
don't know how well they're really worked over at this point, though.  I hope
you've been able to make some good progress with the flash horror, if nothing
else.

 DS>  I closed the garage door, to change out of my wet clothes...and just as
 DS> I put my wet hand on the washing machine to steady myself, lightning hit
 DS> the house again.

  That's incredible.  You're a pretty lucky man, it appears.

 DS>  I took a CPR course from the local Red Cross chapter years ago, but my
 DS> health won't let me do that anymore.

  Sorry to hear that.  I've always thought that it's a great thing to know,
with the tenuous mortality that we have on this planet.  I definitely respect
anybody who has ever taken the time to learn such a skill.

 DS>   I might have to consider that as a tagline. 

  Hehe.  I'm glad you approve.  I couldn't help but giggle to myself a bit as I
thought of it, either.  ;)
  Take care.

  -D
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