Man builds up 30,000 volts of static electricity

[Celebration]

http://abc.net.au/science/news/scitech/SciTechRepublish_1461751.htm

Victorian authorities believe a man built up at least 30,000 volts of static electricity in his jacket simply by walking around the western Victorian city of Warrnambool yesterday.

The man left a trail of scorch marks and molten plastic behind him.

It was yesterday afternoon when Frank Clewer walked into a Warrnambool business and got his first shock.

"It sounded almost like a firecracker or something like that," he said.

[Poll_Blind]

1. FLASH: Iranians working on Blazer of Mass Destruction n/t

PB

[Spinzonner]

2. I guess this qualifies as a Current Event

[montegutdude]

5. LOL

I can't believe it. Intelligent humor. I love it.

[sui generis]

3. good lord

don't give him any beans, you could see the fireball from outer space.

[hunter]

4. I'd be tempted to wear one of those jackets for voting...

... if I'm ever forced to use paperless electronic voting machines.

:evilgrin:

[montegutdude]

6. I read this article about a week ago

and I've been wondering ever since if this phenomenon could be responsible for some of the "spontaneous combustion" tales in recorded history. I mean...people literally catching on fire for no apparent reason.

Sure sounds similar.

Kinda makes you wonder though why more people don't just burst into flames....or why it seems that this sort of thing doesn't happen today. Not enough sheep in the world?

If I'm ever in the Wal Mart checkout and a big sweaty guy just bursts into flames causing an excessive wait...do I get a discount?

[qnr]

7. Wow ... Reminds me of a line from an old Infocom game - "Violators subject

to 30,000 volts of social reorientation therapy, and/or the loss of not more than one limb."