Tue 19 Feb 2008
Playing Possum?
Posted by anaglyph under Surprises, Technology
[10] Comments
So. It’s a hideously hot night, last night in Melbourne town, and Violet Towne and I are trying to get some sleep. Just as we finally doze off, there is an almighty explosion and flash of brilliant light right in front of our house. All the power goes out and the street is plunged into darkness. We both sit bolt upright. The night is dead silent, ringing with the echo of the sound. In a few minutes, the electronic devices in the house beep back into life and the streetlights flicker back on.
Adrenalin having propelled us from bed, we make a cursory investigation, but it’s too dark, and we go back to attempt to sleep.
This morning the grim scenario was all too clear.
At least the poor little blighter went quickly. I reckon that his soul was in cat possum heaven before his body hit the ground.
aawwww…..
Well, let’s not be polite, we are all thinking the same thing…
Something lured him onto the wires.
That happened to me when I was like 12, but I think is was a squrrel
Looks like the zizz gave his fur quite a fluff too (though that’s the least of his worries to be sure).
Ohhh, poor little thing.
Does this mean, uh, that’s it’s pre-fried?
You shouldn’t mess with AC electricity. Stick with DC. It won’t hertz you.
How come the electricity returned? Did s/he just momentarily short it out?
ouch!
…poor little possum.
nursemyra: It was probably the possum that’s eating the lemons off my lemon tree, so I consider it poetic justice (lemon juice is such a good conductor).
Pil: Oh yes, that’s well within the realms of possumbility.
Malach: It happened to you or the squirrel?
buzzardbilly: There are probably less fatal ways to achieve a perm.
Colonel: I doubt that there was even a single cell of that poor little critter that wasn’t charred right through. 20,000 volts will do that.
Atlas: I don’t know watt you’re getting at.
meggie: I imagine that Mr/Ms Possum let go of the wire pretty smartly. It probably just tripped a circuit-breaker somewhere before any serious damage was done (well, serious damage to things other than a certain possum).
MI: If The Cow had an award for understatement, you’d be getting it.
Tracey: Hello and good to see you dropping by The Cow. I wouldn’t worry too much about the possum. Oh that any of us should have the privilege of going so quickly and spectacularly.