I'd spent some of the day downloading a version of Linux
known as Zipslack. It was finally configured to my
satisfaction on my good old P100 IBM Thinkpad, and connected
to the Internet. Outside, a fairly violent thunderstorm was
passing through, but my sense of security was complete in my
snug wee abode.

There was a loud clap of nearby thunder, and then a globe of
white electricity quickly trundled down my modem cord,
entered the side of my computer, and dissipated with a large
pop. It passed within a couple of inches of my right hand!
The globe was about 1/2 of an inch across, and the pop
sounded like a cell being broken in a plastic bubble pack, of
the sort often used for packing. I was quite surprised, but
completely unhurt.

My 'phone line is buried, and this could have contributed to
the small size of the ball that finally zapped my computer.
To my amazement, my 56K PCMCIA modem still worked-for about
3 minutes. Then, it was able to initialize properly, but
couldn't find the line out. When I removed the card and
inspected it, it appeared as it always had, but had that
particular odour that overheated electrical components often
produce.

Fortunately for me, the modem was still under warranty. Of
course, I wasn't overly verbose when I went to exchange it.
And, to my great relief, my laptop was able to dial out
properly on the new card, telling me that my little unit had
survived this assault largely unscathed.

And, the next time there is a close by thunderstorm, I think
that I'll totally disconnect all of my electrical appliances.

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