SO A FRIEND HAD A WEIRD EXPERIENCE LAST WEEK — her car was struck by lightning on the Interstate. All the electronics were fried, they managed to coast to the side of the road, and then they couldn’t get out because the door locks and windows were frozen. The guy she was with managed to kick out a window, cutting himself a bit in the process (but impressing her with his derring-do). The cops told her she should have had a Lifehammer in the car. Good idea. Or a ResQMe tool.

Nobody was seriously hurt (though she was kinda deafened for a bit) and the car looks okay but is totaled because all the electronics were ruined. First time I’ve heard of something like that happening. The old myth about the tires insulating you is just that, a myth — but, luckily, the part about the car’s frame being a Faraday cage isn’t. Unless, you know, you have a fiberglas car, I guess. . . .