Lightning: iPod or Duh, Lawn Mower

I published a blog entry a few weeks ago on the connection between lightning and cell phones. I wanted to do a followup just to mention these articles, including one from ABC News regarding a teen being struck by lightning while wearing an iPod.

Most of the articles have a similar theme as the previous ones regarding the cell-phone: Lightning probably isn't attracted to the phone/Ipod but having the metal near important body parts (i.e. brain, eardrums) probably causes more damage than normally would have been done.

Best Combination of Stock Photos Ever?

But what most of the articles don't mention is that he was mowing the lawn, something one should clearly not be doing during a thunderstorm. If the lightning was attracted to anything, it was probably the huge metal lawn mower (comes standard with "lightning rod" handles). Sadly, even the articles that do mention this fact fail to make the connection between the two, even after recent reports where people were killed when lightning struck 1.) A man on his motorcycle (the cell phone report), 2.) Another man on his motorcycle (see Penstone's blog) and 2.) A man mowing his lawn.