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Meteor Over Midwest

bigpat writes "According to this story in the Chicago Tribune or this article, a meteor estimated to be the size of a 'Volkswagen bug' exploded over the Midwest around midnight yesterday morning. The resulting small meteorites hit homes causing some damage. The largest meteorite collected was 7.5 pounds. So why do astronomers always compare the size of meteors to Volkswagen bugs?"

10 of 509 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Meteor strikes not that uncommon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    Who wants to release news that may create mass hysteria?


    Ohh me me me - pick me please please pleeeeease me me memememememe!!!

  2. Ford Pintos by Lxy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Why not a Ford Pinto?

    They explode when they crash....

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  3. Volkswagen bugs? Use real units! by CrystalFalcon · · Score: 5, Funny

    Volkswagen? That unit is meaningless to me. How many Volkswagen bugs are there in one Library of Congress?

  4. New Midwest slogan for farms that got hit... by Gorphrim · · Score: 5, Funny

    Move over bacon...now there's something meteor.

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  5. Explanation by Joe+the+Lesser · · Score: 5, Funny

    "I thought, 'Is it God? Is it an attack? Are we going to die?' The light freaked me out. It felt really funny, like it went through me," she said.

    In a statement released later, God denied any involvement in the meteor attack on Chicago, saying he was busy blessing and damning souls at the time. No other supernaturals have commented on the charges, although the leader of the Vulcans stated that attributing the attack to them would, of course, be highly illogical.

    Paranormal scientists currently are investigating the Roman and Greek Dieties for involvment, as they could not be found anywhere, perhaps in hiding.

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  6. Just once... by pergamon · · Score: 5, Funny
    ...I'd like to hear a report of an actual Volkswagen Bug entering the atmosphere from space and crashing. I imagine the report would go something like this:

    A Volkswagen Bug estimated to be the size of a 'meteor' exploded over the Midwest around midnight yesterday morning. The resulting small pieces of engine and other parts hit homes causing some damage. The largest piece found was the steering wheel.


    Today a Volkswagen Bug, approximately the size of a meteorite,
  7. Pointy Haired Boss by sfled · · Score: 5, Funny

    From the story:

    Garza said he was in bed when heard his dog barking and what sounded like thunder. He got out of bed and was downstairs when the meteor hit.

    This morning, he called his boss and told him he wasn't coming into work today. "I told him what happened, and he said, 'Okay, but don't use that excuse again.'"

    Now, *that* is a true-blue, dyed-in-the-wool, head-up-the-ass boss!

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  8. Re:Meteor strikes not that uncommon by DeputySpade · · Score: 5, Funny

    Worse yet, they may mistake my volkswagen beetle for a meteor. :P

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  9. Re:Meteor strikes not that uncommon by guacamolefoo · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yes, we should spend money on a metor defense system since they do kill almost 0 people per year.

    Assume that:

    1. A meteor (of catastrophic size) will strike the Earth every 60 million years or so; and
    2. Said meteor would wipe out most of the population if not diverted or destroyed;
    3. Assuming a human perceives his life as being worth $5,000,000 in constant dollars (about what Kip Viscusi came up with in a study a number of years ago); and
    4. Assuming a population of 10,000,000,000 earthlings, then:

    1. The value of human life is approximately 50,000,000,000,000,000, or 50 quadrillion dollars.

    2. The chance of being hit by a catastrophic meteor in a given year is 1/60,000,000

    3. The average annual cost of a meteorite premium for "Earth insurance" should be about 50,000,000,000,000,000/60,000,000, or $833,333,333.33 in today's dollars.

    Conclusion:

    A small price to pay on a yearly basis.

    Action plan:

    Contact FEMA and ask if humanity can purchase a meteor rider for its flood insurance policy, which was issued by God (tm) to some Jews a few thousand years back.

    GF.

  10. Re:Why Not by fitten · · Score: 5, Funny

    I agree.

    Should we have a new metric measurement? The Bug? :) We could have milliBug, centiBug, Bug, kiloBug, etc!