Out of the corner of my eye

This strange light 'round the corner' in the first picture has eluded me until this evening. I saw the effect used by a graphic illustrator on the cover of a thriller novel (pure black & white at that, not greyscale) in an urban setting. I have seen it for myself a number of times in rural reality, but it has always been too subtle for the camera to record. The following images have not been manipulated: written challenges to that will only be accepted if detailed on the reverse of a $100 bill of US currency.

People were running and driving up and down the street along which I was walking while this light show blazed in the sky—perhaps they were just better at concealing awestricken wonder than I was. I restrained myself from shouting, "Look at the sky! Look at the sky!" because I remembered the urban legends about the widespread panic in the aftermath of the wireless debut of the Mercury Theatre with a broadcast of 'War of the Worlds' in 1938, directed and narrated by Orson Welles.

The notoriety was sufficient to attract a soup manufacturer as a sponsor. I am open to offers. As Wikipedia tartly assesses: "Later studies suggested the panic was less widespread than newspapers had indicated at the time." Not much change there then, but still better to keep a low profile and preempt a midnight crowd at our door bearing flaming rush torches and wielding pitchforks.

 

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