May 28, 2016

The big storm is about to hit, and this half-fallen branch seems sure to fall...

... but which way will it fall? Away from or into the telephone wire that it's half stuck on right now? Kind of a physics question. I think it depends on whether the branch: A. rips off instantly or B. tears off over the course of a second or 2.

30 comments:

steve uhr said...

Too bad Trump, aka Superman, isn't around to swoop down and put the branch in a safe place.

traditionalguy said...

It won't fall until winter. You have time for a tree service house call.

chickelit said...

Won't we need to know which why the wind will blow?

Where is Madison Man?

Ann Althouse said...

Storm bearing down on us now. Not our tree or our wire, but it's somewhat connected to our wire.

wildswan said...

Those lines can sway. They do in country causing outages when there hasn't been a lot of wind. So they also might flip the branch.

saintrussell said...

Sure to fall?

Ann Althouse said...

Wow, that is an obscure Beatles song!

Big Mike said...

@saintrussell, are you sure that's a Beetles tune? They sound like a second- or third-tier country and western group from the 1950s.

Or maybe that was the point?

John henry said...

What's a telephone wire?

I vaguely remember something like that back in the 20th century. Do you folks in the upper 50 still have them?

Hint: https://www.sprint.com/

John Henry

gadfly said...

Ann Althouse said...
Wow, that is an obscure Beatles song!

"Sure To Fall" was written by Carl Perkins who first recorded the country tune. The Country Western Beatles were heavily influenced by Ringo who couldn't carry a tune in a bucket and besides, they could then rub shoulders with Willie, Waylon and the Boys.

rhhardin said...

It will stay up for years. The remaining wood doesn't have to deal with much torque, which the garage has now taken on itself.

Chuck said...

Save everything to an external drive!

David said...

Is it Trump's fault, or Hillary's? Or Bush? Or Scott Walker? That's the political question.

Ann Althouse said...

The branch stayed in position through a violent storm.

CWJ said...

Glad it passed through without too much trauma. We've had storms "training" through Kansas City every few hours for the past week. 10 inches cumulatively at minimum in our immediate area. Our 6 foot culvert was barely sufficient to carry off the runoff.

Laslo Spatula said...

"The big storm is about to hit, and this half-fallen branch seems sure to fall...
... but which way will it fall?"

Trump = branch, the direction of fall = America.

I see what you did there, Althouse.

I am Laslo.

Big Mike said...

The branch stayed in position through a violent storm.

@Althouse, you must not have Verizon. It's as guaranteed as the sun coming up; telephone repair personnel out on strike equals tree branches falling on telephone lines.

Ken Mitchell said...

The answer is "Call an arborist." Don't let the branch fall on its own; have the branch cut off, in pieces, so that none of the falling wood breaks the wire, or damages the roof.

Laslo Spatula said...

Althouse haiku:

Which way will it fall
into the telephone wire
whether the branch: A

I am Laslo.

tim maguire said...

Now we're going to want updates after every storm.

Can we name the telephone line? Give it a backstory? Most of us will cheer it on while a few curmudgeons will cackle if it goes and we'll hate them for it.

Rusty said...


Blogger Ann Althouse said...
The branch stayed in position through a violent storm.


Because it is now anchored on two points. The garage roof and whatever fibers still keep it attached to the tree.
However. When it finally comes down of its own volition it will fall in such a manner as to make its removal as difficult and dangerous as possible.

MadisonMan said...

That storm was a bit more violent out in western Dane County. What a gullywasher here though.

Best part of summer: Thunderstorms.

Worst part: Mosquitoes.

Usually, the worst follows the best.

Will Cate said...

FYI -- The Beatles' cover of Carl Perkins' "Sure To Fall" is on their "Live At The BBC Vol. 2" album

rwnutjob said...

I'd get up on the roof & cut the part of the branch on the line off with a chainsaw, but what do I know.

Ann Althouse said...

There wasn't time for an arborist to come by before the storm, and it wasn't safe for an non-specialist to get up on that pitched roof and fuss with it.

PB said...

Did the branch/line survive?

A curious readership longs to know.

Ann Althouse said...

The situation remains the same.

Ken Mitchell said...

I might point out that there will be another storm, and another, and another, and that if it's not raining NOW, this is a good time to call the arborist and have the branch removed.

rhhardin said...

Arborist makes free.

PB said...

You'd be surprised how strong that cable is. It's not just a "wire" it's a bundle of wires with a very tough/strong thermoplastic coating. It may have a steel married to it, like they do for power lines. I've had an entire tree fall against a much smaller cable and not bring it down or damage it.