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[Eng./Esp.] Why the Gods Hurl Fire and the Yanks Lard It Up. || Por qué los dioses lanzan fuego y los gringos lo untan con manteca.

amigoponc — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:55:18 GMT

_{Si eres de habla hispana, la versión en español es mejor para ti; debes hacer clic 👉 AQUÍ}

On a global scale, a bolt of lightning has always been the cosmos’s most definitive way of telling us to pipe down.

To the Greeks, it was Zeus’s wrathful tantrum; to the Norse, Thor’s signature as he cracked open the skulls of giants; and to the Yoruba deities, the righteous lash of Shango. Even in places like Lake Maracaibo, where the Catatumbo lightning fractures the night three hundred times an hour without so much as an apology, humanity has reached a unanimous verdict: fire falling from the heavens, lethal velocity, and destruction without prior notice.

Hand a hundred-million-volt phenomenon over to Anglo-Saxon culture, however, and you will see how—with an astonishing blend of capitalist pragmatism and poetic obstinacy—they manage to reduce the apocalypse to an office idiom or a jar of bootleg hooch.

Why the Gods Hurl Fire and the Yanks Lard It Up

I came to understand this on a muggy, stormy night in a creaky, timber-clad bar out in the sticks of Ontario, a Canadian province steeped in British roots. The sky threatened to split the roof in two, and manning the taps was Miller: a bloke in his sixties with wire-brush stubble and the razor-sharp cynicism of a man who had survived three divorces and the golden age of disco.

![](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/amigoponc/23vhW5AMVx4XhbH8S7iqbP5T7sva2txALLbhoRxtPC1Y2STZXe9CxQhdT3rtQmjKaak1p.jpg)

‘The trouble with this sort of weather,’ Miller grunted, dragging a greasy rag across the Formica, ‘is that people turn all melodramatic. As if the sky owed them a favour.’

Up on the telly, mounted above rows of bourbon bottles, a game show was reaching its crescendo. The host bellowed: ‘And now, the lightning round!’ The contestant was sweating buckets, rattling off inanities against a sixty-second countdown. A ‘lightning round’. Divine velocity reduced to the bureaucratic panic of trying to win a toaster before the clock runs out.

‘Look at that poor sod,’ Miller scoffed. ‘Thinks he’s fast. If he’d seen my ex-lawyer bolt from the courtroom when he lost my case, he’d know what it truly means to move like greased lightning.’

The turn of phrase made me bark with laughter. ‘Greased lightning’. It takes a cartoonish sort of cheek to look at an electrical discharge hurtling at tens of thousands of miles per second and think: ‘Right, not bad, but rub a bit of lard on it and it’s bound to go faster.’

Right on cue, the bar lights flickered. A violent crack of thunder rattled the optics, and the young barman clearing glasses jumped nearly out of his skin.

‘Steady on, lad!’ a regular called out from a corner. ‘Lightning never strikes the same place twice!’

![](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/amigoponc/23tS36pLUHPBdxtqvFiPdNFz4fa1U9sPt3i9PyJkBqVzuDzWNefjozcHsMhPGFrdNu3z2.jpg)

The boy let out a sigh of relief, blissfully unaware that meteorological science laughs in the face of that adage every single day. Across the English-speaking world, the phrase is not a physical truth; it is an incantation of solace. If misfortune has already struck you once, you simply convince yourself that fate has dreadful aim and won't target you again. A white lie scented with ozone.

Miller smirked, ducked beneath the counter, and produced an unlabelled jam jar filled with a liquid so clear it looked like holy water, yet reeked faintly of aviation fuel.

‘Forget the storm outside. Have a go at this White Lightning,’ he whispered, offering a roguish wink.

The legendary Appalachian moonshine. During the Prohibition era, hill folk distilled this corn spirit covertly in the woods. They called it ‘white lightning’ not for its colour, but because knocking back a dram of 140-proof spirit did to the human oesophagus what biting down on a high-voltage transformer might. I took a microscopic sip: my ancestors jolted in their graves, and an alcoholic epiphany tore straight through my brain. It hit me like a bolt of lightning, as they say whenever an unwelcome truth or sudden shock floors you without preamble.

‘Stout stuff, eh?’ the old man chuckled. ‘My cousin used to brew it. Reckoned he was a master smuggler. Then he got nicked.’

‘Bad luck?’

‘Nah. He just became the lightning rod for the entire province.’

![](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/amigoponc/23vhsGJs2bnPW1AwaGsab6sM8HtcQJitp3ViBRLPk8hzMAfZJQuokUPWC4ABtGDWncxCG.jpg)

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⚡☕Mensaje diario de 5 minutos- ¡Iluminación! / Daily 5 minute message- Lightning!- 29 Octubre 2026

sacra97 — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:48:03 GMT

![imagen.png](https://images.hive.blog/DQmVkCAGKFVyroVDLcEbbnR2n4bQaceDcQYAadKJv6MmYtD/imagen.png)

Se me ilumina el rostro detrás de una taza de café. Puedo dejar todos los problemas dentro de esa taza por unos instantes mientras veo la puesta del sol desde la esquina del jardín. La iluminación nos llega a todos desde cualquier lugar. No solamente hablamos de un simple bombillo. Podemos verlo cuando orientamos a otros dándoles indicaciones que le puedan ayudar.

La iluminación es esa luz que viene del interior de cada uno de nosotros. Es ese pedacito de Dios que tenemos adentro y cuando lo dejamos salir lo ilumina todo.

Justamente se vuelve molesto cuando falla, sé que desde que llegue a Venezuela solo me he quejado de los fallos de corriente eléctrica y el alivio a través de ventiladores recargables que me traje de España. Una solución que me ayuda a sobrevivir sin tanto calor en las cinco horas de fallas. Creo que la parte angustiante es no saber cuando se va a ir, cuando va a regresar el servicio. Eso nos pone a correr o a madrugar para hacer mis post temprano previniendo las fallas.

Resulta desesperante, alarmante el tener poca iluminación.

⚡☕🌸🌸☕🌸🌸☕⚡

Este texto corresponde a mi participación en el reto diario de los amigos @improv, @felt.buzz, @latino.romano y @mariannewest.

Post 29 October 2026, Freewriters Community Daily Writing Prompt Day 3271: lightning

Escribe un texto libre basado en la sugerencia de @Daily.Prompt.
Publícalo en la Comunidad de Escritores Libres,
¡y deja el enlace en la sección de comentarios de esta publicación!
Usa el hashtag #freewrite #dailyprompt

⚡☕🌸🌸☕🌸🌸☕⚡

ENGLISH VERSION

![imagen.png](https://images.hive.blog/DQmQB7FE56WCsZf3XK6iw1f2SymhGXbqGhJ4uoFy2BGgr2u/imagen.png)

My face lights up from behind a cup of coffee. For a few moments, I can leave all my troubles inside that cup while I watch the sunset from the corner of the garden. Illumination can reach any of us, from anywhere. It’s not just about a simple light bulb; we can also find it when we guide others, offering directions that might help them.

True illumination is the light that comes from within each of us—that little piece of God we carry inside—and when we let it out, it illuminates everything.

Of course, it becomes quite frustrating when the power fails. Since arriving in Venezuela, I’ve done nothing but complain about the electrical outages—and find some relief thanks to the rechargeable fans I brought from Spain. They help me survive the heat during those five-hour blackouts. The most distressing part, I think, is the uncertainty: not knowing when the power will go out or when it will return. It forces me to scramble or wake up at the crack of dawn to get my posts written before the outages hit.

Having so little light—so little illumination—is truly desperate and alarming.

⚡☕🌸🌸☕🌸🌸☕⚡

This text corresponds to my participation in the daily challenge of friends @improv, @felt.buzz, @latino.romano and @mariannewest.

Post 29 October 2026, Freewriters Community Daily Writing Prompt Day 3271: lightning

Write a freewrite based on the @Daily.Prompt
post it in the Freewriters Community,
and drop a link in the comments section of this post!
Use the hashtag #freewrite #dailyprompt

⚡☕🌸🌸☕🌸🌸☕⚡![imagen.png](https://images.hive.blog/DQmWoGXBFwVhicRdMC3fs1cVDcD1gfJyAZWpVy5y2YL8dPx/imagen.png)⚡☕🌸🌸☕🌸🌸☕⚡Fotos con fuente identificadas Traducido con google (versión gratuita)

Photos with source identified
Translated with google (free version)

¡Gracias por tu visita/Thank you for your visit!

Sin mucha resiliencia

saulos — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:02:33 GMT

Sin mucha prisa
desciende la escalera
sin extrañar la sombra
que no espera...

by @saulos

That Skunk Has A Gun!

kemmyb — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:00:51 GMT

The store door groaned open and Officer Gina’s flashlight caught the white streak of hair before anything else. “Freeze!” she shouted.

Damien “Skunk” didn't freeze. He spun from the shelves containing canned tunas and veggies, a canvas bag full of the foods clutched against his chest, his eyes wide in shock. Then he narrowed them as his other hand came up from his coat pocket with something black and heavy in it.

Officer Briggs, two steps behind Officer Gina, grabbed her collar and pulled her sideways behind a steel filing cabinet. The shot punched a hole in the wall where Gina’s head had been.

“That skunk has a gun!” Briggs yelled which Gina felt was unnecessary.

“Yeah, I noticed, Briggs!”

“I'm just saying. Skunk is a cat burglar and picks locks. It's not his MO to carry or use a gun.”

“People change.” Gina drew her own weapon and peeked around the cabinet. The store room was lit only by the amber glow of a light bulb. Damien Skunk had retreated behind the open door, using it as a shield. His breath came in ragged puffs.

“Skunk!” She called.

“Don't call me that,” he snapped.

“You can't stay out of trouble, can you? Now it's a supermarket? You are surrounded. Put that gun down.”

“Nope, can't do that, Officer. I haven't eaten for days now.”

“And a prison cell is worth all this?”

“Doesn't matter. No one's willing to give me a job.”

Briggs leaned close. “Ma'am, I'm going to flank him. Cover me.”

“No. Stay put.”

But Briggs was twenty-four, fresh out of academy and bulletproof in his own mind, and already crawling along the wall toward the far shelves contrary to his superior’s instruction.

Officer Gina swore under her breath and fired a warning shot into the ceiling to hold Damien's attention. Plaster rained down on them. Damien fired back, twice and the bullets sang off the cabinet.

Then Briggs’ voice came from the shadows, strangely calm. “Ma'am? Please hold your fire.”

“Briggs?”

“Just look.”

Gina peeked again as Damien stepped out from behind the door, his hands raised, the black object dangling from one finger. In the amber light, she could see it clearly now. It was a heavy staple gun, the kind used for upholstery, its nose cracked and dented.

“Oh, for heaven sake!” she said. “I'll kill you myself, Skunk.”

“I said don't call—It jammed on the third go. I was going for the click effect so I can leave with my groceries.”

Gina stood up. “You fire a staple gun at a police officer.”

“No. I fire it near a police officer. There's a difference.” He glanced at the ceiling. “Though I did not expect you to fire a real one.”

“That was a warning shot…and quit trying to distract me. You're under arrest for burglary and, uh, assault with a stapler.”

“You've got to be kidding me!”

Briggs emerged at that point from the shadows and snapped the cuffs on Damien, trying very hard not to laugh.

I hope you enjoyed reading this short piece. It's inspired by the Freewrite #dailyprompt phrase "that skunk has a gun!”.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

^{_{Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay}}

29 October 2026, Freewriters Community Daily Writing Prompt Day 3271: lightning

daily.prompt — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 10:06:24 GMT

![new daily prompt.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/daily.prompt/AJmudPPCWGA6FfcXPrAmdLk2CY4mxGWYvbsFs8KPohCx9wnhBrpjcwmEyvYmxqn.jpg)

Welcome to the #DailyPrompt by the @daily.prompt, your daily writing prompt from the @Freewritehouse, and the Freewriters Community!

_{_{The @Freewritehouse, and members of the Freewriters Community, will be forever grateful to @mariannewest for creating the daily freewriting prompt and for posting it for 2023 days!!! Thank you Marianne!}}

Freewriting is a great way to start or maintain a writing habit. And we've been making it easy for you with a daily prompt for over 3000 days!

Today's #DailyPrompt is

lightning

...

How to freewrite...

Set your timer for 5 minutes
Start writing
Use the hashtag #freewrite #dailyprompt
Publish your piece (include a link to this post if you wish)
Copy and paste your URL into the comment section of this post.
^{Or, if you don't want to publish your freewrite, just copy and paste as a comment under the prompt post.}
What if you want to write for longer than five minutes? No problem! There are no rules...

except...

NO plagiarism, NO AI-generated stories

^{(write your own story; that is kinda the whole point!)}![ezgif.com-crop (1).gif](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/daily.prompt/23tGTgenLx7nZuH24w8svkxMgichtFRkx4TPk4Ycqw4gV2EF1XNXCmJHkuoes3Lki5fPH.gif)![ezgif.com-resize (6).gif](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/daily.prompt/23swXuaYMD9T3LDtZ2HK1AGw8Mm2uCfvDLaX2XpQ5d3z55sfJRjzJZ1anGcjonKt3Ed2L.gif)

The Journey...

ezun1 — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 05:54:42 GMT

source

We make a major mistake when we are on a journey.
All our attention is focused on the end of the journey.
We wonder and long for the end of the journey.
Our anxiety is raised high.
We forget the end is not the journey, but the total experience as a whole.
We fail to enjoy the journey.
Instead of being anxious or curious when the journey will end, you should enjoy every bit of the journey.
Do the things you love while on your way, engage and relate with people.

This applies to life too.
Do many people are anxious to get to a certain age, some are eager to get to retirement.
They fail to enjoy what they are doing.
It's not a good way to journey.
Life is a journey.
At the end, it is the way you have lived your life that matters, and not what you have achieved in the end.
The journey is pleasant when you are grateful for what you have.
Don't take your journey with levity.
Enjoy the journey.
Enjoy the ride.
Enjoy your life.

The adverse effects of climate change.

ainun37 — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 03:11:48 GMT

https://images.pexels.com/photos/39202415/pexels-photo-39202415.jpeg

Source

Hello everyone! Today, I will attempt to briefly discuss climate change and the adverse impacts it is having on us and our world. Climate change was once an unfamiliar concept to us. We may have read about it in our elementary science textbooks, but did we truly grasp what it meant back then? Now that we have grown older and observed the state of the world, we can finally understand and feel its reality. Those of us born between 1990 and 2010 can attest that the heat and environmental pollution we see today—in 2026—were not nearly as severe back then.

Scientists warned us about this long ago, but instead of becoming more aware, we simply laughed it off. Perhaps we are now reaping exactly what we deserve. In recent years, extreme temperatures and heatwaves have made life incredibly difficult. Ordinary people on the streets are falling ill easily; there have even been reports in the news of individuals dying from heat-induced strokes. Sudden low-pressure systems forming over coastal areas are triggering cyclones, floods, and torrential rainfall—causing immense harm to forests, wildlife, and human populations. Conversely, some regions are experiencing no rain at all, leading to droughts. Agricultural land is becoming infertile, and the nation’s food security and economy are facing serious setbacks. The ice in the polar regions is melting, which is harming the diversity of local wildlife—many species, including penguins, are now at risk of extinction. Sea levels are rising due to this excessive melting, putting coastal areas—such as the Maldives and the southern regions of Bangladesh—at risk of being submerged. Forests protect us from various natural disasters; their destruction would cause us immense harm. Furthermore, many fish and animal species would face extinction.

Climate change and short-term weather fluctuations are not the same thing. Climate change does not happen overnight; it is the consequence of human actions over a long period. If we had not emitted such high levels of greenhouse gases, operated so many brick kilns and factories, cleared vast areas of vegetation, or polluted the environment to such an extent, the situation might not be as dire as it is today. If we do not foster awareness among ourselves, our very existence could be threatened in the future. While the world is advancing through new technologies, these risks are emerging simultaneously. I am not suggesting that innovation is inherently bad, but we must pursue it in ways that are appropriate, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. If we truly love nature, it will return that love—and prosperity—to us twofold. Therefore, I believe this is the right time for us to be careful.

Translated by Google Translate.

Posted Using INLEO

A Morning at the Fishing Harbor

gunting — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:32:33 GMT

The morning sky was covered with soft clouds as I walked along the fishing harbor. Several colorful fishing boats were resting beside the pier, creating a beautiful scene full of life and activity.

This harbor is more than just a place where boats are parked. It is a place where fishermen begin their daily journeys, bringing hope for a good catch and a better living for their families.

I noticed the different colors and designs of the boats. Some were painted blue, green, and red, while others had fishing equipment and ropes arranged on their decks. Along the harbor, there were piles of fishing floats, containers, and small wooden carts used to transport supplies.

Although the surroundings looked a little messy, there was something special about this place. Every corner seemed to tell a story about hard work, patience, and the lives of people who depend on the sea.

Looking at these boats reminded me that behind every fishing journey, there are people who work tirelessly to earn their living. The sea can provide many opportunities, but it also demands courage and determination.

Sometimes, ordinary places like this fishing harbor offer the most meaningful lessons. Life is like a fishing journey. We never know exactly what tomorrow will bring, but we must keep moving forward with hope.

A simple morning, a cloudy sky, and colorful fishing boats. These are small moments worth remembering.

Note: I am writing in Indonesian and using the help of Google translate to translate into English.

All gifts from this post will be burned and made into strength to support other hivers posts.

Photographer	Smartphone used	Location
@gunting	Realme C53	Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam

Thank you for your visit.

Warm Greetings From

@gunting

28 October 2026, Freewriters Community Daily Writing Prompt Day 3270: not very resilient

deeanndmathews — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:05:03 GMT

“I would say the most difficult thing for me as a hard-driving Army veteran as a grandfather raising my little grands and little cousin is to remember: my Ludlow littles are very strong, and they have had to be. If they were not very resilient, they would not have made it. But the point is not to push that strength so they can do what I did: provide deadly service to the country. They are children. It is very important that they get to be cherished and loved and healed, not pushed to the limits of their resilience.”

Capt. R.E. Ludlow was giving an interview to the Veteran's Lodge's newsletter about some of the more unusual things Lofton County's veterans were doing, and picking up eight little Ludlows and adopting them was an even more interesting story than building a company and selling it to its workers in less than a year.

“Well,” Sgt. Joseph Parr said, “most men would love to do the Ludlow Bubbly, but most would not between the ages of 55 and 58 fight for the right to adopt eight little ones outright.”

“One has to know the difference between money, duty, and love,” the captain had purred. “I'll work and create for one, but I will fight, kill, and die for the last two, all day long, and that's how me being who I am as a soldier interacting with gathering up my grandchildren and taking in my little cousin out of situations that … well, let's just say that God is good and I remember that civilians just aren't ready!”

Sgt. Parr, the interviewer, was getting ready to get married, and did not intend to set aside the whole day to speak with Capt. Ludlow and his wife Thalia, but he found himself in tears as all eight little Ludlows eventually came in and sat or snuggled down with their adoptive parents after words of thanks.

“This is what we men who want a family all want,” he said quietly.

“The path to it is not what most men think it is,” Capt. Ludlow said, “and once you know what it costs, be sure you want it enough and where to get it. Obviously if we as men were not very resilient, we couldn't make it … but what you see me blessed with here pushed me beyond my limits, into the grace of God.”

Most of what Sgt. Parr learned would not make it in the article but …

“Changed my life,” he said about it later. “We forget we are not alone out here even as Christian men … the things that we most desire don't depend on our strength and resilience although we need those things … a lot of things are things we have to humble ourselves to be graced with.”

5 Minute Freewrite: not very resilient

stinawog — Thu, 29 Oct 2026 18:14:42 GMT

Find the prompt here:
https://peakd.com/hive-161155/@daily.prompt/28-october-2026-freewriters-community-daily-writing-prompt-day-3270-not-very-resilient

Not very resilient. Not very resilient. There's this line of a Hedgie Choi poem that I don't remember verbatim, but something along the lines of "resilience is only a virtue in a broken world." I'll have to look it up to check what it really is, but the idea of it has always stuck with me. Maybe it's not even from a Hedgie Choi poem, but somewhere else, but I think it's in a poem. I'll check. I can't check now, I'm writing, but I won't forget to check because I've written about it. Anyway, I've heard the same sentiment elsewhere too, that we laud resilience too much, that children shouldn't have to become resilient, people shouldn't have to become resilient. We should be able to remain soft and vulnerable and gentle and be treated with softness and vulnerability and gentleness. And I agree that it's a broken world. I usually think of it more as a sick world. The sickness is in humanity, the sickness of all of the horrible "isms" that make people think in terms of right and wrong, left and right, you vs me, etc. What's to blame for it all? It's not like just Christianity can be blamed, or just capitalism...these are all human inventions. We choose what to believe, we make up beliefs to suit what we need at any given time. And we're left with these old beliefs that don't suit the time we're in now. We need to believe differently, or all believe in more acceptance, more love...not acceptance of horrible behavior and horrible ideas, but acceptance of each other's humanity, of all our connectedness to one another and to the earth. I guess what I'm saying is I want people to accept what I believe...lol. Ugh the timer went off but I can't just leave it there. It's not just that I want people to accept what I believe...I just want everyone to accept that we should love and not harm one another.

Here's the line, from Hedgie Choi's poem "Holiday" in Salvage:

Resilience
is a virtue
in the worst world