Might actually force people to talk to one another. Then again, millions of people in NYC go daily not talking to anyone on the street.

Thanks everyone for the clarification. I remember reading somewhere that they weren't insulated - that birds don't get fried if they touch one b/c the current passes "through" and doesn't complete a circuit... until the bird bumps a second line.

OK, so the transformer, as I understand it, is to help insulate the house and the power lines from each other?

Transformers step up or step down the voltage. Like the one behind my shop has three phase 14.4KVA comming into it. Obviously not useable by standard electrical/electronic equipment. The transformer steps it down to something that can be used. (240 VAC in my case. Two legs of 120.)

The insulators are what the wire is connected to at the pole/tower. Look to the large transmission lines that seem to suspend the wire below each "arm". The sticks of "bubbles" looking thing it is attached to is the insulator. The higher the voltage, the farther the wire must be away from a path to ground or another phase.

Guy I know works helo high line repair. I asked him what happens if he get too close to a path to ground while energized (would it hurt?). He said not at all. His body would just vaporize.

Oh yeah.. The bird or squirrel has no path to ground or another phase to be electrocuted. Should you see dead wildlife at the base of a pole, you shouldn't touch it or the pole. There is a good chance the pole is energized, and is also going to get you if you get close even.

Yep, insulation is not the same as shielding. Insulation puts a highly resistive barrier to current flow, typically more resistive than the open air. Shielding shunts current from reaching the conductor by providing a different circuit path to discharge, such as the outer conductor of a coaxial cable. Typically the shunt is just run to ground, but sometimes it is run to a faraday well.

Transformers do a bit more than that.
Electricity is interesting stuff, and these people do a better job explaining it than I could.

From the Govt
http://www.eia.doe.gov/basics/electricity_basics.html

From the Central Iowa Power Cooperative
http://cipco.apogee.net/foe/home.asp

and then a little self test from Bell for those who think they know a lot.
I know that I would fail this one, but I am not an electrician.
http://www.asisvcs.com/publications/pdf/710041.pdf

I think it is a good thing to have a decent understanding of the basics in case you are ever near downed lines or need to hook up a simple circuit, just for safety's sake.

And encouraging young ladies to wear bikinis!!!!

But if you insist on wearing the tin foil hats remember to carry some Tony Chachere's in your BOB.

Everything tastes better with some Tony's (even brains....)!!!!

Remember when your local weather report would just tell you what the temp was probably going to be and if it might rain tomorrow?

The more information we gain, the more information we find ourselves needing.

I was just thinking about the Yellowstone e-quake frequency and wondering if we will eventually end up having weather broadcasts that cover not only atmospheric conditions but also geologic and interstellar conditions.

And looking at how these things all affect the weather / events the more useless the local news reports appear to me.

Good point! Ok. The boycott is over.

"... new satellites are now watching solar activity and would provide a warning of a major storm."

Okay, there's a major solar flare and scientists estimate we've got half a day to do something... So, what might that 'something' be? (Besides taking off the tinfoil hat)

And, what happens if it happens on a Sunday at 10 a.m.?

Sue