Hmmming about The Hum

My previous residence was in one of the yuppiest areas of Cary, North Carolina, a few hundred feet from a busy road. The apartment was so noisy, I spent little time there. And sleeping was impossible without earplugs. Green Acres Farm across the street provided visual but no aural consolation.

Fast forward to my current residence in a quiet, cozy cul-de-sac. Listening to the humming crickets and katydids is so relaxing. For the first time in decades (for many reasons), I actually enjoy being home. It’s my little nest.

On one side of the house, I’ve discovered a different kind of hum at night…a deep rumbling vibration that comes in swells. I envision a neo Dr. Frankenstein in some musty basement, with Rammstein masking the cries of his subjects.

Gene Wilder as Young Frankenstein
Gene Wilder as Young Frankenstein

I Googled “constant hum” and discovered that Dr. Frankenstein does not live down the street and I’m not delusional.

Turns out, people around the world also hear The Hum. One likely source is cell phone towers, many of which live in my vicinity beginning a few blocks away. Go to AntennaSearch.com and look up your own house.

An article in the Journal of Scientific Exploration provides details about this worldwide phenomenon. The Hum: An Anomalous Sound Heard Around the World. Written by David Deming (College of Geosciences, University of Oklahoma), the fascinating read concludes:

As a working hypothesis, it appears probable that the Hum can be attributed to electromagnetic radiation that some people have the ability to interpret as sound.

(Mathematicians, skip to page 19 for the equations.)

Is electromagnetic protection in order? A Star-Tri Pack Resonator, perhaps? Hmmmm….

Other information:
Wikipedia article on The Hum
The Hum Heard Around the World
Mysterious Hum: Viewers Guess What Causes the Strange Noise

Close encounters with a cockroach

A cockroach tried to kill me tonight.

She (let’s call her Candy) and I first met the previous night when I spotted her flitting across the living room floor. It’s a wooden floor, so flitting didn’t take much effort. She saw me and took cover behind my weight stand.

Killing is low on my list of OK things to do in life. Plus, it’s messy. The first low-impact, natural, environment-friendly method that came to mind was drowning. I once read that dousing a cockroach in water would result in death…the death of the cockroach that is.

Turns out, unexpected dousing incites anger, and Candy ended up chasing a shrieking Sheila across the kitchen and then disappearing. Somehow I managed to sleep.

Fast forward 24 hours. Guests are coming over tomorrow night, and the kitchen is a mess. I feel something land in my hair. Swatting the air (and my hair) madly, I look up and see Candy spinning through air. After that, all I remember is a tumble of curse words and a scratchy creepy sensation spreading over my body. A vengeful cockroach? Surely not.

A cockroach tried to kill me tonight.

Death by dousing, unsuccessful. A powdery delicacy known as boric acid…mission accomplished.

Candy, blanketed in the pretty white powder, let out a death rattle, a metallic screech of pained anger.

I acted in self defense.