rationalskepticism.org

jerome, I've went through your two links in a hurry. If you take the TST, I consider it the inverse of lightning. The electromagnetic tension doesn't build in the clouds, but in the soil. And maybe, the discharge isn't happening because the sky is a poor conductor compared to the surrounding rock formations?
It occurred to me when I read about the booms on the USGS-site. Just a thought from a newb.