Legal Commentary

Rube Goldberg's Spirit Alive and Well in Miami

By Professor University of Miami School of Law

This place really is amazing. This morning’s Herald had this beauty: Balloon birds = lights out,

A run-in between a singing Hannah Montana balloon and a flock of birds knocked out power to a Miami neighborhood Monday.

The incident unfolded about 7:30 a.m. outside Jose De Diego Middle School, 3100 NW Fifth Ave..

Fire officials said the balloon may have scared about 300 birds that roost on power lines near the school, knocking a line loose when the birds fled.

It caused a power outage in a five-block radius for a few hours, and forced the rescheduling of an event at the school with Superintendent Alberto Carvalho and Miami Mayor Manny Diaz.

All the birds survived.

The small pink-and-silver Hannah Montana balloon was the only thing that did not emerge unscathed — though it did greet Miami Fire Rescue personnel with the teen singer’s hit The Best of Both Worlds.

Rube Goldberg would be proud.

Power was out in my neighborhood for most of Saturday afternoon. I wonder if we had a balloon too?

Full post as published by Discourse.net on November 11, 2008 (boomark / email).