(It's worth noting that it was left un-plugged
between the last time I
used it and now, so I don't think it was a surge).
I'm not sure of the area you live in, but it is possible for a nearby
lightning strike to blow equipment, without it even being connected, just by
the inductance effect that the magnetic field of lightning has can kill
equipment. may be easier seeing that monitors have coils in them, which seem
to easily pick up and amplify this field... relates to radio but same idea
http://www.comm-omni.com/polyweb/magneticfields.htm