I have seen the "beam" like you described. It was in SW FL and was in the midst of a terrible thunderstorm....that thunderstorm was one of the ones I feel are being instigated by HAARP, as the storms are weirder than I ever remember seeing. Violent rains and storm and the weirdest lightning strikes - JUST LIKE YOU DESCRIBED. I tried to describe them on a thread here, but was just laughed at, but you described it perfectly.

It was only one day, but it was just like you say....and I KNOW we are ocassionally :HAARPED" here. I can always tell, too, because when the storms pick up, they are unlike any "normal" storms I've ever been in.