Dear Cecil,
Know that you have enlightened the multitudes as to how lights flicker off and on mysteryously, I will do my part. Having spent eight years as an electrician I can tell you that the most common reason for a sodium lamp to suddenly go out for a moment and come back on is as your source from G.E. indicates, due to voltage. A change in voltage, or a voltage drop. When the intinsity of the energy is interupted the lamp will cycle. Now what you didn’t know or just didn’t print, The most common cause of these voltage drops are from the starting of a/c compressors, electric dryers, and other high energy consuming appliances. This phenomenon is more common near homes where aluminum conductors feed electricity to the homes. This is due to the tendancy of aluminum to corrode more than copper. Also loose wiring contributes much as corrosion by causing more resistance and thereby increasing voltage drops. If you are lucky enough to have a street light in your yard try switching your a/c on and off and see for your self. This may not work in all instances due to which circuits feed the light and the a/c.
Thanks for the opportunity to share this.
For over three years in the early '90s I lived in the downtown section of a city, and there was this one street light that was “my” street light–when I got close to it, it went out. I walked by this light more than a hundred times after dark, I would estimate, and it went out every single time. I tried using the other side of the street–it didn’t matter. I’d get close and stop, trying to wait it out–no dice; it waited 'til I gave up and started walking again, and when I was in range it went out. I didn’t often drive by this light because of the street set-up, but the times I did after dark it went out. This went on until I moved away.
Now I’ve had other street lights go off when I was under them, and I’m sure you and Cecil between you are right about the phenomena in general. But this one single street light acted this way for me *every time,*and I find that to be a hell of a coincidence.
Or maybe it was my magnetic personality.
The OP was “Can some people extinguish streetlamps by means of their bodily emanations?”
I truly thought this might be a thread about lighting farts or bad breath. I knew a kid once who… 
mysterecks, obviously the existance of the “commitee” has eluded you. There happens to be a group or cult whos sole purpose is to mess with peolpe. They have implanted you with some micro chip that triggers a switch in that streetlamp as a signal to the mothership. They put a lojack in my car and every time I’m late for work they send out slow elderly ladys to get in front of me and cause me to be even later.
Uh…actually, I’m Vice Chairbeing of that committee (we call ourselves “They”–catchy, no?), so I know we (that is, They) weren’t doing it. But I’m perfectly willing to believe some evil creepoid on that street was watching me, waiting for the right time to flick on the AC.
Oh, and they are actually pretty fast for elderly ladies, so I wouldn’t complain if I were you.
I find it funny that “They” have never figured out that “We” are the ones really in control.
No, Czar–we (that is, They) just let you (that is, We) thinkyou (that is, We) are in control.
I (speaking for They) trust that’s clear.