*Le Sigh*

[volksdragon]

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (AP) -- Cheryl Kennedy had just one word to describe the stagnant, sticky, downright dense heat that blanketed the downtown business district and most of the nation.

"Insanity. Insanity!" she said.

After a long sip from her bottled water, Kennedy added, "This is not fit for human beings. Without air conditioning, I don't think many of us could last like this for too long." (Italics mine)


Does this depress anyone else? Yeah, the heat sucks. Yes, it's hot. I HAVE A FEELING PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SURVIVING WEATHER LIKE THIS FOR A FEW HUNDRED/THOUSAND YEARS BY NOW.

Are we really becoming that dependent on technology, are we becoming collectively so soft, that we'd die out in the woods if the temperature stayed above 90 for a week?

Comments

[cogshiftingman.livejournal.com]

Precisely. It's nonsense to suggest we *need* A/C!

[scirocco.livejournal.com]

Cool suit, definitely, as the temperatures while sitting still in a car can approach "body overload" temp pretty quickly. Those things are nifty.

[scirocco.livejournal.com]

Heheheh. Yeah, that's one of the reasons we bought NEW ACs a few years ago, the upstairs bedrooms are the hottest rooms in the house, and it's where Ms. Widget was sleeping, so yeah, in the interest of no baking baby, we put them in. :)

[scirocco.livejournal.com]

Your house (parent's house) is always hot and sticky there, regardless of trees. :) There are never any fans going when *I'M* there!

one point of view.

[volare.livejournal.com]

woods =/= asphalt/brick/plaster/concrete

heat holding modern structures etc.
we'd be fine in the woods. but not in the inner cities.

when the heat waves like this start in the cities, people start dying.
usually eldery and sick, in a stifling city apartment complex where not even a window fan makes the air move.
sometimes kids, almost always with asthma and other illnesses as well.
the ones I got called to assist were almost always in trailers, less homes at that point than the metal box from Bridge Over The River Quai. AC couldn't run in those even if they'd had access to it.

hard to say what the point of this is, just.. spilling the brain.

[nrubenstein.livejournal.com]

Particularly when you're wearing a helmet, a nomex firesuit, nomex/carbonx underwear, nomex socks, fire resistant shoes, gloves, and a balaclava.

[string-on-desk.livejournal.com]

I saw that article earlier and it made my jaw drop. While I agree with the points made about there being more asphalt and fewer trees, etc, I grew up without AC and I would sweat it out all day long. I spend most of my day in non-A/Ced places. My bf comes home and sometimes he lectures me about how if I'm hot that I should turn on the A/C... well I would turn it on, if I were hot. I spend most of the day drinking ice water or in the basement where it's naturally cooler. I prefer not to use it because it makes me feel dependent on it.

[nrubenstein.livejournal.com]

I must say that I did enjoy my lunch sitting outside today, though. If you're just lounging, it's really nice out.

[scirocco.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I drove out (borrowed topless jeep) yesterday to get lunch, and we sat outside today eating. Both nice days. Yeah, Hot. But better than being refrigerated inside all day. I'd rather be outdoors doing yard work.

[siercia]

Well, we certainly do have a yard desperately in need of work.

Feel free to have at it.

[scirocco.livejournal.com]

Aside from the mowin', what's it need?

[siercia]

Aside from a complete do-over?

nuthin'

hi! a random visit from sharon kubo. (now at http://sharonkubo.com)

[(Anonymous)]

(*unrelated to the current post, but i didn't know where else to put it.)

sure, i died in the dungeon of scirocco. but only after kicking a whole lot of ass.

-kubo

I died in the Dungeon of Scirocco

I was killed in a stalagmite-filled maze of passages by Maxim Masiutin the dragon, whilst carrying...

the Amulet of Driving, the Dagger of Dilettante, the Shield of Judecorp, the Armour of Sydneygb, the Shield of Auryn24, the Sword of Snowboarding, the Dagger of Volkswagen, the Shield of Zaftig, the Sceptre of Addiemayo, a Figurine of Siercia, the Sword of Zen Sorcere, the Armour of Volkswagen, a Figurine of Dollraves, the Axe of Luzmaria8, the Wand of Islenskr, the Amulet of Meatlust, the Shield of Oxlahun, the Sceptre of Frisbee, the Amulet of Wavemaster, a Figurine of Jadefu, a Figurine of Isabel Gold, a Figurine of Girlblah, the Sword of Ohsheila and 201 gold pieces.

Score: 288

Explore the Dungeon of Scirocco (http://thesurrealist.co.uk/dungeon?user=Scirocco) and try to beat this score,
or enter your username to generate and explore your own dungeon...

Re: hi! a random visit from sharon kubo. (now at http://sharonkubo.com)

[scirocco.livejournal.com]

I like the "Sword of Ohsheila"

[scirocco.livejournal.com]

Hey, we can put that on our list of projects. Tear out old grass. Roll flat. Add Turf.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this is what I was thinking... that inner cities are much hotter than, say, plains or woods or whatever because of all of the asphalt and tall buildings and lack of breeze and all of that. The way the heat gets trapped up in all of those freaking big densely-packed buildings is kind of incredible.

That said, I hate air conditioning. I don't mind the heat. Jen, however, does not feel the same way.

[vorpalbla.livejournal.com]

It's called a Siesta, and I think they have them in much of Latin America too.

[vorpalbla.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you beat me to the point about cities. Out in the woods at 90 degrees might be better than the city at 100.

I do like AC, though. I could survive without it but don't much want to.

[doctorbass.livejournal.com]

Hi, Scirocco. I surfed over from fatherhood. My daughter actually tolerates the hot, humid weather we've been having better than I do. She'll want to go out and play, so I'll go out with her and in a few minutes I'm comfortable in the heat. When we lived in Oregon, we only had a window unit in our bedroom that we'd turn on at night. The low humidity made it cool down by about 6 PM.

[scirocco.livejournal.com]

Welcome to my journal. :) Yeah, Hannah does OK with the hot as well once she's out and doing stuff, but she does seem to like the transition to COOL in her bedroom with an AC unit at night. :)

[technoluddite.livejournal.com]

Or... upend all plants, roll flat, start seeds.

[nemomori.livejournal.com]

It's a lot worse now that the neighbors had to hack down the eastern side tree. Honestly it was never that bad before. Also the fans don't go during the DAY only at night. :P

[yangelina.livejournal.com]

I spent 11 years in Taiwan with only fans, and the weather there is pretty much like that of Florida, where I spent another 10 years or so. In FL, 100ish is the average temperature in the summer, and my mom didn't like having the AC running because it was expensive and she's, well, Taiwanese. ;) It is definitely possible to go without A/C, but very, very uncomfortable. And even with all this heat under my belt (well that doesn't sound right, but you know what I'm trying to say?), this 90ish New England heat is still just a tad worse for me to endure. I suspect that it's because most New England homes are not designed to have heat like this, and Floridian/Taiwanese homes are used to dealing with high temperatures without creating an oven-like environment for the people inside - they don't insulate nearly as well.
I am so glad we have at least an A/C unit in the bedroom!

[scirocco.livejournal.com]

Ah, OK. Got it. *sweat*

[doctorbass.livejournal.com]

Cool, man. Dan