Crazy from the heat - they're droppin' like flies!

[Tom]

I ran across this while checking my Yahoo earlier today, thought it was kind of an interesting read, regardless of what you think about global warming per se.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080702/...i_extreme_heat

Basically, they postulate that during heat waves, which is a normal part of most temperate climates, the maximum tempuratures attained during that heat wave will rise considerably between now and the year 2100 (eh, if we're still around that long!). For example, the maximum tempurature in Lyon, France, could hit 114 degrees F (about 46 degrees Celsius btw).

Other than our members in the Desert Southwest....have any of you ever experienced temperatures this high? I'm pretty sure I have (southern Arkansas in 1988), and possibly even higher. LOL, I remember riding my bicycle thru downtown Arkadelphia at 12:30 in the morning and seeing the rotating clock on the bank at the corner stuck on 120F. Doubt it really reached 120 but it was pretty Godawful dadgum hot! I rode a bicycle all the time then, as long as you kept moving it wasn't too bad, but as soon as you stopped you went into nuclear-meltdown mode. Gack.

The thing that intrigued me, in light of the massive casualties incurred in the last French heat wave, and Chicago as well as other cities, is our widespread use of air conditioning. It might suprise us to discover that we have had MUCH hotter heat waves over the years, most notably in 1936 and 1954, when most of our state records were set. In 1936 alone, fifteen state records were set that still stand. Arkansas, Kansas, North and South Dakota, Texas, all had temperatures that reached or exceeded 120 degrees! There was one day in Iowa where the AVERAGE high temperature of all 113 weather stations in the state was 108.7 degrees - broiling hot stuff. I haven't heard anything about people falling dead in the streets back then, although I suppose it certainly happened every now and then. But the point being, most folks in Iowa, or most of the country for that matter, did NOT have air-conditioning.

So what we have is a vicious circle - our bodies have alternately become acclimated to lower maximum temperatures, even as it's gotten hotter outside, which drives us to use climate controls even more widely....and so on it goes. Interesting eh?

So, what's the hottest you've ever been (pre or post injury), how did you tolerate or deal with it, and finally, do you like it hot, or cold? I'm well aware that people with SCI's have problems with regulating their body temperatures, tend to be on the low side and often prefer it quite warm inside their abodes, which on the face of it would seem to work to one's advantage during the summer (keeps cooling bills down?), but becoming overheated and stroking out is also a major concern, too.

Also, anyone know why some of us like it cold inside, not unlike a polar bear, but literally BURIES themselves under 3 or 4 blankets when sleeping at the same time? One of the mysteries of life, perhaps?

Tom

[rybread]

The hottest I've been in was pre-injury, July 21, 1995, two days after my 18th birthday and the first day I started working at a Ford dealership which was an outdoor shop. All we had was shady covering up the shop bays with the center section open to the sun. It was one of the hottest days on record here, 122°. I think we are on day 14 of temperatures exceeding 110°. But hey, that's Phoenix. If you can't stand the heat, moved to San Diego.
if only the A/C worked in my Van right now. LOL

[kenf]

i remember 1995 , was the hottest day in Cleavageland , 104. today it's 66 now , rain and dark out.

[JimD]

Hottest I've ever experienced was in Baker (aptly named) California - 115 degrees at 7:00 in the evening. I dealt with it by getting back in the car and turning up the air conditioning.

I kind of enjoy hot weather, but that was a little over-the-top.

[Mike C]

I think it´s easier to take a hot and dry heat verses hot and humid. I was in Vegas once when it was around 107 (not even the record)...and no doubt, it was hot as hell, but I could hang and at least breath. Try southern Alabama with near 100% humidity and high upper 90´s or higher. That is truly the worst. Man, I went through three summers down there. You never really get used to it.

[addiesue]

I used to work in the greenhouse when I was in high school and some after. I don't know how hot it was sometimes in there but mid summer would get you. They put shade cloths on the top but it was hot. I remember coming out of there thinking the regualr temp felt cool. Heat doesn't bother me so much but I can get overheated before I realize it. I think SCI broke my thermometer.

[adi chicago]

when i was ab i never had problems ..after my injury ..big time....

[Eileen]

Years ago a friend and I were on vacation in Southern California and we rode to the top of a place called The Pinnacles. The ranger's had posted the temp at the top as 114 degrees, and I remember rolling down the car window (for all of 30 seconds) and feeling like I had just entered a blast furnace. Windows were closed, air conditioner turned up, and down we went from the mountain peak. The interesting thing about todays use of air conditioners is that the power grid was never designed to handle this load, and they have not been updated in most major cities in the US. If the temps keep rising we may well be back to the days of not having air conditioning, or power at all at times when brownouts take down the grid.

[kenf]

July 3rd , i had to fire up the boiler , it was cold in here last night.