From the Editor's Desk...
Heat does funny things to us.
By: Gwynn Bradley
Issue date: 6/25/09 Section: Opinion/Editorial
It shortens our tempers, for one thing.
It's been shown that more murders occur when the temperature rises. In cities everywhere, the number of homicides increases during summer months. There were six homicides in Memphis just last weekend.
Of course, we are not all likely to commit a crime because of the heat boiling our blood and blinding us. But I feel that it's been harder to hold down my temper these days.
Is it any wonder that "temper" is in the word "temperature"?
Heat, itself, can be a killer and can be even more dangerous when coupled with high humidity, which makes our body have to work harder to keep the right internal temperature.
Not only do we have heat and high humidity in Memphis, our urban landscape makes us victim to the Heat Island Effect. The dry, exposed nature of roads, sidewalks and parking lots allow them to be hotter than the air temperature by 50 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
As the heat is slowly released from these surfaces, that heightened heat remains into the night, also, though at a less extreme level.
Heat can make us tense in other ways, too, by possibly puncturing our self-esteem. It can ruin hairstyles. It can tell you if you have or have not gained weight when you start pulling out the tank tops and swimsuits.
How many bikini-body workouts are there anyway? Just the presence of those words makes me cringe - as in, where is your bikini body, huh?
The heat is defeating when you step outside after lunchtime. You are in danger of quickly wilting like some of the flowers around here. Forget about when you've arrived too late to get the shady spot and have to get back in your car after a sweltering day.
I used to have a car without air conditioning, and now I wonder how I could even stand it. Just by opening my car door my glasses get steamed up, and I might as well be tasting the air inside a dryer.
I don't know how my dad lived without air conditioning. Am I so spoiled? Maybe it wasn't so hot back then. But then, he also complains about the heat (and the price of anything).
There is a constant barrage of advice about protecting yourself from heat. Drink lots of water! Wear sunscreen, light clothing, wide brim hats and a hand-held mister around your neck!
I say, buy a sun visor for your car and a giant fan for your place. My fan helps me stay cool even if the thermostat is set to 75 degrees. It dries my eyes out a little, and I have to move it from room to room, but I feel it was still worth the $35.
The beginning of our summer has arrived, and the heat is here to stay for a few months. I have some heat jokes, though.
It's so hot, the trees are whistling for dogs.
It's so hot that you biggest fear about a bicycle crash is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"
It's so hot you discover it only takes two fingers to drive a car.
It's been shown that more murders occur when the temperature rises. In cities everywhere, the number of homicides increases during summer months. There were six homicides in Memphis just last weekend.
Of course, we are not all likely to commit a crime because of the heat boiling our blood and blinding us. But I feel that it's been harder to hold down my temper these days.
Is it any wonder that "temper" is in the word "temperature"?
Heat, itself, can be a killer and can be even more dangerous when coupled with high humidity, which makes our body have to work harder to keep the right internal temperature.
Not only do we have heat and high humidity in Memphis, our urban landscape makes us victim to the Heat Island Effect. The dry, exposed nature of roads, sidewalks and parking lots allow them to be hotter than the air temperature by 50 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
As the heat is slowly released from these surfaces, that heightened heat remains into the night, also, though at a less extreme level.
Heat can make us tense in other ways, too, by possibly puncturing our self-esteem. It can ruin hairstyles. It can tell you if you have or have not gained weight when you start pulling out the tank tops and swimsuits.
How many bikini-body workouts are there anyway? Just the presence of those words makes me cringe - as in, where is your bikini body, huh?
The heat is defeating when you step outside after lunchtime. You are in danger of quickly wilting like some of the flowers around here. Forget about when you've arrived too late to get the shady spot and have to get back in your car after a sweltering day.
I used to have a car without air conditioning, and now I wonder how I could even stand it. Just by opening my car door my glasses get steamed up, and I might as well be tasting the air inside a dryer.
I don't know how my dad lived without air conditioning. Am I so spoiled? Maybe it wasn't so hot back then. But then, he also complains about the heat (and the price of anything).
There is a constant barrage of advice about protecting yourself from heat. Drink lots of water! Wear sunscreen, light clothing, wide brim hats and a hand-held mister around your neck!
I say, buy a sun visor for your car and a giant fan for your place. My fan helps me stay cool even if the thermostat is set to 75 degrees. It dries my eyes out a little, and I have to move it from room to room, but I feel it was still worth the $35.
The beginning of our summer has arrived, and the heat is here to stay for a few months. I have some heat jokes, though.
It's so hot, the trees are whistling for dogs.
It's so hot that you biggest fear about a bicycle crash is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"
It's so hot you discover it only takes two fingers to drive a car.