Temperature and thermostats...
Ever wonder why in this day of expensive energy the thermostats of buildings are set so low in the summer that those working in them must wear more clothes than are appropriate outside? Lot of times you'd better take a sweater to be inside even if the temp outside is 90!
Why? I think it is because appearance -- Style! -- is everything. You want to keep offices cold enough in the summer that men can comfortably wear a suit with coat and tie. So that women can show off their woolen wardrobe at any time of year. Damn the cost! What price ostentacion?
Summer or two ago for the first time a passenger staying in my parked vehicle for a few minutes who insisted on the motor being left running to keep the air conditioner on! I've seen that but never experienced that particular craziness before. Totally insane!
For myself, I can drive seven hours in 100+ degree heat without an air conditioner, no problema. A pail of ice, cold drinks, a little hot air flow and I'll be fine.
The human body was designed to adjust to variations in temperature. In my poor opinion, it is insane to expect to live out our lives in a narrow band of temperature variation hovering around 70 degrees F. The human body is especially evolved to cope with cooling in hot temperatures.
Of course I like to sleep in an unheated room in winter, and the colder it gets the more comfortable I am, down into the 30s at night (I can't breathe trying to sleep in a warm room in winter.)
It is crazy when the weatherperson on TV warns us about spring heat waves into the 90s or warn us about going outside when temps are below 20. Do they think we are stupid? Well...
All this unnaturalness is killing us of course, at the bank and otherwise. I pity the bubble-baby children growing up today. "It's too hot to play outside!" "It's too cold to play outside!" Which is true of half the days of the year.
This is one of a number of reasons why I think our species is headed toward extinction.
