It's 5:40 PM on the left coast and 106 degrees where I am.

[BeHereNow]

The weather sucks, no doubt, but here is the good news.
I stopped by a local corner market a while ago.
I parked behind a van sporting Bush/Cheney stickers.
Clearly the wheels of a Republican voter.

As I was getting out of my vehicle, the owner of the B/C van
was approaching his. He looked like he was in a coma due to the heat
wave we are experiencing here.

"Incredible weather, eh?" says I.

"Time for a cold beer." said he.

"But you KNOW global warming/climate change is just
a LIBRUL CONSPIRACY, right?" I smirked.

"Hell no!" he said.
"That is just what they say to keep us divided!
Any fool can see the climate is changing.
I've lived here for 40 years and we've NEVER had
a heat wave like this in June! This has always been the marine
layer month!"

This is a step towards the citizens uniting, IMHO.
This is a good thing, despite the misery climate change is causing around the world.
It may be THE issue to wake the kool aid drinkers up.

This guy was one Republican who aint buying
what "they" (MSM etc...) are selling.

Wish I'd had a DU calling card to hand him.
I think he would have been a convert.

BHN

[Cleita]

1. I know. I'm on the left coast too and no one has air conditioning because

ordinarily we don't need it. Also, to add to the misery swimming at the beach is warned against because of high bacteria contamination. We are so fucked.
I hope it cools off soon. I'm thinking of drowning myself in gin and tonics.

[BeHereNow]

2. Get a bed sheet- stand in the shower and soak your self and the sheet.

Stand in front of a fan wrapped in the soaked bed sheet.
I feels great.
Trust me!
BHN

[Cleita]

3. Yeah, I need a shower anyway. n/t

[fed-up]

8. take ice cold bath or shower for 10-15 minutes-it will lower your core body temp nt

[hvn_nbr_2]

4. Yeah, but a good excuse to drink beer is fine as long as gays aren't destroying marriage...

and as long as no Muslim guy with a terrorist middle name is president.

[roody]

5. I turned on the evaporative cooler to cool down the

house, and now it smells like smoke in here due to a fire somewhere in N. Cal.

[bananas]

15. Use beer in the evaporative cooler

then it will smell like a picnic (bbq+beer).

[fed-up]

6. 9 lightening sparked fires here in Butte County-temp about 99 and HUMID

for the hot person-try wrapping a kerchief or bandana or washcloth around some icecubes and secure around your neck

I had to get some ice cubes for another vendor at the farmers market today who was borderline heat stroke

within 15 minutes she looked much better

I will post a separate thread on heat exhaustion/stroke-edited to copy post


fed-up (1000+ posts) Sat Jun-21-08 06:14 PM
Original message
HEAT EXHAUSTION/ STROKE --- Symptoms/Treatment

I am putting this in GD in the hopes that anyone that needs this info will find it

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heat-exhaustion/DS01046

Heat exhaustion

ARTICLE SECTIONS

Definition
Symptoms
Causes
Risk factors
When to seek medical advice
Complications
Treatments and drugs
Prevention

Definition
Heat exhaustion is a condition whose symptoms may include heavy sweating and a rapid pulse, a result of your body overheating. It's one of three heat-related syndromes, with heat cramps being the mildest and heatstroke being the most severe.

Causes of heat exhaustion include exposure to high temperatures, particularly when combined with high humidity, and strenuous physical activity. Without prompt treatment, heat exhaustion can progress to heatstroke, a life-threatening condition. Fortunately, heat exhaustion is preventable.




http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-heat-exhaustion/FA00020

Heat exhaustion: First aid
Heat exhaustion is one of the heat-related syndromes, which range in severity from mild heat cramps to heat exhaustion to potentially life-threatening heatstroke.

Signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion often begin suddenly, sometimes after excessive exercise, heavy perspiration and inadequate fluid intake. Signs and symptoms resemble those of shock and may include:

Feeling faint or dizzy
Nausea
Heavy sweating
Rapid, weak heartbeat
Low blood pressure
Cool, moist, pale skin
Low-grade fever
Heat cramps
Headache
Fatigue
Dark-colored urine
If you suspect heat exhaustion:

Get the person out of the sun and into a shady or air-conditioned location.
Lay the person down and elevate the legs and feet slightly.
Loosen or remove the person's clothing.
Have the person drink cool water.
Cool the person by spraying or sponging him or her with cool water and fanning.
Monitor the person carefully. Heat exhaustion can quickly become heatstroke.
If fever greater than 102 F (38.9 C), fainting, confusion or seizures occur, dial 911 or call for emergency medical assistance.



http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-heatstroke/FA00019


Heatstroke: First aid
Heatstroke is the most severe of the heat-related problems, often resulting from exercise or heavy work in hot environments combined with inadequate fluid intake.

Young children, older adults, people who are obese and people born with an impaired ability to sweat are at high risk of heatstroke. Other risk factors include dehydration, alcohol use, cardiovascular disease and certain medications.

What makes heatstroke severe and potentially life-threatening is that the body's normal mechanisms for dealing with heat stress, such as sweating and temperature control, are lost. The main sign of heatstroke is a markedly elevated body temperature — generally greater than 104 F (40 C) — with changes in mental status ranging from personality changes to confusion and coma. Skin may be hot and dry — although if heatstroke is caused by exertion, the skin may be moist.

Other signs and symptoms may include:

Rapid heartbeat
Rapid and shallow breathing
Elevated or lowered blood pressure
Cessation of sweating
Irritability, confusion or unconsciousness
Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
Headache
Nausea
Fainting, which may be the first sign in older adults
If you suspect heatstroke:

Move the person out of the sun and into a shady or air-conditioned space.
Dial 911 or call for emergency medical assistance.
Cool the person by covering him or her with damp sheets or by spraying with cool water. Direct air onto the person with a fan or newspaper.
Have the person drink cool water, if he or she is able.

[MonkeyFunk]

22. lightning strikes started fires here in Santa Cruz county, too

and we've NEVER had lightning in June. It's just insane.

[fed-up]

29. a small fire last week burned 23K Acres-my old street was evacuated for 3 days-glad I moved! nt

[tularetom]

7. 111 here in the foothills - had a thunderstorm then it cooled down to 98

Plus I saw my first rattlesnake of the summer.

[DesertFlower]

10. i thought they went underground

when the temperature is too high.

[tularetom]

12. They do but they slither out on to the blacktop driveway at night to get warm

and this one was still out there when I walked down to the road to get the paper this morning.

Last summer I dispatched three of them. Grandma hates 'em and wants to move back to town.

[DesertFlower]

16. last year there was one outside my

bedroom door. i thought he was dead. his eyes were closed, but then i saw his tongue flick. he was sleeping. i went to bed and checked a few hours later and he was gone.

most people freak when i tell the story. he wasn't bothering me -- so why should i bother him?

[tularetom]

18. Only reason I shoot them is they scare the horses and make them act stupid

Otherwise I'd just as soon as leave them alone.

[DesertFlower]

20. i understand. if i felt threatened

i would shoot it too.

[fed-up]

13. just had a few sprinkles of rain/lots of dark cloud cover-temp dropped to 94-yeah! nt

[MonkeyFunk]

23. yeah, same here

a big dark cloud passed over for a few hours, let out some lightning, but just a few drops of rain. But it DID cool things down a bit, and really lowered the humidity.

[DesertFlower]

9. i'm in the southwest.

it's 113.

[az chela]

11. I am in Northern AZ and it has been damn hot here

For the last 2 weeks.We never have this kind of heat and never in June.It is almost 100 every day and unbearable.
Phoenix has been 116 and the air is bad.
No global warming here

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

14. That's why we finally left L.A.

And, moved to Oregon and then to Washington.

At least summer ends up here.

80 right now.

[hfojvt]

17. I am glad I am not there now

perhaps you should




beHEREnow, in Kansas, where it's a little cooler.

[Joanie Baloney]

19. a downright balmy 90 in my backyard near downtown San Diego

Down from a peak of 100. Usually during June we may get 6 hours of sunlight a day due to the marine layer.

[enlightenment]

21. 110 high today

104 now, at 7pm.

Vegas is roasting and it's not even the hot season.

[Elwood P Dowd]

24. Nice and cool here in Alabama this week.

Highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s. It did finally make it to 90 this afternoon. I walk 3.5 miles every day and usually have to change it to 7:00 PM or later when June arrives, but this year I'm doing fine during the normal 4:30 to 5:30 hour.

[Hardrada]

25. Here in Eastern Iowa it is 85 degrees F.

We didn't have flooding in this area and the rains seem to have brought in cooler air. Normally Iowa summers can get as hot as a crotch.

[Pastiche423]

26. Would you kindly send some of that heat

up the coast? I am so tired of being cold. I am having doubts that we will see a summer here on the southern Oregon coast. It is officially summer and my heat is still on!

Our Farmer's Market has been a dud so far. The only produce we've seen are strawberries. Frost killed the peaches on one of the larger farms.

I have no patience for those that do not believe in Climate Change.

[fed-up]

30. a late freeze in May froze my BF's chards and kales-an apple farmer lost entire crop in Paradise-nt

[Beregond2]

27. I didn't even know there was a heat wave till I logged onto DU.

It's been 80ish here in southwest WA the past two days, but that's good for June. Usually we don't get any summer until after the 4th.

[raouldukelives]

28. Camping last night in Mendocino, CA

Pretty surreal. Moonlight illuminating dark clouds and lighting every 30 seconds. Lived here for 30 years and never saw a night like it.

[rox63]

31. It was a gorgeous day here in New England

About 80 degrees, sunny, a slight breeze, no humidity. That's my idea of a perfect summer day. Oh, we'll get a couple of heat waves this summer. But they're nothing like you get in the southwest.

[blues90]

32. It's still hot . the weather on the internet has to be wrong

It say's it's 85 now at 7:35 PM , hell it's 90 in my apt with the damn ari on which by the way is just a large widow intil that I can't really afford to use but it's cheaper that a visit to the heat stroke dept where ever that might exist.

I absolutely hate summer and the sun. I had no Idea why the hell I ever moved here in the first place other than my wife told me it was great here and she missed it and I trust her.

I have to say other than the hell hole swamp of a state southern FL is , southern calif is not much better to me. Trouble with FL is once you get there you never make enough money to get the hell out. Well now that's the way it is for me here.

I am from Chicago and the heating bills are expensive but you do at lease have seasons where if one , not me p
Who's brainstorm of an idea was it to put these plam trees here in the first place , what good are they , they have absolutely no function other than to drop wooden like palms and hay like crust.