Since I seem to be unable to say anything at present, either about myself or about current events, I am instead linking to Jane Galt at [Asymmetrical Information](http://www.janegalt.net/blog/archives/005447.html), who has an excellent post on “Myth Busting”
As everyone knows, I had hoped that people’s attempts to use Katrina to prove that they were right all along would wait until the victims were laid to rest. This suggestion has been roundly ignored by all those who feel that their accusations will have more punch if they are made in the face of the nation’s shock and horror.
Still, it would be hoped that the message of “Hey, America, you really suck weasels!!!” could have waited a few weeks.
The whole post is a diatribe on why certain Europeans need to get off their high horse over Katrina, but what really fascinated me was all the statistical comparisons made between Europe and the US.
The average temperature in Dublin ranges from 4.8 degrees celsius in January to 15 degrees celsius in July. The average temperature in New York, where I live, which is pretty temperate for America–it doesn’t have extremes of either heat or cold–is -1 degrees celsius in January, 25 degrees celsius in July. In other words, while they have a temperature range of about ten degrees, we have a temperature range of about twenty-six degrees. And that’s not even a rugged area like Minneapolis (-11 degrees celsius to 24 degrees), Chicago (-6 to 24 degrees), or Kansas City (-5.5 to 24.5).
I never knew Europeans had it so good. There’s no wonder then, for all the stories of Eupopeans whose constitution couldn’t handle the New World and they suddenly died. Compared to the Extremes of American climate and geography, Europe is a veritable Garden of Eden!
neumatikos 