Forgive my rant, but it annoys me that everybody in the Midwest and Northeast US is whining and going on about the big heat wave we had this week. My local newspaper yesterday had, as front page news, the temperatures in Philadelphia, New York City, etc, all of which were in the 90s. I don’t deny that it’s news, since it is out of the ordinary, and for most folks in the US it’s a whole lot more on their minds than, say, the weather in Tikrit, but I think it would have been nice to add a little perspective:

Temperature in Philadelphia: 98

Temperature in New York City: 96

Temperature in Balad, Iraq: 116

Temperature in Baghdad, Iraq: 112

If you’re a soldier in Iraq in the summer, have a look at the thermometer and leave a comment with the temperature. If you’re in a tent without a/c in the daytime, I’m guessing it’s well over 120. It’s a little bit warm, and certainly more humid, here in Ohio than usual. But I have a hard time bitching about it knowing how it is for our soldiers in Iraq still.