For real?

[Funkmasterr]

I never get tired of making fun of entire states filled with retards that can no longer function when they get 1" of snow, but this is so pathetic I'm not sure what to even say.

Are UKidding me?

But temperatures are still a long way off the record low of -27C (-16.6F) in northern Scotland 14 years ago.


Council leaders have warned that tens of thousands of pensioners could die as a result of the prolonged cold snap.

The Local Government Association said the number of deaths caused by the winter chill might exceed last year's figure of 25,000.

What the fuck are these morons in the UK doing? Do you all get together and get shitfaced, have an orgy and pass out naked in the snow? I mean jesus fucking christ, we have colder days here in August, and you may hear about a random dumb ass dying cause they got lost walking home from the bar, but that's about it. Am I missing something here?

[miir]

There's a huge difference between areas that are accustomed to sub-zero temperatures and several meters of snow and areas that rarely drop below zero and get a couple of centimeters of snow per year.

Places like Minnesota (and even Toronto) have the infrastructure to deal with icy roads and heavy snowfalls. Snowplows, and salters... Scotland doesn't.

People in cold and snowy climates have snow tires and generally know how to handle a car in slippery/icy/snowy conditions.
People in more temperate climates do not because they are simply not exposed to those conditions.

[Funkmasterr]

There's a huge difference between areas that are accustomed to sub-zero temperatures and several meters of snow and areas that rarely drop below zero and get a couple of centimeters of snow per year.

Places like Minnesota (and even Toronto) have the infrastructure to deal with icy roads and heavy snowfalls. Snowplows, and salters... Scotland doesn't.

People in cold and snowy climates have snow tires and generally know how to handle a car in slippery/icy/snowy conditions.
People in more temperate climates do not because they are simply not exposed to those conditions.

Well, I think most of those are sorry excuses.. however I still don't see how those explanations would cover 25k deaths. I have long underwear that I wear once every handful of years.. I don't need them but I keep them around for the extreme circumstances in which I do. The same should go for warm clothes (winter jacket, hat, gloves) in any place that has a chance of getting that cold.

Driving in the snow is pretty much basic physics mixed with a little common sense, even if you haven't done it before. However, in these types of places I'm guessing infrastructure all but shuts down if they get snow, so stay at home unless an emergency requires you to leave.. Still have to believe there is a piece of the puzzle missing here. If you're holding out info from me about hot euro snow orgies I'm gonna be pissed!!

[miir]

OK, how about this?
How come it seems like HUNDREDS of Americans die in heatwaves every year?


I'm sure people living in the topics think it's completely ridiculous that people are dying when the temperatures are in the high 30s.

[Funkmasterr]

OK, how about this?
How come it seems like HUNDREDS of Americans die in heatwaves every year?


I'm sure people living in the topics think it's completely ridiculous that people are dying when the temperatures are in the high 30s.

Oh don't get me wrong, I wasn't singling out Europe, I thought I made that clear in my opening statement. It's just as ridiculous when people in Texas get 1/64" and the city shuts down, or per your example hundreds dying in a heat wave. Although hundreds still isn't even near the level of retardation it takes for 25k people to die cause it's a little chilly outside.

[Boogahz]

We don't get snow around here. We do get ice storms though. The majority of the major arteries through/around town are elevated, which is near-impossible to keep clear of the ice so the city shuts down. Also, since this only happens once or twice every other year or so, there are not as many resources available to keep the roads cleared.

[Syenye]

We generally get one big ice or snow storm a year. Most of the deaths aren't due to road conditions but due to house fires and people not knowing how to properly heat their homes.

[Winnow]

Heat wave deaths. lol! Wimps!

[Aslanna]

Just another typical clueless Funk post. Consider me not shocked.

Driving in the snow is pretty much basic physics mixed with a little common sense, even if you haven't done it before.

Yeah. We've already seen your grasp of basic physics and common sense . Wasn't it something like "go faster"?

[masteen]

Usually in the US, we don't see too many heat/cold related deaths unless there's also a problem with the power grid or shipments of heating oil.

From what I've seen, a lot more buildings in Europe lack modern climate control. It's why so many Euro cities can't host Olympics, despite the massive Euro bias the IOC has nurtured for decades.

[Funkmasterr]

Just another typical clueless Funk post. Consider me not shocked.

Driving in the snow is pretty much basic physics mixed with a little common sense, even if you haven't done it before.

Yeah. We've already seen your grasp of basic physics and common sense . Wasn't it something like "go faster"?

I'm the clueless one? Support your comment or shut up.

[Funkmasterr]

Usually in the US, we don't see too many heat/cold related deaths unless there's also a problem with the power grid or shipments of heating oil.

From what I've seen, a lot more buildings in Europe lack modern climate control. It's why so many Euro cities can't host Olympics, despite the massive Euro bias the IOC has nurtured for decades.

If they lack the climate control, put warm clothes on and get under a blanket.. I mean 15 below is not that damn cold, I've been out hiking and snowboarding all damn day in those temps.. Just doesn't make sense to me.

[miir]

If they lack the climate control, put warm clothes on and get under a blanket.. I mean 15 below is not that damn cold, I've been out hiking and snowboarding all damn day in those temps.. Just doesn't make sense to me.

You're a young active person in your 20s who has been living in Minnesota most (all?) of your life.
If you're in your 60s in unusually cold, sub-zero temperature without running water or electricity because of frozen pipes and/or power lines and in a poorly insulated home... can you not see how that might cause some problems?

I know you're not THAT thick headed.

[Boogahz]

I can wear shorts almost every day around here. I own one pair of jeans, because it doesn't get cold enough to require anything more than shorts very often around here. The rest of the world is not like Minnesota.

[Funkmasterr]

If they lack the climate control, put warm clothes on and get under a blanket.. I mean 15 below is not that damn cold, I've been out hiking and snowboarding all damn day in those temps.. Just doesn't make sense to me.

You're a young active person in your 20s who has been living in Minnesota most (all?) of your life.
If you're in your 60s in unusually cold, sub-zero temperature without running water or electricity because of frozen pipes and/or power lines and in a poorly insulated home... can you not see how that might cause some problems?

I know you're not THAT thick headed.

I sure can, but that really amounts to 25k people in the UK alone? It's the scale of it that seems absurd to me, not the fact that it happens at all.

And Boog, it's probably never gotten below zero where you are so why should you be prepared for it? In the other cases though "it doesn't happen very often" isn't a good reason not to be prepared.

[Aslanna]

I'm the clueless one? Support your comment or shut up.

My comment is supported by this thread. I thought that was obvious!

[Sylvus]

I never get tired of making fun of entire countries filled with retards that can no longer function just because they don't have any drinking water, but this is so pathetic I'm not sure what to even say.

Are you AFRIkidding me?

3.575 million people die each year from water-related disease. (11)
43% of water-related deaths are due to diarrhea. (11)
84% of water-related deaths are in children ages 0 – 14. (11)
98% of water-related deaths occur in the developing world. (11)
884 million people, lack access to safe water supplies, approximately one in eight people. (5)
The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns. (1)
At any given time, half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from a water-related disease. (1)
Less than 1% of the world’s fresh water (or about 0.007% of all water on earth) is readily accessible for direct human use. (12)
An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the typical person living in a developing country slum uses in a whole day. (1)
About a third of people without access to an improved water source live on less than $1 a day. More than two thirds of people without an improved water source live on less than $2 a day. (1)
Poor people living in the slums often pay 5-10 times more per liter of water than wealthy people living in the same city. (1)
Without food a person can live for weeks, but without water you can expect to live only a few days. (4)
The daily requirement for sanitation, bathing, and cooking needs, as well as for assuring survival, is about 13.2 gallons per person. (3)
Over 50 percent of all water projects fail and less than five percent of projects are visited, and far less than one percent have any longer-term monitoring. (10)

I totally agree with Funk, what kind of fucking morons can't survive something just because they weren't born into a place that already had the infrastructure in place to help survive it??? I mean jesus fucking christ, just turn on the faucet and get a cup already. Am I missing something here?

[Funkmasterr]

I never get tired of making fun of entire countries filled with retards that can no longer function just because they don't have any drinking water, but this is so pathetic I'm not sure what to even say.

Are you AFRIkidding me?

3.575 million people die each year from water-related disease. (11)
43% of water-related deaths are due to diarrhea. (11)
84% of water-related deaths are in children ages 0 – 14. (11)
98% of water-related deaths occur in the developing world. (11)
884 million people, lack access to safe water supplies, approximately one in eight people. (5)
The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns. (1)
At any given time, half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from a water-related disease. (1)
Less than 1% of the world’s fresh water (or about 0.007% of all water on earth) is readily accessible for direct human use. (12)
An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the typical person living in a developing country slum uses in a whole day. (1)
About a third of people without access to an improved water source live on less than $1 a day. More than two thirds of people without an improved water source live on less than $2 a day. (1)
Poor people living in the slums often pay 5-10 times more per liter of water than wealthy people living in the same city. (1)
Without food a person can live for weeks, but without water you can expect to live only a few days. (4)
The daily requirement for sanitation, bathing, and cooking needs, as well as for assuring survival, is about 13.2 gallons per person. (3)
Over 50 percent of all water projects fail and less than five percent of projects are visited, and far less than one percent have any longer-term monitoring. (10)

I totally agree with Funk, what kind of fucking morons can't survive something just because they weren't born into a place that already had the infrastructure in place to help survive it??? I mean jesus fucking christ, just turn on the faucet and get a cup already. Am I missing something here?

Wow, that sure is clever of you! Nevermind that you are talking about something that is ENTIRELY out of control of the majority of the people it effects, while that is absolutely not the case for what I was talking about.

[Bubba Grizz]

I think it is Natural Selection.

[Winnow]

An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the typical person living in a developing country slum uses in a whole day. (1)

I use enough water for at least a week then with my showers!

I have no pity for overpopulated developing countries. They need to die off. Maybe do some neutering and breeding education after the big kill off. I agree we can help through education but lets let them die off a bit first.

So glad North America is pretty much isolated from the rest of the world, only allowing enough illegals through the border to mow our lawns, pick fruit and stuff.

Some people in California need to die off as well. They steal other state's water. Thankfully Arizona is set for water. No worries here!

[Sylvus]

Wow, that sure is clever of you! Nevermind that you are talking about something that is ENTIRELY out of control of the majority of the people it effects, while that is absolutely not the case for what I was talking about.

So you're saying that the 25,000 elderly and disabled people who are on fixed incomes (that they are only estimating could die) and have their water supplies cut off by the cold are in full control of the situation and will only die as a result of their own stupidity? My mistake, I must have misinterpreted your message.

/edit: Oh, and the page you were referring to is from January 7 of this year, so it's not exactly current.

[Funkmasterr]

Wow, that sure is clever of you! Nevermind that you are talking about something that is ENTIRELY out of control of the majority of the people it effects, while that is absolutely not the case for what I was talking about.

So you're saying that the 25,000 elderly and disabled people who are on fixed incomes (that they are only estimating could die) and have their water supplies cut off by the cold are in full control of the situation and will only die as a result of their own stupidity? My mistake, I must have misinterpreted your message.

/edit: Oh, and the page you were referring to is from January 7 of this year, so it's not exactly current.

The Local Government Association said the number of deaths caused by the winter chill might exceed last year's figure of 25,000.

I read this to mean that was the number that died last year from this kind of thing, not the number they are estimating will die this year. I have a hard time believing there are that many elderly and disabled people who don't have access to warm clothes and blankets, there has to be a large chunk of stupidity factored in there as well.

If that many elderly and disabled people are dying each year from the cold, I can't imagine there would be many elderly or disabled people around to die from the cold before long.. Your (and others in this thread) argument doesn't add up, but you can keep pretending like I'm just a prick and it does if you like.

[Wulfran]

I read the statements about the elderly dying as a statement on the care and standard of living for the elderly in the UK. I also interpret it (perhaps falsely) to encompass deaths due to cold related illnesses (i.e. flu and pneumonia) that also occur in North America. I seriously doubt that many people in the UK are a) that under insulated and protected from the cold, b) that poor that cannot afford gas/coal/electricity for heat. I hate statements like that because they're added for shock/impact but have no context to define them.

[Jice Virago]

I think it is Natural Selection.

This.

One of the things that has made me resent California more than anything else is seeing what happens to this state when more than an eye dropper of rain hits the roads around here. People freak the fuck out like its the second comming of the biblical floods and drive at about 5mph.... in their giant fucking hummers. The fact that california has not been erased off the face of the fucking earth for its blatant retardation is the single greatest proof to me that god does not exist. I mean, christ, it dips below 70 here and people are wearing fucking parkas and shit. We actually shut down the campus where I work because of excessive rain. To me that would suggest 10 ft visibility and maybe some monsoon like cross winds, but no, the actual rainfall was your typical summer thunderstorm in Wisconsin.

I hate to agree with Funk on this, but having seen it first hand, no one in a developed country has any excuse for not having at least some small degree of preperation for weather extremes that are in the realm of possibility for the area. Hence, I keep cold weather clothes accessable for more than trips back to Wisconsin and I am the only fucking person I know who owns an umbrella and raincoat, even though it fucking rains here every year at least a couple days in december. Countries with poor infastructure, ok you get a pass, but the UK and US residents have zero excuse for not having some degree of rediness for extreme cold or heat.

[Zaelath]

First rain after a dry spell here is hillarious... brings the oil up to the surface of the road, and there's always some jackass that forgets you have to brake earlier and runs red lights in a 4 wheel skid.

[miir]

I hate to agree with Funk on this, but having seen it first hand, no one in a developed country has any excuse for not having at least some small degree of preperation for weather extremes that are in the realm of possibility for the area. Hence, I keep cold weather clothes accessable for more than trips back to Wisconsin and I am the only fucking person I know who owns an umbrella and raincoat, even though it fucking rains here every year at least a couple days in december. Countries with poor infastructure, ok you get a pass, but the UK and US residents have zero excuse for not having some degree of rediness for extreme cold or heat.

Have you ever been to Europe?
This is one of the stupidest posts you've ever made.

[Winnow]

[Gzette]

Individuals being prepared is one thing. To a lesser degree you should expect states to be ready. But municipalities have little justification for making capital expenditures on things like snow plows when they get a good snow once every 5 years.

[Funkmasterr]

Individuals being prepared is one thing. To a lesser degree you should expect states to be ready. But municipalities have little justification for making capital expenditures on things like snow plows when they get a good snow once every 5 years.

Apparently they feel there is little justification in MN even when we get a good snow once every 5 minutes. From that snow storm we had last week or two weeks ago or whenever it was - we now have glaciers forming on the road. You'd think that something like plowing/salting/sanding the roads would be one of the last things to get cut from the budget in a state like this, but I don't have my head up my ass so I can't claim to know how the politicians are thinking.

That being said, people have worked with what we have here and I don't think there have been many accidents.. It still boils down the the individual. Drive safe in the snow, if you aren't used to driving in it and are going to panic or be an idiot, don't drive unless someone is gonna die if you don't.

[Jice Virago]

@Miir
Really? What is so stupid about expecting people in a developed (theoretically top tier industrial) nation to have seasonal preperations for plausable extremes in the environment? How do you not prepare yourselves for a fucking cold snap in Ireland? When I lived in the midwest, most households had (unless you were a dipshit townie redneck) some measure of dry food stores and other sundries for emergencies. People generally had preperations in place for things like Tornadoes, which is a lot less likely to hit you than being snowed in. How is it so fucking hard to stock food, a few extra blankets and perhaps space heaters/firewood for emergencies? Am I an idiot for actually owning an umbrella and knowing how to drive in the rain in SoCal?

I am not getting what the rage is here, unless you think I am attacking europeans (I am, but I am attacking americans just as much) and are being defensive about that. I mean, I don't have tons of sympathy for New Orleans for not having better flood preperations in place, either. At some point, not preparing for emergencies bites you in the ass.

[Jice Virago]

Individuals being prepared is one thing. To a lesser degree you should expect states to be ready. But municipalities have little justification for making capital expenditures on things like snow plows when they get a good snow once every 5 years.

My hometown is Wautoma. At the time I moved away, it had a population of 2400 and it was the county seat of its county. That shitty little munincipality had (and still did last time I went home) plenty of snowplows that operated in every snowstorm. It also has a stockpile of sandbags and other emergency supplies and gear to contend with flooding, which has never occured there in the entire time I have been alive. When the tornados rolled through the place back in 1997ish, the supplies came in handy and emergency gas powered generators kept the key shit in town running. There was minimal loss of even basic services, let alone life, because the town prepared itself for an unlikely but possible disaster.

Now, I would not expect a fleet of snowplows in Texas, but given that it DOES occasionally snow there, having say one plow attachment and a sand spreader trailer for one of their other service trucks seems like it would be a nice cheap bit of preperation. Its not like it can't fucking sit there in the highway department storage when its not in use and it would probably save a lot of idiots grief the one time in 3-5 years that it does snow. And ounce of prevention being a pound of cure and all that....

[Funkmasterr]

@Miir
Really? What is so stupid about expecting people in a developed (theoretically top tier industrial) nation to have seasonal preperations for plausable extremes in the environment? How do you not prepare yourselves for a fucking cold snap in Ireland? When I lived in the midwest, most households had (unless you were a dipshit townie redneck) some measure of dry food stores and other sundries for emergencies. People generally had preperations in place for things like Tornadoes, which is a lot less likely to hit you than being snowed in. How is it so fucking hard to stock food, a few extra blankets and perhaps space heaters/firewood for emergencies? Am I an idiot for actually owning an umbrella and knowing how to drive in the rain in SoCal?

I am not getting what the rage is here, unless you think I am attacking europeans (I am, but I am attacking americans just as much) and are being defensive about that. I mean, I don't have tons of sympathy for New Orleans for not having better flood preperations in place, either. At some point, not preparing for emergencies bites you in the ass.

We are pretty much on the same page here. I too got the feeling maybe people were getting defensive cause the big ol' meanie American was trash talking the Euros.. However that was not my intention either, I just see no excuse for people in a developed country to not be prepared for shit that not only could happen, but judging by the pattern of people dying from this (lots of people, too) every year... WILL happen.. We aren't exactly talking about expecting someone in Texas to have snow tires here...

[Boogahz]

Now, I would not expect a fleet of snowplows in Texas, but given that it DOES occasionally snow there...

The last measurable amount of snow here, Austin area, was in the late 80's. While there are plows, sand spreaders, etc., they are nowhere near as widely available as they would be in MN. Try justifying the increased expenses to purchase/maintain a fleet with all of the other expenditures that the area already has. It won't happen.

[Jice Virago]

I didn't say fleet, I said one detachable plow and a sand spreader in a shed someplace in the town. If my rinky dink down of 2600 can have a stockpile of sandbags, I am sure the awesome state of Texas can afford to have one detachable snowplow and a sand spreader trailer under a tarp in its county highway department.

[Gzette]

I didn't say fleet, I said one detachable plow and a sand spreader in a shed someplace in the town. If my rinky dink down of 2600 can have a stockpile of sandbags, I am sure the awesome state of Texas can afford to have one detachable snowplow and a sand spreader trailer under a tarp in its county highway department.

I'm assuming you've never lived in Texas.

Boogahz is right. I've attended a lot of government meetings around here for city, county and state govnt. All 3 assume its the others' problem and tighten up like a snare drum when asked for money. If there's no foreseeable positive economic impact of an expenditure, it typically doesn't happen.

These places do have contingency plans though. No idea if they're realistic (never checked).

Conversely, the state has at least managed to be fiscally sound (looking at you here Cali)

[Funkmasterr]

I didn't say fleet, I said one detachable plow and a sand spreader in a shed someplace in the town. If my rinky dink down of 2600 can have a stockpile of sandbags, I am sure the awesome state of Texas can afford to have one detachable snowplow and a sand spreader trailer under a tarp in its county highway department.

I'm assuming you've never lived in Texas.

Boogahz is right. I've attended a lot of government meetings around here for city, county and state govnt. All 3 assume its the others' problem and tighten up like a snare drum when asked for money. If there's no foreseeable positive economic impact of an expenditure, it typically doesn't happen.

These places do have contingency plans though. No idea if they're realistic (never checked).

Conversely, the state has at least managed to be fiscally sound (looking at you here Cali)

Those are excuses, which don't interest me. What we keep forgetting here is that the conversation started out with people not being prepared for cold in an area that apparently has thousands of deaths because of it every year, and is not a third world country or poverty stricken area.
This is a far cry different than saying they should prepare for snow in Texas or learn2notbethirdworldlolz in Africa. In a place where these things may be an issue it is unacceptable to not prepare yourself properly, sorry but this just isn't debatable, and arguing the point is making people look stupid.

[Gzette]

just discussing the differences dude. take a valium

[Funkmasterr]

just discussing the differences dude. take a valium

That's fine, I was just pointing out that this discussion started off with a more reasonable comparison than expecting Texas to have snow plows. And that making excuses for people is lame

[Boogahz]

Satellite Photo Shows The U.K. Covered in Snow and Ice

cool pic

[Nick]

Funkmasterr is trying to make a cross continental political point over the fact that people are dying because its cold.

You literally couldn't make this shit up.

Of course Winnow is here to laugh it up, like the self aggrandising fuckwit that he is (although at least he's being ironic, so thats ok)

But Funkmasterr... god that is just embarrassing.

[laneela]

Some of the attempted rationale in this topic is ridiculous. A near majority of the houses in South Florida have hurricane shutters. We also stock up on canned foods and water during hurricane season. I wouldn't be surprised if not too many houses in Minnetonka weren't equipped with such and wouldn't be stupid enough to question why not. In South Florida these last 8 days or s,o the weather has been ridiculously cold (for us) - in the 30's and shit and we're very ill-equipped for it. We're ill-equipped because the weather doesn't tend to drop lower than in the 50's so we're not ready to ski-suit up. My apartment doesn't even have a heater so I've been damn-near hypothermic. I'm pretty sure I'm going to die and they'll find my frozen carcass in fetal position with tears having frozen on my face. It pains me to see some Canadian motherfuckers walking around in jeans and t-shirts like it's a lovely, balmy summer day.

[Funkmasterr]

Some of the attempted rationale in this topic is ridiculous. A near majority of the houses in South Florida have hurricane shutters. We also stock up on canned foods and water during hurricane season. I wouldn't be surprised if not too many houses in Minnetonka weren't equipped with such and wouldn't be stupid enough to question why not. In South Florida these last 8 days or s,o the weather has been ridiculously cold (for us) - in the 30's and shit and we're very ill-equipped for it. We're ill-equipped because the weather doesn't tend to drop lower than in the 50's so we're not ready to ski-suit up. My apartment doesn't even have a heater so I've been damn-near hypothermic. I'm pretty sure I'm going to die and they'll find my frozen carcass in fetal position with tears having frozen on my face. It pains me to see some Canadian motherfuckers walking around in jeans and t-shirts like it's a lovely, balmy summer day.

You would be very much incorrect to make that assumption. See, here it actually gets cold, not just sweatshirt weather like in Florida.. So yes people have to be prepared and yes they do exactly that. Sometimes when it gets real cold people even go overboard with stocking up on water and stuff.

[Funkmasterr]

Funkmasterr is trying to make a cross continental political point over the fact that people are dying because its cold.

You literally couldn't make this shit up.

Of course Winnow is here to laugh it up, like the self aggrandising fuckwit that he is (although at least he's being ironic, so thats ok)

But Funkmasterr... god that is just embarrassing.

My point couldn't possibly be less political, although I see how it would be tough for you to think it has to have some kinda "stupid Euro" motivation behind it. It has to do with people be inexcusably unprepared for something that seems to happen there on a yearly basis. Either the people themselves need to figure it out, or their families need to help them if need be.

[Boogahz]

What you are missing is that it does not happen on a yearly basis.

[Funkmasterr]

What you are missing is that it does not happen on a yearly basis.

Ok, well I guess the article I linked with all the info was incorrect? Even if last year was the first year it had happened, IT HAPPENED AGAIN THIS YEAR WHICH QUALIFIES IT AS A PATTERN, SO FUCKING ACT ACCORDINGLY. Jesus_fucking_christ, there is no excuse here, so quit trying to make one.

[Keverian FireCry]

Some of the attempted rationale in this topic is ridiculous. A near majority of the houses in South Florida have hurricane shutters. We also stock up on canned foods and water during hurricane season. I wouldn't be surprised if not too many houses in Minnetonka weren't equipped with such and wouldn't be stupid enough to question why not. In South Florida these last 8 days or s,o the weather has been ridiculously cold (for us) - in the 30's and shit and we're very ill-equipped for it. We're ill-equipped because the weather doesn't tend to drop lower than in the 50's so we're not ready to ski-suit up. My apartment doesn't even have a heater so I've been damn-near hypothermic. I'm pretty sure I'm going to die and they'll find my frozen carcass in fetal position with tears having frozen on my face. It pains me to see some Canadian motherfuckers walking around in jeans and t-shirts like it's a lovely, balmy summer day.

You would be very much incorrect to make that assumption. See, here it actually gets cold, not just sweatshirt weather like in Florida.. So yes people have to be prepared and yes they do exactly that. Sometimes when it gets real cold people even go overboard with stocking up on water and stuff.

I think you misunderstood what she was trying to say. Then again there are more double negatives in that sentence than I've ever seen, so I'm still trying to decipher it myself.

[Boogahz]

95,000 Excess U.S. Deaths during the Cold Months Each Year

Now that the cold weather is here, we should remember that more Americans die during the cold months than at any other time of year, notwithstanding any global warming.

The figure below, which is based on data from the US National Center for Health Statistics for 2001-2007, shows that on average 7,200 Americans die each day during the months of December, January, February and March, compared to the average 6,400 who die daily during the rest of the year. On this basis, there were 95,000 "excess" deaths during the 121 days in the cold months (December to March, assuming a non-leap year).

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/12/22/9 ... each-year/

[miir]

Are UShitting me?

[Funkmasterr]

95,000 Excess U.S. Deaths during the Cold Months Each Year

Now that the cold weather is here, we should remember that more Americans die during the cold months than at any other time of year, notwithstanding any global warming.

The figure below, which is based on data from the US National Center for Health Statistics for 2001-2007, shows that on average 7,200 Americans die each day during the months of December, January, February and March, compared to the average 6,400 who die daily during the rest of the year. On this basis, there were 95,000 "excess" deaths during the 121 days in the cold months (December to March, assuming a non-leap year).

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/12/22/9 ... each-year/

1- They are clearly just as stupid. However those figures are no where in the same ballpark as the idiocy taking place elsewhere.

2- That doesn't even specify in so many words that those are directly related to the cold, just kind of implies it, and again even if it does, we're talking about a much smaller number.

Still not sure what point you are trying to prove here. I made a post, not about the US, but about a article I read about the UK. That is what this topic is about, because that is what I made it about, understand? Now, if there are any other reasons you would like to excuse people from taking precautions for crappy weather (whether it's here, the UK or Afghanistan), I want to preemptively assure you I'm not interested in whatever they are, because there are no excuses.

I mean Jesus, we aren't talking about these people spending tens of thousands of dollars to rectify this problem. It's been -15 below or so here for weeks, and I have yet to wear anything other than a hooded sweatshirt with a t shirt underneath it all winter. My parents are broke and keep it fairly cold in the house, cold enough that your feet may be a little numb uncovered.. but PUT SOME DAMN BLANKETS ON. Shit, you can make your own blankets for the cheap cost of the materials.

If you are arguing with me for the sake of arguing, piss off. If you are defending people because you are some kind of humanitarian and your heart bleeds for everyone that suffers whether it's their own fault or not... piss off. If there is some point you are working towards though, I would sure love it if you just hurried up and got there.

[miir]

The funny thing is if you actually do a bit of research on how the statistics were gathered in the first article you linked, you'd know they they used the exact same methodology.