122 replies to this topic

[ShakeZuma]

timwakefield, on Thursday, July 21st, 2011, 7:53 PM, said:

On a list of the greatest inventions of all-time, air-conditioners are top three. The wheel, air-conditioners, and the compass, in no particular order.

you know, I was thinking about this the other day when I was leaving work, during those first 30 or so seconds where my face and back go from melting off my body to finally being cooled down by the air conditioner, that it wasn't but up until very recently, what, 50 years ago? that air conditioning was available. I mean, for fuck's sake, THOUSANDS OF YEARS passed where all people had were those stupid hand held fans to keep them cool. how did like 85% of the population not just commit suicide every summer? damn sure I would. screw all that nonsense.so yeah, top 3, definitely.

[brvheart]

The wheel can't possibly be top 3, because it's just common sense. The average 4th grader could have "invented" it, which means it can't be one of the best inventions.I would go with:Induction motor (which basically allowed the entire country to get electricity)A/CComputer (The printing press would be close, but it was made from parts that were readily available in the late 1400's, and it was kind-of common-sensey how Gutenberg built it.)So yeah. I agree with you guys.

[AmScray]

ShakeZuma, on Thursday, July 21st, 2011, 7:29 PM, said:

you know, I was thinking about this the other day when I was leaving work, during those first 30 or so seconds where my face and back go from melting off my body to finally being cooled down by the air conditioner, that it wasn't but up until very recently, what, 50 years ago? that air conditioning was available. I mean, for fuck's sake, THOUSANDS OF YEARS passed where all people had were those stupid hand held fans to keep them cool. how did like 85% of the population not just commit suicide every summer? damn sure I would. screw all that nonsense.so yeah, top 3, definitely.

From 1950-1960, the population of Florida saw its single largest percentage increase, ever (almost doubling). The ready availability of home air conditioning is widely attributed as a significant, motivating factor for this. It got to 99 *inside* my place today- the dog and I basically spent all day huddled in front of the portable AC, which is blowing decreasingly less and less cold air with each passing day.... Fans are the enemy- all they do is blow hot air at you. There are a lot of schools here that don't have AC. When you think about the '3rd World' parts of Chicago, its no shock that whenever we get a brutal heatwave like this, a bunch of elderly who live there wind up sailing off. Either way, this winter, I'm dipping into the emergency fund and picking up a couple more ACs.Edit: found it. gravitron

[SAM_Hard8]

Air conditioning ruined this country.Before AC people had porches and spend a lot of time outside because it was just to hot to be inside. Everyone watched everyone else's kids. After AC porches went away and adults went inside and kids were no longer supervised and became monsters.Before AC women stayed at home, after office became nice and air conditioned they started going to work in droves and we lost Suzie home maker.100 air temp yesterday with 120 heat index.

[solderz]

SAM_Hard8, on Friday, July 22nd, 2011, 3:54 AM, said:

Air conditioning ruined this country.Before AC people had porches and spend a lot of time outside because it was just to hot to be inside. Everyone watched everyone else's kids. After AC porches went away and adults went inside and kids were no longer supervised and became monsters.Before AC women stayed at home, after office became nice and air conditioned they started going to work in droves and we lost Suzie home maker.100 air temp yesterday with 120 heat index.

Air conditioning did all that? It had nothing to do whatsoever with the shrinking of the american family to nuclear from extended, or the increased availability of goods from easy to get to markets? Or the implementation of radio, and then television, which brought a variety of entertainment directly into the home? Or the advent of the car from horse and buggy?Air conditioning is way more of a bastard than I thought.

[SBriand]

Ahh back to a cold 88.

[AmScray]

solderz, on Friday, July 22nd, 2011, 7:49 AM, said:

Air conditioning did all that? It had nothing to do whatsoever with the shrinking of the american family to nuclear from extended, or the increased availability of goods from easy to get to markets? Or the implementation of radio, and then television, which brought a variety of entertainment directly into the home? Or the advent of the car from horse and buggy?Air conditioning is way more of a bastard than I thought.

He was pointing it out as a relevant technological factor that massively altered the way people lead their lives from that point forward.He's probably on to something with that, too.Is there any doubt that TV played a gigantic role in how people chose to live? The automobile? The impact video games and 'sedentary entertainment' had on kids of a certain generation?After sitting yesterday in a house that was 100 degrees hot, there is *no fucking question* that the advent and common adoption of air conditioning probably played a huge role in human socialization (or, non-socialization). If you go to the black neighborhoods in Chicago where they're dirt poor and few have AC, they're all outside raping and murdering each other. If we gave them AC, they would do their raping and murdering indoors.

[solderz]

AmScray, on Friday, July 22nd, 2011, 10:31 AM, said:

He was pointing it out as a relevant technological factor that massively altered the way people lead their lives from that point forward.He's probably on to something with that, too.Is there any doubt that TV played a gigantic role in how people chose to live? The automobile? The impact video games and 'sedentary entertainment' had on kids of a certain generation?After sitting yesterday in a house that was 100 degrees hot, there is *no fucking question* that the advent and common adoption of air conditioning probably played a huge role in human socialization (or, non-socialization). If you go to the black neighborhoods in Chicago where they're dirt poor and few have AC, they're all outside, dancing in an open fire hydrant raping and murdering each other. If we gave them AC, they would do their raping and murdering indoors.

What about fire hydrants? Did they help to encourage inner city socializing?I do not deny that air conditioning has had an impact on human society, but it certainly is not responsible for the almost complete lack of neighborhood or small town gatherings. The reasons for this are so diverse and complex (and technology as a whole certainly plays a large role) that pointing to one thing and saying it is responsible for it is just silly. As if getting rid of air conditioning would somehow bring us all together to sing kumbuya. I can certainly say that if I did not have air conditioning the last thing I would want to do is hang out with my morbidly obese neighbors. If I'm hot, they must be sweltering in their own skin.

[ShakeZuma]

oh man whenever it's really hot like this and I see fat people, all I can think of is how terrible they must smell.

[donk4life]

took the picture on the left today. picture on the right was taken last year in late july.it's hot.

[timwakefield]

98 feels like 106 right now in Brooklyn. At fucking 8 PM."Dangerous heat index. Outdoor exposure should be limited."

[ajs510]

timwakefield, on Friday, July 22nd, 2011, 7:58 PM, said:

"Dangerous heat index. Outdoor exposure should be limited."

Outdoor exposure is successfully being limited at my house. 72 degrees in the AC bitches...no pleasure, no rapture, no exquisite sin greater than Central Air.

[CobaltBlue]

Been pretty nice in Florida the past few weeks. Been stormy, but that's helped it from being too hot, I suppose, and I like the rain.

[DinkDonk]

It's been dripping-balls-hot in Buffalo for like 4 days now. I've been wearing nothing but underwear around my house the entire time, no matter how many friends/bitches my roommates bring over. I wear the tight ones, too, plus I pop my head in the freezing shower every half-hour or so, so I get that sexy, clingy, glisteny look.

[ShakeZuma]

well, it's still hot!

[GeneralGeeWhiz]

have fun cooking to death. its 68 here today. hahahaha.aa.a.aaaa.

[brvheart]

Oh look. It's down to 107. That's nice.

[Tiltinagain]

Supposed to be 98 here in E. WA today. Luckily we don't have the humidity that many parts of the country have but, damn! Hasn't been this hot since 2009 here.

[SuitedAces21]

its super hot everywhere. but i never leave the house these days anyway. locked in my room doing work son.

[chrozzo]

SuitedAces21, on 08 July 2012 - 11:23 AM, said:

its super hot everywhere. but i never leave the house these days anyway. locked in my room doing work son.

nice! doin work eh?thats not what she said...