Observing the Aussies: Feeling the heat...

"We're having a heatwave, A tropical heatwave!"

Irving Berlin may have been referring to a shimmy-ing woman, but I'm referring to heat shimmering off the pavement. It is blasted hot here again with no end in sight.


While in the US this would be grounds for a CODE RED with warnings to limit activity, free giveaways of fans, advice to drink lots of fluid, actions to get any homeless into shelters and admonishments if you don't check on elderly relatives and neighbors; here in Australia it's met with a resounding silence. And while newspapers in any US city melting under this constant onslaught of heat would be filled with stories of heat-related casualties, if there are any heat injuries here they are carefully suppressed. So much so if you ask, no one will be able to say they've ever heard of any. While all I hear is Heat Miser singing.

Survival of the fittest I guess, mate.

- Farmer Ted