Frazz by Jef Mallett for December 13, 2021

I grew up in Florida. I dress like that when it’s 40 F.

At one point in Germany, inflation was so steep that people actually DID burn money to stay warm. At least that’s what I’ve heard.

When I used to visit family in Florida in the winter, I’d see people wearing parkas when it was in the 60’s Fahrenheit.

I would imagine the body needs a certain amount of chill to switch over to winter mode,

In the mid-Atlantic, one learns to adjust to the seasons. Some do it naturally, and some do it with great effort. By the time the latter have made the switch, the next season dawns and the struggle begins anew.

Note to Mallett:

Not everyone has designated outerwear for every 5-10 degrees of temperature. That may be their winter coat that will need to do for sub-30s. Others may have sensitivity to temperature different from him.

We’re he to be in South Florida about now, he’d see people walking their dogs in the morning with parka, Ugg’s, and gloves any time the thermometer drops below 65. Shelters open up at 60 degrees.

Nice leather coat with thick lining works just as well as the huge bulky thing. With a denim shirt, undershirt, hat, gloves, and scarf over your mouth you don’t feel anything.

-32F in Fairbanks AK, right now!

One very common blood pressure drug, Carvedilol, can make people feel cold.

Some just run cold, like me. I pretty much wear the same outwear whenever the temp drops below 40, adding a hat and gloves when it gets really nippy.

Weather is what you’re accustomed to I guess. My first full day in Sydney, the forecast was calling a high of 16C (June), so I got on the street bright and early to get a coffee. I was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, you know 16C outerwear… Sure it was a bit cool at this early time of day… but I may as well have been naked… everyone was wearing winter gear and some had gloves!

Around here in ankle deep snow you see parkas with shorts and sandals.

In San Diego the standard winter wear is parka, knit cap, gloves, shorts, Ugg boots.

A light jacket will suffice for Frazz down to about 20 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s when the lake is totally frozen over and he can no longer go swimming around the ice flows. He stays warm from the glow of his own smugness.

just watch at the other end of the cold season: it will be just barely over 50° and the same idiots will be walking around in shorts and flip flops

Layers.

I think it’s all in what you’re used to. 45°F in September seems awfully chilly, but the same temp in March is almost balmy.

You did know that people are not identical interchangeable particles, Jef, right? Just because they are not exactly like you, it doesn’t mean they have less value as human beings…

Perhaps that person knows that it’s going to be windier, and feel much colder, later in the day. Or maybe they have a medical condition.

But next March the first time the temperature goes above 40 people will be outside in shorts, bikini tops & flip-flops or bare feet.

“Barely below freezing” does not enter my vocabulary.

You know what the best thing about a temperature of -40 is?

You don’t have to specify F or C.

When I was younger and lived a bit farther north, I said every fall "If I need all this in November, whatever am I going to do in January?

And every January, I the answer was “pretty much the same outfit”.

Always wear layers over just a single coat it it really gets very old.

Barely below freezing is about as low as it gets here, and I see idiots wearing shorts anyway.