I know that most of you don't want to hear this ...

[blamebrampton]

But holy hell it was hot here today ... not as bad as Melbourne, nor Adelaide, where it was in the 40s again, and will be again tomorrow. Poor anthraxia , I think of you and the lot down there! It was only low 30s in Sydney, so things could be worse, but still quite draining!

I may have to come back to London sooner than I had planned, so that I can strangle the Times's Dominic Lawson. One more chorus of 'Ooh, it's cold, therefore there is no climate change' and I shall be forced to beat him about the head with an atlas, before showing him that London and Calgary and parts of Siberia are all at the same latitude, and then strangling him. If the Gulf Stream stops, he'll be embarrassed about confusing science with alleged left-wing conspiracies, the goose.

Meanwhile, scarves wrapped around heads, two pairs of tights and two pairs of gloves, you lot! Good luck! I hope the gritters make your street and that the heat holds up inside. As for me, I am running out of clothes I can take off and still be able to go out in public ... And if anyone has recommendations for a sunblock that's good for sensitive skin, do share!

Oh, and Happy Birthday ladydeth12 !

Comments

[being-here.livejournal.com]

No need to come back. I'll get him for you.

I think the big mistake was allowing it to be called global warming rather than climate change.

The Gulf Stream has moved at the moment, bringing unseasonably warm weather to parts of the arctic I believe and leaving us here, freezing. Or so my knowledgeable friend was saying last night. I may not have got all the details - I'd just dropped my dad to the airport and was making a dent in my friend's scotch.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Oh you're a GOOD friend! And yes, that is a rough description of what's going on, from what I have read. Making a dent in the Scotch is an excellent plan: I have Limoncello and gin in the freezer for when it all gets too painful here ;-)

[being-here.livejournal.com]

You gave me good father related advice - it's the very least I can do! (Also I would do it just for me - the man's a tit)

Logically I can accept it's hot where you are, but I can't make myself believe it is warm anywhere at the moment! Gin in the freezer? *shivers* *makes another hot toddy*

[noeon.livejournal.com]

Sunblock: La Roche Posay Anthelios does pretty well for facial use, which is the hardest to find. I use as many physical sunblocks as I can (hats, treated clothing, linen shirts) but creams are really important under the conditions you're facing. Anything with micronized zinc oxide is helpful, but turns you sticky white. All the others have nasty chemical things in them, it's just a question of degree of nasty.

I've also had good luck with Coppertone Sport block for body (truly nasty) and Lily of the Desert 40 spf (moderately nasty). I use the pure zinc oxide Badger block in the winter, but it's not practical for 30+ degrees. In the current -12 temperature (at 7am), it works quite well.

[scabbyfish.livejournal.com]

My brother's Australian and travelling back from the UK to Adelaide next week. That's going to be a shock to the system - sub-zero to 40+ x.x

[ladyjaneva.livejournal.com]

My town has given up on cleaning the smaller streets. Only the real big ones get cleared, and they take care that the cable cars can always run. It hasn't stopped snowing since Friday. Non stop snow. I wish I was a child and could enjoy it like I used to.

[ladyjaneva.livejournal.com]

"And if anyone has recommendations for a sunblock that's good for sensitive skin, do share!"

I'm very happy with the sunblockers by DM and Balea, but the brand seems to be available in Germany and Austria only...

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Sadly, half the good brands aren't available here :-(

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Heh! I was like that when I looked out the window in Paris: 'Yay! Snow!' and then a few seconds later the adult brain kicked in: 'Your clothes are not very good for snow, you know ...'

Good luck with the transport, I hope everyone stays safe and as warm as possible.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

That was my excuse for a comatose Christmas/New Year, and he's got 10 degrees more to complain about ;-)

[scabbyfish.livejournal.com]

*g* A perfect excuse for lounging around, I say; our bodies clearly aren't meant for such extremes!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Alas, La Roche Posay isn't sold here :-( I may need to find that mythical internet shop selling it and Boots No.7 Protect and Preserve ...

I've been using a nanotech zinc block for a few years, but I have to basically scrub it off at the end of the day if I don't want crusty skin by the end of the week. And on a very hot day, you basically sweat it as a pale white mask that remains glued to your face, but mankily so. It's slightly better than the chemical ones that just give me spots ...

Of course, I put up with spots and mankiness, because they are better than wrinkles and skin cancer.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

*Sends you about 15 degrees C!*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Heh, I was saying that I need a budget to jet around the world so that my whole year went from 5-22 degrees C. That's what we all need!

[scabbyfish.livejournal.com]

Ahaha, definitely! 'Quick, winter's approaching; time to move to spring.' Maybe when I'm rich and famous *g*

[alex-s9.livejournal.com]

In the last ten years we had many mild winters, one very strong and this year we've got what I believe was calles winter about thirty/forty years ago: minus Celsius degree almost all the time and snowing.

That's actually not a problem, the problem is summer. The summers are getting colder and colder, and it rains a lot (while we used to have very dry summers here in Poland). The climate is changing, but in a very random way.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Alas, my two fave places are New South Wales and East Sussex, and both are at their finest in May to September. I need more spots to fill in the other months. And, as you note, limitless wealth ;-)

[noeon.livejournal.com]

:( I first bought it in Germany and have ordered it successfully from Canada. I've heard of Boots No. 7 but never used it.

Yes. The scrubbing. And the white rings. There was a chemical block a few years back that Neutrogena still uses called Parsol 1789 that will turn your clothing yellow when you perspire, although they swear they've solved the problem. Many are still worried about the nanoparticles, too, and how deeply they penetrate into cells. I do think that zinc oxide in general is better, but it's hard not to have some chemical component for efficacy.

Spots and mankiness are better than skin cancer, although then there's the need for sun in vitamin D synthesis. Worry and intelligence cause wrinkles too, dear editrix extraordinaire :D

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Ah! so that's where all the rain has gone! We had a little in Australia this year, but it has been basically 13 years since there was anything like normal rain here.

[scabbyfish.livejournal.com]

Turkey's very nice in the winter months *g* *plans for future*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Raitala pointed out that my forehead wrinkles are all the sort one gets from an expression of horrified disbelief. She's quite right, too ;-)

And in Sydney, one requires 8 minutes of sun a day, before 10am or after 3pm, through sunblock, in order to get your daily dose of Vitamin D. MADNESS!

[treacle-tartlet.livejournal.com]

Sunblock...have you tried Nutrogena, or one of the organic hippy brands? Natural Instinct make sunscreen. I have sensitive skin, and I use the stuff made for babies or toddlers. Course, I also don't go outside between 10am and 3pm for fear of bursting into flames...damned pale freckly skin...
It was 32 down here yesterday! Inhuman!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Haven't tried Neutrogena yet, but have tried most of the hippie ones: they all separate too soon, and after a few shakings you can't get them back together.

The Hamilton Sensitive Skin for Toddlers is quite good, but still gives me spots. Spots without burning, which is something, I suppose ;-)

And yes, my lunchtime appearances are only conducted with parasols. Your temps made the news here tonight! Ridiculous for your neck of the woods!

[alex-s9.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you have dust storms instead. But we have new kinds of weather as well. For example, yesterday our car was frozen. There was snow on it which later got rained on by freezing rain, and it created additional layer of paint (or so it looked like). I haven't seen anything like that in my life.

[treacle-tartlet.livejournal.com]

It's just not right! I was worried this afternoon that Small Girl had been exposed to too much sun while helping Blondie and Co make concrete, but it all came off in the bath! Hurrah!
One day a couple of weeks ago, it was hotter in Hobart than it was in Adelaide. Now, tell me, how can that happen in a sane universe? We live in this neck of the woods so we don't have to put up with this sort of nonsense!
*is appalled*