5 Surefire Tips for Beating the Summer Heat

Image from NASA Earth Observatory

As the US continues to experience extreme temperatures coast-to-coast this summer, you could just turn up the old air conditioning, or you could try these innovative but effective alternatives.

1. Damp washcloth on the forehead. I know what you’re thinking — nothing special about a damp washcloth on a forehead. Heck, you even see it in those old-timey movies. But those people who are probably now long dead knew a thing or two about solutions to real problems before technology made everything better and worse.
2. Popsicle in each pocket. Did you think popsicles were just for eating? Nope! Slide one of those bad boys into each pocket to enjoy 3–5 minutes of cool bliss. And you get to pick the flavor! (NOTE: If you enjoy dresses in the summer without pockets, just place a popsicle under each arm for the same effect.)
3. Fashion wings of feathers, cloth, and beeswax. Someone needs to tell the sun to cool it (literally), but how are you going to get close enough? I once read a story from a long time ago about a guy who made some wings out of common household items and made it almost to the sun. (Note to self: Finish that story sometime.)
4. Run really fast. Sometimes all you need is a little breeze to cool you off, and why wait for some silly wind to decide when to blow? Just make your own. And the faster you run, the stronger the breeze! The level of comfort is up to you!
5. Two words: Deep. Hole.