Beat The Heat

Today's weather? Well, in Iraq highs will reach 125 degrees. No need to go scrambling for your Celsius conversion table, that's degrees Fahrenheit. Daytime temperatures in the Iraqi summer range between 105 and 125. "I feel like I'm in someone's mouth," said Navy medic Kyle Gribi, 22, of Santa Cruz, California, as he patrolled beside Iraqi soldiers on the humid riverbanks of the Jazeera area in western Iraq.
Oh, and they're still shooting at them too. No caftans for these guys - things blow up where they are. That means body armor, flame retardant suits, gloves and goggles. That means these guys drop more each day than Jared did in a whole year of Subway sandwich binges.
In a seemingly unrelated story, A previously unknown photograph of British nurse Florence Nightingale went on display on Monday at an exhibition dedicated to the woman whose work with wounded soldiers during the Crimean War made her a household name. Nightingale believed the death rates among British troops were due to poor nutrition and supplies and overworking of the soldiers. What might "The Lady With The Lamp" make of conditions in Basra?
"I don't mind the blistering heat,
I think I can endure.
It's freezing cold and I can't feel my feet —
Well, that's the hell of war.
I never thought about the big red wound
When I saw my comrades fall.
Now I'm in this cold and lonely room
Wondering if I'll live at all.
The lady with the lamp,
You know she understands."
The lady with the lamp,
She's the soldiers' friend.