Numbers

Have you ever noticed that after the thermometer reaches a certain temperature in the summer, it no longer matters what the numbers are, IT'S JUST HOT!!  There comes a time when the numbers just don't matter.  Does 99 really feel any hotter than say, 96?  Or is 105 more dangerous to be in than 102? 

Of course the other way is also true.  In the winter the weather forecasters insist on bombarding us with not only the temperatures but also the windchill factors.  Does it make you feel any colder or warmer knowing this information?  Do you feel warmer when it's only 12 degrees and not 8?  Does a windchill factor of 25 degrees really feel colder than a windchill factor of 30?

At some point, hot is just hot and cold is just cold.  We don't need numbers to tell us that!

I think the same is true with age.  A 15 year old isn't old enough to drive alone but a day later because they have a birthday they are suddenly mature and responsible enough to get behind the wheel of a car alone.  Does one more birthday really make a difference?

Maybe we should set limits.  Any temperature over 100 degrees should just be reported as "really, really hot."  Any temperature below 30 degrees should just be reported as "really, really cold."  And any age over 40 should just be reported as mature and wise beyond belief.