From: pedregal@eternity.cs.umass.edu (Message Meister)
Date: Mon, 12 Feb 1996 09:50:01 -0500 (EST)

Greetings. It is time to enjoy the week's first cup of hot coffee, with
rib-sticking, heart-warming doughnuts and bagels w/cream cheese. Brrrr!
To turn meaningless Fahrenheit numbers into intuitive, clear concepts,
here's a scale for temperatures (thanks to Sharad Singhai).

  How Cold Is It?  An Annotated Thermometer  (author unknown)

  50  - Alabama residents turn on the heat

  40  - Californians shiver uncontrollably / Chicagoans go swimming

  35  - Italian cars don't start

  32  - Water freezes

  30  - You can see your breath /  You plan your vacation to Australia
     Chicagoans put on t-shirts / Politicians begin to worry about the homeless

  25  - Boston water freezes / Californians weep pitiably
      Chicagoans eat ice cream / Wisconsinites go swimming
      Your cat wants to sleep in your bed with you

  20  - You can hear your breath / Politicians begin to talk about the homeless
      New York City water freezes / Miami residents plan vacation further South

  15  - You plan a vacation in Houston
       Your cat insists on sleeping in your bed with you

  10  - Too cold to snow / You need jumper cables to get the car going

  5   - You plan a vacation in Mexico

  0   - American cars don't start / Wisconsinites put on t-shirts
     
 -5  - Miami residents cease to exist /  Too cold to skate

 -10 - You can cut your breath and use it to build an igloo
      Chicagoans stick tongues on metal objects

 -15 - Your cat insists on sleeping in your pajamas with you
      Wisconsin residents shovel snow off roofs

 -20 - Politicians actually do something about the homeless
      Only ice chunks hit the bottom of the outhouse

 -25 - Too cold to think / You need jumper cables to get the driver going

 -30 - You plan a two week hot bath / Japanese cars don't start
      Alabama is abandoned in favor of Costa Rica

 -40 - Californians disappear from the face of the planet
      Chicagoans put on sweaters /  Wisconsinites button top button
      Your car helps you plan the trip South / Swedish cars don't start

 -50 - Congressional hot air freezes / Alaskans close the bathroom window

 -80 - Hell freezes over / Polar bears move South