Rush Limbaugh Meet Weather Balloon

Stephen Colbert is still on vacation, so reruns are still on The Colbert Report. Tonight's episode was the one with Ric Ocasek.

But also on was a short clip of Rush Limbaugh from July 20, 2011 where he gets all heated up about heat. He seems to think it's some kind of government conspiracy. I think his confusion comes from not understanding what words mean.

Here's what he said. (And hopefully I have all the words right. I know my heart is in the right place.)

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"They're playing games with us on this heat wave again.
Gonna be 116 in Washington.
No it's not.
It's gonna be, like, 100, maybe 99.

The heat index, manufactured by the government, to tell you what it feels like, when you add the humidity in there.

116.

When's the last time the heat index was reported as an actual temperature?
It hasn't been.

But it looks like they're trying to get away with doing that now."

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First of all, Rush, the heat index wouldn't be reported as an actual temperature because it isn't. And you know that to be the case because you yourself said so. Just read it again.

"The heat index, manufactured by the government, to tell you what it feels like, when you add the humidity in there."

So the temperature would be reported as the temperature and the heat index would be reported as the heat index.

Poor Rush Limbaugh. He thinks sweat is a secret government conspiracy. Here's the deal, Rush, when you do work outside on a hot day, such as cutting the grass, you get hot and you sweat. But that's okay because that helps to cool you as the sweat evaporates. However, if it is really humid, your sweat won't evaporate and thus you don't get any cooling effect and you feel really really really hot.

So, it's really "cool" that someone came up with a plan to let us know if we are going to sweat a lot. I suppose Rush doesn't actually cut his grass at his house. He probably has "people" to do that. So, he doesn't really care how hot or it is, other that to give him something to let off steam about.

But I sincerely hope this helps clear the air for him on the difference between the heat index and temperature during a heat wave.