Gluten taste! Chronic fatigue! E. coli! Lady clots! Food symbols! Cilantro nastiness! Sun safety! And eluding mosquitoes with potions made of science! It's your Wednesday Health Watch, where we watch your health—hotly, of course!

Digging holes in the sand: a time-honored beach tradition. Also, surprisingly dangerous! A member of the Austrian Olympic swim team had to be rescued by a crew of 60 people after jumping into a hole he dug in the sand in Pompano Beach, Florida.

[This bikini encased in ice was displayed in Times Square today to make New Yorkers want to visit Ft. Lauderdale. But it may just remind you of how much weight you have to lose before summer. Image via AP]

This morning there was snow during my morning commute. Snow! Though it doesn't officially start until December 21, winter is here. This cold, dark, depressing season totally sucks, but here are 10 things to get us through until March.

[The Super Harvest Moon rises behind a statue of the Roman goddess of agriculture, Ceres atop the Missouri State Capitol building tonight. Image via AP]

In what we interpret as a consequence of normal global weather fluctuations rather than evidence of the veracity of any pseudo-scientific liberal "global warming" agenda, New York City just had its hottest summer ever. How hot was it?

Labor Day is rapidly approaching, and with it the end to the warmer weather and the lazy pace of the summer season. But before that happens, you better cross these activities off your list. Time's running out!

Ice Cream War! Watch as a brawl erupts between two ice cream truck drivers—one of the famous Mister Softee franchise and the other a NO NAME LOSER—over a parking dispute near Columbus Circle. Or, just another NYC afternoon.

During the summer, ice cream is a frozen indulgence that many people allow themselves without worrying about just how unhealthy it is. Here are the most fat-laden ice cream treats. The worst has more calories than three Big Macs. Fatty.

A woman in Italy was questioned by police after a mother complained that her two teenage sons were "troubled" by the sight of her naked boobies on the beach. Perhaps "troubled" is the wrong word. How about "turned on"?

[Two young men jump into the Hoosic River from a covered bridge in Buskirk, NY today. It's a great way to keep cool—if you don't break a leg. Image via AP]

[Sunbathers on Flamengo beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Being at work on Monday morning is almost as good as this! Pic via AP.]

It's hot outside! And yet, thanks to "society," you still have to wear clothes. The New York Times thinks you should do things like wear linen. Whatever! We have better ideas.

Despite conventional wisdom about high crime rates in hot months, New Yorkers are as likely to be victims of crime in October and December as in June and July. The takeaway: You could be murdered in literally any month. [WSJ]

Dumpster pools? Yesterday's news. The latest innovation in the field of urban swimmin' holes is + Pool, a floating pool design we've become obsessed with in the five minutes since we discovered it.

[Hungary is in the midst of a heat wave, prompting the government to issue a weather alert. Some Budapest residents were undeterred and ventured outside anyway. Image via AP]

Crikey! Ragin' media bandicoot Rupert Murdoch, owner of News Corp., would like his slaves/employees to know that, despite it being languid, lazy summer, he doesn't want anyone taking a relaxed attitude toward work. He's watching, don't you know? Memo below.

Dumpsters that have been converted to pools will be placed along Park Avenue between 40th and 41st streets this summer, so if you're looking to dispose of a body in midtown you should probably check inside the dumpster first. [NYT]

Hot town, summer in the city! As the mercury rises so does tension and desperation. Hungry for a story, the New York Times dispatched a reporter to fry an egg on the sidewalk. Fun, right? No! Blogs are crying foul.

Sunday was the 4th of July. Everyone was either off work yesterday, or at work doing nothing. Today, therefore, is one of the slowest news days of the entire year. Luckily for our city's beleaguered journalists: it's hot!