Dog Days of Summer
The Romans first coined the term Dog Days after Sirius, the Dog Star. Long ago, during the hottest, most sultry days of summer, the Dog Star rose at the same time as the sun (no longer true, due to the precession of the equinoxes).
Where I grew up, the term also brought to mind the image of pets that, during this period of summer, typically tolerated the midday hours by stretching out on a cool slab of concrete porch in the shade, if it could be had. The look on such a dog’s face was of utter boredom, with its big slobbery hound lips leaving wet Rorschach splotches on the concrete where said dog collapsed for its heat-of-the-day nap. And what else can a dog do but park for a nap during such baked days?
And so it goes the past couple of weeks here. I’m really feeling, and relishing, the dog days of summer. I’m relishing the sweltering vapidness because I know it’s human nature to fear change, and the dog days of early August seem to be the most invariant.
Yeah, I saw that Bush signed a law expanding eavesdropping so now a bunch of strange government spies can listen to our fiber optic communications in addition to all the electronic ones they filter through Echelon.
And, yes, I’m aware that certain candidates that have been approved by the establishment are criticising other candidates for accepting money from lobbyists while they themselves receive rewards from corporations and AIPAC, but lie about it and hide it better.
And, yes, I’m aware that the FBI still maintains there is no hard evidence linking bin Laden to 9/11, and that, in all probability it appears that bin Laden died in December 2001.
But, sitting here in Huntsville, Alabama, smack dab in the middle of a D4 drought — the most severe category of drought — while ExxonMobile pays forty policy groups to undermine the scientific consensus about the human influence on global warming, even these news items can’t seem to break the stagnating doldrums of my summer. And to some extent, I appreciate that calm, because I fear one day soon I will wish I had appreciated it more when I had the chance.
And yet, the kids went back to school last week, and got real live homework this week, and the windows on the house need a good caulking before winter, and even in this drought, there’s yard work that needs to be done…again. And, surprisingly, a few unregulated candidates survived the dog days of summer and they’re still refusing to be silenced by the corporate machine. And the lulled public is, perhaps, again primed for another false flag attack of epic proportions, and more change, and more change, and more change.
And so, I sense the world awakening, for better or worse, a hint of change already in the air, and the dog days of summer drawing to a close.
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August 7th, 2007 at 11:32 am
I understand and feel the same way. South Carolina is just about as hot as Alabama, btw. I wish I could move to Canada.
I hear the fat lady singing.
August 7th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Very well-written psot.
It IS sultry. And people get weird when they’re too hot and too close together.
Although I’ve been paying attention, my mind hasn’t been firing on all circuits. I want to loll in the shade and enjoy these waning days of the U.S.A.
Lately, our emergencies are scheduled for late August - early September, so I’m sure the change is on the way.
August 7th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
I think they have this down to a science and all they have to do is mention immigration, and you have the attention of a large group.
Mention abortion or gay marriage and you have the other half going berserk. And heaven forbid, they be allowed in the military.
Just with these topics alone there is no need for a false flag.
August 8th, 2007 at 5:46 am
You may be right, Pelmo…the way they are just brazenly passing whatever legislation they please, and the way the justice system has been stacked to let them off the hook at every turn, maybe all they’ve got to do know is sit back and run out the clock by pushing our buttons on emotionally-charged issues that they have no intention of really doing anything about.
August 8th, 2007 at 7:15 am
Look at the past year. Every time some incident occurs, and befor it can gather any speed, within a few days another story takes precedent and the original thing goes on the back burner.
Also look how much legislation has been passed harming us under the cover of these headline grabbing stories.
August 10th, 2007 at 8:25 am
Interesting. Love the origins of things.
Do you know the origins of the saying: Three Dog Night?
Yes, it is an old band name, but they took the name from this story:
In Ireland in days of old, when it was cold a man went to bed with his sheep dog. When it was really cold, he slept with two dogs…one on either side. When it is a hundred year kind of cold, he put a dog on top of himself as well….a Three Dog Night.
I think I was listening to an interview of a band member a couple years ago and this story was told.
I guess dogs were easier to come by than ladies.
August 10th, 2007 at 11:44 am
I agree, Xman, with a bit of clarification.
It’s Australia, actually. To wit:
The name “Three Dog Night” supposedly refers to an expression meaning a night so cold that one needs to sleep while embracing three dogs. It’s unclear whether the term originated with Inuit or with Indigenous Australians[citation needed]. An official commentary included in the CD set “Celebrate: The Three Dog Night Story, 1965-1975” stated that vocalist Danny Hutton’s girlfriend saw a documentary on TV in which the custom was explained to have originated with Australian Aborigines.
August 10th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
Hey Indigo,
Thanks for the memory refresh. I was thinking of firing up a doobie to see if that would help clear things up. hee hee.
Speaking of the 60’s, anyone know the origin of the word “Pig”?
Or if you can’t remember that one, who said: “Death to the fascist insect”?
August 11th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Xman, I had to check, even though I was willing to go along…it just clashed with my fading memory.
Don’t know about “Pig”, but “Death to the fascist insect” is attributed to Patty Hearst and her SLA buddies, directed toward “fear-mongering pricks”.
August 12th, 2007 at 9:25 am
Thanks for the memory boost. It is said if you can remember the 60’s, you were,’t there…but google helps with that.
Fascist insects. Hmmmm….insect politics? I bet Joe could do something interesting with that thought.
August 13th, 2007 at 6:33 am
Fascist Insect…mmm. The whole Patty Hearst situation and hostages with Stockholm Syndrome is pretty interesting. Gotta check into the fascist insect comment, which, for some reason (maybe thinking about a big roach with Carl Rove’s face…) is cracking me up.
I found this about the term “pig” for police at Straight Dope:
Doesn’t really say who started it, but it’s been arounda looonnnng time.
August 15th, 2007 at 8:50 am
I’ve never been able to bring myself to use the term “pig” in reference to cops. It just seems so harsh to paint them all with that brush. I’ve got a number of childhood friends and relatives who are cops too and know they don’t fit the Pig stereotype. I just know better.
However, there are quite a lot of bad cops out there and the way the system works, allows bad cops to stay employed. Police unions are rather one dimensional. They just fight for their guys, right or wrong. Some departments lower entry some standards in order to increase recruitment. Unfortunately, loosening psychological testing standards lets a few unstable characters in which can infect others. Bullies bully fellow (and less agressive) cops into silence and submission as well as they do the public. Police training focuses in large part on good community relation development, but a large part also assumes a very adversarial stance with certain segments. When I grew up, cops walked a beat or they were easily approachable. We had normal conversations. I knew they were like us. I loved seeing them in action when they just used those good strong, firm (but somehow, still friendly and human) words to get someone in line. Now, whole squads of storm trooper looking guys show up and shoot to death some crazy, waving a paring knife when turning on the garden hose might have done the trick..or just tackling them…or just plain talking to them. Unfortunately, some idiot cop school professor decided on abusive submission language as the most effective method for all situations.
I could go on, but the point is, even someone like me who knows lots of cops, now knows they are potentially dangerous to anyone, not just real bad guys. I don’t trust them anymore. I even find that my friends and relatives stay off the subject. Such polarization is not healthy for anyones health or safety. But I still can’t bring myself to use the word Pig.
August 15th, 2007 at 9:20 am
I’m not fond of the term pig either, for cops, messy eaters, or anybody. It’s been overused and, even if you want to put down somebody, it’s just not creative anymore. Besides, my neighbor is a policeman, and a really nice guy, and even though it’s a low-crime nice neighborhood, it’s still makes me feel a little bit safer when I see his cruiser parked in the driveway across the street.
Naturally, a job description that involves wearing a weapon and having authority over other people will attract a certain ammount of undesirable folks to the occupation, and that’s bad. But, on the other hand, the police departments should (and probably do…) take this as an opportunity to train those undesirables and win them over from the dark side and turn those people into a force for good. Naturally, they can’t be 100% effective doing this.
But like you said, there ARE a lot of corrupt law enforcement folks out there. And, on the other hand, on the way to work this morning, I saw two cruisers in a parking lot and at first worried if I was over the speed limit or not…until I noticed the cops were busy getting a shirtless skinhead to lie on his stomach and stretch out his hands so they could approach and handcuff him…those guys must be under a LOT of stress.
August 15th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
I feel much the same, and y’all said it better than I could’ve, but it is a frightening contemporary dilemma -the need for law and order, and a dependence on predominantly out-of-control lawmen.
Wait ’til the police ranks are filled with Iraqi war vets.
August 16th, 2007 at 12:01 pm
Not “Iraqi war vets”, but veterans of the war in Iraq.
I should be more careful.
I just saw a prison documentary, it’s no wonder officers get so over-amped when dealing with hard cases. But I miss the days when I could encounter a policeman without feeling like a simple misunderstanding could make my life miserable. Seems like everyone has a hair-trigger these days.
August 16th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
I agree with you guys. They have a very challenging job and it is all but impossible to remain objective and professional in it….especially, when the “parents” of our country (bushies) provide such a rotten example themselves…and seem to send the message that the end justifies the means.
I agree, the more stressed out war vets we get in tough situations, the more trouble we will see. I think the guard members are a little more even handed due to maturity, age, etc. than the young guys who are pretty much “shaped” in the image of one dimensional killing machines…and don’t have the tools to know any better.
And I don’t believe the BS that most cops don’t want to pull their guns. It is the ultimate reality game and shooting “cruds” is protected behavior.