DOG DAYS

We are in the midst of the "Dog Days" of summer. Two of summer's most uncomfortable days were yesterday and today. What are the dog days? Where did the term come from? I like many thought that it came from the fact that in the heat of summer dogs lie around panting in whatever shade they can find and do minimum exercise. They are smart animals but I thought that there might be some other explanation, and I found it.

The best concise(?) elucidation is in a copyright site " htm http://wilstar.com/dogdays.htm ". (Copy it and paste in URL Address line-it will bring it up). Another is of course Wikipedia. ,and I am reproducing part of that entry:

"Dog Days" (Latin: diēs caniculārēs) are the hottest, most sultry days of summer. In the northern hemisphere, they usually fall between early July and early September. In the southern hemisphere they are usually between January and early March. The actual dates vary greatly from region to region, depending on latitude and climate. Dog Days can also define a time period or event that is very hot or stagnant, or marked by dull lack of progress. The name comes from the ancient belief that Sirius, also called the Dog Star, was somehow responsible for the hot weather.

he Romans referred to the dog days as diēs caniculārēs and associated the hot weather with the star Sirius. They considered Sirius to be the "Dog Star" because it is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Large Dog). Sirius is also the brightest star in the heavens besides the Sun. The term "Dog Days" was used earlier by the Greeks (see, e.g., Aristotle's Physics, 199a2).

The Dog Days originally were the days when Sirius rose just before or at the same time as sunrise (heliacal rising), which is no longer true, owing to precession of the equinoxes. The Romans sacrificed a brown dog at the beginning of the Dog Days to appease the rage of Sirius, believing that the star was the cause of the hot, sultry weather.

Dog Days were popularly believed to be an evil time "when the seas boiled, wine turned sour, dogs grew mad, and all creatures became languid, causing to man burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies" according to Brady’s Clavis Calendarium, 1813. ^[1]

The Old Farmer's Almanac lists the traditional timing of the Dog Days as the 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11, coinciding with the ancient heliacal (at sunrise) rising of the Dog Star, Sirius. These are the days of the year when rainfall is at its lowest levels.

For the ancient Egyptians, Sirius appeared just before the season of the Nile's flooding, so they used the star as a "watchdog" for that event. Since its rising also coincided with a time of extreme heat, the connection with hot, sultry weather was made for all time: "Dog Days bright and clear / indicate a happy year. / But when accompanied by rain, / for better times our hopes are vain."

The phrase is mentioned in the short story "The Bar Sinister" by Richard Harding Davis. The main character, who is a street dog, explains "but when the hot days come, I think they might remember that those are the dog days, and leave a little water outside in a trough, like they do for the horses."

Several days ago I posted a suggestion of a long term approach to combating the gangs and crime. I had fewer responses then I had hoped for which I blame on these "dog days" rather than public disinterest. However I am sure that the "movers", City, County, and State governments, will completely ignore any if not all of my suggestions. Politicians are typically those who can not see the forest because of the trees.

I believe that most of my comments have merit, but it will take public pressure to force any implementation. I also mentions that focus has to be on Education and Employment. I certainly have no expertise in these areas and others such as Dr. E=MC² have posted blogs on this subject. WE can only hope that the BOE will take heed of his remarks and Maria's to set policy that will reduce the wasting of dollars and directing them to better the educational experience of Plainfield's youngsters.

There is no question that an interesting attention gabbing classroom experience will keep more children in the educational system and less likely to be on the streets.