August 1, 2020—The Dog Days Have Arrived

In baseball, as well as other places, August is sometimes referred to as “the dog days of summer.” The implication is that it’s especially hot and humid, the days themselves are long, and they somehow seem to drag on and on, making us weary. Personally, I couldn’t disagree more. First of all, warm weather is a blessing…period. If I never see snow again in life it’ll be fine with me, so, no complaints here about the heat. I want to enjoy every single day of summer, folks. Don’t try to short-change me with the whole “summer’s (almost) over” nonsense. We’ve got a whole month, maybe 6 weeks left of summer, and I will have a smile on my face for every single wonderfully-warm day!

Second, the days are actually getting shorter, as they do all summer. Yes, the first day of summer is the longest day of the year, so, do the math. So, not so much with the dragging on of long days. Days (as in, daytime, when the Sun is out) are shorter in August than in July, guys. Get over yourselves.

Third, NFL football training camps are getting into full swing in August (even this year, apparently, but certainly in years past). And what’s better than football? Nothing. So, August has got that going for it.

But also, August’s are times when people aren’t paying such close attention to things. These “dog days” are times when stories can be hidden from the public’s watchful eyes, if we’re not careful.

Here are a few I’m going to try to stay on top of:

According to a NY Times article from July 31st, American Ambassador to Brazil, Todd Chapman, has been accused of telling Brazil’s President, Jair Bolsonaro, that Brazil can “help get President Trump re-elected by changing their trade policies.” The article states that Iowa, in particular, would be likely to go Trump’s way if he’s able to announce a lifting of Brazil’s ethanol tariffs before the November election. Seriously?! That seems a little blatant, even for “45,” no? Yeah, I’ll be keeping an eye on that’un. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/31/world/americas/brazil-trump-ethanol-chapman.html

Market Watch (among others) reported a story that has got to be kept in focus–attempts by the White House (specifically, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy) to reduce if not close, various parts/services/offices of the US Postal Service: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/postal-service-may-close-offices-cut-service-ahead-of-election-2020-07-29 Calling it an “operational pivot,” DeJoy has ordered reductions in overtime, service cuts, and outright closures. In a year where CoVid will make voting in person extremely difficult, if not downright dangerous, why on Earth would anyone who wants to see a free and fair election think it prudent to reduce the availability and effectiveness of the US Postal Service?!…Exactly!

Another NY Times story also caught my eye yesterday. It was about a type of colorless glass that the Ancient Romans called “Alexandria Glass,” which was considered to be the of the highest-quality, and that Rome was incapable of creating on its own. And just where did this mysterious, ahead-of-its-time, prized possession originate from? Why, Egypt, of course, just like so many other things that the Greco-Roman originators of Western Thought are “credited” for. (Why was Socrates put to death by the state again? Oh yeah, for “failing to acknowledge the gods that the city acknowledges” and for “introducing new deities.” And whose “new deities” were those, exactly? This, after Socrates had been studying in Egypt for 15 years…just sayin’.) What does Alexandria Glass have to do with Socrates? And what does any of that have to do with Western Society in 2020? Perhaps nothing…or perhaps everything. As Rachel Maddow so often says, “watch this space.”