No, “Dog Days of Summer” doesn't refer to the string of blockbuster megaflops Hollywood pumped out this season.
The term actually derives from ancient Rome when, before the precession of the equinoxes gradually changed things, the brightest star in the night sky (“Sirius,” a.k.a. the “Dog Star”) rose about the same time as the sun. This generally occurred from late July to late August during the height of the hot, humid Mediterranean summer. Life slowed down to a standstill.
While the Earth's precession has shifted Sirius' rise with the sun by about a month, the effect of “Dog Days” remains today. In fact, Italy still honors the Roman tradition of taking the month of August off. Business (except for that related to tourism) winds down to a standstill. Even our own government leaves the capital during the hottest months of summer. Legislation, regulatory development and the usual shenanigans virtually stop, leaving political reporters with their thumbs twiddling.
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Christopher Carosa
Chris Carosa has been writing a weekly article and monthly column for BenefitsPRO online and BenefitsPRO Magazine since 2011 and is a nationally recognized award-winning writer, researcher and speaker. He’s written seven books, including From Cradle to Retire: The Child IRA; Hey! What’s My Number? – How to Increase the Odds You Will Retire in Comfort; A Pizza The Action: Everything I Ever Learned About Business I Learned By Working in a Pizza Stand at the Erie County Fair; and the widely acclaimed 401(k) Fiduciary Solutions. Carosa is also Chief Contributing Editor of the authoritative trade journal FiduciaryNews.com and publisher of the Mendon-Honeoye Falls-Lima Sentinel, a weekly community newspaper he founded in 1989. Currently serving as President of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and with more than 1,000 articles published in various publications, he appears regularly in the national media. A “parallel” entrepreneur, he actively runs a handful of businesses, including a small boutique investment adviser, providing hands-on experience for his writing. A trained astrophysicist, he also holds an MBA and has been designated a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor. Share your thoughts and story ideas with him through Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/christophercarosa/)and Twitter (https://twitter.com/ChrisCarosa).
