The End of the Dog Days

Remember, in the not too distant past, when the term "The Dog Days of Summer" had some significance?

It generally referred to the period, right about now, when the toll of summer heat had made people more languid than usual, resulting in many businesses closed for a week or two, family vacations scheduled, major news at a premium and in general a sort of torpor or doldrums would  set in. Even Congress was on recess  and not attending to the country's business. In ancient times, people believed the Dog Days to be an evil time when the sea boiled, wine turned sour and dogs grew mad.

But, alas, in the 21st century like so much else that we were used to, the Dog Days have lost their relevance. Perhaps it is  the widespread availability of air conditioning and indeed our 24/7 technology (texting and tweeting are never on vacation) that has eliminated or greatly reduced the doldrums. A prime example of  how Summer has changed is the early start to the school year compared to even 10 or 20 years ago--never mind TNB's childhood when the Dog Days were certainly present.

Of course, the end of the Dog Days is primarily an American phenomenon. In Europe (where paid vacations far outstrip those in the U.S.) some countries are still more or less closed down in August. But take comfort that at least one American institution is still celebrating the Dog Days--the aforementioned Congress. When they do return to Washington,  no matter what time of the year, it will still be an evil time and it wouldn't surprise anyone if the sea boiled, the wine turned sour and the dogs grew mad.

Back to the Future

One advantage of attaining senior status (there aren't many other than some discounts) is the ability, hopefully, to remember some farfetched seeming ideas that over the years have come to fruition. 

For example, during TNB's  long ago boyhood there were the space exploits of Flash Gordon, rocket ships and all. Who knew that space would be conquered within a few decades after that comic strip and later movie appeared?

Then amazingly, the eventual advent of cell phones and other modern communication devices were inadvertently prophesied in the 1940's by Dick Tracy  with his two way wrist radio (!) and in the 1960's by the great TV spy spoof Get Smart when Don Adams, as Agent 86, Maxwell Smart, had a phone in his shoe. Imagine!!

This history all came to mind recently during the latest episode of the New York political soap opera Anthony's Weiner (not to be confused with Gray's Anatomy). There were some suggestions that the antihero, Anthony, would have been better off to send his creative texts by the program known as Snapchat, whereby the message allegedly is either hidden or sort of self-destructs in as little as ten seconds. Surely this application was inspired by the famous 1960s TV show Mission Impossible whereby the weekly instructions left for Mr. Phelps (Peter Graves) were also set to deconstruct in ten seconds.

Surely life has imitated art.
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Last week, TNB, sort of tongue in cheek, dared his readers to come up with names of Not So Nice Jewish Girls. Already we have submissions for Heidi Fleiss, Sarah Silverman and Amanda Bynes. OY.

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Farewell to the most erudite reader of The Normal Blog, David Honick, who passed away at 96--indeed a Nice Jewish Boy.

Nice Jewish Boys?

Certainly the old hoary stereotype "the nice Jewish boy" is passé and has been for a long time. Although it never made any sense to attach the adjective "nice", for a long time it was sort of an accepted usage among at least Jewish mothers--bring home a nice Jewish boy! --say like TNB.

But if anyone doubts that this term is outdated , just look at the headlines the last two days. Yesterday there was Milwaukee Brewers superstar Ryan Braun a/k/a the Hebrew Hammer (honestly) being suspended for the rest of the 2013 baseball season, with a loss of $3 million in salary and his reputation. It seems that contrary to his pious denials, Braun has now admitted to doping (performance enhancing drugs) and lying about it.

Then today, Anthony Weiner, New York city Mayoral candidate who is trying to recover from a self inflicted sex scandal which caused him to resign from Congress two years ago, had to admit that he had been a bad Jewish boy again. After his apologetic mea culpa in 2011, it seems Weiner was at it again--texting pictures of his genitals to yet another woman, this time a 22 year old who he apparently wanted to meet (in Chicago!) to show her the real thing. Not exactly what is envisioned at a brit.

Of course, NJB's took a hit with Bernie Madoff and Eliot Spitzer among others. Can we put this cliché to rest forever?

Thankfully there are still nice Jewish girls. TNB dares you to name one who isn't.

The Best Blogger of All

An incredible (if sad) irony has just occurred. Just 2 days after TNB  wrote a new post after a 3 month pause , containing a tribute to Hugo Melvoin, an excellent blogger, what should happen but the disturbing news of the passing of Roger Ebert who had become in later life the best blogger of all. Confined to his computer by a debilitating illness,  Ebert had expanded his horizons from merely being the best movie critic of all to writing almost a daily journal containing his insights on the world.

As a rank amateur blogger TNB can only marvel at how apparently easy it was for  Ebert to write--what a talent!

And of course due to TNB's own background there is a special reverence for someone who loved the movies as much as Ebert did. As many  of you know TNB's father owned the eponymous movie theater pictured above. So while as a young man TNB had more than a passing interest in movies, which interest has never abated,  this paled by comparison to the absolute passion Roger Ebert had for the movies.

It's been a really sad week here in Chicago. Maybe Spring will improve matters.

It's Already the Second Quarter

Due to a "groundswell" (OK 3 or 4 people) requesting that The Normal Blog return from its self-imposed winter hiatus, following is a recap of what you might have missed during the first quarter of 2013, assuming that your attention span was also on pause:

• President Obama was inaugurated for a second term, accompanied by raucous cheers from formerly hostile Republicans who proceeded to cave in to all of his demands, including comprehensive new gun control legislation.
• Pope Benedict XVI resigned (not to spend more time with his family) thus paving the way for a new pope who was ushered into office singing Don't Cry for me Argentina.
• After not visiting there during his first term, President Obama finally made it to Israel where he so charmed the locals that the Chief Rabbi offered to convert him to Judaism without him having to undergo a brit --well, maybe just a little nick.
• In the worst case of fraternal enmity since Cain and Abel, the Harbaugh brothers squared off in the Super Bowl--after which their  horrified parents disclosed that  both boys had been  adopted from an orphanage in Yugoslavia.
• Although not deemed  humanly possible, Donald Trump made an even bigger fool of himself by filing suit (later withdrawn) against comedian Bill Maher who insinuated that at least one of Trump's parents was an orangutan (it turned out that both his mother and father had starred in Planet of the Apes).
• A woman being taken to prison was found to have a loaded pistol in her vagina--which is obviously better than hiding a nail file for future escape possibilities.

Indicating once more that nothing is weirder than the truth, TNB is sorry to inform you (if you didn't know) that only the last bullet point above is 100% true. The others, of course, do contain some half truths (or maybe a little more).

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A sad farewell to Hugo Melvoin, wonderful blogger, passionate fly fisherman and incredible shofar blower. A life well lived.