July 26, 2021

🐶 Dog daze? We're gonna need some coffee, stat! ☕

WE'RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER MUG

Well, here we are — another Monday in the dog days of summer. BOOOO! 

This did get me thinking about the term "dog days of summer," though. Dogs are (culturally speaking) man's best friend. We love dogs! So why are we besmirching their good name to describe such a hot, sweaty, sticky stretch of meteorological misery? Blame the Greeks.

These guys are awfully pleased with all the dog denigration they've contributed to over the millennia.

These guys are awfully pleased with all the dog denigration they've contributed to over the millennia.

 

Turns out that this period of summer gets its colloquial name from the fact that the hottest days of the year in the northern hemisphere would coincide with the appearance of the star Sirius (commonly known as the "dog star") in the night sky. Ancient Greek astrologers attributed the increase in heat, drought, sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, bad luck, and mad dogs during this 40-60 day period to the rising of the Sirius star system. In the modern English-speaking world, the dog days stretch from July 3rd to August 11th.

Joke's on the Ancient Greeks, though — their pantheon is dead, and on any given day a dogecoin is worth more than a drachma and a euro combined. Hang your heads in shame, Hellenists!

So what to do about the heat? Well, on this particular day, why not celebrate National Coffee Milkshake Day? That sounds like a capital way to cool down AND stave off that pesky lethargy! At the very least, it will provide a welcome distraction from the fact that it's Monday and we need to slog through five more days of bullsh!t before we can once again indulge in weekend frivolities like "brunch" and "naps."

*****

Before we delve into this week's community Q&A, let's celebrate some notable July 26th birthdays! We have a lot today, so I've grouped them thusly:

 Actors & Directors: Stanley Kubrick (1928), Helen Mirren (1945), Sandra Bullock (1964), Jason Statham (1967), and Kate Beckinsale (1973)

 Psychoanalysis Scions: Carl Jung, protege of Sigmund Freud and founder of analytical psychology (1875) 

• Playwrights & Novelists: George Bernard Shaw (1856) and Aldous Huxley (1894) 

• Rolling Stones: Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger (1943)

OK! Assuming I don't die before then, I'll be back in your inbox on Wednesday morning with links to fun distractions! Before that, though, scroll down and learn all about fellow Boredwalk fan Stacie T.! As usual, if you'd like to be featured in an upcoming email, reply to this and let me know! Until next time...

Peace, love, and coffee milkshakes,

Matt

*****

Stacie telling it like it is in her Everything Is Terrible tee!

1. What's your day job and what's your dream job?

I am a Peer Recovery Support Specialist and working with people wanting recovery from substance abuse IS my dream job.

2. What's your biggest pet peeve?

People not cleaning up after themselves. 

3. What's the most useful piece of advice you've ever received?

"Feelings aren't facts."

4. What experience do you most want to cross off your bucket list?

Learning how to surf.

5. If you could have any super power what would it be and why?

The ability to fly! There would be no such thing as distance between me and the people and places I love.

6. You can curse your nemesis with a minor annoyance for eternity; what do you choose?

A paper cut in the bend of their index finger.

7. What's your go-to snack?

Right now, it's either green apples or cashews.

8. What's a surprising fact about you?

I'm a certified yoga instructor.

9. Where can the rest of the Boredwalk community find you?

I can be found on Snapchat @stacieltarpley