The Epagomenal Days

Epagomenal ("added") days were extra days added onto the end of the regular ancient Egyptian calendars (and many others, even to this day) to stretch the regular span of 360 days equal the 365 days, which helped a good deal to keep the calendars on an even keel. Without those 5 extra epagomenals, things went out of whack very quickly... about 5 days a year, and by the time 6 years had gone by, seasons would be off by an entire month.

This meant, of course, that all those observatories and orreries made from tons of stones moved by back-breaking labor were no longer calibrated to the solstitial rising of Venus or whatever, and the Nile rose and flooded the land when one least expected it, and an angry populace fired the entire staff of druids en masse.

Since these added days were, in a sense, out of normal time, they could be outside the norms of society, and all kinds of hanky-panky could take place.

This last week in December is similar. The odd obsession of the mainstream Media to summarize the events of the past year can be described as nothing but an unlawful and extra-moral use of resources for frivolous and frenzied purposes.
The spirit is encapsulated by the Evening News, which in its Ancient Mariner guise of being bewitched into speaking of the past alone, becomes the Evening Olds.

This week I happened to pass by the glowing room, whence the ominous Poltergeistean aura emanated, and saw a thorough re-hash of Casey Anthony. Seriously. I mean, well, perhaps we did not really spend enough slice-and-dice time the first time through, and this was necessary.
I wondered if Casey were herself being pursued by the Furious Eumenides, whose job it was to chase malefactors to the ends of the earth... the baneful Fates with masks of Nancy Grace and Bill O'Reilly, those twin pillars of rectitude and morals.

The re-hash of the Casey news, the Dinty Moore of the times, the slumgullion of the year past, did not say anything about the Fates - which might have been interesting - but focused on pictures shot from low-flying helicopters of dogs and deputies hunting through the woods, Casey's father repeatedly saying he had not slept with his daughter (!! I missed this the first time round. See how wonderful this re-hash is!?) Apparently the putative abuse might have explained Casey's predilection for child murder.

I always get things like this mixed up, because I do not pay attention. That is why the Media has to repeat things over and over, and that is why Ms. Grace and Mr. O'Reilly have to think things through for me...
They have to because I always just say that I hope God preserves me from ever knowing how such things really feel and the pain of being in such a predicament, and I turn away like the coward I am, who trusts in the goodness of God, and does not immerse oneself in the horrific details of evil.
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