Dogs days are busier than ever

As a teenager, my summer days were split between working mornings on my grandfather's farm and working evenings in my parents' restaurant. I'm not sure which was tougher: riding out on the wagon to gather the second or third cutting of hay under a broiling sun, or washing dishes and cooking in a hot, cramped kitchen.I always wondered where were the slow, dog days of August I had heard of?I still wonder, but I know that for systems integrators, the work is never done. Government rolls on. Just look at this issue.Staff Writer Alice Lipowicz explores the meaning behind the creation of a cybersecurity post at the Homeland Security Department and whether the government will really give the post the power it needs ? and if that power will translate into opportunities for contractors.The General Services Administration's summer reorganization woes are examined in another page 1 story by Staff Writer Roseanne Gerin and Jason Miller, assistant managing editor for news at our sister publication, Government Computer News. They teamed on a story that gives both industry's and government's perspective on the latest plan to consolidate some GSA operations and what hurdles lie ahead.The rest of this issue also is rich with news, from top-level changes at major companies, to the latest merger and acquisition activity, to growing opportunities in the state and local telecom market.Summer doesn't mean slow. Never has, and probably never will, be it on the farm, on the Hill or in the federal government.