You know the drill. Some kind of bullshit about gathering around at the rather erotically named “Gobbler’s Knob” and seeing shadows or not seeing shadows and spring being in six weeks or “right around the corner” (which I think means in six weeks, because we’re lucky if we see spring ’til May around here). What the f*ck the poor woodchuck has to do with it is beyond me. Can’t they just say if it’s sunny this morning it’s one thing, and if it isn’t it’s the other (or, more accurately, that it really doesn’t matter either way)? But then I guess Brian Doyle Murray needs the work.
As for us, the good news is we’re not gonna get as much snow as they said we were, ‘cuz this big monster storm that doesn’t look like all that big a deal to me is tracking farther north than they thought. The bad news is that’s because we’re starting out with sleet and freezing rain first. Oh boy. So, all we’re looking at right now is a measly 8 inches or so. We’ll never get to 200″ this way.
Still, I really wish I could just go back to bed, or spend the day puttering around the house, but, sadly, no. As they seem to do whenever the weather geeks predict a life-threatening storm, the powers that be sent out the obligatory e-mail yesterday, detailing how you’d get shit-canned if you even thought about not coming in to work today (unless you get killed in a car accident on the way in, in which case they’ll let it slide – this time, as long as you get your supervisor’s approval).
Governor Andy announced his budget proposal yesterday, and, as expected there are cuts aplenty. In addition to reducing the State workforce by about 9,800 people (apparently via attrition, though, as opposed to outright layoffs), he wants some pretty harsh cuts to public school funding (which will force NYC’s Mayor Bloomers to lay off 21,000 teachers – but not really) and medicaid (which will cost the place I work at $36 million in State and Federal funds). No tax on rich people, of course.
So, now we’ll see what the State Legislature comes up with. What with the mood of things right now and the budget deficit, it’ll be pretty hard to restore any funding, though I suppose there’s always room for tax cuts for the wealthy. We’ll see. I could use a tax cut myself, as I’m starting to wonder how I’ll save up enough money to pay the school taxes come September.
But, hey, I’ll worry about that in seven months or so. Right now, it’s time to worry about plowing the driveway and getting to work without being the first candidate for layoff due to attrition.
I think it’s a wonderful idea to cut medical aid to those slothful poor folks. If we give them assistance it is rewarding failure and Ayn Rand was very much against that.
I do not know why our new gov, for whom PJ has yet to think of a descriptive name, took the renewal of the surtax on the rich off the table before he even started negotiating. I guess the best I can say is Carl would have been worse though surely more fun to watch.
As for the storm, NYC got only rain. Unfortunately, the rain froze and walking is quite difficult. Even the dogs are sliding around and loosing their balance. As Lola ate my last pair of comfy shoes last night, I’m hoping things warm up enough for me to get to the shoe store. I need some boots, too, but if I buy them we’ll have no more snow and then I’ll put them away and not be able to find them next year.
The Groundhog Day celebration is rooted in a German superstition that says if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on Feb. 2, the Christian holiday of Candlemas, winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow was seen, legend said spring would come early.
In reality, Pennsylvania’s prophetic rodent doesn’t see much of anything. The result is actually decided in advance by 14 members of the Inner Circle, who don tuxedos and top hats for the event.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110202/ap_on_re_us/us_groundhog_day
The method that Phil’s handlers use was not mentioned. Perhaps they look for their own shadows. But, however it is done, they have predicted an early spring.
I thought Minnesotans were smarter than this.
Well, if Mario croaks, I’ll call him Little Orphan Andy.
A shame they don’t have a ‘zero tolerance’ policy for stupidity.
Are there times when a hibernating animal doesn’t (or does) cast a shadow while a non-hibernating animal does (or doesn’t)? Or a tree (or an inanimate object), for that matter?
Perhaps the hibernator had to be in his/her den at the time of the shadow casting, or the superstition may be just stupid.
the 14-year-old used a plastic tube to blow small plastic pellets at fellow students in Spotsylvania High School. In one lunch period, he scored three hits.
It’s amazing that I ever graduated from Junior HS. Just had a straw and spitballs.
Buddy Charleton, Master Of The Pedal Steel, Has Died
🙁 :gate: :blues:
OK, MOVE OVER ALL YOU WIMPS!!! :nana:
SYRACUSE IS NUMBER ONE!!!! :cold: 😮
:cold: :cold: :cold: :kub:
vernon- Thank you so much for that clip. Years ago someone gave me a cassette of (what I thought was called) “Guitar Heroes” with that music on it. I’ve searched for that album all over the internet and never knew who or what it was. Now that I know “Honeyfingers” was one of the cuts, I’ll find it.
Wow, those guys were amazing.
Nothing by Leon Rhodes or Buddy Charleton @ either Itunes or Amazon 😐
My arch-nemesis blogger is kaput, canned at PowerLine for dissing native Americans.
Notice that PowerLine blog got rid of any evidence that he even blogged there. All his work turned into vapor. His fellow lawyers who blogged there scurrying like cockroaches trying to minimize the damage. :banana:
My own mammoth treatise on Oil Depletion complete; it won’t disappear anytime soon:
http://TheOilConunDrum.com
Try this, art
Also, http://www.buddycharleton.com/
:kub:
Rense & Felix – Ice Age Now?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzLLn6yBD7o
eya pj, this is a good one.
turns out that it was’nt the glaciers so much as the accumulation of snow that causes these extinction events.
the tractor was a good investment.
i like em myself.
eya WebHubbleTelescope
excellent research and writing!