There are actual news stories about specific states suing the groundhog for incorrectly predicting spring. Am I the only one that sees something wrong with this picture on a variety of levels?!
First of all, it doesn't matter what legend says, or how famous any specific groundhog is, or what the date on the calendar says. The fact of the matter is that we are talking about a RODENT. Maybe on other yet to be discovered planets or solar systems rodents have evolved to the level of precise meteorological abilities, but last I checked here on good old planet earth, not so much.
Secondly, Groundhog day is observed at the very beginning of February. The official first day of spring is in March. I dare any meteorologist to accurately predict weather patterns that far in advance, much less the aforementioned rodent who lacks cognitive reasoning abilities in the area of meteorology. As far as I've seen, the so-called meteorologists on my area networks have difficulty accurately predicting what the weather is going to do 7 to 10 days out without changing their predictions on a daily basis. Someone is going to legally hold said rodent to theoretical predictions that were probably fudged and previously decided by the silly looking town officials in black top hats holding the rodent?
Lastly, this particular "holiday" dates back centuries and was brought to America by European cultures. Essentially, they believed that if February 2nd is a bright, clear day in which the groundhog can see its shadow, there are 6 more weeks of winter. If February 2nd is a cloudy, overcast day in which the groundhog cannot see its shadow, spring is on the way. Really? Shouldn't that be a global warming or high/low front or Mother Nature issue? Not the issue of a small furry animal that early settlers in the 1700's decided was an "intelligent, sensible creature that resembled the European hedgehog", the hedgehog being the original rodent in question for weather prediction on said date. Poor rodent. It resembles its European counterpart, so therefore it must have the same capabilities! Talk about unfair stereotyping..
I am sincerely hoping that there is no one so greedily idiotic that they are actually attempting to sue a groundhog. I am also hoping that the media outlets simply couldn't get their nether-regions to find and report on actual important news ... like conflicts in foreign countries or the economy or someone paying it forward in some heroic way. The fact that this was a headline, well, that's seriously The Onion News Network meets reality television style craziness!
~ The Girl In The Little Black Dress
First of all, it doesn't matter what legend says, or how famous any specific groundhog is, or what the date on the calendar says. The fact of the matter is that we are talking about a RODENT. Maybe on other yet to be discovered planets or solar systems rodents have evolved to the level of precise meteorological abilities, but last I checked here on good old planet earth, not so much.
Secondly, Groundhog day is observed at the very beginning of February. The official first day of spring is in March. I dare any meteorologist to accurately predict weather patterns that far in advance, much less the aforementioned rodent who lacks cognitive reasoning abilities in the area of meteorology. As far as I've seen, the so-called meteorologists on my area networks have difficulty accurately predicting what the weather is going to do 7 to 10 days out without changing their predictions on a daily basis. Someone is going to legally hold said rodent to theoretical predictions that were probably fudged and previously decided by the silly looking town officials in black top hats holding the rodent?
Lastly, this particular "holiday" dates back centuries and was brought to America by European cultures. Essentially, they believed that if February 2nd is a bright, clear day in which the groundhog can see its shadow, there are 6 more weeks of winter. If February 2nd is a cloudy, overcast day in which the groundhog cannot see its shadow, spring is on the way. Really? Shouldn't that be a global warming or high/low front or Mother Nature issue? Not the issue of a small furry animal that early settlers in the 1700's decided was an "intelligent, sensible creature that resembled the European hedgehog", the hedgehog being the original rodent in question for weather prediction on said date. Poor rodent. It resembles its European counterpart, so therefore it must have the same capabilities! Talk about unfair stereotyping..
I am sincerely hoping that there is no one so greedily idiotic that they are actually attempting to sue a groundhog. I am also hoping that the media outlets simply couldn't get their nether-regions to find and report on actual important news ... like conflicts in foreign countries or the economy or someone paying it forward in some heroic way. The fact that this was a headline, well, that's seriously The Onion News Network meets reality television style craziness!
~ The Girl In The Little Black Dress
