Turns out that one of this month’s 20 Questions Tuesday is happening on Groundhog Day. Puxatony Phil saw his shadow today indicating 6 more weeks of winter. (if he doesn’t see his shadow, isn’t that just 42 more days of winter?). So in honor of Groundhog Day, the topic is, well… GroundHog Day. Onto the questions
1. What the hell is a groundhog?
A groundhog is a big digging rat.
2. Are there any other weather phenomena predicted by rodentia?
Not that I know of.
3. Why is it groundhog day and not WoodChuck Week?
Well, I think it would be difficult to spread the “festivities,” as it were, across an entire week. It would get pretty dull pretty fast.
4. What is the significance of Groundhog Day (The actual day, not the movie)?
It is a silly superstitious tradition to enjoy in the middle of winter.
Turns out that one of this month’s 20 Questions Tuesday is happening on Groundhog day…. This day was a silly distraction holiday that was more “Poor Richard’s Farmer’s Almanac”-ish than anything else. I remember loving hearing about it in Alabama as a kid, because it didn’t mean anything. But anyway… let’s get to the questions.
1. What the hell is a groundhog?
Uh… A groundhog is a large rodent sometimes referred to as a woodchuck.
2. Are there any other weather phenomena predicted by rodentia?
Um… I can’t find any other rodent based predictive days, or any other animal specific based “holidays”
3. Why is it groundhog day and not WoodChuck Week?
Well, I think it would be difficult to spread the “festivities,” as it were, across an entire week. It would get pretty dull pretty fast, I mean Groundhog day barely has enough content for a day, let alone a week.
4. What is the significance of Groundhog Day (The actual day, not the movie)?
Gotta show them rodents some love.
Turns out that one of this month’s 20 Questions Tuesday is happening on Groundhog day…. Oh… good god. Seriously? Is this happening? Onto the questions.
1. What the hell is a groundhog?
Wow… we’re really doing this? Okay. A groundhog is a rodent, it is neither ground nor hog
2. Are there any other weather phenomena predicted by rodentia?
Nope
3. Why is it groundhog day and not WoodChuck Week?
Why isn’t it Marmoset Month? Or the Year of the Ox? (oh, wait, it is going to be that one)
4. What is the significance of Groundhog Day (The actual day, not the movie)?
It is an annual reminder that groundhogs exist.
Turns out that one of this month’s 20 Questions Tuesday is happening on Groundhog day….
There is no god, only questions remain…
1. What the hell is a groundhog?
A groundhog is a demon spawn of the 6th Circle of Hell. This heretical beast has the hubris to look the universe in the eye and tell it when it will stop being cold.
2. Are there any other weather phenomena predicted by rodentia?
No… groundhogs can’t predict the weather. That is dumb and cows cannot indicate it is going to rain.
3. Why is it groundhog day and not WoodChuck Week?
Because woodchuck rhymes with “Dumb Fuck”
4. What is the significance of Groundhog Day (The actual day, not the movie)?
Groundhogs barely fill an ecological niche, they have no significance.
Turns out that one of this month’s 20 Questions Tuesday is happening on Groundhog day….
Oh for fuck’s sake, just ask the damn questions
1. What the hell is a groundhog?
Why are you asking me? Why is this happening?
2. Are there any other weather phenomena predicted by rodentia?
Yes. There is a pig in Argentina that can predict Gamestop’s market value.
3. Why is it groundhog day and not WoodChuck Week?
Go to hell… that’s why
4. What is the significance of Groundhog Day (The actual day, not the movie)?
What is the significance of anything?
Turns out that one of this month’s 20 Questions Tuesday is happening on Groundhog day…. Balls balls balls balls
1. What the hell is a groundhog?
Balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls balls
2. Are there any other weather phenomena predicted by rodentia?
Balls balls balls balls Balls balls balls balls Balls balls balls balls
3. Why is it groundhog day and not WoodChuck Week?
Balls balls balls balls balls
Balls balls balls balls balls balls balls
Balls balls balls balls balls
4. What is the significance of Groundhog Day (The actual day, not the movie)?
Baaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllssssssssssss!
Turns out that one of this month’s 20 Questions Tuesday is happening on Groundhog day…. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
1. What the hell is a groundhog?
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
2. Are there any other weather phenomena predicted by rodentia?
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
3. Why is it groundhog day and not WoodChuck Week?
ggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
4. What is the significance of Groundhog Day (The actual day, not the movie)?
Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How did Bill Murray get out of the loop?
Turns out that one of this month’s 20 Questions Tuesday is happening on Groundhog day. Groundhog Day did not really have much cultural relevance as a day to be paid attention to until the 1993 movie, “Groundhog Day” starring Bill Murray. Prior to the movie, the day was no more than a passing comment in elementary schools and morning news programs. In the movie, Bill Murray’s character relives the same day over and over and over until he learns that being a better human is the best way to live. Here’s to hoping that being better makes the world better. Let’s get to the questions.
1. What the hell is a groundhog?
A groundhog is a relatively large rodent that is also referred to as a woodchuck. This rodent is a burrowing mammal found in the northeast of North America. Its range follows the Appalachian mountains and propagates northwest through the prairie provinces.
2. Are there any other weather phenomena predicted by rodentia?
People have been using animals and their behavior (behaviour, “sup?” to my Canadian friends) to predict weather and weather phenomena since animals could be observed. Animals seem to have a greater affinity (at least they are perceived as such) with the natural world including the weather, so people, even as hunter/gatherer societies have taken cues from animal behavior. I know that growing up we used to joke that we could predict the chances of rin by the ratio of cows lying on the ground vs the ones standing.
3. Why is it Groundhog Day and not WoodChuck Week?
Since groundhogs are also woodchucks, in many ways this is a day to celebrate them both. I think a Woodchuck Week could work because there could be wood chucking contests, pie eating contests (both savory and dessert). Every day one could “chuck” a small gift to their loved ones to show them that they are cared for.
4. What is the significance of Groundhog Day (The actual day, not the movie)?
Groundhog Day actually is a day of hope. It is a day that is supposed to happen in the dead of winter where people get to think about the cold and dark going away. It is a precursor to the spring fertility celebrations. It has less meteorological meaning anymore because, due to the warming of the earth, the jet stream is destabilizing and the rigidity of the seasons is starting to fail. Instead of winters lasting from November to March, we now have pockets of extreme cold that push south from the arctic circle. These smaller cold spells make the concept of Groundhog Day less impactful, because we can experience warm spells every few weeks during the winter.
5. Was that so hard?
Ummm…. Uh. so I guess I was supposed to put in some effort? Anyway… we are moving forward and I am going to go straight into the recap
To recap:
Time loops are funny
I hope everyone actually read all the way through that
It was fun to write
New job is jobbing it up
More meetings and actual work to do makes the time go by much faster
There was a snow day today for the kids
Soooo… basically it is just like yesterday for them again
Like they are repeating the same day
Like they have been repeating the same day since March of 2020
It is wearing on them
It is wearing on me
Wear a damn mask
And cover your nose
There is a reason the first tests were long sticks going on your nose
It’s because that’s where the virus is found
To have a mask not cover a nose makes the usefulness of the mask go away
Have a great week everyone