Groundhog Predicts More Wintry Weather

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. - Punxsutawney Phil has spoken, and the news isn't good.

The world's most famous furry forecaster saw his shadow Wednesday on Gobbler's Knob, suggesting another six weeks of wintry weather.

The chubby critter delivered the prediction after he was pulled from his burrow in an oak stump at 7:31 a.m. by a top-hatted handler, and his prediction was greeted by boos from the thousands in attendance.

"He's only the messenger!" one of the members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club — the volunteer group in charge of Phil and the town's Groundhog Day (news - web sites) festivities — reminded the crowd braving the frigid weather.

In the years since The Punxsutawney Spirit first carried word of the groundhog's failing to see its shadow in 1886, this town of 7,500 people about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh has been dubbed the "Weather Capital of the World."

The tradition stems from the Christian holiday of Candlemas, and the belief that if a hibernating animal sees its shadow, winter will last another six weeks. If there's no shadow, spring will come early.

That was the forecast from Lilburn, Ga., groundhog, Gen. Beauregard Lee, who did not see his shadow when he emerged as light rain fell Wednesday morning. Beau made his appearance with a female groundhog their handlers at Yellow River Game Ranch hope will produce offspring to continue the tradition if the aging prognosticator retires this year.

In Punxsutawney, an energetic crowd of about 2,000 people was already assembled by 3:30 a.m. Most were bundled against the cold, but at least one young woman braved the weather in a bikini top.

Nikki Wehrmann and her 9-year-old daughter, Arianne, had on layer upon layer as they huddled over coffee and hot chocolate. Arianne was taking the day off from school to see Phil, her mother said. They live in nearby DuBois.

"We considered this an educational purpose," said Wehrmann, who told her daughter about the history of Groundhog Day and plans to have Arianne do a project on the event.

"And anything that brings 20,000 or 30,000 people on some years we have to do it at least once," Wehrmann said.

Resident Sue Lingenfelter said the annual frenzy, and just how famous Phil is, still amazes her.

"I just placed a catalog order yesterday and the guy said to me, 'Is your town ready to go crazy?'" she said.

Ward Brown, 50, and his sister Suzy Fulkerson, 41, came from Sparta, Ill., although they tied the trip in with a visit to their sister, who recently moved to nearby DuBois.

"It was a good excuse to visit her," said Brown, who was toting a $75 stump of wood a craftsman had carved into the shape of a groundhog sporting a top hat.

This is just wrong - selling fake beer . . .

Woman Pleads Guilty to Selling Fake Beer

BRISBANE, Australia - A woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to selling on eBay three nonexistent cases of Duff brand beer — the favorite of cartoon character Homer Simpson.

Tara Edith Woodford, 28, pleaded guilty in the Mackay Magistrates Court in northern Queensland state to three charges of dishonestly gaining money by false pretenses.

Prosecutor Gavin Burnett told the court Woodford was paid a total of 1,951 Australian dollars (U.S. $1,511) by three separate buyers after advertising the bogus beer on the eBay Internet auction site.

Duff is the beer brand of choice for Homer Simpson and his barfly friends in the animated U.S. television series The Simpsons.

In the mid-1990s, two breweries released their own "Duff Beer" in Australia until legal action by the creators of The Simpsons and the Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. took the beer off the market. Fox has a policy of refusing to license The Simpson's merchandising for products that would be detrimental to children.

Duff beer is now a collector's item and cases can sell for as much as A$1,000 (U.S. $774) on eBay, according to Lorraine Gledhill, the treasurer of the National Beer Can Collectors Club.

Buyers paid money into Woodford's bank account, but contacted police when they never received the beer.

Woodford was caught because she listed her correct name and address on the auction site, the court was told.

Woodford's lawyer Phillip Moore said she committed the scam to buy Christmas presents and clothes for her four children.

Re:civgeek For the record I have a bunny. He goes by the names of Fat Boy, Mr. Nibbles, Pooper, Bunnicula, Nutmeg, and Dinner. Depending on the mood of the addresser

cool civgeek - i love talking to other wabbit people!

how long you had Pooper?

Re:michelle Punxatawney Phil was a bit p.o.'ed this morning when they woke him up. He says 6 more weeks of winter. What a bunch of strange top-hatted freaks we have here in PA. lmao! I love groundhogs :)

are groundhogs part of the Rodent family - because they look a bit like a guinea pig :)

Just started programming my T2J II track. It's a fusion piece, if that's okay... ?

962 - You bet. It has an MOT and stuff too, which makes it even better for that price!

Hello Friends :-)) !!!

VFRrocker - I´m the photographer of the band :-). That`s why i`m involved on that :-). Happy Birthday bro :-)). I don`t know when is your Birthday but i saw someone writing that :-)). Thanks for visiting my website :-). You are welcome ;-). Thank you good friend :-)) !!!

ZINC MASTER - Happy 1000 !!!

STEVEN WILDE - Happy 500 :-)) !!!

PFIELDS - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, have a good day :-) !!!

CLARKY - Good luck on the new adventure, it sounds great and exciting :-)). Japan is an amazing Country :-)). Take care :-) !!!

JAZZZY - Happy 1400 !!! Hello friend :-) !!

BAHDUH, have a good day :-) !!!

LUCYSORETS - Nice quote of the day :-)) !! Thank you !!!

DCK - thanks about the information :-). Probably i will not participate on the new cd. I´m working now on my own cd and as i participated on the firts T2J cd, i think that i wanna hear new guitar players from T2J page. But if you want, i offer myself as judge, ok? Warm Regards for you :-).

JUJU - have a good day working on that schoolwork :-). Take care great friend :-).

ZINC MASTER- Keep on Rockin' You have A great attitude! All the best to You this groundhog's day!............................Hoiguy79- Hey Great to see You how are you? Been doing any new guitar track's lately? Hope so! Also hope You are doing well! I just compltetd 14 new song's What a hassle! But they came out pretty good! Alway's look forward to hearing new Stuff from You! Take care!.................................MICHELLE- Yes, I'm Sorry 17, That is what i meant to say! I hit the wrong key's!LOL I do that a lot! How is Your groundhog Day? Hope going really well, Also well wishes alway's for You, and the Family!................................VFRocker- I should have guessed something was up! VF! Yes, I can say though's were the best time's of My Life, Racing in front of HUGE crowd's, and Giving it My all! It was simply fantastic! I was good at SOMETHING! You had a pretty good Ride! Those lil' 80's are really mean achine's, they don't even have to be tricked out! That's cool talking with Someone Who know's the Bike world! Hope Your Day is well!................................962- Thank's! I really Love this new Samick! Hee! Hee! I keep talking about it. Okay No more talking, Acting, Play the darn thingLOL................................BAHDUH- Right on, Got your Mail, You will have some to, By the time, I get through with this, anyway!LOL Best regard's to You, and your Family!, Alway's!............................LUCY SORETS- Thank's! Good Karma, is Only the essence of What It recieve's! So, I Thank You! Your A very positive force In goodwill! keep up the great attitude, and Lovely way's! Also thank's about About the compliement, about abovethenumbers! Hope You have A great Day!.............................DCK- Wow! That's great! I am sure this will be A Rockin' album to! Just like the first one! Awesome indeed! Wish I could submit A tune! Oh well! Anyhow hope You are having a great Day! If You have time The new track's are up! "lost in Love" and "mullholland cruise" are very wild! there under "another world" I also can't wait to hear Your new track's! Take Care Mark! You ROCK!.....................................ALEXANDRE- Hey, Thank's My Freind! Yes, i worked at getting this 500! LOL Hope You, and the Family are well!..............................MARIMARI- Yayy! Great to see You! I hope Your Cold is easing up, and You are feeling much better! Remember, Your a day brightner! See ya'....................................Suzie- I am mailing the album's today! Rush delevery! Hope you have a vvery Nice day! talk to ya' soon!

http://www.abovethenumbers.com

Subject: The Wife from Hell...

A police officer pulls over a speeding car. The officer says, I clocked you at 80 miles per hour, sir." The driver says, "Gee, officer I had it on cruise control at 60, perhaps your radar gun needs calibrating."

Not looking up from her knitting the wife says: "Now don't be silly dear, you know that this car doesn't have cruise control." As the officer writes out the ticket, the driver looks over at his wife and growls, "Can't you please keep your mouth shut for once?" The wife smiles demurely and says, "You should be thankful your radar detector went off when it did."

As the officer takes out the second ticket for the illegal radar detector unit, the man glowers at his wife and says through clenched teeth, "Darn it, woman, can't you keep your mouth shut?"

The officer frowns and says, "And I notice that you're not wearing your seat belt, sir. That's an automatic $75 fine." The driver says, "Yeah, well, you see officer, I had it on, but took it off when you pulled me over so that I could get my license out of my back pocket." The wife says, "Now, dear, you know very well that you didn't have your seat belt on. You never wear your seat belt when you're driving."

And as the police officer is writing out the third ticket the driver turns to his wife and barks, "WHY DON'T YOU PLEASE SHUT UP??" The officer looks over at the woman and asks, "Does your husband always talk to you this way, Ma'am?"

(I love this part...)

lo guys.

any one know any good websites for backing tracks?

please help. lol

Steven- Glad it finally arrived ok! We will look forward to getting the CD in the post! The tape we sent was on a CD we recorded in a studio (not exactly rock though, is it?)- but we don't have CD burning facilities, so sorry it had to be a tape! - I think we need to improve our technological gear!! Hope your day goes well! :-)

Jazzzzzzzy- Happy 1400th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jazzzzy- HAPPY 1400th post dude! Yeah, Rock on! Sound's as if it were A wild trip out back to wisconsin! Glad your back safe, and sound! I will see talk to You later! Take Care!........................CivgeeK- How are You doing? Hope all is well with that weather your having! It's pretty hot here to! Well, You know the bay area weather!LOL Hope all is fine!..........................DELFINO- I just Played Your last song "shove it" Very cool! It has an Oriental Flavor to it! It's very Unique! Keep up the great work! I just uloaded 14 new song's that i have been working on since i moved into this new place! But they are finaly done! And came out way cool! Well, Cheer's, and have a great Day!........................SteveeT- Happy groundhog's day! Hope it's going great1 Be Cooooool, My Freind! Well, No I hope the weather pick's up on the warm side actually! Okay, Take Care!

alexandrecaetano

Thank you for the nice wishes.

Steven Wilde

Since that stupid groundhog thinks we should have 6 more weeks of winter

Schieffer set to fill Rather's CBS seat

USA TODAY - Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer is all but certain to be named interim anchor on The CBS Evening News when Dan Rather steps down next month, sources within CBS News say.

Though no final decision has been made, sources with knowledge of the deliberations say Schieffer, 67, would provide a smooth transition between Rather and a new, multi-anchor program.

Rather announced in November that he would leave March 9. His announcement came in the middle of an investigation into the "Memogate" scandal, in which Rather cited documents, later discredited, as the basis for a 60 Minutes report on President Bush (news - web sites)'s military career.

The possibility of Schieffer as interim anchor surfaced quickly. Schieffer knows the ropes, having anchored the Saturday CBS Evening News for 20 years until 1996.

With Rather's departure a month away and a new format still under development, it's likely CBS will tap Schieffer to anchor from New York, probably until late spring or early summer when the new program is ready.

Meanwhile, CBS News executives, led by division president Andrew Heyward, have been meeting behind closed doors to work on a variety of anchor and format proposals. They are in close touch with CBS chief Leslie Moonves, who has made the project a top priority.

White House correspondent John Roberts, once viewed as a possible heir to Rather, remains in the running as a member of an ensemble cast, CBS News sources confirmed. Though executives are looking inside and outside the operation to fill the roster of possible candidates, others under consideration at CBS include Mika Brzezinski, Jim Axelrod, Russ Mitchell, Lara Logan and Thalia Assuras.

The network would not comment Tuesday. Evening News is languishing deep in third place behind ABC's World News Tonight and top-rated NBC Nightly News.

VFRrocker: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! how ya been?

LucySorets, Turkey Chili for me......hhhhhhmmmmmmm...love it!

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Civgeek....that (Sorry Chowds) for us sorry New Englander's? lol

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Tastey IS the only one who post's dirty jokes...nasty little trailer trash...ROTFLMAO...hee, hee...great joke bout the drinkin' lol

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Zinc, you're very welcome! Peace Out!

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michelle...you're worth waiting for...yes?

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DelfinoPie....so...you used some compoooterized programed stuff?

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death cube k....that's great news...are you at liberty to divulge the artist's name at this time...Sir!

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Master Yoda....yeah...FUSION!

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Steven Wilde....it was the best of times....it was the worst of times....Peace!

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Jazzzzzzzy...happy 1400th

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Zenfish....in that case....why I outta...lol

Quote of the day:

"My pa' was an elephant but thats irrelevant and my ma' was an eskimo!" - Cannibal: The Musical

Stevee T Oh yes indeed I did.

Clarky Master of all things Yngwieful. See if you can answer my question, two.

1. In 'Evil Eye' in the classical-style intro, there is a small shred...in which the notes 12 - 15 - 20 are hammered at one point...I have stubby fingers and canny' reach the 20 cap'n...is there some kind of medievil device for finger stretching or should I simply tap the 20?

Question the second.

2. A lot of Yngwie stuff I have come across is in Eb, is this due to the scalloped frets adding more tension on the strings as he frets them and therefore takes it up the extra semitone to standard tuning, OR is it because Yngwie is known to play in E harmonic minor and loves to access all those purdy notes?

Cheers loads