Robotic Groundhog? Just Teach Him To Dance

AP – FILE - In this Feb. 2, 2009 file photo, John Griffiths, a handler of the weather-predicting groundhog …

PETA proposes robotic groundhog for Pa. festival - Yahoo! News

Wed Jan 27, 9:25 am ET

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. – An animal rights group wants organizers of Pennsylvania's Groundhog Day festival to replace Punxsutawney Phil with a robotic stand-in.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says it's unfair to keep the animal in captivity and subject him to the huge crowds and bright lights that accompany tens of thousands of revelers each Feb. 2 in Punxsutawney, a tiny borough about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. PETA is suggesting the use of an animatronic model.
But William Deeley, president of the Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, says the animal is "being treated better than the average child in Pennsylvania." The groundhog is kept in a climate-controlled environment and is inspected annually by the state Department of Agriculture.
Deeley says PETA isn't interested in Phil from Feb. 2 on, and is looking for publicity

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Hey! I'm not sure what's worse in this story - that people want to replace the groundhog with a robot or that his care is compared to that of children. Oh, pluzzzeee! Get a life people! If you have nothing better to do than worry about Punxsutawney Phil's quality of life, then maybe you need to get a grip and spend time on something worthwhile. Such as aid to Haitian earthquake victims, for instance? Or universal American health care? Or how about the many people who are willing and able to work, but can't find a job? Or can't make a livable wage at the job they can find? Now, what would happen if they fire poor Phil too! I wonder if he could apply for unemployment benefits?

I find the statement that the groundhog is "being treated better than the average child in Pennsylvania" quite disturbing! Not that I have anything against Phil. It's not like I'm advocating feeding him to hungry coyotes or anything. Hey! I think he's doing a fine job. As fine as most weather men that I've ever seen. I'd guess that he's right about 50% of time when it comes to whether or not we'll have those six more weeks of winter each year. Yet, here is an important point I'd like to make. He is not a human being. He is not a child. HE IS A GROUNDHOG! I'm not saying it would be right to, for instance, beat-him-with-a-stick-until-his-little-rodent-self-is-a-pile-of-mush. I just don't think he should be getting better care than any child. Then, again, that's why I'm not a member of PETA.

In the meantime, instead of replacing him with a robot, let's just teach him to do the robot.

Oh, yeah! Spectacularly rad!!!

Until I type again,

Kami

(Link to source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100127/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_peta_punxsutawney_phil ) ============================================================ Yahoo! News http://news.yahoo.com/

WIDE AWAKE -- Part Eight: Dead Man Flirting

Photo courtesy of http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

*** Author's note: "Wide Awake" is an original, previously unpublished, fictional story that I wrote. It will be told in multiple parts. If you've yet to read any of the prior parts, below are the links to do so.

Part One: http://kamikae5.blogspot.com/2009/09/wide-awake-part-one-crazy-talk.html

Part Two: http://kamikae5.blogspot.com/2009/09/wide-awake-part-two-haunted-house.html

Part Three: http://kamikae5.blogspot.com/2009/09/wide-awake-part-three-new-believer.html

Part Four: http://kamikae5.blogspot.com/2009/10/wide-awake-part-four-education-in.html

Part Five: http://kamikae5.blogspot.com/2009/10/wide-awake-part-five-thomas-story.html

Part Six: http://kamikae5.blogspot.com/2009/11/wide-awake-part-six-curse-of-ring.html

Part Seven: http://kamikae5.blogspot.com/2009/12/wide-awake-part-seven-newly-dead.html ***

WIDE AWAKE

Part Eight: Dead Man Flirting

My sister, Stephanie, and I had both been rapt listeners to Thomas' story. The more he had shared with us, about himself and what had happened to him, the more fascinated with him I became. He was, obviously, unlike anyone else I'd ever met before, since he was the first, and only, ghost I'd ever encountered, but he was a special person in many other ways. Thomas was intelligent, kind, honest and more interesting than all the guys I'd ever met rolled into one. Stephanie's encouragement to have a romantic relationship with Thomas was an tempting thought.

Recognizing the direction my mind was going, I had to laugh at myself. When my sister had first started talking about ghosts, I'd worried that she was crazy. Now, who sounded like a crazy person? Was I actually contemplating a romance with a ghost? Not a very practical idea, Lily!

Then again, was the practical path the way I wanted to go here? I'd spent all my life being practical. My choices were made only after weighing all my options. By the time I made my decisions, I was sure that my choices could be considered safe and smart. Yet, hadn't I already decided to break my own rules? Wasn't I going to try to go with the flow? Wasn't I going to allow myself to have some fun this summer?

Thomas was certainly a key part of my plans to have fun. I was surprised at myself for enjoying conversation with him so much. I felt a little ashamed of myself too. His tale of his tragic death surely shouldn't be so entertaining, should it? Was it wrong to enjoy hearing about how he became a ghost? Wrong to want even more details? I don't know. Maybe, it wasn't right, but I couldn't seem to resist questioning him further.

I asked. "So, they never found out who killed you?"

"No, I doubt they'll ever find out who was responsible. After all these years, there hasn't been a single new lead. Thus, it's entirely possible that I will remain a ghost forever." He gave a dry laugh. "That's an unpleasant thought, isn't it? I suppose I should try not to dwell on that idea too much. . . In the end, I could just consider myself another victim of the ring's curse."

The three of us were silent for awhile. Thomas let Stephanie and I absorb the impact of his story. His unhappy, oftentimes lonely, life. The cursed ring. Thomas' unsolved murder which led to him becoming a ghost. The idea that he might forever exist in this state somewhere between life and death, never fully belonging in either. How awful it must be to exist in such a state of perpetual flux! Really! It was a lot of information to take it.

Not surprisingly, it was my sister who broke the silence. "Thomas, you told me before that while you learned to speak with the living, and to sometimes make yourself visible, but that it's not easy. Why did you bother learning how to do it? I mean, you said that there are other ghosts to talk to. Why didn't you stick with only talking to them?"

"Talking with other ghosts is different from contact with the living. You've got to understand that most spirits are, pardon the pun, haunted by their own personal ghosts. By that, I mean that whatever trauma and unfinished business that keeps them from moving on, also makes most of them poor company. I learned what I could from them, in the beginning, but, in the long run, I've had to distance myself from them and their troubles. It helps keep me sane to stay focused on what I can do rather than what is unchangeable."

Twirling my fingers in my hair, I smiled brightly at him. "So, what do you with all your time? Practice using your ghostly super powers?"

Thomas chuckled. "I'm hardly some sort of super hero. My perception of time isn't the same as yours, although I can never forget that I have an abundance of time on my hands. At risk of sounding terribly boring, I spend a lot of time reading. Of course, that's when I'm not occupying myself by flirting with pretty ladies."

I tried not to blush, but I could feel my face heating up anyway. The sight of my shoes suddenly seemed very absorbing, as I stared down at them for awhile. Not surprisingly, Thomas noticed my discomfort and chuckled again. My own mouth couldn't help quirking up in a smile. I really enjoyed the sound of his laugh.

* * * To Be Continued * * *