It’s Deja Vu All Over Again

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Happy Groundhog Day!

Attribution: Stupid Politics Prediction by John Darkow, Columbia Missourian

p.s. special thanks to Trail friend Ivy Green for her suggestion and to Yogi Berra without whom we would have no thread nor title worthy of the day.

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49 thoughts on “It’s Deja Vu All Over Again”

  1. stephen: “they say history repeats itself. you can say that again …”

    President Biden has pulled ahead of Trump in national polling thanks to women voters, Nikki Haley talked racism with Charlamagne Tha God, and a right-wing billionaire launched an athletic venture where performance enhancing drugs are encouraged. #Colbert #Comedy #Monologue

  2. Will Buckeye Chuck see his shadow? Ohio’s groundhog set for 2024 Groundhog Day forecast (msn.com)

    In accordance with Ohio tradition, Buckeye Chuck is set to deliver his forecast for the coming weather. Will it be six more weeks of winter or an early spring.
    While Buckeye Chuck makes the official weather prediction for Ohio, he’s far from the only groundhog forecasting on Groundhog Day, celebrated in the U.S. and Canada. There’s also General Beauregard Lee in Georgia, Staten Island Chuck in New York and most famously, Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania.
    When will Buckeye Chuck make his 2024 prediction?
    The groundhog was scheduled to give his winter forecast around 7:40 a.m. ET. The event starts at 7 a.m. ET.
    How to watch and listen to Buckeye Chuck’s 2024 Groundhog Day forecast
    Buckeye Chuck’s moment on the big stage is scheduled to be broadcast live on his Facebook fan page, according to host radio station WMRN in Marion. You can also listen live via 1490-AM WMRN on the iHeart app.
    Who is Buckeye Chuck?
    Ohio’s official weather-predicting groundhog makes his annual forecast in Marion, Ohio, part of an event put on by the local radio station WMRN. Buckeye Chuck began making his predictions in the 1970s, and was declared the official State Groundhog by the Ohio General Assembly in 1979.

     

    but for the real rout of the rodent Watch live coverage as the famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil of Gobbler’s Knob, predicts whether there will be an early spring or six more weeks of winter.

    Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, during the 137th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. Phil's handlers said that the groundhog has forecast six more weeks of winter.

  4. and for our neighbors to the north

    New Fred la Marmotte will step out of dead predecessor’s shadow | Montreal Gazette

    A year after Fred la Marmotte’s untimely death, his successor is allegedly ready to make his weather prediction on Friday.
    The late Fred made international headlines when he was found dead on Groundhog Day — leaving Quebecers wondering what that symbolized for the arrival of spring. This year, a new Fred will carry on the tradition for the 15th edition of the ceremony in the Gaspé town of Val-d’Espoir.
    “The new Fred is ready,” said Renée Laurendeau, one of the event organizers, who described herself as Fred’s press agent. “(He’s) sleeping right now, getting all the strength that he needs to be able to make a nice prediction.”
    According to Groundhog Day lore, if Fred gets spooked by his shadow and hides, winter will continue for at least another six weeks. If he doesn’t, it means an early spring.
    According to Laurendeau, Fred’s predictions are better than those of MétéoMédia.
    “And we’re better than any other groundhog,” she said. “We’re pretty good.”
    The event’s website shows Fred’s predictions over the years, indicating he has been wrong only three times out of 13. A child who acted as an emergency replacement last year also made an accurate prediction that winter would continue.
    News of original Fred’s grim death drew the attention of media outlets across the world, including U.S. television show The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
    “Turns out he did see a shadow, but it was just the icy hand of death,” Colbert quipped.
    Laurendeau said she was shocked at how much attention Fred’s death received.
    “Every year I send the link to all kinds of people in the States. In Florida there was an interest because there’s so many Quebecers in Florida,” she said. “But last year, when Fred left us? My god. It was something. From all over, people calling and asking for interviews and all that, I just couldn’t believe it.”
    People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals also chimed in following Fred’s death, urging organizers not to replace him with a new groundhog, suggesting they use a robotic groundhog or enlist a child instead.
    “With the booming voice of a presenter and the laughter and squeals of the audience just steps away, these events are both terrifying and stressful for (groundhogs), as they are animals with very sensitive hearing,” PETA president Ingrid Newkirk said at the time.
    On Wednesday, Laurendeau stressed Fred is only slightly awakened from his sleep to make the prediction and then goes back to hibernation for the rest of winter, per a veterinarian’s recommendation. When he’s not making weather predictions, he has summer and winter enclosures, both of which are large and give him enough room to dig and explore, Laurendeau added.
    “He has plenty of space, plenty of food … we have all the permits, we have everything needed,” she said. “We make sure that he’s well.”
    Laurendeau said the event, held every Feb. 2, is a big hit in the community and has been since its first year.
    “Thank you everybody for following. That’s what makes a tradition,” she said. “It’s really tough times right now and we need to laugh and we need to do activities that are fun. And that is one of the things that is fun: Fred the groundhog.”
    Quebecers can watch the event via live stream at 6:30 a.m. at vimeo.com/event/4041891.

    A groundhog is seen in side profile in this image.

    The late Fred la Marmotte before his untimely death last Groundhog Day. Photo courtesy of Murielle Shaw

  9. Yay, Pat! Love it!

    Aww, poor dead Fred. May he rest in peace and long live Fred II. 
    We’ve had Spring temps in the 60s this week in eastern CO. But I think winter is about to return.

  12. Hey, speaking of, have you noticed concertina wire resembles a crown of thorns and Republicans resemble the jeering throngs that mocked Jesus’ suffering?
     
    i wonder if conservatives will have a similar realization 🤔 🤔 
     
    ok ✌️ 

  14. It already feels like an early spring here in NH.  The largest snow storm we’ve had is 8 inches…   and it’s melting fast.  And if I still ice skated… I wouldn’t dare go out on any pond.
     
    As for political deja vu….  well….  duh…

  16. We are just one month into the 2024 election year and I am tired of it already. Same shit different day. We are trapped in a political groundhog day hell and there is no way out.

  18. Watching Biden at Dover, this would be a good time to remember how Trump called dead soldiers “losers”, never attended a funeral, skipped DDay ceremony fearing it would muss up his hair, and insulted a widow saying her husband “knew what he was getting into”

  19. At Safeway I just bought thick cut bacon for $4.99 a pound, a carton of dozen eggs for $2.99, plus quart of milk for $1.99. Not bad, and no sales, all regular prices. 

  21. https://www.newschannel5.com/news/he-should-resign-gop-call-for-rep-justin-jones-to-step-down-after-he-declined-to-lead-pledge-of-allegiance

    “House Republicans are calling on Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, to resign after he declined to lead the House in the Pledge of Allegiance.”

    “Later, in his office, Rep. Jones explained why he passed on the pledge.
    “I want the words on that pledge, you know, to be true. Liberty and justice for all. And I serve in a body where that has not been the case,” he said. “That my colleagues who sit in that chamber with me have rolled back liberty and justice when it comes to women, when it comes to Black and brown communities, when it comes to the poor.”     He added that he comes from a family of veterans, respects the flag and refuses to resign, saying he didn’t do anything wrong.”
     

    The white folks in the Kentucky State House strike, again.    Brother Jones is constantly getting silenced, kicked out, and reprimanded for something.  Why, it’s almost like they feel like he needs to be shown his place.  It’s absolutely disgusting how blatantly racist they are being toward him.

    By the way, when Colin Kapernick took a knee during the National Anthem, I thought all of the racist Republicans said they were through with the NFL.  So, why have they now declared jihad, or as the chicken-fried Taliban calls it, a holy war, on Taylor Swift.  

    And, if they are paying attention to football now, which team do they want to win?  Psy-op Taylor’s team (KC) or Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco 49ers?  
     

  22. https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/01/china/brics-membership-applications-china-russia-intl-hnk/index.html

    “Nearly three dozen countries are seeking entry into the China and Russia-backed BRICS economic group, member state South Africa said Wednesday, weeks after the body expanded its membership for the first time in more than a decade.”
    “BRICS, which since 2011 had been made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, roughly positions itself as the Global South’s answer to the Group of Seven (G7) major developed economies.”
     
    “Russia was accepting those applications after assuming rotating chairmanship of the group this year – and will be the first member to oversee the body since it significantly expanded its global footprint at the start of the year, when Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Ethiopia, and Egypt formally joined.”

    ”China has been a key driver of its expansion as leader Xi Jinping pushes an alternative world order, forging closer partnerships with key global players from Russia to the Middle East and strengthening international bodies where Beijing holds sway.”
     
    ”The expansion and continued interest from dozens more countries are also a boon for Russia, which has been shunned economically and diplomatically by the West following its invasion of Ukraine.”
    “The Russian president, who has an International Criminal Court warrant out for his arrest linked to alleged war crimes in Ukraine, participated virtually.”
    “The new cohort of countries join as BRICS pushes toward more diplomatic and financial coordination, including reform of the United Nations Security Council and a move away from a US dollar-dominated trade system.”
     
     

  23. I have always loved the 49ers.  And the Chiefs QB, Patrick Mahomes, is a delight for any true football fan to watch.  So this upcoming Super Bowl….  I’ll be happy no matter which team wins.  Although…  I will be rooting just a tad bit harder for the Chiefs…  because of all the maga hate of Swift.
     
    ps… if the Chiefs win…  I hope they all choke on their own bile…

  24. Sounds like a reasonably priced Breakfast, Poobah. Those prices are pretty much on par for “nothing special” eggs, bacon and milk here as well. 
     
    Earwigging “I Got You Babe” on Groundhog Day?  ARRGH.

  26. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/finnish-workers-begin-strikes-against-labour-reforms-welfare-cuts-2024-02-01/
    “Some 290,000 Finnish workers began two days of strike action on Thursday to protest against the right-wing government’s planned labour market reforms and proposed cuts to social welfare.”
     
     
    “The government’s plan is cold-blooded. First, the right to strike will be severely restricted, and then tough cuts are pushed through,” Jarkko Eloranta, president of Finland’s largest trade union association SAK, told Reuters.
     
     
    Stay strong, Finland!  Don’t let your government turn you into a sh/thole  country like the US. 
     

  27. Go, Chiefs!  
    This is a rematch of the 2020 Super Bowl.  That seems like 15 years ago. 
    Go, Chiefs!

  30. The Maga folks have a real problem this year, They can’t support the Chiefs because of Taylor Swift and anything San Franciso is forbidden. So no football. Their women are all Taylor Swift fans, So no sex.
    No wonder they are all in such a bad mood.
    Jack

  31. “Watching Biden at Dover, this would be a good time to remember how Trump called dead soldiers “losers”, never attended a funeral, skipped DDay ceremony fearing it would muss up his hair, and insulted a widow saying her husband “knew what he was getting into”

     
    Exactly, Craig. All the thousands of mortalities and casualties we sustained during his “reign of terror” – military and civilian – never once did he do anything other than rub salt in the wounds.

  32. Just got an automated voice message from the court saying February 9th appearance canceled and I will be “re-summoned in the future”. Plus the above order now on Court web site.

  33. Has anyone else had car insurance go through the roof?   I’ve driven less than 800 miles every 6 months for the last year and a half, but the increase is $30 – $40 every six months.  WTF? 

  35. “How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?”

     
    same old shoulda’ woulda’ coulda’ …

  37. Got this text msg from the court: 

    “The special trial for which you were summoned has been CANCELED. Therefore, you are NOT required to report for jury service on February 9 and you are no longer required to call the court’s automated phone system on March 3 for reporting instructions for March 4. You will be re-summoned again in the future. The Jury Office would like to apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and appreciates your cooperation in this matter.”

  40.  
     
    https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2024/02/02/florida-child-labor-rollback-bill-teenagers/
     
    The bill, HB49, would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to work more than eight hours in a day even if school is the next day, or more than 30 hours a week when school is in session.”

    “It would eliminate the requirement that teenagers be granted breaks every four hours of work. The bill says teens should get breaks in the same manner of other employees — which can mean no breaks. Florida employers, under law, are not required to offer food or rest breaks.”

    “Conservative advocacy group Foundation for Government Accountability wrote the draft legislation and passed it along to Chaney’s aide, according to records from the Florida House of Representatives.  The organization has also been behind other rollbacks of child labor laws in other states.”

    “Florida’s child labor violations increased by nearly 60% from 2021 to 2022, according to an analysis of U.S. Department of Labor data conducted by the Florida Policy Institute, which opposes the legislation.”
     

    “The bill would let teens work as early as 5:30 a.m. and as late as midnight on days before school.”

    “The legislation, SB460 and HB917, would have allowed 16- and 17-year-olds to work on roofing and scaffolding. But after heavy pushback and input from stakeholders, the bills were amended to say teenagers cannot work on roofs or ladders above six feet. It still allows them to work on construction sites if they have an Occupational Safety and Health Administration certification and are under supervision.”
     
     
     

  41. Doing the calendar math on this DC Trump trial, it looks like earliest trial date could be early to mid-May.

    That means the March 25 Stormy Daniels hush money case in NYC could be his first criminal trial.

  43. Apparently Nikki Haley didn’t see her shadow either. In her text today she writes, “I’m not going anywhere.”

  44. https://www.npr.org/2024/02/02/1228463764/congressional-democrats-tell-biden-to-do-more-on-abortion-after-ohio-womans-arre

    “Congressional Democrats tell Biden to do more on abortion after Ohio woman’s arrest”

    “Hospital officials called police after Watts came in seeking treatment for her pregnancy loss. Watts was investigated and initially charged with abuse of a corpse under state law. The letter notes that a grand jury ultimately declined to move forward with the case, but says “irreparable harm has already been done and we must ensure this never happens to anyone again.”

    “You don’t get to pick up the phone, violate a person’s HIPAA rights, and then say to this person, ‘I’m consoling you with one hand and calling the police to have a person arrested on the other hand,'” Beatty said in an interview with NPR.

  45. Thx Bink. 
    But what a fool believes he sees
    No wise man has the power to reason away
    What seems to be
    Is always better than nothing
    And nothing at all keeps sending him…
     
    love those lyrics

  47. Underdubbed Band On The Run is out today. 
    Have a listen to “Jet.”

    https://www.salon.com/2024/02/02/paul-mccartney-wings-band-on-the-run-underdubbed-mix-50th-anniversary/

    The “underdubbed” mixes for Paul McCartney and Wings’ landmark “Band on the Run” album are, in a word, stupendous. Released to mark the LP’s 50th anniversary, the mixes make for some of the more intriguing, even revelatory commemorative recordings across McCartney’s legendary career.

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