In spite of record cold temperatures across the US this week, it has been reported that the world’s most famous groundhog (Punxsutawney Phil) didn’t see his shadow on Ground Hog Day, foretelling an early Spring. Hmm. I think the whole thing is fishy so I did some research.
Phil has been prognosticating for 121 years but since ground hogs only live an average of 10 years (or 14 in captivity as Phil does along with his wife Phyllis), this ground hog is a particularly long lived one. Supposedly he gets a magical elixir every summer to prolong his life. You’d think they’d bottle that. They’d make more on the elixir than the tourism. I also discovered that Phil doesn’t see much of anything this time of year. The weather announcement is decided in advance by 14 members of Punxsutawney Phil’s Inner Circle. So there you have it, the fix is in. Maybe the club decided we needed a bit of optimism to hold us over. It’s all in good fun. One of my favorite movies is Ground Hog Day. Maybe I’ll go rent it. Mr. Fashion-Incubator is ill (and ill tempered) and could use some cheering up.
This of course being nothing but a preamble to this week’s edition of the archives. Listed below are the entries published on this site for this week over the past five (almost six) years. If that weren’t enough, there are over 2,000 more in the archives. Hope your weekend is great.
January 28, through February 3, 2006
Bias match-stripe
Piece rate is good
Sending patterns off for correction
How to make a line sheet pt.2
Analyzing sales by size
Analyzing sales by size pt.2
January 28, through February 3, 2007
MAGIC Show February 2007
Fix this: mitten contest pt 4
Patternworks Inc
Pet Peeve: Cutters and Mixed Markers
Setting up a small shop
January 28, through February 3, 2008
Problem sewing contractor
Pattern puzzle: Parrot jacket 2
Japanese Vionnet book
Old school grading method?
January 28, through February 3, 2009
CPSIA Crystal Ball & Status Report
CPSIA Guidance for Retailers Working with Vendors
How the industry has changed forever
CPSIA: Stay of Execution?
January 28, through February 3, 2010
Organic cotton ‘fraud’
Pattern Puzzle: pick one
Pattern puzzle: pick one pt.2
GMO cotton: good or bad?
Unintended consequences of online sales
Phil and Santa Claus never age and both have a strong reliable team of helpers. Perhaps Phil’s inner circle are elf groundhogs.
If any of them saw tany shadows last week in PA they would have to also have been flying groundhogs to get above those storm clouds!
I actually read a sensible explanation of the ground hog thing. First, it’s all about the East Coast, so forget about ground hogs in Europe or Mexico or whatever. Apparently, if the groundhog sees its shadow it’s that cool, clear air is reaching down to Philadelphia from the Arctic. This is a bad sign for winter temperatures. If the shadow is not there, it’s more likely that warm humid air is reaching up from Florida, a much more hopeful sign. There you go. Even I can remember which way is which when told this way :-).
Silly movies about ground hog days sounds like just the thing for cranky flu victims. As long as they don’t spew virus all over you when laughing. I’d throw in Airplane too, or one of the Naked Guns, as a kind of late-New-Year Leslie Nielsen hommage.. Get a mask, wash your hands.
First off, hope Mr. F-I is feeling better. Now on to business.
The Santa Claus thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Maybe you aren’t aware of the fact that Irving the Reindeer applied for a job with Santa. He was totally qualified and even had a red nose in case Rudy had nasal failure. He was in terrific shape. Santa however decided that they would not hire a Jewish Reindeer. Well as you can imagine their was picketing and attempts were made to organize the Reindeers. Santa as it turns out is staunchly anti-union.
For those of us that look to Santa for moral guidance, it was heartbreaking. Santa shattered my world. He also has acetate linings put into washable garments by….you guessed it….non-union workers.
On to the Ground Hog. So the fix is in. Wow, just like pro wrestling and Project Runway. I think we all owe a debt of gratitude to Kathleen for bringing us all up to speed on some of today’s most compelling issues.
Kathleen, do you think I should have stopped taking my medication?
Perish the thought. I find you much more amusing sans meds.