I've seen this before... I can't quite place it, but I know it's here... oh yes, I HAVE seen this before. Last Groundhog Day... and the Groundhog Day before that... and the, well you get the idea.

As I gird up for getting back into this blogging business, I thought I would take this chance to, once again, re-up my post about Groundhog Day, now with over 2% new material...so enjoy.

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today, so that means six more weeks of winter. My question is this: considering the winter most of us have had this year (25 more inches of snow here in Chicagoland than last year), if the groundhog was to meet an "unfortunate" accident, would that cancel-out his prediction? It's something to think about...

To help you get through the horrible news of more winter, and thus the horrible news of our new house being pushed further back, I’ve put together some random Groundhog Day trivia/Q&A/useless knowledge tidbits. Enjoy...

TRIVIA!
-The groundhog is also known as a woodchuck (Marmota monax) and is a member of the squirrel family eating such things as dandelions, clovers and various grasses.
- Did you know? That the first Groundhog Day was observed in Punxsutawney, PA in 1887.

TOP 10 GROUNDHOG DAY MOVIES

10 - Groundhog Day
09 - Groundhog Day
08 - Groundhog Day
07 - Groundhog Day
06 - Groundhog Day
05 - Groundhog Day
04 - Groundhog Day
03 - Groundhog Day
02 - Groundhog Day
01 - Groundhog Day

Nice list huh? What do you expect with what I have to work with?

TOP 10 REASONS TO CELEBRATE GROUNDHOG DAY

10 - It's on nearly every calendar

09 - It helps relieve Cabin Fever

08 - Spring or not, it's still six weeks till St. Urho's Day

07 - It takes something to get over your possible post-Super Bowl letdown

06 - At least one of them critters is bound to see things your way

05 - Valentine's Day is just too damn depressing for nerds

04 - Unlike the Easter Bunny, he keeps his dirty paws outside

03 - Facebook's Groundhog Day application (I don't know if actually exists, but wouldn't it be fun if it did?)

02 - It's fun to say “Punxsutawney”

01 - If a rodent can bring us an early spring, more power to him

RANDOM GROUNHOG DAY MUSINGS

Allow me to get political with this next one: Q: What's the difference between Groundhog Day and President Bush's State of the Union Address? A: One is a meaningless ritual wherein we look to a creature of little intelligence to prognosticate for us... the other involves a woodchuck. [rimshot] (Thank you, I'm here all week, try the veal... or the Groundhog)

HEY KEMP, WHAT ELSE HAS HAPPENED ON FEBRUARY 2ND IN WORLD HISTORY?

1653 - New Amsterdam (later renamed New York City) is incorporated.

1709 - Alexander Selkirk is rescued from a shipwreck on a deserted island. This would inspire the writing of the book "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel 'No Relation to Willem' Defoe.

1880 - The first electric streetlight is installed in Wabash, Indiana.

1940 - Frank Sinatra debuts with the Tommy Dorsey orchestra.

1945 - World War II: US President Franklin D. Roosevelt & British Prime Minister Winston Churchill leave to meet with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin at the Yalta Conference.

1979 - Sid Vicious dies of a heroin overdose.

HERE'S A GROUNDHOG DAY DRINKING GAME

This is a very simple game. Watch the movie “Groundhog's Day” and take a shot for every new ‘day’ that Bill Murray lives again. Especially fun is the multiple slapping scenes. Each slap is obviously another day, so you may have to count the number of slaps, stop the tape and catch up. This all happens when he tries killing himself over and over, and over and over and over and, well, you get the idea. (Hint: By the end of the game, each participant should have done 42 shots. Remember, as with any drinking game... know your limitations)

THE STORY OF GROUNDHOG DAY

That pig farmers have never done well in the United States as most Americans prefer beef to pork. Granted, hamburger is an American favorite but, in a little known secret, actually contains no ham whatsoever. The porcine raisers were hopeful to see a significant increase in their business after the health scares about beef and Upton Sinclairs novel “The Jungle”, but most of those benefits had gone to the poultry and fish industries and sales of ham and bacon remained virtually unchanged.Because of this, The National Porcine Association hired a major Madison Avenue advertising firm to boost sales of pork products and they decided on an intensive campaign to saturate magazines, television and radio with ads urging people to eat pork patties. The campaign was given an extra boost when Congress was convinced to designate the second of February as the day when every family would be urged to eat pork sausage. That day would be celebrated nationally, of course, as Ground, Hog, Day.

To get a real history of the day, click HERE.

Ask yourself this; how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

Now, go out there with his new-found treasure trove of trivial goodness and impress your friends, coworkers, significant others, and small furry animals...