h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

By now, the news has gone round the world. FWR even sent me a screen capture. But the 'Punxsutawney Spirit' said it best:

'BREAKING NEWS: 6 MORE WEEKS!

Punxsutawney Phil has officially done his thing, and he has declared SIX MORE WEEKS OF WINTER after seeing his shadow.'

Earlier this week, the 'Punxsutawney Spirit' announced such important news as the holders of the titles of Little Mr and Miss Groundhog 2018. Very cute five-year-olds.

It is not surprising that the Groundhog wasn't sanguine about the chances for an early spring. After all, it snowed last night, and the temperature sank like a stone. This morning, it was -11C on Gobblers Knob. If they hadn't picked him up, I doubt he would have come out of that burrow. Groundhogs are not exactly stupid. The same can not be said of all the humans out there in the cold.

The Weather Channel's website has this to say on 2 February:

'The groundhog's accuracy rate is far lower than actual meteorologists'.'

If your best boast is that you can predict the weather better than a fat rodent.... And you can't make it stop snowing, either. I'm glad I've already done my shopping for the week.

And now, for the Event that nobody has been waiting for...the Groundhog Day release of the latest Heavy Leslie album! Thanks to FWR for the inspiration for this album, which of course includes 'All You Need Is Love', 'Eleanor Rigby', 'Strawberry Fields Forever', and other perennial favourites, all with cool videos and that Heavy Leslie sound. (I have found new ways to torture the instrument.)

Here it is in all its glory: The appropriately-titled 'Dmitri Gheorgheni Ruins the Beatles'. Take that, Bluebottle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjn6bBrHNgs&list=PLltg8SYMn-FLauHGGTYRdx5r7KUdZMWmk

Listen to it: the pain will take your mind away from the weather.

It's freezing here too, even though I did brave the bitter winds to go watch the supermoon rise on Wednesday night

I watched the Groundhog Day ceremony live on the BBC News with glee. I note that the handlers now wear groundhog teeth-proof gloves

I felt sorry for poor Phil, he actually was shaking with either fear or from the cold, and I wished they would just hurry up and put him back to bed.

It's a tradition that would never catch on here, we're far too sensible () but we do enjoy watching your silly American traditions

I'll grab my coat and pop over to YouTube now (where's me earmuffs?)

That's *German*-Americans, I would like to point out. The superstition behind the party comes from Europe, where it involved a hedgehog. We don't have hedgehogs. We have groundhogs. So...

You're right: I noticed the gloves. They've probably heard about the people who have been bitten, like Bill Murray while filming that movie, and I think the mayor of New York, who refuses to attend the ceremony any more. A groundhog bite is not to be trifled with. He's a hefty-sized rodent...

Keep warm!

You have surpassed yourself GoHL - the album is awesome

The sounds in the Yellow Submarine are amazing! Your Hammond and Leslie rival my electronic keyboard for variety of tones

The Eleanor Rigby video is excellent, too - well chosen images for all the lonely people

Elektra's input into 'Here, There and Everywhere' made me laugh!

Maybe one of those 'on air' lights would help for when recording is in progress, but then again many's the time the phone has rung in the middle of my sessions...

I also have to be careful as the wheelchair often makes squeaky noises - I tend to have to stay fairly close to the recording unit and try not to move while the music is playing... Which of course makes me want to move more than I would if I was trying not to move...

Thankfully I can record the music on the keyboard first, which eliminates the sound of the plastic keys clicking, and I just have to contend with the ambient noise when I'm recording the keyboard's playback... Excellent fun, though

I look forward to the next album, whatever it may be

As for told in Spreading the Love Iii, an album that would change the world!

They don't believe in climate change - but they trust a rodent to predict the weather

Somebody mentioned that on Twitter today, Pierce - that we believe in rodent prognosticators, but not scientists...

Thanks, folks! Glad you're liking the album. I think it's keeping my brain exercised and staving off early senility.

I know what you mean, Sasha. I think we all do pretty well for not having real studio equipment. I'm recording these on a digital device that fits in the palm of my hand, and clips onto a shirt pocket. Amazing what you can do these days. I remember recording school projects on a cassette recorder about the size of a fairly thick novel.

*Contemplates what would be thrown at her if she mentioned the last week's weather*

*Wonders if it would be mitigated by the fact that she's been in a plague house this week, so has not gotten to enjoy the weather anyway*

Aha. I'll bet it's warm and sunny where you are...

Hope the plague is over.

Over here it's warm and sunny ... we seem to be back to heat-wave weather. Was a sweaty day delivering laundry today ...

I hope Phil is snuggled up and sleeping warm after all that hooplah!

I'd like to do a music video ... right now the only recording equipment I have is my ancient digital camera with which I can only take 15-second movies.

The one I'm using cost only $15 from Amazon Prime.

And you have LOTS of pictures to use for slides...I refer, of course, to 'Colours of Wildlife'...