Groundhog handler Ben Hughes watches Punxsutawney Phil after he did not see his shadow predicting an early spring during the 125th annual Groundhog Day festivities on February 2, 2011 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
Photo: Jeff Swensen/Getty Images
Local famed rodent Staten Island Chuck spent the morning with Mayor Bloomberg and did not see his shadow, meaning spring is coming early, according to the arbitrary rules agreed upon by society. Chuck’s more notable national counterpart, Pennsylvania’s Punxatawney Phil, disagreed, calling for six more weeks of winter, but he is just a pawn anyway: “Phil’s prediction is determined ahead of time by the Inner Circle, a group who dons top hats and tuxedos and decides in advance what the groundhog will predict.”
