PETA Suggests Celebrating Groundhog Day With a Weather-Predicting AI-Enabled Robot (orlandosentinel.com) 69
There's a North American tradition that says there'll be six more weeks of winter if a groundhog can see his shadow (due to clear skies) on February 2nd.
And while it's been honored every year with a ceremony in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania since 1887, PETA is now suggesting that the event's organizers should stop using a live groundhog -- and replace him with a robot. The Morning Caller reports:
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said in a news release Tuesday it sent a letter calling for the current incarnation of Punxsutawney Phil to be sent to a "reputable sanctuary" to live out the remainder of his life. Phil, arguably the world's most famous groundhog, takes part in a ceremony every Feb. 2 at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney. His handlers, also known as the Inner Circle, host festivities that culminate at 7:20 a.m., when they pull Punxsutawney Phil from a decorative stump so he can predict an early spring or six more weeks of winter.
"Gentle, vulnerable groundhogs are not barometers," PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in the release. "PETA is offering the club a win-win situation: Breathe life into a tired tradition and finally do right by a long-suffering animal... An AI Phil would renew interest in Punxsutawney, generating a great deal of buzz, much like Sony's robot dog 'aibo,' which walks, plays, misbehaves, and responds to commands...
"By creating an AI Phil, you could keep Punxsutawney at the center of Groundhog Day but in a much more progressive way."
One LiveScience article points out that "you'll be better off flipping a coin than going by the groundhog's predictions."
Or, as one PETA blog post explains, "To predict the weather you need a robot, not a terrified groundhog."
And while it's been honored every year with a ceremony in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania since 1887, PETA is now suggesting that the event's organizers should stop using a live groundhog -- and replace him with a robot. The Morning Caller reports:
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said in a news release Tuesday it sent a letter calling for the current incarnation of Punxsutawney Phil to be sent to a "reputable sanctuary" to live out the remainder of his life. Phil, arguably the world's most famous groundhog, takes part in a ceremony every Feb. 2 at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney. His handlers, also known as the Inner Circle, host festivities that culminate at 7:20 a.m., when they pull Punxsutawney Phil from a decorative stump so he can predict an early spring or six more weeks of winter.
"Gentle, vulnerable groundhogs are not barometers," PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in the release. "PETA is offering the club a win-win situation: Breathe life into a tired tradition and finally do right by a long-suffering animal... An AI Phil would renew interest in Punxsutawney, generating a great deal of buzz, much like Sony's robot dog 'aibo,' which walks, plays, misbehaves, and responds to commands...
"By creating an AI Phil, you could keep Punxsutawney at the center of Groundhog Day but in a much more progressive way."
One LiveScience article points out that "you'll be better off flipping a coin than going by the groundhog's predictions."
Or, as one PETA blog post explains, "To predict the weather you need a robot, not a terrified groundhog."
Sure (Score:2)
Are they going to fund and develop it?
Thanks PETA (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Given the weather we have here today - clear skies and sun - it would be 6 more weeks of winter. But we haven't had any winter, just a very long autumn. Heck - March temperatures in January, next would be April temperatures in February.
So this winter Hell didn't freeze over.
I'm starting to expect June and July to have the same temperature as you usually find in Texas - but at 57 degrees North.
Re: Thanks PETA (Score:2)
Same here in the UK - winter appears to have taken this year off. OK we don't get really severe winters here but we do normally get *some* snow and quite a few frosts. But 2019-20 so far zero snow except in Scotland and that melted in a day and about 3 mild frosts. Just endless rain and autumn temps. It really doesnt bode well for the summer.
Gobbler's Knob (Score:3, Funny)
It might be a better idea (Score:5, Funny)
To bury someone from PETA in January, and if they're still alive on Feb 2, then you can do the weather predictions.
Re:It might be a better idea (Score:4)
They could revive that "rather go naked" campaign from a few years back and if the nips are hard at Gobbler's Knob then six more weeks of winter.
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Don't get suckered in by the ads. Trust me, you do NOT want to see the average PETA member naked.
Next headline "AI steals groundhog's job" (Score:5, Funny)
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Hmm... Praising the machine [youtube.com] when it's not their ass on the line but groundhog's while not doing the same for themselves makes PETA come of a bit... disingenuous, when it comes to caring for animals.
Wouldn't an AI-PETA do the job much more efficiently, saving far more animals from the evils of wool? [racked.com]
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That was their first mistake it should have been an AP and not an AI.
stop giving these assholes more exposure (Score:4, Insightful)
they say ludicrous things to help their grift. stop giving them more exposure
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Christians are such, kind, loving people. Real stewards of the Earth, too.
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Oh no, an animal gets handled by people for a bit while living his life in comfort with a complete lack of danger. It's so much better to live in nature so they can experience getting ripped up by a coyote and being eaten while still alive.
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That groundhog is one of the most spoiled animals on Earth. To claim otherwise is complete balderdash.
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Phil is undoubtedly the most cosseted groundhog in the world. Since we are not eating Phil or harvesting anything from him, what exactly is PETA objecting to?
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PETA are anti-pet.
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That's exactly how the game is played these days. Say something idiotic in a press release (or on Twitter) and the news media lets you live in the public consciousness, rent free. It probably helped get the current president elected.
If the news stopped giving PETA the time of day, we'd never hear from them again. But the news media loves sensationalized bullshit, and people keep clicking on it, so that'll never happen.
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Phil is just fine (Score:2)
Phil lives a better life than any other groundhog. That he is being mistreated in some way is perfectly absurd.
I hope this is just some silly way to draw attention to themselves and not a serious concern.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: Phil is just fine (Score:1)
animal cruelty (Score:2)
Let's get PETA out of bed (Score:3)
take them outside into the cold, and if they see their shadow, that means 6 more weeks of whining...
"reputable sanctuary" (Score:2)
In Punxsutawney that would be a pressure cooker dressed with carrots and onion, served with mashed potatoes.
Good idea... (Score:2)
...kill the rodent and stuff him with a Raspberry Pi and a few sensors. I'm pretty sure that is what they meant.
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I think Disney already did something like that. And made it sing and dance too.
Serious Question (Score:1)
Re: Serious Question (Score:1)
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People Eating Tasty Animals.
Now they've come for poor old Phil. They must be stopped at all costs!
PETA (Score:2)
Sausage Sandwiches (Score:3)
Meanwhile I'm slicing up some onions and about to get some Italian sausage grilling for our annual celebration.
If you're not having ground hog for dinner tonight you're doin it rong. I'll have an extra for PETA.
Re: (Score:2)
Ground hog?
I’ll eat that when pigs fly.
What does eating tasty animals ... (Score:1)
... have to do with weather predicting robots?
Sincerely, davidwr, proud member, People Eating Tasty Animals
Poor groundhogs (Score:3)
Leave them alone. And let them serve the purpose for which our Lord placed them on this Earth. Target practice.
How is that ethical? (Score:2)
Poor little furry bugger has nothing going on in his life. The only thing he has to look forward to is his few minutes of national fame one day a year, and now PETA wants to take that away too.
Why do they hate cute animals so much?
Ok (Score:2)
Re: Ok (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
joshua does playing WW3 day after day to find the best way to win
PETA is PITA (Score:2)
Pain In The Ass. Activists are required to do this; however, they need to be extra careful and not totally desensitized so they alienate people.
Why do they waste time on stupid issues like this? The Exposure is not benefiting them. It's ONE rodent only a few people care to listen to that our stupid media always reports upon as some cute story to fill up time so they can continue to not do their jobs competently.
PLEASE find a way to make the groundhog thing boring and stupid so it doesn't go on TV every year
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But the media wants the controversy, which is why they give PETA a platform for this bullshit.
PETA needs a sense of humor and a reality check (Score:3)
Did Bloomberg fund this? (Score:1)
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Looks like de Blasio killed that poor groundhog.
Neither gentle nor vulnerable (Score:2)
Death to all groundhogs I say . . . .
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Okay but... (Score:2)
Is there some sort of evidence they are mistreating the animal? Even if there was, it's a groundhog for fucks sake.
Activists just need to STFU (Score:2)
I guarantee you that PETA doesn't really give a damn about this one groundhog who most likely lives much better than his fellow groundhogs. They're simply exhibiting sub-clinical psychopathic behavior in trying to win this one battle. If they won, they simply move on to another easy target.