UPDATE: Well, Phil seems to have made an admission – A prosecutor in Ohio has indicted Punxsutawney Phil, the world’s most famous weather-predicting groundhog, following Phil’s prediction of an early spring on February 2nd. Butler County, Ohio’s Michael T. Gmoser is recommending the death penalty, by the way. Here’s the defense from Phil’s team: “If…

So, Ron Finley of California is a guerrilla gardener, planting in whatever space he can find: ‘abandoned lots, traffic medians, along the curbs,’ etc. So what do you think? Bold or bad? I’ll say bold. (Stubborn as I am, I think there should be two rs in guerrilla, by the way. Spelled either way, I…

So when is Whitewater’s last snowfall of the season? Let’s assume that a snowfall only counts if it’s more than one inch. I’ll say, using that standard, that we’re done for the season. What do you think? Last Snowfall of the Season

The Science Channel has a new series, Are We Alone?, beginning this month that considers whether there’s extraterrestrial life in the galaxy.  One of the the episodes even assesses how humanity would fare during an invasion of creatures from outer space. Let’s set a question broadly, including the possibility of any alien life, even simple organisms: Do you think there’s life elsewhere in…

All America’s been watching the return and disembarkation of the Carnival Cruise ship Triumph, after days without power, in conditions of filth, for about four-thousand passengers and crew. The line has offered a compensation package for those so distressed these last few days: As a third tug boat was dispatched to assist in towing Carnival…

On 2.15.13, an asteroid the size of an office building will pass very close to the Earth. It’s a close encounter of a kind that happens only rarely: It will be the nearest recorded brush with a space rock so large, NASA scientists said Thursday. (The Washington Post/NASA) – A chunk of rock about half…

About as likely as any poll topic before of this weekend: 49ers or Ravens? Oddsmakers give San Francisco about a 4 point edge, not far from the odds when betting began. Those odds seem about right to me, but I’ll make a sentimental pick and say Ravens by three, 24-21. That’s not a reasoned picked:…

Let’s assume you’ve a choice of the weather in your town, between very cold with no snow, or thirty degrees with snow (say, a few inches at least). Which would you pick? I don’t mind the cold, but I’d take the milder temperature with snow, as there’s winter fun to be had in the snow.…

Only about two weeks until February 3rd, Super Bowl XLVII. Not the Packers this year, but among the four remaining teams, what do you think the AFC-NFC matchup will look like? The oddsmakers say it’s a Patriots-49ers Super Bowl, but I’m going with a sentimental pick (against admittedly long odds) and will go with Baltimore-San…

If you made resolutions this year, how’s it going? In my case, I have goals for the year, but nothing so definite and clear that it amounts to a New Year’s resolution. How about you? New Year’s Resolutions

Here’s a poll of possible winter adventures.  Of these choices, including admiring the outdoors from indoors, what’s your favorite? Multiple answers are possible; my favorite’s snowshoeing. What’s yours? Favorite Winter Activities