# It's Groundhog Day. Let's Eat Sausage! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 2, 2004, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176 "2004-02-02T12:20:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ashes\_Ashes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@Ashes\_Ashes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashes_Ashes)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176/41 "2004-02-03T20:04:17Z")
Oh yes, those pastel KitchenAids are an affront to the appliance gods, but they’re such pretty colors! The ruffled panty wearing, big bow and corkscrew curls girly girl inside me desires appliances in Easter colors. On the other hand, have you seen the mixer on Good Eats? Alton Brown had flames painted on the side of his mixer, too cool! You know, about the only way you’d get me to watch the Superbowl is if those trained dogs in tu tus were playing. Hee! I laugh just at the image on the little movie screen in my head. So, I’m thinking groundhog would not be tasty. First, stringy 'cause he’s always digging. Then, gamey, but gamey how I wonder? Too much hog or too much ground? Aha! I’ll bet that’s why you make sausage out of him, grinding to make him tenderererer and spices for flavor. Oh **Swampbear** , ya gotta have a valentine! I’ll be yours if you wanna. I’m really easy, no presents or nuthin’ neccessary. This way you can excuse yourself from that meeting occassionally. “Oh dear, I have to go order some flowers; my Valentine’s expecting a dozen roses every hour. Why yes, I’m a romantic fellow aren’t I?” And then you sneak out for a cookie and a breath of fresh air. ---
**Author:** ![Yamirskoonir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/c0e974/32.png) [@Yamirskoonir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yamirskoonir)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176/42 "2004-02-03T21:44:34Z")
In olden days, in Europe, they had no groundhogs and so went looking for badgers instead. \ Can’t say I’d like to eat some ground badger, though. The oink-oink, moo-moo, or some combination variety thereof usually works for me. \<“We don’t NEED no stinkin’ badgers!”\> Oh yeah, they used to bless a bunch of candles on this day, too. If Christmas is a federal holiday, why can’t Candlemas be one too? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Kallessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@Kallessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kallessa)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176/43 "2004-02-03T21:56:00Z")
After checking out the KitchenAid colors, the brighter designer colors are not so much an offence to the Gods of Cooking as a “70’s hairstyle” embarassment waiting to happen. Really, are you going to want a tangerine mixer when you’re 64? The pastel colors are, as suspected, ghastly. I am tempted to order myself a green or cobalt blue or maybe even black hand mixer even though I have a perfectly fine hand mixer already. Maybe if I triple the recipe for my favorite cookies and try to mix all the flour I’ll burn out the motor and then _need_ a new mixer. Or I could donate it to Goodwill (a less morally bankrupt way of needing a new mixer, but still, it would be an artificially created need and sooner or later, the Material Goods Fairy\* would catch up with me and I’d be denied something else that I really need). \*I’m waiting for the Material Goods Fairy to bring me a Mercedes sports car, and I’d hate to spoil that deal for a hand mixer, no matter how cool. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176/44 "2004-02-03T23:22:38Z")
Well, pooh. I still want a purple mixer. My kitchen is green and they would go together oh so well. I also really, really like fractals. Way cool. I used to have a neat fractal screensaver as well. Actually I’ve still got it but it ran in DOS so it’s usefulness now is somewhat limited. I really shouldn’t do this. _Why not?_ It’s really corny. A major groaner you might say. _What better place than one of Rue’s threads? Go for it._ You’re right. I think I will. Poor Gaston Julia. I perused some Google pages about him. He lost his nose in World War I. I wonder how he smelled? ---
**Author:** ![Kallessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@Kallessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kallessa)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176/45 "2004-02-03T23:55:43Z")
> [@dwyr](#): > > Poor Gaston Julia. I perused some Google pages about him. He lost his nose in World War I. > I wonder how he smelled? Not badly, as long as he took a shower every morning. –I had a three legged dog once. We called him Arithmetic, of course. \*Why? –Because he put down three and carried one. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2004, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176/46 "2004-02-04T14:04:03Z")
We really shouldn’t discuss mathematics in the MMP thread. It makes **Elle** n mad. ---
**Author:** ![Rue\_DeDay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/41988e/32.png) [@Rue\_DeDay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rue_DeDay)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2004, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176/47 "2004-02-04T14:47:20Z")
Oh, I see where your loyalties lay, Mr. **Exgineer**. Math makes my head hurt, no big. Math makes **Elle** n mad, ohhh! Stay away from math! Sheesh! And after all I do for you… ---
**Author:** ![Kallessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@Kallessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kallessa)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2004, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176/48 "2004-02-04T20:00:41Z")
I remember how to spell “arithmetic” by saying _A rat in the house might eat the ice cream_, but I don’t have one for mathematics. Apparently I don’t need one, seeing how I just spelled it correctly without a problem. However, I am interested in the difference between arithmetic (_A rat in the house might eat the ice cream_) and mathematics. Is arithmetic (\*A rat in the house . . . \* well, you get the point) a subset of mathematic or is it a separate branch of mathematics? How then would algebra or calculus be classified? Geometry and trigonometry (yeah, I had to look that one up) are certainly related to each other, but what is their relationship with arithmetic (no rat this time) and/or mathmatics? Is this the type of discussion that makes **Ell** en mad, or are we safe as long as we avoid trains leaving New York and Chicago at the same time with the NY train traveling at _X_ miles per hour and the Chicago train traveling at _Y_ miles per hours and they meet _Z_ kilometers from Chicago but 203 miles from NY (solve for _W_)? ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2004, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176/49 "2004-02-04T20:26:03Z")
I don’t want to skirt the edge of the abyss here, but to answer **Kallessa** ’s question: Arithmetic is either a sub-set of mathematics or an entirely different subject altogether that you have to learn before mathematics. It all depends on which mathmetician you ask. As a more extreme example, when I finished integral calculus my professor said, “Now you’re ready to learn some real math.” So I switched majors. They eventually got me to (sort of) learn variational calculus anyway, the jerks. ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176/50 "2004-02-04T20:43:34Z")
I accidentally hit “submit” instead of “preview”. Dumbass. Anyway, sorry about the owwy brainpan, **Rue**. I didn’t mean to come off all unsympathetic. You know what always gave me headaches? Humanities Electives. We’re talking migraine-level skull pain here. I once spent an entire semester in a asian religion comparative course, where I spent most of my time trying to figure out how knowing anything at all about the Baghavad Gita was going to improve my prospects for gainful employment. I don’t why they did that to us poor, put upon techies. It’s not like a bunch of engineers are going to stand around the water cooler discussing _Love’s Labor Lost_ or some such crap. “Read any good books lately?” " Yeah, I just finished _Applied Electromechanics_ by Gruber and Wicks. Starts slow, but it really picks up towards the end." ---
**Author:** ![Kallessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@Kallessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kallessa)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2004, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176/51 "2004-02-04T21:30:35Z")
> [@Exgineer](#): > > I don’t want to skirt the edge of the abyss here, but to answer **Kallessa** ’s question: Arithmetic is either a sub-set of mathematics or an entirely different subject altogether that you have to learn before mathematics. It all depends on which mathmetician you ask. > > As a more extreme example, when I finished integral calculus my professor said, “Now you’re ready to learn some real math.” So I switched majors. They eventually got me to (sort of) learn variational calculus anyway, the jerks. Yes, yes, yes, that’s all well and good, but it doesn’t tell us how many people got off the NY train when it met up with the Chicago train, now does it? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2004, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176/52 "2004-02-04T22:31:48Z")
> [@Exgineer](#): > > \ It’s not like a bunch of engineers are going to stand around the water cooler discussing _Love’s Labor Lost_ or some such crap. > > “Read any good books lately?” > > " Yeah, I just finished _Applied Electromechanics_ by Gruber and Wicks. Starts slow, but it really picks up towards the end." OK, let’s get the story straight here. Engineers stand around quoting Monty Python and the Holy Grail to each other. At least, that’s what they do in my office. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2004, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176/53 "2004-02-04T23:01:20Z")
Thing is you never know what kind of knowledge might be useful in the future. Knowledge is power and all that rot, what? Anyhoo, it makes you a more rounded person. Of course… I was so well rounded that I ended up rolling right out of grad school… but that’s another story. ---
**Author:** ![Kallessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@Kallessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kallessa)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176/54 "2004-02-04T23:26:40Z")
Someone told me I was sharp yesterday–can I still be well-rounded? Then there’s my flat-chested friend, I suppose she can’t be well-rounded. If you drop out half-way through your liberal arts degree, are you half-rounded? A hemi-sphere maybe? Or perhaps almost-rounded? What happens to a well-rounded person who makes a good point? If a well-rounded person falls down and begins to roll, will they gather moss? Do well-rounded people often fall prey to circular reasoning? Would a conservative, fuddy-duddy well-rounded person still be a square? Can a well-rounded person follow the straight and narrow or will they just keep rolling along? - Oh, but you can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you!\* ---
**Author:** ![Rue\_DeDay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/41988e/32.png) [@Rue\_DeDay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rue_DeDay)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176/55 "2004-02-05T12:47:55Z")
I thought you got to be well rounded from too many doughnuts. But it’s knowlege that does it? Huh. And the more knowlege you get the more well rounded you are and at the same time the more powerful since knowlege is power and you gots lots of knowlege to be all round? Double huh. I must only use my power for good, right? Taking over the World is so passé anyhow. And if you want to find out when the trains met **Kalley** , just check the paper the next day. Find the story: “Big Train Collision” and just read where it happened. It’s so sad when trains meet. You’d think they’d use separate tracks. ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176/56 "2004-02-05T13:06:01Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > OK, let’s get the story straight here. Engineers stand around quoting Monty Python and the Holy Grail to each other. At least, that’s what they do in my office. Around here it’s _Life of Brian_. Ex - poorly rounded ---
**Author:** ![Wintermute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@Wintermute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wintermute)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176/57 "2004-02-05T14:47:44Z")
For **FCM** and **Kallessa** : “Ni!” For **Exgineer** : “Crucifixion’s a dawdle!” For **Slortar** : Primus sucks! _(Now we’ll see if he’s a true fan!)_ For everyone else, stay away from the salmon mousse and vicious mobs brandishing raspberries. Or pointed sticks. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176/58 "2004-02-05T17:52:27Z")
> [@Wintermute](#): > > For **Slortar** : Primus sucks! _(Now we’ll see if he’s a true fan!)_ Darn tooting. Got the bumper sticker to prove it, too. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176/59 "2004-02-05T18:28:06Z")
I’m throwing this in because I don’t think we’ve had a chocolate hijack this week. Tonight is Easter Seal’s (where I work) Annual Chocolate Classic fundraiser. People get to get all dressed up in suits and stuff, sample chocolate desserts from area restaurants and sip champagne. Then they get to vote on best dessert and best presentation as the restaurants are supposed to get real fancy with their displays. After that their is an auction where the chocolate desserts and other cool stuff gets auctioned off. I get to get all suited up and stand around and schmooze for about four hours. The good part is, I get to eat chocolate and sip champagne but I don’t have to shell out twenty bucks for a ticket first. The bad part is, I have to act nice even to people I don’t wanna act nice to cause after all they did shell out 20 bucks to be there. The part that makes that part ok is, with enough chocolate and champagne in me, I won’t care that I gotta be nice to people I don’t like. I’ll be nice to everybody cause chocolate and champagne make me nice. I’ll eat some chocolate and drink some champagne in honor of all the MMPers tonight. MMMMMMMMMM… chocolate and champagne! -swampbear (I get to wear my “Conversation Hearts” tie tonight) ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176/60 "2004-02-06T00:38:23Z")
Wish I had a job like that. Chocolate and champagne…mmmmmmmmmmmmmm. None of that around here sadly. I did get a mass of renal tissue about half an hour ago though. It’s just not the same, is it? ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-groundhog-day-lets-eat-sausage/227176.md?page=4)