I hope they made good money.

Is anyone else even just a bit concerned about that quarter-of-the-cage broadside advert for the pet-supplies sponsor? From my angle at stage-left it was impossible to get a good photo of the prediction conference as that banner-ad completely blotted out Mayor Carl's face -- I wonder now if maybe that's why in almost all the online press items about Willie they show a photo of Shubenacadie Sam, or worse, of Phil; our saving grace is in the name of a photo journalist angel by the name of Adrian Wyld who's sans banner shot of Willie and Carl has fortunately become the favourite among the Canadian Press subscribers

This fleeting moment is only a few seconds of world attention, and it's our few seconds. Why, how, and who's idea is it that a full quarter share of this magic moment should belong to a commercial interest?

... and a commercial interest that's not even in South Bruce Peninsula! I've had email this morning from people who'd been asked if this really was a photo of the prediction, since 'Wiarton' was not one of the cities listed in the massive advert placcard, and then asking if this heralded any sort of cross-marketing with Pumpkinfest or the Festival of Northern Lights.

To be clear on this, I don't fault the vendor at all in this fiasco, I shop there all the time. The fault is the money-grubber who sold that space. What's worse, what's most ironic, is how in sifting this morning's Google News the ploy didn't even work: instead of blasting the vendor logo across our Global Willie Broadcast Network, the media editors instead had to reject what might have otherwise been perfect shots of a perfect-weather, perfect-lighting Groundhog Day Prediction.

It's a travesty if not a disgrace, and certainly an embarrassment. In the words of one email I got this morning, someone "bastardized prediction morning" and that, for the honour of all that is our groundhog day, should be resignation material.

And it all makes me wonder, what's in store for next year? 2006 will be a spectacular Willie's Fiftieth, so that's got to be worth some pretty fine pennies in the game of selling eyeballs to screen real-estate. So what's in the cards? Shall we dye Willie with a red wave and sell him to Coca-cola? Or maybe shave him all over except for a nice Nike swish.