Knife-Free Zones

Prof. Reynolds at Instapundit starts off the new year by dispensing some good common sense advice:

NEWS YOU CAN USE: Every man should carry a pocketknife and a handkerchief.

Common sense that is, unless you work in some Federal facilities like the one I work in.  It used to be that one could posses a knife with a blade 2.5 inches or shorter.  But no longer.  My facility, which follows its larger national agency security guidelines, prohibits "Knives" from being brought into the facility.  No provisions or exceptions apparently.  A co-worker was even asked to take a Swiss Army knife back out to his truck.

So you thought you would bring in a kitchen knife to cut the birthday cake brought to work?  Nope, prohibited.

You thought that since you are in the military you would wear that Gerber/Whetstone/Spyderco folding knife that you deployed with on your belt?  Nope, prohibited.

Ironically, one could get "knives" in our cafeteria.  It is really just flatware, but I bet they have some sharp things back in the kitchen....

My main point here, besides snark, is that everyone should remember that federal facilities are essentially weapons-free zones.  I have heard some gun control advocates poo-poo the pro-gun argument that gun-free zones encourage mass-shootings by pointing out that Nidal Hasan perpetrated his acts on a military base.  But even military bases, counter to what most people would think, have very restrictive weapons rules.  Despite the presence of lots of soldiers, while in garrison the only ones with guns are Military/Security Police, as local/state carry laws do not apply on base.  So like other gun free-zones, when seconds count, the Military Police are but minutes away.

Meanwhile, you had better cut that birthday cake at home before you bring it in, or else run the risk of becoming a federal felon....

How to Market a Disaster for Profit and Ratings

Today Glenn Reynolds asks:  

Why weren’t hurricane warnings issued for Sandy? 

Because, silly...it wasn't a Hurricane, it was a Superstorm!

You know, that class of storm that did not exist until some aspiring intern at one of the ratings whores media outlets turned to his/her boss and said "Dude, hurricanes are boring. Can't we call it Superstorm Sandy?"  And thus an ironclad, socially-conscious, and fraudulently empathetic marketing ploy was born.

Of course, there is no such thing as a "Superstorm".  Don't believe me, just ask both the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service.  Find me "Superstorm" in their glossaries.

During its existence, Sandy was both a Tropical Storm and a Hurricane.  One thing it never was...was a "Superstorm."

Of course we can't let such a small oversight get in the way of a sure-fire money raising scheme.  Just ask the allegedly straight-laced Red Cross.

There have been, like, a million hurricanes.  Thus that term is so 2005, and it doesn't bring in the cash/ratings like it used to.  Marketing ploys to the rescue.

Frauds and charlatans all.....

A Thought for Tomorrow...

Stolen blatantly from PJ Media, thanks!

First Time Ridicule

I am sure this "First Time" video plays well in many urban neighborhoods on the coasts, but I am not sure it is going to help Obama win Ohio...

Now the left would like to portray the response from the right as "hate", but I think the better word is "bewilderment".

So of course the best response to such tripe...is ridicule!

Why Obama Is Toast

#hhrs #tcot #sgp
Redstate has an exhaustive analysis as to why Obama is toast.

"The waterfront of analyzing all the factors that go into my conclusion here is too large to cover in one post, but the signs of Obama’s defeat are too clear now to ignore. Given all the available information – Romney’s lead among independents, the outlier nature of the 2008 turnout model, the elections held since 2008, the party ID surveys, the voter registration, early voting and absentee ballot data – I have to conclude that there is no remaining path at this late date for Obama to win the national popular vote. He is toast." 

If you can find a more thoroughly researched piece of election analysis (outside of Keith Backer's BattleGroundWatch), please let me know. Congrats to Dan McGlaughlin on a great effort!

The Risk of Unwanted Presidency

Perhaps you have seen this truly sophomoric ad put out by the Obama campaign. You must watch the whole thing.

While it has left Powerline speechless, the best statement I have seen on this tripe is in the comments over at Ricochet.

"She doesn't warn about the 

risk of an 'unwanted Presidency'"

Pink Jumps the Shark

Over on Instapundit, Ed Driscoll comments on one of my current pet peeves:

ENOUGH, ALREADY: 11-year-old boy convinced NFL to use pink penalty flags this week. Fighting breast cancer is certainly a noble cause, and I’m thrilled that the NFL is raising millions... But am I the only one who dreads watching a month’s worth of pink sneakers, and now pink penalty flags every October?

I agree with Ed that fighting any cancer, especially through publicity, is a noble cause. But I can't understand why exactly the NFL has adopted this so completely. It is not like the cause of fighting breast cancer is lacking for other advocates or publicity/propaganda.

The breast cancer fight and the pink ribbon have been well know for a long time. So the only possible reason that the NFL has gone to such lengths to show its commitment to the cause, is that in its zeal to attract more fans it has surrendered to the political correctness gods.

But lets face some facts. The majority of NFL fans are guys. So, sure, it is good to raise their awareness that their wives and girlfriends could be affected by this disease.  But shouldn't this league that makes billions of dollars off of these guys, owe it to them to raise their awareness about a cancer that could directly affect them...Prostate Cancer?  In fact, prostate cancer has a higher rate or mortality for males, than breast cancer has for females.

 

So why wouldn't the NFL want to do a service to the vast majority of their dedicated fan base, and alert them to a disease that does not have a existing national awareness campaign??

Dear NFL, next October please bench the Pink paraphernalia, adopt the blue ribbon, and make it "NFL Prostate Cancer Awareness Month"

National 'Don't Get Cocky' Day

beseachAfter three debates, I think we can fairly sum up the President's arguments and plan for his next term like this:

Thus, I beseech the great and powerful Insta-deity to declare today to be National 'Don't Get Cocky' Day.

14 days.  Good momentum. Right is on our side.   Don't. Get. Cocky!

Mitt Romney is a Liar!

Wait, I meant that other guy.

 

Bravo, Mr Ramirez....again.

Free The Likely Voters! Vol III

OK, so here we are...Oct 8, 2012, and Gallup is still holding Likely Voters hostage. Here we are, 29 days from the Presidential election and one of the most respected polling outfits for some reason seems fit to put forth "Registered Voters" as a reasonable prediction of the outcome of said election...

Here are today's "unlikely" results....

Now, Gallup did put out a video today where their Editor-in-Chief says that they will soon be putting out their LV screen results. Not a moment too soon. And surprise!  Gallup says they will "tighten the race."

 In 2008, by this point on the calendar, Gallup had been giving us LV numbers for two solid weeks. And in 2004, 6 months! Well, it should be interesting to see the results when they do finally release the hostages....

UPDATE:  Based on a post over at the invaluable Battleground Watch blog, Gallup will start posting their LV screens tomorrow.