<First, you have to wonder if we're going to lay on heavy security for every event in the country where there are a lot of people. If that's the case, what limits do we use? Should we kick in the extra security whenever the anticipated crowd size will be over 10,000? Over 20,000? Over 100?

Yeah, security would be the best way for a terrorist to weed out targets, right? They’ll look for events that aren’t so well covered.

Not.

Can’t win for losin,...

Targets are picked in advance for visibility and effect. It may be a mass-hit (perhaps a bowl game or state fair), or a political strike (such as a single, or family, assassination). Security really makes little to no difference to the mission. In fact, the better the security, the more planning the terrorist would need to make -- and a successful ‘high-risk’ hit would be a big score for ‘the cause’.

Securing site with 100+ persons would include just about every school, religious meeting place, little league sporting event -- as well as the I-70/I-71 split in downtown Columbus during rush hour.

I seriously believe the folks in Punxsutawney, PA, see it this way too, and, while they may love their little rodent, I’m sure the security steps are largely for commercial purposes to pick up some additional town revenue. The sooner they hit the papers, the sooner people start planning their trip -- and the more people will show up (generally thousands, not including media-types).

To set 1 point straight, however, Punxsutawney is actually northeast of Pittsburgh, not northwest (...just wondering how the Reuters rep found the place at all...).

For less secure forecasts, btw, you can stop in at:
* Georgia's groundhog forecaster, General Beauregard Lee, of the Yellow River Game Ranch in Lilburn
* New York City has Staten Island Chuck
* there’s Jimmy, of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
* Wanda, at the Milwaukee County Zoo
* and good ol’ Buckeye Chuck, in Marion, Ohio

Dan