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"If we're not creeped out, our intel guys seem to be, and that's reason enough to be concerned."

Well, we don't know that our intel types are creeped out. We know that the press is reporting that they are creeped out. And this is the same press that claimed we were stalled out on what turned out to be the fastest-ever advance in history in Iraq. This is the same press that reported that this is the worst economy in 50 years -- while we were in recovery. This is the same press that reported that post-conquest Iraq was turning into a quagmire. This is the same press that reported that "W" took a plastic turkey with him to Baghdad.

Maybe I just have a sanguine nature, but I am not too worried. The terrorists put their pants on one leg at a time, just like the good guys. And "W"'s been doing a pretty good job of turning the bad guys into the featured players of a global "whack-a-mole" game.

Finally, keep things in perspective. Lets say they match 9-11. That's 3000 dead in two cities. Let's say they get real lucky this time and manage 9-11 x 10. That is 30,000 dead in 10 cities. It sounds like a lot, but we have 300 MILLION people in this country. We can survive a dozen WTCs. We could even survive a dirty nuke without it reducing the capacities of this country. And a bio attack is pretty damn hard to pull off, even if you have a whole nation behind you -- much less creeps operating out of caves. The anthrax attacks of 2001 killed only handfuls -- and that was with some highly sophisticated stuff. I just don't see bio as a credible threat.

The only thing required for victory from the American people is resolution, and a refusal to be panicked. Even given the worst case I outlined here, my chances of being killed by lightning would still be better than being killed in a terrorist strike. So steady on, everyone and enjoy Christmas.