[!1776!]

Damn Straight. I've been to New Years Eve in NYC, I've been to London when there was Travel Alert for Yanks abroad, I've been to the Bears-Eagles Playoff Game...hell I should be dead. Every time there's a terror alert it seems that a large contingent of freepers fall into a panic and start spouting half assed theories about how the next big terror attack will be delivered. All I can do is be vigilant. Otherwise I'm going to live my life normally, and if I die from a dirty bomb or a missile hitting my plane, well at least I will die living my life the way I enjoy living it.

Agreed.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little more on edge when streaking across the sky in a pressurized tube than pre-9/11, but I haven't stopped. That "edgyness" probably peaked for me on a return flight 9/10 this year, just after they bumped up the color code to off-fushia, burnt-tope, rusty-bicycle or whatever it was.

The fact is I have a life to live and a job to do. I always want to come home to my kids smiles and hugs, but how could I look them in the eye if I cowered in fear at every turn.

[concerned about politics]

but how could I look them in the eye if I cowered in fear at every turn.

There's nothing more terrifying to a child than to see their "all powerful protectors" afraid.