High Holidays

Just when everyone thought they could crawl into a hole in order to forget what they did (get wasted and make out with that that jerk from accounting) or did not do (suck up to the muckety mucks) at their office holiday parties or friends' holiday parties (sorry for vomiting in your closet, guys!), the Department of Homeland Security announces the nation's terror level is raised to High. Part of Secretary Tom Ridge's remarks:

The U.S. intelligence community has received a substantial increase in the volume of threat-related intelligence reports. These credible sources suggest the possibility of attacks against the homeland around the holiday season and beyond.

The strategic indicators, including al-Qaida's continued desire to carry out attacks against our homeland, are perhaps greater now than at any point since September 11th, 2001.

The information we have indicates that extremists abroad are anticipating near-term attacks that they believe will either rival, or exceed, the attacks that occurred in New York and the Pentagon and the fields of Pennsylvania nearly two years ago.

Man, Secretary Ridge, you really know how to kill a buzz. What is this, some sort of mid Hanukkah/early Christmas present to the news networks? We know, we know, you want to keep us safe. Of course, New York City has been on high alert since September 12, 2001 essentially (more from the NYPD), so we'll just go back to our hangover remedies.