Orange you happy to be on alert? Again, the terra level has been raised. How do we know? Because Tommy Ridge sez so. From our source outside the World Bank building in D.C., "There have been TV vans parked outside all day with reporters giving continuous coverage...despite the lack of any developments in the news. Well I guess I can reassure myself that the layer of journalists outside can serve as a sort of human shield that will protect me should anything go down." This again demostrates how stoopid our media are. "There's a bomb threat at building X. What should we do? I know, let's go there!" It's not like it's a sports riot after the hometown team wins the championship. If something does happen, and I don't believe that anything will, then do you really want to be *right there*?

We also know that we're on a heightened alert because the electronic billboards on I-270 and the Capital Beltway are running the message, "Report Suspicious Activity 1-800-492-TIPS." Two questions come to mind whenever I see this. First, how much did it cost to put those electronic billboards up? And second, what exactly constitutes "suspicious activity"? Being the inquisitive person that I am, when I get home, I dial up 800-492-TIPS on my cellphone. I now provide for you the transcript of my phone call:

Operator: (garbled) Maryland tip line.

Me: Hello?

Operator: Hello, Maryland tip line.

Me: Oh, you know what? I think I might've dialed the wrong number. What number is this?

Operator: It's the Maryland tip line.

Me: Yeah, I definitely dialed the wrong number. Thanks.

As you can see, in the time that I waited for the call to connect and be answered, I realized that the call could very possible be taped, and my phone number would be entered into a database, and I really don't want to be red-flagged for making harassing calls to the tip line, and so I'd best just pretend that I dialed the wrong number.

This doesn't mean that I've given up on finding out how "suspicious activity" is operationalized. All this means is that I will call the tip line again from a public telephone.