Kind of Orange

A plane full of anthrax might crash into a nuclear reactor near a major American metropolis, but for God’s sake, keep shopping! Don’t let the terrorists win. But seriously, I understand the need to keep the American public informed, but do people act any differently under Condition Orange as opposed to Condition Yellow? Do the screeners at the airport suddenly become more vigilant? States of alert make sense within a military context, but I’m not sure they serve civilian populations that well. So how do we keep people informed without creating an atmosphere of anxiety and fear? Perhaps more to the point, does information such as this enhance our level of preparedness?
I keep reading about bloggers who get book deals. I don’t do this for the glory, but I certainly wouldn’t mind getting a writing gig if someone offered me one. When I was younger, I thought about growing up to be a professional writer. And as with most childhood dreams, this one eventually was tempered by an adult’s sense of cautious realism. It’s rewarding enough that twenty or thirty of you make the time to read me each day. That’s more of an audience than 90% of the human race has. So I’ll keep writing these daily missives and maybe karma will be on my side.