Oh, something caught my eye from Tom Ridge. He mentioned a couple days ago that it may be a good idea to do something with the color-coded terror alert system. In its current form, he noted that it leads to “questions and even occasional derision."

Occasional derision? I'd say it's a lot more than occasional. Out of all the things Homeland Security has put in place over the last few years, the color-coded terror alert system may be the least effective. How many people actually take it seriously? And of those who do, how many take it perhaps a bit too seriously?

Ridge also mentioned that the lack of information about why levels were changed was a problem, too. Glad to see he figured that out before he left. There really was nothing like hiking up the alert level and then being vague about the reasons why. Keeps us from having to tap the strategic paranoia reserve.

All that said, it does irritate me that Ridge will be gone while Rummy will still be kicking around. At this point it's like, who, him and the Veterans Affairs secretary left from the original Cabinet? And can't we get whoever is in that spot to take Rummy's place?

(NOTE: the current Secretary of Veterans Affairs is Anthony Principi. He looks like a swell guy, and would make a hell of a SecDef.)