The "Hoax" Hoax

It's official: the War on Terror has turned us into a nation of humorless chickenshits. Why do I say this? The Boston "bomb hoax".

At first, the news reports were using vaguely menacing terminology that "electronic devices" had been placed on bridges and other structures around Boston.

I ask, does the "device" at the right look even remotely menacing? Yes, I suppose the funny-looking blob is giving us the finger, but really.

Let's think about what we know about terrorists: when they blow shit up, they like to do it discreetly. This means they plant bombs in trucks or in backpacks stuffed under bus seats, not call attention to them with brightly lit cartoon characters placed in well-travelled areas.

People who intend to surreptitiously blow up lots of other people in sneak attacks also aren't really known for their sense of humor.

Now Boston police have arrested a couple people for planting "hoax" devices. Please. I'm all for vigilance and a measure of seriousness in a time of war, but it was clear this harmless stunt was about as far away from a terrorist threat as skywriting.