I think it was a great relief to everyone that the last terrorist attempt was so horrendously botched. It is reassuring to think that the FBI roundups have left al Qaeda playing with its third-string. I still chuckle every time I think of Richard Reid try- ing to light a fuse in his shoes. It reminds me of a Roadrunner cartoon. I imagine the exploding sneakers might have even been manufactured by Acme. A fitting punishment for the crime would be for the Pentagon to construct a working pair, stand Reid out in the middle of an open field, and send him on to his 72 virgins, marked “express.”
