how terrorized are you? :: Dec 25, 2004
This is an important, need-to-know kinda question. What IS the national Terror Alert Level? Should I be wrapping my house in Visqueen yet, or is stockpiling clean water and canned goods sufficient? Thank goodness the Department of Homeland Security wants to keep us informed... they provide an XML feed of the current Terror Alert Level, and a number of good netizens have adapted this service to provide a variety of aesthetically varied Terror Alert displays for your website...
The most popular is the Sesame Street terror alert gauge from geekandproud.net (a simple image call to their php script):
The original 'creative' terror alert guide is from wackyneighbor.com (also operated by an html < img > tag):
Tom offers two versions of his Terror-O-Matic (a short javascript - reload to see different phrases). The COMPLETE Terror-O-Matic:
...and the PARTIAL Terror-O-Matic, for lesser patriots:
The good folks at SubIntSoc.net decided the DHS color codes simply weren't detailed enough, so they developed their own 22-color Alert Scale (also javascript... reload often, to make sure you ALWAYS have the most up-to-date status):
Now, there are a few less creative souls out there who decided to take things a bit more seriously... NationalTerrorAlert.com has a variety of alert tags available (all operated via < img > tag):
Terror-Alert.com uses the Official Department of Homeland Security code graphics for their javascript alert system:
Terror-Alert.com
For the more enterprising among you, there are a few install-it-yourself scripts that allow you to create your own graphics...
From http://www.cgiexpo.com/files/hsas.html, you can download a cgi script and a number of alternate graphics sets...
...and (my choice for my up-and-coming Geek Terror Alert graphics set[s]), a stupendously simple php script from The Crown Jewels.
I'm debating whether to do a mish-mash of geeky beasts (from an Ewok at level Green to Cthulu at level Red), or do a number of themed image sets... comics villans, Star Wars, 80s kids cartoons... we'll see.
Added 12/27/04:
Sedition.com not only offers FIVE (yes, five!) different versions of their terror alert system, but gives you the option of randomizing the displayed result... because staring at yellow all the time DOES get a bit dull.
The original:
Two poking fun at the conservative crowd:
And two targeting the liberals... refreshingly even-handed, no?
Creativespill.com gets in on the action with a Simpsons version:
And another do-it-yourself script, with glossy Aqua-style graphics, can be found at realThreat
Thanks for the great terror alert tour! I greatly appreciate your political views! Keep up the good work. --Larry
Posted by Larry @ Dec 25, 04
Thanks! :-) And I finally finished my own alert scale as well. Check the next entry.
Posted by mivox @ Dec 28, 04
We'll know it's really bad when people
start saluting Bush in any social situation
when he isn't present.
Posted by iggy @ Jan 04, 05
Well, how far different is that than wearing t-shirts and bumperstickers kissing his ass all the time?
Posted by mivox @ Jan 04, 05
books gone wild
