Having done my tour in Manhattan, I must say there is some dichotomy of thought regarding survivability. On the one hand, there is perhaps no other place on earth with a more concentrated and robust population of emergency services personnel who are well equipped, highly trained, and eager to do their job (some more than others, but hey, that's the big apple for ya).

On the other hand, there is perhaps nowhere else on earth I've been (other than Baghdad) that I feel more like I've got a big bullseye painted on my back. Not just from enemies foreign, but also quite a few domestic nutjobs and scumbuckets as well. New York has cleaned up a lot in the last 15 years, but it is stil a place where anything can and will happen. Many were the days that I stood on the 30th floor of our office looking over the Hudson toward Lady Liberty, watching the Blackhawks cruising upriver and wondering from what avenue something wicked would that way come. In some remote recess of my mind, I almost expected to see a great flash and the ripple of an enegy wave move across the terrain below me, scouring everything in it's wake.

Then I'd go eat another slice of that glorious pizza and give thanks for how blessed I am to be able to enjoy such ambrosia.