Despite the “mandate” for change many on the left feel the 2006 elections gave them, Americans seem to be preparing themselves for the worst under the new leadership, and expecting a new terror attack any day now. News from the last few days may indicate they’re right.

Hours after the infamous “miscommunication” at the Port of Miami, and just days after the first armed incursion into U.S. territory in almost a century, two new stories have been developing that have Americans on edge.

The source of the mysterious sulfur like smell that has been reported on both sides of the Hudson river remains unidentified at this time. NYC Mayor Bloomberg announced that the odor, which shut down office buildings and Path service this morning, was Mercaptan, an additive to Natural Gas that provides the odorless gas a identifiable smell to prevent people from being overcome by the dangerous fumes.

The smell was reported in Lower and Midtown Manhattan, as well as the Upper West Side. Here in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, the odor was strong a couple of hours ago, but I’ve seen no reports of the odor from the Bronx. Jersey City had hundreds of calls to the 911 system starting at 9:00 am, and one Jersey City woman succumbed to the fumes, yet close by Newark had no reports of the smell.

A small gas leak in the Village was reported, but authorities say it could not account for the vast area the smell covered. Con-ed reported that a massive gas leak is not the culprit. There are conflicting reports of people being light headed after exposure to the fume. I myself smelled it and felt woozy, but was otherwise unaffected.

At the same time a 10 block section of down town Austin Texas was closed down after dozens of birds were found dead. The birds are being tested by the CDC but at this point what ever killed the birds is thought to not be dangerous to humans.

Reactions from people I’ve spoken to about the incidents range from stoic to fatalistic, with all believing that even if these stories turn out to be nothing, it is only a matter of time before the next big attack on our shores.

Update: Fox News just confirmed that c-4 exposives was found at the Port of Miami. Their claiming it has nothing to do with the three middle eastern men detained, and released yesterday. A judge dropped all charges against them earlier. I’m not the only person who’s concerned about them working for a company based in Jihadi stronghold Dearborne.