Originally Posted by Bart
I agree for the most part that they are being noticed more. I don't discount that some are either deliberate feints, such as the incident in Houston, or are opportunities for observation. However, the majority of them are non-incidents that just happened to be noticed and perhaps reacted to by a news-hungry media.
As for the author's intent, good question. You sell more by implying that they're all out to get us rather than taking a level-headed approach. This is my biggest and single-most contempt against anyone who works for the news media.
Before the news-hungry media reacts, the actors being covered have had to do something. So the "non-incidents" just happen to be mostly overreactions. Then again when paranoia is at the core of the message being spread from the political and media bully-pulpits, this is no surprise.