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Shazam: Magic Military Weapons! Who's Buying This Stuff?

Thursday, December 3, 2009

A cheaper, prettier and equally effective device
We reported on this phenomenon nearly two years ago–governments purchasing idiot devices for obscene amounts of cash. Last month the  New York Times finally reported on the ADE 651 (beware, the company's sloppy website is laced with misspellings), variously described as a 'remote portable substance detector,' a 'dowsing rod,' [...]

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On this day 30 years ago: Jonestown

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Horrific reminders
It sounded like a great table quiz question–what was the greatest loss of American civilian life in a non-natural disaster before the attacks of September 11th?
I puzzled over this for a while, thinking about war zones, bombs and hostages but eventually, thanks to Armistead Maupin bizarrely enough, I had an eureka moment: Jonestown.
With figures [...]

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We still have lessons to learn from 95 years ago

Monday, October 13, 2008

Siegfried Sassoon

At the National Portrait Gallery in London last week I attended a talk on the war poets  whereupon I received some great news, though rather belatedly.
For some reason throughout my entire academic career I had firmly believed that Siegfried Sassoon (whose very existence had only peripherally entered my sphere of recognition anyway) had perished [...]

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Is this just harmless or is it disturbing?

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Am I just too sensitive? Probably, but read on anyway.
This afternoon, I played as part of a charity concert (on the back of a truck as usual) in Co Clare. There was a display by the air/sea rescue helicopter, and by U.N. veterans of the Lebanon. I found this cool 'pre-laptop' thing. No idea what [...]

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