ESQUIRE LOOOOVES DARPA

So explain this one: You're Tom Junod, one of the top writers for Esquire, one of the finest-written magazines on Earth. You're assigned a fat feature on Darpa, the Pentagon's research arm, for the mag's "Best and Brightest Issue." And in your story, you devote one sentence – one! – to Total Information Awareness, Darpa's infamous uber-database project.

Now, instead of focusing on TIA -- a program that's been the subject on front pages and Congressional inquiries – you choose to wax rhapsodic for paragraphs without end about Darpa's unparalleled genius. Aside from a few throw-away lines about the terror futures market, you make no mention of the agency's creepier programs – the ones to keep an entire city under watch, for example.

Here's a sample of the wet-kiss approach: "If there's anything you learn from visiting DARPA, it's this: An alien race is exactly what we are. Americans. Humans. There's nothing we won't think of, nothing we won't do. There are no limits. Nothing is impossible."

Oy vey. I guess at this point I'm supposed to cue the rousing theme music.

It's true, of course, that Darpa – and the scientists they fund – do a tremendous amount of work that is really, really cool. And it's led to a lot of not-unimpressive achievements, like this whole Internet thing.

It's also true that these "Best and Brightest" magazine issues are boosterish, by their very nature.

But one sentence? Come on.

THERE'S MORE: Esquire atones for its sin of Darpa sycophancy by sucking up to Secrecy News chief – and Defense Tech pal -- Steven Aftergood.

This guy deserves more attention for his many efforts. It's nice to see him get it.