Noah's Next Step: Into the Danger Room
So here's the scoop: I've started a new blog for Wired. It's called DANGER ROOM. And it'll cover "what's next in national security," from new gear to new strategies. All the familiar faces from Defense Tech will be contributing: David Axe, Sharon Weinberger, David Hambling, you name 'em.
The site doesn't officially launch until Wednesday morning. But since you've managed to make your way over here, I'll slip you a sneak peak.
If you're an RSS type, you can get the new feed here. And you can stay on top of what's going down in the DANGER ROOM by signing up for my e-mail list here.
Old Crows, Nest Here
If you're an "Old Crow" -- or a friend of one -- drop me a line. I'm trying to learn more about the fine, fine work y'all are doing. All conversations will be off-the-record, naturally.
Vegas!
Any Defense Tech people in the Vegas area? I'm headed out to Sin City tomorrow for the weekend, to catch a little family entertainment.
If anyone wants to share a beverage, the first round is on me. We'll even pour out a little for Anna Nicole. E-mail me if you're down.
DT's Biggest Hits, Best Posts of January
January has been a hell of a month for Defense Tech: traffic is through the roof, reader participation is way up, and the quality of material is at an all-time high. So here are the top five most popular posts for the month.
The Law Catches Up To Private Militaries, Embeds
Since the start of the Iraq war, tens of thousands of heavily-armed military contractors have been roaming the country -- without any law, or any court to control them. That may be about to change, Brookings Institution Senior Fellow P.W. Singer notes in a Defense Tech exclusive.
Navy's Deadly New Darts
David Hambling reveals a fearsome piece of hardware: a modified satellite-guided bomb, releasing thousands of darts, each carrying a payload of a powerful chemical called DETA.
Electric Lasers Shoot Mortars, Gain Strength
Real-life laser weapons continue to inch closer to reality. Two recent examples: Raytheon says its "prototype solid-state Laser Area Defense System successfully detonated 60-millimeter mortars." And Northrop Grumman is opening up a new "directed energy production facility" for building high energy, solid-state lasers.
Second Nork Nuke Test Coming?
I was skeptical when I heard the news that "senior defense officials" now think North Korea has "put everything in place to conduct a [second nuclear] test without any notice or warning." But the wonks over at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies are warning us: believe the hype.
China Space Attack: Unstoppable
China has shown it can destroy a satellite in orbit. What could the U.S. do to stop Beijing, if it decided to attack an American orbiter next? Short answer: nothing.
And here, in no particular order, are ten posts that didn't get quite as many clicks, but really show off the best of the work being done at Defense Tech HQ:
"Non-Lethal" Viruses to "Neutralize" Cities
Inside a Cold War plan to develop "biological agents" -- including ones that can lead to "inflammation of the brain, coma and death" -- for "incapacitating" enemies on the battlefield or "neutralizing hostile cities."
Cop Tech Key to Iraq Fight?
All the talk is about more U.S. troops. But if there's going to be a shot in hell of winning the war in Iraq, it'll be up to the Iraqi police. And those cops will need to be equipped with the latest crime-fighting gear.
Mr. Plow Eagerly Awaits Nuclear War
Step off, Al Gore! Eric Hundman has found a quick fix to global warming. All we need is a handful of nuclear weapons.
Behind the Ethiopian Blitz
David Axe examines how Ethiopia's tiny air force, which just four years ago was in danger of implosion, spearheaded the effort to drive Islamist militias out of southern Somalia.
Real Iraq Surge: Electronic Attack?
Any U.S. military surge in Iraq will be far more than a troop increase. It'll include a slew of new technologies to interrupt and infiltrate insurgent networks.
Iran's Super Missile Will Defeat Great Satan, Steal Your Girlfriend
Robot Economist looks at the Iranian claims, paroted by the U.S. press, that Tehran has a radar-evading, multiple-warhead rocket.
New Army Camos: No Place to Hide?
The Army's new uniform was supposed to blend into every environment -- from deserts to jungles to cityscapes. Has it lived up to the promise?
Merc Chopper Shot Down
Blackwater should've seen it coming, that one of their copters in Iraq was bound to get blown out of the sky. David Axe explains.
Behind China's Sat-Killer Test
Six posts, covering everything you wanted to know about Beijing's strike against a satellite, more than 500 miles up.
200 Years of "Mind Control"
Countless thousands of people complain today about the government taking over their minds. But the problem goes way back -- to 1810, David Hambling explains. And not all of the claims are completely crazy.
Get Listed for Your Defense Tech Fix
There have been a whole bunch of fresh faces visiting the site, lately. So I want to make sure y'all know about my weekly-ish, insiders-only, e-mail newsletter. It gives folks a first look at articles I'm writing, and lets 'em know about updates to the site. If you dig Defense Tech, I'd strongly recommend you sign up here. (You'll need a Yahoo ID, which is a bit of a pain. But it'll be worth it, I promise.)
UPDATE 01/25/07 11:27 AM: Reader MS says "one doesn't necessarily need a yahooID to subscribe to your newsletter. Sending a mail to defensetech-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and then confirming it by replying to the following mail does the trick, as well."
State of the Union...
...I missed it, and Webb's response, too. (The wife and I are taking a class at UCLA on Tuesday nights.) What'd you guys think? Speak up!
Homeland Guru's Final Post
A bad day for the blog world; a good day for the Senate. Christian Beckner, the IBM analyst who runs the planet's best homeland security blog, has just uploaded his last post. He's taken a job with Sen. Joe Lieberman's staff over at the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Best of luck, Chris.
Noah's 50 Favorite Posts of 2006
Enough with the popularity contest. Here are my picks -- in more-or-less chronological order -- for the 50 best Defense Tech posts of 2006.
"Q Branch's" Stock Market Shenanigans
Killer robots, cheeky Brits, cute marine mammals, shady government officials, insider trading -- plus, a gratuitous reference to James Bond -- all in one post.
Laser Weapons "Almost Ready?" Not!
If you’re into military technology at all, somewhere in the back of your mind, you want laser guns to happen. That doesn't mean they will.
The Dead Bombers of Halabja
David Axe finds the machines behind Iraq's gas attacks.
Kneel Before the Centaur
Like a lot of us, former Navy electrician Dennis Buller is worried about our troops over in Iraq. But he's actually built a machine to do something about it.
China Tops Iraq, Osama in QDR
How the Pentagon's every-four-years master plan focuses more on a future fight with China than today's wars.
The Best Weapon
David Axe attends a tanker's memorial service in Iraq.
Real-Life Ray Gun: Say When?
I was skeptical, when I first heard about the idea of using lasers and man-made lightning to detonate explosives at a distance. Now, a little less so.
Happy Birthday to Me
Momma always told me to look on the bright side.
Be Mickey Mouse's Spy
Here's your big chance, junior spooks: the Walt Disney Company needs an ""Intelligence Analyst."
The Enemy is Me
Last summer, a U.S. Colonel in Baghdad told me that I was America's enemy, or very close to it.
Mini-Sensors for "Military Omniscience"
The Pentagon's new way to spot insurgents: a set of palm-sized, networked sensors that can be scattered around a war zone. It’s part of a larger Defense Department effort to establish “military omniscience†and “ubiquitous monitoring.â€
Stealth's Radioactive Secret
There’s a simple technology that could transform civil aviation -- slashing fuel consumption, reducing greenhouse emissions and cutting noise. The problem, David Hambling explains, is it's a military secret.
New Detectors Sniff Terrorists' Scents
The Pentagon's fringe science arm wants to keep track of potential enemies-of-the-state in every way imaginable: not just by sight, or by sound, or by their e-mail; but by their smell, as well.
Laser Labs Go Back to the Future
George Neil and Bob Yamamoto don't remember exactly where they were when they found out that the Pentagon was canceling their laser cannon project. But they remember how they felt.
Air Force One Scare; Real Security Sacrificed
The headline sure seemed scary: "Web site exposes Air Force One defenses," Steven Schwartz notes. Too bad the article didn't mention that the site is a firefighter safety manual, to help rescue passengers.
Federal Bureau of Luddites
Why the FBI is still using tech that's straight out of the leisure suit era.
Iran's Kooky, Incendiary Arsenal
Super-fast underwater missiles ain't the half of it. Iran's armed forces are rolling out a slew of new military hardware.
China's R&D: Don't Freak
China is about to pass the U.S. in the development of defense and commercial technology, Matthew Tompkins warns. And they're gonna take our lunch money, too.
Terrorists' Unmanned Air Force
The bad guys can use drones, too.
Sunny, With a 75% Chance of Air Superiority
Some Air Force weapons simulators act like our biggest enemies just don't exist. Haninah Levine explains.
Giant Slingshot: New Way to Space?
All space projects get into orbit pretty much the same way – by burning lots of rocket fuel. But what if, David Hambling asks, we could throw something so hard, it would wind up in space?
NSA Sweep "Waste of Time," Analyst Says
It'd be one thing if the NSA's massive sweep of our phone records was actually helping catch terrorists. But a leading data analyst says that "it's a waste of time... let[ting] the real terrorists run free."
The Tech That Took Out Zarqawi
Ten years ago, taking out Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi with F-16s would have been an impossible task. Not any more, David Axe reports.
Enter the BomBot
One of the nice things about being editor of Defense Tech is that people occasionally show up at your apartment with military robots.
Superbomb - or Crapshoot?
A panel convenes, to assess the not-quite-dead controversy over a phantom superbomb. Sharon Weinberger wonders why she wasn't invited.
Clowns Sabotage Nuke Missile
On Tuesday morning, a retired Catholic priest and two veterans put on clown suits, busted into a nuclear missile launch facility, and began beating the silo cover with hammers, in an attempt to take the Minuteman III missile off-line. Seriously.
Taking on Iran's Air Force
What happens a stand-off with Iran turns violent?
Missile Flop: Norks in Tight Spot
Is North Korea's busted missile test as a major problem for the U.S. -- or for Kim Jong-il?
Semper Fi Sauvignon
From the halls of Montezuma to Fallujah, the United States Marine Corps have proved themselves to be the most resourceful warriors on the planet. Now, a single test remains: Make a rich, smooth red wine.
CIA's Wacky, Online 'Personality Quiz'
These are tough times for the CIA. But can things have grown so dire at Langley that the it has to resort to gimmicks like a wink-wink-trying-to-be-ironic-and-cool- but-instead-looking-even-more-dorky recruiting website?
Hez Hacked Israeli Radios?
Readers debate whether Hezbollah really compromised Israel's most secret communications.
"Plug-and-Play" Ship Hits the Water
Why Navy Captain Don Babcock is in such a hurry.
Attack Of The Genius Robot Cockroach Swarm
"I have seen some radical ideas for attacking deep bunkers," David Hambling says, "but this beats 'em all."
Area 51: Hype vs. Reality
A veteran aviation journo writes about secret airplanes he believes might be under development at Area 51. David Axe wonders how much proof he has.
Robotic Frisbees of Death
The Air Force thinks it has an answer to the most vexing problem in counter-insurgency: frisbees. Not just any frisbees, mind you. Robotic frisbees. Heavily armed robotic frisbees.
How to Rate a (Possibly) Stupid Weapon Idea
Sharon Weinberger's 15-point test to find out if a weapons-maker is full of it.
Iraqi Forces Don't Suck ... Entirely
Despite what you might have heard from other media, David Axe says, the Iraqi Army does not suck.
High-Tech Uniforms Finally Heading to War
A collection of high-tech soldier gear, 15 years and half a billion dollars in the making, will finally make it into battle.
Army "Big Brother" Unit Targets Bloggers
Bloggers: "Big Brother is not watching you, but 10 members of a Virginia National Guard unit might be."
Spyboys Go Web 2.0
How the military keeps tabs on overseas TV channels, 24/7 -- and what it means for the future of intelligence.
Cash-Poor Army Pays Big to Pimp Pricey 'Future'
The Army is quickly going broke, its leaders insist. But there's one Army account that the generals are still managing to keep packed to the brim: marketing.
Bush: Space is for Soldiers
Theresa Hitchens explores the President's new space plan -- and finds a martial bent.
Big War Machines Pushed for Korea Fight
How military bigwigs are angling for North Korean fight.
NORK Nuclear Test: It's A Dud
Jeffrey Lewis is the first to figure out that Kim Il Jung's nuclear test isn't all it was cracked up to be.
BattleHog Drone's Story Stinks
David Hambling asks: Could a home security consultant operating out of a Manhattan apartment have built the latest and greatest killer drone?
"The Deadlies"
Defense Tech's search for the most insanely hazardous gear, ever.
Mechanical Mole Men, Attack!
Throughout the ages, bad guys have loved bunkers. Which is why the Air Force wants teams of tunneling, foot-long "subterranean vehicles."
Labouchere of Arabia
David Axe camps out with a modern-day T.E. Lawrence.
Drunks, Butts Test Pain Ray; Paris Hilton Next?
David Hambling's new reality-show pitch. Milimeter wave weapons are involved.
Pentagon Plan: Hit Anywhere on Earth, in an Hour
The secret connection between Nordstrom's toddlers department and the Pentagon push to "strike virtually anywhere on the face of the Earth within 60 minutes."
Bump: Def Tech's 20 Biggest Posts of 2006
Out of the hundreds and hundreds of technologies, tactics, and political maneuvers Defense Tech highlighted, here are the twenty you guys clicked on the most in 2006. Thanks for another great year, everyone.
1) Clowns Sabotage Nuke Missile
On Tuesday morning, a retired Catholic priest and two veterans put on clown suits, busted into a nuclear missile launch facility, and began beating the silo cover with hammers, in an attempt to take the Minuteman III missile off-line. Seriously.
2) Look Out, Pyongyang? Rail Gun in the Works
One of the big selling points of the Navy's new destroyer is that it can rain a whole lot of hell -- 20 rocket-propelled artillery shells, in less than a minute -- on targets up to 63 nautical miles away... But really, that's the start. The ship's real power will come when it moves away from chemical powders to shoot its projectiles -- and starts relying on electromagnetic fields to shoot projectiles almost six kilometers/second, instead.
3) SEAL Ship: Silent But Deadly
Every shipbuilder in the Navy these days talks about how his hulking destroyer or Cold War sub is now going to sneak SEALs onto shore... Military.com overlord Chris Michel was down in San Diego, and saw a pretty cool new prototype ship that's been designed from scratch to handle the mission.
4) Air Force Plan: Hack Your Nervous System
The brain has always been a battlefield. New weapons might be able to hack directly into your nerve cells and neural pathways.
5) Marines Quiet About Brutal New Weapon
War is hell. But it’s worse when the Marines bring out their new urban combat weapon, the SMAW-NE. Which may be why they’re not talking about it, much.
6) Urban Combat Skateboard!
7) Replacement Arm, Good as New
Thought-controlled robotic limbs were only the beginning.
8) Robotic Frisbees of Death
It ain't easy, picking out evil-doers in the urban canyons of the Middle East; there are so many places to hide. Taking 'em out can be even harder, what with all those noncombatants hanging nearby. But the Air Force thinks it might have an answer to this most vexing problem in counter-insurgency: frisbees. Not just any frisbees, mind you. Robotic frisbees. Heavily armed robotic frisbees.
9) David and the Inflatable Goliath
Inside the Darpa project to build a humongous blimp that can haul 500-1000 tons' worth of soldiers and gear halfway across the world in less than a week.
10) Falcon Fills Blackbird's Shoes
A decade after the final retirement of Lockheed Martin's Mach-3 SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, the Air Force is preparing to test a plane that flies more than three times as fast. Two Falcon Hypersonic Test Vehicles, built by Lockheed Martin with input from NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), will take to the air in 2008. The $100-million program aims to field a Mach-10 unmanned aircraft that can spy on foreign powers, drop bombs or even lob satellites into orbit.
11) Giant Slingshot: New Way to Space?
All space projects get into orbit pretty much the same way – by burning lots of rocket fuel, a spaceship powers itself past the sky. But what if there was a different approach? What if we could throw something so hard, it would wind up in space?
12) Facial Armor Rears Its Ugly Head
No matter how many times soldiers and marines say they're not interested, there's always someone trying to wrap them up in heavier, hotter, more uncomfortable armor. The latest culprit: MTek Weapon Systems, which is pushing Stormtrooper-esque "facial armor" for our troops.
13) Air Force's Secret Drone Program Revealed
A new, $1.7 billion, "Penetrating High Altitude Endurance" drone is thought to be able to cruise at 70,000-80,000 ft,soaring high above defended territory.
14) CIA's Wacky, Online 'Personality Quiz'
These are tough times for the Central Intelligence Agency. But can things have grown so dire at Langley that the CIA has to resort to gimmicks like this wink-wink-trying-to-be-ironic-and-cool-but-instead-looking-even-more-dorky recruiting website?
15) Pain Ray, Sonic Blaster, Laser Dazzler - All in One
For a while, now, I've been hearing about the Defense Department's plans to outfit a fighting vehicle with a pain ray, a sonic blaster, and a laser dazzler, too. I never figured they'd actually send the thing to Iraq, though. Project Sheriff, I assumed, would just be the military equivalent of a concept car -- a chance to see if some whiz-bang gear really worked together. But the Pentagon may wind up deploying this straight-outta-sci-fi jalopy, after all.
16) Battle Ball for Sailor Training
Check out the Navy's nine-foot plastic ball. It sits on wheels, enabling unlimited rotation in any direction -- making virtual reality feel a whole lot more real.
17) Chinese Laser vs. U.S. Sats?
Was it just China Hawks' hype? Or did Beijing really blind U.S. satellites by firing high-powered lasers at 'em? And what does that mean for the future of America's eyes and ears in the sky?
18) The Tech That Took Out Zarqawi
Ten years ago, taking out Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi with F-16s would have been an impossible task. Not any more.
19) 'Invisible' Boomerang 'Bot
It's nice to have a set of robotic eyes in the sky. But surveillance drones tend to be loud, and rather obvious, as they keep watch above a Middle Eastern city. That's why a small company out of Minneapolis, VeraTech Areo, has built a hand-held spy drone that it says is practically invisible.
20) Area 51: Hype vs. Reality
A veteran aviation journo writes about secret airplanes he believes might be under development at the Air Force's remote Groom Lake test facility in Nevada, a.k.a. Area 51. How much proof does he have?
(Big ups: Slate, and their surprising top ten stories of the year. And, and a note to Long Tailers: two of these posts were actually from '05.)
What the Hell...
...is Noah Shachtman doing? Find out in the March issue of Wired magazine.
"Give Back to Those Who Give It All"
Good stuff. The Overlords and the Military Channel are teaming up to raise money for charities that support servicemembers and their families.
Beginning this holiday season and continuing throughout 2007, the Military Channel and Military.com will spotlight a different military-focused charity through monthly on-air and online promotions. United under one banner, www.ReconnectAmerica.com will serve as a portal to all charities in the program, and provide the tools people need to make a difference in the military community. Visitors to the site can make online donations, send e-cards to servicemembers, post their thoughts on message boards, watch video postings from the frontline and access a "military-buddy" locator database.
Operation Gratitude is the first of 12 national charities that will be highlighted as part of Reconnect America. Founded after 9/11 as a means to lift troops' morale, Operation Gratitude brings a smile to servicemembers' faces by sending care packages overseas.
Following Operation Gratitude, the following charities are scheduled to be spotlighted on ReconnectAmerica.com in early 2007:
* Armed Services YMCA: The Armed Services YMCA has provided services to the military community for over 140 years, offering essential programs such as childcare, hospital assistance, spousal support, health & wellness services, holiday meals and many others.
* Fisher House Foundation: Since its inception in 1990, the Fisher House Foundation has provided over 2 million days of lodging to military families in need, offering a "home away from home" that enables family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful time---during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury.
* The National Military Family Association (NMFA): NMFA is dedicated to providing information to and representing the interests of family members of the uniformed services. NMFA sponsors a military spouse scholarship program, the NMFA Very Important Patriot Award, and the NMFA Family Award.
* The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Inc. (TAPS): TAPS is a one of a kind non-profit Veteran Service Organization offering hope, healing, comfort and care to thousands of American armed forces families facing the death of a loved one each year.
In addition to the support received from visitors to ReconnectAmerica.com, the Military Channel and Military.com will make monetary and other in-kind donations to each organization throughout the year. Furthering exposure and penetration for the Reconnect America program, the Military Channel will also work with its distribution partners in communities nationwide to build customized local citizen involvement in this charitable effort.
DC Drink Debrief
When Jeffrey Lewis and I suggested the other day that some folks should meet us in a bar in DC, I figured maybe 10 geeks, wonks, and bloggers would show. 15, tops.
So you can imagine how psyched I was, at 8 o'clock or so, when our little nerd soiree have become a full-fledged throwdown. I'd say there were at least 50 people jammed into the Big Hunt's attic. Among the whiskey-inhalers were hitters from DHS, State, the Hill, the Pentagon, and some, uh, "other government agencies." Bloggeratti like Matt Stoller (thanks for the shoes!), Swift Cat, Buckethead, and Spencer Ackerman made their presences felt. And pretty much the entire Defense Tech crew was in effect: Imaginary Sharon, Axe, Spooky Shane, Ryan 27B, AC Wonk, High Tech Haninah, T-Hitch, Pogo Nick... I'm sure I'm missing more than a few.
The last thing I remember was Greg Grant and one of my old college buddies punching me in the chest. Repeatedly. I can't wait to get hit again.
Paging Mr. CVN-21
Speaking of the Big Hunt party, I promised to get a card from a particular nuclear engineer... and then spaced on it. So if you worked on designing the CVN-21, drop me a line.
ABC of Pain
ABC News follows up on Hambling's pain ray report... and quotes both him and me in the process. Which is mighty kind of them.
And while I'm giving my horn a honk, here are two other recent press hits I forgot to mention:
* Public radio's "Future Tense" interviewed me about the Murder on MySpace story.
* Foreign Policy magazine quoted a bunch of heavy-hitters -- Tony Cordesman, Tom Barnett -- as well as me and Dr. AC Wonk on "what to expect from Bob Gates."
Bump: Drink Up, DC - Thurs 12/07/06
Thursday, December 7th is "a day that will soon live in infamy for a whole bunch of [new] reasons," says the Arms Control Wonk.
That's the day he and I are hosting the 3rd annual Defense Tech vs. Arms Control Wonk soiree, in DC.
Come debate the finer policy points of military robotics, nuclear proliferation, and Irish whiskey with us, upstairs at the Big Hunt, 1345 Connecticut Ave., NW.
The affair will be strictly off-the-record, of course. It'll kick off around 5, and -- if history is any guide -- go real late. C'mon down.
If you're thinking about dropping by, shoot me a note or post one here.
Live-Blogging Gates
Inside Defense, the invaluable suite of military-related newsletters, is live-blogging the Gates confirmation hearings. And there's already a bunch of great stuff up -- from whether we're winning the Iraq war to whether we can afford Future Combat Systems. Go check it out.
UPDATE 12:04 PM: One thing that jumps out at me is how realistic -- and pessimistic -- Gates is about Iraq. The status quo there is "not acceptable," he says. But, at the same time, there are "no new ideas" on Iraq.
Get Your News On
I almost always forget to announce it. But I've got a weekly-ish, insiders-only, e-mail newsletter, to give folks a first look at articles I'm writing, and let 'em know about updates to the site. If you dig Defense Tech, I'd strongly recommend you sign up here.
Hooray for Hambling!
I'm not sure exactly what the blog equivalent of a standing ovation might be. But whatever it is, let's give it to Defense Tech's London bureau chief, David Hambling.
David did an absolutely amazing job with the site, while us Yanks were busy stuffing our faces. If you haven't gone back and checked out his posts on items like man-made earthquakes, pimped-out gunships, military holograms, and atomic automobiles, click on over, now. They'll make you want to stand up and cheer for our man in London.
Noah vs. Fox News
I'll be on Fox News Sunday morning, around 9:20 am eastern time, to talk about my latest piece for Wired. It's a true crime story, centered around a triple-homicide in Tacoma, Washington.
Last February, Ulysses Handy murdered Darren Christian, Daniel Varo and Lindy Cochran. The killer and his victims were friends -- both offline and on. The aftermath of the crime played out equally in real life, and on the MySpace social network, too. Which made for some awfully strange twists and turns.
The story's not online, yet. But I'll definitely let you know when it goes up.
The "Deadlies": Earth's Most Lethal Gadgetry
The post below, on personal helicopters, got me thinking: There must be a zillion technological wonders out there that are beyond hazardous to use. What are they? Let's hear from you... Share your lethal gizmos (with links, if possible) below.
Reader Steve Weintz starts us off with a fine, fine suggestion: the steampunk jetpack.
Resembling a cast-iron uterus with whirring, razor-sharp dentata more than a jetpack proper, Andreas Petzoldt has spent the last decade perfecting every rocket lad's dream on his own dime...
It hasn't been tested yet, but... it's hard not to imagine the test flight. With great ebullience, Andreas soars into the heavens. He sneers at gravity with contempt, a spurned mistress, a whore who embraces all but him. But suddenly he hears a horrifying choke and shudder and a sickening vertigo creeping up from his genitalia and into his bowels as he plummets back down to the ground, strapped to over 200 pounds of highly-explosive rocket fuel and whirring metal blades.
So what could give the steampunk jetpack and the personal copters a run for their suicidal money? Vote now, and vote often. Think of it as a cross between Popular Mechanics' Breakthroughs (or Wired's Raves or Pop Sci's BOWNs) and the Darwin Awards.
Call it... "The Deadlies."
Kit Up!
Oh hell, yeah. This is the best idea the Overlords have had in a while: Kit Up! is Military.com's new gadget blog, devoted to "the stuff you weren't issued but that you couldn't have done without during your military life."
Written by ginormous Iraq vet Eric Daniel, the site checks out "the items that made things bearable during a deployment or that allowed you to accomplish your mission. Maybe your gear even saved your life. Kit Up can be new or old, expensive or cheap. It just needs to have mattered to you."
Today's samples include "Grunt Wonder Tape" and a "Limb-Saving Watchband."
This watchband saved my wrist from being split in two during a high seas covert ship boarding. We were attempting to board a vessel carrying illegal cargo during the most unpleasant sea conditions... As the seas began to swell up we were stuck bellow the curve of the hull and were pushed up into the vessel. When this happened my arm was pinned between the console railing of the RIHB and the hull of the vessel. Had it not been for this watchband my wrist(arm) would have been split between the two bones... This band differers from many others in that it is a single piece of nylon that wraps around the wrist twice and is secured with Velcro. Others only use an inch or so of Velcro to secure the band or include plastic rings where the band loops through to tie back to itself - both of which are far from being really safe. Heck, I've been known to take a $692 watch off of the metal band and use one of these babys instead!
Vet's Day Bump: Laptops for Injured Troops
There are worse injuries to have, of course. But for a guy like me -- who makes his living by typing -- there are few things more terrifying than the idea of losing the use of my hands.
That's the situation Captain Chuck Ziegenfuss found himself in the summer of '05, when the tank company commander (and blogger) was wounded by an IED in Iraq. He felt humbled, humiliated, broken. "Being fed, bathed, taken care of like an infant — not exactly a fitting role for a warrior who's used to being the one who helps others. It sure as hell wasn't a role that I wanted," he noted.
But that began to change, when the Soldiers' Angels charity provided him with a laptop, and a buddy got him voice-controlled software to operate it. Suddenly, he was able to connect to the outside world. And he was able to take up his blog again, too.
"I know how much better I felt, how amazingly more functional I felt, after[wards]," he writes. "I can't wait to do the same, to give that feeling to another soldier at Walter Reed."
Now, you can help the Captain out. He's inspired Project Valour-IT, which has distributed nearly 600 laptops to severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines across the country.
There are a bunch of ways to pitch in. The first is to click this button here:
Another way is to bid on Air Force memorabilia, by clicking one of these two links.
Last, you can bid for two fine, fine military books - "Marines in the Garden of Eden" or the "Gulf War Chronicles."
Give or bid as much as you can. I just kicked in a C-note. You do the same. This is important, people.
Axe Takes Charge
Yo. This is David Axe hailing. I'm in charge for a couple days while Noah relocates to sunny California for a hard-earned six months of drink and debauchery. Send all your tips, gripes and salutations to the same old address. On a sidenote: I've just joined the staff of Defense Technology International, edited by regular DT contributor and mad scientist-lover Sharon Weinberger. We're still an Aviation Week insert for the time being, but beginning in '07 we relaunch as a stand-alone mag. Check us out.
Singel Signs In
Ryan Singel has broken some of the biggest privacy and security stories of the last few years -- like AT&T's cheek-to-cheek cooperation with the NSA's domestic spying, and Jet Blue's fishy use of customer records, to test a federal passenger-screening database. These days, he heads up Wired News' horribly-named, must-read security blog, 27B Stroke 6. And he's still scooping folks on the regular; check out his coverage of the roll-your-own boarding pass generator.
So I am really fired up to have someone with this strong a track record blogging for Defense Tech. He'll be taking over the site this week, as I pack up for -- and drive out to -- Los Angeles, where I'll be spending the next few months.
Be good to my whiskey buddy Ryan. Send him tips. I'll see y'all on the other side.
DT in SF: It's On
I'm getting together with a bunch of folks from the Bay Area chapter of the Defense Tech gang on Friday. If you're in the neighborhood, come on down: 7pm, at the Hotel Utah Saloon, 4th and Bryant. Should be a blast.
New Space Policy? No Way!
I'm sure a bazillion bloggers are going to squeal in paranoia about this Washington Post story, on the Bush Administration's new space policy. But, of course, they could have been squealing a full week earlier, if they had just read Defense Tech first.
Thanks to Haninah Levine and Theresa Hitchens, this site was on top of the more martial space plan on October 11th. Other elements of the story -- the Air Force's "Counterspace Operations Doctrine," the Chinese laser supposedly that's targeting U.S. satellites -- have all been addressed here, too. A long time ago.
And so, with that, I'm ushering in a new category: "Eat DT's Dust" -- stories that the mainstream press takes up, long after this site has dealt with 'em. I'm posthumously inducting Jeffrey Lewis' post, "NORK Nuclear Test: It's A Dud," into the club, too. The Wonk beat all the big papers to the now-universal conclusion.
There are plenty of times, of course, when Defense Tech just points to, or comments on, stories that have been broken by outlets like the Times, the Post, or ABC News. But when it's the reverse -- well, I figure we ought to strut our stuff just a little bit more.
DT in SF
I'm in the Bay Area this week, researching a couple of stories. If folks are interested, maybe I'll put together a little Defense Tech drinking session high-minded military policy debate. Drop me a line if you're down.
Woodward, Overlords Chat
Over the last year, Military.com editor Ward Carroll's podcasts have featured such high profile guests as Joe Galloway, Tom Ricks, CNO Mike Mullen, and, uh, me. Today might be Ward's biggest "get" yet: State of Denial author Bob Woodward. Go listen up.
Amish Shooting: Dad's Analysis
Defense Tech Dad Tom Shachtman has written over thirty books -- including a trilogy on serial killers, and an exhaustive study of Amish youth, Rumspringa: To Be or Not to Be Amish.
So it's only natural, in the wake of the tragedy at the West Nickel Mines Amish School, that the MSM is turning to him for analysis. Here's an NBC Nightly News segment from last night, and a Newsweek Q&A, posted this afternoon.
NEWSWEEK: Has the Amish community ever had to deal with anything like this?
Tom Shachtman: No, this is terrifyingly unique. That’s not to say they haven’t faced tragedy before. On a regular basis you do hear about events where a truck hits a buggy on the road and kills four or five people. Less occasionally, you’ll hear about a fire in a home that can’t get put out. But in terms of multiple deaths as a result of this kind of violence, this is incredibly unusual. I can’t think of a similar incident.
How familiar with violence are a lot of these children?
Not at all. This is a total shock to these kids because they have no experience with violence. We do, and our children do. We watch violence all the time. We’re not impervious to it, but we are familiar with it whereas these Amish children are not at all. They don’t watch TV; don’t watch movies. These are the most vulnerable children you could imagine. They’ve been tremendously sheltered all of their lives against depictions of violence. They are naïve, but they’re very nice. You’ve never seen a group of more polite people in your life than some of these Amish kids. And they’re very vulnerable because of it and in our society, vulnerability gets taken for weakness, and that’s what happened here.
UPDATE 10/04/06 12:47 AM: Here he is in the Times, the New York Post, and the AP.
Repent!
Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement, starts in a few hours. Which means I probably won't post anything until Tuesday morning. Have an easy fast, all you repenters out there.
Whisteblower Takes to YouTube
ABCNews.com is running a story on Michael De Kort, the Lockheed whisteblower that's drawing a bunch of attention. for airing his complaints about the company's shoddy Coast Guard work for on YouTube. The network website was silly enough to quote yours truly about the subject.
Noah Shac[h]tman, editor-in-chief of noahshachtman.com, which monitors military happenings both at home and abroad, says it's necessary to ensure the public's ability to blow the whistle.
"I think it's never been easier for people to call B.S. on the shenanigans of their employers or their government," said Shachtman. "Whether it's soldiers from Abu Graib slipping out pictures and getting them to the press, or whether we're talking about bloggers reporting from the front lines. Digital media has really made it incredibly easy for people who want to get their message out and bring questionable practices to light."
Shachtman says there are many examples of these kinds of defense contract scandals -- though he says he's unsure if this is one of those cases. He says the promise of digital media is fulfilled when people like Michael De Kort can be heard.
"There are plenty of honest people working at the nation's defense contractors and there are a lot of very hard working, very smart people," Shac[h]tman said. "Unfortunately, when there are abuses, it can be awfully difficult for someone to penetrate the corporate walls and the government walls that surround them."
Tell that to Michael De Kort -- if you can catch him in-between interviews.
"They [the people] need to know the level of incompetence and the decisions that were being made," De Kort said. "Your ethics -- especially after 9/11 -- cannot be decisions of convenience -- they can't be decisions of economics."
Smoooooch!
Maybe I'm still in a touchy-feely mood, after my honeymoon. But all I want to do right know is give big two-arm bear hugs to Dan Dupont, David Axe, Sharon Weinberger, and the CDI Three. Their guest-blogging stints were even better than I hoped they would be -- and my expectations were pretty darn high. Thanks guys, for letting me have some peace of my mind while the wife and I wandered around Italy.
See Ya!
I'm getting married next week. Then, it's off to Italy for the honeymoon. Which means no blogging for me until late August -- my biggest break, I think, since the site started.
But Defense Tech will be in good hands, never fear. An A-team of guest bloggers is lined up to take over while I'm in the Mediterranean.
Week of 7/31: Haninah Levine and his wonkalicious buddies from the Center for Defense Information.
Week of 8/7: The legendary David Axe.
Week of 8/14: Bad science's bete noire, Sharon Weinberger.
Week of 8/21: Inside Defense (and Inside Green Business) editor Dan Dupont.
You can contact any of 'em through the regular e-mail address, defense-AT- defensetech-DOT-org.
Wish me and Elizabeth luck. And if you're looking to send us a wedding present, you can make a donation to fine charities like Soldiers' Angels, through this website right here.
Axe at Comicon
Hey comics geeks and defense nerds, I'm at the San Diego Comicon this weekend promoting my graphic novel WAR FIX. Come by booth 1429 to relieve me of my boredom ... and to check out some of the sweet offerings from my publisher NBM!
I'll be at the NBM booth on the following schedule:
Thurs: 4-5:30
Fri: 10:30-12; 2:30-4
Sat: 10:30-12; 2:30-4
Sun: late morning
--David Axe
NYC Monday: Noah and the "Lunatic Fringe"
There's a pretty cool event brewing in New York next Monday, the 10th, tonight that y'all should come check out.
I'll be teaming up with Imaginary Weapons author Sharon Weinberger and Ann Finkbeiner (who recently published The Jasons: The Secret History of Science's Postwar Elite) to talk about "Scientists, Warriors and the Lunatic Fringe." Which means space-shooting lasers, Air Force teleportation schemes, and psychic kittens will all on the agenda, as we chew over "the use and abuse of science in our government today, and its implications for America's national security."
The Nation magazine is hosting the chat, at the venerable Strand bookstore (12th & Broadway), starting at 7pm. It promises to be more fun than a nuclear hand grenade. And, who knows, an ol' fashioned Defense Tech drinking session might develop afterwards. Hope to see you there.
Snoop-a-palooza
If you're interested in the NSA domestic eavesdropping story, and you live in the New York area, you might want to make your way to 41 East 70th Street, tomorrow around 12:30. The Century Foundation is holding a little roundtable on the topic, featuring three of the top journalists on the NSA beat... and me. Register beforehand, if you're planning on coming.
Amish Gone Wild!
Defense Tech Dad Tom Shachtman spent the better part of the last few years, hanging out with Amish teenagers. Not just any Amish teenagers, mind you. Drinking, smoking, fucking Amish teenagers.
You see, when Amish kids turn about 16 or so, their folks send 'em out of the buggy-and-barn world, and into ours. The period is called Rumspringa. And the idea is to let the teens choose for themselves how they want to live their lives. Remarkably, nearly 80 percent come back, and pick the plain path.
Dad's book on this time, Rumspringa: To be or Not to Be Amish, has just been published by North Point Press/Farrar Straus & Giroux. It's already getting rave reviews.
"Shachtman is a sensitive and nimble chronicler of Amish teens, devoting ample space to allowing them to tell their stories in their own words. And their stories are fascinating, from the wild ones who engage in weekend-long parties, complete with hard drugs and sexual promiscuity, to the more sedate and pious teens who prefer to engage in careful courtship rituals under the bemused eyes of adult Amish chaperones."
-- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Riveting"
-- People Magazine
"Writer, novelist, and documentarian Shachtman has created a fascinating and near-unprecedented glimpse into the inner lives of Amish society . . . Sensitively addresses the unique position of the Amish and the challenges they face. Highly recommended."
-- Library Journal
"Mr. Shachtman's wonderfully rich portrait and history of the Amish as a people and a faith helps to show why one of the strictest religious communities in America is better at holding a flock than some of the most liberal."
-- Wall Street Journal
You get the idea. So buy your copy, now. If you need a little extra convincing, the old man is going to be on NPR's "Talk of the Nation" this afternoon. Have a listen.
Defense Tech Goes Canuck
Tune in, Canada. I'm going to be on CBC Television's "The Hour," tonight at 8pm.
It's "an irreverent, 'round-the-world, mile-a-minute look at news and current affairs that's actually fun to watch," the show's website promises. Even when they have jerks like me, flapping their gums.
"Our host is named George Stroumboulopoulos," adds a producer. "[K]ind of like Stephanopoulos, but with Strombo at the front of it."
Axe Needs Your Help
I'm working on a story on veterans and ID theft for our evil overlords at Military.com. Any vets out there with a tip or a personal anecdote about ID theft ... email me at david_axe@hotmail.com. Confidentiality available on request.
Thanks.
-- David Axe
NBA: Nothing but 'Net
I'm often accused of posting stuff on this site that has nothing to do with defense technnology. For once, I'll plead guilty as charged.
In February, Fast Company magazine was kind enough to send me to the NBA All-Star Game, to report on the league's forays into digital media. Along the way, I caught the slam dunk contest and hung backstage with Snoop -- officially making this The Coolest Assignment Ever.
The article, however, wound up being all business. Here's how it starts:
A thousand things are happening on the basketball court at the Toyota Center, Houston's 18,000-seat arena: Technicians are scrambling. Radio announcers are practicing their game-voice baritones. The pitter-patter of balls on hardwood sounds like a quickening heartbeat. Sitting two rows back, on the second night of the NBA's All-Star Weekend, Brenda Spoonemore takes it all in with ice-blue eyes and a wide grin. Long before she began working for the NBA six years ago, she was the kind of kid who named her pet gerbils after Seattle SuperSonics stars. Now she's the kind of grown-up who spends her vacations in skyboxes, catching games with her family. "How cool is this?" she asks.
As the NBA's senior vice president of interactive services, Spoonemore must get a whole new generation of fans hooked on hoops. Ironically, that means changing how the sport she fell in love with is presented. Showing two-and-a-half-hour games helped the NBA grow into a $3 billion-a-year monster. But the majority of that growth came before most Internet connections went broadband, and before wireless networks got beefy enough for video. Now, many fans don't want to watch a whole game, especially on a PC or a 2-inch cell screen. So it's up to a team of dozens at the NBA to digitally repackage the league's offerings around individual plays and players. "Full games, that's this much of what we do," Spoonemore says, her fingers half an inch apart.
Noah & Axe vs. "The World"
The talented Mr. Axe and I have a long interview airing on today's edition of BBC/public radio's "The World." It's about how the Pentagon's dreams of network-centric warfare are playing out on the front lines. Not coincidentally, that's also the topic of the big feature we co-wrote in the upcoming issue of Popular Science.
UPDATE 05/17/06 9:27 AM: The full, eight-and-a-half minute interview is here. And if that's not enough for you Defense Tech junkies, check out all fifteen-and-a-half minutes of this extended segment.
Military.com's Voltron Force
It's a little like Voltron, really. You remember, the 80s cartoon, where five kids, piloting robotic lions, teamed up to form a super mecha-warrior? Well, the same principle applies to MilitaryBlog.com. The Overlords at Military.com have brought together ten of the cooler defense-related blogs -- sites like Blackfive, Op-For, and Midnight in Iraq. And the whole is greater than the sum of the parts: an easy way to get your milblog fix, all in one click. Check it out. And don't forget your sword.
Defense Tech Drops Beats
Before I got deep into death rays and flying drones, I played bass and made beats for a living. This new album from Subatomic Sound System, a dub-meets-dancehall-meets- hip-hop-meets-who-the-fuck-knows-what collective operating out of Defense Tech's former East Village headquarters, features a couple of my favorite tunes. (Although, really, I'm a bit player in this superstar crew. Subatomic mastermind Emch and his army of MCs do the real heavy lifting.)
Check out the record, "On All Frequencies," on DJMR, iTunes, and eMusic.
Links Galore in Transformation Motherlode
Wanna get caught up in a hurry on how the world's militaries are changing? Then check out the "Military Transformation Uplink," from Defense Tech pals Murdoc and Joe Katzman. They've culled some of the best stuff from Winds of Change, Defense Industry Daily, eDefense Online, and yours truly for a monthly motherlode of material on how armies everywhere are "transform[ing] themselves to meet the challenges of the 21st century." Click the links below to check out the Uplink's take on...
Some of This Month's Targets of Opportunity Include: UAV plans; killer drone swarms; WALRUS mega-blimp extict?; Russian airlift for NATO; Hydras and Hellfire; space challenges; Secret weapon - two-way radios; Nano-sensors; Fighter jets as battlefield surveillance - brilliant or dumb?; money-saving supercarriers; Littoral Combat Ships; missile defense updates; Algeria's big buy, energy conservation now a Pentagon issue... and much more.
Happiness is...
...wandering around Paris for a week, and coming home to discover that, if anything, your blog is in better shape than it was when you departed. David Axe, David Hambling, Jason Sigger, Steven Snell, Geoff Edwards: Thanks for taking such good care of the ranch while I was gone. I should leave more often!
Noah & David Cast Pods!
I'm still not exactly sure what a podcast is ... but Noah and I did one with Military.com editor Ward Carroll. The topic: the so-called "general's revolt" against SecDef Donald Rumsfeld. Here's the URL.
Defense Tech Gets MSNBC-y, too
Woah. Mass psychosis has suddenly struck the nation's cable news producers. I'm taping a segment for "Countdown with Keith Olbermann," on soldiers' and cops' animal friends
