Yes, the technology exists. There is more avaliable for us to use if we need it. The released technology you see is only a small part of it all. The public sees nothing of what we really have. R+D has been very busy since WWII rest assured

Posted by: Strak at August 15, 2005 12:33 AM

Everyone at the Pentagon? That is worrisome. Including the guy that takes the daily three hour naps in the central courtyard ("Ground Zero" - where does he not work, anyway?)? The cleaning staff, food service workers, and the pharmicist at the CVS drugstore (yes, there is a CVS in the Pentagon)?

I love overarching statements like this one. So often in the press we see comments that make the Pentagon out to be a living, thinking (evil?) organism, when all it is, is a large office building with more office politics than most, particularly over budget issues. A "source at the Pentagon" could be the guy operating the hot dog machine.

My recent favorite was an email response I got from a Commonwealth of Virginia Delegate (Loudoun County - R), who stated that his proposed legislation (which would have indirectly afffected ex-servicemembers the most due to his ignorance and attempt to game the system) had been reviewed by the chief prosectuor of the Pentagon (no such animal).

Disclaimer: I haven't walked the halls of the Pentagon in 3 years, but don't imagine much has changed.

Posted by: rgardner at August 14, 2005 02:30 AM

Thanks, Byron. But considering I got the "Phone Bomb Interceptor" material from New Scientist magazine, I don't think Searcey made much of a foul.

Posted by: Noah Shachtman at August 12, 2005 05:10 PM

Good Afternoon (Again) Noah,

You are way underestimating the infulence of "Defense Tech". This afternoon while reading the Wall Street Journal I came across an article by one (I can't use the term Journalist out of respect for the profession) Dionne Searcey titled: "Cellphone Lines Draw Scrutiny", WSJ August 12, 2005, Page A4.

The plagiarism from Defense Tech's "Phone Bomb Interceptor on the Line?" posted earlier this week and the members dicussion of this issues is quite evedent.

The fact that the writer of this piece didn't credit or source "Defense Tech" is a breach of journalist ethics at the highist level.

I guess the "High and Mighty Wall Street Journal" can disregard the ethics of there craft when it comes to informantion stolen for a web site.

Yes Noah, your site is read by those who are making decisions be it at the Pentagon,in the DoD, in Colorado Springs or on Wall Street.

ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
"Stewart's Platoon"

Posted by: Byron Skinner at August 12, 2005 04:22 PM

Heh, I KNEW there was a reason I don't trust our government. Those shiftless bastards are probably reading your blog while being paid by OUR tax dollars. Those bastards !

It sounds like they've got the work ethic of...well...me.

--Christopher Karel

Posted by: Christopher Karel at August 12, 2005 03:57 PM

I think a lot of people would like to know the statistics on that; see if these gov't people actually pay attention to us little folk would really be a major break through, you know?

Posted by: PresidenToor at August 12, 2005 03:16 PM

You should be able to figure it out by just looking at the origination IP address for those that are hitting your site. There are some great log analyzers out there that will do this for you. While it will not tell you everything it will help you know how many of your reader are reading from govt. offices (Maybe even slim that down farther) with reverse look up.

Email me if you want to do it and have trouble with it.

Posted by: The Cenobyte at August 12, 2005 02:37 PM

Believe Noah, believe. It's true.

That list also could be expanded to some members of Congress too.

ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
"Stewart's Platoon"

Posted by: Byron Skinner at August 12, 2005 02:00 PM