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Haiti: One Musician's Response

Click on the above to donate.

It's easy to be cynical about celebrities and their charity work, but there's no doubting Wyclef Jean's commitment to Haiti. ... more »

posted: 15/01/2010 | comments »

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John Mayer: Foot and Mouth Outbreak at the Hard Rock Cafe

John Mayer, from the back of the room, Hard Rock Cafe, London, January 11, 2009

I wasn't reviewing John Mayer's Q-sponsored gig at the Hard Rock Cafe in London last night. But if I had been, I'd have written something along these lines. ... more »

posted: 12/01/2010 | comments »

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Spirits in the Sky, and on the Ground: My Two Days at Whiteman

A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber takes off, flying south, at Whiteman AFB, MO, October 30, 2009. Photo: SrA Kenny Holston

At the end of last October, I became the first non-American journalist in years to visit Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. I was there to write this piece, published today in the Mail on Sunday's Live Magazine section, about Whiteman's fleet of B-2 Spirit stealth bomber aircraft, and the RAF exchange pilots who've been flying it. Over the course of the two days I spent at Whiteman I saw, heard and experienced much, much more than I was able to cram into those six Live pages, or into the further page which will run in February's edition of Defense Technology International; in particular, there are thousands of words of fascinating interviews I've not been able to use yet. So if you're a commissioning editor and could use any of it, I'm very much open to offers. In the mean time, I thought I'd publish a few extracts here. ... more »

posted: 08/01/2010 | comments »

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Three Questions

Stealth mural, Tonopah Fire Department, Tonopah, NV, September 2007

I'll keep this brief, and to the point.... more »

posted: 18/10/2009 | comments »

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Honest Blogging: A Public Declaration

Governors Island, New York, August 2009

I was kind of amused to see that there's some American government agency planning to regulate misleading blogs. You've got to admire their ambition, even while laughing long and hard at how pointless and Sisyphean a task they've set themselves. Maybe their initiative will have the effect of increasing voluntary transparency - which would be welcome. So in such a spirit, here's what you need to know about what you read here.... more »

posted: 11/10/2009 | comments »

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UFOs, Area 51 and Common Sense

Unidentified Flying Object over the Groom Lake area, October 2, 2007. The object, which appeared as a white disc-like shape, its lower portion apparently in shadow, hovered persistently over the vicinity, making no noise, exhibiting no discernable motion.

As noted earlier, the historic 2009 Roadrunners Reunion took place in Las Vegas this week, and it's good to see the local media covering the event. Still hilarious, though, that there are people who want to ask about flying saucers and little green men when they have the opportunity to talk to people who did something much more amazing.... more »

posted: 10/10/2009 | comments »

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Murdoch, the Internet and the Future of Journalism: Grounds for Optimism Detected

Slow-moving traffic ahead: near Pahrump, NV, September 2007

It's been an interesting few days in the Future of Journalism debate. Fortunately, the present for this particular journalist has been uncommonly busy, so I'm only just getting caught up. And the catch-up starts, as so often of late, with Rupert Murdoch.... more »

posted: 09/10/2009 | comments »