Octopodial Chrome

Research indicates that body odour is as unique as fingerprints, and that changing diet does not change one’s fundamental smell. Could have some interesting implications for criminology.

Now here is a treat: an audio recording of gas shells being fired by the British on 9 October 1918 outside Lille.

Today is Veteran’s Day, once known as Armistice Day to celebrate the armistice which ended the Great War. Ninety years ago today the shooting stopped, although it would be some time before the final peace treaty was signed. Almost a decade ago I had the privilege of going to Europe and touring many of the battlefields of the Western Front; it was a lot of fun and quite literally awesome. I think Philip Larkin’s MCMXIV expresses it pretty well: the world of 1914 was utterly different from the world of 1918. In a way, the Great War was the end of Western civilisation; we're just playing in the ruin our great-grandparents made of their patrimony.

In London today three surviving veterans laid wreaths; in America there is only one surviving veteran of the war. At least two of my great-grandfathers served in it; my dad’s dad’s father was an artillery officer and I believe my mom’s mom’s father was in the cavalry.

Today is the 233rd birthday of the United States Marine Corps, the pre-eminent naval infantry in the world. Founded in a bar, it is larger than the British Army and has had in its ranks such notables as John Philip Sousa, James Carville, Gene Hackman and Drew Carey—and my youngest brother. Joe Carter reflects on the day. Semper fi!

Well, it looks like America will have her first half-black president. This is good news in itself; within living memory it would have been impossible for him to vote in many states and now he's president. We've come a long way indeed. My grandmother let her black neighbour use her washing machine because the local laundromat wouldn't let coloured folks in (only they didn't use a nice word like coloured), and now a majority of the electorate have put a black man in the White House. Perhaps this will be the end of racial paranoia, which would be an excellent development. Regardless, it's a nice indication that one of our great national sins is well and truly in the past.

If Obama carries out his promise to allow the states to administer medical-marijuana programmes, that would be a good thing for sick people and for the Republic.

I hope that the Right doesn't get Obama Derangement Syndrome like the Left got Bush Derangement Syndrome and the Right got Clinton Derangement Syndrome.

I hope that he governs wisely and well; if he does then our nation will prosper.

Today is election day here in America. Unlike many others, I will not encourage you to just vote. You have that right, of course, but you also have the right to stand on a sidewalk claiming that Martians are running Major League Baseball. No, I’m going to encourage you to vote wisely. Vote for men and women who will faithfully discharge their duties under the constitutions of both the United States and your individual state. Vote for ballot issues which are consistent with those same constitutions. Vote wisely, having done your research. If you’ll vote foolishly, then please: don’t. Exercise your right not to vote. But if you will vote soberly and seriously, with an intelligent grasp of the issues at stake, then please: head down to your nearest polling station and vote.