This is a really interesting article on many levels:

Xtreme Defense

One, the degree to which the Pentagon is supporting non-lethal weaponry. So much for shock and awe-- but while the money is more than zero, it still isn't very substantial.

Two, the discussion of the intersection of culture and military hardware. The bizarre idea of the 'voice of god' is directly referenced but the difference between the marketing and country fair atmosphere of the non-lethal weapon trade expo and the rather severe image conjured up by the name "Quantico."

Three, how deeply in the article you have to read before one of the main topics is revealed (the non-lethal weapons expo). You could have read half of the article and thought it only discussed Pete Bitar and the projects of his company XADS. Don't know if that's a bad thing-- reward those who read farther (and therefore have an attention-span longer than a TV commercial) or maybe WashPost losing a big chunk of its readership....

Four, how Nikola Tesla keeps popping up in strange places.

Five, how important many obscure events as inspiration for big ideas (like Bitar's work in a styrofoam recycling plant) get short shrift.

Six, Bitar's comments about selling to non-American militaries.

There are more levels but I'll give y'all a rest...