Dogs of War?!

[jjpor]

Among my other many and varied interests, I am a sometime student of the weird and phantasmagorical. Which is to say, those Arthur C Clarke "world of the unexplained" type programmes and those Usborne books about monsters, UFO etc made a big impression on my primary-school-aged self back in the 80s. Unfortunately, in later life, I come to realise that it's all bunk, but entertaining bunk and that's the main thing.

Anyway, this tickled me greatly; it's a pretty extreme example of the kind of bonkers propaganda stories that came out of WW1; fodder for another retro-Torchwood story methinks, or maybe some truly deranged original fiction:

lippard.blogspot.com/2008/12/hound-of-mons.html

And your guess as to what "careful training in fiendishness" might consist of is as good as mine.

Comments

[akashasheiress.livejournal.com]

A brilliant scientist indeed. Knowing exactly which parts of the brain controlled hatred and frenzy in 1914!

I have a weakness for the stuff you mention as well. Although this one book about conspiracy theories ended up giving me nightmares. Especially the chapter on Men in Black.:P

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

I know...I'd say it was kind of amazing that some people even believed that kind of thing, but unfortunately people seem willing to believe anything when it comes to "them evil foreigners"... People, eh?

Oh, I love reading about all that stuff... The thing that really used to scare me as a young'un was Spontaneous Human Combustion...frightening stuff. ;D

[akashasheiress.livejournal.com]

Ever been on Snopes.com? It deals with urban legends, conspiracy theories. Very addictive.

I was scared of everything as a kid. Possibly because I had such a lively imagination.

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean about being scared of everything - I still am, I just learned to play it cool as I got older! XD

I have wasted many a long hour on Snopes over the years - you're right about it being addictive. I'm amazed how many things you just assume to be true...aren't...

[akashasheiress.livejournal.com]

I'd make a horrible companion, as I'd whimper and hyperventilate every time something remotely frightening happened. That, and whine ''Why are we still heeeere? Can't we go somewhere with a pub?''

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

LOL - like Peri, except she never wanted to go in pubs...Ace did, but Seven in his role as guardian/responsible adult wouldn't let her have anything...

Yeah, excellent plan, though; I'd probably adopt a similar approach, like "well, Doctor, I'll meet you back at the TARDIS when you've sorted out the monster situation. Yeah, I'll just be in the pub...er, planning our next move...yeah, that's what I'll be doing..."

[akashasheiress.livejournal.com]

''Oh, you go ahead exploring the Caves of Thingummy. I'll be in the whirlpool. Say, how many types of bubbles?''

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

Which is more or less what Donna managed to do in "Midnight" - very wise of her, I always thought. ;D

[akashasheiress.livejournal.com]

I wonder if Four and Romana ever did something like. One of them picking to stay and relax while the other went adventuring, or going on separate adventures. That would be a very couple-y thing to do, actually.

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

Heh, well I can certainly imagine Four doing something like that, relaxing with a good book or a fishing rod or something and letting Romana get on with the adventuring. I mean, he tried to do it in Androids of Tara, before the complications ensued, and arguably he did do it for most of Horns of Nimon, letting Romana handle the technical stuff while he concentrated on the important goofing around and bantering...

I can only imagine how he might have got on if Romana had decided to withdraw her labour for the day... ;D