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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in David Wilford's LiveJournal:

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    Friday, July 25th, 2008
    12:13 pm
    I suppose this is to be expected
    and perhaps Obama expected it as well:

    Israeli paper publishes Obama's wall note

    9:52 am
    The Good Nights
    by Joseph Mills

    On the good nights
    when the bottle's empty
    we always want
    just a little more,
    half a glass,
    a few sips,
    a taste.
    We know
    this desire
    can be dangerous
    to pursue,
    that it can make
    mornings difficult,
    so usually we
    brush our teeth
    let the dog in,
    lock the doors,
    but sometimes,
    even as we say
    We really should
    get ready for bed,
    instead of loading
    the dishwasher
    we will search
    for the corkscrew,
    all the while
    shaking our heads
    in wonder
    at this willingness
    to ignore the clocks
    and the fact we have
    to work tomorrow,
    this irresponsibility,
    this evidence
    even after all these years
    of the unquenchable desire
    for each other's company.
    Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008
    3:19 pm
    Why didn't I see it before I tell you? Why? Why? Why?
    via Matt Yglesias:

    2:27 pm
    If I had One Hundred Billion Dollars
    if I had one hundred billion dollars,
    I'd buy you a loaf of bread:
    Zimbabweans play the zero game

    Quadrillion, quintillion, sextillion - crazy numbers with lots of zeros, that independent Zimbabwean economist John Robertson found himself chewing over with colleagues in the capital Harare this week.


    The new note is three zeros short of Germany's 1924 100-trillion-mark note
    1:54 pm
    What the...
    was my reaction on reading this bit o' news:
    Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain appeared Tuesday to suggest rationing of veterans’ health care may be needed so combat veterans can receive the care they deserve.

    At a town hall meeting in Dover, N.H., McCain talked about the need to “concentrate” veterans’ health care on people with injuries that “are a direct result of combat.”

    “Right now, there are people who drive a long way and they stand in line to stand in line to get an appointment to get an appointment,” McCain said.

    McCain’s campaign press office did not return a telephone call asking for clarification of the remarks.
    Doing the rhetorical equivalent of shooting yourself in the foot is a difficult thing to clarify without making it even worse.
    1:08 pm
    Nice design
    of this poster promoting Obama's event in Berlin, Germany:



    Just the sort of thing I notice on occasion...
    Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008
    3:33 pm
    Wall Street has a drinking problem
    according to President Bush:



    "Wall Street got drunk ---that's one of the reasons I asked you to turn off the TV cameras --- it got drunk and now it's got a hangover."
    11:32 am
    Another not-so-subtle signal
    of support for an end to the occupation of Iraq:
    Brown signals Iraq troops withdrawal

    Gordon Brown today paved the way for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq, promising a "fundamental change" of mission in the first half of 2009.

    In a Commons statement, the prime minister heaped praise on the work of British soldiers and insisted the security situation in Basra had been "transformed".

    "We will continue to reduce the number of British troops in Iraq," Brown said.

    "Just as last year we moved from combat to 'overwatch', we would expect a further fundamental change of mission in the first months of 2009 as we make the transition to a long term bilateral partnership with Iraq, similar to the normal relationships which our military forces have with other important countries in the region."
    Coincidentally, Barack Obama is scheduled to visit the U.K. shortly. I guess timing, in politics as in comedy, is everything... :-)
    Monday, July 21st, 2008
    8:07 pm
    Lumberjack Days note
    Besides dressing in women's clothing and hanging around in bars in downtown Stillwater, there's this:
    7:00pm, Thursday July 24th Lumberjack Days Music Spectacular Night I

    "Hometown Night"
    UNCLE CHUNK
    MARTIN ZELLAR

    Floating Stage, Lowell Park - North
    Free even. I think I'm there.
    1:27 pm
    A global brain drain?
    Blame Canada!

    12:24 pm
    The old garage door opener trick
    lock your cars people!
    String of burglaries in Minnetonka prompts crime alert

    Burglars are targeting homes in Minnetonka and gaining entry by using a common tool: Garage door openers.

    In the past few weeks, at least 14 residential burglaries have been reported in the city, enough that police have issued a crime alert warning residents to keep doors locked and closed, and to keep garage door openers out of the reach of criminals, police said.

    In a few cases, thieves used garage door openers found in vehicle parked in driveways to open garage doors. Once inside, they've gained entry to homes and walked away with purses, wallets, cash, checkbooks, laptop computers, cell phones, cameras, bicycles and other items, police said.

    At other times, the burglars simply walked in through garage doors that have been left open or through doors that have been unlocked, police said.

    Police said the burglaries have happened in various part of city and that they have no suspects at this time.
    11:18 am
    Then there's the Iowa Republican Party
    which is more than determined to be the Loser Party there in 2008:
    Grassley won't be GOP delegate

    Evangelical Christians in Iowa, dominant in the state's Republican Party, have denied Sen. Charles E. Grassley his request for a place on the state's delegation to this summer's Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.

    Mr. Grassley may attend the party's Sept. 1-4 nominating convention in St. Paul, but not as a voting delegate.

    With a majority of nine out of 17 members on the Iowa Republican central committee, religious conservatives made Iowa Christian Alliance President Steve Scheffler chairman of Iowa's 40-member delegation in a vote immediately after their state party convention July 12.

    "The Republican Party of Iowa is moving significantly to the right on social issues," the just-ousted Iowa Republican National Committee member Steve Roberts told The Washington Times. "It hurts John McCain's chances to win this state."

    Other party officials said money for the party is drying up because of past mismanagement and current religious dominance, which has turned traditional Republican politics upside down.

    "It's pretty well controlled now by the Christian Alliance," Mr. Roberts said. "If somebody came to me and wanted to be a delegate to the national party convention, I used to say, 'Talk to the state party chairman or to Grassley.' Now it's very simple. You go to the Christian Alliance, and they determine who is a delegate, and you have to do exactly as they say."

    In recent weeks, religious activists replaced Mr. Roberts as the national Republican committeeman and also replaced the national committeewoman with pro-life advocates who also oppose gay marriage.

    Barring Mr. Grassley from voting-delegate status is seen as a blow to him as the senior Republican official in the state, who normally might have led the convention's delegation.
    Iowa Democrats have a real opportunity to win big and since the evangelicals in the GOP will respond to defeat by becoming even more intransigent (that's what putting religion in politics gets you), I fondly hope their example will be emulated by Minnesota and Wisconsin Republicans.
    11:00 am
    No, I didn't see The Dark Knight this weekend
    but I did watch all three episodes of Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog. Italian opera done for teh interwebs by Joss Whedon, with tounge firmly in cheek. Not that the Whedon's have a future in musical theater, but it might help remind people that muscials can be a lot of fun.
    10:10 am
    Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory
    is what Minnesota's DFL often does when it comes to state-wide races:
    Franken Stumbles in Minnesota Senate Race

    According to CQ Politics, poll trends in the past several weeks indicate that Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) has increased his lead over challenger Al Franken. Although the numbers have fluctuated, four of the last five polls now show Coleman ahead of Franken -- three by more than 10 points.

    As a result, CQ is changing the rating on the race to Leans Republican from No Clear Favorite.
    I never was thrilled with Franken as a candidate and am not at all happy with what looks to be a lost opportunity to oust Coleman, especially as it's very difficult to defeat a two-term Senator.
    Friday, July 18th, 2008
    3:53 pm
    John McCain has a senior moment
    via Reuters just now:
    Republican presidential candidate John McCain said on Friday that his Democratic opponent, Barack Obama, is likely to be in Iraq over the weekend.

    The Obama campaign has tried to cloak the Illinois senator's trip in some measure of secrecy for security reasons. The White House, State Department and Pentagon do not announce senior officials' visits to Iraq in advance.

    "I believe that either today or tomorrow -- and I'm not privy to his schedule -- Sen. Obama will be landing in Iraq with some other senators" who make up a congressional delegation, McCain told a campaign fund-raising luncheon.
    If McCain doesn't want to be though of as being as clueless regarding the security of Obama's visit, he should refrain from such speculation.
    3:07 pm
    Beyond the general time horizon
    where current events have Republicans attempting to cope with a rising tide of Democratic blue:
    “In the context of these improving political, economic, and security conditions, the President and the Prime Minister discussed the ongoing negotiations to establish a normalized bilateral relationship between Iraq and the United States. The leaders agreed on a common way forward to conclude these negotiations as soon as possible, and noted in particular the progress made toward completing a broad strategic framework agreement that will build on the Declaration of Principles signed last November, and include areas of cooperation across many fields, including economics, diplomacy, health, culture, education, and security.

    “In the area of security cooperation, the President and the Prime Minister agreed that improving conditions should allow for the agreements now under negotiation to include a general time horizon for meeting aspirational goals — such as the resumption of Iraqi security control in their cities and provinces and the further reduction of U.S. combat forces from Iraq. The President and Prime Minister agreed that the goals would be based on continued improving conditions on the ground and not an arbitrary date for withdrawal.” [emphasis added]
    In essence, the GOP has recognized that a majority of American voters think the war in Iraq stinks and want us to leave. So much for John McCain's professed desire for 100 years of U.S. occupation. I'm thankful for this regardless of whether it helps the GOP at the polls or not, because it will benefit Obama as President to have the previous administration on record as wanting a timetable for withdrawl, er, general time horizon to be set for troop reductions in Iraq.

    That it also validates Obama's basic position on Iraq is, of course, noted.
    12:50 pm
    Before there were synthesizers
    there was the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
    Lost tapes of the Dr Who composer

    A hidden hoard of recordings made by the electronic music pioneer behind the Doctor Who theme has been revealed - including a dance track 20 years ahead of its time.

    Delia Derbyshire was working in the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop in 1963 when she was given the score for a theme tune to a new science fiction series.

    She turned those dots on a page into the swirling, shimmering Doctor Who title music - although it is the score's author, Ron Grainer, who is credited as the composer.

    Now David Butler, of Manchester University's School of Arts, Histories and Cultures has revealed for the first time the existence of 267 tapes found in Ms Derbyshire's attic when she died in 2001.

    They were, until last March, in the safekeeping of Mark Ayres, archivist for the Radiophonic Workshop - and have lain unheard for more than 30 years.

    Amongst the recordings is some ethereal whooshing from a 1969 production of Hamlet at the Roundhouse in London; an extraordinary kit of parts for one of her most-admired pieces; and the theme for a documentary set in the Sahara which shows how she used her voice as an instrument.
    12:33 pm
    A most welcome poll
    via Kevin Drum on California's Proposition 8, which would ban same-sex marriage:



    It's interesting how the 50-64 age group is more for rejecting Prop 8 than are any of the younger cohorts. You'd think they were a bunch of hippies or something... ;-)
    8:10 am
    Doing the Right Thing
    President Bush for a change does something right by sending William Burns, the third-ranking official in the U.S. State Department, to Iran to represent the U.S. in five-power talks with Iran over its nuclear program. This is similar to the six-power talks that the U.S. participated in with North Korea that seem to have paid off in terms of N.K. backing off its aggressive nuclear stance. That this comes very late in Bush's term is a bit surprising, since the payoff (if any) will come after he's left office. Perhaps some wiser heads from the elder Bush administration were heard, or not. But it's still a welcome thing.
    Thursday, July 17th, 2008
    1:10 pm
    No compromises
    So you want a tent you can stand up in that will stand up to gale-force winds? Look no further:

    Cabela's Big Horn™ II Tent

    Not that expensive at $650, considering what you get. Overkill, perhaps? After this year, I think not!
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