This is my dog Kaleb, who, in my humble opinion, is the best dog in the world. I had my 4 wisdom teeth pulled yesterday and have been at home all day in horrible pain (helped somewhat by Vicodin). Well, Kaleb has not left my side this whole time. When I'm on the couch, he's there with me. When I'm in bed, there he is. I don't know what I'd do without him and the FW. 

Out of commission

I won't be posting much today or tomorrow - getting my wisdom teeth pulled this afternoon and will be out of commission for a day or so (yeah, I'm a wimp).

I can't get enough of this

I'm sitting here crying, I'm laughing so hard:

No. 17
1998: After Houston takes Turkey's Mirsad Turkcan near the end of Round 1, Majerus compares Turkcan to Moses Malone and officially gets cut off by the bar at Vancouver's GM Place.



(Note: This was the same draft where Majerus described Kings pick Jason Williams by gushing "He's got great 'feel for the game,' and you can't coach 'feel for the game.'" We later found out that Williams also had great "feel for the bong.")

More draft greats

No. 37
2001: The Clips trade the rights to No. 2 pick Tyson Chandler to Chicago for Elton Brand. That's right, after 47 years, Elgin Baylor finally made a good trade! Watching the draft live, Dad and I immediately start stockpiling water and canned goods and preparing for the apocalypse.

The Sports Guy

One of my favorite lunchtime activities, other than eating, is reading the Sports Guy's (Bill Simmons) column at espn.com. Today, he ranked the top 60 NBA draft moments. My favorite:

No. 45
2004: Before the draft even starts, Bilas describes Dwight Howard as "very ball friendly" and announces he has graded potential draftees in a number of categories from 1 to 5, including "Intangibles," prompting my buddy Jacko to wonder, "How do you rank intangibles from 1 to 5? Intangibles are the great unknown. And yet he ranks them. Is he clairvoyant?"

Flip Flop Much?

From Thinkprogress.org

1999, George W. Bush criticized President Clinton for not setting a timetable for exiting Kosovo, and yet he refuses to apply the same standard to his war.

George W. Bush, 4/9/99:

“Victory means exit strategy, and it’s important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is.”

And on the specific need for a timetable, here’s what Bush said then and what he says now:

George W. Bush, 6/5/99


“I think it’s also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn.”

George W. Bush, 6/24/05:

“It doesn’t make any sense to have a timetable. You know, if you give a timetable, you’re — you’re conceding too much to the enemy.”

And now baseball?

So now the GOP is threatening Major League Baseball. George Soros, a big Democratic donor, is part of an ownership group that wants to buy the Washington Nationals. But Republicans don't want him to have it. Read it here.

So it was okay for W to own the Rangers, but it's not okay for one of us to own a team? It's a slippery slope my friends.

Let me explain my anger

at Karl Rove's recent remarks. I'm a liberal. I'm proud to be a liberal. Without liberals, women wouldn't be allowed to vote, we wouldn't have public education, there'd be no 5 day work weeks, or sick leave, an integrated military, neighborhoods or school systems, health care for the poor and elderly. Hell, without liberals, Jeb Bush and Clarence Thomas wouldn't have been allowed to marry their wives. And when we were attacked on 9/11/01, I was ready to strike back. And we did - in Afghanistan.

So don't tell me I'm helping getting our troops killed. I lived about a mile south of the Pentagon that day. My apartment stank of the smoke from the explosion for days. I drive by the Pentagon every day on my way to work, and for too long, that black scar served as a reminder to me of that day.

This mess in Iraq has nothing at all to do with 9-11, and we all know it. So don't say liberals want our troops to die and are in collusion with the enemy. You're getting desperate, and know that you're living in a house of cards. The emperor has no clothes, ladies and gentlemen.

Hey Karl Rove,

If we liberals really wanted to get our troops killed in Iraq, we'd support your fucked up war! By the way, aren't Jenna and Barbara Bush eligible to enlist in the military? W, if this war is so righteous, why aren't your kids fighting?

F*** You, Rove

So, Karl Rove thinks liberals are aiding and abetting the enemy?

You know what I say to that? F*** you!! It's so apparent now what this administration wants - no dissent. Republican Party = God = right. It's like I woke up in an alternate universe, except it's real.

Contact your Representative or Senator now and ask them if they agree with Rove!!

Is Tom Cruise Darth Sidious?

You tell me!

Happy Summer!!

It's now officially summer, so crank up the A/C!!

Glad to be an Episcopalian

Just read the Rev. John Danforth's op-ed in today's NY Times. Danforth was once Senator (R) from Missouri and he's also an Episcopal priest. Reading this, it reminds me of the ideas and beliefs my father instilled in me:


It would be an oversimplification to say that America's culture wars are now between people of faith and nonbelievers. People of faith are not of one mind, whether on specific issues like stem cell research and government intervention in the case of Terri Schiavo, or the more general issue of how religion relates to politics. In recent years, conservative Christians have presented themselves as representing the one authentic Christian perspective on politics. With due respect for our conservative friends, equally devout Christians come to very different conclusions.

It is important for those of us who are sometimes called moderates to make the case that we, too, have strongly held Christian convictions, that we speak from the depths of our beliefs, and that our approach to politics is at least as faithful as that of those who are more conservative. Our difference concerns the extent to which government should, or even can, translate religious beliefs into the laws of the state.

People of faith have the right, and perhaps the obligation, to bring their values to bear in politics. Many conservative Christians approach politics with a certainty that they know God's truth, and that they can advance the kingdom of God through governmental action. So they have developed a political agenda that they believe advances God's kingdom, one that includes efforts to "put God back" into the public square and to pass a constitutional amendment intended to protect marriage from the perceived threat of homosexuality.

Moderate Christians are less certain about when and how our beliefs can be translated into statutory form, not because of a lack of faith in God but because of a healthy acknowledgement of the limitations of human beings. Like conservative Christians, we attend church, read the Bible and say our prayers.

But for us, the only absolute standard of behavior is the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. Repeatedly in the Gospels, we find that the Love Commandment takes precedence when it conflicts with laws. We struggle to follow that commandment as we face the realities of everyday living, and we do not agree that our responsibility to live as Christians can be codified by legislators.

When, on television, we see a person in a persistent vegetative state, one who will never recover, we believe that allowing the natural and merciful end to her ordeal is more loving than imposing government power to keep her hooked up to a feeding tube.

When we see an opportunity to save our neighbors' lives through stem cell research, we believe that it is our duty to pursue that research, and to oppose legislation that would impede us from doing so.

We think that efforts to haul references of God into the public square, into schools and courthouses, are far more apt to divide Americans than to advance faith.

Following a Lord who reached out in compassion to all human beings, we oppose amending the Constitution in a way that would humiliate homosexuals.

For us, living the Love Commandment may be at odds with efforts to encapsulate Christianity in a political agenda. We strongly support the separation of church and state, both because that principle is essential to holding together a diverse country, and because the policies of the state always fall short of the demands of faith. Aware that even our most passionate ventures into politics are efforts to carry the treasure of religion in the earthen vessel of government, we proceed in a spirit of humility lacking in our conservative colleagues.

In the decade since I left the Senate, American politics has been characterized by two phenomena: the increased activism of the Christian right, especially in the Republican Party, and the collapse of bipartisan collegiality. I do not think it is a stretch to suggest a relationship between the two. To assert that I am on God's side and you are not, that I know God's will and you do not, and that I will use the power of government to advance my understanding of God's kingdom is certain to produce hostility.

By contrast, moderate Christians see ourselves, literally, as moderators. Far from claiming to possess God's truth, we claim only to be imperfect seekers of the truth. We reject the notion that religion should present a series of wedge issues useful at election time for energizing a political base. We believe it is God's work to practice humility, to wear tolerance on our sleeves, to reach out to those with whom we disagree, and to overcome the meanness we see in today's politics.

For us, religion should be inclusive, and it should seek to bridge the differences that separate people. We do not exclude from worship those whose opinions differ from ours. Following a Lord who sat at the table with tax collectors and sinners, we welcome to the Lord's table all who would come. Following a Lord who cited love of God and love of neighbor as encompassing all the commandments, we reject a political agenda that displaces that love. Christians who hold these convictions ought to add their clear voice of moderation to the debate on religion in politics.

Travelogue

Today, while cleaning up some files on my PC, I came across some e-mails I sent to friends and family a couple of years ago while the FW (Fab Wife) and I went to London and Ireland for Xmas and New Year's. Of course, she wasn't the FW back then, just the FF (Fab Fiance'). Anyway, I'm going to post them below, for posterity's sake:

Hi all,
Well, today jetlag got the better of us, as we didn't wake up until 11:00 am, despite the alarm going off at 7:00. Our tour of Parliament was cancelled, as they are closed for Christmas. Oh, well. Anyway, we decided to walk around the part of town we are staying in (Bloomsbury). It was a bit wet - okay it was really, really wet - but we toughed it out. Had a pretty lunch at Cafe London on Southampton Road, then walked over to see the house Dickens lived in (pretty appropriate for Xmas, eh?) Went to the drugstore for Amber to get some contact solution (loads of fun) and took a nap around 4:00.
Tonight, we met our friends Emily and Shona for dinner and drinks at Piccadilly Circus. They took us to a pretty cool little bar, then we went to a fantastic Thai restaurant for dinner. And the portions were normal sized, not our crazy American super sized dinners!! Afterwards, we went to Soho for more alcohol!! You wouldn't believe the number of drunks we've seen stumbling down the street - and the bars and pubs close at midnight!!
Tomorrow, we're headed to see Arsenal play Middlesborough, the real reason we're in London!! After the match, we're going to visit Amber's Aunt Hillary, who lives very near Highbury (Arsenal's stadium). Her son, my future cousin-in-law, is also a huge Arsenal Supporter. Guess it's a family trait!!
I'll fill you in tomorrow night our journey to my soccer Mecca!!
love,
Charlie

Greetings from London, everyone.
Well, today was the day I've been dreaming about. I was at Highbury Stadium, home of Arsenal Football Club - Premier League and FA Cup Champions. Amber and I took the Tube to Finsbury Park in Islington, North London, where the team is based. Think of Adams Morgan, but substitute West Indians for Latinos. Very cool. About time I saw some color here!! Anyway, we met Jeff Lancaster, our connection for the tickets at the Moray Arms Pub. The owners, Sheila and Pat, are an older couple from Cork in Ireland. Jeff is great, by the way. He has 6 season tickets, and offers any Yanks who may be in London 1st dibs on any extras he has available. After downing a few pints with Jeff, we headed to the stadium. Oh, my God!! I was in heaven. Finally, after years of supporting Arsenal, we were at Highbury. Not only that, but our seats were in the famous North End, right behind the goal, 12 rows back. Words cannot describe how awesome it was to be there. I took a whole roll of film, and will have the prints scanned when I get home so I can share them with you. That may help show how close we were to the field. Arsenal didn't play their best game, but they still won comfortably, with a superb diving header from Sol Campbell just before halftime and a sublime finish from Robert Pires just before the game ended. After the game, we went with Jeff to Arsenal Fish and Chips for an after game meal. Delicious!!! The cod was fantastic, and Amber enjoyed her fried rice with veggies. We then headed over to the Gunners Pub for another pint. The pub is wall to wall Arsenal memorabilia. Awesome!! We then went to visit Amber's (and soon to be my) Aunt Hillary and her kids Paul and Siobhan. Again, we went to a couple of pubs and had the best time! It's great having relatives over here!
Tomorrow, we head to the South Bank of the Thames and will take a ride on the London Eye. I have no idea what else we're going to do, but we'll keep you posted, I promise. On Monday, we leave for Dublin.
love,
Charlie & Amber

London - Day 3
Well, today we become something that all of us who live and work in DC hate - tourists!!! I booked tickets for us on the London Eye (www.londoneye.com). It's a huge Ferris Wheel on the south bank of the Thames that you can see the whole city from. Each "flight" takes about 30 minutes. It was pretty amazing. Can't wait to see the pix we took. Afterwards, we walked across Waterloo Bridge to Parliament and Westminster Abbey, followed by a stroll through St. James' Park to Buckingham Palace (at which Amber informed me it's my duty to buy her a palace. Uh Oh!). And the strangest thing happened while we were watching the ducks and swans - the sun came out!! Woo Hoo!! Didn't know it actually happens in London, but sure enough, the clouds cleared, the sun came out, and people started smiling!
Amber's not feeling to well today. She's had a sore throat the last few days and today she has no voice - something you'd think I'd be happy about, but amazingly am quite bummed over ;-). She took a long nap after our day of walking around, and we're about to get some dinner.
We leave tomorrow for Dublin. Don't know how much access I'll have to the 'net while in Ireland, but I'll try to keep you posted on my adventures of driving on the left side of the road.
love,
Charlie
PS - I think I've discovered the secret behind the whole idea of the English being reserved and having a "stiff upper lip". It's because they never see the sun and are suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder!! Seriously! Other than 2 hours this afternoon, it's been dark and raining non-stop. And not a regular rain. More like a fine mist that just soaks you to your core. And this would also explain why they drink so much. They'd put any fraternity back at UVa to shame!

Hello all,
We got to Dublin yesterday afternoon - only a 45 minute flight from London. The 1st thing that I noticed when we got off the plane was the amount of smoke!! More smokers here than in London, if that's possible. Amber's Aunt Ellen and Uncle Charlie met us at the airport and drove us to their home, our base in Dublin. They're really good people. After dinner, more of Amber's family came over and we proceeded to talk and drink. And drink. And drink. And a little more drinking. I think by night's end, I ended up doing UVa proud by drinking 10 pints of Guinness, along with a shot of Jameson’s, and God knows how much German wine. The Ricards (Amber's family) were duly impressed by their "Yank" cousin!!
Today, we're just walking around the city with Amber's sister Vienna, whose also in Dublin. She's on her way home from spending the past 2 years in Ghana with the Peace Corps. Activism runs in the family!! We're in the Temple Bar area, kinda like Georgetown. Very trendy. Tonight, Uncle Charlie is taking me to his favorite pub to show me off and buy me a "real" Guinness (the stuff last night was canned). I'll let you know how it goes!
I won't be writing again for a few days, so everyone have a very Merry Christmas.
Charlie

Howdy,
We've just arrived in Killarney, in southwest Ireland after driving all day from Galway. We got to Galway Friday night, and I, Charlie Hundley, stayed in a hostel. Never again!! I don't think the concept of showering has caught on in Europe, at least not among people under 30!! We hit a few pubs in Galway, and yesterday morning, caught a ferry to Inishmore, largest of the Aran Islands (off the coast of Ireland). Inishmore has only 800 inhabitants, and they survive mainly by fishing and knitting the famous Aran Sweaters (Mom, Dad - you got me one last year for Xmas). We got a great tour of the island from Tom O'Toole, who was about 100 years young! He knew everything there was to know about the history of the island, and was full of wisecracks. We toured Dun Aengus, a 2500 year old fort on the south shore of the island, on a very steep cliff. Can't wait to see how the pictures turned up. Since nothing was open on the island but the pubs, we created our very own pub-crawl and ran into a guy who lives in Mt. Pleasant!! Small world, huh? We left this morning and drove south about 4 hours to see the Cliffs of Moher, but the fog was so thick we couldn't see our own hands, much less the cliffs, so we hit the road again and are now in Killarney. Tomorrow, we do the Ring of Kerry and we head back to Dublin on Tuesday morning, about a 5 hour drive.
If I don't write back before Wednesday, have a safe and Happy New Year. We'll be home Saturday afternoon, and can't wait to see you all.
Charlie

Just in case you forgot

or were distracted by the missing teen in Aruba, Schiavo's autopsy, or any other "important" news, 1714 Americans have died in Iraq to date, including 5 today. But hey, if you've got a yellow ribbon on your car, everything's okay!!

Englin wins!

Yep, David Englin won the Democratic Primary to run for the House of Delegates. It was a close one, Libby Garvey gave a strong showing and only lost by 366 votes. Turnout was very, very low. In our precinct, David won by 2 votes, thanks to the FW (Fabulous Wife) who drove home from the polling station to pull 2 of our neighbors down to the polls just before they closed!! Did I mention how much she rocks?

Happy Flag Day

Wave it, fly it, burn it, do what you will. It belongs to you!

More on dinner with the BR

Okay, back with more on dinner with the BR. Over the course of our conversation, he asked didn't I care if we (the US) weren't the #1 economic power in the world. I have to admit, I've never thought much about that. But my heartfelt answer was that no, I didn't care. If we're #1, that means some other nation is dead last, and that's not right. This isn't some game we're playing. We're all citizens of the earth - national boundaries are artificial.

Rome used to be #1, Britain was #1, Egypt, Greece, Mali, and Mongolia have all been #1. Even Iraq has had its moment in the sun. I don't think folks in Finland, Sweden or other European nations with high standards of living care too much that they're not #1. They're just concerned with making sure everyone within their borders are taken care of and have a good life. BR also said that this is the 1st time that our technological advantage is evaporating. I responded that all of the nations I mentioned before also had a technology advantage - their weapons and means of waging war. The Roman legions, the British navy, the rifles Europeans used to enslave entire continents. Having a technological advantage doesn't impress me very much. You know what, our main tech advantage is still our military. Other countries have computers, cell phones, etc. But we have the best military, right now. That's what separates us - our ability to kill others more efficiently. He looked at me like I was crazy.

Saturday Night

So Saturday night, the Fabulous Wife (FW) and I went out to dinner with her Former Roommate On the Hill (FROTH) and her new beau. We ate at a wonderful new restaurant (Del Merei Grille) in Alexandria. The food was great, the company was fun. Just one thing - the new beau is a Black Republican (BR). Now, there's nothing that bothers me more than BRs (not completely true, just using some hyperbole). I just want to shake some sense into them. "Don't you get that the leaders of your party wanted to keep us down? That it was against their objections and obstruction that we got the right to vote, to live where we want to live, to marry who we want to marry, to go to equal schools? That the leaders of your party, who were all Dems in our lifetime, switched parties because they couldn't stand the fact that the Democratic party became the party of the oppressed? What the hell is wrong with you???!?!?!?!"

But, because I promised FW that I would be on my best behavior, I almost bit my tongue off during dinner. BR owns his own software firm, so he's pro-business. Among his varied ideas are 1) We need to do something about India, because they're going to overtake us economically. By this he means send in special forces to disrupt India. Maybe start a war between them and Pakistan. 2) Do the same to China, 3) abolish minimum wage, because it's the workers fault that companies outsource work overseas. Just crazy ass shit like that. I finally lost it and went off on him, but in a, for me at least, subdued manner. I'll fill you in later, but I said something along the lines of life being about more than making money, that we as citizens need to show some altruism, and eveyone on earth has a responsibility to assist those less fortunate that ourselves. What some might call crazy liberal talk.

Brilliant

So, as I've posted earlier, I met Nick Hornby last night. And now I'm reading his latest book, "A Long Way Down". I'm only on page 37, but as my English friends would say, "It's brilliant"!

“Traditional American values are progressive values”

So says David Englin, who is running for the Democratic nomination for the the House of Delegates seat in the 45th District. Which just happens to be my district. He's a good guy, and the only candidate that actually came and knocked on our door. He talked to me and my wife at length about a number of issues and really impressed us. So much so that we threw a cookout for him to meet other people in our neighborhood and my wife has become a volunteer for his campaign, knocking on doors in the horrible heat and humidity we've been suffering through. Grassroots is the only way we're going to make a change in this country and David understands that fact. He takes pride in being a Progressive.

As Raising Kaine states, Englin is running as a proud progressive who, nevertheless, describes himself as politically in sync with both Governor Warner and DNC Chair Howard Dean. Englin describes himself as a “fiscally responsible Democrat…concerned with social justice and tolerance” and interested in “promoting fresh new ideas to improve people’s lives.” Englin believes the death penalty should be abolished, that localities “should be able to enact their own reasonable gun safety measures,” and that the so-called “Dillon Rule” (restricting localities from making their own decisions) should be repealed. Englin supports Metrorail to Dulles, exploring “creative new ideas” for solving the region’s transportation mess, and looking to “additional dedicated revenue sources for transportation.” He supports maintaining “the current car tax structure” to avoid “the kinds of financial problems we had before Mark Warner turned things around.” More than anything, Englin says he is running to protect his five-year-old son Caleb’s future “if the Republicans in the House of Delegates have their way.”

Another nice evening

So tonight, I was at Olsson's Books in Arlington, VA to see my favorite author, Nick Hornby (Fever Pitch, High Fidelity, About a Boy, How To Be Good). He was reading from his newest book, A Long Way Down. It was very, very cool to meet and hear him. I always thought he'd have a Posh accent for some reason, like Hugh Grant or Tony Blair. Nope, he's a true Islington man, with a proper working class accent. And he's a little fella, no taller than 5ft. 5in. or so.

The store was packed, I don't think they expected a crowd quite so large. A bunch of Arsenal fans were there, of course. The Arsenal America club was in full force. I posted a note on the forum a few days ago letting them know he would be here in town. As he was signing my books, he told me he thinks Arsenal are in for another long summer. Afraid he's probably right on that count. He also believes English football is changed for good because of the money Abramovich has pumped into Chelsea. He doesn't see how other clubs will be able to compete with them. I hope he's wrong. I hate Chelsea!!! He did agree with me that once Arsenal's new stadium is completed (next year) they'll be able to make and spend alot more money.

So, Tuesday night I saw the Nats beat the A's. Tonight, I met Nick Hornby. Not a bad week, eh?

Nats

Went to the Nats game last night vs. Oakland. They won 2-1 and are still in 1st. Had a great time, but damn it was muggy - which is why they invited beer, right? Gotta love DC in the summer. Just one negative thought. Could someone, please, spend a few bucks and fix the broken seats at RFK?

Bizzaro World

So my wife and ex-wife met yesterday. A bit weird. Tara came over to get some little ceramic bears she used to collect and I've had for the past 5 years in a box. We e-mail every now and then and I told her I found the box of bears. She doesn't work too far away from our place, so she stopped by yesterday on her way home from work to get them. She and Amber got along fine (don't know what I was expecting, actually). They even started sharing tips about me - truly strange. Hmm.

Things are getting better in Iraq

At least that what W and friends are telling us. I have a feeling they may be a bit off on this one:

Suicide bomb attacks kill 19 in Iraq

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Insurgents killed at least 19 people in three suicide car bomb attacks on Thursday, one targeting the bodyguards of Iraq's Kurdish deputy prime minister and another killing a deputy provincial governor...

Since a new Shi'ite Islamist-led cabinet was announced in late April there has been a sharp escalation in insurgent violence, and the number of suicide bombings has soared.

More than 700 Iraqis and 78 U.S. soldiers were killed in May, making it the deadliest month in Iraq since January.

I wish I had written this

But I didn't, it's from the King County Journal:

Kids should be taught both sides of controversial topics.
Let's require that science classes teach that a flood covering the Earth would have left an even layer of silt in the substrata around the globe -- but that no such layer exists. And that any such flood would have saturated the soil with salt, making it impossible to grow food -- starving any humans or animals who managed to survive the flood.

Let's have the English classes explore the contradiction of a loving ``ruling person'' who supposedly cares for each of his subjects who nevertheless annihilates whole cities of them -- children included -- because he's irritated with the behavior of some of the adults. Let's teach them that homosexual behavior occurs quite naturally in dozens of animal species.

Do all this and I'll have no objections to lessons exploring the ``weaknesses'' in evolutionary theory.