Here are the words of a man who wants to be President of the United States.

Leaving aside how sleazy this attempt to "terrorist-bait" Obama while pretending to do the opposite, think about the implications of that last sentence. Here's John McCain, presumptive nominee for President, announcing in a public forum that the policies and preferences of Hamas are "of interest to the American people." Since when did this terror organization, bent on the violent destruction of Israel, become a legitimate and respected entity whose opinions American voters should consider when voting in national elections? McCain isn't being facetious at all: he thinks we should weigh the preferences of Hamas equally with other critical issues in this election year. What a vote of confidence for Hamas! What a shot in the arm for their effort to claim legitimacy internationally! I think maybe they're backing the wrong candidate: John McCain is giving them all the diplomatic support they need.

My respect for McCain, based on his years of service and his obvious courage and conviction, is severely strained by this kind of thing. Do we need another walking diplomatic disaster as President, another ultrapartisan so focused on defeating political rivals that he takes his eye off the big strategic picture?

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes. -JH

Last night as I was making my way through the concourse of the Joe Louis Arena (Go Wings!) I ran into a young Marine in his dress deltas. I shook his hand, thanked him for his service, and asked if he wanted a beer. He declined and asked if I was ever in and I told him I was from 90-94. "Whoa", was his response accompanied by a low whistle, "that's old Corps, I think my First Sergeant was in back then". I laughed and asked him what his future plans were. He said he was enrolled in Schoolcraft College and I told him I did two years of community college before I transferred to Michigan. I wished him luck with his studies and we parted ways.

On my way back to my seat the "old Corps" line was stuck in my head. It didn't seem to fit because to me old Corps was the Vietnam guys. But the math is correct, it has been 14 years since I got out, and 18 since I first joined. Had I stayed in I'd be 2 years away from retirement, which in all likelihood would mean I'd be a First Sergeant or a Sergeant Major, like the young Marine said. That also means in two years it will be my 20th high school reunion. It does not seem like 20 years, it seems like 5, its all gone by so fast. Obviously my perception of time is a little skewed and last night I had to reconcile with the reality that it has in fact been almost 20 years since I joined the military after graduating high school, confirming the old adage, at least in my case, of how it all flies by.

"I can no more disown him [Reverend Jeremiah Wright] than I can disown the black community"- Senator Barack Obama, March 18, 2008

Brandon Webb goes the distance to beat the Phillies 8-3: his eighth win in his first eight starts of the season.

No major league pitcher has won thirty games in a season since 1968, when Denny McLain went 31-6 in 41 starts and threw 28 complete games in 336 innings.* The last three numbers are all artifacts of a distant past: Webb will be lucky to get 36 starts, will probably complete no more than five or six of them, and will throw no more than 250 to 260 innings--meaning that the Diamondbacks' bullpen will soak up some decisions. For Webb to win thirty, he would have to almost run the table for the rest of the season and probably throw more like 280 innings or more--numbers that modern teams terrified of blowing out their ace's arm will be loathe to risk. He probably won't make it, but it should be quite a show to watch him try.

*--Bob Welch made the last real run at thirty wins before falling short, going 27-6 in thirty-five starts for the AL champion Oakland A's in 1990. He had the benefit of a great offense and Dennis Eckersley's greatest season (48 saves, 0.61 ERA), and as a result won a Cy Young award that probably should have gone to Roger Clemens.

Just a coincidence that the torch isn't lit in the ESPN file picture, or shambolic? That would make it, what, eight times it's gone out this Olympics?

But I learned something: use one of those long fireplace lighter/clicking thingees whenever smoking my cigars in a hurricane.

Rust never sleeps.

If you haven't picked up issue #14 of "BtVS: Joss Whedon's Season Eight" yet, do so ASAP (and whatever issues you need to catch up if necessary). The familiar cry "Joss--you bastard!" is even now echoing from the throats of longtime Buffy fans across the nation, and will continue to do so for at least another month.

A Spanish cartoon explains:

. . . and it looks as though they’ll punish the monkey and let the organ grinder go . . .

Offhand, I'd say that using Eight Belles as a metaphor for HRC's current situation is rather distasteful--in spite of the fact that I can't stand her.