Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
The Vick Thing.
Okay, so I'm a football fan. And vegan. And a "dog person" (as well as a cat person, but that's a different story). So there's a few angles on which this whole Michael Vick dogfighting case appalling.
Football Fan: I might be one of the few people who sides with Charles Barkley on the whole "athletes as role models" argument- as much as we might like our major athletes to be role models for our kids, it's just not going to happen. As the philospher once said, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Give someone enough cash and attention, and they're going to think they're above the law. And for that reason, Vick needs to be dealt with harshly. I'm sure the NFL has done their own investigation into the matter, and has a good bit of the same evidence that the feds used to get their indictment. This alone should be reason enough to suspend him pending the outcome of the trial. And if convicted, he's done. For good. This isn't gambling or steroids- it's not as though he cheated at the game and can be monitored to make sure he doesn't do it again. No. If the indictment is correct, he participated in straight up sociopathic behavior. It's only a matter of time, the specialists tell us, before a human becomes a target instead of a dog.
Vegan: It's been interesting to read the comments on the Vick stories on espn.com and see how people have reacted- I would say nine out of ten responders have talked about how despicable this crime is, but they're "no PETA supporter". Oddly enough, neither am I. But it's events like this that always make me cringe that PETA has become the commonly accepted face of animal rights. They're what some would call welfarists- they declare victory every time conditions become just a little bit worse for an animal before they're killed for food. And I really can't abide that- how about we just don't kill them??? And don't get me started on their use of nudity as an attention getting tool.
Dog Lover: Yeah- I can't even go there. I'm just disgusted. Literally, it makes me nauseous...
Football Fan: I might be one of the few people who sides with Charles Barkley on the whole "athletes as role models" argument- as much as we might like our major athletes to be role models for our kids, it's just not going to happen. As the philospher once said, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Give someone enough cash and attention, and they're going to think they're above the law. And for that reason, Vick needs to be dealt with harshly. I'm sure the NFL has done their own investigation into the matter, and has a good bit of the same evidence that the feds used to get their indictment. This alone should be reason enough to suspend him pending the outcome of the trial. And if convicted, he's done. For good. This isn't gambling or steroids- it's not as though he cheated at the game and can be monitored to make sure he doesn't do it again. No. If the indictment is correct, he participated in straight up sociopathic behavior. It's only a matter of time, the specialists tell us, before a human becomes a target instead of a dog.
Vegan: It's been interesting to read the comments on the Vick stories on espn.com and see how people have reacted- I would say nine out of ten responders have talked about how despicable this crime is, but they're "no PETA supporter". Oddly enough, neither am I. But it's events like this that always make me cringe that PETA has become the commonly accepted face of animal rights. They're what some would call welfarists- they declare victory every time conditions become just a little bit worse for an animal before they're killed for food. And I really can't abide that- how about we just don't kill them??? And don't get me started on their use of nudity as an attention getting tool.
Dog Lover: Yeah- I can't even go there. I'm just disgusted. Literally, it makes me nauseous...
Friday, July 13, 2007
On Futbol!
On the day when "Becks" will become more than the name of an imported beer to Americans (or so Alexi Lalas hopes), I thought I'd pay at least some homage to some local boys, the Harrisburg City Islanders, who knocked off MLS powerhouse D.C. United on Wednesday night to reach the quarterfinals of the US Open Cup, which is a nationwide competition open to all amateur and pro soccer teams. This is huge! Now the Islanders move on to play the New England Revolution in Foxboro- my love of the underdog will have to trump my New England roots on this one, and I'll definitely be pulling for Harrisburg! Hopefully I can find a TV with Fox Soccer Channel somewhere in the midwest. :)
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Hey, Cancellara!
MEtC asked me last night, after seeing me completely entranced by watching the Tour, how anyone could sit there and watch people ride bikes. It's because of finishes like this!
Just amazing stuff. If they can just avoid any foolish doping scandals this year, I'm going to enjoy the next few weeks in front of the Tour. :)
Just amazing stuff. If they can just avoid any foolish doping scandals this year, I'm going to enjoy the next few weeks in front of the Tour. :)
Monday, July 09, 2007
The end of the beginning...
Or something. This is the last Monday that I will sit at a computer in Harrisburg and fret over the micro-details of hotel buyings and sellings, as I have for the last seven years. It's the longest stretch I've spent at one job, and it very much feels weird to leave. For all the ups and downs this particular job has had, it's become a second home, and my co-workers a second family- it's hard not to have some sort of emotional feelings that cloud the relief at removing the weight of the job itself from my shoulders. I'm sure I'll have many more nonsensical musings over the coming days so I ask the gentle reader to stick with me- I'll be back to my old rip-roaring self in no time.
In the meantime, check out this nifty article on the next wave of librarians, from the NYT style section, no less!
In the meantime, check out this nifty article on the next wave of librarians, from the NYT style section, no less!
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Joke of the Day
Q. Did you hear the president's plan for easing prison overcrowding?
A. If you're convicted of a felony, you don't have to go to jail!
(copyright 2007 stegan t. guppybork)
I'd cry for the death of a judiciary divorced from the executive branch if it wasn't abundantly clear that it happened a long time ago. The fact that the president thought that Libby was too fragile to serve less jail time than either Judith Miller OR Paris Hilton is ridiculous. Every day, people go to jail for obstruction of justice whose lives are more ruined than Libby's- what makes him so damned special? Maybe they did a feasibility study and determined his speaking fees can be higher without jail time. Maybe that's it.
Le sigh.
A. If you're convicted of a felony, you don't have to go to jail!
(copyright 2007 stegan t. guppybork)
I'd cry for the death of a judiciary divorced from the executive branch if it wasn't abundantly clear that it happened a long time ago. The fact that the president thought that Libby was too fragile to serve less jail time than either Judith Miller OR Paris Hilton is ridiculous. Every day, people go to jail for obstruction of justice whose lives are more ruined than Libby's- what makes him so damned special? Maybe they did a feasibility study and determined his speaking fees can be higher without jail time. Maybe that's it.
Le sigh.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
