From Michael Vick-tory to Michael Con-Vick!

Football star Michael Vick has been indicted by a federal grand jury. Apparently he loves dog fighting. And hanging dogs. And killing dogs.

Some random thoughts:

1) Michael Vick is my favorite player in the Madden Football video series. The 2008 version of the game will be coming out next month. I suppose that if he does actually serve six years that Vick will be the best player on the All-Madden Prison Team.

2) The Washington Post article sums it up: "Michael Vick and three other men...."

Three other men? Nobody but their momma and perhaps their momma's boo cares who those three other men are. This is about Michael Vick. That's why Vick is such an idiot--he's a celebrity. I bet he was the only one at those dog fights with a $130 million contract.

Didn't Michael Vick learn anything from Paris Hilton? The courts, media, talk show hosts, the man on the street were all determined that she serve time.

And they'll be determined that Vick serve time. That's what happens when you sign a 10 year, $130 million contract.

3) In case you've forgotten, Michael Vick's brother, Marcus, is also an idiot. Marcus was suspended after his freshman season for having sex with some young teens and for various criminal violations. Then, after playing his junior year, he was completely kicked out of Virginia Tech after (a) giving the middle finger to spectators at a game (b) stomping on the leg of a player on the ground (c) getting caught speeding on a suspended license. He later pulled a gun on some teens in a McDonald's parking lot.

What is funny is reading comments from Michael Vick saying that Marcus was focused on becoming more mature. If Michael really did take Marcus under his wing then I guess we can understand why Marcus kept flying in the wrong direction...

4) Another "have you forgotten..." at one point, Michael Vick was the underdog who became a superstar. He's gone from the underdog to a dog killer.

Coming out of high school, it was Ronald Curry who was destined to become an NFL superstar. Vick, from the same area, was overshadowed by Curry in high school. In college, Curry had a decent although unspectacular college career while Michael Vick flourished. Curry was a late-round draft pick whereas Michael Vick was the number one draft pick.

Curry, a high school and college quarterback, is now a wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders. He has had a decent career. I wonder if Vick does serve six years whether Curry will look him up.

5) Looking at today's Style section of the Washington Post, here are more reasons to believe that Vick will actually serve time.

A) He won't even be able to tell his story on Oprah. As the Post reports: Oprah writes in her mag's new issue that she's still mourning the May death of her 2-year-old golden retriever Gracie, who choked on a plastic ball belonging to 12-year-old cocker spaniel Sophie. (Hmmmm . . . ) The pup taught her to live life to the fullest: "Everything in life happens to help us live."

He won't have a chance if Oprah comes out against him.

B) A woman named "Emily" writes to Ask Amy about people who leave their pets in hot vehicles. She writes that she called animal control when she saw a dog in car--animal control showed up and broke a car window to save the pup.

If Emily was willing to call the dog police, and dog cops were willing to break into someone's car, what do you think they would have done to Michael Vick?

Michael Vick just must not have realized how much people love dogs. Vick would have more sympathy if he had robbed his local 7-11 or committed a hate crime...

6) I suspect that the folks in South Korea who eat dogs are probably wondering why this is even a story. The dogs are typically beaten to death as they hang like a pinata.

7) Of course, it is possible there were other athletes participating. Vick can't be the only one risking his millions...

8) A friend of mine raises a question--could this be a cultural conflict? Vick grew up in a poor neighborhood. My friend's thought is that dogs aren't as respected in urban areas as they are among middle class people. I'll add...where Vick grew up, human life may not be that highly valued.

9) As if nothing else I've said has made anyone angry: I hope Vick doesn't miss a single game because of this. If he doesn't escape jail because of the technicality, then I hope the NFL can come up with a work-release program so Vick can suit up every Sunday...

10) "What's up, dog?" is a common greeting among black people. You might want to keep your distance from NFL quarterbacks who address you like that...

CJL

See also Convict Vick,

2014-02-14 Yeon-Mi Park`s debut

Yeonmi Park, February 14, 2014, making her debut! Yesterday I was one of the speakers at a special session on North Korean refugees at the Canadian Maple International School. Wow, it was a wonderful time! * Yeon-Mi Park delivered her first major speech in English. She was wonderful! She told her story (35 minute speech without notes), discussed different aspects of North Korea, and then handled questions from students for more than an hour. She did seem to be nervous at the beginning-she took a deep breath just as she started, looked at me, then told her story from her heart. * Returning from the speech, I told Yeonmi that she had star potential. She told me that she didn't believe it, but I told her that the way she handled Q&A and told her story, I would be lucky to have her still returning my phone calls within a year. * The students had many questions. They have been learning about North Korea. They are now reading "Escape from Camp 14" featuring Shin Dong-h...

Open door to N. Koreans (Korea Times, January 16, 2013) by Casey Lartigue, Jr.

Open door to N. Koreans By Casey Lartigue, Jr. Last Dec. 12, I fired off an opinion piece of about 1,500 words to the Washington Post. It easily could have been 1,600 words, but I deleted all of the curse words. The day before, I had learned that the United States government had rejected visa applications by three of the students at the Mulmangcho School for North Korean refugee adolescents. Mulmangcho (meaning, ``forget-me-not”) is a small alternative school located in Yeoju, more than an hour south of Seoul. It opened last September with 11 former North Korean children who are orphans or are disadvantaged in some other way. It was founded by former national assembly member Park Sun-young and a distinguished board of directors. Why were the youngsters rejected? The explanation I got: 1) The U.S. government is concerned that they might not return to South Korea and 2) there was a question about their refugee status because they didn’t have pr...

Park Chung-hee: Dictator or benevolent autocrat? (The Korea Herald, July 20, 2011)

The Korea Herald published my analysis of Willam Easterly's paper "Benevolent Autocrats." Check it out at the CFE Website . Easterly questions if "benevolent autocrats" really deserve credit for high economic growth. The Idiots' Collective calls it "a must-read" piece. I agree. [Casey Lartigue, Jr.] Park Chung-hee: Dictator or benevolent autocrat? It ain’t necessarily so. That’s what New York University economics professor William Easterly essentially says about crediting “benevolent autocrats” like South Korea’s Park Chung-hee for high growth rates. In “Benevolent Autocrats,” a provocative working paper posted in May, Easterly 1) argues that economists should be skeptical of the “benevolent autocrat” theory; (2) questions whether benevolent autocrats truly deserve credit for growth; (3) and concedes he is making a losing argument because cognitive biases lead many to believe in benevolent autocrats regardless...

2015-04-25 First-time TNKR speaker

When I hear people say that South Koreans don't care about North Koreans, I have three main responses. 1) North Koreans are one of many groups that South Koreans don't care about. 2) The ones who do care, care a lot! Let's focus on getting them more involved rather focusing on the ones not involved. 3) It may just be that those of us engaged in activism for NK refugees need to try different methods rather than dismissing or denouncing others for not getting involved... http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2015/01/626_155820.html Last night, Saturday April 25, 2015, I met with two South Koreans to help a North Korean refugee get ready for her first public speech. Thanks so much, TNKR co-director Lee Eunkoo and TNKR coach Clare JH Yun! It will be a challenge, will be this particular speaker's first speech in English. She is also a newcomer to English. But her determination, wow! She is studying with a few coaches in the Teach North Korean Refugees project. I wish...

복날

Tomorrow is 복날 ( bok nal ). It seems to mean that it is start of the dog days of summer. So we'll be eating 삼계탕 ( sam gye tang, which is chicken broth with ginseng) to celebrate the day before the rest of Korea does so. Update #1 : You must literally rip the chicken apart with chopsticks and a spoon. It helps to wear a bib so it won't get on your clothes. The food is cooked after you order it or call ahead with reservations . Update #2 : It is pronounced by me as bok nal , but when I say it Koreans around me don't understand until I pronounce it as " bok nallllllll ." This is a common problem with the little Korean that I can say. I'll say it, Koreans will say I speak Korean well, then ask each other in Korean, "What did he say?" Update #3 : James explains that I am probably pronouncing bok nal incorrectly. Instead, it is probably better to pronounce it "bong nahl ." I have the feeling I still won't be understood unless I say ...

The Casey Lartigue Show!

Search This Blog