No. Just. No.

Are you serious?

News story:

Michael Vick Wants to Own a Dog Again

MICHAEL VICK is legally barred from ever owning a dog again . . . for obvious reasons. But Vick thinks he's ready for a new pet. And he thinks it would actually help him.

--He says, quote, "I would love to get another dog in the future. I think it would be a big step for me in the rehabilitation process.

--"I think just to have a pet in my household and to show people that I genuinely care, and my love, and my passion for animals."

--Vick blames his upbringing for not knowing that dogfighting was wrong . . . quote, "When I was younger I got caught up in dog fighting . . . It was something to do.

--"I hate to use our culture as an excuse. It is what it is. I love animals. I love dogs. I love birds. I love all types of animals. But this is just the way I was brought up. Nobody ever told me it was the wrong thing to do."

--Vick says that he works with the Humane Society and goes out on speaking engagements . . . even though the courts don't make him. And he claims he's learned his lesson.

--He says, quote, "Dogfighting is prominent all across the country, and I know it goes on in a lot of different urban areas.

--"A lot of kids have probably seen it happening before. Hopefully, they're not involved in it, and hopefully they take away from what happened in my situation and avoid it at all costs."

(--Should Michael Vick own a dog? I know very few dog lovers would say yes. But the guy did serve his time, after all. Aren't we supposed to be about giving people second chances? Discuss.)

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No really, I'm curious internets, what do you think?

If you've spent five seconds on this blog you know what I think, but... How the eff can this guy go around saying he loves animals but didn't know brutally murdering them was WRONG? No. Fail. Get the eff out. I have ZERO patience for people who hurt animals for fun. None. It's just flat out wrong.

I was talking with someone the other day that was actually MORE disgusted about Brett Farve and his sexting and apparently small package. Is what Brett Farve did wrong? Sure. But guess what, I'm way more willing to forgive a little sexting than I am an animal murderer.

People often mistake animals as lesser beings. That they don't feel. That they don't have little personalities and memories and love just as much as human beings do. They're wrong. Animals love fiercely, loyally and most of all unconditionally. They put their blind faith in their human companions. And this is why we should protect them. They give us love, companionship, laughter, some help us walk/see/take our medication/call 911 if we pass out, some help kids learn to read, some help people with social anxiety, some comfort the dying... Animals work for us, care for us and trust us. We should protect them and we should see people that hurt them as absolute villains, as we should see any one who preys on anyone that is helpless and or unable to protect themselves.

I can not point to and re-post this article in Sports Illustrated enough. Look at what Michael Vick's dogs did after they were rescued. These are dogs he would have had shot, electrocuted, drowned, mauled, had beaten to death or tied to a tree to die in the woods because he "didn't know" it was wrong.

So no, I don't think Michael Vick should even be allowed to own a goldfish again, much less a dog or a cat or well anything. I'm not even cool with his return to football and the fact that everyone is so ready to stand up and act like he's some kind of a hero because he served his jail time and now can run faster, jump higher and play harder than before.

Dear Pixar

Dear Pixar,

Thank you for your "It Gets Better" video.

(If you haven't seen it, here it is:)



This video had me in tears.

Here is why:

These are "regular" people. These aren't celebrities. These are just people like me and the rest of the world out there who got to find their way in life and they want to show troubled / bullied / scared kids that it does in fact get better.

But also because Pixar is not afraid to support Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered people. Pixar is the one company I least expected to come out and say "Hey a ton of our family/staff is gay and we support them," not because I didn't think this was the way it was, but because this is sort of a dangerous statement to put out there when you are in children's entertainment and when you are marketing to a majority.

I love you Pixar, for looking at this situation like "money be damned, this is who we are and it's okay and it's okay for you to be that way too."

I am probably reading too much into this but big props to you Pixar. This was beautiful.

Love
Stephanie

M.I.A. Born Free

First of all, before I say another word, if you click on the video below, please know it's not safe for work. It's violent, it has nudity and loads of profanity. If you click on it, I'm assuming you're 18 and you are okay with all of the following things, and really you're not going to send me a nasty email or tattle on me to the radio station or any of that. Are we cool? Because I'm dying to talk to someone about this thing.

M.I.A just put this out. Youtube banned it. Her record company Universal has a deal with Youtube and didn't throw their weight behind her. M.I.A went to Pitchfork and they let her use their twitter account to go crazy about it.

She should go crazy about it.

Yes this video is offensive. Duh, Middle America, it's supposed to be. The rounding up and execution of any segment of humanity is pretty freakin' offensive and yet it still happens. This isn't some future warning. This isn't a parable about the past, this is still happening in countries everywhere.

To a degree, it happens here. Look around, people are being denied rights because some dude somewhere decided they aren't worthy of them because of the color of their skin, the people they love, etc. So M.I.A's video show's this "ridiculous" vision of people with Red Hair being demonized. I'm sorry, but I don't see that as being very far off from anything that's currently happening in the world right now.

Judging anyone because their DIFFERENT than you is just, well stupid, like banning this video, which I completely believe is art. Good on M.I.A.

On that note, I'd like to hear the original version of the song, because I know it's not 10 minutes long.



EXPLICIT: M.I.A. - Born Free
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