dot dot dot for 2009-08-22

South African track champion Caster Semenya leaves no doubts about her running ability on the track, winning the 800 meter race at the world championship. But the question is, is she a she, or a he? Amazingly, experts say medical tests are extra-complicated, could well prove inconclusive and so it may be impossible to tell the runner's sex.



No, it's not as simple as seeing if Caster prefers the Lifetime channel to Three Stooges reruns. Maybe an expert in this field should be called in, like Pat from Saturday Night Live...








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Michael Vick is now out of jail for his actions in dog fighting, torture and killing dogs. He was given a "second chance" in the NFL by the Philadelphia Eagles last week. Brett Favre was introduced by the Minnesota Vikings head coach/chauffeur Brad Childress, as their new quarterback, giving Favre his 16th "second chance". Good luck Brett, now how long until John Madden must unretire to call Favre's games?!?...









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On a related but sickening note, in this week of "second chances", Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi was released by Scotland and returned back to a hero's welcome in Libya. He is being looked at by the Philadelphia Eagles to be a receiver, because "everyone deserves a second chance!" but would just be carried by the Birds on their Taxi Squad aka their BOMB squad...







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This CrankShaft strip was in this week's Sunday comics. Other than Dilbert, I don't know of any good comic strips any more, but THIS one, is it supposed to be funny? or?? what IS that mailbox made of, so CrankShaft won't backup into it? That might be the weirdest ending to a comic I can remember. Someone please 'splain this one to me! or send a better last scene, then whatever is on the mailbox, something like...




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Hurricane Bill is nearing the US after a brush with Bermuda. Ironically, former president Bill Clinton was vacatoning there with wife Hilary Clinton. When asked if she was leaving because of Bill's actions, she blew up at the reporter, asking "You want me to tell you what my husband does and thinks? That was years ago, and I'm here and Monica is, not. Leave me alone!" She then stormed off, like she did last week in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJEMX_iuCXE
But, uhm, Mrs Clinton, uhm, they were asking uhm, about Hurricane Bill...


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The Federally funded "Cash For Clunkers" program comes to an end next Monday night at 8pm. While the sure bet there is that my car will die on TUESDAY, there are bigger troubles in Washington. Obama slammed the "outrageous myths" about health care this week, saying these are all lies produced by conservatives. The next day he introduced the new wheelchair that will start being supplied by Medicaid. "We will cut the cost of wheelchairs in half with the new UniChair". It's not clear at this point if he was serious or just wanted to kick back, have a few beers with Michelle, and watch to see the veins pop in the necks of conservatives on Fox News. Hey, a president needs entertainment too!...






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The six-hour stranding of Continental Express Flight 2816 has grabbed the attention of the Obama administration and Congress. Feds say the Regional carrier, not the crew, was at fault in the plane's tarmac stranding. The president is calling for an immediate merger with Roto-Router for the next airline having a long tarmac delay. In the mean time, all passengers are to find the personal declogger device (PDD) shown here, below their seats. Vice President Joe Biden says he REALLY won't advise his family to fly now, unless Joe the Plumber is on board!...






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Eagles Sign Michael Vick... Wunnerful

Last Thursday night, I was minding my own beeswax, excited to watch the Eagles first pre-season game against the New England Patriots. I'm an Eagles fan over 40 years Some time in the second quarter, their season ended (for me anyway!). They announced the signing of Michael Vick, fresh out of the slammer for his role in personally torturing dogs, staging dog fights, and killing dogs in brutal ways. It's been difficult to listen to any more about this in the days following the big announcement. I can't recall any decision in the Philly sports world that ever split the fans as much as this did. On the side of Vick were first his fellow football buds, all sticking together as boys in the millionaire's club would. That I expected, from the players. But when the owner, GM, coach also came out and made the decision to pick him up, half of the city's collective jaw dropped, and like going to the dentist and having novacaine shots, we drooled and found it hard to speak. That initial shock has worn off, and I for one, am sick of the arguments for why it's a good move.

Let's start with the "Everyone Deserves a Second Chance" line. First off, NO, they do not ALL deserve that. When you intentionally hurt children, handicapped, elderly OR animals, you lost the second chance rights. Not saying he should stay in prison, but he should be able to get a job, along with all other unemployed people, maybe he could work for an animal shelter! But to let him win the lottery, uhmm, I mean give him another $1,000,000 contract, is just wrong. Second chance?? and how will he SHOW he has changed in the animal cruelty area? He WON'T drown\electrocute\hang dogs any more? Oh, how WILL he ever be able to control himself to NOT do those things, that's asking a LOT of him !?! Everyone doesn't deserve the second chance, would a nurse that killed elderly be allowed back in a nursing home? Where are all the "second chancers" for Pete Rose, who only gambled on baseball. Not saying he belongs in baseball as a manager (but yes to the Hall of Fame!), but doesn't he fall into the "everyone" who deserves a second chance?

How about the "I made a mistake"? Yea right, he means the mistake of getting caught. He'd still be harming dogs today if he wasn't caught. I don't buy the "way he was brought up" as it being normal to raise dogs to fight. He wasn't a backwoods bumpkin then, he was a multi-millionaire, and supposedly college-educated, so he damn well knew what he was doing was very wrong and brutal. Stupid too. Makes you wonder who all these high rollers were, that bet on the dogs, maybe other NFL players?!? Someone with a lot of money to bet.

For the people saying "I'm ok with him coming back to the NFL, just not MY team!", that is a bunch of crap. you either agree with him being given a "second chance", or you do NOT agree.

And no, I'm not perfect, but on this issue, maybe I am, as I'd never drown a dog, etc... I'm boycotting the Philadelphia Eagles because they took our team hostage with this bad decision. We'll get the team back one day! Owners, GM's, coaches and dog killers come and go, the fans will always be here when all that changes! Hope Vick gets his personal life in order, but has a lot of ruff days on the field.