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Thom Cardwell
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James Duggan

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Thom Cardwell

Copyright 2009

All Rights Reserved - BUCKmonkey, LLC 

 

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QUEERtimes is published weekly as a service for discerning queers and heterosexuals alike in Philadelphia and beyond.

 

Expressed opinions are that of the author(s) and do not represent the thoughts, feelings and /or opinions of any person, organization, company, staff member, or any of our advertisers.

Since the Philadelphia Eagles announced the signing of dog abuser Michael Vick on August 13th, I've received many messages from friends and family seeking my thoughts and opinions.  Trust me--I have many things to say on this subject, but I have been restrained in my responses while I sorted out my own feelings. As a passionate and long standing fan of the Eagles, and as a season ticket holder, and as a true dog lover, I was deeply troubled and conflicted when I heard that Vick was now an Eagle.

Those who know me best will attest to the fact that I am hypersensitive when it comes to animal abuse, especially towards domesticated pets, those animals that we welcome into our lives and homes.  I can't even be in the same room when one of those heart wrenching commercials comes on TV seeking support for abused animals, I either need to change the channel or run out of the room.  I get so upset that I can not even listen to such commercials.

My love for dogs and cats is evident in the fact that I named my company after my dog Buck (my companion for that last 15 years) and my business partner's cat, Monkey.  Our company name, BUCKmonkey, will always be a reminded of our unconditional love for our pets. These canine and feline family members have shared their entire lives with us over these many years.  When they are gone, our fond memories of them will continue for the rest of our lives.

According to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Vick formed and financed the dog fighting operation at the Bad Newz Kennels located on a property he owned in Surry County, Virginia, where he would place pet dogs into a ring and have his trained pit bulls "cause major injuries" to them.  The report adds that Vick and two of his friends hung approximately three dogs that did not perform well in the ring "by placing a nylon cord over a 2 X 4 that was nailed to two trees located next to the big shed. They also drowned approximately three dogs by putting the dogs' heads in a five gallon bucket of water."

For this hennas crime against innocent creatures, Vick received only a 23-month sentence in a minimum-security federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, and a $2,500 fine.  While Vick only served just 18 months in prison, he also lost over $100 million in salary, bonuses and endorsements, and was forced to declare bankruptcy.  He lost just about everything in his pursuit of a cheap thrill-and, sorry, but rightly so.

Over this past week, I've taken the time to listen to all sides of this issue and am deeply moved by the reactions of so many people.  But I needed to caution myself in projecting my deep seated feelings and hatred of what Vick did against the concept of mercy, justice, and redemption.

As a just society, it seems that we must consider what we expect out of our justice and prison system.  Do we expect those convicted and sentence to return to society a changed person?  Does a person's contrition make a difference?  Do we hope that those who re-enter society are productive and provide a positive contribution?

I believe so.  I believe in second chances and I hope if I am ever in need of one it would be provided to me so that I could make right the wrong I committed.  And while I will properly never be a fan of Michael Vick, I believe that his return to the NFL as an advocate against dog fighting and animal abuse is far better for society then if he simply became a laborer somewhere. 

The NFL, the Eagles organization, and Vick himself must now show all of us that his second chance was not a mistake, that he will truly take this opportunity to be a true role model for many individuals who are still living in the dog fighting culture.  It is my hope that Vick will do more good for animals then he did harm.  Let's hope I'm right.

 

 

Maybe you are right that is not happening now but relying on the government to offer a competitive alternative is foolish! The house bill mandates that participants can not sue the government for example! We have that recourse right now. Also, who is going to pay for this? There aren't enough "rich" people. It is going to be the Chinese and the middle class.
 
We don't want the government involved! With the government plan we can not sue the government. The judicial system is out! The government plan will be tempting for small business to tell their employees to sign up for the government plan! That will cause a surge in numbers wanting the government plan. Obama touts the prediction of 46 million but that is unrealistic!
 
There is a huge incentive for companies to get rid of their insurance. We have a president talking about whether an elderly person should have pace-maker vs pain killers! Those are his examples! That is not right!

There are serious objections to the house bill. I know there are vernacular examples like "death panels" that are not part of the bill but the bill does mention "death counseling". Let us not get the government even weighing in such topics! No way!
 
We need choice however imperfect it is! The government solution will not encourage market competition but elevate the government's role. Please! Let yourself and the power of the market place demand change, not the government. Once the government engineers a plan, we will be stuck with it.

Who doesn't adore gay-friendly hottie actor Ashton Kutcher?  The All-American Boy Wunderkind (he's still only 31 and retains some of that Iowan down-home naiveté and innocence despite his superstar celebrity status) has the "go for it all" attitude. Gracing a recent cover of Parade (Sunday, August 2, 2009), the famous husband of sexy, older-woman, actress-wife Demi Moore, the story of his rise-to-fame-and-fortune reads like a fairy-tale script for a classic Hollywood movie. Venturing out from Cedar Rapids to New York City to pursue a modeling career at 19, back in 1999, a year later, he relocated to Los Angeles, on his first day seeking work, he landed a "juicy role" in Fox TV's hugely popular, "That '70s Show" playing a "goofy pretty-boy" (was it typecasting and a little of playing himself, you think?), he then quickly rose to being an "international" name and face, because of feature films like "Dude, Where's My Car."  His boyish good looks and playful antics garnered the attention of countless magazine editors who put him on the cover to sell copies (and they did). With his quirky sense of humor, Kutcher created his own signature with his MTV hit show, "Punk'd."  He been moving forward in his career and life ever since. His philosophy of life is simple, down-to-earth and positive, true to his Midwestern roots. "Once I get a taste of it [success], I went: 'I can do anything. I can do absolutely anything.' And you start to believe it. I know it to be true because I've seen it happen. I've experienced it."  Watch for him, at least shirtless, in his forthcoming film, "Spread" with Anne Heche.

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Hottie Adam Joseph (no, don't get too excited I'm NOT talking about ABC 6 Philadelphia weathermen Adam Joseph), blond, bay boy, Berklee College of Music graduate, and one of the first openly queer artists is to be signed with Sony BMG's all-gay label, "Rainbow with a Twist" talked to journalist Joel Manmusic (Out Front Colorado, April 22, 2009) about his musical career after the corporate initiative folded. Undeterred and determined to make his own mark, Joseph went out on his own with some smooth R&B numbers like "You're Mine" and "Flow with My Soul" but it was his breakthrough music video, "Faggoty Attention" that put the young artist into the national spotlight, with a little dash of Michael Jackson's "The Way You Made Me Feel" and another little dash of Madonna's "Music," that ended up being a major hit on YouTube.net with the younger queer boys online and his embracing of "glamorizing the word, 'faggot'" from its derogatory meaning. Now Joseph is onto other projects, like "Fresh," from the retro band, Kool and the Gang!  Has early, instant success ruined Joseph?  He confesses that he learned "to not take myself too seriously. The first time I put my guard down and did a crazy song, the fans came rolling in. My older music had a much more serious tone. The success of 'Faggoty Attention' reminds me to keep it fun and playful--that's what people seem to respond to in the end."

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Creative director for Gap, Patrick Robinson, sounds off about men's fashion advice in "10 Rules of Style" (Details, September 2009). The young, African-American fashionista (if that's even an applicable and appropriate word to describe someone who is heading up something as basic and as "Americana" as the Gay label) takes a no-nonsense approaching to dressing. His philosophy is about knowing how the wear the clothes, not letting them wear you, being careful about trendiness, having smartness about the essential men's wardrobe, learning how to add a personal touch, even a "twist" to some of the classic looks, whether they're casual or business or social contexts, and working at "not looking like everyone else."  What are essential for a young man's wardrobe? "The five things that every man should have in his wardrobe are a great pair of jeans, the right-fitting pair of khakis, a bunch of T-shirts, a brilliant watch, and a pair of camping boots."  But you don't have to become 24-7 about men's clothing, no obsessing over your style, according to Robinson, who says:  "The coolest guy out there is the one who knows what's going on and has all the information on fashion but then picks the one thing that works for him. That's all you need--and a brain in your head."