I don’t know about you but I am happy he is out! Here is what ESPN news had to say about Michael Vick and his early morning release.

Michael Vick left a Kansas federal prison Wednesday for home confinement in Virginia, the latest step on a journey that he hopes will lead to his return to the NFL.

Prison Bureau officials confirmed to ESPN’s Kelly Naqi that Vick was released from the federal penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kan., around 5 a.m.
Larry Woodward, a member of Vick’s legal team, told The Associated Press that Vick is happy to be starting this part of the process.

The Daily Press of Newport News, Va., which first reported Vick’s release, said according to sources at the scene, Vick left the prison before dawn, using an alternate entrance to evade cameras and reporters who had staked out the building ahead of his expected release this week.

Vick is due to return to his Hampton, Va., home and serve the remainder of his federal sentence on house arrest. He spent the past 19 months in prison after pleading guilty to bankrolling a dogfighting ring.

Vick, once the NFL’s highest-paid player, is expected to take a construction job at $10 an hour while he serves the remainder of his sentence under house arrest. He will be handed a new set of rules when he begins serving three years of probation after his expected July 20 release from federal custody.

Vick will be required to report to probation within 72 hours of his return to Hampton, Va., and will be supervised out of the Norfolk probation office.

Vick’s agent said Tuesday that the quarterback “will place football on the back burner” during his immediate home confinement and that there are no meetings scheduled with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss reinstatement for the 2009 season.

“Michael’s looking forward to reacquainting himself with his family, his fiancée, Kiafa, his children and his mom,” Joel Segal, Vick’s agent, said. “When he gets home, that’s his priority, along with reinserting himself into society and being a positive influence in his community. This is going to be a special time for him, just being around family.”

Goodell has said he would wait until the end of Vick’s sentence to consider reinstatement. He has said Vick will have to persuade him and the public that he is genuinely sorry for his crime, that he has been changed by his experience and that he is committed to leading a different life.

Are you like Goodell, do you think Michael Vick should have to jump through hoops to get back the life he once knew? Here’s my thing, I could see him having to “persuade him and the public that he is genuinely sorry for his crime, that he has been changed by his experience and that he is committed to leading a different life” if he got off scot free but why does he have to do all of that and he served time, paid the price for his crime and is willing to work a $10.00 an hour job in the meantime??? At what point does the humiliation end and a second chance at life begin? Who is Goodell or any of us to demand such a thing of an entertainer? He is not President of the United States, or Mother Teresa’s counterpart, he is a sports entertainer!!!

How do you feel? Should Michael Vick be reinstated, picked up and the pause button released? After his sentence is complete, should he go back to doing what he does best and giving testosterone holders all over the world the biggest form of entertainment known to “males”? Personally, I think so! He was fighting dogs not murdering people or dealing drugs! He was wrong but he did what he was ordered to do and now should be allowed to pick his life back up and do his thang! What do you think? Holla Back!

Question: As Christians if…

• Somebody hits your car and runs, and the person responsible is discovered, is it alright to press charges?

• Somebody breaks in your home and steals your valuables and demolishes your property and the person responsible is discovered, is it ok to press charges?

• Someone steals your identity and runs up countless charges against you and the person responsible is discovered, is it alright to press charges?

• Your business partner, who has been your friend for years, steals from you and is caught, is it alright to press charges?

• Your boss, a pillar in the eyes of the community and many within the industry, sexually harasses you and is in clear violation of company policy and your personal respectability, is it alright to press charges?

• Your spouse cheats on you, betrays you, abuses you, disrespects you and violates the covenant between the two of you, is it alright to press charges?

I realize the first three are probably a given and without hesitation you are probably saying, certainly, press charges! The first three are dealing with natural things thus make how to handle them pretty black and white, but what about the other three? These begin to delve into another side of things. Who would ever criticize a person for standing up for their rights and calling for respect for themselves if they filed a charge for someone hitting their car and leaving the scene or someone breaking in their house and stealing all their jewelry or someone stealing your identity? Why is it if we call for the same respect for ourselves in the more personal issues, which damage the very core of our being, the shades become gray and not as clear?

In the last three one might say forgiveness comes into play. Well…. I could choose to just as easily forgive the identity thief as I could the boss who fondled me inappropriately, couldn’t I? Yet, if I turn in the indentify thief, nobody would ever question me, but if I turn in the boss that so many love, I will be forever known as the person that ruined his career! Why is that!!! And how on earth do so many violators of a person’s very being get off without being held accountable for THIER actions? Why does somebody’s crime against you become lost in translation and all eyes focus on you for defending your rights, your dignity, your honor and your self respect?

Here’s how a typical conversation would go: “have you seen Mr. Right lately? No girl, didn’t you hear, that new girl they hired in that office sent him to jail! Girl, she claimed sexual harassment but have you seen how she dresses?”

Lol. Mr. Right’s actions never come into play do they? He did it but (flip the script) someone else – the victim – now becomes responsible for his demise because she defended her rights, when in reality he did it all to himself.

Quiet as it’s kept, embezzlement, even between partners/friends, is a crime, sexual harassment is a crime, spousal infidelity is a crime, any type of abuse – verbal, mental, emotion, psychological, physical – is a crime yet, if we enact the same steps to vindicate ourselves in these situations, we are forever condemned for ruining that person’s life and we are looked upon worse (most times) than the actual offender. How can a boss sexual harass an employee and all people remember is that Ms. Jane Wrong ruined Mr. John Right’s career!

Here is my profound (simple) statement of the year:
Nobody has the power to make or break me, but me. You can call the police on me and say I stole money from you but if I didn’t, nothing will happen. But if I do steal money from you and you do call the police on me and I go to jail, the only person I can blame is me!

Talk back to me on this one. Tell me if my stolen identity deserves a higher level of respect and action than the stealing of the core of my being? Can I use the same tactics to retrieve my self respect of what was morally and physically stolen from me, that I can for the material items that have been stolen from me? Remember, in both instances, I can and will forgive, but in both instances can I lawfully retrieve what has been taken from me? In all six examples a crime has been committed…

Holla back!

So here is today’s question of the day.

In today’s world of blogging, how do you feel about using an alter ego when commenting and writing and sharing your thoughts and opinions online? As many of us are Christians, is creating a character and writing fiction, sprinkled with our real personalities, when blogging, considered wrong/a lie?  Should we always maintain truth in representing ourselves regardless of the platform?

I understand people’s need to rile up a conversation and be the center of attention and think of themselves as the drawing force behind why people come to a site, to see what new, off the wall, crazy thing they have to say today.  Of course that is the owner of a giant ego and someone with a need to run away from who they are and be somebody else, but is it alright?

Is it just a fantasy and game to play or is that an integrity-less blogger? I have recently been talking to a great guy with a profession in human behavior.  His definition of integrity is: doing the right thing when nobody is watching.   I think that is a brilliant defintion!  I myself could go to any site and masquerade as somebody else and say the craziest most bizarre stuff (although I am convinced, your real personality will eventually come out, regardless of how hard you try to portray something or someone else) and nobody would ever know who I am, but I have to ask myself, is that pleasing to God?  He always knows, right? Or do you think that is alright with Him and He looks at it as an outlet for those who need it? What do you all think about this?

Let me put it simply, is it alright to create an alias in order to fabricate stories, get the audience riled up, say things we don’t mean …or should we be representing our Christian persona in everything we do, at all times??? Holla back!

…continued

I am still not sure on this one. Ronnie Deane is what sparked me to ask this question one more time when he said love is dishonest and then explained why love is dishonest and, from his explanation, told us why it is alright to be dishonest. Although I know what the word says and what I have been taught, many of the comments I have heard on kleverkathy.com have me confused. So I must ask again in a very point blank manner. Is lying among Christians alright?

Before you emphatically say “No” (the correct moral and spiritual answer) go back to my article You Can’t Handle The Truth, (it is no longer on the front page, scroll down and then go to page two) and then read What’s Love Got To Do With It, and then read Ronald Deane’s comment, and then leave your comment, even if you commented before.

Here’s the thing, I have been lied to SOOOOOO much lately. I don’t know if I would know the truth if it bit me on the nose ) And listen, I am not perfect. I too have done my share of lying. But I try not to and pride myself in not lying. I don’t pride in it in the aspect of thinking I am better than you or the next guy.  I pride myself in the fact that I am trying to adjust my Christian walk to be pleasing to God and whenever a situation comes and I could lie and don’t, I am proud! That is really what not lying for me is about. I won’t sit here and  say I haven’t or still don’t abuse the truth at times. I can’t say the devil hasn’t caught me off guard and a lie/untruth/deceit comes out of me. But I can say, I don’t ever intend on flat out lying, just to lie. And hear this, IF I DO IT, IT IS WRONG!!!

I know blogging is all about one conversation leading to another and so on, but I hope we can stay somewhat focused and not get into: what is the greater sin or all sins are the same or you’re so arrogant talking about others lying. I’m saying upfront, I am not judging you or anyone, I’m trying to find out the viewpoints of Christians I identify with and, I think, believe the same way I believe. So my question of the day comes from the feeling I get that many Christians don’t believe lying is wrong, if you have a good reason. Is lying wrong? Is lying a sin? Are there situations and circumstances that make lying ok?  Do you lie?  lol.  (you know mother Allen said, if you’ll lie, you’ll steal and if you’ll steal, you’ll lie)

Bear with me. Again I say, I have been lied to so much lately and have the feeling, those who lie to me still plan on making heaven their home! Really??? Ok, I’m a prude! But I’d rather be safe than sorry on judgment day!

Please holla back!

Here are the facts:
• The review was due in October but wasn’t given until March
• Many requests were made by the employee to have it done (of course, it affects your pay!)
• The supervisor was in the employee’s presence on numerous occasions, thus had ample opportunity to do it at work, in the office, but always had an excuse

In today’s technology driven world, is receiving an annual performance review over the phone acceptable? Does looking directly in someone’s eyes give a clearer picture of what they are really saying and what they really mean? Is conducting an annual review by phone vs. an in person review a sign of laziness on the supervisor’s part? Does doing it this way show a lack of concern for the employee by the supervisor?

Give your thoughts on this matter and let my sister know if you think her feelings are warranted or if she should look at this as a stride in technology and expect more of the same in the future.

Holla back!