Dog-chewed Michael Vick cards sell for $7,400 on eBay

By BRIAN CHARLTON, Associated Press Writer

The woman who paid $7,400 on eBay for 22 Michael Vick football cards, chewed up and slobbered on by two Missouri dogs, acknowledges she hadn't heard of the star football player before he was indicted for dogfighting.

But Laura Norton-Dye, 40, of Cape Girardeau, wanted to send the message that local animal shelters need help -- and she challenged Vick to donate money himself.

Norton-Dye, who outbid 30 others, lives in the town where the auction originated and has requested the money be donated to the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri and to Safe Harbor, a local animal sanctuary.

Norton-Dye, who has incurable gastrointestinal carcinoid cancer, said she has a big heart for animals.

"I really think this was the right thing to do," said Norton, a former teacher. "This is one way I thought I could make a difference."

The success of the auction created a craze of more than 25 other postings this week offering torn-up cards featuring the disgraced NFL superstar, most also promising to donate the money to local animal shelters.

But so far, the original post from Rochelle Steffen, of Cape Girardeau, has been the only auction to attract droves of bidders.

Steffen gave Monte, her 6-year-old Weimaraner, and Roxie, her Great Dane puppy, every Vick card she owned to destroy. The cards, worth $1 to $10 apiece, were crumpled, crimped, chewed, torn and generally in a sorry state. Some even had corners missing.

"When I started this I only expected to get $100 for a local shelter," Steffen told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "But it's received so much attention. It's for such a good cause that jumps every boundary."

Steffen, 31, said she has been overwhelmed with positive responses, including from people who say her auction inspired them to donate money to animal shelters.

The Humane Society of the United States has seen a large spike in donations since Vick was indicted on federal dogfighting charges last month, said Ann Chynoweth, director of the society's Animal Cruelty and Fighting Campaign.

"Americans love football, but they love dogs even more," she said.

The backlash against Vick seemed to grow this week as he apologized after entering a guilty plea to a federal dogfighting charge in Richmond, Va. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 10.

The gnawed cards were by far the most expensive Vick items on eBay, with well-preserved rookie cards, autographed jerseys and other collectibles selling for far less.

"The thought of these cards selling for $7,000 underscores how much this situation with Michael Vick has really captivated Americans," said Tracy Hackler, associated publisher of Beckett Media, the Dallas-based publisher of several card collecting magazines.

Other ads on eBay offered cards chomped on by a pit bull puppy from Indianapolis named Diesel and a Cadillac, Mich., dog named Freak, among others. Another ad offered a jersey torn up by a yellow lab named Trixie from Harker Heights, Texas.

Another posting offered the services of a Destin, Fla., dog named Peggy Sue, saying she will damage mint-condition Vick cards. The ad said proceeds would go to the Canine Rescue and Rehabilitation. The high bid was $188.27 Wednesday afternoon.

While Vick was once considered by collectors as having some of the most-sought after memorabilia, the value of his autographs, cards and other collectibles have dramatically dipped, Hackler said. Even his 2001 SP Authentic rookie card, once valued at more than $1,000, is now being traded at $285 to $400, he said.

The Atlanta Humane Society says some former Vick fans have sent jerseys, often accompanied by financial contributions. Other branches of the Humane Society have said they will take donated Vick items to resell on eBay.

New Chinese rules maintain strict registry of bloggers

By ALEXA OLESEN, Associated Press Writer

New rules by a Chinese government-backed Internet group maintain strict controls over the country's bloggers, requiring them to register with their real names and identification cards.

The guidelines from the Internet Society of China, a group made up of China's major Internet companies, contradict state media reports this week claiming that China was considering loosening registration requirements for bloggers to allow anonymous online journaling.

The society's new draft code of conduct seen on its Web site Wednesday says Web log service providers must still get their users' real names and contact information.

Critics say the requirement violates a blogger's right to freedom of expression and puts them at risk of punishment or imprisonment if they post controversial opinions about politics, religion or other issues.

The society's proposed code of conduct for blog service providers comes in addition to already existing government regulations that govern China's Internet. The country's official Internet watchdog banned anonymous Web site and blog registration in 2005.

Online bulletin boards and blogs are the only forum for most Chinese to express opinions before a large audience in a society where all media are state-controlled.

China has the world's second-biggest population of Internet users after the United States, with 137 million people online. It also has some 20 million blogs, according to government figures.

But Chinese leaders try to block online material deemed pornographic or a threat to communist rule.

Web site owners have been required to register their identities since 2005, leaving bloggers no way to post material online anonymously within China. They can use overseas services, but access to those from within China is frequently blocked by the government.

A report Tuesday by the official Xinhua News Agency said the society's guidelines would loosen controls by letting bloggers use pseudonyms when blogging on the net.

However, the guidelines on the ISC Web site say clearly that they require Internet services to register clients' identities. It adds that providers should encourage them to use real names when blogging too.

The code is aimed at "limiting and preventing unhealthy and illegal content on the Web," the document said.

It said some people use blogs to "disseminate objectionable content, seriously disrupting social order and the public interest and polluting the online network environment."

The code, drafted with input from major Chinese Internet companies such as Sina Corp., Sohu.com Inc. and Netease, was posted on the site this week to allow public comment before it takes effect, the introduction says.

It didn't say when they would take effect.

The society said it would publish a list of providers who promise to follow the code.