Author: oldfart
~ 27/07/08
Today, a pro-racing adoption group and an anti-racing adoption group put aside their differences and went on local television to help greyhounds. In the Kansas City area, that is big news.
Anyone who knows the history of greyhound adoption in KC knows that tracks and Kansas City REGAP have historically had a luke warm relationship. Yet this morning, at a KC REGAP event, The Woodlands adoption program (Pups Without Partners) teamed up to do a news segment interview with KC REGAP.
You may, or may not know, that the Woodlands is closing August 24, 2008. PWP KC has a large job in front of it, and because the person running that program always wants the hounds to have a safety net, she decided that the best course to take was to hook up with an adoption group that would be there if and when a hound needed to be returned, because after 8/24 PWP KC won’t exist. As hard as they work to place the dogs, returns are a fact of life. It was felt that KCREGAP was the best fit to handle the job.
Now sit back and think about that for a minute. PWP KC is a track program. 100% paid for by the track. They aren’t a non-profit org., although the program costs more than it ever takes in.
Of course there were voices from the racing kennels that wanted to know why a track adoption program was teaming up with an anti-racing group. They were answered with “it’s being done for your dogs”.
I witnessed what I would call a small miracle today. Two groups, with opposing views from the people at the top of the chain of command, got together on local television news today, and not a single word was said about their opinions on racing. They simply talked about placing greyhounds in homes.
I mean, who could blame an anti-racing group for gloating on TV in the face of what is a victory to them? A track is closing. But they’ve decided to be more than that. To focus on the larger issue. The dogs themselves.
PWP has always been about placing greyhounds in homes, no matter who was paying the bills. They’ve worked with Greyhound Support of Kansas City for many years, GSKC gets dogs hauled to groups who wanted greyhounds, and GSKC is playing a large roll in the moving of greyhounds from the Woodlands, as they always have. Without GSKC, thousands of greyhounds would never have been adopted. GSKC is playing a big role in this closing, as they have with any Kansas greyhound issue.
But to place hounds locally PWP needed a partner who could provide the support that people involved in adoption know is needed, since PWPKC wouldn’t exist in a few months. KC REGAP stepped up and offered it. And they offered it for the dogs, without the animosity that too often comes between tracks and anti-racing groups, they wanted to work for the breed that all of the people involved love.
If you’d like to see the TV spots done today, you can find a good edit here
NBC Action News
So, to anyone who says that an anti-racing group and a track can’t get along.. I say check your ego at the door. I just wish it didn’t take something like this to make it happen. Both sides need to check their egos at the door and get it done.
Author: oldfart
~ 26/07/08
Many of you may have heard that The Woodlands is closing. August 24th will be its final day.
As some of you know, the Grumbling Old Fart likes greyhounds and even has several sharing space in his humble home.
Well, it actually goes deeper than that.
You see, Mrs. Old Fart runs the greyhound adoption program for The Woodlands. While the track is actually closing, her job won’t be done until there are absolutely no greyhounds left on the compound… until every last greyhound is either moved to a new track to continue racing, or returned to its registered NGA owner, or adopted.
So, if you’d like to learn a little about what is happening (or greyhound adoption in general), Mrs. Old Fart will be on KSHB Channel 41 tomorrow morning during the 8am news doing a segment or two with KC REGAP about the adoption process. I’m fairly certain they won’t be referring to her as Mrs. Old Fart, so just listen for the person who is speaking for the Pups Without Partners adoption group… that is the name of the Woodlands adoption program.
If I can, I’ll see if I can get a clip of it to post here later tomorrow.
Author: oldfart
Yet another song from my MP3 player. The Night Chicago Died, by Paper Lace. Big hit in 1974, and from the era of music that I enjoy the most. Being a song from 1974, there isn’t an actual video for it, but this montage of pictures is good enough… sort of cheesy like the song itself.
Paper Lace was a British band with lots of cheesy pop hits, such as Billy Don’t Be A Hero and… well yeah, that’s about all their hits.
Author: oldfart
~ 24/07/08
Back from Vegas, Baby!
Great time. Mrs Old Fart and I went to Las Vegas to celebrate her birthday and our 5th wedding anniversary… same day. Yep, I am a very evil man who planned it so he could either be the worlds worst husband, or a guy who remembers the big event. It could work against me, but so far so good!
I’ve attached a couple pictures, and if you’d like to see all 80+ pictures of my first Vegas trip, then please send me $297.00 to cover my losses, or you could click here.
More pictures coming over the weekend, I took a bunch.. but luckily most don’t include me, unfortunately none of them have naked women.
Author: oldfart
~ 19/07/08
Mrs. Old Fart and I are off for a quickie trip to Lost Wages for our 5th wedding anniversary. I may post while there, but this being my first time in the neon glow I can’t be sure how much time I’ll be spending online.
Look for posting to definitely restart by next Friday though. If it doesn’t, send bail money!
Author: oldfart
Growing up listening to both Country and Western music, I have a fairly big appreciation for the artists from the 1960’s and 1970’s. One of my absolute favorites is the legendary Willie Nelson.
I’ve seen Willie in concert once, and that was fantastic. The song tonight is the song he opens most of his shows with… Whiskey River.
Willie’s principal guitar is a Martin N-20 nylon-string acoustic, which he has named “Trigger”, after Roy Rogers’ horse. Constant strumming over the decades has worn a large hole into the guitar’s body near the sound hole. The guitar has been signed over the years by over a hundred of Nelson’s friends and associates, from fellow musicians to lawyers and football coaches.
Willie Nelson is a true American Legend.
Author: oldfart
~ 17/07/08
These SWAT teams are, for the most part, made up of ex-military and/or wanna be’s.
Of course the use of SWAT teams was pioneered in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s by the L.A.P.D. and used almost exclusively for hostage and high risk operations.
A freakin purse snatcher doesn’t rate full metal jacket, armed to the nth degree, assault. Unless there is the imminent danger (meaning RIGHT F’ING NOW), the SWAT team shouldn’t be going after someone who stole a purse from a grocery store cart!
Ohio. Almost making Kansas look normal at times.
Author: oldfart
Except for the blowhards in D.C., because they don’t even remember what local is, unless it’s in reference to a union campaign donation.
As a libertarian, I often find myself agreeing with some things that democrats say, and some things that republicans say.
But since those two major parties have basically frozen all other parties out of national politics (via restrictive ballot access laws), I usually have to vote for the candidate who represents the lesser of two evils.
Normally the lesser of two evils for me comes down to taxes. Which person will have a positive effect on my bottom line. Nine times out of ten, that person is a republican.
But… I think I may have found a democrat I can vote for. Sean Tevis is running for Kansas State Representative of the 15th District, which just happens to be where I live.
I’m not sure if he can get anything done about what appears to be the issue he wants to work hardest on (since it appears at the top of his website) but I absotively, posilutely agree with it 100%. NO SALES TAX ON FOOD. Just pushing that one issue earns my vote… because ultimately that would have the largest impact on my bottom line, if it could happen.
Here are a few interesting pages from his website:
Author: oldfart
~ 16/07/08
I work out by KCI, on NW112th Street. I live in Olathe. Therefore I travel I29 a lot.
So, last night I leave work around 11:50pm, and head south on I29.
As I approach the 152 Hiway bridge (just north of Barry Road), I notice the northbound side of I29 is lit up like a Christmas tree. Or to be more precise, lit up by the Christmas trees atop the many police and fire vehicles that are stopped over there.
I glance over (while maintaining my cruise control speed of 65mph) and see what looks like a Dodge Durango… laying on its side in the high speed left lane.
The north bound traffic just south of the accident was being diverted onto the exit for 152/Barry Rd., so they had that section completly closed down.
So… what the fuck happened?
I’ve checked every major Kansas City online news source, and there isn’t a single peep about this. I may sound sadistic, but I enjoy reading about crashes and wrecks that I pass on the highways, and this one looked like it would be a doozy.
Nothing. Nada. Zip.
I feel like I’ve been ripped off.
The only consolation I take from not being able to read the gory details is that at least I wasn’t delayed by accident. Because if I had been, I’d have been on the phone to the police for details today!
