Friday Hound Blogging

Hey, did you hear? The recession is over. Happy days are here again, the skies above are clear again so let's sing a song of cheer...excuse us, what?

President Barack Obama says the recession isn't over for people who can't find jobs or pay their bills.

Yeah, well, can't argue with that. Not having a job does tend to cut into your ability to pay your bills, what with not having any money and all. Man. President Obama sure can catch the nuances of a problem can't he? But look, things are getting better, so if you had a job once, you'll probably have a job again soon, right?

Fewer construction workers will be needed. Don't expect as many interior designers or advertising copywriters, either. Retailers will get by with leaner staffs. The economy is strengthening. But millions of jobs lost in the recession could be gone for good. And unlike in past recessions, jobs in the beleaguered manufacturing sector aren't the only ones likely lost forever. What sets the Great Recession apart is the variety of jobs that may not return.

 Oh. OK...uh...let us think here a minute...Wait. We know. You need a new career right? A new direction, new challenges and opportunities. Why not become an overlord?

Champion trainer Mark Wallis touched on the subject recently to GOBATA (Greyhound, Owners, Breeders and Trainers Association) and claimed that many trainers have been feeling the pinch with his own Imperial Kennels at Lakenheath in Suffolk running at a loss of £15,000 for the past two years.

No job is perfect Mark. Besides, we're sure an industry as family friendly as greyhound exploitation racing is aware of your plight and moving to help out.

The Greyhound Board of Great Britain is a centre for governance, regulation and welfare as well as a lead for commercial development and growth of the sport. It is supposedly committed to managing its functions to the highest standards achievable and being efficient, effective and accountable to those that it licenses, and the public.

There you go. Problem solved.

The GBGB seem quite willing to give hundreds of thousands of pounds to millionaire owners to improve restaurant facilities at tracks, which in result has increased the track’s tote and attendances by up to 40% yet continue to penalise the trainers by slashing prize money in graded races.

 Hmm...that does seem a little unfair what with attendances up 40% and all. Seems to us a little more equitable sharing of the wealth could go on.

Effective and operational from January 1st 2009, the GBGB’s primary goal should have been to build a good relationship with all those connected to the sport; in particular with the trainers, to try and tackle the worrying decline.

 We heartily concur. Good relations are the life blood of a vibrant, growing organization. It is crucial...wait..."worrying decline"? What happened to the 40% increase? Well, no one ever said you had to be a math major to make it as an overlord. What the trainers need is an advocate. A spokesperson, someone to speak out for them, right Jorge Hank Rhon?

Earlier this year, the American Greyhound Track Owners Association, which is headquartered at the Palm Beach Kennel Club, took on a new member. At the AGTOA's spring conference, held in Las Vegas, then-President Karen Keelan called MIR/Caliente the group's "newest and most supportive member."

 Boo Yah! Nothing invigorates an organization like fresh ideas, a new outlook and untapped energy. This has got to be good.

Jorge Hank Rhon, is a former mayor of Tijuana who's been accused of everything from money laundering to murder. In Mexico, his contentious past has earned him the nickname "Genghis Hank."

 "Gengis Hank." Heh heh. We're sure they mean that in a good way.

He's also one of Mexico's most notorious traffickers in exotic and endangered animals. In 1989, one of Rhon's cheetahs escaped and was hit by a pickup truck in Tijuana traffic. Before the police could set up a crime scene, the injured animal was taken away by Rhon's zoo guards. In 1991, he paid a $25,000 fine after a baby white tiger was found in his Mercedes as it crossed the border into Mexico.

 See? Animal lover.

An FBI-DEA task force investigated Rhon for money laundering in a case that involved Taesa Airlines and Loredo National Bank. A 1999 report from the Department of Justice says Rhon "is more openly criminal than either his father or his brother... and is regarded as ruthless, dangerous, and prone to violence."

 Prone to violence? That's a little extreme don't you think? Sure the guy's a little...ah...exuberant, but that's just what an industry with "worrying declines" needs, right?

The worst of the allegations against the AGTOA's newest partner, though, involves the murder of a journalist in Mexico. In April 1988,Hector "El Gato" Felix Miranda, a longtime critic of Rhon's, was assassinated on his way to work. Two of his security guards were convicted of the murder, though the well-connected Rhon was never charged.

 Umm...well, on the bright side, if you do get him to argue for a bigger cut for trainers, people will probably listen, right Molly?

Molly is very playful and puppy-like. She loves to play with toys and will jump out of bed, grab a toy and throw it in the air. She is a big sweetheart. She is very loving and affectionate. She is eager to please and likes to get all the attention. She will approach and stare at you with longing eyes so that you will pet her. She is very cuddly. She loves to give kisses. She plays hard and rests hard. Molly would do well in a working family home with well-mannered children, 7 and up. She can be a bit on the whining side when left alone, so she needs to be in a single family home. She is good with other dogs of all sizes and would probably be fine as an only dog if the family plays with her to burn off her puppy energy.  For more information about this dog, and other rescued racing greyhounds looking for homes, go here. If you don't know about the plight of racing greyhounds go here.