Dog therapists. Good Stuff.

Today’s ‘Positive and Optimistic Sunday’. On Farmdoc’s Blog from time to time I’ve written about my dog: Pete the Maremma. ‘His disposition’s more amiable than that of many people I know [1]’. Indeed last 3 July he featured as number 3 on my comfort list: ‘He’s just so affectionate. That is, if you’re a human and not a wallaby or a possum. Talk about a man’s best friend… [2]’. The bond between dog and person can be a joy to behold. And beneficial to both. Examples abound. Here’s one: an article in the 18 February Tasmanian Country [3]. It’s a touching story. I wasn’t previously aware of the Delta Society. Its website says ‘The Society’s mission is to promote and facilitate positive interaction between people and companion animals [4]…(and)… Currently it pursues this mission through three core projects: the Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services [5], the Delta Dog Safe Program [6] and the Delta Therapy Dogs Program [7]. I’d love Petey and me to be Delta volunteers. But I won’t have the time until I stop working. And by then Pete’ll be too old – Delta specifies a maximum dog age of 10, and Pete’s now 8¼. Anyway I’m sending Delta a donation to aid its terrific work. Dog therapists. Good stuff. How positive and optimistic is that.

My comfort list - item 3

Item number three on my comfort list is Pete – our 7½-year-old Maremma dog. He’s just so affectionate. That is, if you’re a human and not a wallaby or a possum. Talk about a man’s best friend…

Come back tomorrow for item two on my comfort list.

Though there’s no compendium this week, I still wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. and indeed yesterday marked four years that Hamas has illegally held Gilad Shalit incommunicado after kidnapping him [1]. And still the world tolerates the Hamas terrorists and denies Israel its legitimate right of self-defence against them. Shame.

2. the BMJ published research showing no association between the risk of early childhood cancers and mothers’ exposure to mobile phone base stations during pregnancy [2]. Hmmm. Interesting.

3. the Invasive Species Council told us that in the Concord woods made famous by Thoreau, weeds are responding to climate change faster than native plants [3]. Ho hum.

4. another warning was published about the hearing effects of listening to risk to MP3 players [4]. Not one study’s shown that listening to MP3 players improves hearing.

5. treehugger put out a ranked list of Australia’s most sustainable cities [5]. Does anyone care?

6. I came across this compendium of pet care and welfare topics [6]. I’ll read some when I have time.

7. I read this Grammar Girl piece about when to use ‘which’ versus ‘that’ [7]. It’s something that’s always puzzled me.

8. the Media Department of Daylesford Organics triumphed again [8]. Oh, that photograph!

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. I watched this video clip about a makeover the world’s most famous office building – the Empire State [1]. It’ll reduce its energy use by 40%. Wow!

2. the BBC posted this article about llamas protecting bird eggs and chicks [2]. If they can’t use a Maremma dog then why not a llama.

3. planetgreen urged us to ‘Ditch Big Fish and Eat Sardines’ [3]. I’m unsurprised.

4. due to emerging but not yet totally conclusive evidence that chronic fatigue syndrome’s caused by a newly discovered virus called XMRV, the Red Cross Blood Service placed a 2-year moratorium on blood donations from people with CFS [4]. If XMRV causation of CFS becomes conclusive, hopefully an anti-viral medication will be produced.

5. the play Seven Jewish Children which I wrote about here [5a] received a scathing review in the Wall Street Journal [5b]. Apparently the play deserves it.

6. F1 driver Mark Webber who last March called Victoria a ‘Nanny State’ [6a], offered his services to spearhead a local road safety campaign [6b]. Derrrrrrr.

7. my darling nephew Dion was a nominee for Australia’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year [7]. The public voting system means the winner’s not selected on merit. Dion doesn’t look like winning this award, but to me he’ll always be a winner.

8. this wonderful interview with Sweetheart Vivienne was posted on the Mornington Peninsula Library’s blog [8]. To me she too will always be a winner.

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers a wonderful week.

Post title change, Petey's prize, State election

This is Farmdoc’s Blog 700th post. Until today, I’ve titled the posts numerically, e.g. farmdoc’s blog post number 699. Seemingly due to a Blogger idiosyncrasy, this titling prevents Farmdoc’s Blog appearing in blogrolls, and also in the Reading List on the Dashboard page of the blogs that are followers of Farmdoc’s Blog. So starting today, I’m giving each post a unique title. I hope this cures the mischief. Time will tell.

Last 25 February on her (non public) blog, darling Indigo ran a random giveaway. The prizes were hair jewels and Hama bead items. There were 22 entries. On 28 February Indi announced four winners. Numero uno was Petey Boy. Last week in Daylesford Indi gave me Petey’s prize. Yesterday I affixed it to his enclosure’s gatepost. As the photograph shows, he was mildly interested. I think he’d have been more pleased if the prize was edible, though.

Yesterday an election was held for the lower house of the Tasmanian parliament. With a population of only 0.5M, Tasmania’s self-evidently over-governed via national, state and local/municipal governments. Anyway in my electorate of Lyons there were no candidates I felt able to vote for. So I cast an informal ballot. I’m unsure if this was a copout. I appreciate suffrage is a privilege that shouldn’t be abused. But as an ethical man, I can only be guided by my principles and conscience. (As I write, a hung parliament’s the certain outcome. So political fun times lie ahead, methinks. Ho hum.)

farmdoc's blog post number 622

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. the F1 blogosphere was awash (can a blogosphere be awash?) with posts about the Australian Grand Prix being without a naming rights sponsor 2½ months before this year’s event [1]. All indicators point to the event being moribund – if not dead. But the government continues its life support. Why?

2. in last Sunday’s Sunday Age, its production editor, a Mr Coulter, wrote an article advocating buses to replace Melbourne’s trams [2]. As you didn’t mention the buses’ fuel, your view is not worth the paper it’s written on, sir.

3. this Age piece confirmed the benefit of businesses having easy-to-remember phone numbers [3]. They’re useful for individuals too. Mine ends in 1230.

4. Nutrition Diva wrote that frozen vegetables lose little nutritional value during freezing; and in the off-season they may be more nutritious than fresh vegies from far away [4]. What about the packaging?

5. this ABC News item tells of 1,300 people – labelling them ‘peace activists’ – who are in Egypt hoping to cross into Gaza to protest against Israel’ economic blockade of Gaza [5]. What – no mention of Gilad Shalit? How very convenient of these bleeding heart do-gooders to overlook the Hamas’s barbarian treatment of him, let alone its stated aim of eliminating a UN member state. A pox on all 1,300 of them.

6. treehugger.com put up an item about San Francisco offering free water to the public [6]. It’s happening, PJ. Not yet at the global tipping point, but every step’s one step towards it. Roll on, GlobalTap.

7. also in treehugger was a story of a group of girls in northern England who’ve started a campaign to make bicycling stylish for girls – who are under represented among cyclists [7]. This is one for you, Meg. Roll on, BikeBeauty.

8. yesterday my fellow Mole Creek resident Pete the Maremma [8] turned seven years old. Happy birthday, Petey Boy. Mate.

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week – and year.

farmdoc's blog post number 267

Wednesday 23 April 2003 was a red-letter day for me. That’s the day I became a dog owner. The owner of my first dog ever. Pete, a Maremma, named after my hero Pete Seeger, was a couple of months old by then. Because I don’t know his actual birthday, it’s nominally 1 January 2003. So he’s just turned 6-years-old. Since 23 April 2003 he’s been a delight to me and Sweetheart Vivienne, and he’s captivated literally everyone who’s met him. They often remark how friendly and playful he is, to which I reply ‘No – he’s a fierce guard dog’. He always barks when anything unusual happens, like an unfamiliar car or a falling tree. And sometimes he barks for no reason. At least none I know about. Petey boy’s an avid eater – he likes bones best, but he doesn’t mind bread. And corncobs. Whenever he sees me approaching with his dinner in a green plastic ice-cream container, he goes into his food dance – a frenetic jumping jig. At my friend Herbert’s suggestion, Pete spent a few years protecting hundreds of tree seedlings from wallaby and possum. Darling Meg once wrote him a postcard telling him he was ‘…doing the most noble job on the planet – protecting the trees’. So successful was he, those trees are now several metres tall. Other dogs do noble work too [1,2,3,4]. But I wouldn’t part with my mate Pete for all the tea in China.