APRIL TO JUNE 2011 NEWS AND VIEWS OF DAVID RISSTROM

WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF HANNAH THE HOUND

David Risstrom keeps a watching brief on news, ideas, issues and policies. If there are issues you think need to be discussed, please contact David at david@davidrisstrom.org. David last updated this site on 29 May 2011.

29 MAY 2011

HANNAH THE HOUND IS ALIVE

Hannah, my beautiful four pawed girl, had surgery on an abscess behind her eye last night. She is alive and reasonably well, in the garden, currently lost in a metaphorical maze of her new Elizabethan [don't paw your eye] collar, that seems to engage with more plants than it passes.

Each day is a potential joy with her. Listening to Lindsay Tanner on a Big Ideas podcast titled 'Dumbing Down Democracy' I need to write an article for Dissent magazine on public broadcasting in the next few days, which will be a difficult task given I am in the midst of writing five decisions for the Mental Health Review Board. Alot easier than trotting along without the help of my best four legged friend.

Life is good. Hannah is good. It is great to have her paws patting the pavement again. I can't wait until she's back on the keyboard. Until, then, look after yourself and the planet.

28 MAY 2011

HANNAH THE HOUND IS CROOK

Hannah, my beautiful four pawed girl, is undergoing surgery as I write this. And it is difficult to so so. She may have an abscess behind her eye and despite going to a vet yesterday to have her seen to, things got very bad this afternoon. I took her to the Bundoora Emergency Veterinary Clinic, where she has taken a room for the night. Victoria, her two legged mate there will call me in about an hour to tell me how things are going, so I hope the call is good. I love my girl. And she loves me. Which is the way the world could be. We spoke to our old friend Rosa earlier in the day, who lives in a spot in the backyard forever watching her possum mates scurry about. Eight more beautiful paws would be difficult to find.

Good luck sweetie. Please be good to yourself. Your mate, Dave.

28 MAY 2011

BACK AFTER A VERY LONG SNOOZE!

Following with more than a year of being unable to upload any web information to my internet service provider, I am again with the help of my four legged friend to hit the keyboard again. An upload of files I made last week may are may not have reached the world by the time I am typing this, but I can't see any evidence of it.

After a welcome introduction to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman to try to further sort out these things, and perhaps receive what I have paid for, I anticipate I will be moving to a new ISP. Having written and authored a blog/website for about 10 years, I boggle at what difficulties non-IT literate people must face. Well, perhaps it doesn't take everyone over a year to get things sorted out, but that's that.

Hopefully, no more 20 kilometre round trips to my mother's house just to get my emails. We'll see. Hannah likes visiting though and I do miss the occasional treats she sneaks to me.

HANNAH THE HOUND IS CROOK

On my beautiful four pawed colleague, Hannah, she is not so well. Suffering from what appears to be masticulatory myocitis, the poor girl is having a rough time. This nasty auto-immune problem can cause our four legged friends jaws to become very painful to open, even to the extent it can become difficult to bite posties.

Hannah, for those of you have not met her, is a divinely beautiful three year old German Shepherd who decided to name herself after Hannah Arendt. Hannah Arendt, a leading social theorist, is described by be to others as German feminist, socialist shit stirring female. So what better name than to offer my wonderful four legged friend.

Hannah. Get well as soon as possible. Your paws and muzzle and beautiful eyes are loved. And desperately needed.

Some pictures of playing amongst life on the calm, warm Melbourne beaches from 2009 are below.

 

THE BUSINESS (AS USUAL) COUNCIL ON CLIMATE CHANGE

On the day the Business Council of Australia is reported as supporting an Australian carbon tax of a pitiful $10/tonne, I thought they might need more concrete evidence to persuade them they should forward a more realistic and responsible figure. Oh well. Business as usual. Business Council of Australia as usual.

On the other hand, I support their efforts to move the comics page from deep within the papers to the front page headline.

Positive Proof of Global Warming - Down Under