What made you feel sad today?

Started by scatcat, November 16, 2007, 15:08:49

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SueC

Quote from: MeltingMan on September 15, 2021, 12:26:53A former shop on our street, which has been used as a day care center for toddlers for several months. I walk past it every day. Somebody must have bothered about it, because now both (show) windows are two-thirds taped shut. Sometimes there was a pacifier on the sidewalk. I returned it. The female manager seemed friendly. I have no children of my own and only see old and sick people almost every day. The sight was good for my soul. That is over now. 🤷🏻‍♂️

On that topic - you might enjoy watching this:


Such a lovely series and you can see it on ABC iview:

https://iview.abc.net.au/show/old-people-s-home-for-4-year-olds
SueC is time travelling

Ulrich

The dead squirrel by the side of the road... just two days ago I saw it in the garden, trying to hide nuts in the ground...  :'(
The holy city breathed like a dying man...

SueC

Quote from: Ulrich on September 15, 2021, 18:01:25The dead squirrel by the side of the road... just two days ago I saw it in the garden, trying to hide nuts in the ground...  :'(

Oh, that's sad, @Ulrich. And now I'm thinking about the time I accidentally ran over and killed a little Southern Brown Bandicoot, in 1994, going up to Stony Hill in Albany. These guys are around the same size as European squirrels, but are ground-dwelling.



If I hit something I always stop and check and move the animal - usually it's birds, once or twice a year, when they dive-bomb down to windscreen level from roadside bushes and we're in a 110km/h zone. The bandicoot was on a slow road to a car park and I was doing about 40km/h when it darted out from the bushes and went under the tyres before I could react. I was so sad, although I noted when I checked the animal that it was a male, and this is less devastating to marsupial populations than losing a female, because the female marsupials are the incubators and do all the looking after offspring (while birds etc often raise young as breeding pairs) and the males can "service" several females. So losing the odd male won't result in less young being born next year, or less parental care.

If you guys think that's tough, spare a thought for our antechinuses - the vast majority of males die immediately after the annual breeding season, reputedly of exhaustion from super-long copulations - leaving no male antechinuses in the population until the next batch are born. It's an adaptation which benefits the species by reducing resource competition for the pregnant females, which allows them to produce better-nourished litters.



Antechinuses might look a bit like mice, and are barely any bigger, but they are insectivores and spend a lot of time hunting.

PS: I have a little good-news story to follow the sad one about hitting a bandicoot in 1994 - but it starts with another death unfortunately. Back in 2013 I was walking the dog on Mt Clarence when I came across a dead female bandicoot on a 4WD track - she'd been run over. I turned her over and found two young on her underside; both had survived. I had no bag on me and they were too delicate to go in pockets, so I thought for a bit, then took off a sock and put them in it, and carried them out in the sock, where they didn't get squashed and had enough oxygen and warmth. They went to a wildlife rehabilitation centre, where we visited them the following week. They had both survived and were doing well - one female, one male.  This was Brett holding them for a photo:



They continued to do well and were re-released into the wild when they grew up. While not every animal survives long after getting placed back into nature, bandicoots tend to have a good chance - they are herbivores and have good instincts.
SueC is time travelling

MeltingMan

Quote from: Old People's Home— How old is old?
— I think twenty.
— Oh, boy.

😄 Kindermund tut Wahrheit kund (another German saying).
En cette nation [Russie] qui n'a pas eu de théoriciens et de démagogues,
les pires ferments de destruction ont apparu. (J. Péladan)

Pongo

Those bandicoots are just adorable. Well, we have hedgehogs, at least. Unfortunately, you see them run over as well, every now and then.

Ulrich

This piece of news by The Waterboys:

QuoteSTEVE STEPS BACK
It's with a heavy heart we announce that our great friend and musical hero Steve Wickham is retiring from Waterboys touring after an almost unbroken period of twenty-one years (not forgetting 5 more years in the 1980s).  Steve will return for projects in the future but won't be part of the regular Waterboys touring line-up anymore. He's made the decision so he can concentrate on his own work. We wish him every success and look forward to when future Waterboys projects bring him back for more adventures.  We'll keep you posted on what he gets up to.  Steve has explained to us his reasons and Mike and Brother Paul have commented too:

Steve: "The downtime during covid changed my life and priorities. It reconnected me with my creativity, and I need to go deeper with this.  In the recent years I'd become more of a legacy musician within the Waterboys, playing a big part in the older music onstage but less in the new music and recent albums. So I've decided to retire from Waterboys touring to concentrate on my own work and interests, which include my Sligo-based band No Crows, my art studies, solo music, theatre composing and things yet to come into focus. I still consider myself part of the Waterboys family and will return from time to time as projects require.  My time as fiddler with The Waterboys, and specifically with Mike, has been a life defining and soulful experience and I've loved every moment of it. Mike is a great musician and writer and it's been a privilege and joy to work and share that space of high inspiration with him for so long."

Mike: "Steve's been part of the heart and soul of The Waterboys for so long it's gonna be strange working without him.  But I know we're not finished yet; there'll be more at some stage, and it will be great.  I always enjoy his extra-curricular activities so I'm looking forward to seeing how they develop.  Most of all I want to thank him for his continued brotherhood, for enhancing my songs with his unique magic and for twenty-six years of great playing in the band."

Paul:  "There are so many things I'll miss about being in a band with Steve.  Among the top is his genuine kindness, his never-dimming crazy-beautiful infectious energy on stage, and the glowing energy we've shared on the stage night after night.  I will continue channeling his Spirit through each and every performance of my own.  And, while I join Mike and the rest of you all in wishing him an AMAZING new life and musical journey, I will still always look forward to new adventures in some way, place, and time!  Thank you and epic love and best wishes from here Stevo~~~~!!" 
:frowning:
The holy city breathed like a dying man...

Ulrich

Just heard that Henry Lincoln (born Henry Soskin) has passed away.  :'(

He was an actor and writer, he was for example in a "The Saint (=Simon Templar)" episode and wrote several "Dr Who" episodes back in the 1960's.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0511110/

He was more known for presenting several documentaries about the mystery of Rennes-le-Château and co-writing the book "The Holy Blood & The Holy Grail".

I met Henry while travelling south France back in 2011 and 2013 (he was our "guide" for a while), I had a few little run-ins with him (he didn't enjoy my ironic one-liners) but I liked him and how he presented to us his own view of the landscape and buildings there.  :cool

Sad to hear he passed away (aged 92).
The holy city breathed like a dying man...

MeltingMan

...that the one person I've missed terribly for the past two years doesn't want to see me again. Yes indeed...💔

Inhale, exhale... move on.

PS: Now there is a dispute about an alleged "engagement". Then the marriage would have to follow this year. Can't shake the feeling like I involuntarily encouraged this. 😕
En cette nation [Russie] qui n'a pas eu de théoriciens et de démagogues,
les pires ferments de destruction ont apparu. (J. Péladan)

dsanchez

Peru lost by penalties to Australia and are out of the World Cup 2022... :(
2023.11.22 Lima
2023.11.27 Montevideo

Ulrich

Quote from: dsanchez on June 15, 2022, 09:48:55... are out of the World Cup 2022...

A reason to be glad! For starters, it was a bad idea to hold this in Qatar, so it will have to happen in winter, because our overpaid "football stars" don't wanna play in the heat... :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

And there are many other problems:

QuoteCampaigners are pressuring Germany, Denmark and Norway to boycott the 2022 FIFA World Cup in protest against human rights conditions in the host country, Qatar...
https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/pressure-mounts-for-teams-to-boycott-2022-world-cup-in-qatar/

QuoteWhile this year's draw ended up being relatively even-handed throughout, the reality is the spectre of death will loom over every single one of the tournament's 64 fixtures. That may sound hyperbolic, but with 6,500 workers reported to have died during stadium construction for FIFA's showpiece event, it's an accurate projection of what awaits us in December. It's why I've decided to make a personal decision and boycott this year's tournament.
https://versus.uk.com/2022/04/im-boycotting-qatar-world-cup/

This is indeed a reason to be sad...  :'(
The holy city breathed like a dying man...

chemicaloverload

Quote from: dsanchez on June 15, 2022, 09:48:55Peru lost by penalties to Australia and are out of the World Cup 2022... :(

Aww David, I'm sorry. That makes both of our countries. Just come here and have some drinks instead   :)
Life is only a dream and we are the imagination of ourselves

dsanchez

Quote from: Ulrich on June 15, 2022, 18:17:35This is indeed a reason to be sad...  :'(

I know, still went to Qatar to see live the play-off match between Peru and Australia (it was played near Doha). It was a traumatic experience to say the least :(

2023.11.22 Lima
2023.11.27 Montevideo

dsanchez

Quote from: chemicaloverload on June 16, 2022, 21:03:29Aww David, I'm sorry. That makes both of our countries. Just come here and have some drinks instead   :)

hope to see you in Scotland again sometime this year!
2023.11.22 Lima
2023.11.27 Montevideo

Ulrich

Quote from: dsanchez on June 23, 2022, 16:46:56I know, still went to Qatar to see live the play-off match between Peru and Australia

Oh wow, I didn't know where it had happened and that you were there! :cool
The holy city breathed like a dying man...

Lollo

Im sad cause im thinking of my friends who had passed away, but it was 6 years ago and my other friend 4 years ago. I miss them so much, everytime i hear "Lovesong" it make me cry :1f62a: cause they made feel all those things
I laughed in the mirror for the first time in a year.

Breathe
Breathe on me
Be like you used to be
Breathe on me