02 November 2006

Watching the News? Don't Forget to Take Your Anti-depressants!

I'm having a bad week so far with regard to the news. All one gets from Seven, ABC and the other channels is bad news. Is it because that's all there is in the world, or does it mirror the fact that good news isn't watchable news? What an indictment on society if that is the case.

Let's see...today, global warming (again), increase in attacks on people, especially young women, level four water restrictions, a forthcoming increase in interest rates and so on. Don'tcha just get totally fed up to the back teeth with all this - or is it just me? Listening to everything, it seems to me that the driving force for all that is going on in the world today is money. Don't get me wrong, money is good. It's the ambition to have more and more, the lack of caring about other people, the planet and the environment, all in the name of the almighty dollar.

Oh, hell! I'm depressing myself, so I'm going to change the subject.

Just heard that the Northern Territory is going to enforce a speed limit on the open road. At present there isn't one so they are going to make a maximum speed limit of 130 km the law. They also don't have a demerit point system and apparently they are saying that the driving there is appalling! I wonder why?? So on the big highways like the Stuart - 130 km is the max. on lesser roads it's 110 km. That's going to upset the Territorians who are used to putting their collective foot down and just going, the faster the better. My God, they are getting technologically updated, they're even going to install red light cameras! Wow!!

An even nicer piece to write is that my darling little Cooper came to visit today. He is such a placid, smiley baby - just beautiful. He is five months old now and weighs 8 kg! His poor mother is suffering backache from carrying him around and even her doctor has told her to be careful. He was absolutely fascinated with Oscar, who was so well behaved I was very pleased with him. He's not used to small children but when Cooper was lying on his rug, Oscar went over and sat by him and obligingly meowed when I spoke to him. That made our little boy so excited, you could just see he was itching to grab that cat - especially the tail! Poor Oscar, the worst is yet to come, but he's one smart cat and he'll hide away somewhere safe when the time comes.

Actually, I wasn't talking to Oscar the other day. He went out for his morning constitutional around 4.30 am and about half-an-hour later, I heard him yelling frantically at the door (I lock his catdoor on the inside as he has the nasty habit of bringing me gifts then letting them go), so went to investigate and saw that he had caught a rat. Needless to say, he was not allowed inside with that. Later I went to work and unlocked the catdoor so he could come in and out during the day if he wanted to (he usually doesn't move off my bed). I'd forgotten about the rat. When I arrived home from work that night, I was rather alarmed that I couldn't find Oscar anywhere, he didn't come when I called him, he wasn't on my bed or the computer chair. I went into the bathroom and there he was. He meowed at me and went over to the container I keep the spare toilet rolls in. I moved it and there was the rat! Yes, the rotten little sod waited until I had gone to work and brought it inside. I was able to catch it using the brush and pan and took it outside. That horrible cat was still playing with the rat three hours later and - get this - it was still alive!!!! There was no sign of it the next morning so it either escaped or he ate it!

We are still having problems with the plovers. Most of them have disappeared now, their babies have grown up or been eaten by crows and kookaburras and so life is gradually getting back to normal, apart from the driveway. When Jane and I met for our morning walk I totally refused to go down our driveway. There is one plover left and she has new chicks. Yesterday, when I arrived home from work and drove up the driveway, she was right in the middle of the tracks. Her chicks were on the side of the driveway, but that bird attacked the car! I'm really, really glad I was inside the car and not walking up or down our driveway.

The breeding season for plovers is basically over, but there is always one who is late. The magpies have returned too. The plovers had chased them away over the last few weeks, but today mother maggie returned and was asking for food for her greedy offspring. I was so pleased to see the them back because they are such friendly birds and don't dive at us at all. They bring their babies down to show us and always warble "thank you" when I throw some cat biscuits out.

Anyway, that's it. I'm not going to bore you any longer (to be quite honest, I bore myself at times, lol!). The weekend is coming up, it's Melbourne Cup Day on Tuesday and I'm going to win Powerball tonight!!

6 comments:

Merle said...

Hi Robyn ~ The news is often very depressing, but I hate to miss hearing it. Thanks for your comments and again for the emails. Oscar was
being a bit of a devil with the rat
but I guess that is just nature.
Take care my friend, Love, Merle.

Pear tree cottage! said...

Robyn, yes well now you have told me tonights news I will not bother with the late news in the TV.....:o)

I love the bit about your cat that was interesting maybe the news people could put more animal stories on TV instead of the rubbish they think we love.

Yes holiday down here on Tuesday (in melbourne that is) we have Wednesday off here for Kyneton races the day after the cup so figger that one out because I carn't anyway I start work tomorrow and then work non-stop until Saturday week but I guess :o) I love it.

thanks for your visit and tell your daughter I too have all the old cooking gear I can get my hands on especially if the handles are wooden and the colour is green. lol lol lol lol

see you soon Lee-ann

Mountain Mama said...

I need an occassional vacation from news. Yes it does drag us down. I think because we seldom hear any 'good news.'
I'm glad most of your Plovers are gone and hope you aren't attacked by the one remaining.
I can't imagine a bird like that.
Do you have a problem with snakes? I have read of some poisonous and also some very large ones there.

Lee said...

Hehehehehe, Robyn....love your post!

My cats often bring me in their 'gifts'...these two are hopeless...they always lose their 'gifts' and the respective quarry run gaily back outside, laughing all the way! Either that or I have to show them the way to go home!

I hope you won last night's Powerball...I'm winning Saturday night's lotto...perhaps we will put on a dual party in celebration! ;)

Sometimes I just get so fed up with the news, I refuse to watch it!

SnowWhite said...

hey if you won the powerball you had better let me know what time the party starts lol. The news has been crapola hasn't it. Never see anything good on it. Jonah asleep in his high chair , I should be cleaning but can I be bothered. Hey it's raining yahoo. Typical as I just filled the tank from the bore yesterday would take a nice long shower to empty it a bit but the solar wouldn't be very warm, hmm long cold shower NO WAY lol
xx
shona

Carole Burant said...

You could never be boring even if you tried:-) I completely agree with you, the news are so depressing all the time...it's sad that the human race prefer to hear bad juicy news instead of just plain good news! To tell you the truth, I haven't watched the news or read the newspaper in over 2 months now...they never had anything I wanted to watch anyway! Oh yuck, Oscar sure does love to bring in some little friends to "play" with! lol You take care of yourself!! xoxo