Micheal D Higgins dog, Síoda, has passed away. RIP Síoda.

topper75 wrote: »

See folks - human compassion AND maintaining perspective can go together if you try.

Suppose what your definition of perspective is though.

Sioda played an Ambassadorial role in the Aras and would be recognised throughout the world by many people in a positive way.

So there are many many people who would be interested in this as a very newsworthy topic.

ranto_boy wrote: »

I'd give you a hundred quid if you could pick that dog (pre-death) from a canine line-up.

She wasn't exactly up there with Bono and Liam Neeson, in the Irish famous abroad category.

You clearly miss the point.

anewme wrote: »

Suppose what your definition of perspective is though.

Sioda played an Ambassadorial role in the Aras and would be recognised throughout the world by many people in a positive way.

So there are many many people who would be interested in this as a very newsworthy topic.

I think you have lost perspective. Just my opinion. No science.

anewme wrote: »

I think you cant see the bigger picture.

The big picture is it's a dog and not a person

This thread is illuminating, I must say. The doggy craze in this country is out of control; anthropomorphism and fake emotion.
Maybe there should be a statue of the dog? Given the esteem it seems to have been held in. It's the kind of thing that dictators do. Michael D. the socialist landlord would definitely go along with that. A giant statue of his dog, or a mausoleum. Kim Jong Un style.
It's easy to see how dictators get away with their shyte for so long. The forelock tuggers love it.
Caligula would blush

yosser hughes wrote: »

This thread is illuminating, I must say. The doggy craze in this country is out of control; anthropomorphism and fake emotion.
Maybe there should be a statue of the dog? Given the esteem it seems to have been held in. It's the kind of thing that dictators do. Michael D. the socialist landlord would definitely go along with that. A giant statue of his dog, or a mausoleum. Kim Jong Un style.
It's easy to see how dictators get away with their shyte for so long. The forelock tuggers love it.
Caligula would blush

No offence Yosser Hughes, but given you base yourself on an anti establishment character from 1982, this rant about dictators would maybe belong fado, fado, back in that era and might need to see how this century is panning out.

topper75 wrote: »

Ah you can't say that now and withhold the details!

Between what entities did this dog bridge a gap or create common ground?

Cats and mice?

If it needs to be spelled out for you to that extent, you wont get it.

Ah well.

anewme wrote: »

If it needs to be spelled out for you to that extent, you wont get it.

Ah well.

I shouldn't ever question your statements. Got it.
Like an Áras Expenses kind of thing.

:rolleyes:

ranto_boy wrote: »

And reporting on the dog's family! Yeah, I'm sure that the mother dog will be sobbing.

borderlinemeath wrote: »

It says a hell of a lot about you actually.

I know grown men who have openly admitted they cried for weeks after their dog died. One said that he hadn't felt so bad after his elderly boxer died since his mother passed away. I know a family that got the priest around because they were holding a wake for their dog after she died of liver cancer. (religion is not my cup of tea, but it was theirs). Right now I know a family that are distraught because their dog got knocked over and died at the weekend. To these people they have lost a family member.

Dogs develop empathy in children, look at how autism assistance dogs help autistic kids with their needs. A lot of old people who live alone depend on their pets for company, dogs around the world are used to work, hunt, shepherd, guard and assist in various ways, and every owner get attached to them, whatever the role they play.

To display such disdain and contempt for dog owners, who cherish their pets just shows the character, or rather, lack of character that you display in your posts.

Well that's me told. .
Despite your pious and sanctimonious assertions, I fully understand that people become attached to dogs and are sad when they die. I was myself as a child, we had several dogs over the years.
However, elevating a dog to ambassadorial status and in your example; of a family calling a priest and holding a wake! Come on!
You know nothing about me or my 'character'. Your accusations seem a tad harsh. Water off a duck's back to me though. If it makes you feel better I suppose, I'm happy you can demonise someone like me without knowing me, but you're the nice guy/girl right?
I have perspective, I am an adult not some kind of man child.

And the sneering about a statute was not that far off the mark.

A street artist has completed a mural in Ringsend entitled -

Naomh Síoda madra na héireann"

So it's pretty clear that the Presidents relationship with his dogs touched many people.

Because there are many more positive people than glass half full whingers who just try to project their own misery onto others.

yosser hughes wrote: »

You must have been a long time writing your post. Looking up Wiki I suspect. I edited mine to reflect the possibility half an hour before your reply.
The Caligula reference was more a nod to the appointment of his horse to the Senate and Michael D's dog being anointed ambassadorial status. That was obviously lost on you.

Obviously. Sorry for the delay in replying. Collecting a child from school gets in the way of my research. :rolleyes: I'll get back to real life now and leave you to your self congratulatory back slapping.

Please never get a pet again. Having a companion animal in your life would be wasted on you and most likely a welfare issue for them.

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Obviously. Sorry for the delay in replying. Collecting a child from school gets in the way of my research. :rolleyes: I'll get back to real life now and leave you to your self congratulatory back slapping.

Please never get a pet again. Having a companion animal in your life would be wasted on you and most likely a welfare issue for them.

Grand so. Again ascribing animal cruelty as a trait I possess despite knowing nothing about me. Nice! All because I don't think a dog should be given a status sume humans in society are not afforded. Calling priests, having wakes, ambassadorial roles, murals? Yes, I'm the one who needs to check their compass!
Don't forget to clean up after your best friends, as so many of you pet lovers fail to do.

I wonder what the reaction would be if it wasn't the great socialist property speculator in the Aras ?

I'll leave it there also. I'm bad, you're good .

yosser hughes wrote: »

Calling priests, having wakes, ambassadorial roles, murals? Yes, I'm the one who needs to check their compass!
Don't forget to clean up after your best friends, as so many of you pet lovers fail to do

.

Why is it really any of your business what others do.?

Watching out to sneer at and belittle others for their choices is a weak character trait and is not adding any value to your own life only coming across as a bitter and negative.

Greyfox wrote: »

Not really, it's just one of the many examples of the media reporting on irrelevant trash news rather than actual news and trash news deserves to be criticised. A dog dying is sad for the owners but theirs no need to report it to thousands of people who never met the dog as it is just someone elses dog.

Just your opinion, nothing more.

Same, lots of coverage of over paid men kicking a ball of wind around.

But some people treat it like life and death.

That’s their choice.

chooseusername wrote: »

It's more serious than that!
Bill Shankley.

Didn’t know who said it.

Shows though how people have widely different interests.

topper75 wrote: »

Ah you can't say that now and withhold the details!

Between what entities did this dog bridge a gap or create common ground?

Cats and mice?

Don't play naive or ignorant.

Perhaps you've never had the pleasure of walking a dog and seen the ice-breaker it is? Types of people stop and talk to one another that normally mightn't. Old folk with young, race with race, etc etc. Dogs create common ground. A man walking a dog at night is transformed by the character of the dog. A potential threat becomes an animal lover and someone perhaps who has a spark of life and good, just like the dog has on show. That's the magic-dust of dogs. It's what instigates impromptu chats and life affirming connections with strangers. It is your type who opens the gap between people.

Graces7 wrote: »

Pets are peacemakers and we need peacemakers.

What about Hitler's dog?

An Ri rua wrote: »

Don't play naive or ignorant.

Perhaps you've never had the pleasure of walking a dog and seen the ice-breaker it is? Types of people stop and talk to one another that normally mightn't. Old folk with young, race with race, etc etc. Dogs create common ground. A man walking a dog at night is transformed by the character of the dog. A potential threat becomes an animal lover and someone perhaps who has a spark of life and good, just like the dog has on show. That's the magic-dust of dogs. It's what instigates impromptu chats and life affirming connections with strangers. It is your type who opens the gap between people.

Naive - a fine charge to lay against me. You are the one upset that a politician's dog died

I own a dog. Of course when he goes (he ain't great right now) I'll be upset. Which makes sense. It is my dog. The only people who can mourn that Bernese with any authenticity are Higgins, his family, and staff who would see the dog. For everybody else - it is just fake emotion. Nothing more.

We seem to be cursed with this fake emotion phenomenon in the 21st century with the demand for 24 hour news and people following celebrities as though they were some kind of distant friends. It began with Princess Diana dying. Thousand of Brits lining the streets, crying, laying flowers at the gate of the palace. We looked across and laughed - what are they at? And how we chuckled at the DPRK and they all bawling in the street at losing their Dear Leader. Behind our laughter was horror - horror that people could be manipulated to that degree. We were grounded.

Yet, here are some people on an Irish forum upset that a politician's pet died. For real. Unless you are all trolling. In which case I doff my hat. You caught me. It would probably be the better outcome.