Thread 15 - TalkLair: “I Can't Lie To You About Your Chances, But... You Have My Sympathies.”

[Kucinghitam]

(Previous thread 14).

Autumn seems to have gone straight into winter. It's cold, wet and windy. In the TalkLair, the hearth is glowing, the walls covered in dubious artwork, books by non-approved authors line the shelves, rugs are down on the floors (and assorted pets curled up on them). The denizens of the lair are a welcoming bunch though, always eager for general chit-chat on all manner of topics.

We just won’t mention the gnawed bones of our prey over there in the corner of the cave…

I noticed that the cat appeared to be off its tits when they had it alive. It was very well done. I was impressed with a lot of the "effects" in the programme. The budget won't have been high, technology has advanced so much but I agree they did some brilliant work and I was surprised at how realistic some effects were.

I'd say that one of the best things about it was how they got cast members, many of whom I'm sure must have been extras, locals probably because they needed a lot of people to make it look close to what the real event might have been like, to give such haunting looks of something beyond misery. Some of the faces they focussed on for moments at a time told a story that felt true to the story. It really was remarkable work all round.

I've just had a long-due clearout of the desk and found, lurking, a Motorola phone that I remember buying in June 2011 at the Carphone Warehouse in Woking. It charged up in an hour and appears to be working perfectly, though it has no sim card. It's running Android 5.3 (not updatable) but this is made up for by the very best thing about it ... it measures 5 x 2.5 inches!

I can't believe it, I've managed to step in dog shit again. I was walking round the park and the path was covered by patches of leaves which I try to avoid for exactly this reason. Some people came towards me but didn't go single file as they passed, so I had to step into some leafy bits to avoid them. Noticed some muck on my boots so wiped them on the grass, and when I got home it was clear what it was from the smell. The only saving grace is that I didn't walk it in this time as I've been removing and inspecting my shoes in the hall before entering my flat.

Just donned my PPE

Dog shit is one of the most disgusting smells in the world, glad you didn't tread it in.

I’ve just had to abort temporarily because I started violently retching and thought I was going to vomit.

Cat poo smells like a wildflower meadow carried on a summer breeze in comparison.

I've realised I missed cat stuff yesterday.

I love the story of Dudley who is incredibly handsome.

@VictorianBigot your beautiful fluffy white cat friend story made me well up. You must have been heartbroken.

I'm a dog and cat person though it's a while since I've lived with a dog. One of the many things I love about Worthing is that it's very dog friendly and dogs are allowed in most town centre shops. Because of that I see lots of dogs when I'm out and about which means I get to practice my dog bothering skills.

Dogs definitely give off toddler energy and oh yes to teenage cats. We're lucky they all chose to live with us and love us because they come with so much love.

Eesh, you have to wonder what some dogs eat.

Many years ago my dad walked dog shit into the house and my step mother told him to go into the porch and sort his shoes out. I saw him take one shoe off and sniff the sole, just to make sure it was shit. The look on his face and the speed with which he recoiled has never left me. I was a hormonal teenager at the time and couldn't stop laughing.

Why does it smell so revolting?!

I found some Vicks vapour rub (exp. 2011) in my box of medicines and rubbed it around my nostrils, which in combination with the face mask was enough to continue. My abdominal muscles are sore from all the retching!

Why does it smell so revolting?!

I don't know, but most shit is pretty pungent. Maybe one of the biology people here can tell us.

I don't mind it too much. It's unpleasant, but years of scrubbing out kennels at the vets seems have provided some immunity.

Also, I can't smell sulphur/hydrogen sulphide - which is a significant component in drain & sewage smells, so may also be part of the dogs hit miasma.

I can't smell foxes at all, either.

Interesting https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/copper-key-to-our-sensitivity-to-rotten-eggs-foul-smell/1017492.article

Dog poo is probably the most pungently awful poo. Although the afterwaft of a.n.other adult's poo can be bloody awful but I think it's because it's the thought of it coming out of their bum. My own poo can be pretty vile but it's mine so I don't mind it. Cat poo is very low down the stinky poo list of stinky poo.

That is interesting. And the link with smelling predators fits with my non-existent fox detection.

My grandmother couldn't smell freesias; I think I got the better deal. Although I do have to rely on MrBint to inform me about off eggs.

Cat poo doesn't smell that different from cat food - but the latter is pretty awful.

How does one smell a fox? I have seen them close up but never detected any smell. Or is it the smell of their poo?

I've just googled 'fox poo' and I'm now wondering if that's what I stepped in today. Apparently it tends to contain things like seeds, and today's offerings were very, err, gritty in texture. Might also explain why it smelled worse than the last one.

This is fascinating...

'Fresh otter poo smells like jasmine tea' https://www.lincstrust.org.uk/wildlife/identify/animal-poo

How does one smell a fox?

I'm the wrong person to answer, really, but apparently one can tell fox dens from badger setts and other burrows by smell. I've stuck my head in a few to check, and nada. And I was once given a lift by a friend who apologised profusely about the smell of her collies, who'd had a good roll in dog-fox poo.

The local foxes sometimes poo in my garden but it never seems overly smelly. They seem to like showing their poo off so it’s often very visible (eg on a big stone). If I haven’t been out there to get rid of it it goes white like old school dog shit.

Fox poo, as advertised by a dog who has rolled in it, is pretty full-on. Not being able to smell it is remarkable. A dog who has been thoroughly washed (shampoo and warm water) after rolling often still has a slight base note, not unpleasant but long lasting.

Cat poo is solid and compact, presumably because they're carnivores - it contains all the smells, but doesn't release them unless an unlucky gardener makes contact while weeding .

I once walked the whole length of a corridor at school with absolutely no clue why it was deserted. When I finally found a person to ask, some distance away, it turned out a stink bomb had been let off and nobody could go near it. Completely nose blind.

Off cooking oil, on the other hand, I can smell from several buildings away.

We used to have a very low conifer bush in the back garden, right next to the path, and one day visitorcat L. Ron Weasley leapt sideways away from it in exaggerated horror. Turned out there was a fox's den underneath, though no foxes there at the time. I had never smelled a thing.

Glad I waited until after breakfast before catching up on last night's chat! The long drive home from rainy Bradford on Avon awaits.

I didn't realise it was possible to not be able to smell sulphur/hydrogen sulphide. Then again, it's not something that's ever occurred to me.

One of the worst smells I've encountered was when our dog, unseen by me, rolled on a long dead fish on a river bank. He smelled absolutely rank but was delighted with himself. I gave him a thorough bath but the smell lingered for days.

@NoBinturongsHereMate What do sewers/drains smell like to you, if you can't smell the hydrogen sulphide notes? I'm wondering if perhaps I can't smell it either, or have a reduced ability to, since it's never smelled like rotten eggs to me. It just smells.. musty and unpleasant.

My kitchen sink drain has been periodically giving off a slight musty, mouldy odour recently and now I'm wondering if it smells like rotten eggs to other people