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Judith Durham of The Seekers died on Friday aged 79.

My favourites are "A world of our own" and "There'll never be another you" - in that order :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSxwqBJLU8A&ab_channel=rich963

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People die. There is something not quite right about the masses mourning people they never knew, and who would never have given a stuff about them. Channel 7 altered its programming last night because Newton-John finally died after "battling" cancer for years, for heaven's sake! Hardly unexpected.

Save your tears for your own family and friends.

As I wrote on another discussion - the worst thing
about ageing is the great sorrow of losing friends.
As you grow old, and people you've grown up with
and identified with - you've imagined would always be
there. Then they start, with wretched regularity to
leave your life.

It's been sad to see people like Shane Warne, Judith
Durham, and now Olivia Newton-John pass away. I grew up
with all of them. All of them touched my life in one
way or another. I felt it even more this week - because
of my elder brother who lives inter-state being
diagnosed with stomach-cancer. He was operated on
yesterday - and thankfully was given a thumbs up.
For which our family is very grateful.

Music and lyrics bring back so many memories. They touch
our lives. As does sport - in the case of Shane Warne.
We take things personally. We can't help it. As human
beings we need to connect with people. Compassion has
always been a family tradition.

I loved the Seekers. And Judith Durham will be long remembered.
Two of my favourite songs are - "I'll never Find Another You,"
And of course - "I am Australian."

RIP Judith Durham.

RIP Olivia Newton-John and Shane Warne.

"We have to Believe We are Magic."

BTW:

Shane Warne was not just an excellent cricket player.
And he received the Order of Australia for more than
just playing cricket. The Shane Warne Foundation sponsored
many charities including a gym designed for children
with disabilities for many years. He was always generous
with his time and money supporting those in need.

As was Judith Durham - who was patron of the Injured
Nurses Support Group (INSG) and the Small Miracles
Foundation (formerly Bonnie Babes Foundation). She
supported Yooralla's disability services and supported
women through her association with the International
Women's Federation of Commerce and Industry.

Then look at the legacy that Olivia Newton-John has left
for cancer victims. She built and financially supported
the Olivia Newton-John Wellness and Research Centre here
In Melbourne which has had such a huge impact on the
lives of cancer victims.

To brush their contributions to the most vulnerable aside
is absolutely mean and nasty. And if people are mean and
cruel - then fu** it, they've got it coming!

Melbourne has lit up its most famous landmarks
in pink in memory of Olivia Newton-John.
The much loved entertainer and cancer fighter.

Flinders Street Station, National Gallery of Vic.,
Arts Centre, the Bolte Bridge, the MCG and other
sports venues - because of her enormous contribution
to cancer.

I was born on the 29Th of February. I am thus approaching my 21St birthday, & have been planning a big 21St birthday party.

It is not just celebrities falling off the perch, but quite a few of my compatriots too. I am getting worried that my big birthday party is going to be fairly small, if I make it myself.

Hasbeen,
Hope you make it, young fella.

Dear Banjo Paterson,

I find it sad to be losing such talented cultural touchstones from our lives, particularly those who grew up with someone like the Seekers. These events do however prompt us down memory lanes we might not otherwise have travelled.

Going through some of their hits I was reminded just how talented a songwriter Tom Springfield was. Indeed as brother of Dusty it gives some indication of the deep of creativity within that family.

ttbn, you don't have a compassionate bone in your body, and that is sad. What Judith Durham and Olivia Newton-John gave was joy through music to millions, and their loss is sadly mourned by millions. Although not known personally to people, there are those of us who feel we did known them in someway through their music, and their passing brings us sadness.

If you leave this earth and your only claim you can make is; "I brought joy to others while I lived" then that's enough for me.

Hi Hasbeen,

Wow - 84 years young!

How much would you be worth at your age if you were
a wine?

When you look back over the years I hope that your memories
are warm ones. Wishing you love and joy and when you look
to the future may all your dreams and wishes come true.

Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday! And Many More!

Sharing all these deaths makes me think back on all
the posters that have left the forum and are no
longer with us. People that I miss daily. People
like - Joe Lane (Loudmoth), Belly, Poirot, Examiner,
and so many others.

I know that Joe (Loudmoth) has passed. But I wonder where
the others are?

Judith Durham is to receive a state funeral in
Melbourne. Which is fitting for such an Australian
Icon.

Olivia-Newton-John's family are also being consulted
about a State Memorial Service here in Melbourne.
As our Premier Daniel Andrews said: "It will be
celebrating her life, her music, and film, and all
her other amazing contributions she made."

"She took her cancer journey and used it to save lives
and change lives and that is just a deeply impressive
thing."

May they both Rest In Peace.

I heard on the radio that Newton-Jones passed away "at home" on "her ranch in California".
Why doesn't she get a State funeral over there ?

Indyvidual,

Olivia Newton-John will have a private funeral and
will be buried on her ranch in California with her
family and friends in attendance.

Because she did so
much for cancer victims and changed people's lives
with her Wellness Centre and her Foundation here in
Melbourne - the State Premier has made the offer to
her family to have a State Memorial Service
(which they've accepted) for her here in Melbourne
to celebrate her life, music, films
and all the other contributions she made.

A fitting tribute to someone who gave so much to others.

Foxy,
Thanks for explaining !

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Dear ttbn,

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You wrote :

« People die. There is something not quite right about the masses mourning people they never knew … Save your tears for your own family and friends »
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It’s a free country. You don’t have to be “quite right”, ttbn. You can cry for whoever you want to, whenever you want to. This might help :

Here is a story :

http://youtu.be/3RJehnopgR0?t=1412
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And here is a song :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0MkpcI3khY&ab_channel=SoundOnVision

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Hi BP,

Unfortunately the words of Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard are wasted on people like ttbn, they see nothing in them, if they did the world would be a better place.

Find this inspirational a story from Buddha; only a couple of minutes long.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alScaM8sSEI

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Dear Paul1405,

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ttbn seems to me to be a decent fellow. Like the rest of us, he has his problems. Judging from his posts on OLO, I can’t say I share much of his worldview. That’s what makes it interesting.

Many thanks for the Buddha video. I share Buddha’s logic of the indivisibility of life and death. In fact, I expounded that logic (ignoring that Buddha had formulated it some 2,500 years previously) as the basis of an article I wrote a few years ago in favour of the legalisation of euthanasia.

Where I differ from Buddha is on the question of the “inevitability of death” of the woman’s child. Buddha purportedly lived in the 6th or 5th century BC, and I guess in those days, the death of a child was considered inevitable. That may not have been the case today. Medicine has made considerable progress. It may have been possible to save the child and he could have lived to be an old man – which would have brought much joy to his mother.

Also, I see no reason to believe in eternal life apart from the appeasing effect it has on the billions of people who believe in God and who would otherwise suffer from existential angst at the thought of eternal death.

I also find the final philosophical assertions of the narrator of the video highly contentious :

« If there is no light, there can be no darkness ». In my view, there can only be darkness. Whether we are aware of it or not is another matter – darkness being defined as “the partial or total absence of light” (OED).

« If there is no bad, there can’t be any good ». Again, I disagree. If there is no bad, there can only be good (and vice versa).

There is no such thing as morality in nature. The laws of nature produce whatever order is most efficient. Good is what produces positive evolution. Bad is the opposite.

Human morality is subjective. What is good for one may be bad for another.

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Hi BP,

When I was a regular at the Temple, a few years back, and discussing these concepts of good and evil (bad); "If there is no bad, there can’t be any good" I believe people are inherently good, which opposes the Christian belief that people are inherently bad (sinners), and therefore in need of redemption, which can only be achieved through God's intermediary Christ. Our 'Wise One' at the Temple, she put forward the notion that good and bad only existed from our own personal view point, and we should be only concentrating on the good, as bad is only the absence of good as we define it. A simple analogy, the concept of 'hot and cold', there is no cold, only the lack of heat (hot). Good and bad are like hot and cold, just as only hot exists, only good exists, and like cold is the absence of hot, bad is the absence of good. Very hard concepts to rationalise.

"There is no such thing as morality in nature." I'll agree on that.
I recall some years back, with the grandchildren in the park, crows started attacking a young bird on the ground (aiming to kill it and eat it). From the kids perspective the crows were acting badly, and should be stopped. I tried to point out to them that the crows were simply doing what crows do, they couldn't understand it, morally it was wrong to them, and that was all that mattered.

"ttbn seems to me to be a decent fellow." I'll agree with that

Hi Paul,

To paraphrase W.C. Fields:

ttbn drove me to stronger medication and I
didn't have the decency to thank him. (Joke).

Melbourne socialite, fashion icon and philanthropist
Lillian Frank has died aged 92. Lillian passed away
peacefully on Friday. Her family was with her.

She had an amazing life. Born in Burma (Rangoon) in
1930. Her family fled during WWII after Japan invaded.
Her family fled to a refugee camp in Calcutta, then
travelled to London, and eventually ended up in Melbourne
where she forged a path as a hair stylist. She was my
hairdresser for many years.

She married restauranteur Richard Frank in 1956 and had two
daughters - Jackie and Michelle. Lillian Frank was part of
the Melbourne social scene and she gave millions and millions
to charities - including the Royal Children's Hospital and
Odyssey House here in Melbourne.

She was a dashing figure and her fund-raising lunches were
legendary.

She was loved by many and gave so much to the people of Melbourne.
As Rhonda Burchmore aptly said - "She was Melbourne!"

May she Rest in Peace!

I remember her with love.