# I didn't realize the world was going that badly! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 23, 2002, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462 "2002-07-23T22:32:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462/1 "2002-07-23T22:32:37Z")
[More than 400 sheep leapt to their deaths this weekend in mountainous southeastern France](http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-France-Sheep-Suicide.html?ex=1028430419&ei=1&en=a669bd4f119cb0ec) Ok, so they were trying to escape from wolves (they think). Still amused me this morning. ---
**Author:** ![Osip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4491bb/32.png) [@Osip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osip)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462/2 "2002-07-23T22:50:31Z")
Large Fuzzy Lemmings. How interesting. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462/3 "2002-07-23T22:55:13Z")
“They didn’t so much fly as plummet.” [/M. Python] I wonder if their leader’s name was Harold? ---
**Author:** ![Inky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7feea3/32.png) [@Inky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky_1)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462/4 "2002-07-23T23:58:34Z")
On a plus note, the mutton has been especially tender this week. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462/5 "2002-07-24T03:32:43Z")
Let’s not forget. They _were_ in France afterall. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462/6 "2002-07-24T04:09:25Z")
I had no idea you could get compensation for something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462/7 "2002-07-24T04:13:39Z")
Only in France ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462/8 "2002-07-24T04:20:32Z")
I just told my daughter about this, and as I did I had a horrible thought…what if they hadn’t been chased by wolves…what if they were just all really depressed? And now I’m worried, because the Counting Sheep from that mattress commercial have been really depressed lately too… Oh it’s just too awful to think about. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462/9 "2002-07-24T04:22:45Z")
The title of the article is amusing. I wonder how it was determined they committed suicide. I think they were just trying to escape & accidentally died. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![EggNogg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@EggNogg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EggNogg)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462/10 "2002-07-24T10:23:40Z")
Sheep = One of the few animals capable of accidental suicide egg ---
**Author:** ![tritone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e7dd6/32.png) [@tritone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tritone)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462/11 "2002-07-24T10:42:41Z")
I’m having all sorts of sad mental pictures, of little cartoon sheep saying “It’s too much! I can’t take it any more!” and plunging to their deaths. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462/12 "2002-07-24T11:47:02Z")
Wasn’t that like the opening scene to “The Molly Maguires”, where the sheep dog (border collie, I believe) chased all the sheep over the edge of the cliff to their deaths? (Okay, I may have the wrong movie, but there was a movie that started out that way.) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462/13 "2002-07-24T12:37:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yojimboguy \* > \*\*Let’s not forget. They _were_ in France afterall. \*\* If being French Sheep was the determinant factor, then the little lamb chops would have surrendered to the wolves rather than die, & become collaborators. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462/14 "2002-07-24T14:42:14Z")
[Les Nessman] They’re dropping like sacks of wet cement!!! [/Les Nessman] ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462/15 "2002-07-24T16:38:31Z")
Was one yelling “Cannonball!” ? ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462/16 "2002-07-24T17:35:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor \* > \*\* > > If being French Sheep was the determinant factor, then the little lamb chops would have surrendered to the wolves rather than die, & become collaborators. 😛 \*\* I don’t know. I’m imagining a bunch of existential sheep wearing black berets and smoking cigarettes and saying(in a bad french accent) ‘Zis world is a pile of crep’ I’v had eunuf of zis sheet, Let us end it ul rright new’ ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462/17 "2002-07-24T18:02:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lurkernomore \* > \*\*[Les Nessman] > They’re dropping like sacks of wet cement!!! > [/Les Nessman] \*\* Those were turkeys. 🆒 Hmmm. So was Les… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462/18 "2002-07-24T18:19:35Z")
…and little did everyone realize that the inaugural test of the French military’s new secret weapon was successful… DEATH FROM ABOVE! BAAAAAAH!!! BAAAAHHH!!! ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462/19 "2002-07-24T18:35:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by screech-owl \* > \*\*Wasn’t that like the opening scene to “The Molly Maguires”, where the sheep dog (border collie, I believe) chased all the sheep over the edge of the cliff to their deaths? > > (Okay, I may have the wrong movie, but there was a movie that started out that way.) \*\* That was “Far From the Madding Crowd.” As for the sheep - maybe they’d put too much into tech stocks. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462/20 "2002-07-24T20:06:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by slortar \* > \*\*…and little did everyone realize that the inaugural test of the French military’s new secret weapon was successful… > > DEATH FROM ABOVE! BAAAAAAH!!! BAAAAHHH!!! \*\* [You jest, but…](http://wwp.team17.com/main.html?page=grap&area=_pcsh&type=uk&pict=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-realize-the-world-was-going-that-badly/120462.md?page=2)