Steve Irwin Dead

mkosmo writes "News.com.au is reporting that Steve Irwin was killed in a freak accident while filming one of his well known documentaries. Surprisingly it wasn't a crocodile, it was a sting-ray."

Comments

oblig

[Kell Bengal]

Crickey!

Re:oblig

[HillBilly]

Did you see that! It got me right in the chest... oh fuc.....

Re:oblig

[Wind_Walker]

It's called a "defense mechanism". I was making jokes during 9/11 too, because it helped me deal with it.

It was funny. Dark and morbid, sure. But funny.

Re:oblig

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

How the fuck is that funny? You pieces of shit.

It is damn funny. Irwin himself has probably play-acted a death like that a hundred times for the comedic effect.

Besides, all humor originates from the misfortune of others. Try to come up with something funnier than a knock-knock joke that isn't at the expense of someone - you'll be at it for quite a while.

Re:oblig

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

No, someone died who did more than you EVER will!

Your sentence does not parse. I suggest you stop frothing.

I'd like to go up to you now and stab a fucking stingray barb through your heart! THEN find it funny!

Actually, the irony of your statement is very funny. Here you are going on and on about how terrible it is to joke at death, and now you have gone waaaay beyond that and are making death threats. You are clearly unbalanced if you think you've got any moral high ground any more.

Re:oblig

[cloricus]

I did find that comment funny and people should laugh, it's not disrespectful in light of the sort of man he was... I have met him several times and it is a shame to lose such a great popular figure who wasn't a poser. Though my thoughts are with his lovely wife and two children, one of which is to young to remember him, and I hope they are able to deal with this. R.I.P.

Re:oblig

[MillionthMonkey]

Well, it's shocking to think that the guy is no longer with us, and on top of that, it's shocking that it's shocking.

Re:oblig

[Anonymous Coward]

Morning is a selfish response. It doesn't help the dead person.

I don't think that idea ever dawned on Sifer.

Re:oblig

[Shanep]

No, someone died who did more than you EVER will!

Do you know this person? Do you know what they have achieved, their abilities and their future? Grow a sense of humour! Steve was a carricature of the Aussie larakin. He'd be making jokes like this now if he could.

When I heard about this on the news flash which interupted Blue Heelers, I thought, "I can just imagine the scene. Steve is molesting some poor stingray. He got belted in the chest with its tail and then he's gone up to the camera and said, 'CRIKEY! Look at that! This fella has got me right in the chest!'", while he bleeds for the camera.

I always figured that an animal would ultimately kill him. I always thought it would be a croc. I find it pretty amazing that a stingray got him. My grandfather used to catch them on a hand line from his dingy. He always warned me about their sting and I knew they'd killed people, but one of them against Steve? He'd probably be disappointed. I rekon he'd rather have "Eaten by a crocodile" on his tombstone.

Re:oblig

[lazybeam]

Joke warfare was banned at a special session of the Geneva Convention, and in 1950 the last remaining copy of the joke was laid to rest here in the Berkshire countryside, never to be told again.

Re:oblig

[pyrote]

Gotta say, it's a hell of alot better way to die than an alergic reaction to an ointment or something.

He died doing what he does best, and what he loves. If only we were so lucky.

Rest in Peace my friend, I hope you can help heaven out with the croc problems :)

Re:oblig

[MrNaz]

I'm all for perspective in addressing tragedy and agree that the ridiculous coverage 9/11 gets cf the millions that die annually in the third word is farcical, but seriously, "this whack off" was a fairly higly regarded and popular figure especially among children. His death is at least noteworthy and if you think it is not, a respectful silence would be appreciated by those who will miss his informative and entertaining documentaries.

Re:oblig

[Kokuyo]

Possibly, but I for one am glad that it was neither a croc nor a snake. This way it actually was an accident since sting-rays, accoring to Wikipedia, don't even actively defend themselves...

This will not keep the media from screaming "We told you so" of course. But some of us who think beyond the tips of our noses can at least say that he always knew what he was doing. He always knew the risk he was taking. This time he took a really small risk with little chance of actually happening and bang it got him. That can happen to anyone.

It isn't heroic how he died. But at least he didn't earn himself an entry to the Darwin Awards. At least in my world he will be missed. And while I don't see the need to get on your people's nerves about the jokes, I myself do not feel like joking at all... perhaps tomorrow.

Re:oblig

[iamacat]

He died doing what he does best, and what he loves. If only we were so lucky.

You mean we should all die coding?

Re:oblig

[legoburner]

Yes apparently he used a lot of the profits from his documentaries to buy up areas of land to make into conservation areas for wildlife.

Re:oblig

[__aaxwdb6741]

You are the same kind of self-righteous egomaniac dipsit I hate for censoring good peoples opinions on Slashdot.

Mod points are not supposed to give you the power to emphasise your own opinions. They are supposed to help you weed out the bad quality posts from the good quality posts. Notice how I'm using the word quality here. The quality of a post is not determined by how well you agree with the poster. Quality is about how well-written this persons opinions are, how much real information is passed, and how little of that is bullshit.

When I get mod points, I only mod up posts which are against my own opinion but are written in a manner which makes me respect that opinion. And everyone should do that.
This is why people use the Post Anonymously button. So they dont get a permanent censor on their opinions by people who just cant handle the fact that not everybody agrees with their world view and morality.

Steve Irwin is dead, so what? We all have to die at some point, and the fact that he died doing what he liked is just pure awesome! His family will probably experience a brief period of justified sadness. However, the rest of you people who only "knew" this dude from his documentaries and whichever press he might have accumulated, I just want to say - get a fucking grip!

Re:oblig

[el_monkeyo]

Personally I would strongly recommend never reading the comments on Slashdot on non-computer topics you feel strongly about. You'll only get pissed off with the ill-informed arseholes "making light" of the situation. I stopped after seeing initial comments about the 2004 Asian Tsunami (which killed a quarter of a million people lets not forget) turn into a discussion about Arthur C. Clarke.

Re:oblig

[Pieroxy]

You mean we should all die coding?

Nail infection, here I come.

Re:oblig

[soft_guy]

You mean we should all die coding?

Like Steve Irwin, you could die with a pointer through the chest.

Re:oblig

[Diag]

Comparing this to 9/11, is hardly relevant (I know parent AC didn't raise the subject). Irwin was one man who died because of his own misadventures.

Being Australian and having known quite a few that are as "ocker" as Steve Irwin was, I don't think he'd be offended by the "Crikey! Did you see that little bugger? He got me right in the chest!" joke. I think he would expect it, and would probably get a laugh out of it.

Re:oblig

[LSD-OBS]

Nah, I think he meant "wanking"

Re:oblig

[moochfish]

Crocodiles: 0.
Stingrays: 1.

Re:oblig

[moldor.the.flatulent]

Personally, I almost wet myself reading some of these comments...

My cousin used to work for Steve, and saw him go from a bloody nice guy, to a media-driven egomaniac, and then come to his senses....

He had a wicked sense of humor, and would think nothing of throwing (for example) a harmless snake to you and telling you it was venomous, and then pissing himself laughing when you soiled your pants - that's just the kind of guy he was..

I only ever met him once, just after the incident where he had his kid in the croc pen, and remember being impressed by his love of animals, and his hatred of those who hurt them.

This death will be like JFK, Elvis, or the Space Shuttle explosion - people will always remember where they were when Steve Irwin died - when one of the nurses at my Dr's surgery told me she said I went white.

Funny though, I always had a vision of him with a croc attached to his nuts and making a joke as he went into the death roll..:-)

R.I.P. Steve - and whichever way you went, up or down, give 'em hell... We'll miss you...

Re:oblig

[WebCrapper]

Unfortunately, he died working on Bindy's project. I feel sorry for her now because that will come back to haunt her in a few years when she starts to think about it.

Re:oblig

[Anonymous Coward]

You mean we should all die coding?

Not all of us can get jobs with EA.

Re:oblig

[cloricus]

If you watch the interview by Andrew Denton (Enough Rope) you will see what sort of person he was. He wasn't some one who chased profits as his primary motivation and really did love the work. The shows were only a side to everything else like Australia Zoo and reserves. I would much rather that people looked up to him, even if you think he is just putting on a tough act, than say Bill Gates. Just my opinion though.

Re:oblig

[gwicks]

Enjoy it while you can.

As soon as your "future wife" becomes your "Mrs", you'll know what it's like to have your arse ripped off by a croc!

And you can wave goodbye to "free sex whenever I want" - LOL

Honestly, this was a long time coming

[grasshoppa]

I feel for his kids. These poor kids are going to grow up with a father. All they are going to really know about him is going to be what they see on TV.

Re:Honestly, this was a long time coming

[rifter]

Speaking of which, who was watching the kids anyway?

They were probably with her. They took the kids with them on their trips. One thing Steve and Terry had in common was that their own childhoods were spent trekking through wilderness with their parents learning about wildlife. Steve often recounted how he had learned to handle reptiles while following in his father's footsteps as a young boy.

Re:Honestly, this was a long time coming

[thejynxed]

From: http://www.mote.org/index.php?src=gendocs&link=Sti ngrays&category=Shark%20Research&submenu=INFO

The venom apparatus or "sting" of a stingray is a spine or modified dermal denticle (the scales covering sharks and stingrays) with two ventral grooves filled with venom-producing tissue. The venom apparatus is surrounded by a cell-rich covering or sheath that also may produce lesser amounts of venom. The venom itself is a largely protein-based toxin that causes great pain in mammals and may also alter heart rate and respiration. However, since it is proteinaceous, it can be inactivated by exposure to high temperatures. Because of this, immersion of the wound in hot water or application of a heat compress are recommended as an immediate treatment for unfortunate victims of a stingray injury or "envenomation." Although this may reduce the initial pain of a stingray injury, victims should still obtain medical assistance so that the wound can be properly examined and cleaned to avoid secondary infections or other complications.

As mentioned above, the sting on most pelagic stingrays is situated near the base of the tail. This may discourage predators from biting the animal near its vital organs. In contrast, the sting of most bottom-dwelling stingrays is located further away from the body, making it a more effective and dangerous "striking" weapon. However, it should be pointed out that the sting is purely a defensive weapon only and that the "striking" action is an involuntary response rather than a conscious "attack."

Stingers usually range from 4cm to 6 inches. And they are barbed and venemous. So, if this was a large stingray with a large stinger, it is easy to understand how he could have perished from receiving a direct blow to the chest from one of these.

Re:Honestly, this was a long time coming

[lovebyte]

Stingers usually range from 4cm to 6 inches.
You working for the NASA ?

Re:Honestly, this was a long time coming

[delinear]

They're being raised by wolves, of course.

Thanks Steve

[RunFatBoy.net]

Steve should be commended for his efforts over the years. His enthusiasm was infectious.

Unfortunately, while he stood as a model environmentalist, he now stands as an example of the dangers of directly interacting with wild animals.

Jim
http://www.runfatboy.net/ - Exercise for the rest of us.

Re:Thanks Steve

[NineNine]

"Unfortunately, while he stood as a model environmentalist, he now stands as an example of the dangers of directly interacting with wild animals."

Why is this unfortunate? I think that this is fortunate in two ways:

1. Stupid people are less likely to mess with wild animals. That's good for the animals.

2. People are reminded that no matter what kind of technology we have, nature is going to get ALL of us in the end, and there's a good chance that many of us could be easily wiped out by something as massive as a hurricane or as wild as a stingray (apparently). It teaches people to be both humbled and awed by nature. That's good for people.

Re:Thanks Steve

[Coneasfast]

Yep. I have the upmost respect for him, I could never get into that much danger. Luckily computer parts don't have sharp claws. Imagine upgrading your video card: "Isn't she a beauty, a brand new nVidia 78... Crikey! the fucker bit me!"

Re:Thanks Steve

[LarsWestergren]

Steve should be commended for his efforts over the years. His enthusiasm was infectious. Unfortunately, while he stood as a model environmentalist, he now stands as an example of the dangers of directly interacting with wild animals.

I always preferred Sir David Attenborough. That is someone who truly loves and respects nature. Perhaps Steve did too, but watching his show it seemed to be more about him being wild and wacky and less about the animals. They were just there to be annoyed and do "dangerous" things.

Try wathing Living Planet, Life in the Undergrowth, Blue Planet or something like that. Better footage, better science, better drama...

Re:Thanks Steve

[ozbird]

Luckily computer parts don't have sharp claws.

Some do - and I have the scars to prove it. Anyone who has worked elbow deep in an old computer case (the ones without rolled edges) will know what I'm talking about.

Re:Thanks Steve

[Dasher42]

I'm a big fan of Attenborough too, but I think Irwin's show reached a different kind of person, and everybody could stand to have more appreciation of nature. Really, sneaking a nature show into a stunt show is what he did, and it's really sad that the odds caught up with him. Steve Irwin's off-camera work showed he really cared about wildlife, and it's really sad to lose someone like that.

A stingray barb to the chest - ouch, that's a painful way to go. If I'm right, only one person has ever survived that.

Re:Thanks Steve

[el_womble]

I was once blown across the room whilst I was fixing an old and dusty PSU. I accidently touch the case and one of the bigger caps at the same time whilst the thing was still plugged in.

Thats the sort of mistake you only make twice, maybe three times. Four and you're clearly an addict.

why did it kill him?

[ftsf]

from wikipedia:

Dasyatids do not attack aggressively, or even actively defend themselves. When threatened their primary reaction is to swim away. However, when they are attacked by predators or stepped on, the barbed stinger in their tail is mechanically whipped up, usually into the offending foot; it is also possible, although less likely, to be stung "accidentally" by brushing against the stinger.

what did he do to cause a stingray to kill him? TFA says it was a freak accident. but was it really? what were the stingray's intentions?

Re:why did it kill him?

[TheDugong]

What do you reckon? I would bet serious money on him doing the usual lets annoy a wild animal so I can look cool and have my own TV channels. But guess what, humans cannot move anywhere near as fast as fish underwater. I am a pretty experienced scuba diver and have seen more stingrays than I can remember. I have been slammed by a big (~2M disc diameter) stingray in an aquarium (a mate sneaked some frozen fish into my pocket :) ), it was absolutely hilarious, far from scary. They are simply not agressive. They filter sand for little crustacean and fish fodder. You would have to seriously provoke them for them to do more than just swim away. I wonder if the film footage (there is bound to be some) will ever surface.

Re:why did it kill him?

[Americano]

IANASE (... not a stingray expert), but according to this article:

Stingrays are generally non-aggressive and intelligent creatures. They have been called the "pussycat of the sea," and devotees of diving programs on educational TV are often treated to images of scuba divers hitching a ride with some of the larger forms. This is a precarious activity at best, however, since the stingray's spine is in a perfect position to inflict injury to a human pressed against their dorsum. And if frightened, roughly handled, or captured, they react quickly by using their tail to place the sting in close contact with the object of their discomfort. Stingrays cannot raise or lower their stings voluntarily. The wound they inflict comes from the arching forward flick of their muscular tail. Envenomation occurs when the tip of the spine penetrates the ray's integumentary sheath and lacerates the skin of the victim simultaneously.

Human injuries also occur during stingray capture, when people attempt to haul them into a boat. Another common scenario is for the victim, wading in shallow water, to accidentally step on a stingray buried just beneath the sand. In these instances, the ray flicks up its tail, usually lacerating the leg. Contrary to popular "nature documentaries," it is extremely hazardous to swim directly over, or in close proximity to, a stingray. A flick of the tail is apt to pierce a person's body, and a serious, even potentially fatal, situation is in the offing.

The same article goes on to say:

Stingray injury has two aspects: 1) immediate physical trauma from the powerful penetrating action of the spine, and 2) envenomation at the site of the wound with the contents of the ray's integumentary sheath. Although venom is not always deposited during a "sting incident," these two insults often work in dangerous synchrony.

Most traumatic injuries inflicted by rays occur to the lower limbs of bathers and boaters, and to the hands and arms of fisherman, hobbyists and other handlers. If a major blood vessel is lacerated, hemorrhage can occur and could even be fatal. There is at least one case in the literature of a victim whose femoral artery was pierced by the spine of a stingray; the victim bled to death. In about 5% of such injuries, the spine is broken off and remains in the wound, especially when the fish is pulled off the victim. Penetration of any part of the trunk (chest, abdomen, groin) is a serious medical emergency. Introduction of the ray's necrotizing venom directly into the body cavity of a person has been known to cause insidious necrotizing effects on the heart and other internal organs, and death is often inevitable.

Re:why did it kill him?

[timeOday]

Stingrays are generally non-aggressive and intelligent creatures. They have been called the "pussycat of the sea,"

Yeah, but that's always the official line on animals. No matter how many surfers are eaten by sharks in a year, every single news report of an attack will always say how unusual it is, and how sharks normally don't attack people.

On the other hand, since it was Stever Irwin, it's easy to imagine he was trying to horse around with them. I don't see why that makes people vindictive though. When Dale Earnhart died, I didn't hear anybody say "Ha! Only a fool would drive in Nascar!" We all choose to take some chances, and my guess (just a guess) is that if there had been 100,000 Stever Irwins, more would have died in traffic accidents than due to animals.

Re:why did it kill him?

[LordLucless]

From what they've said on the TV here, it sounds like they were filming the stingray. Cameraman to the front, and Irwin over the top; the ray felt cornered and trapped, and reacted defensively.

A real shame

[Centurix]

I only live 30 minutes from his Australia Zoo at Beerwah and have watched him perform the croc stuff a couple of times and it was very entertaining.

I remember trying to take a photograph of my kid at the petting zoo while his kid was in there and I was politely asked not to. Mind you, it was just after the whole 'dangling the baby in front of the baby eating crocodile' incident, I can understand the paranoia at the time.

R.I.P. Steve.

[ColaMan]

Poor old Steve - but at least went out was doing what he loved, as opposed to getting hit by a bus or something.
I met him briefly once or twice - he was a friend of a friend - and while he used to ham it up for the cameras, he was a nice guy and very passionate about wildlife.

*sigh*

He will be missed.

Re:R.I.P. Steve.

[HappyEngineer]

This reminds me of the death of Douglas Adams. He was a funny writer and he died while exercising. Truly ironic. If one has to die then it's nice that the death be apropos to the type of person you are.

If I die an early death, I hope it's due to a meteorite hitting me while sitting at my computer.

Fastest Travellling News

[Heir Of The Mess]

This is the fastest I've ever seen news hit the front page on slashdot.

In fact since this news broke an hour ago I've received 1 phone call, 4 SMS's and 6 e-mails about it. A coworker came running to tell me about it and 88+ news items about it have appeared so far on Google News. Just goes to show that people really care about Steve Irwin.

With that kind of influence it makes you wonder what he might have achieved if he hadn't died.

Re:Fastest Travellling News

[byolinux]

In years to come...

Kid: 'What were you doing when Steve Irwin was killed, dad?'

Me: 'Reading Slashdot, son.'

Kid: 'What's Slashdot?'

Me: 'It was this magical place where all the news stories were posted two or three times each, where some people would charge in without even reading the story at all and we'd all get a chance to score each others posts, though that was a bit of contentious issue.'

Kid: 'Oh. Kinda like Digg?'

The world is lessened

[Wylfing]

I heard about this a couple of hours ago while talking online on a MUD I used to code for. The first thought I had was that the world was a lesser place without him, just like the world was reduced when Fred Rogers passed. This was a Grade-A human being, and in an odd way very important to me. Let's just say my dog's name is Bindi.

Good luck, Steve.

He was cringeworthy but...

[1stdoc]

.. it's sad to see him go. As an Australian it was always a bit embarassing the way he perpetuated that particular stereotype but he did a lot of good for the country, not just for tourism but for conservation as well. A fair chunk of his money went straight back to buying up tracts of land for conservation.

Re:He was cringeworthy but...

[simong_oz]

You know I used to think exactly the same as you - I also cringed that the world thought this was what Australians were like. But the more I saw of the bloke the more I realised it wasn't an act, it was genuine, unbridled enthusiasm. He wanted people to be as fascinated as he was, his enthusiasm was magnetic, and real. He wanted to teach all this stuff to kids. He wanted people to respect these (dangerous) wild animals the way he did. He never held back, he always smiled. And for all those reasons and more, he completely turned me around - I am more than happy that the world thinks this represents Australians at their core - genuine, enthusiastic, and a good mate.

RIP Steve.

Respect

[riceboy50]

I am a little appalled by the reaction of many /.ers. This was a guy with a family. You have no idea whether he was responsible and careful with animals, not being animal trainers yourselves. All you have is your uninformed opinion about it. Have a little respect for the guy, if only because he was more than just a TV star.

Re:Respect

[linguizic]

Oh come on! If I had his job I would expect people to crack wise if I died the way he did. Yes, he was a good guy, and I feel bad for his family. But look at it this way: this summer my mom was diagnosed with cancer and underwent chemo. To relieve stress my brother and I would tell yo' mama jokes and they would always end up with "oh yeah? well yo' mama has cancer" which got the biggest laughs. You have to laugh at death, or else you're just going to feel like shit all the time.

My mother's in remission if anyone cares.

Re:Respect

[Jeff DeMaagd]

My mother's in remission if anyone cares.

Ouch. I thought the state you want would be for the cancer to be in remission.

Re:Invincible

[plover]

its just almost inconceivable.

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Ignoring all the stupid crap

[rampant mac]

Ignoring all the stupid crap and lame jokes that I'm sure will get posted well before (and after) I make my comments....

*You* may have not liked the guy; maybe you hated him. His style, his 'in your face attitude' about "Outback" animals might have been a little bit too 'kooky' for what most mainstream Americans are used to. But anyway...

I met him once while on a flight out to LA (I think he was doing the Late Show /w Leno) and honestly I've never met anyone who had such a zest for life. Seriously, the guy was so upbeat about EVERYTHING, it was hard to ignore him.

People like him are so special. I'll never forget him, and I hope you all won't either.

Re:Ignoring all the stupid crap

[irving47]

There are GOING to be jokes. Doesn't mean people disrespect him. You simply can't pull the stuff he pulled and not get some barbs along the way.

An awesome life full of adventure

[Pizaz]

I admire Steve's courage, his enthusiasm, his zest for life and for letting us all share a little bit of the wondererous life he lived. Many of us can only hope to be so lucky as to live a life that isn't mundane, tedious and predictable. Steve's been to more places, witnessed more beautiful and fascinating cultures and people and animals than most of us would if we had 3 lives to live. He knew the risks and chose to live his life the way he wanted to live it. Not many people can say that. We're all gonna die. Might as well go out while living life to the fullest.

Doin What He Loved

[blueZhift]

All jokes aside, like most people in dangerous professions, he knew the risks and died doing what he loved to do. Given a choice of ways to go, that's not so bad.

The real deal

[paxmaniac]

Steve Irwin was the real deal. He really cared about the environment he worked in. It was revealed earlier this year that he successfully lobbied the Federal Government to oppose plans for the creation of a crocodile 'game hunting' tourist industry in the Northern Territory. He did it privately and quietly - it was only reported after it came to light through freedom of information requests.

link

My hat goes off to you Steve, and my condolences to your family.

Re:Now that's ironic

[linguizic]

If by "someone who is the epitome of everything that geeks are not" you mean he had a tan from actually being out in sunlight, then yeah he was the opposite of a geek. But I define geeks as people who are dedicated to their passions. It maybe an esoteric passion, but a passion nonetheless. Some geeks are passionate about Star Trek and finding security flaws in the Linux kernel, while others are passionate about music and art. Steve Irwin's passion for living creatures makes him a geek in my book.

I'm surprisingly upset

[svunt]

The first time I saw Steve Irwin, I cringed horribly (I'm Australian), but he got to me. I can honestly say I've never seen a happier person, with so much energy & such a good, innocent heart. I was mocking him a few years ago, mercilessly. Now, I'm feeling kind of weepy. RIP Steve, and my heart goes out to the Irwin family & friends. Thanks on behalf of the animals :)

Re:I'm surprisingly upset

[AcidDan]

I think every Australian cringes to a point with Steve (usually because he reminds us of how we really are), before they find out about the man behind the Crocodile Hunter. A few things that I found out from a mate that works at Australia Zoo changed my opinion of him: Firstly, he is genuinely like that - in front of the screen and in everyday life: a larger than life character that is always enthusiastic about wildlife. You can only respect genuiness of spirit. Something I think a lot of us miss today.

Secondly, he spends all the money he gets reinvesting into australian wildlife in one form or another. Hearing that he buys up huge tracts of land just so the animals living there could just do their thing really got my respect.

I think it's appropriate that he died doing the things that he loved, but my condolences go to his family, who more than anyone else will fell the loss of a husband, father and decent bloke.

-- Dan =(

Re:With all due respect to the man ...

[Sage Gaspar]

As an American, I can only wish people identified my nationality with someone as sincerely pleasant and frank as Steve Irwin. You could do a lot worse.

This is true. Americans, even from our own media, are labelled obese, violent, culturally insensitive lackwits. We're identified with a jingoist leader that 50% of us opposed. Even those of us who challenge the stereotypes and work to change things (though I am a fatass, so I guess one strike) get to deal with the constant barrage of negative images.

Of course, living in the wealthiest center of power in the western world certainly has advantages, so I can't complain, but I've never really found it possible to take pride in my country the same way others do. I wouldn't be upset at all if we were identified with a loveably corny and passionate conservationist and educator. I know Steve Irwin represented a stereotype, but I've never thought of it as a particularly negative one.

blatantly stolen

[JeremyALogan]

For some reason reading something from/about someone in Australia reminds me of a joke I read on here (can't remember who originally posted it).

Upon filling out Customs forms to enter Australia I came across a line that asked if I was a convicted felon. I responded with "I didn't know it was still a requirement."

BS

[CaptainDefragged]

What a load of crap. Absolute drivel. The kids were with their mother in Tasmania. Anyone who knew anything about Steve and his family could never say such a thing. Their children are there passion. There was hardly a sentence out of Steve's mouth that didn't mention his children. They would do anything for them. If people would show have as much passion for their children as the Irwin's did, the world would be a far better place.

He made reptiles respectable

[Derling Whirvish]

I always preferred Sir David Attenborough. That is someone who truly loves and respects nature.

I agree about Sir David Attenborough greatness, but the difference is how thay handled reptiles. After watching Sir David Attenborough, if I found a snake in the back yard I would still chop off its head with a hoe. After watching Steve Irwin, I would think twice and maybe call someone to take it away. Steve changed the image of reptiles from nasty creatures that you kill on sight to animals that should be respected the same as the furry cute ones.

I'm going to Hell for this.

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm going to Hell for this:

So Steve Irwin walks into a barb.

oMG ROFL SKATES!!

[tompee]

Isn't this hilarious! omg... CRIKEY! I'm DEAD... CRIKEY!! GET IT? LOLLOL

I'm sure I'll be instantly reprimanded, reminded of the place of black humour, and told how much of a wuss I am being. In fact I'm sure there are armies of nerds just waiting to pounce on anyone who is silly enough to object to the clammering for "funny" mod points before the story gets old. Black humour does have it's place, and I did expect there to be a lot here, but when the entire top half of this page is filled with these comments modded "+5 funny", something about it is just a bit disheartening, quite frankly.

So anyway, I'm not sure who won this round of the perpetual /. competition to be the 'uber nerd', to show that you're too cool to care (especially when people might expect you to care), but I would just like to show some 'weakness' and say that I find this part of todays news to be kind of sad.

He could be annoying, embarassing, he courted danger (and eventually paid the price)... but he was so exuberant and positive, and niave in a way. No one can accuse him of being fake or caring about himself more than the environment so many of us neglect as matter of mere convenience. Something about his positive outlook and naive manner in contrast with his early death just seems sad to me. Poor bloke

Not totally surprising, but very sad.

[FridayBob]

Over the years I've very much enjoyed watching Steve Irwin. I was shocked this morning to hear of his accident and my heart goes out to his family and friends.

Having said that, I can't say I'm totally surprised. I know something about snakes, including venomous species, having been fascinated by them from a very early age on. That's why I was so astonished when I saw Steve's program for the first time and how he handled snakes. The crocodiles are one thing; reptile wranglers and herpetologists since Ross Allen have employed much the same methods -- there's really no other good way to do it. But, the snakes! When I first saw how he went about "tailing" Australia's highly dangerous elapids, I thought he was nuts! I still think he was nuts for doing that -- in literature, such methods are never recommended. It simply involves risks that are better -- and easy -- to avoid. How can I say it: people in the same business just tend to live longer when they don't take such risks.

However, we got used to seeing him do those kind of things. It was obvious that Steve had a gift. Only someone who has been around reptiles all of his life and knows instinctively how they behave and react could have done those things and make it look so easy. Indeed, get away with it for so long! It was great for TV, that's for sure! But, I guess that same risk-taking mentality finally got the better of him when he strayed too far from his usual environment. I don't know, but he just seemed a little out of his own element whenever he strapped on a scuba tank over his normal work clothes. Unfortunately, he took that same risk-taking mentality into the water with him and ended up getting stabbed to death by a stingray. How unfortunate. A freak accident? Perhaps, but he was obviously too close and probably doing something most experts would not recommend. But then again, he was Steve Irwin, so what could we expect?

Was he crazy to do what he did? Maybe, maybe not. But, what he did do was use his talent to show the world that the creatures that he loved, the ones that give so many people nightmares, are actually fascinating. That they're not intrinsicly evil, but animals like any others, with important roles to play in the world's ecosystems. Except that they deserve a little more respect. On the whole, from an educational point of view, I think that what Steve did was good. Yes, he often took risks and seemed overly dramatic, but that also got a lot of people to watch his shows and learn things they otherwise would not have. That can only have been a good thing.

He will be sorely missed.