Quote Originally Posted by Ender View Post
It's funny that there is such an outpouring of affection for him after his untimely death when it became trendy after he had been "out there" for awhile to diss him. I've talked to many Aussies about him in the past and at the time almost every one claimed they considered him as much an Aussie "hack" who gave them a bad rep as any skeptic American thought. Oh well.

At any rate, his overenthusiasm that sometimes seemed to border abuse was his way of trying to make wildlife as fun and exciting to his viewers as it was to him. And the money he made from his popularity was poured into conservation efforts including a ton of land he purchased for animal reserves. While he may have been a thrill-seeker, what he chose to make due with that was unselfishness to the greatest degree, and he should be commended and remembered for those efforts.

Anyway, I figured a snake would have gotten him. He was too familiar with crocs to have ever been taken out by one. I felt with snakes he seemed to believe in his own immortality while being significantly more out of his element with them.

A stingray is just f'ed up. Pulled the tail out of his own pierced heart though...totally badass.
While I agree with all his efforts and passion (he was described to have a great deal of attachment to many many animals, not just crocs and snakes), I just want to say something about Australians. We did love him, and I know there were a minority that didn't, just because of the image he had potrayed internationally. Which I really didn't see a big deal in.

I can't believe what I saw on TV last night, whether you did like him or not. An English women actually said he got what he deserved, and that he was cruel to animals (which is not true, I can assure you). I guess it was fine in that nothing she said could be justified or backed up though -- but I can't believe you'd have such an opinion on someone like that, without ever meeting them or knowing fully what they have done for the world. Not to mention the fact that she had spoken out to the media about this just after his death.

I'm also not very fond of a lot of the American kids I see around a few forums I visit -- who are actually making jokes and laughing about this. What the hell? Someone has died.

Anyways, /endrant.