Odds & Ends II (Croc Hunter, Commercials, VR)

The Crocodile Hunter (Steve Irwin) (Discovery's site, Australian Zoo (Home of the Crocodile Hunter))

NOTE: The Australian Zoo site, above, was still being slammed Tuesday night.

In case you've been under a rock, Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, was killed, Monday, September 4, 2006, morning, when a stingray barb apparently pierced his chest and heart (freakish accident), and he pulled it out. They are assuming that the stingray's poison, not normally fatal, direct to his heart, did it. (He could have bled to death, but those there said he died within a minute, and a small hole in the heart would have taken longer, I believe.)

I know, some people may not give a shit, but those of us into TV, who at least occasionally watch the Animal Planet, who have seen Steve Irwin on the many talk-show appearances he's made, and who have actually seen his movie, are going to miss him.

I haven't watched his show that much, recently, but do know I liked him (strange as he seemed). While I don't condone it, I even understood what he was saying about "teaching his children" about crocs and wildlife, a couple of years ago, when he held his baby while doing a show with a croc at his zoo. (However, I DO believe the child was MUCH too young to understand what was being ... "taught".) I loved his passion, his knowledge, his daredevilism (idiocy, to me, at times), his mission and his loves. Terri, his wife, and kids have lost one of the good ones. He was as, if not more, passionate about his family as he was about his conservationism and animal protection.

He brought us closer (sometimes TOO close for comfort - ours AND his, or, I'm sure, at least Terri's) to the many wild animals (especially crocs and snakes) he loved. His enthusiasm for wildlife helped MAKE Discovery's Animal Planet, and spawned hundreds upon hundreds of "wanna be" imitators (more than any Mutual Of Omaha's "Wild Kingdom", or Disney's "True Life Adventures" wildlife movies), and made people aware of the plight of many animals.

He will be missed.

Commercials I HATE!

NEW! - OMG! I thought it was one of those PSAs (Public Service Announcements), and his kid was hurt. Nope! ATT - Phone call at 3-4AM waking man and woman up. He says "What?"... She says, "Who is it?"... He says, "Are you sure it's him?" (looking very worried)... " She says, "What is it?" ... He gets out of bed, goes to his computer, turns it on (DAMN that computer's FAST), and says "Johnson pulled a quad... He's out this week..." The screen shows a football player as the man says "No... You were right to call" and it goes to the ATT service being advertised. THIS IS BY FAR one of the nastiest "misdirection" commercials I've seen in quite some time. I HATE IT!

Oh, yeah! Subway's "Fat Wallet" campaign. What kinda crap is this? They spend years telling us how to LOSE weight by eating their stuff, now they want our wallets to get FAT? Besides THAT, the commercial is stoopid to the max. Apparently, Jared is too busy making personal appearances (or working at a REAL job) to do their commercials any more. I saw one before the fat wallet thing, but nothing since. FAT WALLET? Gosh... They're saying that SPENDING MONEY will make your wallet fat. Never EVER did that for me!

Oh, there are plenty more... Mercifully, they go right out of my head when the show starts back up, so aren't as memorable. Also, thankfully, they haven't been repeated into the ground, yet.

VR & Me

I have a "plan review" with VR coming up next week. For those that don't know what I'm talking about, see my 5/24, 7/23, 7/27 and 8/19 posts.

By their rules, they own the stuff installed on my van, and my scooter, now, until I find a job and hold it for 90 days... What this means is if they drop me, they have the right to "reposses" everything or demand payment for it... OR, it MIGHT be possible that I can be listed as a "homemaker", which, technically, I guess I am, since I don't work (SS Disability) and my wife does.

Now, remember... This has been going on for THREE FREAKIN' YEARS. If the van had been taken care of immediately, I MAY not have screwed up my knee, and might be able to walk more. I'd have also been able to keep looking for a job, and may have been able to get my business up and running without help.

Yes, I also tried to set up a business through them, but it seems that it HAS to be a money-maker, right away, or they aren't interested. (They also only supply money for certain items... If I could make money like that THAT fast, I wouldn't be on disability, now would I?) My other point is that gas was CHEAP (relative to today's costs) back when all this started. While it appears to be coming down, it ain't cheap now! The business I had come up with would require driving around the county, at least, spreading out to other counties as this one is done. I can think of something else that could/should be done, genealogically, and that could make some money, but to do it RIGHT would require a bunch of up-front money, and then some time to gather the info, arrange it so all could read it, and publish it so it could be sold. I believe either is something that would be right up the state historical and genealogical societies would be interested in. And the first would also interest the DNR. However, if I got any of them involved, I probably wouldn't be able to SELL the information. Hell, it could also be used as "learning" experiences by numerous Jr/Sr High School classes and clubs. (No more clues... It's still my idea!) Let's just say it involves high-res digital imaging (cameras and/or large-format/book scanners), databases/tables, research, programming for the database entry and retrieval, data entry, probable artwork, local and state history, and a buncha other work, especially organizational.

If any TRUE "venture capitalists", philanthropic organizations, or businessmen who can tell me what and how to do what I want, and/or those who may be interested in history or genealogy in Indiana, and possible ties to education, are out there, and want to know what my ideas are, contact me. (This will not be a blog or email "meeting"... It will be face-to-face, so I know it's for real, and you know I'm for real.)

Don't get me wrong, I REALLY DO appreciate VR'ss help in getting me SS Disability, my scooter and my van mods, I just would have appreciated it more in 2003!

We'll find out next week what's up, here.