Greer sticks in a barb of her own (expat Australian)

The Australian ^ | September 6, 2006 | Caroline Overington

[CalvaryJohn]

I just love small minded people who bash dead guys. Jeez.

[Quix]

You mean she's NOT the stingray barb?

Oh, that's right, she's competing with

--Shrillery
--Bella Abzit
--Boxerface
--Babs Striving-in-the-sand
--Puhlousey
--Windy SheeeeHAM
--Cindy SUPERMOUTH
. . . et al

for Olympic Class Horses' Arse

[Irishguy]

i read recently that she regrets she didnt have a child...well i guess darwinism has some benefits after all....

what a complete and utter bitch....

[Fair Go]

I just hope she stays out of Australia. If she doesn't stay in the UK, perhaps she might go to France.

[vimto]

Yeah, when I was in school the Female Eunuch was all the rage. It had a good cover and was full of the type of things that 15 year olds thought was cool - lots of 'swear words'.

These days she seems to be about being as objectionable as she can be to common sense and the decent citizen.

No change there then.

[mkjessup]

Germaine Greer is hoping to recapture some of her 70's infamy by hanging on to Steve Irwin's post-mortem shirt tails, she is a leech and a parasite and has no soul.

As for the (ahem) notwithstanding babbler in this thread, let them hide under their bed and be absolutely safe, while they expound upon things they are utterly ignorant of, and the rest of us will live our lives, hopefully as enthusiastically as did Steve Irwin.

[FostersExport]

JOKE

I wasn’t bashing anybody. Just referring to the chances of my hobby killing me.

[kanawa]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1695850/posts

[ConservativeDude]

good post

[Thermalseeker]

My criticism is from a different angle. And this is for all the dads/husbands who have dangerous hobbies - such as going skydiving just for fun and adventure.

With your logic I suppose you'd be happier if he died of a heart attack on the way to a boring job? Or, perhaps waste away of cancer in a hospital bed somewhere?

The truth is some folks, far to many IMO, are so afraid of dying that they don't know how to live. If you are content to sit on your couch eating Cheetos and watching the world pass you by, fine, but save your misery for yourself and leave the rest of us adventurous folks alone. Steve Irwin saw and did more in his short life than you can even imagine. Clearly, you have no concept of how to live a full life. Quick, better go hide in the closet, the sun is coming up......

[HighlyOpinionated]

And as an aside: Following a giant dangerous stingray around at close range IS provocation. Stingrays don't like to be near other creatures. Boxing them in betweena cameraman and Irwin was obviously enough provocation to cause his death.

As I understand, it was a stingray HIDDEN on the ocean floor, unseen, which nabbed Steve Irwin, NOT the stingray he was taping. Whether he might have survived had he not pulled the barb from his chest is just speculation, since the venom went directly into his heart.

And I don't think "he died doing what he loved" is romantic tripe. I'd prefer to die while doing what I enjoy rather than have some drive-by shoot me while I'm out walking the dog. Yes, I enjoy my dog, but not enough to want to be killed while walking her. Steve's Mum was hit by a drunk driver in front of Australian Zoo. I'm sure she would have preferred to have died doing something she loved rather than be taken out by a person too stupid to have a designated driver. And after her death, we can safely assume that Steve and his family talked about their own deaths and came to terms with what could happen.

Rest in Peace, Steve Irwin. And to Terri Irwin, Bindi and Bob and Mr. Bob Irwin -- my deepest sympathies in your great loss.

I shall not die of a cold. I shall die of having lived - Willa Cather

A person who chooses to die or to risk death demonstrates that there are values, principles, maxims, that are more valuable to him than is life itself. In short, he places his immortal self above his mortal self. - Henry David Thoreau

Learn as if you were going to live forever. Live as if you were going to die tomorrow. - Mahatma Gandhi

What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal. - Albert Pike

[em2vn]

I disagree, his death was predictable. He failed to respect(as in respect a loaded gun pointed at you) the wild animals with which he dealt. A wild animal's responses or reactions can't be predicted. That's why you stay the hell away from them unless you're hunting them or viewing them in a zoo.
It's sad that the died but he left a young widow and two young children behind because he was a careless entertainer without good sense.

[Notwithstanding]

A good dad does not risk his life frivolously.

Irwin did just that - its what his shows were filled with. The only reason they were so popular was because he always provoked them to react - it was a crazy man facing teeth and snarls and a mad dangerous predator - thats what we tuned in for!

Daredevils are truly fools who love the thrill of trying to cheat danger and death. Game over. How sad. Of course it was loads of fun for all us.

"He was enjoying life" is such a shallow comment.
Just as thrill seeking is shallow. Living for the next adrenalin rush is just as pathetic as living for the next high or drunken binge.

[McGavin999]

You're a nasty piece of work aren't you? It's not your place to decide whether his job was "worthy" enough for you.

The man died in a freak accident, he didn't die fighting crocs.

[beef]

  I do not claim to know the absolute purpose of life, but it is certainly not to remain above room temperature for the longest possible time. The schadenfreude expressed over Steve Irwin's death is a reflection of some people's fear of doing anything but.

[grellis]

Irwin wasn't killed playing at a hobby; he and his dive buddies were filming at the time. Making documentaries was a large part of Irwin's livelihood. Did he enjoy his work, was it fun and adventurous? Yes, yes and yes. That doesn't mean it wasn't work.

My husband is a programmer. He enjoys his work; for him, it is fun, although it probably doesn't what one would deem "adventurous." The thing is, my husband is more likely to be killed or maimed in a car accident on his way to work than Irwin was likely to be killed by a stingray. Just because that happened doesn't make it likely. It was a freak accident.

[Oztrich Boy]

Going to war for the USA is a noble selfless act.

Chasing dangerous animals (as Irwin did) is thrill-seeking for fun and profit.

Collectivism. The indiviual exists only to serve the group.

Big idea by Frebch philosopher Auguste Comte, who called it "Positivism"

Answered by English libertarian J S Mill

The fons errorum in M. Comte's later speculations is this inordinate demand for "unity" and "systematization." This is the reason why it does not suffice to him that all should be ready, in case of need, to postpone their personal interests and inclinations to the requirements of the general good: he demands that each should regard as vicious any care at all for his personal interests, except as a means to the good of others ...

Why is it necessary that all human life should point but to one object, and be cultivated into a system of means to a single end? May it not be the fact that mankind, who after all are made up of single human beings, obtain a greater sum of happiness when each pursues his own, under the rules and conditions required by the good of the rest, than when each makes the good of the rest his only subject, and allows himself no personal pleasures not indispensable to the preservation of his faculties?

[Fair Go]

You obviously know nothing about stingrays or the work that is being done in this country and other parts of the world to save endangered species. Part of that work includes tagging and tracking them so that knowledge can be gleaned and their numbers protected. Steve Irwin was involved with wildlife specialists in doing such work. If you can't understand this, at least show some respect for his wife and family and keep your uncharitable opinions to yourself. I posted this article to show what an unkind person Germaine Greer is. It seems you are stooping to the same level. I will not be responding to any replies you might make.

[Fair Go]

You are pathetic!

[proud American in Canada]

rest of us will live our lives, hopefully as enthusiastically as did Steve Irwin.

BTTT! I love your attitude and agree--every day is a miracle.

In fact, I've read that the root word of enthusiasm is "entheos", or "to be called by God. So one could argue that Steve was doing exactly what God wanted him to do, and that's what gave him the joy and passion.