September 04, 2006

crikey! where's the love for the croc hunter?

Like most of you who turned on the tube this morning, I was (dare I say) shocked to find out that the beloved Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, had been killed. In fact, I had to do a double-take and rewind TiVo a bit just to make sure I had heard correctly. Could it be? Steve Irwin, the man who had earned his fame and fortune by surviving deadly snake bites, dodging angry crocodiles, and petting aggressive sharks, had been killed? Seriously?

I thought back to all the rumors I had heard over the years that the obviously crazy man (Who else is going to taunt a deadly python jumping out of a toilet??) had been killed by a beast of the desert or river or ocean. It's kind of like the rumors that the original Blues Clues host (oddly enough, his name was also Steve) had died of a heroin overdose. Then, they would just keep coming back.

Only, the Crocodile Hunter won't be coming back anymore. I kept waiting this morning for a punchline. I kept waiting to hear, "Fooled again, right?" but sadly, those words didn't come from the Today Show this morning.

And something else began to occur to me as I watched the news throughout the day: the Media didn't appear to have much to say in the way of sympathy either. Certainly, they informed the public, but the tone seemed to be more of a mother's I-Told-You-So response, "Well, what have we learned, boys and girls? This is what happens when you play with fire!" 

Let's not forget the Steve Irwin that entertained us American folk for nearly a decade (and Aussie folks even longer) with his always-entertaining stunts with larger-than-life spiders, angry rattlesnakes, and, of course, the always deadly snap of the croc. Most of us can remember the first time we flipped through the channels only to find a crazy bloke in the Austrailian outback waving for us on the other side of the camera to come closer and get a look at the angry rattler inside the open Jeep engine! "Croikey! Almost got me there!" He would say as he jumped back while holding a large stick above the snake that continued to jump out at him. "And boy, does he look mad, too!" It was kind of like a train wreck that you can't quite turn your head from. You have to see just what this man is capable of.

Irwin, while often seen as controversial (especially after a dangerous stunt involving his son three years ago), was an animal lover. Pure and simple. And as sad as it is that he left a wife and young family (two small kids) behind, he did die doing what he loved. I hope the Media will give him a proper goodbye in its People Magazines and TV Guide Magazines and that, even in its unconventional way, it will be known that Irwin was a man who was at peace with nature, no matter how deadly or unrealistic that may seem. 

Rest in peace, Sir Irwin. Rest in peace.

23:47 Posted in Current Events, Television | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter, television

May 31, 2006

Goodbye, Katie

You've been our inspiration in the mornings. Our mornings won't be the same without you. I have always had a certain loyalty to NBC television, but it looks like we may be flipping to CBS during the evening hours. There's a magic about you and America is cheering you on as you move onto the big news desk. Thanks for the good mornings.

08:49 Posted in Current Events, Television | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Katie-Couric, Today-Show, NBC, CBS, Evening-News

May 06, 2006

My 2 Cents on Immigration

The following is my response to my friend, Michael's blog. Check out his original post here (he's a little tightly wound on the subject and has a conservative point-of-view on the issue of immigration). I'm such a wussy moderate.

My Response:

Wow. Calm down there, my Aussie-born friend and cousin...in...law. :) Post a mega-controversial blog and advertise it, huh? Gutsy. I love the guts! I wish I had the guts to put more controversial-gutsy-political opinions and editorials on my blog, but I learned the hard way that sometimes that's not always the wisest thing for me, so I tend to stick with more "everyone-enjoy-a-laugh" non-confrontational posts. That's just me.

Be aware, first off, that I tend to be a political moderate in most issues, so I am often pretty sympathetic and understanding to different sides of an issue. That may help in understanding where I'm coming from in this "not-all-black-and-white" issue.

Although I agree that immigrants who find themselves within US borders should indeed be working to get their status legalized (and I have great respect for those who have gone through that process like yourself), I think sometimes the process isn't as simple. When I was living in Bartlesville, a major Wal-Mart distribution center was being built between that city and Tulsa, and I'd venture to say that 80+% of those working to build the massive structure were Mexican (many of whom were probably illegal in status). I got to know some of these workers through different ways, and I listened to some of their tragic stories. Many of them had been trying to get their status legalized for years, only to be rejected time and time again. They continued to take the tests and answer the questions, but unless some major educational opportunities arise (which they must have the money to fund - since the government cannot legally pay for them to do it), they will probably never have the opportunity to make this legal. It broke my heart when I found out that many of these people were making far less than minimum wage and were trying to simply provide a better life for their children (many of whom - because of being born in this country - are by birth US-born citizens - which creates a whole other Catch-22 - but I won't dwell on that here).

As Dennis Miller (another beloved Moderate voice out there) once so eloquently put it, "America has always been a haven for people to escape their dysfunctional families."

As you said, the United States of America was founded as a nation full of immigrants - illegal immigrants (or refugees, I should say) until July 4, 1776. Historically, we have many times (obviously not always) opened our arms to those from other lands. We've built a giant "system" of the whole thing: "If you wanna be an American, you gotta fill these forms out, learn THIS language, and take the tests! Oh, and pay Sam, too!" It's a system that is thorough enough that the majority of those who enter it don't slip through the cracks. Sometimes, though, unfortunately, that system becomes incredibly difficult - if not, impossible - for those who have never had the luxury of funds or education.

Being the moderate that I am, however, I also understand from the other side (a different side than you presented, but one you would no doubt agree with) that September 11, 2001 truly changed everything. Not just with terrorists that are Islamic Radicalists, but also with God-knows who on our own soil threatening our politicians, newscasters, and other well-known Americans through Anthrax scares. Suddenly, we don't have the luxury of trusting anyone and everyone who decides to come into this country. I totally get that.

And I guess that's where the "failure" to make a big decision probably comes from. These are all valid points, and there are other ones as well that take different sides and approaches and there are no doubt countless tragedies of those who have been wounded and hurt by our "system." And those are the stories that make this issue so important and heart-breaking...and yet understandable.

But, in the words of Dennis Miller again, "That's just my opinion. I could be wrong."

Technorati Tags: Immigration-Debate, Immigration, Progressive-Politics, Moderate-Politics
 

00:24 Posted in Current Events, Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Politics

March 10, 2006

And Now, A Word From Grace

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Translation: "People must learn to respect each other. We must fight the wars, hatred, and injustices around us! It cannot go on. Also, when my mom and dad change my diaper and give me a bath, they are wasting my time. Seriously!"

16:05 Posted in Culture, Current Events, Fatherhood, General, Humor | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email this