Steve Irwin video question

[The Snark]

@BabyBearT Wow. Had to read that through a few times and reflect for a while

Thanks for the detailed response. Sounds like you've had an eventful life regarding animal welfare and environment.

Your post covers an awful lot of ground.
I'm old school native-indian, and adhere very closely to our attitude regarding nature and animals. Sum it up, we are worlds apart environment wise, from the modern American's attitude 'the earth is our play thing to be exploited as we see fit'. Compare to 'the earth is our mother, always to be held in reverence and treated with the utmost respect. Additionally, we have an obligation to give to our future generations the same unspoiled wilderness that we enjoy.'
Sounds pie in the sky, doesn't it? But it's real. Nuff said there.

I always felt he had the best intentions in what he did and took some unbelievable risks. I guess his personality was as large as his efforts for conservation.

The impression I got was Steve was, if anything, far more intense and passionate about conservation than the videos revealed. The videos however carefully edited out his few rough edges as his drive and dedication which must have frustrated anyone around him who wasn't as dedicated to conservation as he was. He definitely wasn't a person who readily accepted phrases like 'you can't' or 'you're wasting your time'.
One thing that came across in the info I have gleaned is his stage persona was put on, exaggerated, but his drive and intensity was probably even greater. He was a control freak, and in the interviews with his father, when Steve got the bit in his teeth to do something he was not about to take no for an answer. If it meant camping in mosquito infested bush for a month he wouldn't have hesitated for a moment. Most likely he would charge off on tangents that left his parents constantly rolling their eyes and throwing their hands in the air. As his father said in an interview, "Steve was a monster".

Correct me if I'm wrong but you live in Thailand right? Do you conduct the same sort of work/research over there?

That's a loaded question that could take several paragraphs to answer. Suffice, my focus turned elsewhere. The former king of Thailand picked up and ran with the ball conservation wise, that rivaled Darwin. Few if any have ever undertaken more conservation efforts than he did. Of course many of his efforts were sidelined by the normal corruption and selfishness found in every country. I think I would sum him up in the floods of the summer of 2011 here when over half of Bangkok was under water. His Majesties first and foremost suggestion was "Plant more deciduous forests." Right to the heart of the matter. Deforestation caused the floods and he wasn't as concerned with abatement as he was with the futuire and what would be best for the environment which directly helped his people in the long run.
His Majesty started over 300 royal projects, all about conservation and providing botanical diversity for the people. He investigated plants from all over the world and ran a huge nursery as an incubator project getting them adapted to Thailand. He was the one who shut down the opium in Thailand by providing alternate crops and assistance to the people who grew the poppies.
With conservation covered far better than anything I or any other like minded person could assist in, I turned my efforts elsewhere, ending up working for NGOs as a health and hygiene worker-advocate out in mostly hill tribe villages.

I ask because my brother had a house over there and a gf for a while (don't ask me where, we're not that close and big age gap!) They attempted to set up an animal sanctuary. They had about 10 dogs, a few cats and some turtles I think. My brother said sanctuary's are few and far between over there...

There are numerous animal rescue operations here. More than in the US. But dogs and cats are a huge headache due to incredibly irresponsible pet owners. Keeping animals in your own yard is virtually unheard of, let alone leash laws. Alley dogs are as common as dirt and constantly problematic. People are always poisoning them. We have had two poisoned.

 

[Baby T]

Again thanks for the detailed and interesting response. After your description of Steve I wish I could've met the guy! It's difficult to find people who share the same passion for animals and wildlife and conservation.

Sounds like Thailand are doing much more than I thought in regards to rescue operations if you think there's more than in the US...That's good to hear obviously but I wish countries that have 'alley' dogs would address the situation better.

'the earth is our mother, always to be held in reverence and treated with the utmost respect. Additionally, we have an obligation to give to our future generations the same unspoiled wilderness that we enjoy.'
Sounds like a wonderful way to live. This should be taught in all schools.

Sorry for making you reflect! All fascinating stuff so thanks for your input

 

[The Snark]

Again thanks for the detailed and interesting response. After your description of Steve I wish I could've met the guy!

I would have liked to meet him but I have met several chronic work-a-holics in my time and Steve appears to be up at the very top of that bunch of obsessed fanatics. Exhausting to be around and expecting those around him to take on every task at a dead run like he did. That is, people to generally be avoided as employers unless you have a serious masochistic streak.

Work-a-holic

Spoiler

Mr. Green. Ran a garbage-trash collection service and two routes simultaneously. In addition he ran a yard clearing-cleaning service and had several hundred yards he did regular gardening and upkeep on. Start the day getting picked up at 04:00. Trash cans on the sides of the roads are grabbed at a jog, the trash truck never stopped moving. The boss would sometimes leave the truck rolling as he jumped out to grab additional trash cans. Interspered throughout the day we mowed lawns, trimmed hedges and bushes, swept walkways and raked leaves at a series of houses along with the occasional yard that needed clearing which we often did on hands and knees, scrambling about pulling weeds and clipping things and mad dashes to the truck with armloads of trimmings. Meal breaks were you carried sandwiches in your pockets which you ate while walking behind lawn mowers or raking leaves. Dropped off back at home about dusk, usually around 19:00 but sometimes as late as 21:00.
After working for him for a month when I went out on a fire line it felt like I was on vacation.

 

[Baby T]

Wow sounds like a rough job... I thought be a chef working split shifts was bad but that sounds awful!

 

[Rhino1]

I drive past Aus Zoo everyday for work, my kids have yearly passes and my wife's friends work there, I could ask them about it if you like.
Chances are it would've been euthanized, a lot goes on behind the scenes at these places that they prefer the general public not to know.

 

[The Snark]

I could ask them about it if you like.

In my drafts of discarded emails I considered how to broach the subject while remaining polite, friendly and objective. I've drawn a blank. Undoubtedly there are layers upon layers of sensitive subjects and difficult situations that have been waded through to the degree that any info request would be likely to come off sounding critical or even reopen old wounds best left alone. There most likely is a lot of emotional baggage going on there behind the scenes probably best left forgotten.

 

[Jess S]

@The Snark forgive my nosiness, but you have had a lot of different jobs and quite a few of them have involved inspecting facilities.

How does one get into a career path like that, and what are the job titles you have held? I'm really interested.

 

[The Snark]

How does one get into a career path like that, and what are the job titles you have held? I'm really interested.

"ALWAYS, reach for the stars. Make them your own. When negativity comes your way, never think of it as criticism but as a challenge to go beyond yourself, an opportunity to expand your horizons." My sisters, fostered siblings, heard that from me so many times they could and maybe did repeat it in their sleep.

you have had a lot of different jobs and quite a few of them have involved inspecting facilities.

Tough question. Long boring answer. College. Electrical engineering. Having an eidetic memory in a field I was keenly focused on I was heading towards my BS and certification in the middle of the third semester. Loans turned into grants, scholarships coming every which way. And NO! An eidetic memory does not mean everything that crosses your path gets memorized. A strict criteria must be followed.
Panic. Graduate and the money fountain gets shut off. And I had a load of per-requisites I had absolutely no interest in getting shoved in my face.
I've never done just one thing. Much too restless. School + driving an ambulance + working veterinary assistant, + lab assistant + volunteering at Head Start + helping out a wrangler and working horses + assisting at a nature center. My normal school days curriculum. Got used to 18+ hour days as my norm. Where my focus locked in, I soaked up info like a sponge. Horse shoeing, running a pack train. Avoiding cities. Wildland fire fighting was my preferred sport. And the list goes on and on. Leap on something, some distant star and make it my own. Why just do something, rote day by day just to get a pay check? Master it. Eat it. Live it, then move on. Look for a new place to aim my focus. Repeat. Repeat.

I've lost track. Around 4 degrees, around a half dozen certifications. Probably more. My best bonus has always been when an authority with competent knowledge in a field comes into focus, I lock on to the person like they were a god. Assimilate them, their knowledge, which often opened up yet another field for me to explore. And I would combine my experience and knowledge. Veterinary assistant + ambulance + electronics I became a Bio-Med Tech then took a degree in BioMedical Engineering.

So Australia Zoo. Wrangler + nature center + my partner GF at the pack station a certified veterinary assistant + her mother a nurse turned into animal husbandry. Add engineer + bio-medical and I strolled into the place, presented my credentials and was given free run of the place. High school stage and video production plus all their camera gear and technicians plus electrical-electronics orientation and the zoo's video productions were a special bonus gold mine. Unfortunately, photography has always been locked out of my mind and I'm a clueless dunce there. Lots of deep valleys accompany my high peaks of interest. A quirk of a memory like mine.


Here. Have a course in electric motor 1A. An entire semester in 30 minutes. For me, pure brain candy. more entertaining by far than an action movie. Sip my AM java and predict each move he's going to make.

(It's all in the hand!)

https://www.industrialheating.com/ext/resources/Issues/2016/April/ih0416-mfj-fig2.jpg

 

[Jess S]

Goodness me, you've packed in more than I expected. You also have an aptitude for writing, that I've noticed in your posts. Ever considered writing a novel, as you have done such a variety of things, you have got a wealth of experience to draw from.

I'd love to write a book but I don't think I'm creative or able to vocalise my thoughts well enough to make something readable and keep a reader interested!

 

[The Snark]

Ever considered writing a novel,

"Nothing corrupts a person as much as writing a book." -Rex Stout via Nero Wolfe.

I'd love to write a book but I don't think I'm creative or able to vocalise my thoughts well enough to make something readable and keep a reader interested!

Wrong attitude. I can't move! I'm standing on my own foot! "I'd love to write a book!" DO IT! Are you writing a book or catering to an audience in the hopes of finding acceptance and approval? Big news flash-> you are going to be predictably sleeping with only one person for the rest of your life. Make your bed mate appreciated and feel wanted. Enjoy the company. Forget the forking freaking audience. Pour your heart out in whatever form your self expression comes in. Then step back and give it an honest objective critique. -> Hey! That's purely badly worded drivel! But it's my drivel! It's perfect for me and what I could do at that moment. Nobody else on earth can do what I just did! I'm fantastic at being me! Now, is there room for improvement? Make my bed mate feel even happier when my head hits the pillow?


Something I always laugh at. Physical sports. Fine motor skills are great and interesting but football or baseball or whatever, BORING. Try a real sport. Grab that roll of 75 lbs of 4 inch hose and hump it up that fire line. Better be quick or the person next to you will get there first and you have another 50 feet farther to run. Oh yes, no sports togs. 15 lbs of heavy turnout and a half dozen bottles of water in your pockets. You against that GD hill. GO! Did it? Great. Now go back and grab another roll. We got a half mile of fire line to feed. Super bowl? Barf. RL has it beat hands down.